Paragons

Issue 12- Graves

Krakoa

Hyperdemon, whose old human name was Chris and thought the new mutant name he chose was super cool even if his brother 'Tidal' said it was stupid because his powers just allowed him to float a few inches above the ground, loved everything about Krakoa. Well, except for the fact he had to live there with his stupid brother Tidal, who was clearly stupid because he didn't know how cool 'Hyperdemon' was as a name no matter the powers. But outside of that Krakoa was amazing, because every day was an adventure.

  He lived in the Akademos Habitat with the other kids, but always took off whenever he got the chance. Krakoa was constantly changing, always shifting or morphing or growing something new. That meant there was always something new for Hyperdemon to discover and explore.

  He had found himself in trouble a few times, been scolded by older mutants, and told that an area was 'off-limits', which just seemed silly to him. He may only be nine, but he was old enough to know that you don't live on a special island like Krakoa if you aren't going to see every part of it. Adults were foolish though.

  He wandered a path through an area of dense trees, the path he knew hadn't been there a few days earlier since he had already explored this area several times. He was so excited to have found something new, and it was even better that so far he had seen no adults except for a couple of men who were too busy kissing to notice him pass by. His mind swirled with imaginations of where the path might lead. Perhaps he might even find a secret cave he could make into a lair!

  He had traveled for a bit, so much so he wondered if he would even make it back to the Habitat before it became dark, when he stumbled upon the clearing. It was an almost perfect circle and within the center stood a structure he immediately recognized as a gate. For a moment he wondered if perhaps he should see where it went before he decided that Krakoa was still far more interesting than anything in the human world.

  He had just turned to continue along the path when a dull 'thud' caught his ear. He turned back to find the form of a man upon the ground at the base of the gate, their clothes shredded in several places and stained a deep red.

  Hyperdemon's eyes widened as he stared at the man who let out a guttural groan as they tried to roll over in the grass. His heart thundered in his chest as he found himself frozen where he floated, unable to decide what he should do until finally, he realized the only thing he could do.

 "I-I'm going to find an adult!" he called out to the man before he headed back down the path as fast as his powers would allow.

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Phoenix, Arizona

Darktruth exhaled slowly as he watched the three young women move off through the graveyard, leaving him alone with the insect-man named Bug. Not for the first time, he found the mutant's compound eyes incredibly disturbing as he was uncertain whether he was watching the women or him, and part of him was certain it was both. It didn't much help that until the previous day he had been certain Bug was dead, and the kind of dead that one doesn't come back from except as a zombie. It never even occurred to him that Krakoa may resurrect him, for that matter he wasn't sure if he remembered that Bug was a mutant.

  His relationship with Bug had been complicated at best, and a downright mess at worst. Darktruth wished that Pixie was still with him, if only to give him a bit more strength. She'd returned to the island though, had things of her own to take care of and he had other business to take care of before he went back.