A bad day

As the day ended, Don sighed as he stepped out of the institution and took a left at the intersection.

Normally he would head right, but his priority today was to shake off his 'guest.'

The being, having a vaguely human shape, floated behind him while traumatizing him with its gaze.

He took a few more turns, being careful to map out the route. He was planning to make a run for it towards the nearest guard station.

As they would spend some time in silence otherwise, he decided to ease his stalker by breaking the ice.

"What do you mean 'awaken' you?" Don asked the entity.

"I am not too sure about that myself… it just emerges in my head...it's the only thing that does...along with who can accomplish it." The figure replied.

"And that would be me?"

"Correct."

Don sighed. He looked back at the figure, a bit shaken by its unnatural appearance. It had no features on its pale face or white body, and only barely resembled a human. It had eyes, but they were more like red dots than a medium to show emotion.

"Do you find my shape displeasing?" The figure inquired, noticing Don's disdain.

"You look creepy as hell to be honest." Don said without hesitation.

"Very well. I shall take on a form more...acceptable to your tastes." It stated, before releasing blinding amounts of light, enshrouding it.

Caught off guard by this development, Don recoiled as he took in the sight. Cursing, he was prepared to begin his plan when he halted.

The being had changed into a very familiar form.

"Angela!?!" Don exclaimed in amazement.

"So that's what you were about to say that night…" said the being. It's voice no longer sounded sinister, becoming much more gentle and human-like.

It was a carbon copy of the figure he had seen that night. The major difference was the red eyes, but he never had time to look at them back then. Her skin was deathly pale and her hair was a white disheveled mess.

"What, what's happening right now?" He asked, more confused than he had ever been in his life.

"I have no idea myself. I had this look when I came into being. I only knew that it was time to awaken, and that Anger knew how." Said the girl in a somber tone.

Don was still taking this in. Sitting on a bench, he took a minute to process this information while the entity floated beside him, watching the world around her.

She took in the serene environment, seeing the children running in a nearby park and an old couple chatting on a bench not too far from theirs. The houses all looked the same, which saddened her a little bit. She would have liked them to look like the people. Unique. Still, the serene environment put a smile on her face.

Still confused, Don looked up at the figure, unsure of what it was.

"So you aren't the almighty being that conquered the planet?" He asked, too distressed to present it in a calmer way.

"I sincerely doubt that. As I've said, I was merely born yesterday." she said, sighing as she landed and sat beside him. "I'm as lost as you are."

This was a highly unusual situation… but there was one logical conclusion…

"Bullshit!" Don shouted as he began sprinting, turning corners and rapidly making his way towards the station.

He looked behind him to see if she had chased him this far, only to be greeted by cold red eyes.

The resulting shock made him trip and crash into a nearby bush.

As he winced in pain, the figure shook its head in disappointment.

"I already tried. We can't go more than 5 metres away from each other. If we do, I will instantly return to you." She said, hoping he would accept their fate and move on.

Bruised in very inconvenient places, he couldn't really escape even though he still doubted her tale.

"...You have a name?" He asked, stalling for time.

"I do not..know. I came into being...like I said, last night." She said, rubbing her arm.

He had started to release small amounts of steam at this point, but was more annoyed than angry…

He was about to give her a peace of his mind when an explosion occurred in the building beside them.

It was a hardware store, so one would wonder why such explosive force was used.

Out of the resulting smoke, a figure erupted with a trolley full of electronics. He looked to be in his thirties, and had a distinct underbite.

Sporting a plain t-shirt in sharp contrast to his camo jeans, utility belt and military grade boots, it was as if he decided to rob the place on a whim because he had the tools for it. A really odd sight.

"That went better than I expected. Knew the lower tier districts would be a good spot." The man uttered.

"Halt!"

The three of them looked towards the area where the sound had come from.

A single person stood there, holding a gun at the man.

They were wearing the uniform of the Verdant Guard.

