Chapter 41: A Field of Fire

A light breeze gently washed over a group of eight figures as they watched for the distant impact. Six stood behind two, the front silhouettes enormous and bulky, their muscles rippling through their black, formal attire. Behind them were a team of brilliant minds and the best scientists and engineers the nation could offer, each with a storied career. Yet, standing after those who commanded, they were insignificant, like bugs or a speck of dirt.

With cold and burning purple eyes, the giant of a man stood beside another of a similar nature, only a few inches smaller than himself. He stared ahead, unflinching, with not an ounce of unrest at recent events nor excitement at the upcoming demonstration. His head and eyes unmoving, he spoke to the behemoth next to him, "Do you think you could take him?" The man's voice was deeper than a sea mine, with an air of dignity.

The other figure lightly flinched, his eyes wandering across the desert plain as the heat scorched the land and killed all life. He pondered a long moment before answering simply in a deep tone, "Yes."

Snorting, the leader spoke with the presence of command and authority as the president of the most powerful nation on Earth, "Reason?"

"He's stronger, faster and nigh-unkillable. Osseus was sent to die. He was outmatched, despite the boy's weakness. But he bleeds no different to the insects. My experience and skills… I could take him."

His voice as deep as the Mariana Trench and colder than Pluto, the president responded, in turn, "Osseus committed himself to the cause. A new dawn for humanity. It is a shame such a bright and loyal subject perished under unforeseen circumstances. But, important information was learned that will suit our future encounters. As you say, he isn't invincible. An Eneph bullet may do the trick."

"Hmph, 'unforeseen circumstances'." The other man mocked, the arms of the suit straining under his tensing biceps, "Nothing is invincible. Is he worth a bullet? We don't have many… and for a stupid kid. What a waste…"

"Your arrogance blinds you, Secundo. He is worth far more than a measly bullet. We can continue mining Mars for decades, but the boy… can change everything. Russo's faction is making moves, and Sishaf is floundering. I hear he celebrated the birth of a new daughter. Maybe he needs to get his priorities in order."

Secundo glanced at his Messiah, the one to deliver them, "Perhaps he does. Tenues is ideal, considering Sanguis is dealing with the cartel. What of Russo?"

The president laughed, a deep growl coming from his throat as he glanced at his comrade, amused, "Why ask? The same as always, old friend. Britain took the hint, yet the boy didn't. Make sure he does."

"Of course. I'l-"

Their sense of danger escalated as death rumbled above, the clouds parting as if terrified of the oncoming storm. Both stared upwards, the group behind them emitting a mixture of whimpers and gasps of awe as a visible protective field encompassed them in a bubble. For the humans, they saw nothing but the impact. But the superior species could see everything that transpired in perfect clarity. A sizeable shard of pure darkness, overrun with bright and vivid purple veins crisscrossing its body, plummeted to the ground at a speed unable to be seen by the naked eye. It impacted.

BOOOOOOOOM!

The Earth rocked and trembled as a shockwave ripped entire blocks of stone and dirt from the ground like tweezers pulling a fingernail. Painful and horrific, the planet cried out in shock and terror as the wave washed over the land like a tsunami of chaos, death greeting anything and everything in its path. It smashed against the protective field. The domain flickered and distorted as the crackling of sparks could be heard as it struggled mightily; for a significant period of time. The projector was pummeled as concerning sounds erupted from within; internal components heated to absurd and unsafe levels. The worst of it passed moments later, allowing their eyesight to be greeted by an apocalyptic sight.

The lifeless desert had become even further desolate as a towering column-come-cloud of dust and mud littered the sky like a storm. Massive boulders were flung across the air like pebbles, the sight reminiscent of pyroclasts and volcanic bombs. When they hit the ground, mini-earthquakes erupted, shaking every person witnessing the devastating, debilitating destruction. Yet, even all this wasn't all as the ground physically cracked. Huge ravines appeared as they split into small meandering crevices like a river, deep enough to kill a man when they hit the endless void below.

