Lord Of The Seas

A thin grey veil hung low over the frothing seas. The cold foaming maw of the ocean gnawed at both steel plating and iron-like scales. It was like a wild beast with a broken body, lunging and lashing out at all that stood in its presence. Long had it lost its sanity to the deafening roar of its own waves.

*CLANK-CLANK-CLANK*

A hawsehole spat link after link of a lonesome anchor's chain.  A scaly four fingered hand gripped the hooked end tightly, drawing it forth from its resting place. With the anchor came the proud prow of a supercarrier, slowly being towed through the icy sea of the north pacific. The being that drew such a ship could only be described as monolithic in scale. Though closing in on the Anchorage ports, its waist was at surface height. Three scaled and scarred arms swung slowly in a rhythmic manner as the fourth pulled the lengthy chain over its shoulder. 

A vast jaw full of greyed, ashen teeth hung open like a furnace door, a partial glimpse into the blazing abyss within. Flickering embers floated from deep within its mouth, only to be snuffed out by the frozen gales that whipped against his ice-crusted chin.

Beneath the wrathful waves, a pair of tails ran along both the port and starboard of the lengthy vessel, heaving it afloat everytime a wave tried to pull it below water's surface. The eerie wail of their stinger tips scraping against the ship's shredded rudder echoed into the depths, sending schools of fish fleeing into darker waters.

The beast's five amber eyes peered through the sleet which clung to their outer layer, waves of steam billowing off them as the ice melted away.

They peered through the thickening fog as a piercing ray of light shone bright, grasping his attention. 

*PAUFUUSHHH!*

The being spat a fiery breath from its tooth riddled jaws, its eyes blinked at random in the face of the blinding light.

The water swirled and caved as his scaly digitigrade legs now trudged forth. Clawed toes sunk into silt and stone, driving him towards the harbour.

The end of his journey was near.

…

The docks were practically empty. The mist held low upon the concrete shore, suffocating the area like a dense smoke. It choked the floodlights of the drydocks, darkening everything to a feeble grey.

Suddenly, as though it were all a lie, a hot gust of wind blew over. The fog began to rise and roll back across the docks as men and women began to scurry around like ants. The once ice cold engines of a trio of jets began to roar and thrum, their enthusiasm carrying over to the pilot's manning them.

The docks, the landing strips, hell even the warehouses were brimming with activity.

In the middle of all this, a humvee arrived at the edge of the dock. The tempestuous seas splashed up and over tidal barriers, the spray splattering its windshield. Four soldiers in navy blue attire left the vehicle, with the fourth opening up the passenger's side door. A dark skinned man in the very same attire slowly stood up and ducked out of the vehicle. A plethora of medals clinked silently against the roar of the violent waters. An insignia on his shoulder denoted his rank.

He was this base's commander.

His brown eyes peered into the distance, searching for some unknown within the thinning fog.

"Commander, with all due respect, that gust could have been a stray from the tropics. It may not be his approach that caused this."

A woman to his left spoke, a noticeable shiver in her voice.

"You may have not been around for very long as my second in command, but a lesson you should learn is that when you have to make an excuse for an event, a hero's usually the cause."

His voice caused their quaking boots to stiffen and their backs to straighten. A single word was all they needed to hear for the biting cold to become less than an uncomfortable itch.

However instead of paying attention to his subordinates' complete 180 in demeanour, he narrowed his eyes at the sight of five bright dots on the horizon.

*SHOOOOMMMM*

The trio from earlier roared overhead, their engines barely visible within the depths of the cloud-cover.

Only the sound of machinery echoed through the mist as the dry dock doors began to open. The cries of straining metal shrieked like banshees, unseen across the waves. However what was seen was the mountainous form forcing its way through the turbulent seas.

Molten veins ran across its body with a dimmed orange glow. 

To the soldiers, though they had seen pictures here and there of the hero in question, they were not prepared for the mythic sight before them. This was further enhanced by the sight of the ghostly ship it was dragging, which,  although it was intact, was eerily empty.

"Lieutenant Commander!"

"Yes Commander Hale SIR!"

"Have Pyr put the ship in bay 5. I will see to it that the ship is treated with the respect she deserves after we have the full report from him."

