Quartz District, Luminata City - November 15, 2035
🎵: Scattle - Knock Knock
Sol stands atop another light altar tower in the city. From AM to PM… Early morning to evening… Many hours have passed since the dojo invasion. With this important journey beginning tonight, Master Solar allowed Sol to miss school and sleep throughout the day. He was pretty adamant about not allowing this more than once. Okay, best to find Luna tonight!
He once again descends the tower with his usual finesse, feeling like a new man. It's a long drop, but he lands perfectly on a lower rooftop just south of the Quartz.
Earlier that night, he and Rain prepared for his journey with the unveiling of his recent work. Rain had worked tirelessly for less than a month at Master Solar's request. The latter wanted Sol to be ready with the best possible gear they could provide. That didn't just mean new gadgets, but new clothes as well.
Rain hands Sol a pair of shoes, "Here, put these on."
"Genesis Rush v2's? These are some of the premier running shoes.", Sol pointed out, examining them before doing as told.
"Yup, but I modified them to add extra shock absorption for safer landings…" Rain places a hand on his shoulder, "and kicks."
"That's what I like to hear.", Sol said excitedly before roundhouse kicking the head off a nearby dummy.
Out on the town, he free runs across the rooftops like an excited dog rushing towards his lunch. One of the big dangers here is accidentally banging one's knees during a climb. Sol and even Luna have both come home with bruised legs on multiple occasions. If only that was still the most trouble they had to deal with.
Sol put on a new pair of pants, courtesy of Rain and certainly Solar, by the influence. They are eastern street cargos, a type rarely seen in Luminata City even though they'd fit right in this culture… Slightly baggy… complimented with some extra pockets and straps… cuffed right at the ankles.
"I reinforced the front lining from below the center of the thigh to just past the knee with extra armor. That way, you can remove the pain factor of impact.", Rain explained.
"My legs thank you, sir. I guess I'll just avoid falling on my ass then."
"Yeah, I think you'll be fine everywhere else. Too much armor would restrict movement and I'm sure you'd hate to sacrifice mobility."
"Right on! I also have to say it's quite stylish. Need more of these."
Sol finishes a quick climb as he nears closer to the Quartz. With a great degree of style, as he'd put it, he straightens his jacket. The lights emerging from his shoulders and sides glow an intense blue especially notable in the night sky.
"Now this one… is the big one.", Rain said excitedly as he handed him a jacket… His new signature jacket.
This jacket also shares the Eastern influence of the pants, screaming to the world that he represents the Solar Dojo. The lining of the arms and the torso lights up at his touch just like the mysterious tablet he held. That's not all as the patch logo on the front and a large back logo add to the great glow.
"You designed this?" Sol asked.
"Not exactly. This was based on a different piece of clothing that Master had stored away."
Sol could feel some extra heat radiate off the jacket. It could just be the lights, but it's easily more than that. Recognizing the science at play, "Nanotechnology! I didn't know you dabbled in it."
"I was able to learn quite a bit about nanotech over time and thankfully, have the know-how to give it a more practical use. The pants have a thinner lining of nanomachines to protect against small weapons fire. The jacket, on the other hand, will protect you from stronger firepower… and munitions."
"Holy hell!"
"There are some downsides to keep in mind.", Rain urged. "A strong enough person could likely still penetrate with a strong enough blade. High calibers like from a heavy machine gun could also likely penetrate, so you know… Don't get stabbed or shot by a machine gun."
"Understood."
"Actually, don't get shot at all… cause even if it doesn't go through the jacket, it will still hurt like hell. That goes without mentioning the biggest downside to keep it mind… Each hit will build up excess heat due to the kinetic energy, so by no means should you ever zip up this jacket. YOU. WILL. SUFFOCATE."
Sol is shocked at this glaring weakness, but he then notices the zipper is still intact, "Why is the zipper still on it then?"
"Easy… I forgot!"
"Oh.", Sol acknowledges with a blank demeanor.
"I will tell you the coolest thing though.", Rain teased.
Sol continues to free-run through the city, now just entering the Quartz. His back logo, a shining beacon of power in this dark part of town.
"The jacket can also store a reserve of light energy in the lining. When you start tiring out, you can tap into a little extra energy to keep you going.", Rain further explained.