Stumbling around, the two giants ceased to compose themselves as the rock broke beneath them, a massive crack appearing in the middle of the bubble. Fortunately, it wasn't deep, but the immediate effects of the explosion rocked them to their cores. They called themselves the 'invincibles', truly believing it, yet gawking at the sight before them; they could do nothing but admit their inferiority - survival was slim. Staring at the crack beneath their feet despite being many miles away, only just outside the supposed safe zone, they realised the tool they had on their hands. All expectations were drastically exceeded. No, they were demolished; bulldozed into oblivion as darkness gradually covered the land, the sun blocked from peering inwards.

A few minutes later, the tremors started to lessen as the group attempted to regain their wits. Their emotions tossed and churned as all but one greatly feared the extent of damage they had just caused. A simple demonstration, obliterating the Nevada Testing Site irreparably.

"Hahahaha!" A mighty bellow erupted from the president, his purple eyes gleaming brightly as he witnessed the carnage, "Death From Above! The new dawn is here, Secundus! The world is ours for the taking. The mortals will quake in fear at our might." His voice quietened and turned almost giddy, talking to himself, "It is here. The new dawn. At long last. The new dawn is here!"

Secundus watched as his Messiah spoke to an almost maniacal degree, his eyes crammed with nigh-insanity. His sight wavered, unwilling to observe the madman. Turning, he stared wide-eyed in horror at the demonstration. Never in his eight decades of living could he have imaged such destruction, far eclipsing nuclear missiles with no obvious counter. World War Two would be a walk in the park compared to the future. Even for him, even for his cold, dark heart; he trembled. They would have their new dawn. But at what cost?

BANG!

Mark's head abruptly swivelled to his left, the air vibrating from the speed as the car windows shattered into sharpened icicles of glass. Barak lost control, his left ear violently ringing as crimson trickled down. Narrowly avoiding a collision with a building, he breathed heavily as his chest rose and fell rapidly, his heart heartily thumping and his skin becoming slick with sweat. Slowly turning, he stared apprehensively at Mark, his mind a conjunction of confusion and fear, as the self-driving car stopped on the sidewalk.

"M- Mark? What the fuck was that?" He urgently questioned, fear of the young man not felt in days, returning with a vengeance.

'What was that?' Mark mentally asked himself.

Not answering, Mark stared westward as his mind reeled from an unexpected presence. It was faint, but he could distinctly recognise it. Originally it was rapid, the feeling coming from up high and sensing it falling before it landed. He'd never felt anything like this. A connection that felt so vivid yet, so distant. A sickly feeling arose in his gut. Unable to determine why he knew he must seek the source.

Exiting the car and ignoring the initial complaints-turned-concern from the suited man, he turned to him, "I'll be right back. Have- Have some clothes ready for when I return."

"Wha-"

He rose into the clouds before pausing for a moment to prepare. In a force of habit, he took a deep breath before releasing himself into the sky. The air cried out as a sound, louder than any before, swept across the area. Mark's clothes were ripped to ribbons in barely a second as his speed far eclipsed even the fastest aerial transports invented by mankind. Using instantaneous acceleration, he breezed past his old fastest speed like it was a piece of cake.

Within seconds, England was left far behind as the second-largest body of water greeted his vision. The sound of the sonic boom was impossibly loud; the field covering his ears brought great pain to his mind as the wind scratched like a fierce and enraged tiger. Yet, despite this, Mark was dead set on discovering the anomaly. An urge backed by the Void, as within two minutes, the Atlantic had been crossed, water turning into land.

'The East Coast… shame no one can visit it anymore.'

Continuing onwards, his flight 'muscle' started to immensely ache as his body was pushed past its limits, further than it had before. Within seconds, he spotted a large cloud of brown and orange dust rising into the sky like an unprecedented cyclone. The faint feeling was much stronger now, a calling that cried out to his very core. His expression was stern like steel as he ignored the agonising torment of his body as it desperately shouted for release. He shot directly into the cloud, his vision unobstructed despite the brown particles surrounding him. He was in the eye of the storm.