The woman saluted and then dashed back to the humvee with the other two in tow.

"Well then, let's hope he at least brought back some bodies to bury."

…

The defence corp was not in a good mood. One could tell from the atmosphere surrounding bay 5. They had absolutely no wish to be here, out in the cold, waiting for some hero to bring them their ship back.

However, things changed when the mist was suddenly dispersed, leaving only a light fog and a warm draft.

They then were told by the lieutenant commander that they were no longer needed at the dock and should instead leave immediately.

"What is the commander thinking?"

"Why are we just getting sent up and down the docks?"

"Did we do something to deserve punishment?"

"Maybe he's just being a dick"

"Shhh! Don't let anyone hea- MY GOD LOOK!"

A majority of the corps turned back on a dime as the massive figure now came into full view, and the damaged warship that they had been waiting for was unceremoniously swung from behind Pyr and shoved into the dock.

His five eyes then glanced over the men of the corp as they froze in place before he slowly dropped to the water level.

Barely a ripple was created amongst the waves as he crawled the length of the docks like a crocodile, his six limbs gripping the artificial seabed as he pulled himself along.

…

Commander Hale watched silently as five claws came over the tide walls, pulling up a familiar obsidian encrusted face. A wave of hot breath nearly blew his hat off his head as the being stared him down. Suddenly the creature began to steam before dipping back below the waves and turning them into a boiling mess.

However nonetheless, despite the scalding steam blowing past him, Commander Hale remained unfazed. 

Finally, when the ordeal was over, a man just over nine feet tall stood before him. Though, to be honest, the term man was relative. 

He looked to be chiselled from molten rock, seams of magma forming joints that allowed him to move. His face was entirely empty beside two glowing orange eyes, appearing almost like a mask. Two extra arms were also held behind his back.

However despite his lack of a face or any mouth for that matter, he still managed to speak in a deep, rumbling voice.

"Your failures precede you commander."

Hale instantly grimaced, his eyes deviating from Pyr for a moment in shame. Pyr's two tails slowly snaked behind him, scraping against the wet concrete as though they sensed the mans discomfort.

"You decided not to heed my warnings and launched the fleet despite both me and the coalition warning you that Hydra was a lethal foe. She left with only one vessel still floating. The rest litter the trenches of her territory. You're lucky I was able to send her back to the depths after all that feeding she did."

"So we were supposed to just hope and wait for your arrival?"

"You were supposed to trust the heroes who have protected this world for the past decade. Your military was not prepared to face her."

"Maybe if you gave us more information about your very sibling we might not have had to go in blind!"

"She is not my sibling, she was the daughter of Typhon, a distant relative that I rarely interacted with and never in an amicable manner. Besides, I did give you information, I told you beating her was impossible. That should've been enough to stop you from wasting lives like despot."

Hale grimaced, realising his folly and its consequences.

"I will give my report to the association. The bodies of the sailors are strewn across high seas or were consumed by Hydra, so most were not recoverable. The rest are rotting in the decks below. There were no survivors. Besides that, the bodies were contaminated by Hydra's poison. Any biological material must be disposed of properly, and the ship must be cleansed from stem to stern."

"Environmental damage?"

"I cleaned up after your mess, don't worry, the oil is gone mostly. Some of the destroyers are still in her territory though, so until she fully heals they probably won't be cleaned."

"I see."

The conversation paused for a moment as Pyr watched him carefully. The magma seams cooled to a dark red as his eyes dimmed.

"My time here is over, do not make this mistake again, lest I leave Hydra to her devices."

*FWOOOOSSSH!!!*

A symbol resembling a swirling flame appeared below him, before spewing a burst of flame to consume him. Moments later, the flames died away, and Pyr was gone.

…

2 Hours Later- New Tacion, North Dakota

A sprawling complex composed almost like a city stood isolated amongst the flat plains. It bustled with colourfully suited heroes and heroines with many of them flying at leisurely paces. Some ran at incredible speeds down lane like highways while others appeared and disappeared from different places. This was New Tacion, the current headquarters of the Champion Coalition. In the middle of this false city was a massive set of circular stairs which served as the base for an equally massive dome. Held up by innumerable pillars which were both physical and political, this open air building served as a hubbub for the majority of heroes. It's where they offer their reports, request inquiries, gather information, and receive missions. On the top, it was boldly labelled C.C.H in giant silver letters.

