Mob Arachna !

Part 1 ; chapter 2 : The night continues

The reporter's shaky voice crackled over the live feed from a helicopter circling above.

"BREAKING NEWS FROM BROOKLYN, USA! THE ENTIRE CITY HAS BEEN OVERRUN BY... WHAT LOOKS LIKE DEMONS! PEOPLE ARE BEING PULLED INTO THE SKY AND—OH MY GOD, THEY'RE FALLING! DOZENS... NO, HUNDREDS ARE FALLING AS WE SPEAK!"

Meanwhile, Hendrix clutched onto Malek's and Ben tightly as they  plummeted through the air, his face a mix of focus and fear. "I'LL... GET US OUT OF HERE!" he shouted, his eyes flashing red as he tried to steady himself. "COME ONNN!"

Above, over 300 people scattered across the sky, free-falling. Hovering above them was Evan, his expression tense. Pressing a hand to his earpiece, he called out, "Spectro!"

"On it," replied a steady voice. Far below, Spectro stood on a rooftop, his silver hair catching the glow of the city lights. Stepping off the edge, his body transformed into a dense, gray mist that shot into the sky toward the falling crowd.

 His hands outstretched briefly, and with a focused clap, he spread the mist around the area. "SOUL MANIFESTATION! Fog of Silent Echoes!" His voice rang out, and instantly, an immense fog expanded over the city, stretching for kilometers. One by one, each falling figure vanished into the fog, disappearing before reaching the ground.

Back in the helicopter, the reporter stammered, "A FOG IS RISING IN THE CITY—WE CAN'T SEE A THING!"

Hendrix Malek and ben, swallowed by the mist, felt the world around them blur. Hendrix closed his eyes, and when he reopened them, they were all on solid ground in a foggy forest, surrounded by hundreds of unconscious people lying on the ground in the dense, cold air.

In an instant, the forest flickered away, and they found themselves back in the middle of the city, safe on solid ground. As some people began to stir, breathing in the cold air, others lay quietly. Ambulance sirens filled the streets as emergency teams arrived.

"It's a miracle! I don't know how, but they were all saved!" the reporter exclaimed, focusing his camera on Evan, who was still hovering above the city. The crew went silent, fixated on the live feed.

"Wait, Mark, is that guy flying?" the cameraman asked.

"KEEP FILMING!" the reporter demanded. "IT LOOKS LIKE THERE'S A STRANGE MAN FLOATING ABOVE THE CITY—COULD HE BE BEHIND THIS?"

Evan, visibly irritated, glanced up at the helicopter, his eyes flashing purple. He wasn't hiding his presence, but he wasn't keen on being labeled the cause of all this chaos. His gaze shifted over the streets below until he spotted a faint glow a few blocks away—a white light.

Flying closer, he saw Xavier battling lurkers in the streets, a grin on his face. "COME AT ME!" he yelled, fists flickering with white flames. Tapping his earpiece, Evan said calmly, "You guys need to see this."

Xavier lunged at one of the lurkers, slamming it down with ease. As the remaining lurkers scurried away, Evan observed with interest.

"The Corrupter's gone," Evan thought, watching the lurkers lose their coordination. "They're acting like normal lurkers now."

As one lurker tried to flee, Xavier prepared to strike, but Evan appeared in front of him, blocking his path. "Hold up."

"JESUS!" Xavier yelped, stumbling back, his flames extinguishing as his eyes returned to their normal dark brown. "Can you not sneak up on me like that?" he scolded.

Evan studied him with a slight smirk.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Xavier asked, suspicion in his tone.