The bustling streets of New York City were alive with the usual hustle and bustle of nighttime activity. Among the sea of pedestrians and flashing lights, two sorcerers walked in silent unity, their senses attuned to the mystical energies that pulsed through the city. As they strolled along the sidewalk, a silver van rumbled past them, its presence sending a shiver down the spine of one of the sorcerers. A sense of unease washed over them, a warning from the arcane currents that something was amiss. Without a word spoken between them, the two sorcerers shared a knowing glance and silently decided to follow the van. They weaved through the labyrinthine streets, their footsteps muffled by the cacophony of city sounds, until they found themselves in an underground parking lot, the van parked in a shadowy corner.
Approaching with caution, they circled the van, their eyes scanning for any signs of danger. The driver's seat was empty, the engine still warm from recent use. A sense of foreboding hung heavy in the air as they cautiously peered into the back of the van. What they saw sent a chill down their spines. Nestled amidst crates and boxes was a young woman, her eyes vacant and her body contorted in unnatural ways. A dark aura emanated from her, intertwining with the shadows that clung to her form. She was a vessel for a creature of darkness, a monster born of forbidden magic. A hybrid-oscuro.
The silence in the parking garage was broken with a horrifying crackle. The hybrid creature, her black eyes burning with a hungry rage, lunged from the van. She moved with a speed that defied natural laws, a blur of darkness punctuated by the sharp gleam of razor-sharp claws. KAI, the one closer to the vehicle, barely had time to raise a hand in defense before the creature's clawed hand lashed out, a single, lethal swipe. His head tumbled away, rolling across the asphalt with a sickening thud. His lifeless eyes stared up at the unforgiving fluorescent lights, their former vibrant blue dulled by the cold embrace of death.
MARKUS, who had been momentarily stunned by the brutal speed of the attack, reacted instinctively. He uttered a spell, a surge of raw magical energy unleashed with the desperation of a cornered animal. But the spell, designed to bind and weaken, seemed to have no effect on the hybrid. It was as if the creature was impervious to magic, its dark essence impervious to such trivial forces. As if to mock his efforts, the creature turned its obsidian gaze upon Markus, a predator sizing up its prey. With a speed that defied human comprehension, the female hybrid reached out, its hand closing around his throat with a bone-crushing grip. Markus's eyes widened in terror as the creature's inhuman strength squeezed the life from him. He gasped for air, his voice a strangled gurgle, but before he could utter another spell, another word, the creature's hand snapped his neck. The hybrid stood over their lifeless bodies, its shadow stretching across the cold concrete. Strange, it thought. What was I doing here again? And then the female hybrid suddenly remembered. It was sent here to create chaos in the city. The creature smiled to itself, it was once an ordinary woman in her twenties. But now she's different, stronger, darker and she...no, it liked it. Smiling to itself the female hybrid leaped out of the underground parking lot leaving the lifeless sorcerers with a mission in mind, create chaos, kill them all.
CARLOS, was a local taxi driver in New York city. He started working there recently, he lives in a rundown apartment, divorced, no children and no relatives. He wondered how that all happened, first he was happy and married to the most beautiful Dominican chick ever, but now…he chuckled to himself.
Just as he turned the corner, ready to call it a day- something heavy crashed into him sending Carlos's face flat on the steering wheel, cracking his nose. Blood trickled from his ruined nose as he looked up, the hood of the car had been badly damaged, whatever hit it must be a size of a huge vehicle. He opened the car door and stepped out, observing what just happened. His car, his beautiful car. He reached out to touch the crumpled hood then realized his right hand was missing, replaced by a bloody stump.
Pain shot out across his entire body as he fell and landed on his hips, screaming. He looked around with his watery eyes and saw a pale creature with feminine features. He didn't know what he was seeing, but he was sure he wasn't imagining things. This creature had a female physique, was it a she? She was holding something in her hand, his hand…the one he lost right now. People around them were closing in, not knowing the danger that lies ahead. But of course they saw her…a female creature standing over a defenseless man holding his severed right hand.