"Amazing! This has to be your magnum opus."
Rain laughs, "That's where you're wrong, buddy."
He hands Sol an earpiece and what resembles a smartwatch.
"This is my magnum opus. The Wrist Interface Emulator, or WRIST.I.E. for short."
"Ehh… that acronym needs a little work."
"Whatever, man… Anyway, that earpiece will allow us to converse as well as let us listen in. The WRIST.I.E. is even better. It'll connect directly to your phone much like a regular smartwatch but unlike that…"
Rain taps the screen of the WRIST.I.E., activating a lifelike projection of the interface directly in front of Sol. The latter is blown away by this remarkable invention. Countless kids around their age would kill for this kind of tech. SlaterTech, the tech conglomerate omnipresent in Luminata City, would absolutely kill to make this sort of tech.
"Fully functional augmented reality. A system that those dumbass suits at SlaterTech abandoned cause they didn't see its potential. Good thing geeks like me do."
Sol proudly proclaims as he marvels at the AR projection, "I don't ever want to hear you say you're not much of an asset. This is perfect, brotha."
At his destination in the Quartz, he stops the timer he set for his run. He's absolutely feeling himself now as he just broke his previous record time, making his way over here. He taps on his earpiece, switching it on.
"You hearin' me, Rain? Testing… Testing!"
"Loud and clear, Sol."
"A little too loud.", Solar chimed in.
After deactivating the projection during the demonstration, Sol takes notice of Rain wearing some kind of headpiece. Something new as well.
"What's that you've got on?", Sol asked.
Seeing that he's noticed his new toy, Rain activates the headpiece. A visor made out of a purple hologram suddenly appears. It was just as, if not even more impressive than the WRIST.I.E.
"Soooo, do I also get one?" Sol asked cheekily.
"Nah, this one's for me only. You'll need to level up some more if you want to have these."
"Level up. Oh haha… cute." Sol pumps himself up both then and now, "Well, no matter how much cool gear I have, I'm ready for anything!"
Sol overlooks the Quartz from his position as dark as he remembers it being. Almost like it was on cue, the blacklights turned on throughout the district. He takes a breath, wary of the effects this place had on him even with the blacklights on. With a leap to the ground, he descends into the dark alleys dreading the drain that progressively came with the descent… but it doesn't come.
Sol breathes a sigh of relief before holding his necklace up in satisfaction. Rain wasn't the only one who was busy tinkering. The Specteract was necessary for his journey to protect him, so he felt the need to treat it with some dignity instead of just throwing it into his pocket. He made a transparent casing with light properties and turned it into a necklace. In his opinion, it goes quite well over his pink "Lumi City" shirt.
Slightly cheesy to wear with the rest of his gear, but with the exposure left from his jacket, he'd like to represent the city he's vowing to protect.
"PLEASE NO! LEAVE US ALONE!" echoed a woman's voice through the alleyway.
It's time for Sol to commit to his vow. He rushes through the black-lit neon neon-painted alley, unhindered by his weakness. He pinpoints the cries for help to a nearby clearing. Two women, young and old, are both being harassed by two NYTEMARE hooligans. However, it doesn't seem like the two are getting any enjoyment out of this unlike the others Sol's encountered.
"Listen, ladies. We don't want to do this, but the toll is mandatory. If we don't take it, they'll break our legs.", said one of the hooligans.
"I'm just taking my grandmother home. Can't you just leave us be?", the young woman pleaded.
"You should be ashamed of yourselves. Didn't your mother teach you respect?", her grandmother added.
"Just give us your money!" The other hooligan raises his bat, "Don't make me use this!"
Sol leaps into the middle, breaking the bat like a toothpick. He knocks one of the hooligans back before sweeping the other off his feet with a spin kick. Both ladies are stunned, they've just been saved by a complete stranger.
"W-who are you?", the young woman asked.
"Who cares, Rae! He took down those little bastards." The grandmother hugs a slightly embarrassed Sol. "Aren't you just adorable!" she said, pinching his cheek.
Sol chuckles, "All in a day's work, ladies. I'm your friendly neighborhood- uhh… Knight of Light, Sol Calientos." He puffs up his chest like a fool.
Rae chuckles too, "Well, thank you, Sol Calientos. My grandmother and I were just returning from the hospital when we ran into these guys… We tried to avoid them as best as we could, but the NYTEMARE are everywhere."