With the fall of order, the terminology police officer had been lost, as well as other monikers. When the new society came into being, two teams were established.

The Verdant Guard which kept the peace within the society

And the Sacred Sentinels which handled threats to society as a whole.

This person was a dispatch from the Guards.

"Put your hands in the air and leave the trolley!" Said the person. The smoke had cleared and it was revealed that they were a lady.

The robber raised his arms, then grumbled.

"You know...I never was against equality...but I always felt this system didn't implement it right." The robber said as he removed his watch from his wrist.

"I'm much stronger than most of the people here, but I have to drink one cup of coffee like everyone else. I have to take one blender when the one at my home breaks, or one television when mine becomes inoperable."

"But do you know the main issue? Do you want to know the main issue? This, is the main issue!" He shouted as he threw his watch towards the Guard.

She easily sidestepped it, but as it flew past her side it glowed brightly, then detonated like a grenade.

The Guard was sent flying, crashing into a nearby vehicle.

"That's my issue! Everything I touch becomes a bomb damn it! Why should I have to live with this one thing at a time rule when shit always blows up around me! I filed for special needs but do you know the waiting list for that shit? 5 years!" The robber exclaimed. "That 5 years was supposed to end yesterday! But apparently there was a processing error and now I have to wait another 6! Fuck that!"

The Guard got up, trying her best to shake off the destabilizing hit.

"Sir I understand your grievance, but they are doing their best. There is a limited amount of resources to go around and permission for special needs isn't an easy thing to grant. That said, as you have commited a crime, you will have to spend some time in custody." She said as her hands got covered in a crystal-like substance, forming knuckle dusters.

"I don't think so." The man said smugly. By now the smoke had fully cleared, and the inside of the store was visible. There were people inside, strapped to random pieces of hardware. "One wrong move and I'll blow them all up."

The officer grimaced. She was going to beat his ass until she saw how dire the situation was. Her gun was wrecked and the hostages were in immediate danger. She had to buy time for backup.

"...You need all that to defeat a Tier 3? Why not just fight me and leave, it'll make your point clearer to society."

The robber thought that the officer had gone mad. He shrugged and began walking towards her nonchalantly.

She sighed. Now all she had to do was last against him. Not too hard.

She sprinted at him, creating more crystal to form a protective armor.

The robber flashed a slasher smile, then ran at her, his palms open.

They soon clashed, the first hit being a clean right hook from the woman.

The man tried to follow up, but he was too slow and got a follow up punch to the jaw.

While he was still shaken up, she delivered an uppercut, followed by a succession of one two hits, and finished with a decisive roundhouse kick, sending the robber to the pavement with immense force.

She backed off, keeping her fighting stance.

The man struggled, but he eventually got up, wiping a bit of blood from his nose.

"Damn you hit hard. That crystal feels like a steel pipe." He said offhandedly. "Fast as hell too, won't let me touch you at all."

The Guard kept her composure, but she was terrified by his durability. Most people went down to the first punch, some needing to be hospitalised. Was this a Tier 2?

"But I don't know why you were dodging my hands….I said whatever I touched. Not whatever my hands touched." The robber said with a sick smile.

She realised too late. The crystal on her hands and left leg detonated, blowing her back and causing her to scream in pain.

The man walked towards her calmly, then reached for her face. "In the next life, know your place."

A pipe hit the back of the robber's head at that moment.

The area went quiet. The robber turned his head backwards, directing his murderous gaze at his aggressor.

It was Don.

"Fuck off!" Don shouted as he clenched his teeth in anger.

The hell was he doing? A Guard couldn't take this guy out, what would he do?

A vein burst in the robber's head as he looked at the pipe. It detonated, blowing Don backwards while the robber was unfazed.

Don quickly got to his feet, but his arm was badly injured. The robber approached him, his palms open, ready to tear the rat apart.

"Hope you have a plan." The entity said. "Otherwise this might get ugly."