Fandom A Shattered Steelheart

[Assailant]

Max definitely recognized the voice, and he thought he recognized the voice. Prof.





"Before Calamity. Well, I was nothing special. I worked in a science facility. I wasn't a scientist, rather an engineer. I helped build and organize things they needed.


Once Calamity struck, the science facility became one of those that studied Epics, you know the ones. I was their most trusted engineer, and as such I was one of the few besides the scientists themselves who saw what they were doing. When the law passed allowing Epics to do whatever the hell they want, the facility was shut down. I took some nanobots, which I will go into more detail on later. Basically, I can use them to make anything, including weapons.


I gathered a group of my friends, and we focused on helping people. Kind of like the Reckoners, but not quite. Rather than focusing on killing Epics, we focused on getting innocents food, supplies, shelter, and protection. However, one day... an epic attacked us. Killed everyone but me... from that day, I vowed: My focus would still be on giving supplies to innocent, but if I saw an Epic... they would die...


After the annexation. Well, I actually didn't live in Chicago, and thus I wasn't there when it became Newcago. From what I've heard, I came about 2 years after the annexation. I joined the Enforcement, and tried to take them down from the inside. I learned some Epics weaknesses through there, and killed them. Channeler was one... Changeling was another... I can't remember the others, but it doesn't matter. Then, one day... I heard about a new conduit, named Limelight. On the day of the fight in the stadium, I sabotaged a lot of enforcement equipment, greatly reducing the number that was able to be there, then I went myself, and took down other enforcement troops in order to protect you guys... that battle was amazing and horrible at the same time.


Why I should be a Reckoner? One: I have experience killing epics, something very few people can say they have. Two: I have skill, as well as an advantage over normal people due to my nanobots. But third, and most important? I have a burning passion to protect these people."

 

[Mist Demon]

"As you might know, in the past the Reckoners have worked in small team groups sticking to the shadows assassinating what Epics we could. With Steelheart's death, everything has changed. We've considered finally trying to create an actual human run government again. Unlike the Fractured States where the government is in shambles.


With that said, there are still hundreds of Epics in Newcargo. The city will soon fill with chaos as Epics struggle for power. We can no longer work purely in the shadows and we can no longer work as a small force. We will need nothing less than an army to take back Newcargo and keep it Epic free.


Do you understand the gravity of what I'm asking of you son? The danger you will face for us to make our mark on history?"

 

[Assailant]

"I do sir." Max says. "I am well prepared to face the dangers ahead. I've lost the lives of people I cared about who were trying to protect the people. I only wish to make their deaths mean something. Whether it ends with a free world, or with just another corpse, I intend to help these people as best I possibly can."

 

[Mist Demon]

There is nothing but silence. Moments later the lights turn on illuminating the room. There's a table, carved out of steel, and upon it are stacks of Tensors, jackets of different sizes, and another unknown device. The Reckoner that Max had originally met was now standing in the room, but Prof was gone.


"These are the tensors," the kid says walking over and picking up a glove and handing it over to Max, "I'll be teaching you how to use it. These jackets will help block a blow or break a fall. Just beware bullets, they have trouble with bullets. Finally, this is the Harmsway. It can heal critical or traumatic injuries in a period of a few days."

 

[Assailant]

Max looks around at the instruments and is quite impressed. It was obvious that these were one of the few machines created using Epics. He pulls on the tensors and examines them. "Hm. Are these what you used to create Limelight's effect? They look like some sort of energy manipulators." He focuses on them for a few seconds and green energy starts to glow from it. "Hah! Of course! The energy is channeled in similar ways to the way I control my nanobots! Of course, the nanobots are free flowing while the energy from the tensors is much stiffer, but nonetheless. It will take some time, but I think I got the idea."

 

[Mist Demon]

"What a natural," the kid remarks, "and you'll need to be. To learn how to use it, you will first be carving out your own room down here. I'll be watching over to ensure you don't end up causing an entire cave in down here."


The kid begins to walk down a corridor


-----


Meanwhile, one of the many city streets of Newcago lay in wreckage. All of the steel seems coated in blood, as a red mist slowly begins to fade away. Two figures can be seen, an Epic by the name of Deathbeam is on his knees with the Executioner's Blade at his throat.


The other figure is the Demon of the Blood Red Mist, the one holding the blade. It would seem a massive fight had just ended. Deathbeam was one of many known contenders wanting to take over the city in Steelheart's demise.


"You know the famous words, Join me or die."


Deathbeam reluctantly hands what seems to be a golden key to the Demon as he gives his allegiance to him.


This key, was the key to enforcement. With Steelheart gone, enforcement officers had no clue what Epic to follow. As such, they created a key. Any Epic that held the key enforcement would follow. As such this would ensure the most powerful Epic would have enforcement at his disposal.


This also meant that every Epic competing over the city was competing over this key. And now the Demon held it.

 

[Kiotaro]

Dracula


Dracula had found three more prey this beautiful night. He finished off the blood if a young man and wiped his mouth with a hankerchief in his pocket. He stood up and walked through the streets only to see the fabled Demon of the Mist. Dracula tasted the mist around him and felt slightly discombobulated. He walked a few behind where he was standing and he started to feel better. He stayed there for a second.