"Right… about them." Sol turns to the two hooligans, "Grandma here has a point… How about I teach you respect?"
"Wait!", one of the hooligans pleaded. "Your voice sounds familiar. Is it you?" He gets up and takes off his mask. It's the same kid he saved here months ago. "You're back and not wearing a mask anymore."
"You joined the NYTEMARE?" Sol asked.
The other took off his mask, revealing him as the friend who ran off.
"We couldn't take it anymore. We've been starving, so we had no choice but to join these jerks. They forced us to take money from these people as tolls to repay them… Otherwise, well…"
"They'd break your legs as payment instead. I understand and I'm sorry, guys."
"You should be! You said you were going to stop them. Instead, you disappeared and we were stuck with the NYTEMARE for two more months. We thought they killed you, but then they started looking for whoever attacked them. They hurt people, man."
Sol feels immense guilt. He knew he brought more misery upon these people and wished he could make it right. Solar feels his sorrow as he watches.
"This isn't your fault, Sol. I took you away, but you weren't ready either way. Now, you can help them."
Sol knows he's right and takes the kid's criticism seriously, "You're right. I wasn't able to help then, but I can now." He illuminates the place with his hand, shocking all who are present. "The NYTEMARE will fall tonight."
"Woah, since when can you do that?"
"Cool, huh? I also have light powers. Couldn't use them last time because… I wasn't ready.", Sol said, making Solar smile. "If you'll excuse me, I have a police station to go to. Get to safety, I got this."
Both the two women and young men cheer him on as he keeps moving. Seeing as the latter two aren't a real threat, the former two motion them to come with them to safety.
Sol remembers the sight of the Police Precinct, being overrun by the NYTEMARE. It's the best possible location to be their headquarters, hideout, or whatever they want to call it. It isn't too far from his current position, but one thing he also remembers is that a Zone Shrine is also around this area.
He checks the map and finds that his current location is close to the Quartz's Zone Shrine. He locates it behind a small empty shantytown with a little bit of searching. It's surprising to find nobody living here. The structures built out of trash, cardboard, and sheet metal, would be decent housing for someone without a home. Maybe the NYTEMARE scared them away just like those kids or maybe… This is here because of the shrine.
Regardless, Sol holds up the Specteract in front of the statue, activating it. As before, the statue dissipates, and a portal from the small drop directly behind it. It looks like the buildings here are serving the purpose of the Torii gate. He's ambushed by debris that beamed through the portal as he looked down at it. Thankfully, none of it hurt… but it does create a wary feeling of what lies on the other side.
He does need this gem, however, so it is worth the risk. He stands up on the railing placed in between where the statue would be and the drop. He crosses his arms and takes a leap of faith down into the portal… and into the Negative Zone.
————————————— Continued in Negative Chapter 6 ————————————
Quartz District, Luminata City - November 15, 2035
Sol catches his breath after his return to the Positive Zone. The surge of energy coming back to him feels as good as ever. Now, he has two of the ten Spectre gems already in his possession.
"Good work, Sol. Now, you better get moving.", Solar urged him.
"Right… Back to our regularly scheduled program!"
At the police precinct, the NYTEMARE all run wild as they did the night Sol was last there. This group loves to party all night and they're well aware no one is around to stop them. The spotlights are swung around as if they were at an actual rave party. They lead a group of former police officers that they've held prisoner for some time. All are stripped down to their underwear and led in single file to a portion of the wall enclosing the yard.
"PLEASE DON'T!" yelled one of the officers.
Ignoring her pleas, one of the thugs simply shouts, "FIRE!"
The group is humiliated with neon paint bombs being continuously tossed at them. All of the degenerates in the vicinity laugh at their suffering, some others grab a bomb and join in the humiliation.
"Is this really how your guys get their kicks? I'm sorta feelin' the second-hand embarrassment here.", said a gruff voice to another with him. "Why not just kill these fed bastards and be done with it?"
"Kill 'em? Nah, we're the NYTEMARE. We put fear in the hearts of our prey before we consider killing them."
Inside the precinct, two men sit down in an office also painted over in neon colors. One of them has the appearance of the rest of the NYTEMARE with a mask that looks far more advanced than any other, however. The other… a man in a sharply dressed suit, completely clashing with the entire aesthetic of the vicinity.
