Shockwave: Avenger N.o 7

3. Morte by name, Morte by nature.

A man comes and sits down next to me. He is largely overweight, has what appears to be three chins and no neck. His legs are covered in fold over fold of layers of skin and he quite frankly stinks to high heaven. I tug the collar of my brown leather jacket over my nose and mouth and sink even further into the corner of the tube's chair. I resume contemplating the decision of using public transport. Especially the tube.

The man's laboured breaths stop for a second. He turns and gives me a weak smile and says, in a raspy voice and with every word sounding like it requires an unprecedented amounts of effort, "Where you off to then Missy?". I think to myself sarcastically, oh yeah, go on the tube. The place is barely in one piece and it's full of obese perverts. "I'm going to Adipose Road.". Gods I bet you are.

"North Tesen Street." I mumble stubbornly.

"Hey ain't that the place that them mutants blew up?"

I try not to roll my eyes. "Two floors of the Morteford building hardly counts as an entire street". I say in a bored tone.

The man's eyes widen and his mouth hangs open slightly. Closing his mouth he slowly turns back to the people sitting opposite us and instantly becomes fascinated in an advert above their heads about curtains. Whatever I said to make him ignore me I have got to remember for future tube trips.

About 15 minuets later we come to my stop. I get up, quickly glance at the cowering fatso who hadn't said another word to me the entire trip and make my way to the nearest door to fresh air. Just as I reach the door to the next compartment a voice calls.

"Bye Muty.". I don't bother turning around. I already know who it is. The voice is full of effort and sounds as if someone put his larynx through a shredder.

"Bye pervert.". The door opens and I walk through.

***

As I walk out of the station and on to North Tesen Street my eyes are greeted by the sight of a massive office block. It towers above the rest of the buildings in the square and immediately demands you attention and respect. It's silver spiraling design screams modern and the many windows reflect the sun's blinding rays all over the square. Creating a sort of saintly feel to it. But there is one thing ruining this idelic structure. The enormous hole at the top of it. This is the Morteford Building.

"You all right kid?" I spin around. There stands a man in construction uniform, his look is one of concern. "You look lost.".

"No no. I'm fine." I smile at him then turn back to the office block. Then something hits me. "Hey, are you rebuilding the Morteford."

The man looks pensive then says, "Sadly no. Boss says this Stark fella's got better things to do. Apparently it's his building.". The builder looks wistfully at the Morteford, then looks back at me. "I'm doing some work down the road. Thought I'd get a quick coffee whilst the Boss ain't lookin'.", he indicates to the Starbucks behind him. So he's sciving. Just like me then.

"I've heard of this Stark. He doesn't seem like the sort of person who would name a building 'death'. 'Stark's the most awesome person in the world' building though, quite possibly yes.". The worker laughes. But then he remembers that today is Wednesday and the subject of 'why a school girl should be at the Morteford all on her own' crops up. Brilliant.

Just as I am about tell him I'm actually twenty six x thanks you very much , a flicker of movement dances in my peripheral. Confused I snap my head  so as to study whatever it is further, but all I see is the Morteford standing tall, erect, proud and - BOOM!

Ear-splitting screams of panic and fear ensue. Each one like a mini siren, wailing and wailing. But any sound that does reach my ears sounds as if it is coming from underwater. As quiet as the depths of space in comparison to the unimaginable eruption of sound, that nearly burst my ear drums mere seconds before. A short gentle gust of wind slaps my recently dyed short red hair into my face, obscuring my vision of the pavement. I'm bent over double with my shaking hands clamped over my stinging ears my back facing the direction of the explosion.

When the beat of my heart lowers I steel myself for whatever I might see, before hesitantly straightening my back and raising my head to the Morteford. I stumble back in shock my eyes aching for being held open so wide, my hand over my mouth trying to calm my breathing at the sight of the atrocity before me. All of a sudden sound returns and I hear all of it with the utmost clarity. Screaming, crying, shouting, people calling people's names, hushed tones of comfort all of it bombards my head in one fell swoop.

The Morteford. It's been brought down to half its original size. Rubble is strewn everywhere. There is not one window pane with any glass left in it in the entire square. Cars have been crushed by large pieces of the office block and parts of the two neighbouring buildings have been demolished. People are running as fast as their legs will carry them away from the new bomb site. In all the confusion others are getting thrown to the ground and trampled upon.

I back up some more until my my calves connect with a small part of wall just below the window pane. I'm caught of balance and tumble backwards into the now deserted Starbucks, landing painfully on the hard floor and the remains of the shop's window.

With difficulty I ease myself up and shake a few shards of glass from my hair. When my hand comes away I see a trickle of blood flowing from my palm down my wrist. But my hand's not the only thing the glass cut. My back feels as if it's on fire and my leather jacket is loosely stuck to it.

I should be at work.

I should be with Elisa.

I should be anywhere but the place were Toby...

I stand up. Those mutants killed my friend. They've just set off a bomb causing destruction and possibly death. And they made me cut my hand. I'm not letting them get away with it.

The coffee shop door bursts open. The feet start pounding, soon eating up the tarmac and the space between the two buildings. The heart beats a wild pace, fast and furious pumping adrenaline through out the body. The brain is of one mind.

"What are you doing? You're going to get yourself killed!"

One mind.

"Someone stop her!".

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Hello fellow avengers ( or whatever our fan base name is ) hope you're all enjoying my book and that the pace is alright e.t.c. Oh and by the way adipose means fat, so basically the guy on the train is saying he's going to fat street just if that was confusing. Please vote and comment and I'll update soon. See ya.

€vie xx