"OH GREAT! ANOTHER DAMNED ALERT!" Mike exclaimed with utmost frustration. "ITS ALWAYS WHEN WE TRY TO RELAX OUTSIDE A LITTLE!" Mike went on rambling.
Zane stares into the sunset from the edge of a cliff where both boys are sitting overlooking the city. "stop yelling like crazy and we better get going or we might get hurt or worse" said Zane in a mature tone.
"They get closer day by day" mike points out toward the large looming object entering the bay of the city with helicopters closing in.
20 years ago cities, countries and continents across the world were ravaged by destruction bought upon by monsters with seemingly supernatural traits. These creatures destroyed everything in their path and would appear on the coast or beneath from the ground itself. They varied in sizes and powers as if they were natural disasters. They were termed AZAZELS. Their varieties necessitated classification from categories 1-10 with 10 being the most .Humanity faced these beings from hell for nearly a decade, but never knew why or from where they came.
In a class room
"ZANE!" the teacher yelled
Zane gasped from his sleep
"you doze off next time in my class its straight detention for the whole day Mr. Raphael"
"anyways" the teacher went up and stood in front of the class. Then with a firm voice he announced "the school has been getting reports of student wanting careers as Azazel exterminators. Now even though it is a good thing to protect the country from those monsters Azazel exterminators are not normal people by nature and by law"
The class gave out confusing glances. One boy raises questions "you mean the exterminators are criminals?"
The confusion rises. The teacher then informs their worries.
"it is difficult for an Azazel to be killed by conventional weapons that's why Azazel exterminators are experimented on and given supernatural powers to destroy them. That's also why the extermination corps have less volunteers and any volunteers are actually convicts, immigrants or people with nothing in life. You children have bright futures so it is advised to not go for the corps."
The class divides some fearing their options others excited to have super powers.
Zane has a headache from the commotion. The class is soon dismissed.
"ZAANE! HEY!" mike yells running towards him in the hallway.
"hey wanna go up the cliff I'm bored as hell" mike gleefully requests
"i'm tired today and I gotta visit the hospital so tomorrow" Zane says as if he hasn't had days of sleep
"oh well alright" mike walks away
Zane walks the city streets. Every other building is grey. All the building having been rebuilt with simple designs. The roads are filled with potholes and at dusk people seem to get fewer and fewer. The streets are empty. The Azazel destruction has ruined the infrastructure. The vibrant side of the city is always more inland but downtown it gets gloomier and gloomier each block.
Zane enters the hospital and goes up to the reception.
"room 307, i'm visiting Miss Raphael"
The reception lady fondles around the desk and hands him a card
"here you go sir room 307 is on the 3rd floor on the left corridor"
Zane goes up to the third floor and walks towards the room. He swipes the card and enters room 307.
In front of him is a young girl hooked on machines and life support systems. It's a simple white room with one large window that shines the reddish-yellow sunlight and a few tables and and chairs for guests. Zane walks towards her.
"hey sis" Zane says in a gentle tone as he sits besides her. "I just got off from work how you doin?".
He takes her cold hand in his and rubs it to warm her. She has been asleep.
"school's nice and i'm gonna have my exams soon too" Zane goes one
"Our benefactor is keeping your bills in check and i've kept the apartment clean too so don't worry" Zane says sorrowfully. He looks out the window and stares then looks and her. "I hope you can soon wake up".
5 years ago, a category 7 Azazel made landfall near zane's then parental home close to the coast. While not being that great in size the Azazel spewed some sort of magical gas that spread strangely like radiation. It affected the populace in the millions where people strangely fell into prolonged coma seemingly out of nowhere. Special machines were developed by the U.S department of defense to keep these people alive but because treatment was expensive, those who couldn't afford had their souls destroyed in their sleeps.
Initially the disease was native to the US only because that was the only place where an Azazel of that type had ever attacked. 5 years later there have been reports of over 1,500 Azazels of varying categories with somewhat similar or exactly the same traits all over the world putting people to sleep with succumbing in their sleeps annually.
The attack orphaned zane and his sister and zane's sister was infected by the sleeping disease. Her treatment is possible only because of a benefactor close to his family.
He stands up "goodbye sis i'll come back tomorrow"
As he is leaving the room he mumbles while looking at her from behind "I wish it was me instead".
Zane walks towards home. Its eerily silent even though the moon just rose.
Walking down the silent path he gets a call that subtly startles him. He looks at the screen and its mike's call.
What does this idiot want again.
"heyyy wassup!" mike, overly excited as usual.
"what?" zane says disinterested as usual.
"so I want you to come to this alleyway near the giorno's pizza here I got to show you something its reeaaally cool and I think we can join" mike goes on.
"what even is it about please give me specifics" zane inquires.
"well you could say it's a really well-paying job but it ain't gonna be a surprise if I talk it over right now" mike says.
"look I'm really exhausted just tell me over the phone please" zane says.
"no can do get over here and I'll tell ya or u miss a really good opportunity" mike says.
Zane gives up hope to convince mike and heads over the the alleyway instead rather then entertain mike's shenanigans. It was strange to zane a particular thing. Why would mike call him to some alleyway. What could be so important kept wondering. Well its nothing to be afraid of, after all its mike.