"Sure, fear. If your men did less of that and got straight to the point, they might've been successful taking over that dojo across the bay."
"A minor setback, my guido friend."
"Did you just call me a guido?"
"As we speak, my people are prepping for another strike with more firepower. I will personally oversee the operation to ensure its success before tomorrow night. Not to mention, my friend here is willing to get me all the resources I need. Isn't that right, chief?"
The chief of the precinct fidgets in his chair as he too was stripped down to his underwear and tied up. The sharply dressed man isn't very impressed with all of this, but seeing as they were able to take over the Quartz, it's worth his time at the very least. Something outside catches his attention immediately.
A goon rushes to the yard from outside, "Guys! Guys! Somebody's squaring up against our guys again. We better get out there and show 'em who's bo-"
A light bolt strikes the NYTEMARE goon in the head, knocking him out cold. Sol walks up to the entrance of the station's yard without any hesitation or doubt. Every NYTEMARE thug in that yard is alarmed by his presence, even the humiliated officers are curious about what is happening here. He only smiles and gestures to come get him.
"Silas, who is that?", asked the sharply dressed man.
"Looks like some kid… he thinks he can step to us? Good luck." Silas turns on his PA system, "Boys, show him what happens to those that step up to the NYTEMARE!"
A large number of the goons grab some blunt weapons and rush Sol at once. He condescendingly points his finger, counting all who rush him.
"All this for me, guys? This is hardly fair.", he said as he shaped his hand as if he was cradling something.
Sol tosses another explodey ball onto the ground just as the masses get closer. In moments like this, there is both evening the playing field or just burning the entire thing down with everyone inside. Every rushing goon was blown back by the explosion, crashing into their surroundings and joining their screaming friend for nap time. This is the latter.
"What on this green Earth?"
"Shit! Lock this building down, NOW!", Silas ordered.
"You see that? You're not going to the dojo, now. They're coming here!!" the sharply dressed man called him out.
The entire police station goes on lockdown, trapping some of the NYTEMARE goons outside. A few others try to hold off their attacker in close combat, but he's too much for any of them. The embarrassed officers are blown away by this sudden retribution and cheer him on. Sol gives them a wink as he moves towards the door. The remaining goons pound on the door, begging Silas to let them in.
Sol cradles another explodey ball in his hand as he walks closer to their position, "You know, guys. I wasn't sure what to call this technique after spending a while working on it. Kinda spent all day on this one… Let me know if you like it."
A few more NYTEMARE goons bunker down at the entrance, waiting for what's coming. Another explosion rocks the building, blowing a hole where the entrance once stood. All of the struggling goons lie out cold in the yard, having been blown back by the technique. All of the bunkered-down goons are shocked behind their masks and helmets. Even armed with weapons, they felt helpless against this kid.
"I call it the Ultraviolet Bomb.", Sol confidently stated as he tossed the orb in the air and caught it casually.
"What are we doing?! Take him out!!"
The NYTEMARE goons attempted to shoot him with some of the precinct's standard-issue submachine guns. Sol is much quicker than them, however, as he fires back with his light bolts.
In the chief's office, Silas is freaking out after seeing Sol breaking into the building. The sharply dressed man grows frustrated at the NYTEMARE's incompetence, wishing he was somewhere else right about now. The gagged chief laughs at his captors' impending comeuppance.
"What now, you idiot?"
"Leave this pig here. I have a plan, let's go!"
Sol fights his way through the precinct, looking for a sign of any other captured officers. He is, at the very least, grateful that these cops weren't murdered by the NYTEMARE. He can still save them even with the humiliation they've unfortunately suffered.
"You're on a roll, Sol!" Rain praised.
"Ha, nice one!"
"The chief's office should be on the top floor. Look to see what you can find"
After fighting his way through the halls of the precinct, Sol busts through the door of the chief's office where he finds the man in question tied to his chair. He immediately removes his restraints, allowing the man to experience freedom for the first time in a while.
"I don't know who you are or where you came from, but thank you. Finally, someone fought back against these bastards.", the Chief said.
"You okay, sir?"
"Better now, but I'll feel even more so once 'that Silas' and his mafia friend are taken down."