Carlos made his last move, "RUN!"
Then his vision went black as the ground rushed in to meet his severed head. There was more screaming, followed by more blood spraying…followed by more screaming.
It was chaos.
Despite the chaos unfolding in Manhattan, nothing happened in Brooklyn, with news reports of an attack taking place near Lexington avenue. Albert Fisherman, Samuel and a dozen other Nightshade agents together with the lab crew were watching a live footage from one of their drones. A group of specialists were monitoring the hybrid, watching it dismantle any living thing in its path.
"Vitals are steady," said one of the lab scientists.
"A female?" Samuel asked, obviously bored.
"What's wrong with that?" Albert asked.
"A man would have been better."
"Women can be dangerous too you know."
"Haven't seen one."
"There she is."
"That is not even a "she" anymore," he paused. "Okay it may have female parts but still…"
"I never took you as a pervert Samuel," Albert said, smiling.
"What! No…" Samuel felt his face burning.
"Don't worry, your secret's safe with me," he was still smiling.
Samuel felt like a teenager again, he obviously didn't like it.
"White-clad sorcerers are in bound," said one of the surveillance men.
Three different screens showed a number of sorcerers heading their way to neutralize the female hybrid.
"Now the show begins," Albert said.
He'd been to many attacks, and he'd even witnessed a hybrid. It was a dead one of course, but even so he'd never been so terrified in his life. JOHNNY, never wanted to fight Oscuros let alone hybrids. He never wanted to live the life he's living now, he never chose to become a sorcerer, his older sister was the one who forced him. Sure he scored top grades and impressed everyone in the combat arena, but it wasn't what he wanted. He wanted to be a business man for crying out loud! Go on business trips, getting surrounded by ladies, it's all he ever wanted. But now he's stuck in this world fighting monsters. The salary was good; he didn't complain about that.
But he did complain a lot about being a sorcerer.
They first got a report indicating that a fourth hybrid was on sight in Manhattan, according to the reports it appears to be a female hybrid. Even though he was terrified of what will happen next, he couldn't forgive that creature for what it did to his cousin, Markus.
"We're three minutes away from our target, we're closing in," said a man in his earpiece.
"Copy that Russo," he replied.
He could hear the chaos now, people screaming and running around with no clue of what's happening. All of this was meant to be kept a secret from society, the last hybrid incident that took place in Detroit was covered up neatly. Now Johnny wasn't too confident on this one, by now more than a dozen people saw the creature, some died, some escaped, others recorded…all of that was a possibility.
The air hung thick with the scent of exhaust and fear, a potent cocktail that stung the nostrils of the four sorcerers huddled in the back of a beat-up minivan. They were a motley crew, each wielding arcane energies in their own distinctive way. Of course Johnny was one of them. Leading the charge was ELARA, a woman in her late 30s with eyes like molten silver. She was a Binder. Her hands, etched with ancient sigils, pulsed with a spectral blue light. Ready to seal their adversary, after all… that's what Binders do.
Beside her, sitting in the driver's seat was none other than the hulking SILAS, a man of few words and a mountain of muscle, a brute. Across from Johnny sat the sprightly, if somewhat nervous, young mage, MARY, an elemental. Beside her sat an older sorcerer, WILLIAM, a caster. And finally, sitting next to Johnny there was the enigmatic, almost otherworldly STEVEN, a tool user, his gaze fixed on a monitor displaying a live feed from a drone hovering above the city.
"She's on the 43rd street, heading towards the Chrysler building," Steven announced.
"This is a delicate situation," Elara said, her tone measured. "We need to subdue her without causing collateral damage."
"That's why we have you," William said.
"Once we team up with the other sorcerers you'll need to distract it long enough for me to seal it completely," she continued. "Hopefully, we can pull this off."
"But what if we don't?" Mary asked. "What if we fail?"
"What makes you say that?" William said, obviously angry.
