The alarms blare in the headquarters, and I spring to my feet.
"Grade 6 fallen!" someone shouts. I know that means trouble. Grade 6 fallen are incredibly high up on the danger scale, and they're capable of great destruction. I rush to my partner's workstation, and I see the location of the fallen. It's close to a densely populated area. I have to act fast.
I look at the list of available agents, and I see that I'm the only one nearby, the others will be back soon. I have to hold this one on alone. I grab my gear and run out the door. As i run, I hear the alarms getting louder. I know that means the fallen is getting closer. I sprint down the street, and I see a crowd of people running in the opposite direction. I shout for them to get out of the way, but they don't seem to hear me. I have to get to the fallen before it's too late.
*****
*****
As the agent runs through the streets, the scent of smoke and ash is thick in the air. He can feel the heat from the flames on his skin, and his eyes sting from the smoke. The sound of the fire crackling is deafening, and it feels like the city is being torn apart. Every step is a struggle, as the air is heavy and hard to breathe. He can taste the ash and soot on his tongue, and it's like a bad taste that won't go away.
The agent rounds a corner, and they see the source of the flames in the distance. The fallen is like a living inferno, its body made of fire and smoke. It towers above the buildings, and its eyes are like twin suns. It is a terrifying sight, and the agent feels fear like he's never felt before. But he have to push past the fear and do his job. He takes a deep breath, and prepare for the fight of his life.
He finally gets a close view of the creature. The fallen is a towering, humanoid figure, made entirely of fire. Its skin is like molten lava, flowing and shifting as it moves. Its eyes are bright and intense, burning with a rage that seems almost alive. Its hands are like claws of flame, and its feet are like pools of fire. As it moves, it leaves a trail of scorched earth and melted metal in its wake. The air around it seems to shimmer and warp, as if the heat is distorting reality itself.
As the agent approaches the fallen, he can see the civilians cowering in its shadow. They are frozen with fear, unable to move as the flames draw closer. The surrounding buildings are on fire, with flames licking up the walls and smoke pouring from the windows. People are running in every direction, some carrying children and others carrying what possessions they can. The screams of fear and panic echo through the streets, and the air is filled with the sound of sirens and alarms. People are crying out for help. They are met with a quick and violent death as most of them burst into flames, the ones that don't begin melting rather slowly.
The agent feels a surge of adrenaline as he summons his courage and prepare to confront the fallen. He raises his weapon and steels himself.The fallen turns to face the agent, its eyes burning with a hatred that seems almost sentient. The agent knows he must act fast, before the fallen can cause any more destruction.
The agent is now wielding twin mechanized bionic glaives, their blades composed of glowing energy and their handles glowing with a green light. They are more than just weapons - they are an extension of the agent's will, responding to their every movement with deadly precision. An agent's pride, although before this behemoth it's probably just a nuisance at best.
The agent charges forward, his glaives humming with power. He leaps into the air, soaring over the crowd of terrified civilians. The fallen turns to face him, its eyes blazing with fury. The agent comes crashing down, swinging their glaives in a wide arc. The blades slice through the air, a trail of green light following in their wake. The fallen raises its arm to block the attack, but the glaives slice through it like a hot knife through butter.
The fallen roars in anger, the sound like a thousand thunderclaps. It lashes out with a fiery fist, and the agent barely manages to dodge the blow. The ground beneath him explodes, sending him flying through the air. He managed to right themselves, but the fallen is already upon him, raining down blows like a raging storm.
The agent realizes that he's outmatched in terms of physical strength, and that he can't hope to win in a head-on confrontation. Desperately, he searches for a weakness, a way to turn the tide of battle. Suddenly, he notices that the fallen's body seems to flicker and blur, like it's not entirely solid. Could this be the key to defeating the fallen?
With this new insight, the agent starts to change his strategy. Instead of trying to strike the fallen head-on, he focuses on keeping out of its reach. He uses his agility and speed to dodge and weave, always staying one step ahead. The fallen roars in frustration, its attacks growing more and more reckless. The agent spots an opening, and with a burst of speed, he strikes. His glaive slices through the fallen's flickering form, and for a moment, it seems like the battle is won. But then, the fallen reforms, more enraged than ever before.