Sol caught the keyword, "Did you just say mafia?"
"He did, Sol. See what I was talking about with leads?" Solar chimed in.
The Chief responds to his initial question, "I did. Silas Nyte is the leader of the NYTEMARE. They started as just some dumb hooligans tagging up the place and causing trouble a few months back. Little did we know they were building up strength through intimidation and well…"
"Well, what?"
"This shitty district. People feel so slighted by the rest of the city over these conditions that they simply stopped caring and joined the NYTEMARE's endeavors. Once they took control of the district's power grid, it was too late. They took us down and took over."
"And where does the mafia come in?"
"That's just it. It looks like with the takeover, this gang must've caught the attention of one of the families. No idea why but-"
"I might. Where did they go? Do you know?"
"I'm willing to bet the evidence lockup. It's the most secure spot in this whole place. They probably barricaded themselves in. Best way through would be the vents."
Sol pats him on the back, "Thank you, now go to your people. You guys have had some long nights."
"Uh yeah, go get 'em, kid!" The chief mutters to himself, "What the hell is even happening?"
Sol rushes down to the entrance of the evidence lockup. The chief was right on the money, Silas and his mafia friend have barred the door. It could easily be taken care of with another UV Bomb, but Master Solar chimes in to stop him right there.
"It's likely that they're expecting you to blast through the doors. Remember what the chief told you, the vents are a better route for you to make your way in.", he urged.
"But, I can handle whatever they throw at me!"
"Strategy, Sol. Don't let arrogance make you a ripe target for your opponents. You ARE strong, but not a one-man army."
"He's right, bro. I'm tapping into their CCTV and they shut down the lights in there. They're trying to ambush you.", Rain added.
Sol still disagrees, believing that he isn't being arrogant at all. He knows how capable he is based on the fact that he's even here in the first place. What they are saying does ring somewhat true as he did get the drop on them in the first place. It would be smart to do that once again.
"Vents. It is.", Sol relented.
Inside the evidence lockup, Silas and the sharply dressed man wait anxiously in the office room. They stare off at the dark room, while they sit in light. Silas had some of his best goons arm themselves with assault rifles and night vision, all sights placed on the door waiting for the young hero to burst through. Little do they know, he's been crawling around the room through the ventilation system, a dusty, tense environment unlike the movies.
"Ugh, I'd rather just get shot honestly.", Sol begrudgingly said as he tried not to swallow dust.
He passes by a small vent feeding into the office room where his targets are holding up. There's no view into the room, but he can hear them clearly.
"Silas, I swear. If we get busted for this, I'm killing you in prison."
"We won't. We got the drop on him this time. He wants to break through… screw fear, we're riddling him with heat!"
Sol laughs internally, "Are you now?"
He continues his crawl to the exit, counting each goon in the room, seeing as he'll need to navigate around them to reach Silas. Regardless of the opposition, he remains undeterred as he drops into the room. He's fine with another stealth challenge so soon until some shots are fired directly at him, sending him diving for cover.
"HE'S INSIDE, SILAS! He got in through the vents!" called one of the goons.
Silas freezes at the sound of that news. The sharply dressed man looks at him like a father utterly disappointed by his son.
"'We won't', he said. 'We got the drop this time', he said."
The same goon who had Sol in his sights calls out to the rest, "We got him, boys. Keep an eye out for a blue glow."
Sol hadn't considered the fact that while still powered up, he was practically a glow stick in the darkness. If he wants to take these guys down, he has to be very quick about it. One goon tracked his glow to the corner he huddled against, but that didn't exactly go in his favor. A buddy of his catches Sol taking him down and unloads his rifle at the guy.
From the view inside the office, Silas and the sharply dressed man wait in silence as shots ring throughout the entire lockup. All they can see are flashes of white and a faint blue glow moving in the Pitch Blackness. In the minutes that follow, the amount of gunfire dwindles until they can be heard no more. The blue glow couldn't even be seen anymore.
"They get him?" asked the sharply dressed man.
Another blue glow rains down through the glass ceiling above. This one was far from a good one for them. It's yet another UV Bomb. The explosion knocks both men off their feet and ravages the office. By the time Silas comes to, he's faced with the one person he's been trying to get away from.
"Silas Nyte. What's good, my friend?", Sol said as he aimed his glowing hand at him.