"Well, it took a lot of sorcerers to bring down the hybrid three years ago," she said. "The readings indicate that it had huge amounts of dark magic, what if we fail?"
"Don't say that girl, you should be-,"
"She's right," interrupted Johnny. "For all we know this hybrid might be stronge enough to withstand our forces, she's right we need to consider the possibility of failing to seal it."
"So what's Plan-B?" Steven asked.
"Plan-B is to lure it away from civilians and hit it with everything we got," replied Johnny.
"Not bad," Elara said. "Not bad at all." She got to her radio and relayed Plan-B to the others.
Johnny puts a hand on Mary's shaking one, "it's gonna be okay," he said in an assuring tone.
"You really think we'd be able to pull this off?" she asked him.
"Well I have my doubts…but that doesn't change the fact that we have to try."
She nodded.
"Do you have a family?" he asked.
"No, I am an orphan," she replied.
"Any loved one?"
"I have a boyfriend." She blushed.
"Good now I need you to think about him, do you think you'll be able to spend a peaceful time with him if we don't stop this?"
She shook her head.
"So fight for your future's sake."
She nodded and smiled.
Then something hit them so fast and hard, none of them saw it coming. Suddenly, the van lurched violently, the sound of screeching tires ripping through the air. A fiery streak streaked across their vision, followed by a deafening crash. A car, engulfed in flames, lay crumpled against the side of the van, its engine groaning its final protest.
The world seemed to pause, a surreal tableau of twisted metal and searing heat. Johnny, the first to react, stumbled back from the impact, his hands instinctively raised in a defensive gesture. His eyes, wide with shock, scanned the wreckage, trying to make sense of the sudden, chaotic event.
"What the hell was that?" William growled, his voice thick with disbelief.
"There's our target," Steven said, his voice laced with fear.
The drone feed flickered on the brocken screen of their surveillance pad, revealing the hybrid creature, its silver skin shimmering in the streetlights, standing amidst the wreckage. Its eyes, glowing with an unholy light, locked onto the sorcerers trapped in the van. Jonny looked around with his watery eyes, saw Mary on her seat, not moving. He reached out and felt her pulse, he felt relieved, she was just unconscious. He looked around everyone was alive, the door of the van was open, but where's Silas? But before the creature could strike again, a deafening clang echoed through the chaotic night. A huge metal rod, wielded with monstrous strength, slammed into the creature's side, throwing the female hybrid off its feet.
It landed with a bone-jarring thud, the impact sending shockwaves through the asphalt. Johnny didn't know how Silas made it out unnoticed, for a guy his size, that was truly a remarkable feat. Silas emerged from the shadows, his face contorted in a mask of fierce concentration. He held the metal rod, now bent and twisted from the impact, like a simple twig. He ripped the door of the van like tearing a piece of cardboard. All of them got out.
"You're dead," Silas addressed the hybrid, his voice a low growl.
Elara, her eyes wide with surprise and relief, quickly recovered.
"Now's our chance," she said. "Keep her distracted."
"It!" Silas corrected her as he rushed to meet his adversary.
The female hybrid lunged at Silas, its claws extended, but he met the assault with a roar, using the van's door as an offence and defense weapon that forced the creature back. It whirled, claws cutting through the metal door with ease. Mary, who suddenly woke up, summoned a ball of fire and sent it hurtling towards the hybrid, grunting with dissatisfaction as it had no effect on it.
Now it was William's turn, he casted a spell that made the ground underneath the hybrid turn into a quicksand. To his surprise the female hybrid jumped out of the quicksand, not fair, he said to himself as he continued bombarding the creature with more spells. Next Steven came at the creature as it landed on the asphalt, in his hand he held a chain with a dagger fused to its end. He sent it towards the hybrid, making cuts with every swipe. The hybrid wailed in irritation and lunged at Steven, but Steven was quick he wrapped the hybrid in chains and electrocuted it.
Elara, her eyes blazing with fierce concentration, moved with a speed that belied her age. She was channeling her magic, her hands moving in a blur as she traced ancient sigils onto the pavement, each line glowing with a spectral blue light. The air around her thrummed with energy, the pavement beneath her feet shimmering with magic.
