Fantasy After The War (1x1 with Saffron_Majesty)

[Rayvin]

The War had ended. One year ago it ended along with many casualties and ruin left behind. Corporate greed had lead the land to be left to rot. Those lucky enough to survive or wealthy enough to buy their safety had long since gone. Those left behind were left to starve and fight for their future. Gangs and conflicts still fought for territory and recruits. A weak mirror to their corporate counterparts.

Some of the land had yet to be uncovered by the local residents and vagabonds. Only those brave..or foolish enough to scavenge the ruins of once grand architecture and corporate operations would venture there.

 

[Saffron_Majesty]

Anthony sat on the roof of a large sixty story skyscraper, kicking his legs around over the side. The building was in bad shape but Anthony was happy about that because the building belonged to the Orphans gang and they happened to be in conflict with the gang that Anthony worked for, The Crimson Regime. Anthony had been assigned to completely destroy the headquarters of the Orphans and he had been saving up his energy since the two weeks ago that his boss Kris had told him about the job.

Anthony stood up from his relaxing and stretched his shoulders, ruffling his mid length black hair in the process. "I should've gotten something to eat." He said as he strolled to the center of the roof. Anthony shrugged to himself. "Guess I'll eat after." He said. His arms and his chest began glowing, moving down to his legs and finally covering his entire body. Most supers assigned to take out a headquarters would charge in, have a fire fight, and kill everyone. But Anthony hated wasting time, so he would take out the building itself.

Anthony's glowing body began to melt the cement under his feat as his external temperature began to surpass the heat of the sun. Finally, Anthony dropped through the melting concrete and began to melt through floors faster and faster, right on top of the buildings central support pillar. Horrified members of the Orphans gang shot at him on his way down but the bullets melted against his white hot skin. When Anthony reached the bottom floor of the skyscraper, the building collapsed. Anthony emerged from the pile a moment later having melted a pathway through the rubble pile. People stopped in the street, frozen in shock by watching the glowing figure become a normal naked man.

"Right, new clothes." Anthony said ignoring the onlookers, his ironically ice-blue eyes scanning the shop fronts near the collapsed building. He jogged over to a thrift store that he spotted a block down the street to get some clothes.

 

[Rayvin]

He would be greeted with a gasp from the shocked store owner. "W-what on Earth are you doing?" She exclaimed. The lady who ran the thrift store was middle aged and had experienced her fair share of conflict. The scar over her left cheek and top lip made it all to obvious. "Get out of here!" She squared her shoulders some and stepped around the counter she stood behind.

There was only one other person in the store with them. They were trying to find a way out now, scooting around the walls towards the door. The owner scowled at him and put her hands on her hips. "You're scaring my customers away!"

 

[Saffron_Majesty]

Anthony had been pulled together some basics when the woman from behind the counter walked out and and commanded him to leave. Anthony regarded her, surprised that she was underrated by his naked, heavily muscular body. "You have scars. You have experience." He observed, leaning his head to one side.

Anthony held up a hand in the shop-keeps direction and it began to glow brightly. "I don't like killing for no reason. I furthermore don't like to kill women." Anthony said gesturing with his increasingly bright hand. "But, that doesn't mean I won't."Anthony said ominously. "let me get some things to wear and I'll leave." He said with his hand still raised.

 

[Rayvin]

Her tone changed immediately as she stepped back. However, her expression remained stern to an extent. It was clear there was fear in her eyes but she was not going to step down completely. There wasn't going to be any more confrontation either. "Take what you need and get out." Her voice had venom in it. She thought to herself how these supers thought they ran the place.

They were rare but they always left a mark.

There was tension in her jaw as she stepped back behind her counter and watched him. There was the sound of a squeaky door shutting as the only other human in the room rushed out the door.

 

[Saffron_Majesty]

"Thanks." Anthony said, cold, almost robotic. He rifled around the small thrift store for a few minutes, finding a pair of black denim cargo shorts, a soft black shirt with a skull print on the front, and a couple of black high tops. Anthony took a moment to put on the clothes.

When he was done Anthony walked calmly over to the counter with the woman behind it. Anthony raised his hand to counter level and his index finger tip heated up. He proceed to carve a small skull and cross into the counter. "It looks small, but it will deter most wrongly willful people." Anthony said. "Thanks for being so cooperative." He remarked, his cold and calculating nature very obvious.

 

[Rayvin]

The woman kept a cautious eye on him and sat behind the counter with her arms folded. Those few minutes dragged for her while she waited. As he approached the counter she straightened back up with arms still folded loosely. When she saw him raise his finger she leaned her head back slightly with her breath catching.

When his finger started to draw on the counter her brows furrowed before she spoke up. "What are you-" She began but was interrupted by his statement. This wasn't playing out how she'd imagined. Was he branding her shop for their safety now? She looked back up at him with confusion breaking through her stern glare. "You're.." She paused before finishing her sentence. "Welcome?"