"W-who are you?"
"I'm the guy who is ending your little power trip!" He picks Silas up who tries to swing at him. Sol swats his arm away and strikes him with a few firm punches, "Sol Calientos. New Hero in Town… The Knight of Light!"
Battered on the ground with his mask cracked open, Silas asks, "W-what do you want? I'll give it to you. Just leave me alone!"
"I don't want anything from you." He turns his attention to the sharply dressed man, seeing his style matching that of those mafiosos present during Luna's kidnapping, "You on the other hand, I have plenty to gain from you."
The sharply dressed man slowly gets to his knees, "Me? What could you possibly want with me?"
He reaches for a gun he holsters behind his back and pulls it out, but Sol is able to anticipate this. The latter swiftly kicks the former's arm upwards, causing him to misfire. Sol then follows up with a hard kick to the chest, sending the man flopping backward. As if that wasn't enough, he places a foot on the same area he struck.
"Where is she? Where. Is. Luna?", Sol firmly questioned.
"Easy, Sol.", Solar warned.
The mafioso coughs, "Who?"
"A couple of guys dressed just like you were there with the Noiratan… the Gray Man back in June. They kidnapped a girl. Where did they take her?"
"I d-don't know anything about a girl. I wasn't there."
"Then start talking! Tell me about your family. Who would know about what happened? The dojo attack too!"
The Mafioso relents, "Alright, just take your damn foot off my chest. GEEZ!" He catches his breath for a moment, rubbing down the spot where he feels pain. "Name's Frankie. I'm a capo for the Canelli family. We're just one of a few hired by the Noirata Empire to assist them with a plan they have."
"A plan? That could explain the business with the Zone Shrine.", Solar thought loudly. "Keep him talking."
"Keep talking."
"I don't know much. I was just assigned to oversee these scumbags. We needed to infiltrate the dojo across the way and take it over for the Noiratans. It was a very dangerous job, so the don outsourced the job to someone expendable…"
"Thanks for that, jackass!", Silas interjected in the background.
"The Noiratans weren't feeling very friendly at the time.", Sol added, piecing together the NYTEMARE's part in this. "I still want to know about my friend and whatever this plan is that involves the Canelli family."
"Then, you'll have to speak to the don or another capo that's in on this thing. I'm cooked now, but you might be able to make contact with some of our other guys. They're moving in on downtown."
This "moving in on downtown" catches the attention of not just Sol, but Solar and Rain listening in. The news is troubling as that could mean a lot of things. None of them are good.
"What do you mean moving in on downtown?" Sol asked sternly.
Frankie looks him dead in the eye, "2 words: Hostile. Takeover."
Sol walks back out to the precinct yard with both men on his shoulders. He tied both of them up, so the Police could arrest them. What he didn't expect was another large crowd waiting for him, this time, a friendly one. The group included the humiliated officers as well as the girl named Rae, her grandmother, and the two boys he vindicated. All are cheering his name… SOL CALIENTOS. THE KNIGHT OF LIGHT. NEW HERO IN TOWN.
The chief approaches him, having taken some gear back from the NYTEMARE. "You saved us, son. All these people here saw you kicking NYTEMARE ass in 8k on your way here… And that goes without mentioning the manhandling you gave 'em here at the precinct. You're a hero."
Sol, feeling a strong sense of pride from his dream coming true, addresses the people, "Have no more fear, ladies and gentlemen! The NYTEMARE are no more. You can sleep peacefully once again."
"Yeah, but it's not that simple!", called an unknown from the crowd. "The Quartz has long been neglected by the rest of Luminata City. We deserve better."
The grandmother adds with a fiery tone, "Yeah! Make them care about us, Sol! You can show them what's been happening here."
This type of promise is not one that Sol is sure he can keep, but he wants to give these people something to hope for. It's what someone like him should do.
"YES!! I will… I will fight for you. All of you!" Sol throws the two men on the ground and makes a gesture of promise. "The Knight of Light will carry the people's will on his shoulders!" He pauses to take in the people's cheers for a moment. "NOW! I better be off. I'll leave these bozos to you."
Sol teleports away, much to the awe of all who are present. They then turn their attention to the man who put them all through such an awful several months and his mafia friend. Both of them look back at the angry crowd, chuckling in fear.
