A black Mustang raced through the streets, lots of people were evacuating, staying away from Manhattan as much as possible. But the Mustang was going the other way, heading towards the Chrysler building. Beatrice sat in the passenger's seat checking her pistols were ready. Her boyfriend, Sean, was focused on the road. They were both silent, ten minutes ago they heard a report saying that Elara has died, that's when they decided to come all this way from Harlem, abandoning their previous mission, which was to track down a hitman. They haven't talked since. The radio crackled and a man's voice got through.
"Sean can you hear me?" It was Richard.
"Hear you loud and clear," replied Sean. "How's it looking?" Sean asked.
"Pretty bad," they heard a huge explosion. "Somehow the hybrid's adapting towards our attacks." They heard another explosion.
"Well that's new," Beatrice said.
"Yeah, we're luring the hybrid away from the Chrysler building."
"To where?" Sean asked.
"East river," they heard more explosions and more shouting. "Listen I have to go, be there soon, we need as much man power as we can." He said and the radio went silent.
"We'll kill that hybrid baby," Sean said.
"I know," replied Beatrice. "After all, two of the best disciplinarians are coming for her."
Sean smiled, "indeed."
Jacob had never been in a flying car before, if it was under normal circumstances, he would've been thrilled. The wind whipped through Jacob's hair, a wild, exhilarating symphony against the roar of the engine. He gripped the seat of the flying car, a sleek, silver machine that defied gravity with the grace of a soaring bird. Susan sat beside him while Alex sat in the passenger's seat, their faces lit by the city's twinkling lights, their eyes wide with a mixture of fear and excitement. Manhattan sprawled beneath them, a dazzling tapestry of light and shadow. Below, the city hummed with a frenetic energy, oblivious to the impending doom that lurked just beyond the horizon.
"Are you sure about this, Jacob?" Susan asked, her voice barely audible over the engine's whine. "They might not even want our help."
Jacob, his heart thrumming with an anxious rhythm, met her gaze. "I know it's risky, but I have to try."
Alex, ever the pragmatist, added, "Besides, we have to get there before the situation escalates," he paused for a second. "Looks like they're taking the fightqqq to the East River, it could be a disaster."
Jacob took a moment to observe through the window, "you're right. Seems to me they're luring the hybrid away from the civilians."
"What do you think will happen next?" Susan asked.
"They're probably gonna finish the hybrid off at Belmont Island," Alex said. "Not a bad plan, assuming all of the people there have been evacuated."
"We gotta help them," Jacob said.
Alex turned to his driver, "there's no time, fly this baby faster."
"Yes sir," the driver nodded.
He maneuvered the car expertly, threading through the city's dense network of skyscrapers. Jacob watched in awe as they skimmed over the bustling streets, the cars below appearing like miniature toys. His stomach lurched as they made a sharp turn, the city tilting precariously before straightening itself out again.
As they approached the East River, a thick plume of smoke billowed into the night sky, casting an eerie glow on the cityscape. It was a terrifying sight, a stark reminder of the devastation that was unfolding below.
Susan's eyes widened, "look!"
Alex was right, the sorcerers forced the hybrid to flee towards the Belmont island.
"Told ya'" Alex said. "Come on let's go."
Alex and Jacob started opening their doors when.
"Wait a minute," Susan said.
They both stopped and looked at her.
"Are we seriously gonna jump?"
"Yeah," the boys said in unison.
"I can't do this," she said
"Don't worry Susan," Alex said. "I'll catch you and we'll descend together."
"I'm not sure I can trust you," she said.
"Susan," Jacob said. "Now is not the time."
"Imagine what Rubble will say to you," added Alex.
That seemed to do the trick, Susan was now determined to jump. But she regretted it the moment the wind struck her body like spears. She screamed rolling and rolling until, hands grabbed her, and her rate of descent started to slow down. She looked up and saw Alex, he summoned dark wings made of shadow to help him glide, he noticed her looking at him and winked, percs of being a Necromancer. She saw Jacob to her left, slowing himself using his purple flames. Adrenaline pumping through their veins. They glanced back at the flying car, a symbol of their audacity, their defiance. They were no longer students, no longer passive observers. They were warriors, soldiers in a battle for the fate of the city, the fate of the world.