Inside this dome, a number of receptionists sat within circular desks that displayed a number of bright blue holograms. This blue dyed the otherwise unlit dome in a cerulean glow.

Suddenly, several heroes perked up. Whether it be magic or deific power, each of them had one thing in common. They were heroes based in the supernatural side of things. Those who noticed the sudden unease brought by the magic and blessing based heroes also put up their guards.

However, when the dome was stained a dark yet vibrant violet, the heroes began to relax. A floating red ball of flame had appeared in the middle of the dome. Its wavering form slowly began to splay out as it took shape. The abstract form of Pyr soon became visible within the flames before they finally and abruptly died. He then landed heavily, slightly cracking the floor. However seconds later, it began to reform as though nothing happened. Something that Pyr noted.

'I must give my regards to Geo-King, his abilities have progressed quite well.'

Pyr then looked around, peering past the excited whispering crowd. He found his target moments later, a reception desk with a much darker hologram. They glowed a deep reddish purple, almost like a bruise amongst the sea of bright blue.

He moved slowly, lumbering over to the desk. Residing in his titan form and then swapping back to this lower form was always taxing. After all, containing all that power was an insane feat on its own.

Finally reaching the desk, his heat had died down considerably. He was now a darkening scarlet rather than the robust flaming orange that he had in his original form.

"Carna-girl, I see you are beginning to atone for your transgressions."

A woman sat in the middle of the ring of panels and consoles. Violet light reflected in her violent gold eyes, their reptilian pupils slowly dilating as he himself dimmed. Her black hair flowed down to her tanned neck, burning at the tips with a red dye. The horns that curled from the back of her head towards her forehead ended in sharp red tips.

She would be beautiful if it wasn't for the practically unmoving scowl that adorned her face constantly. 

"You have nothing to do but bother me, do ya?"

"A little mockery has never harmed you."

"If you weren't H-Class I'd try to kill you just about now."

"Your hateful demeanour is why you're constantly put behind that desk."

"You'd be behind here too if they could put ya."

"That "If" is the great divide that separates you and I."

"Alright, alright! enough making fun of me, what do you want?"

Tired of his words, she gave up on trying to deal with him. They had a fairly good relationship as former Master and Student. Carna-Girl was a bit of a problem child amongst the S-class heroes. She was excessively violent, to the point that she dismembered a villain in front of a family.

She saved them, but turning into a dinosaur and eating someone who had surrendered in front of a child was a bit much.

Despite that though, she was an effective combatant and very protective of the public. Thus rather than indefinitely sideline her, they had someone stronger oversee her. 

Hyper heroes, Super heroes, Advanced heroes, Brave heroes, Crowd control heroes, Defense heroes, and Evacuation heroes. Pyr was one class above her, and had deigned to lend a hand in her rehabilitation. 

He proved to make quite a difference, and now she has nothing but minor offences here and there.

"So that's it?" said Carna-girl, having listened to his explanation of events.

"Yes, Hydra was sent back to her depths. There was nothing I could do for the crew."

"..."

"I want to kill that bitch."

"You lack the strength."

"And you don't? Or is it because-"

"Watch your words, or see your tongue leave your mouth with them."

The area went almost as silent as when Pyr had arrived. Carna-girl had some fairly powerful regeneration, and Pyr was more than capable of getting away with it. However it seems it wouldn't come to that.

"Fine, I get it, my bad. If she is anything like history says, beating her might be tough enough but killing her would be incredibly difficult. I was out of line."

"It's not your fault, I'm likely as frustrated as you are Kim."

"Don't call me by my name like that, it makes me feel weird. Also! Speaking of frustration, your current student has been pissing off a lot of people."

"Explain"

Pyr instantly shifted gears as he began to glow a little brighter. A warmth washed over her body as Kim's scowl softened. Even if she was not his student anymore there was a certain happiness she had whenever she saw the care he held for those under his tutelage. Even if moments earlier he had threatened to remove her tongue.

It didn't last long though as she grimaced once remembering the issue.

She quickly pulled up a violet screen showing several hero names and some reports below them.

"It seems she has a bit of an attachment issue, Pyr."

…