'Have you ever been awoken suddenly by the rumble of thunder? If so, then multiply that by one-thousand, then for good measure, add a loudspeaker.' That's what I experienced on my very first day in this world.
Emergency sirens continued to blare outside my dormitory, and the earth-shattering rumbles of thunder boomed continuously. Sickness overwhelmed me, and the all-familiar bout of weakness enraptured my being as I puked up beside my bed. I coughed and heaved as the world ended outside, the familiar feeling of the illness I've previously endured. On hand and knees, I barfed up what I could only assume was my medication.
'Did I take too much?' I thought to myself.
Boom! The room rattled considerably. 'What's going on? Is this a terrorist attack?' O'Shea thought, scrambling across the floor weakly before his hands were on his head protectively. Eruptions continued to sound off; each consecutive boom grew closer than the last. I looked around the room in confusion; this was not the hospital. Where am I?
I managed to crawl, walk, and stumble to the now shattered window. I gasped. This isn't Carolina! This. What is this? The city before me was unlike anything I had ever seen. A reverberating roar shook the building again, and then my limbs and everything fled me; a skyscraper-sized bipedal reptile emerged from what I knew to be lake Charleston.
An influx of information slammed into me, sending me physically backward. I'm fifteen years old again; I was twenty-four when the disease that took my mobility then my life from me. I'm currently the bastard son of a prominent meta, and my mother was a human by all accounts.
I clasped my chest as emotional turmoil grasped me. This kid, this child body I'm inhabiting has so much baggage... "Arghhhhh." I roared in anguish as I grabbed at my head and my vision swam and I began to shudder uncontrollably.
I awoke in a pool of vomit and sweat. I winced as I began to move about my body still in pain from whatever that was. This boy endured so much in his short time living.
The rampaging Kaiju every step caused the ground to shake as its linear rampage brought it closer to downtown, closer to the university, closer to my location and the major population center.
I shivered again as A tingling warmth consumed me.
Swoosh!
Swoosh!
Suddenly, a loud whistling sound passed overhead. I peered through the shattered glass of my dorm, and two F-45s began to engage the Kaiju, as missiles, and beams of iridescent lights flashed from the sleek black futuristic s combat planes.
I slowly digested my new reality glaring out the shattered window, the metropolis awashed with sounds of struggle and horror. I was in a world where people with extraordinary abilities were commonplace; even the history of my old blue world and this place held some similarities, world wars, addition to bombs and soldiers, there were metahumans; that's what they're called.
Understanding that I've replaced the me of this reality and that I got a new lease on life I managed to focus on my next move. I grabbed what I had of value and stuffed my bookbag to the brim and began to exit my room but froze as a picture of me and a girl jarred my memory. I had a fiancé! Shit. Samantha. I increased my pace and exited the dorm. The hallway was chaotic, elevators were stuffed and struggles to get on took place but I and a few smarter students took to the stairs.
I made it outside with the group, we didn't talk, nor were there introductions, this was a mass casualty event, other things were more important than names. I began to look around, I didn't see Samantha. She had to be here. Every student should be outside by now. I began to turn but stopped when a commotion caused me to look over.
Chaos ensued once some well off youth came outside demanding escort, he was surrounded by three girls, one of them Samantha. My heart stopped beating and I took a breath I didn't know I was holding.
"Samantha!" I screamed and pushed myself through the crowd, surprisingly my group trailed behind me. That's odd.
"O'Shea. Samantha called back and started toward me but Dean hand grabbed hers. I froze too. What is this? She looked at me, her eyes pained but they frosted over.
"Look who it is. The bastard son of.." But a teacher stepped out and the circle moved further outward.
I just stared at her. She looked away from me and stepped back behind him along with the other two girls. My heart quivered and I swallowed loudly but I didn't move nor say anything.
Dean looked past the teacher and then looked back at her. He said something to her but she shook her head softly but remained behind him. His features twisted but he still smiled coldly.
The teacher didn't bother to figure out what was happening but we all knew. This was commonplace, people sided with the powerful and influential for benefits. Looking back I realized my previous self didn't realize what was occurring. I looked up and we made eye contact. I nodded and blended back in the crowd, my hands gripping the straps of the backpack tightened.
It was evident what Dean wanted yet the teacher refused to prioritize them over the remainder of us. Browsing my newer memories I understood the situation, this blue world held a class or caste like distinguishing markers. The teachers and staff were trying their best, but what could they do? The group was garnering more students to their side, and the demand to escort them increased. However, things suddenly changed when someone yelled, and we all looked skyward. That's when A white-haired, silver domino wearing man in a silver-blue metallic suit landed in the courtyard.
The gathered began to clap and looked relieved. "Thank God, It's Silverstream. Please. Help us!" a teacher started to approach but she suddenly skidded backward, her feet dragging across the ground. His silver-hued eyes glowed menacingly around the crowd.
"That's the only warning you will receive. I'm not here to save you, I'm looking for a student, his name is Dean Carter." His voice was amplified by whatever power he had under his control that seemed to be heard physically and mentally, which caused my head to throb and my vision blurred.
I closed my eyes and took a shuddering breath.The crowd cowed by his power took steps backward. I followed suit, metas weren't known to be light handed. "Get out my way! Here! Over here. I'm here. Thank God. I thought I had to surround myself with these people to get somewhere to call grandpa! Get me out of here!" The agitator, and the previous me and him didn't get along.
Dean forced his way through the crowd. His helpers tried to follow but he glared at them. But Samantha and the girls ran up and gripped his hand.
"Dean, take me, please. Don't leave me here." She was so beautiful I thought to myself. I always loved her ruby eyes as they looked into mines.
He turned and looked at her. "You? Weren't you too good for me?" He said cruelly. Samantha dropped to her knees. "I'll do anything. Please." She begged, still holding his hand.
"Samantha, don't.." one teacher attempted to walk forward but stopped when I stepped out of the crowd and placed my hand on his shoulder, right before Silverstream's eyes brightened.
Dean looked toward me but began to speak to Samantha. "You will belong to my family and me. If you agree, the Silverstream will be my witness. Once we're out of here, you'll be collard." He stated, his eyes chilling.
Samantha stood, her back toward me. I felt the eyes of the students on me; even the teacher looked at me pitifully. She nodded her head vigorously. "I agree, anything. I don't want to die here."
He exhumed an unnatural power as he lifted from the ground, the two girls and Dean staring downward at us smugly. I noticed Samantha eyes on me but I only stared at the masked meta. The chaotic drumming of the battle and artillery in my immediate surroundings didn't register as I stared at the powerful being.
"The city is being evacuated. Those affiliated with families should be safe here long enough for rescue." he said measuredly. But his voice grew harsher. "You unawakened, I suggest you form groups with at least a Beta class meta. Hopefully, that will ensure at least half of you survive; maybe this event will cause an emergence in some of you. His eyes scanned around before landing on me. Try to make it to a temporary emergency shelter at legions field; if you can do that, the government will help you."
He rose further before a silver hue inundated him, and he and the group rocketed from the Courtyard. I watched him leave before I gazed into the distance at the battleground, a massive kaiju; a mutated meta beast, this one was of the aquatic variety; it was almost twelve meters from tail to snout, and it had a mossy-colored body. It roared and swatted a man from the air as another one slammed into its snout, sending it careening into a building.
This was now my reality.