OC Short Stories

Adam's Day Out

Adam tapped his fingers on the ground, wondering just how exactly he got here. Of course, he knew how he got here, it all just happened so fast. One moment he was buying groceries, the next he was stuck in a pit of quicksand. Well, quick-concrete was more accurate. After all this was the DUP's doing, and there's no quicksand in Seattle.

"Oh, brother," he groaned. "Today's been a long day."

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Adam had just finished purchasing some new cans of paint - various shades of orange this time - when a fight broke out outside. He thanked the person behind the register and walked out to see what all the fuss was about.

A DUP Agent was funneling all the people nearby through a Checkpoint to check for hidden Conduits, much to the chagrin of the civilians. Adam knew those things tested false for people all the time, and somdid everyone else. And wouldn't you know it, it must have happened again, since one of the people who'd just gotten scanned was being dragged to the side.

"I'm not a Bio-Terrorist," he shouted in fear, "I swear!" The DUP Agent just knocked him out and threw him in a holding cell, before turning their sights on Adam.

He groaned. He really didn't want to get in a fight today, but it seemed like he wouldn't have a choice. He set down his groceries and stretched. The Agent looked confused.

"Listen, pal," Adam sighed, "I'm really not feeling it today, so if you and your buddies could just buzz off that'd be great." He lifted his hand and the paint cans exploded, the paint flying into his body and floating around his hands.

The DUP Agent called out to their squadmates and started firing on Adam, which resulted in him retaliating by throwing a bolt of paint at the Agent, knocking them down as it started corroding through their armor.

As more DUP Agents began surrounding him, Adam pulled out his Paintbrush and thrust it out to his side as the paint gathered around its tip and formed into a long whip. With a flick of his wrist the whip wrapped around the gun of a DUP Agent and pulled it away, leading Adam to rush forward and punch them in the face.

As they fell backwards onto the ground, Adam wrapped his whip around their leg and swung them around at the rest of the DUP Agents. A couple managed to get out of the way, but most were knocked down. Adam tossed a paint grenade at those who had fallen down, detonating it so that it would melt their armors (and maybe a bit of skin, but why did he care?).

When he turned to face the rest of his assailants, his smile fell. Evidently, they had called backup.

After counting his new challenge -- six Specialists, two Bruisers, and a few dozen Agents -- he decided it was best to just run.

"Well, gentlemen, it's been a pleasure," Adam smiled nervously. "But I think I'm going to go ahead and get going." A concrete spike exploded out of the ground right next to him, which he took as a sign to skedaddle.

He ran to the nearest building and started climbing, the Agents shooting at him and actually managing to land a few shots. He winced in pain but made it to the top of the building, where he started running across the rooftops until he managed to lose the DUP, ducking down into an alleyway.

The Conduit pulled a few spray paint cans out of his pack and opened them, spraying them on his wounds so he could heal. Too bad his outfit couldn't heal that way.

Well, at least this day can't get any worse- wait, wasn't the trash can lower before?

He looked down at himself and groaned in annoyance. Of course. Adam had gotten himself caught in a DUP "soft concrete" trap. He tapped his fingers on the ground, contemplating how he'd gotten to this point.

...Well this is boring. Adam pulled his paintbrush back out and turned it into a paint whip again, wrapping it around a nearby pole with the flick of his wrist so he could pull himself out. As soon as he was out he began his trek home, already tired and needing a nap. All this before noon, as well.