The Omni-Duo

September 2nd Part 4

11:30 PM, Industrial District

Rays of light beamed from above, casting a silvery glow on a set of warehouses. Lost to time, most of the structures stood in disuse. Vines had long since come to seize all but one, the last industrial holdout of a bygone era. A faded sign ran across the top saying, "Mountain Coms". 

A low rumble shook the ground, scattering bits of gravel on the road. Tires paved over the particles, crushing them under its treads. Kevin's car pulled into the factory's exterior, its wheels squealing to a halt. His disguised expression steeled in the rearview mirror, becoming the image of determination. The mutant stepped out of the vehicle and gazed upon the factory. 

His black eyes darted down to his Plumber Badge, scanning over the red grid it projected.

Kevin: Yeah, this is the place. When I heard "Mana hotspot", this was not the thing that came to mind. 

He stepped towards the factory, pausing to knock on the door. 

Kevin: Hello? Anybody home?

Kevin briefly glanced to his side before his boot slammed through the wooden doors. A scoff left his throat as he stepped in. 

Kevin: Thanks for the invite.

A chill ran through his spine as he strolled through the doorway. A noxious odor soon hit his nostrils. He took another step--squelch! Limbs froze. Obsidian orbs shot down and met a sea of red. Blood trailed in from the right, its former owner lying dead at the edge of the pool. A large gash ran across his neck, crimson fluid trickling from the opening. 

Kevin: What the hell?

The pool was warm, sticky. It was fresh. The boy looked to be about his age, dark skinned, a backwards baseball cap covering his curly hair and his frame wrapped by a blood-stained jacket. Kevin crouched, hand reaching for the wound when suddenly...

???: HELP! SOMEBODY PLEASE HELP ME!!!

The cry grabbed at his focus, drawing him from the corpse. He sprinted to the source, feet splashing against more blood as he ran. Three more corpses were strewn about the path. One had their chest cut open, fluid trickling from the chasm in the skin. Another had their entire forehead torn to shreds, a deep tunnel running through the center. The last was lying face down, posted much farther than the others. They had two holes in their shoulder; another deep passageway ran through the center their chest cavity. 

Kevin danced around them, sliding through the doorway right as the last of their group slipped. She fell to the floor, begging for her life. 

Girl: Please! We-We'll leave you alone, just let us go! Please!

She screamed at the shadows and was met with silence. His brow quirked, 

Kevin: Hey, lady, you good?

She hadn't heard him, too busy whipping her head around the dark factory. Something lunged from above, striking her shin. Her leg was dead since. She squealed as the blood began to bubble from the penny sized holes in her pants. 

Girl: Please...

A glint of silver darted from the black. 

Kevin: No!

He rushed towards her, crystal pushing from his right arm. The projectiles fired out, racing through the air to intercept the item. The shards hit their mark--right as the object had hit its. A large blade ran across her neck, opening it partially. The blade retracted, returning to its owner. Kevin slid to a halt before her, tiny green wires sprouting from his neck. The thorn tipped wires ran through her neck, sealing the wound.