Landing with an enormous thud, another shockwave erupted from the epicentre; surrounding dust and debris violently shot in every direction. Mark grunted at the unintentional destruction he caused, despite slowing himself. The Void in his mind pulsed, reality visibly affected as space rippled. His eyes widened as reality was directly affected by nothingness for the first time, a feat he thought impossible. Steeling himself, he turned serious with a frown as he appeared twenty metres forward within an instant, another sonic boom unsettling the rumbling earth and howling wind. A small black shard lay on the ground. It was cracked and beaten, with tinier crystals similar to it surrounding the site. Wary on time, he picked it up and enveloped it within his field, afraid of losing it.

"Ugh." Unable to take another action, he grunted as he was flung backwards by an enormous force. His chest stung as he activated his tired flight, momentum instantly ceasing as he hovered a metre above the dirt. Ahead, a gigantic figure stood before him, remarkably similar to the one fought previously, as it launched itself at him. Mark saw the man's face, handsome and Hispanic, as the man's massive fist cocked backwards, the air rippling in anticipation at the incoming strike.

Mark harrumphed, flying forward at a speed unable to be registered by his foe. Time slowed to a crawl as he floated before the figure, staring into his purple eyes. He was dressed in a suit with his brown hair shaved in a buzz cut. His hair was the same colour as his skin, with clear and violet veins rippling throughout the neck and face. Mark's inspection done within a second; he forcefully jabbed at the man's chest.

CRACK!

Time resumed to normal as a loud snapping sound resounded after a crack. The bulky male smashed into a new rock outcropping hundreds of metres away. It crumbled and shattered under his weight as a painful grunt spat from the man's mouth. Gunfire noisily erupted from Mark's left side. Three figures dressed in pitch-black mettalic suits, the demons from a week ago, unleashed everything they had at him. A rocket, shot from a shoulder-mounted launcher, hit him dead on. A laser shot out from the dust, moving from left to right as the soldiers were effortlessly cut in half.

Understanding it wouldn't be wise to stay, he floated upwards as his body spasmed from overuse. The giant landed a few metres in front of him, squatting and preparing himself to knock Mark back down to the ground. Seeing this, Mark grunted in frustration as his body heaved. Directing his emotions into his eyes, they blasted the surrounding landscape as everything erupted into fire and lava. His eye sockets were pure blue as his emotions greatly influenced the outpouring of heat and power, a beam shooting out at an impossibly fast speed. It hit him dead-on.

A scream of pain echoed across the desert plain as the figure was pushed backwards for hundreds of metres. The land melted underneath the unnatural laser, a line of pure lava following the aggressor.

Another missile hit Mark as more gunfire erupted, aircraft mobilising in the distance. He looked down at the desolate and burning landscape; an entire kilometre transformed into a molten mess of lava and superheated suffering. All he could think about was that it looked like a field of fire. An environment terraformed by mankind's awful power.

Shooting upwards into the blue sky, he directed himself back towards England. His speed was slower, the feeling akin to being deprived of oxygen and forcing yourself to sprint. The journey was long and arduous, subconsciously dropping further towards the Atlantic as he travelled. The Americans didn't follow, the thought not even crossing his mind as Mark fought to get back.

A rumbling was heard in the sky as Barak stood beside his car, phone to his ear, shivering, "Yeah, I know. I don't know where he's gone. He just… I don't know, pissed off somewhere-… yes, 35 minutes ago."

BANG!

Mark crash landed, the asphalt exploding from his impact as chunks were sent flying in every direction. His flight had evidently given up as he tumbled a few metres down the deserted road. He groaned as he lay there, barely moving.

"Holy shit! You ok, Mark? What happened?" Barak urgently questioned in angst.

"Ughhhhh…" He groaned, "I'm good. Fuck man. Ugh."

Frowning at Mark's nakedness, combined with the dust and dirt covering him, Barak glanced around before rushing to his boot. Opening it, he grabbed clothes taken from Mark's home before bringing them to the young man, "You better explain at some point. Clearly, you've done something, and now I'm dreading what you're going to tell me."

Putting on some boxers and trousers, Mark looked at the frowning slender figure, "I'll explain later." He smiled knowingly, "I'm sure you'll love what I discovered."

Finished putting some clothes on, he walked further down the road – following the feeling – as he stared at the obsidian-like shard. He grabbed it, Barak frowning as he stared at it. Its appearance was alien to both of them, but to Mark, the feeling it emitted was… pleasant? Friendly? Like a part of himself? He couldn't describe it.