 

[Saffron_Majesty]

Anthony decided that the woman's response was reasonable. He let his gaze burrow into the shop keep's eyes, the stark blue like cold fire. An intensity like an exploding star, but as cold as the furthest and darkest reaches of the void called space. "It's purely transactional. I'm awarding you for your cooperation. I rarely receive the same hospitality you see." Anthony explained, nodding and walking out of the thrift store, his looming seven foot frame causing people to stop short as he passed them out on the sidewalk.

Anthony turned left out of the door and began to head back to his own gangs headquarters, the dust from the collapse was still in the air.

 

[Rayvin]

The shop owner was left a bit stunned by him now. Those eyes.. They didn't settle with her well. She didn't move until he was out of sight and gone for sure.

A shiver went through her as she let go of her breath. When did she start holding her breath? Her body came to lean against the wall as she braced herself. That had been a close one. Her eyes fell back to the scorched insignia. The smell of burnt wood wafted to her nose as small trails of smoke swayed upwards. She prayed this wouldn't come back to haunt her.

 

[Saffron_Majesty]

Anthony arrived at the head quarters of The Crimson Regime and walked through the doors. The doorman looked him up and down. "Lose your suit?" He asked. "Forgot to take it off again." Anthony responded coldly. The door man continued with him deeper into the warehouse complex. "Did you win?" The door man asked excitedly. "Get back to your post." Anthony commanded calmly. The post man went white and carefully turned. "Also, there's a thrift store on street 3B practically next to where the headquarters of the Orphans used to be. See to it that is is watched and protected from the shadows." Anthony instructed the door man. The guard nodded hurriedly and and quickly got back to his station.

Anthony arrived at his destination, boss Kris's office. He knocked twice and entered. Boss Kris looked up. "New getup?" She asked un-ironically. "No, I burned my suit again." He responded with no emotion. "You need to learn how to have feelings." The boss said with a short laugh. "I find that irrelevant." Anthony said flatly. "You find all emotional things irrelevant. Take a couple girls downtown and try to loosen up that block of ice you have for a heart." Anthony's face contracted slightly. "As you wish. The mission was a complete success" He said turning and walking out the door.

 

[Rayvin]

Outside the sun was starting to set. The dust and debris from the collapse created an orange fog over the nearby area. Beyond the boundaries of that territory stood a man caped in a rugged coat and black slacks. He watched the sun go down beyond the cloud. Just a couple hours ago, he'd heard a roar of debris and glass crumbling to the ground. What a mess.. These gangs were getting closer to his own dwelling and he wasn't sure how long he could keep hiding here. He had precious cargo that would be difficult to stow away from here. He was within the boundaries that most people called off limits but who knew when one would decide to venture in.

 

[Saffron_Majesty]

Anthony was in the middle of meditation. He sat on the middle of a square marble tub ten feet in length, width, and height. The tub was full of water and Anthony sat on the surface completely unclothed and heated to a yellow color facing a depiction of the gang emblem drawn in crimson red. The heat flash boiled the water underneath him and allowed him to sit on the waters surface while pumps exchanged the hot water with room temperature water. The room was dark except for Anthony.

A knock came at Anthony's chamber door. "Come in." Anthony said. A watcher, the effective spies of the Crimson Regime entered the room. "Sir I've somethin interestin to report." The watcher said, shielding his eyes from the blaze of Anthony's light. "And that is?" Anthony asked in a monotone. "I seen a man goin in an out of the danger zone. I followed him n' he's got a big electronic steel door that works. Looks like a bunker ta me." The watcher said. "Thank you for notifying me." Anthony said coldly. The watcher nodded and exited the room.

Hours later Anthony had walked past the danger zone's marker line, following the path that the watcher had said he should take to the bunker. After an additional thirty minutes of walking Anthony came upon seven foot twin doors of steal with an lit up keypad to the side. "Old war tech." Anthony said to himself. "Hope he doesn't mind visitors." Anthony said flatly. He removed the jacket and the button down of his suit and heated up his arms to white hot and immediately went about melting a hole into the twin steel doors.

 

[Rayvin]

On the other side, there was an alarm that went off. "What??" This strange man stood from his desk and looked at the door.. It was changing color! from grey to orange and then white! The heat that followed made him shield his face and the bright white burned his eyes. He quickly reached for a locked vault and pulled out a hand gun. There were a few seconds of hesitation as he watched this glowing white form proceed to melt through 2 feet of solid steel. "H-h-hold it right th-there!" He lifted the gun up, holding it in two hands. "I'll shoot if you come any closer!"

 

[Saffron_Majesty]

Anthony had taken a split second to shed his other clothing before resuming the melting of the bunker doors. His entire body glowed white, and after half a minute, the doors gave way and Anthony stepped through to see a man threatening him with a hand gun. Anthony stopped and tilted his head, his massive form looming over the man. "I'm afraid that gun won't do anything to me. If you put it down I'll similarly cool down and we can talk." Anthony said with a blank voice.

