The Watchwomen

Chapter 5 (Act I): Eye Don't Think So

We last read Chapter 4, in which Monica Drevis a.k.a. Voltara, one of the eight Paragons, visits the Tessa Gardenhigh Therapy Institute for an appointment. After being seen by the provider herself, the two of them then discuss Monica's past trauma, particularly the sexual assault she suffered at the hands of Doc while helping a resistance movement within the Rusted Citadel two years ago, back in 2021. Monica also confesses that the incident has made her very distrusting of male health care providers nowadays, and while Gardenhigh commends Monica for opening up about her struggles, but also pleads for her to not let it ruin her life and to find the strength to trust others again. Their appointment is suddenly interrupted by the arrival of a huge, horrific cybernetic monster with rotting flesh in the streets outside, boasting incredible mass, body size, physical strength, at least three eyes, and hands that leak acid capable of melting peoples' faces in seconds. Monica, without hesitation, decides to fly in and help, despite Gardenhigh notifying her that the Paragons have been banned from crime-fighting at the moment. Stricken by Monica's selflessness, Gardenhigh ultimately agrees to cover for Monica while the latter goes out and deals with the threat.

This time, we watch as Monica tries to bring the aberration's rampage to a screeching halt.....

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-Streets Outside Tessa Gardenhigh Therapy Institute, Mercury Heights, New York, United States-

As Monica Drevis a.k.a. Voltara soared closer to the hectic scene, the chaos only got worse, much to her discomfort. A pair of pink SUVs with diamond insignias on both the left and right front doors pulled up on either side of the immense flesh monster, with the sounds of their screeching tires—as they stopped—briefly drowning out the panicked screams of the civilians. Two female assassins with black combat suits with red lining popped out of each one, for a total of four, and began using handguns to open fire on the people who were fleeing.

What is happening?! Voltara thought to herself, desperately trying to decipher what was going on. She had never seen anything like this before, and none of the other Paragons would likely have believed the sight either, had they been there.

As she scanned the roads once more, Voltara noticed something within their combat patterns that only further perplexed her; the huge flesh monster and the four female assassins were all exclusively targeting men, not women. She later confirmed this when an older civilian woman ran right into the line of sight of an assassin's handgun.....and said assassin brushed her off as though she was never even there.

The huge flesh monster reeled its right hand back and extended a long, wet, and sticky tentacle from its palm,  which was dripping profusely with acid. As it did so, it let out a monstrous roar.....then spoke for the first time through the poor-quality, square-shaped speaker that was affixed to its "stomach" area; or at least, where its stomach would be, if it were anything resembling a normal human.

"BURN!" it snarled in an angry, almost electronic voice as it lunged forward and slammed its huge tentacle in front of it like a monstrous whip, sending out a massive wave of acid that heavily doused every man and object in an area immediately in front of him. "MELT! DECAY TO BONES!"

The unlucky people hit by the acid wave were reduced to skeletal remains on impact, much to the horror of both Voltara and the lucky—or unlucky—survivors nearby. Additionally, any car that was caught in the acid tsunami exploded within seconds due to the compound reacting violently with the gasoline.