They've got a hybrid to kill.
The sterile white walls of the Nightshade laboratory pulsed with the low hum of advanced machinery, a stark contrast to the gruesome spectacle unfolding on the monitors across the room. A group of scientists, their faces pale and gaunt, their eyes gleaming with an unsettling fervor, watched in grim satisfaction as the footage from Manhattan played out.
"They're luring the hybrid to Belmont Island," Samuel said.
"As expected," replied Albert. "They're planning to go full force on it."
"You sound happy."
"Of course, that's when we get to know for sure how much the hybrid could take it."
"I see."
"Regenerative abilities have increased," announced one of the scientists.
"It's adapting quickly," Samuel said. "How is that even possible?"
Albert said nothing but smiled.
"It's regenerative abilities aren't a surprise but her ability to adapt," Samuel continued. "It's though as if she is a …" his voice trailed off, the realization hitting him.
"You finally caught up," Albert said, his golden eye gleaming with a sinister gaze.
"You actually pulled this off." Samuel awed.
"Indeed I have."
"White-clad?"
Albert nodded, "one of their international agents."
"That's pretty-,"
"Smart?"
"Indeed."
"Well the stronger the vessel, the more stable the hybrid is. That was my hypothesis."
"Which makes it stronger than the last hybrid."
Albert snapped his fingers, "indeed."
"And this one proved your hypothesis."
"Indeed it has. Imagine if we picked some of the stronger ones."
"I can only imagine," despite his distaste for the old man, he couldn't ignore how genius the man actually is.
"Sir, the hybrid's body temperature is rising," announced the lab scientist. This one's a female.
Albert turned his gaze at the screen. Saw the hybrid landing on the shores of Belmont island after being hit by a huge water wave.
"The hybrid is approaching its limit," he said.
The female hybrid lumbered across the shore, sending sand spraying in its wake. It roared, a sound like gravel grinding against stone, and its glowing red eyes fixed on the sorcerers. Silas, the hulking brute, charged first, a battle axe instead of the M2 flashing in his hand. He swung with the force of a battering ram, aiming for the creature's head. The hybrid, however, was faster than expected. It dodged the blow, twisting in impossible ways, and retaliated with a swipe of its clawed hand, sending Silas stumbling back.
Mary, summoned a torrent of water, lashing it against the hybrid's legs. The creature shrieked as the water chilled its skin, but its momentum remained unchecked. It simply stomped through the water, sending waves crashing against the sorcerers. A dagger crackling with electricity pierced through the waves and impaled itself into the hybrid's shoulder. The hybrid shrieked as electricity fried its torso. Steven rushed in seconds later, running in circles, tying the hybrid in chains, further intensifying the electricity.
The hybrid suddenly remembered its new abilities, and shadowy tentacles erupted from its back, nearly catching Steven. The electricity wasn't troubling the hybrid anymore, it had adapted. Steven retreated and fell back while the other sorcerers charged. He stopped beside Silas.
"What do you think?" he asked panting.
"I think that the hybrid, its body," Silas replied panting. "Belonged to a female sorcerer. Who happened to be an adapter"
"An adapter..." Steven considered his guess.
"Possibly," he gripped the handle of his axe. "That explains how the hybrid adapts quickly."
"What should we do?"
"What we should do," said Johnny as he advanced. "Is hit that bitch with everything we got before it can adapt!"
Johnny, screaming in rage, unleashed explosive bursts of energy from his hands, creating fiery explosions that rocked the battlefield. The ground trembled beneath their feet as they clashed with the hybrid, each sorcerer showcasing their unique abilities in a dazzling display of magic and skill. Johnny leapt high, propelled by a violent blast from his palms, and descended upon the hybrid with a thunderous explosion. The creature staggered under their combined assault but did not fall.
Just as they prepared to launch their next attack, a sudden disturbance in the sky caught their attention. Out of nowhere, a flurry of black arrows pierced through the air, striking the female hybrid with deadly precision. Following the arrows were powerful energy blasts that seemed to emanate from a skilled caster, and then a massive burst of purple flames that engulfed the creature.