 

[Rayvin]

The man holding the gun tried to keep his bravado up but he faltered. He’d never shot anyone before. “I-I’m going to trust you..” one of his hands let go of the gun and he held it up, followed by him placing the gun on the desk altogether.
“Please.. we can sort something out..” this

This man was about 6 foot tall and on the plain side of physique. He was leaner and paler... and cleaner. Upon looking around it was as if this place had hardly been touched by the outside. It looked rundown but not dilapidated.

 

[Saffron_Majesty]

Anthony considered whether or not to attack the man and decided it would be beneficial for him to learn from the man first. Anthony walked outside, cooled one of his hands, and gathered his clothes. He walked back inside and slowly cooled his body, re-clothing himself as his body eased back to normal operating temperature. Anthony brushed the dirt off of his crimson suit and approached the man and gazed into his eyes with the intense blazing-but-empty stare that he was known for, perhaps more than his power. "So tell me about you operation here." Anthony commanded coldly.

 

[Rayvin]

“Operation? Th-there’s no operation.” The strange man stood stiffly as he watched Anthony. He was massive and a super no less. “Y-you’re a.. an asset.” He stuttered again and cleared his throat. “How did you find me?”

 

[Saffron_Majesty]

"You are discreet but you are still too clumsy to escape an organization such as my own, with resources and power." Anthony said flatly, clearly ignoring the comment about him being an asset. "As a result of my design, I bear almost no emotions, and as a trade, I am able to see straight into others. People like you. And I can tell you're lying." Anthony pointed a finger at the gun on the table and super-heated the appendage in a split second, causing a small explosion, sending the gun flying. "Tell me what you're doing here doctor or I'll kill you and find out myself." Anthony said with so much coldness that the emotional atmosphere of the room became as frigid as winter.

 

[Rayvin]

The man clinched as the gun exploded and flew into bits. Hit metal bounced off of him which he quickly brushed away. Now he realized he was cornered. He should have never put down that gun!
He had broken out into a sweat. Whether it was a cold or hot sweat was anyone’s guess at this point. His button up shirt was was starting to cling to his torso as the beat in the room lingered.

“I-It’s nothing that concerns you.. I-it’s just a hold over until we-“ he then bit his tongue.

 

[Saffron_Majesty]

"What concerns me is my prerogative. You have one more try. Think carefully, these words could be your last or just another of many you have yet to say." Anthony raised his hands to waist height forcing them to white hot in a couple of seconds as they rose. "I also don't have all day. So choose." Anthony commanded coolly.

 

[Rayvin]

"A-alright! Alright..." He exhaled in defeat as he stepped back. "I'm here to..." He swallowed and closed his eyes. "Here to keep a subject... er asset alive.." He recoiled slowly as he spoke. There was no other option. The man resigned to informing Anthony of his duty. "Please.. it's the truth."

The intense heat could be felt from a couple feet away. Any part of him that didn't have clothing covering it stung. "All I ask is we be left alone.. We don't have any relations to anyone out there." The man tried persuading the seven foot intruder.

 

[Saffron_Majesty]

Anthony advanced forward a step, the heat becoming much more intense near the scientist. "Show me the... Subject." Anthony commanded the man, hovering over the word to address the person that the strange man was talking about. "No more negotiating. Show me and explain and maybe I'll let you live. Maybe I'll even leave you alone. But we can't be for sure unless you cooperate." Anthony explained.

 

[Rayvin]

"I.." He gave up again on trying to convince him. Without another word he backed up slowly and headed to another sealed door that opened to his hand print. They had to wait for the locking mechanism to release and the door hissed open. It was dark upon entry except for a greenish hue that glowed along one of the walls. Inside there was wiring and tubing lacing the ceiling and ground.

All of it lead to a cylindrical tank that was embedded into the wall. As they approached there was a rhythmic blip sound. There was a panel next to the tank where a Holter monitor recorded a heart beat. Along side it there were more monitors with similar functions for bodily functions. Inside the tank there was a figure but it was hard to see through the near semi-opaque contents.

"There... that's why I'm here..." The man pleaded internally for this rogue asset to leave.

 

[Saffron_Majesty]

Anthony extinguished his hands and followed the strange man inside the room and witnessed the tank with a humanoid shape in it's protective embrace. Anthony paced around the tank. "They are like me." He said to himself. "You. You worked for one of the governments developing...." Anthony's jaw clenched tightly, but he held his frozen gaze. "Developing assets." The word asset pulled its was out. "I have potentially have great disdain for you, but I haven't made up my mind entirely." Anthony said. Taking ques from the strange man's body language he could tell the man was panicked. "I'm not going to kill you. I dislike unneeded violence. But I'm not done here, so you should relax." Anthony instructed. "Tell me about the person in the tank." The big man commanded.

 

[Rayvin]

"I-" The superfluous questions caught the scientist off-guard again. "I don't think it will be that easy, sir.." He said wiping his forehead. "I don't understand... why does it matter to you?" He was already in serious trouble with his employer.. No one should have seen this let alone set foot inside the bunker. This was all classified information and now the bunker was compromised.