They got into the car, Barak taking another glance at the crystal and Mark; before turning the engine on. Pulling onto the road, he spoke concerned, "I've seen that crystal. Or something like it, once before. A… horrific item. You should be careful wielding it."

"You know of it?" He put it in front of his eyes, inspecting it. The purple veins pulsed as it neared his face, "It's… beautiful. So, so beautiful."

Barak's concern grew greatly as Mark stared almost dreamily into the pitch-black object. He prodded the boy, "Mark. This isn't something you should mess with. We'll leave how you got the fucking thing for later, but you should put it on the dash. It's not safe, I'm certain. It's… repulsing."

Mark continued staring as the world drowned out and started to blur. Focussing further into the crystal, following the splendid purple lines running throughout with his eyes. Reality changed a second later. An orange-red planet appeared before him. He couldn't tell where he was, somewhere reality wasn't; but he could see it. Before he knew it, he was hurtling towards the planet as space rippled and cracked around him before closing. Closer and closer, travelling at insane speeds as he entered the thin atmosphere, he saw the ground. It was dry and dusty, dead dirt and rock all the eye could see as he neared the planet's surface. Then he hit; reality returning back to the present.

His head shook, 'What was that? A… memory? Or another vision? Are they related?'

"Did you hear what I said, Mark?" Barak interrupted. He had watched the kid turn blank for a split second before coming back and subtly shaking.

"Huh, what? Yeah. I'll… stop messing with it." Mark said, putting it between his legs, uncertain of exactly what he had said. He glanced at Barak, the man's eyes covered by his all-familiar shades, before turning to the road ahead.

The rest of the journey was quiet, silent even as neither spoke. Both occasionally glanced at the broken shard with differing thoughts and emotions. Five minutes later, they arrived outside a large building, greater than Mark's home.

"Damn, this is massive. How come I didn't get this?" Mark questioned.

Barak chuckled, "You asked for a home, not a massive one. Besides, this is made for more than one person. My friends have to stay somewhere, no?"

"Suppose you're not wrong. How'd you afford this, anyway?"

"Russo owed my… the group leader. He bought it for us." The man said before mumbling, "Better be worth the favour."

"Hmm, must've been a pretty big one. This can't have been cheap." Mark uttered.

Barak exited the car, Mark following, as a woman stood outside the entrance. She was mixed-race, slightly darker than usual, with her brunette hair tied into a ponytail. She was rather attractive, to Mark's standards, reminding him vaguely of Elise.

"Oh fuck." Barak muttered to himself, glancing at Mark.

"B! I heard that! How rude. It's been a while. How you been?" The woman greeted the suited man, extreme enthusiasm radiating from her. Her voice was foreign, his recent escapade in France highlighting her accent as familiar.

Exhausted already, Barak replied in turn, "Hey, Sash. I've been alright, I suppose. Can we go inside, please? I've been stood in the cold for half an hour." Muttering the next section, "Thanks to someone."

Mark winced as the lady stared at Mark, "Woah! Your eyes… they're pretty scary. How exotic. So, you're Mr Famous Super Man Guy?"

He stared at Barak in confusion, the man shaking his head before replying, "I guess?"

"Sasha, let's go in? I ain't freezing my balls off so you can fawn over him." Barak interrupted, winter breath coming from his mouth.

"Ah, I do so duly apologise, B." She said sarcastically, a grin on her face before turning to Mark, "So, Mr Strongman. Want to see the crib? My bed's pretty comfy… if you wanna try." Sasha winked.

Slightly cringing at her comments, Mark glanced at Barak again as the man laughed before walking inside. With slight panic in his black eyes, Mark stuttered as he looked at the smaller figure, "Erm… I'm not sure that's… erm, appropriate? I will see the… crib, as you say."

"I see. Your loss, Markey. Come, come! I do so look forward to working with you." She said alluringly, her sizeable glutes temptingly on display.

'Jesus Christ.' Mark puzzledly thought, 'What… have I got myself into.'

With that on his mind, he followed them inside, the building's warmth covering them from the winter chill.