At one end in a distant junkyard, a spacious housing trailer stood. Within its confines, a man lounged on the sofa, shirtless and unaware of the world around him. Suddenly, a cacophony of beeps pierced the air, jolting him awake.
"Beep beep beep beep!
Beep beep beep beep!!" The alarm rang insistently, piercing through the silence.
"Ugh, I'm awake... I'm awake", He grumbled, groggily swatting at the alarm clock to silence its obnoxious noise.
As he rose from the sofa, his bare back revealed a striking sight — a pair of straight black stripes tattooed from his shoulder to his mid-back. With a sense of urgency, he hastily put on his shirt, trousers, and shoes before exiting the trailer, his steps filled with urgency.
In his haste, the man accidentally bumped into several pedestrians along the street, muttering apologies as he dashed forward. However, his attention was abruptly drawn to an alley nearby, where a group of thieves were mercilessly assaulting a woman, attempting to rob her. Being innately pricked in his conscience, the man was compelled to intervene.
"Hey, come on, guys! Leave the lady alone," Jon spoke up, his voice firm and resolute.
"Move on, pal. You didn't see nothing. This ain't your business," one of the thieves sneered.
Jon let out a sigh of frustration, reluctantly turning away to walk off. But just as he did, he heard a plea for help from the old woman. Without a second thought, his instincts kicked in.
With a surge of adrenaline, Jon's pupils glowed with a bright blue colour and his skin emitted a shimmering blue nano biological substance with a texture like sand, rapidly hardening from his lower hand to his clenched fist.
In an instant, he launched himself at the thief who had struck the lady, delivering a powerful punch to his abdomen. The impact sent the assailant hurtling through the air, crashing into a brick wall before tumbling into a nearby trash bin. Turning his attention to the other remaining thief, Jon charged forward, forcefully ramming him against the wall with his shoulder.
"Are you alright?" he asked, extending a hand to the trembling lady, helping her to her feet.
"Thank you... Thank you so much. How can I repay you?" the woman stammered, tears welling in her eyes.
Jon's expression softened. "You can repay me by getting to safety and being more cautious in the future," he replied, his voice filled with genuine concern.
"Thank you, thank you very much," the woman murmured, hastily gathering her belongings and scurrying away in the direction Jon had come from.
Casting a stern gaze at the defeated thieves, Jon warned, "Next time, you won't so lucky." With that, he resumed his original path, determined to continue his journey.
A few blocks down, Jon stood at the side of the sidewalk, hailing a passing yellow taxi. "Taxi! Taxi!" he called out, his urgency evident.
The taxi pulled over, and Jon hopped inside, instructing the driver, "Take me uptown, please." The taxi driver obliged, maneuvering through the bustling city streets, gradually leaving behind the grimy lower levels.
Eventually, the taxi came to a halt in front of a towering building adorned with the imposing name 'District'. Jon hastily paid the driver and stepped out, his gaze fixed on the grand entrance.
Rushing into the reception hall, he called out anxiously, "Hey, hey, hey... Am not late am I?"
The receptionist, sporting a poker face, glanced at the monitor in front of her before responding, "What's your name, sir?"
"Jon, Jonathan Mane," he announced, his voice filled with determination.
"Alright, Mr. Mane. Right this way," the receptionist said, her demeanor softening slightly. "Top floor, executive lounge, -- 305 --" she said as she handed him an access card and gestured toward a dimly lit passage leading down the elevator. Jon accepted the access card with gratitude and quickened his pace towards the elevator.
Up at the top floor, Jon now faced large brown door labeled 'L305'.
As he walked closer towards the door, he took a deep breath, bracing himself for what lay ahead. "Well, here goes nothing," he muttered under his breath, swiping the card on the lock beside the door.
The door slid open, revealing a spacious room bathed in a cold, sterile light and large glass window as walls facing the view of the cityscape.
At the parlor of the room, a large rectangular table occupied by several men in crisp corporate attire caught Jon's attention. Their stern expressions and the air of arrogance about them caused an unsettling feeling to grow in Jon.
"You're late!" one of the men seated at the corner of the table barked, his voice dripping with authority.
Jon's managing to maintain his composure, "My apologies, gentlemen. I encountered some unexpected obstacles along the way," he replied, his voice carrying a tinge of defiance.
The men exchanged glances, their eyes betraying a hidden agenda.
"Without wasting more of your time, here are some of the proposed plans for the municipal project" Jon said, as he picked up the metallic stylus on the table, directing his speech to the man at the opposite end of the large table, Julius Briskly. Before swiftly turning to upload the data he had on the screen behind.
Meanwhile, in a neighboring building, Myles stood resolute within the dimly lit confines, adorned in his upgraded red and black Nitro 'mech-suit'. His gaze was unwavering as he maintained a watchful eye on Jon, who had become a person of great interest.
"Mr. Jon, I'm afraid we are no longer interested in the ideas you have to offer," Julius declared, his voice steady as he rose from his plush office chair, adjusting the button on his sleek black corporate suit.
The room fell into a heavy silence, with all eyes now fixed upon him, an atmosphere thick with hidden agendas and concealed motives.
"I don't understand," Jon questioned, turning to face the council of men seated around the table.