————————————— Negative Chapter 6 ————————————
BEHIND SAPPHIRE EYES
Noirata City, Noirata Empire - November 15, 2035
🎵: Mega Drive - Crimewave 2
Sol flies up through the portal, losing all his power just as he dreaded. Starting out jumping down like normal, he's now hanging in the air upside down. No time to panic, must grab something quick!
"Where? Where?! SHIT, There!!" Sol cried out.
He manages to catch himself on a sturdy piece of debris hanging over the edge of the gateway. Some of the buildings around here look devastated by some sort of blast. The debris here shifts likely due to the power of the portal, causing Sol to fall back towards it.
As he falls, it is almost like time has slowed down. He spots the railing where it should be beneath the rubble. The Specteract allows him the strength to, at least, make quicker movements. His reflexes are limited by his lack of energy, but thankfully, that's no longer the case. He clutches the railing, which also shifts. The portal closes beneath him, leaving nothing but solid ground surrounded by the damaged buildings. He must've activated the portal's closing mechanism. Neat!
Up and over the rest of the debris, Sol climbs. The Yin Yang statue manifests back into existence having no regard for anything in its way. Sol tumbles off to the ground below. He opens his eyes to see red eyes glaring down at him.
"Oh, crap! I'm for sure screwed now!" he thought.
Those eyes belonged to a group of homeless people lounging in the area. Imagine being colorless and stumbling upon a colorful being out of nowhere. It doesn't seem to faze them in the slightest as they just return to what they were doing previously.
"Okay, then. Count myself lucky. Now, where to go…"
Sol spots beacons just like the ones from the fort. He looks around at the others present, who pay no mind to these things either.Â
"Huh, they really just mind their own business. I have to respect that… Anyway, onto my business."
Following the sporadically placed beacons leads the young man through the alley with red eyes both landing on him and leaving him just as quick. They finally stop at the entrance to a street.
Unlike the dark, backlit areas of the Quartz, this place is brightly lit with bright white lights. The street sign directly above Sol reads, "Clear White Path". It sure is "clear" and "white".
Sadly, the people simply looking and then turning back to their own thing have been replaced with another set of Imperial soldiers. They patrol the streets just as they do the fort.
"OH, COME ON!" Sol frustratingly thought. "Don't tell me I have to go down this street!"
It seemed as clear as the street name implies, that the bright lights signify the illusion of the beacons. The problem is that not only are there soldiers, but whole construction is being done down this path. Maybe it's not so clear after all.
Sol carefully telegraphs the movement of the patrols to maneuver around this much exposure. The lights above are intense, but they don't make any difference in how he feels. That must be how strong the aura of the Negative Zone is. There is far too much irony in light being a hindrance to him, but there isn't any room to poke fun at the fact at this moment.
The path of construction makes it easier, however. With machines hard at work, barricades keeping the people out, and the scaffolding surrounding the building in disrepair, there is more for him to get around but also to better sneak past the soldiers.
Usually, if anything, the police would be watching over construction, not fully armed soldiers. It could just be simply for the protection of the people, but it's easier to assume that this is just martial law at play. It does also beg the question of what happened here with all this reconstruction.
"It's almost like there's been a battle here… What am I saying? There had to have been.", Sol thought.
He crawls through a large spiral pipe like a dog at a conformation. Crawling does feel a little more uncomfortable than simply walking, but not as uncomfortable as the brief scare that a soldier gave him as he suddenly stepped in front of the other end.
"Uhh, come on. Do they really think someone would sneak into this site? This SUCKS!" the soldier complained as he kept moving.
"I could make this more exciting… if it wasn't for my powers right now.", Sol muttered in response.
After crawling out of the pipe, Sol finds himself at a lower elevation to the incomplete street. He notices an opportunity to reach higher ground with a building nearby. The scaffolding is just out of reach, but the nearby crane opens up an opportunity. Sol carefully climbs the portable light tower and shuts it off to create a quick distraction. He jumps onto the crane, climbing as fast as he can while keeping an eye on the surrounding soldiers.
The scaffolding surrounds a building with a giant hole in the wall. Strangely, that might be the oddest thing he's seen through all of this chaos.
"They must've really hated the guy that lives here, huh.", Sol joked although the idea was still rather morbid.