"I'm almost there," she said. "Keep her occupied."
"It!" Now the whole crew corrected her.
The hybrid screamed in agony, Steven pouring everything he had in his attack. But something was up, even Silas noticed. All this time the hybrid was on easy mode; it was testing them. Or playing with them, but now…play time's over. Shadows erupted from the hybrid's back that nearly sliced Steven in half, if it wasn't for Johnny, who saved him right in time. The shadows were able to break through Steven's chains, and continued slashing and whirling like tentacles, preventing the others from closing in. It managed to cut Elara's thigh, as she was passing to the right to carve more symbols. She shrieked and fell, Silas carried her out of harm's way.
Together they retreated far back.
"It's too strong," Mary said.
Johnny heard Elara cursing under her breath. All of them were wounded now, Elara's thigh and William's back have fallen victim to the creature's onslaught. Seconds later their earpiece started crackling,
"We're closing in on the target," said a man's voice. "In three…"
…the hybrid was closing in on them.
"Two…"
…shadowy tentacles ready to strike.
"One!"
A blinding flash of blue light erupted from the side. A wave of energy, powerful and focused, slammed into the creature's side, throwing it to the right with a deafening roar. The sorcerers, their eyes wide with surprise, looked up to see the source of the blast. A truck, emblazoned with a silver crest, had arrived, its headlights cutting through the darkness. Emerging from the vehicle were two figures, their faces hidden beneath their masks, their hands glowing with potent magical energy.
"You okay?" said a man, the same man that told them they were coming, RICHARD, an energy blaster.
"Right on time," Johnny said.
"We've arrived," said the other man beside Richard, TONY, also an energy thrower. "Now we need to contain this abomination."
As if on cue, a series of trucks, each bearing the same silver crest, emerged from the surrounding streets, their headlights illuminating the chaotic scene. They formed a perimeter around the sorcerers and the hybrid creature, their doors swinging open to reveal more figures, their faces grim and determined. They were the reinforcements, the vanguard of the magical forces that had been alerted to the threat.
"Ooohh," Albert said. "Now the show's about to get real serious."
One of the scientists, a man with thinning hair and nervous eyes, nodded eagerly. "The hybrid is surpassing even our most optimistic projections. Its power is phenomenal, its resilience astounding."
"Couldn't agree with you more," Albert said. "Keep up the good work."
"I see," murmured Samuel. "The hybrid was playing with them the whole time."
"Not just playing," Albert said, "it was also testing them."
"Now is the time to see how strong the hybrid is."
"Indeed," nodded Albert. "If we failed… no problem, we already know how efficient it's operating."
"So we'll make another one."
"Exactly," Albert snapped his fingers.
The air crackled with raw magic, a tempest of elemental fury unleashed upon the hybrid creature. It was a symphony of chaos, a breathtaking spectacle of power clashing against monstrous might.
Silas, his muscles rippling with raw strength, holding an M2 Browning machine gun, unleashed a number of bullets that engulfed the hybrid. First it blasted away huge chunks of its flesh, but within seconds they were regenerated and now its silver skin was harder than ever. It was adapting. Mary, her face etched with determination, summoned a swirling vortex of wind, its force ripping through the air, pushing the creature back. She channeled her magic with a ferocity she had never known before, her youthful features hardened by the gravity of the moment.
Steven, his weapon radiating a blinding light, unleashed a wave of pure energy, a bolt of crackling lightning that slammed into the creature's side, throwing it off balance. His voice a low growl, as he amplified his magic, a chilling wave of energy that resonated through the city. From the shadows, a group of hulking figures emerged, their faces masked with fury, their bodies radiating raw power. They were the brutes, warriors trained in the art of close combat, their fists and weapons honed for destruction. They charged forward, their bodies a blur of motion, their blows raining down upon the creature, each strike a thunderous impact.
