Overwhelming

The group of 7 walked in that penumbra of a city. Liver, Franchise, Juice and Ragnarök where in the front, while Evangelist, Killerkill and Imperium where in the back. The little boy walked hand-in-hand with Evangelist, as she was like an older sister to him.

— So how is college? — Evangelist wondered.

— It’s going well. I’m close to finishing my thesis on the Wetlands.

— On the Wetlands? What do you have got to say about this dump? — Imperium asked.

— A lot! There’s so much we don’t know about this place still.

— Hmm… now that you say that, I don’t really know anything about this place.

— I CAN TELL YOU ABOUT IT THEN!! — Killerkill said, eyes shining with nerdy excitement.

Imperium instantly regretted his words.

In 2034, the Earth was stricken by a meteor. The impact wasn’t so severe as to exterminate humanity, but it did invoke many natural disasters for the years that came. As humanity struggled to survive, we noticed that a new continent had surged in our planet. It was situated south of the Pacific Ocean, and it engulfed the South Pole with it. In its beaches, was a strange purple water, caused by the new elements that the meteor brought with it, that gave the sensation of always being wet, even after you dried yourself. So, the popular name became Wetlands. The 8th continent was named Vespucca.

The Wetlands could be divided into 5 regions, the more south you go, the greater the “Depth”. Exploration of this continent proved impossible. The environments were lethal, the creatures and animals’ hostile and fearsome. That was until some genius decided to work with the elements found there and after 7 years, humanity demonstrated their limitless potential for evolution. The Vespucca Searcher Shot was created.

Multiple Chemical doses that only selected few could intake. If their bodies proved efficient in taking the viruses that came with the meteor, they would develop techniques and abilities that were though to dwell only in the realm of fiction. It wasn’t long after that, and humanity had already explored all of Vespucca, with only the Depth 5 Region being a “treacherous zone”. Searchers were given nicknames and plenty of recognition for their work. Their job was to search, explore, secure, and understand the Wetlands first-hand.

We’ve managed to befriend certain species, exterminated others, and conquered the relics that were found in those places. After an almost apocalyptic end, humanity lived the greatest of times. Hyuga himself, was one of the first Searchers, when the Shots where a little too clunky with its effects. But they’ve been refined with time and deeper understanding of the Relics. The Relics were simply things, imbued with the cosmic energy and elements brought by the comet. The more of that energy it had, the stronger it probably was. And the greater the relic, the more Humanity could learn about how it worked.

— Cool… — Imperium muttered.

— KIKI! You’re so smart and talented!! — Evangelist fawned.

— Aww, thanks! — Killerkill blushed.

— Your classmates don’t know that you’re a Searcher, right?

— They might once I get it done.

Light rain started to fall unto them. They stop walking, noticing that the other 4 ahead of them had also stopped. Killerkill and Imperium share looks of confusion. While Evangelist eyes widen. Franchise mutters to Liver.

— Boss, I think we have a problem. — Franchise says.

— Evening folks…

Mr. Green stood before them, grinning under his hat. Evangelist let go of Imperium’s hand and the child knew there was something wrong taking place. Juice and Ragnarök prepare their weapons in discretion.

— Green. We’re just passing by.

— Hello again, Masha. I wouldn’t think we’d be meeting so soon.

— You seem to be quite the problem, huh? Mind leaving? — Juice asks

— Don’t prove me wrong just by speaking. — He says, some fourteen meters away.

— Did you find your Relic? — Evangelist asks, holding tighter to her purse.

— I did. It just pains me to know that you hid it from me.

Green began walking towards them. Liver looked back to Evangelist, saw her despairing. Then he looked unto Green and saw malice. Then, finally, he saw Franchise and his eyes told the whole story. “Green is a threat”, Liver understood everything.

With his right hand he took his pen, and he snapped his finger with his left. That was the sign used within their group. Liver had swiftly commanded all of them to Attack.

Killerkill, Juice and Imperium stayed back with Liver, while Ragnarok, Franchise and Evangelist surrounded Green in an instant. The purse had been left with Killerkill. The mace-wielder was about to smash it against the mysterious man but suddenly, all three of the vanguard were blasted away. Franchise broke through a window and landed inside a rotten coffee shop, towards the right. Evangelist fell off the highway, to the left. Ragnarok who was coming from above, got launched to the top of a nearby building, destroying the whole floor in which she landed.

Juice grits his teeth and takes aim at Green.

— I`d be a shame for all of you to go out like this. — Green said.

Juice fires, and the flare gun`s blast seemed stronger than ever. However Green simply grabbed the flare before it could hurt him. The smoke and light it produced, immediately impaired. There must have been something wrong with his eyes, as Juice could not believe what he saw. Green opened his hand and the flare had turned into another flare gun.

— Draw.

Green fires. Multiple times. And the flares he fired, thrice the potency of Juice`s. However, they all turned in the air, and faced Green. With the same momentum as they were fired, they return to the sender. That was because Imperium had the bullets turn 180º degrees. The five flares land and explode, generating large and colourful smoke clouds.

— Nice catch Imperium! — Juice says reloading his gun with haste.

— Y-yeah… — Imperium said, anxious but ready to attack again.

Within the blue, pink, orange, red and yellow smoke clouds, Ragnarok meets Green once more. The bestial lady was not letting up her assault anytime soon. As her mace made its way back to her. With every swift attack, Green simply dodged and countered with powerful two-finger poke. A few seconds go by and Ragnarok is seen being launched into the top of a building.

Out of the smoke clouds, walks Green, completely unharmed.

— Give me the Lipstick…

Liver finished drawing chains around Green and subdues him. Ragnarok throws her mace from the top of the building and is quick to follow. She readied herself to pummel Green with her own fists. Juice fired another shoot, this time at his feet, hoping to make use of the smoke. But before they could all connect, Green acted.

— NOW!!!

And before God could tell, Juice had been shot in the stomach. Ragnarok had been smacked with her own mace. And Liver had his heart ripped out. Imperium and Killerkill watched in horror as their boss fell to his knees, with unsightly quantities of blood dripping from his chest. Liver himself was expressionless, he couldn’t understand what had happened. Green was free from his chains and his smile had disappeared. He too, was expressionless.