As the hybrid let out a piercing scream, a trio of new arrivals landed between the sorcerers and the now wounded creature. Jacob, with his striking purple hair and purple flames, exuded an aura of intensity. Susan, the caster, stood poised and focused, her eyes ablaze with magical energy. Alex, the enigmatic necromancer, exuded an air of mystery as he surveyed the scene with a huge grin.
As Beatrice and Sean arrived on the scene, the air crackled with tension as the sorcerers and their allies eyed the newcomers warily.
All of them completely ignored the screaming hybrid and focused on the kids.
"What are you doing here?" Beatrice asked.
"We're trying to help," Jacob replied.
"You broke the camp's rule," Sean said.
"We know," replied Susan.
"We didn't expect this from you," Beatrice said.
"You do know that there will be a punishment right?" Sean said.
Alex smirked, "assuming we make it out of this alive," he said.
Sean smiled, "sweet."
Then suddenly one of the sorcerers recognized Jacob, "hey he's the one that killed a hybrid in Detroit."
Suddenly everyone nodded.
Then just as things were going smoothly, the female hybrid stopped screaming and stood there, observing the new comers.
"We'll talk later," Jacob said. "But now, let's kill this monster."
With a roar that shook the very air around them, the hybrid reeled under the relentless assault. Johnny and Silas flanked it, Silas's axe a blur of motion. Susan's chants, alongside other casters, filled the air with power, while Steven and Beatrice rained down attacks from above. Sean's fists were a storm, turning the hybrid's skin into cement, but to Sean's dissatisfaction, the hybrid stayed on its feet, intentionally cutting of the affected parts and regenerating quickly. Alex's shadow strikes rivaling the hybrid, and Mary's twin fiery blades danced deadly close.
Jacob fought with a ferocity born of desperation, his friends' aid giving him the strength to push the creature back, step by step, toward the cliff's edge. The hybrid snarled, its eyes wild with fury as it lashed out, catching Jacob by surprise. Pain exploded in his gut as he felt the hybrid's claws tear through him. But then it happened again…his eyes glowed purple. Time slowed as they tumbled over the edge, gravity claiming them both. The other self within him surged to the forefront, its presence sinister and commanding.
With a wordless cry, it unleashed a torrent of dark fire upon the hybrid, reducing it to ashes before it could even scream. Just like that, of all of the things everybody went through to take the hybrid down, all he needed was a spark then puff...ash.
He let himself fall, looking up. He saw Beatrice falling towards him with her hand outstretched, it's not like he can't fly, he just liked the drama. As quickly as it had taken over, Sinister Jacob receded, allowing Jacob to return. His last conscious thought was the sensation of falling before darkness claimed him and he knew no more.
He succeeded, well…"he" succeeded.
The scene on the screen shifted. The hybrid's roar was replaced by a thunderous scream as a whirlwind of black flames engulfed it. The creature writhed, its tortured form dissolving into a pile of ash.
"This kid…" Samuel's words dried in his throat.
Albert, however, remained unmoved. He watched the scene unfurl with a detached expression. "The fire... I recognize that power." He murmured, a calculating gleam in his eye. "Very interesting. This changes things."
"Changes things?" Samuel echoed, confused. "It took all lot of effort for the pro sorcerers to fight that hybrid, but then this kid comes and just incinerates it with ease."
"No, Samuel," he said, watching the feed as a woman, battered but still beautiful resurfaced to the cliff holding the purple haired kid in her arms, a dangerous smile twisting his lips. "This just makes things more… interesting."
Samuel sighed, what annoyed him was why the old man wasn't telling him much.
"So what's the plan?" Samuel asked.
Albert thought for a second, "order a hit on him."
"How much?"
"I let you worry about it," he said as he turned towards Samuel. "Just make sure the best hit-man is after him."
Samuel nodded and headed for the elevator, his phone already in hand. He knew a lot of hit-men, but not a lot of them have the exceptional skill to infiltrate an enemy's base. Samuel knew very well the camp was heavily guarded. He scrolled though the contact list as the elevator descended to the ground floor. His finger stopped when he found the one he was looking for.
The perfect man, well he might be a pain the ass but he gets the job done. He was a former Nightshade agent, Disciplinarian, best in his field, he had the opportunity to be the boss's right hand man but for some reason he decided to be a hit-man instead. Who would get the job done as efficient as Gregory?