"I don't make deals with your kind, with you or your pesky organization," Julius stated firmly.
"I beg your pardon, what are you talking about?"
"Why did you think we chose you, out of all the people who sought an audience with us? Did you believe it was because you're special?" Julius sneered.
"You thought we would never figure it out? You thought you could just blend in and we'd never uncover the truth?" Julius interrogated. "You are one of them, an 'Anomaly,' a scourge upon this world, an agent of CREED!" Julius barked.
"I was willing to ignore all the petty heroic acts you've been indulging yourself in on the streets, but not any more. You've disrupted my operations for the last time and interfered in my affairs for far too long," Julius declared.
"Who informed you of this?" Jon asked, his disbelief evident. He had remained discreet for so long, never imagining that such events would come to fruition.
"I have influential allies who despise you and your insignificant organization. I'll be doing them a favor today," Julius declared. "I will eliminate you and your meddling hands once and for all."
In that moment, realization struck Jon like a lightning bolt, his eyes widening in comprehension. "It's you! You're the one financing the hood to carry out your wicked activities. You are the mastermind behind their operations," Jon exclaimed, his understanding crystal clear.
"Those...those kids, you're profiting from human trafficking, They were never meant for exchange of ammunition, it was all you for your wicked experimentations."
Tension clouded the atmosphere in the room, transforming what was meant to be a peaceful exchange of ideas into a disturbing confrontation.
Suddenly, a group of armed assailants stormed into the room, brandishing heavy weaponry and gear, their weapons trained on Jon.
"So much for not making a scene," Myles muttered to himself, observing intently from his position.
These were the elite mercenaries known as 'the Syndicate,' a private agency specialized in suppressing and eliminating anomalies worldwide, now backed up and funded by the corrupt government.
"This is the end of the line for you, Mr mane" Julius said.
Realizing the imminent danger, Jon's instincts kicked in. He swiftly leaped behind a nearby console, using it as a makeshift shield, the mercenaries unleashed a hail of bullets towards Jon, while the council members swiftly made their exit.
Bullets ricocheted off the metallic surfaces, creating a chaotic symphony of gunfire.
Jon's mind raced as he assessed the situation. He needed an advantage, something that would tip the scales in his favor. His eyes darted around the room, searching for a solution.
His gaze fell upon a grand chandelier hanging above the table, and a spark of inspiration ignited within Jon's mind. Seizing a momentary lull in the onslaught of bullets, he took aim with the stylus in his hand. With precision and strength, he hurled the stylus towards the chandelier's support mechanism.
The chandelier plummeted towards the table, plunging the room into chaos. The mercenaries scrambled to evade the descending mass, momentarily diverted from their attack on Jon. Seizing the opportunity, Jon emerged from his cover, swiftly disarming one of the closest assailants.
Using the disarmed Syndicate member as a shield, Jon deftly maneuvered through the room, incapacitating his adversaries with calculated strikes and well-timed defensive moves. He skillfully utilized the environment to his advantage, turning overturned tables and shattered glass into makeshift weapons.
The battle reached its crescendo as Jon's resourcefulness and combat skills became evident. Despite the overwhelming odds, he fought with unwavering determination, outmaneuvering and overpowering his opponents one by one.
However, the mercenaries were not willing to admit defeat. Loud thuds like metal hitting against wood could be heard. Their leader, Viktor Rook, a formidable figure and one of Jon's long-standing adversaries, emerged from a door behind them. He wielded a powerful energy weapon mounted on his shoulder as he donned a thick exoskeletal armor, elevating him above ordinary humans. Viktor unleashed a barrage of devastating energy blasts, challenging Jon to his limits.
Dodging and weaving through the lethal energy blasts, Jon searched for an opening. He swiftly took cover behind a counter situated at the side of the expansive room. Sensing the urgency, he activated a layer of nano-substance produced by his body, forming a thin, bulletproof shield on his skin.
With a burst of agility, Jon leaped out from his cover, closing the distance between himself and Viktor Rook. The two engaged in a fierce hand-to-hand combat duel, each strike resonating with earth-shattering force, shaking the room with their clash.
"Where have you been, Rook? It's been a while," Jon questioned, his voice dripping with anger, as they circled each other a few feet apart.
"I've been planning, Jonny boy, dreaming of this day," Viktor replied, a wicked smile adorning his face.
"How much did they offer you for this?" Jon asked, his anger fueling his words, as he locked eyes with Viktor.
"They didn't need to pay me, buddy. They only needed to align with my desires," Viktor taunted.
"Eliminating scum," Viktor sneered, his tone filled with malice.
"You're a lunatic! Do they know? Do they know that you're just like us" Jon questioned, his resolve unyielding.
"Unlike you, some of us know when to quit, Jonny boy." Viktor said
In a moment of desperation, Viktor attempted to activate a concealed device on his belt buckle that would trigger a catastrophic explosion on the floor.
Driven by adrenaline and an unwavering determination to protect innocent lives on the floors below, Jon caught sight of Viktor's motion and sprinted towards him. With impeccable timing, Jon taking a mighty jump, delivered a incapacitating blow directly to Viktor's face. This caused him to smash through the floor of the room into the level below, knocking him out and disarming him at the last second, averting the impending disaster.