Chapter 4: The first time meeting with death

RUHBY REED'S POINT OF VIEW

I remember reading this guy's file. If I am not mistaken his name is Edward, a small time drug dealer with a stupid anomaly that made his nails look like claws. My men arrested him carrying a suitcase full of Ostrea, a very serious crime since the only way to get Ostrea material is to rip it out of a living person's brain.

This guy, who was a rank 9, is now emanating an aura equivalent to a rank 5. Apart from me, no policeman in this department is above rank 6.

Will I alone be able to handle a rank 5 abnormality?

This thought kept running through my mind, until Mr. Azazel leaned on my shoulder and asked me:

(Azazel): "What's going on with that guy? He seems to be in a lot of pain"

(Ruhby): "His E.G.O. is collapsing. This happens when the brain develops a tumor in the E.G.O.. These are rare cases, but once in a while, when a person is exposed to more radiation than the E.G.O. can process, it can create a tumor in that area. This can happen from drug abuse, or from being directly exposed to too much radiation. When this happens the person's anomaly loses control, the E.G.O. spreads like a cancer throughout the brain, often destroying the person's mind, leaving only a body with primitive, often aggressive instincts, and, because of the sudden increase in the size of the E.G.O. and the radiation it can process, it becomes much stronger than it was before."

I brace myself to fight that brainless thing. Immediately I draw my pipe made of Tungsten, the best source I have for generating smoke. My anomaly is that I can control the smoke particles coming out of my lung, a rare combat ability, and, if used well, a very powerful one, but, as I prepare to move against the Anomaly as soon as it has finished transforming, a giant hand grips me by the shoulder.

The force of that hand prevents me from moving a single muscle.

Then I hear it:

(Verith): "I want to see with my own eyes the strength of an aegono that managed to kill Anthony. You there, officer "John?", pass that knife to my grandson."

I can't believe it. This old man wants to kill his own grandson. An aegon that has lived 21 years is a unique case. How much medicine and science could advance with him. But with just the pressure of him holding me by the shoulder, I knew. One movement I tried to force, he could effortlessly cut me in half. All I can do is pray to whatever God makes Azazel survive this.

AZAZEL GRANGER POINT OF VIEW

I've learn some martial arts trough my life. At least I think so, since, by the looks of it, my life has been a lie.

From what Ruhby said, this thing is beyond saving, and since the officer immediately handed me the knife when my grandfather told him to, it seems that he is in control of the situation.

I have already been through the trauma of killing my father, I guess killing a monster with no conscience won't be so difficult.

I take the pocket knife, open it, and advance towards the target, until I hear a shout, "WAIT!".

It was Ruhby. I look at her expecting an explanation.

(Ruhby): "When an E.G.O. is in the process of collapsing, the radiation inside it becomes unstable. If you attack it now, it could end up exploding, and you don't want to know how big an explosion these things cause.

I reply, "Just let me know when I can attack."

As I patiently wait for my signal, one thought has not left my head.

I always knew I was different from everyone else, not just because of my intellect, but, so many things at once, well, I guess there is no point in me trying to deny it, whether I have gone crazy or not, all I can do and follow the road that presents itself in front of me.

While I was thinking I noticed a change in the criminal. Before, while he was just sitting in his cell, he looked like a normal man, by the standards of what I have seen so far.

He was a somewhat short man, smaller than me. He must have been around 5 feet. and a little chubby, only now he had gotten taller, and quite thin. From his hands extended large red claws, it seems that they became that way because of the accelerated growth he had gone through.

His eyes, which were completely white as he was writhing in pain, were normal again, and he stood there staring at me. That's when I heard, "Now!"

I had no time to advance against the thing, which could no longer be called a man, beast would be more appropriate.

He advanced against me. His attacks were predictable, after all, he had no pattern, he attacked by instinct, with no sense in his movements, the thing that helped me the most was that, because of his lack of intellect, he didn't use more complex attacks, he simply tried to hit me with his claws, relying exclusively on his superior speed and strength, things that were easily overshadowed by my reflexes and reasoning.

A 210-degree uppercut with the left hand, a straight jab aiming for the chest with the right hand, followed by continuous lateral movements, like a futile attempt to hit what was in front of him, dodging it was a boring game. The only image in my mind was of a child trying to hit something, too scared to open her eyes, simply attacking without any line of thought about what she should do next. That thought made me agonized, that man's mind had deteriorated to a point lower than a child. It....

....no way back, his life was over. I tried to ease his pain as quickly and painlessly as possible. Unlike my father, his muscles were not big and strong, they were more like what you would expect from someone malnourished, despite his immense strength and speeds. With my grandfather's pocket knife I made a single puncture in the back of the skull at an opportune moment. The creature fell over instantly. I couldn't help but feel weak in the face of this situation. When I had killed my father it had been an accident, and in self-defense, he had wanted to kill me, but this was different now. He was an ordinary person. As much as he was a criminal, he didn't seem to be someone aggressive. He had no fight marks on his body, and, considering that he was a chubby little fellow, I doubt that he would have come out unscathed from all the fights he might have fought. He was probably just another crime mule, too desperate to get anything done, and now, just another body of someone who will never be remembered.

VERITH GRANGER VISION

I can't believe my eyes are seeing. This kid, without an E.G.O. just killed a level 5 Abnormality without breaking a sweat, and it looked easy to him.

In my 1600 years of life, I have never seen anything like it.

Looks like I'll have to talk to Dr. Lucas about it.