(Marvel, DC, images, manhuas, and every anime that will be mentioned and used in this story are not mine. They all belong to their respective owners. The main character "Karito/Adriel Josue Valdez" and the story are mine)
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A/N:
Have fun reading this, @PhantomStrangersHope. I'm certain this will be up your alley with Speedsters and everyone who is a sucker for them.
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Ace Pov
I landed on the rickety docks, my boots hitting the wood with a hollow thud. The sea breeze carried a smell that was all too familiar—brine and rot mixed with something far more sinister. The air felt thick, almost suffocating, with a heat that wasn't natural to the ocean's edge. Flames flickered in the distance, casting an eerie orange glow over the murky waters and shadowed cliffs.
As I looked around, the first thing that hit me was the atmosphere—a mix of decay and defiance. Bilgewater had always been a lawless place from what I'd heard, but now it looked... haunted. The buildings were clustered haphazardly along the cliffs, connected by creaky bridges and rope lines, barely held together by bolts and planks. I could see flickers of movement, shadows that didn't look human, dancing in the firelight—Shinra's infernals, no doubt. Saber told me of these creatures, demons fueled by rage and fire, burning up from the inside. But now, seeing them in the flesh—or whatever's left of it—was something else entirely.
Up ahead, the towering cliffs wrapped around the city like giant claws, making Bilgewater look like a fortress carved out of darkness itself. Waterfalls poured from cracks in the rocks, but even the water had taken on a sickly, shimmering glow, reflecting the embers of destruction that spread through the city. Shinra's influence was everywhere—whatever this place used to be, he'd transformed it into a hellish domain that seemed almost alive with fire.
I could see boats scattered around the harbor, half-sunken and charred. The remaining ships rocked gently, their masts like skeletal fingers reaching into the smoky sky, as if they too were trying to escape the nightmare that Bilgewater had become. And the heat... damn, it was intense. Even for someone like me, who could handle fire, it felt like stepping near the sun.
Every so often, I'd spot an infernal patrolling, their bodies wreathed in flames, like living torches casting twisted shadows. They were prowling along the edges, scouring the docks, and leaving scorch marks on whatever they touched. I clenched my fists, flames sparking at my knuckles as I prepared myself. Shinra had brought his demons here, but if he thought his fire would be enough to intimidate me, he was in for a rude awakening.
I took a slow breath, trying to get a sense of the layout, the placement of enemies, and any possible traps. The Guardian told me to be very careful when I get here, but I get why he told me that as I stand here... it felt like walking into the mouth of a beast. The whole place had a pulse, a heat that was almost alive, like the infernals weren't just here—they were part of the city now.
As I made my way deeper onto the docks, the planks creaked beneath me, adding to the unsettling silence between the crackling flames. Shadows shifted in the narrow alleys, eyes watched from broken windows, and somewhere far off, a scream echoed and then abruptly cut off. Shinra's grip on this place was like a chokehold, squeezing out every last bit of life.
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