But the female hybrid had tentacles that served as a hundred arms, it whipped and sliced at them, some of them were caught and some were injured. Alongside them, the alchemists, their hands glowing with emerald light, unleashed a barrage of potions, each one a concentrated burst of magical energy. The potions exploded around the creature, a cascade of color and power, blinding it, weakening her, and slowing her advance. From the rooftops, the Necromancers, their faces pale and gaunt, summoned spectral warriors, ethereal figures wielding swords of bone and shields of shadow.
A group of energy blasters, their faces obscured by visors, took aim, their hands crackling with a vibrant energy. They unleashed a volley of blasts, each one a beam of pure power, that slammed into the creature, forcing it back, its silver skin sparking with the impact. And then, there were the elementals, masters of the four elements, their bodies surrounded by swirling currents of fire, wind, earth, and water. They unleashed their fury upon the creature. A torrent of fire engulfed the hybrid, followed by a whirlwind of wind that sent it flying through the air. It slammed into a building, the impact sending tremors through the earth.
The hybrid creature, battered but not broken, roared in defiance. Its eyes, burning with a primal rage, locked onto its attackers. It ripped the smoke away, monstrous form revealed in its full glory. Itz claws were elongated, fangs bared, eyes glowing with a malevolent light.
Elara, her thigh throbbing with pain, had been pushed to her limits. She had been forced to rely on her knowledge of ancient magic, her fingers tracing complex sigils onto the pavement, each line glowing with a spectral blue light. She was creating a binding sigil, a trap of pure energy, to contain the creature, but time was running out.
The hybrid creature, sensing her vulnerability, lunged towards her, claws extended, fangs bared. Elara, her body exhausted, could only watch as the creature closed in, its monstrous form looming over her, its eyes filled with a cold, predatory gleam.
"Elara!" Johnny roared, his voice filled with rage and despair. He charged forward, his fists crackling with magic, but he was too late.
The hybrid creature struck, its claws ripping through the air, connecting with Elara's chest with a sickening thud. Elara gasped, her eyes widening in surprise, her body jolted by the impact. She stumbled back, her hands instinctively reaching out to catch herself, but it was too late. Her life flashed before her eyes.
She remembered how she first became a white-clad agent; it was Mr. Thompson who enrolled her into the organization. She remembered the time when Johnny first proposed to her, idiot, did he not know she hated relationships?
A second blow, a powerful, devastating strike, connected with her head, sending her crashing to the ground. Her eyes glazed over, her body going limp, her breath escaping her in a ragged gasp, others too late to come to her rescue. Johnny, a Disciplinarian, a type of sorcerer that trains under one magic discipline, roared as he charged straight into the hybrid. His hands crackling with energy connected with the hybrid's shoulders, then with a yell an explosion erupted from his palms, sending the creature crashing into a faraway building.
The sorcerers, their faces contorted in horror, watched in stunned silence as Johnny crouched beside Elara's lifeless body, sobbing. The dust cleared and the hybrid came into view, regenerating both of its arms.
"No!" Maya screamed, her voice choked with grief and rage. She channeled her magic, a whirlwind of wind that buffeted the creature, a futile attempt.
The creature turned its gaze to the remaining sorcerers, its eyes glowing with a triumphant light. It had triumphed. It had broken them. Had tasted victory.
The sorcerers, their faces etched with despair, knew they were outmatched. They had lost their only hope of defeating that creature, their anchor, their guiding light. Elara, who had guided them through countless battles, was gone. The city, plunged into darkness, stood silent, the only sound the mournful wail of a siren, a reminder of the tragedy that had unfolded.
But then Silas roared, his voice a primal scream, and charged forward, his M2 blazing with sparks as he hit the creature, but the bullets simply ricocheted from it, strength immense, power overwhelming. Seconds later all of them charged again, the scene once more filled with roars and explosions. They may have lost their Binder in the field, and there is no easy way out.
Mary was right before, Johnny was right when he told them to consider the possibility of failure, at least they were prepared.
Time for Plan-B.