Protectors- Consequence

Chapter Twenty Five: No Holding Back

Noctum landed hard, completely out of energy. His body tumbled down the road, but even though he felt weak, he at least was able to walk again. He drunkenly swaggered towards where he thought his friends would be, even as blazing embers landed all around him. A single thought went to Mison, who was an example of how expert propaganda could corrupt even the most noble intentions. Adam was just starting to run again when he ran into someone familiar, someone who would normally have made him raise his fists in defence, if he had the energy to do so,

"If you're here to kill me, just get it over with," Noctum stared down Calvin Blakk, "I know you want revenge, you're not the only person today who's tried to kill me for that same reason,"

"I realised that we're all just scumbags," Calvin responded cooly, "I'm just as bad as you, so let's just shut the fuck up and find the bitch who tried to shoot me,"

Before Noctum could express his thanks, he was struck with an odd sensation, as if someone was pulling him through warm, comforting honey. He felt his mind begin to melt away, but before he could fully disappear, Calvin's cold, hard palm cracked against his face,

"The hell was that?" Calvin demanded, "You just started zoning out,"

Noctum was unresponsive, staring forward as if he was trying to fall asleep and gazing at a darkened roof. Even as Calvin took a step backwards, Annabelle Stone began to walk towards him, but it was as if the man could not see her, could not perceive her. She managed to shoot the man in both kneecaps, his cries drowned out by the impacts of the gunshots. Noctum did not react, merely continuing to stare forwards,

"You failed to realise the true horrors of my abilities," Annabelle spoke softly, and Calvin looked around wildly, his eyes looking, but not seeing, "not attained by such stupid means as the Chrysalis, but forged through research and fact. My bioengineered viruses are mutated by the essences of Gods from the Chrysalis. I have created things that no human has ever considered, all through my drive, my persistence against all odds,"

"Your gas makes you invisible," Calvin coughed, a small droplet of blood falling from his mouth, "and it makes Adam go insane,"

"Not me," Annabelle explained with a smile, "I don't become invisible, your brains are tricked into being unable to see me, it's really rather ingenious,"

"So your viruses bend others to your will," Calvin gathered, "and I assume those monsters are keeping the others at bay,"

"They will never hear you scream," her grin broadened, "and neither will this... thing," 

She spat the word at Noctum, who still remained unresponsive,

"It took five minutes to brainwash him, something that would not even be a minute for anyone else. His resolve was nothing to mine though!" 

Calvin could still not see Annabelle, but he thought he had gathered enough sound from her end to pinpoint her location and how she paced around him,

"Why go to all this effort?" Calvin asked, "I mean, you did so much bad in the process and you probably could have just killed Adam when you had him brainwashed,"

"I wasn't going to let him off with death. I am going to tear him to pieces, both physically and mentally, until the only thing that remains is a broken, lifeless husk. Then I'm going to preserve his body, force him to be conscious and sentient for all of eternity. Then, when the universe eventually collapses, I will return in the next one to do the same. Compared to what he took from me, this is only a billionth of the smallest fraction of the pain he inflicted on me,"

Calvin seized his opportunity. Pushing himself off the ground with his fists, Calvin spun through the air towards Noctum. He punched off the man, and the next thing his fist came into contact with was Annabelle, who, despite being invisible, still existed. His eyes found her just as his super-powered fist broke through her metal face, revealing uneven, burned looking flesh underneath. Her voice became a rasp as she tumbled backwards, but two bullets found their marks in Calvin's chest, and a streak of crimson flew from his mouth as he plummeted to the floor, rolling as the concrete scratched at his skin,