Just his luck as two of the construction workers inside the building walk up to the hole and take a breather. Sol was just a misstep away from walking directly in front of them. He falls back and clutches his hands over his mouth.
"Uh, I'm exhausted. I've been working for 16 hours. Death couldn't come sooner enough.", said one of the workers.
"Wow, you're really saying that? I think we're lucky to be alive."
"Mate, we used to stand for something. For freedom. And now we're stuck doing the bidding of those we despise."
"Affirmative, but considering what Nero and some of the other guys got… we really are lucky."
"You're right. Damn the Princess to hell and back, I say. She did this to us… wherever she is."
Sol crawls past as they look away for a second, but these things do attack his curiosity. Who is this Nero and what happened to them? Not to mention, a Princess? Does this Emperor have a daughter or something? Maybe she's just as evil. He could probably have extra trouble on his hands.
He continues along the upper path until a very welcome sight grabs his attention… There is another trail of beacons leading into another alleyway. It's safe to assume that the challenge was going from alley to alley as a sort of endurance test. The grand question is, how would it have gone if the construction wasn't happening in the street to begin with? Would the challenge be running against traffic? If so, that would be cool and insanely dangerous with his current state.
Sol follows along this new alleyway, waiting to see what it has in store for him. There are no eyes on him here… that he can see. It doesn't change the feeling that he could be being watched right now. His path leads him to a dead end with only a dumpster and a door. He tries the door first, as you do, but finds it to be locked. Because… that would just be too easy. He's able to make out a small light from behind the dumpster, which is telling enough.
It takes a good deal of his strength to move the dumpster, which proves the endurance test theory even more so. A lone beacon sits on the wall behind where the dumpster just was, but that doesn't exactly give Sol a clue. There is one glaring thing that he notices, the color of a portion of the wall is a different shade than the rest.
"Great, I need to equip bombs here.", he said sarcastically.
With a few knocks, the portion of the wall is confirmed to be hollow. He gives it a little hard push, opening a small pathway.
Sol sighs, "What an exciting first night out."
The crawl through the path, leads into what looks like a bar. Here the Specteract flashes to signify he's on track. This place seems to not be above ground, however, just like the crawl through the pipe earlier. Sol had learned of secret locations, namely bars, from over a century ago.
"This must be a speakeasy! An abandoned one… and the gem is here, but where?"
Sol strolls around the place, trying to locate the damn thing. He checks the walls, floors, behind the bar, and under the tables, but the best he is able to find is some weird box under each table. The next best thing would be another puzzle to reveal the gem.
"Hmm… a puzzle inside a bar. Maybe it could have something to do with what goes on in one." Sol thinks for a moment before landing on the obvious, "SERVING DRINKS, DUH!"
He vaults over the counter and looks for anything particular of interest. The bar is practically ransacked with only empty bottles remaining. Luna did say he wouldn't be a bartender, but how about that!
"I'll just be a drink server instead.", he said as he eyed the keg dispenser.
He pulls each of the levers with no luck until one piques his interest. It doesn't even pull at all, but he knows better by now. That doesn't mean anything. With what remains of his superhuman strength, Sol pulls back the dispenser, unveiling a gross-looking liquid that falls through the grate right below. This activates many things inside the speakeasy. Those boxes underneath the tables turn out to be lasers while a few of those tables are removed from the scene, taken underneath.
"Thank you, Luna.", he said with a smile.
He climbs onto the counter and could see that lasers represent the no go zone while the tables are laid out in a sort of path. Another keg is at the end of the path at the far end of the room… his goal.
"The floor is lava. Okay, I can play your game."
Sol being the free runner he is, clears this little challenge easily. Whoever created this challenge must've not anticipated someone like him. This endurance test just became his and he passed it with flying colors. Upon reaching the final keg, he pulls the lever, letting out some more gross liquid into the grate below.
The entire room turns back to normal with the exception of just one thing. A secret liquor shelf emerges from a compartment in the wall, housing no actual liquor bottles. Instead, the gem is housed inside, glowing blue into the darkness.
"Ahh, Sapphire, I presume." Sol laughs, "Too easy!"
He places the Sapphire gem into the Specteract and feels another slight increase in energy return to him. He teleports back to the Zone Shrine and subsequently, returns to the Positive Zone.