The agent knows he's in trouble. The fallen is growing stronger, its blows more devastating than before. He realizes he can't outrun or outfight the fallen, and he needs to find another way to win.
The fallen's eyes narrow as it looks at the agent, and a slow smile spreads across its face. It takes a step towards him, its arms outstretched in a welcoming pose,as if showing his work and the agent's heart drops as he realizes. With a cry, he charges at the fallen, glaives raised. The fallen turns, and the two opponents meet in a clash of metal and flame. Sparks fly as blades meet claws, and the agent feels the heat of the fallen's body against his own. He can feel himself weakening, but he keeps fighting.
As the battle rages on, the agent feels his strength fading. He knows he can't keep this up much longer, but he refuses to give up. Then, he spots something in the corner of his eye. A discarded piece of metal, lying in the dust. With a desperate move, he kicks it up into the air, and it comes spinning towards the fallen. The fallen turns to look, its attention briefly distracted. The agent sees his chance, and he dives forward, aiming a strike at the fallen's chest.
The strike lands, and the fallen staggers back. The agent can see the glow in its eyes start to flicker, and he knows he have a chance. A chance to redeem himself, to avenge the civilians he couldn't save, to make the fallen pay for all the corpses surrounding them for miles. Against even a grade six he won't back down. He raise his glaives, preparing to strike again. But then, the fallen's form seems to blur, and it vanishes, reappearing several feet away. Before the agent can react, the fallen lunges, and he feels a searing pain as the fallen's claws rake across his body. The fallen smiles, it's eyes narrowed deep in elation at his suffering and the agent can feel his strength leaving him.
As the fallen advances, the agent summons his last reserves of strength, his abilities no longer responsive and he raise his glaives one more time. But the fallen laughs, and with a wave of its hand, the glaives are torn from the agent's grasp. The fallen looms over the agent, its eyes burning with hatred.
With a cry, the agent charges the fallen, swinging his fists and feet with all his might. The fallen blocks the agent's blows, but the agent doesn't give up. He keeps fighting, even as his strength starts to fade. The fallen seems to be amused by the agent's efforts, and it almost seems to be toying with him. But the agent refuses to give up.
The fallen's skin is so hot that the agent can feel the heat radiating from it, even from several feet away. The air around the fallen is shimmering, and the agent can see the ground beneath them starting to scorch. The agent is sweating, his clothes burnt and his hair singed. But he keeps fighting, even as the fallen seems to be growing bored of his efforts. The agent lands a few hits, but the fallen barely seems to notice. It just stands there, a smile on its lips, as if enjoying the agent's futile attempts to hurt it. But the agent won't give up.
As the fight continues, the agent can feel his strength waning, but he pushes himself to keep going. He remembers the faces of the civilians, and he remember why he's doing this. The agents are fighting for something bigger than themselves, and they refuse to give up. Suddenly, the fallen lashes out, and the agent barely has time to react. The fallen's fist slams into his side, and the agent feels a sickening crunch. He can feel his ribs breaking, and he can taste blood in his mouth. But he forces himself to stay on his feet, refusing to let the fallen win.
The agent stumbles back, his vision blurring and his head spinning. The fallen looms over him, its smile widening. It seems like the end is near, but the agent refuses to give up. He grits his teeth and stand tall, facing the fallen with all the strength he has left. The fallen seems surprised, almost impressed. For a moment, the agent thinks he might have a chance. But then, the fallen blurs, and everything goes black. The agent feels the ground disappear beneath him wondering for the final time why he never received backup, his consciousness vanishes and he knows no more.
April 21st 2061, a tragic day for city zed. On this day five grade six fallens appeared causing deaths in the tens of thousands and then mysteriously disappeared after leaving the city in shambles. No one understands the phenomenon behind this, but one thing is clear. In a single day city zed lost thirty percent of it's population.
And as for the culprit, she remains unconscious in an alley for the entirety of the day.
********
********
I wake up in an alley, disoriented and confused. My head is throbbing, and my stomach is growling. I try to remember how I got here, for a moment my mind is a blank. I can't even remember my own name. All I know is that I'm hungry and cold.
Slowly my memories stream in and i sigh.
I struggle to my feet, and that's when I hear a voice.
[System upgrade complete]