Heya Fam, I want to pause on this story for a bit. I feel it's unfair but I have a couple ideas fir another story. KEEP IN MIND This is not me quitting, this is me putting it on Hiatus whilst still making Chapters. I hope you understand that I'm still making chapters, but not publishing them. Happy reading folks. Criticism accepted.
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James never thought he'd be labeled as normal.
For years, he had been the "weird kid"—the one who thought differently, processed things uniquely, and struggled to fit into the standard mold. His brain didn't always work like everyone else's, and while his family never made him feel lesser for it, the world did. Teachers, students, even well-meaning strangers would give him that same look—the one that said, Oh, he's… different.
But lately? That had been changing.
James sat at his desk, tapping his pencil against his notebook, half-listening as the teacher droned on about something he already understood. It wasn't that school had gotten easier—he had gotten better.
Rexx was repairing him.
The Symbiote wasn't just a suit of living armor or a tool for fighting crime; it was actively fixing James. His brain felt clearer now, the fog of his childhood struggles lifting day by day. His thoughts were faster, his focus sharper. He could keep up with conversations better, understand social cues that once eluded him, and for the first time in his life…
He felt normal.
And the world was finally seeing it too.
Kids who once whispered about him now treated him like any other student. No more awkward glances, no more hushed voices. Just James, another teenager trying to survive school.
But normal didn't mean easy.
Whispers filled the classroom.
"Did you hear about the missing kids?"
"Another one disappeared last night. That's like… ten this week."
"The cops aren't saying anything, but my dad thinks there's something seriously wrong going on."
James kept his expression neutral, but inside, his gut twisted.
Kids were going missing.
He had noticed the reports, listened to the news, overheard the murmurs at school. Crime had plummeted in Metropolis—something Allan had worked hard to maintain. Violent crime was at an all-time low.
Except for the disappearances.
Every night, another child vanished. No ransom demands. No witnesses. Just gone.
And James was done waiting for answers.
Nightfall: The Hunt Begins
As soon as the city lights dimmed and the streets emptied, James became Rexx.
The transformation was seamless now—the red tendrils of the Symbiote wrapping around him like a second skin, shifting into armor, claws, tendrils, and fangs.
The Red Shadow of Metropolis leaped from rooftop to rooftop, scanning the streets below. He could feel the tension in the air—people were growing restless, afraid.
Allan had been patrolling non-stop, keeping the crime rate low, but even he couldn't find the missing kids. Something was off.
James wouldn't stop until he found out what.
For hours, he scoured the city, using Rexx's enhanced senses to pick up anything unusual. Every dead end made his frustration grow. Where were they?
Then—he felt it.
A strange, pulsing sensation—almost like a beacon, buried deep beneath the city.
Rexx reacted immediately, his instincts screaming danger.
Beneath Metropolis.
James found a maintenance tunnel and slipped inside, moving through the underground passages with silent precision. The air grew colder, the walls damp with condensation. The deeper he went, the stronger the wrongness became.
Then, he saw it.
A massive underground chamber, dimly lit by old, flickering lights.
And in the center—
Hundreds of children.
James froze, his heart pounding as he took in the horrifying sight. They were asleep, sprawled out across the floor like discarded dolls. Their breathing was shallow, their faces blank.
James landed silently, kneeling beside a boy no older than seven. He gently shook him, but the child didn't stir.
He was alive, but empty—as if something had drained the very essence of him.
A slow, deliberate clap echoed through the chamber.
James's head snapped up.
A man stood on an elevated platform, watching him with an amused smile. His appearance was unnerving—his skin was pale, his eyes black with swirling red pupils. He wore a sleek, black coat that almost seemed to shimmer in the dim light.
And the air around him felt wrong.
"I was wondering when someone like you would show up."
James stood, Rexx's claws flexing instinctively. "Who are you?"
The man grinned. "I go by many names, but you can call me… Retro."
James took a step forward, his body coiled like a spring. "You're the one behind this."
Retro spread his arms dramatically. "Guilty."
James's teeth clenched. "What are you doing to them?"
Retro's grin widened. "Draining them, of course."
He gestured to the unconscious children. "The mind is such a fragile, beautiful thing. So much energy, so much potential… and yet, wasted on them."
James's fists tightened. "You're stealing their minds?"
Retro nodded. "Not just stealing, dear boy—consuming. Their thoughts, their emotions, their very essence… all absorbed into me."
He took a slow step forward, his voice silky and taunting. "And when I'm done? Their bodies will remain—obedient, empty husks. Servants without will. Without purpose. Perfect little tools, wouldn't you agree?"
James felt rage boil in his chest. Rexx hissed, his tendrils twitching with barely restrained fury.
"You're a monster."
Retro laughed. "Oh, but I am so much more than that."
Then, with a flick of his wrist—
The children's bodies jerked.
James barely had time to react before the lifeless husks turned toward him, their eyes glowing with eerie, unnatural light.
Retro smiled. "Let's see if you can fight an army without hurting them, hmm?"
And with that—
The battle began.