Vlad


Vlad was out on his nightly jog just for killing some people and he had seen the same blood red mist in the air. He ran straight through it to see how far he could get. H saw a figure with a sword and another figure kneeling down beside him. Vlad slowed down and went up behind the Demon and made a crystal of darkness form around his hand. He punched at the Demon's chest.

 

[Mist Demon]

A beam of black energy sends Vlad sailing back as he neared the Demon and attempted to punch him. Deathbeam had raised his hand in an attempt to help the Epic that he had just swore allegiance to.


"That wasn't necessary, I saw the Epic coming. I was just about to deal with him."


The Demon remarked to Deathbeam as he turned around to look at Vlad. The Demon also held up the key he had just received.


"Do you have no honor? I challenged Deathbeam for this key before we started our fight. And you think you could just sneak up behind me little one and attack? Fight me and it will end with you joining me or dying."

 

[Kiotaro]

Vlad stood up and retorted, "Id rather die than join scum like you. Only I deserve to be the king of the new world!" He shot bullets of darkness towards the Demon. He laughed maniacally.

 

[Assailant]

Max, blissfully ignorant to the fight going on somewhere above, followed the kid. "I mean no disrespect," Max began as he reached the kid, "But I like to know who I am working with. If it's not a problem, what should I call you?" @Zabuzas Son

 

[Mist Demon]

"For the moment, it's best if the new recruits now as little about us as possible. In the off chance we target an Epic, and instead of being killed you're captured, then we can't take the chance of you telling that much about us..."


The kid hesitated walking.


"You can call me David..."


He continued on after that.


---


The dark bullets hit their mark, ripping holes through the flesh of the Demon. Vlad might of thought he had just won, might...


If the Demon flesh did not just instantly mend itself back together in a matter of seconds. In just moments it was like he had never been hit, no scars or anything left upon his body.


Deathbeam began to shake his head, he had learned during the fight no matter how many times he had managed to hit the Demon it was pointless.


"Foolish Epic, you may not know it, but there is a ranking of us that the Reckoners use. At the top of that list is the High Epics. Those of us that are impervious, immortal, reincarnate, or can regenerate. By the end of this fight you will know the wrath of a High Epic, and how futile it is to fight one head on..."


The Demon spoke, and as he did, the blood that had stained all the steel in the streets began to form bloody red mist all around the area once again.

 

[Assailant]

"Okay... David." Max says as he keeps moving, testing out the energy of the tensors. They are much like my nanobots, but the energy is so much stiffer.

 

[Kiotaro]

Vlad listened intently and just cocked his head to what The Demon had said. "Oh and I am not? You have just seen me fling some useless bullets. Here is the real deal." He hit the ground with the palms of his hands and instantly let out shadows that zig-zagged its way to The Demon. Right before the zig-zagged shadows reached him, they grew out of the ground in the form of spikes almost instantaneously. They would have left almost none of him there to regenerate. Vlad smirked and knew he had won.

 

[Mist Demon]

"Here."


David had stopped at the dead end of the corridor, for he was facing one of the walls.


"You'll cut the entrance here, and create your room by the dimensions I give you. You'll also be creating the furniture for your room and by the time you accomplish that you'll be more than skilled with your tensor."


The young Reckoner Kid began to scratch the back of his neck.


"You should probably know, this is only one of many bases we're building in Newcago. I'm the one in charge of this "division", all the others are taking on as many new recruits as they deem fit as well. I look forward to hunting Epics with you."


---------


Little did Vlad know, it was too late. The bloody mist left the clear taste of iron in Vlads mouth, but it did so much more. He didn't know it yet, but his own senses were already being distorted and controlled by a certain Demon.


The shadows zig-zagged towards the figure that Vlad thought was the Demon. In reality though, when they struck they struck the side of a steel building much closer than Vlad would of thought. As the attack that would of left almost nothing of the Demon to regenerate struck the steel wall, it crumbled and fell downwards on top of him.


It buried him beneath the steel rubble.

 

[Assailant]

Max nodded as David walked away. He rubbed his hands together. "Okay, let's do this."


1 and a half hours later





Max looked around his newly created room. Most of the furniture wasn't done, but he had a clear path to the bed from the entrance, and a full room. Thanks for all that nanobot work, really sped up the training process. Max walked over and laid down on his bed. He had been really careful with this one. He used tensors to weaken the metal, making it more sheet like, and actually making it comfortable. That had taken awhile to learn. He makes a ball out of nanobots and throws it up in the air then catching it. I look forward to hunting Epics too.

 

[Kiotaro]

Vlad heard the spikes hit something and almost celebrated. He realized the taste in his mouth not even one second before being consumed by the discombobulation of the mist. He lay in the rubble, unable to move and think from his messed up senses. He ha no idea what was going on.


Dracula


Dracula was able to hear fighting and talking going on inside of the mist. He was a little bit frightened but not enough to run away. In fact he was curious and he slowly entered the mist, expecting someone to come out of no where and try to kill him. He was definitely on guard with his hands up and a wide stride. ((Did not intend to rhyme.)) he finally saw a pile of rubble with a hand sticking out of it. Dracula examined the hand and touched it only to have it flinch in return. Dracula looked around and couldn't see anything so he thought it was the mist getting to him. He quickly started to walk out not wanting to have an encounter with the fabled Demon. But if he had to encounter him, he would not die.