Chapter 12. Intruder (Part 1) Xavier

It had been 15 days since the world-ending event known as [Redacted]. The majority of the chaos had settled down with most individuals affected either ruling over others or being ruled over. These groups being formed to fight tougher individuals or other groups. This phenomenon was occurring all around the globe as if it were innate in their nature. The Bureau avoided these groups like they knew exactly where they were, still going around searching for civilians.

Even with all the chaos that had ensued most aspects of the world as a whole were unaffected, Artificial Intelligence and technology from The Bureau ensuring everything didn't completely shut down. All this to say, if nobody went to work on some random Friday the world would still run. Not effectively or productively in any sense of the words but the world simply wouldn't end from lack of human interaction.

The destruction of buildings and roads made it impossible for anything to get done automatically but it wasn't like unattended facilities, running equipment, or satellites would explode or fall out of the sky. A shutdown protocol would be issued and everything would automatically, if it could, shut down, and return to a neutral position. Essentially whatever it may be would shut down and wait for further instructions.

All in all the world hadn't quite ended, at least not yet. If the threats were neutralized promptly, before a significant amount more destruction was incurred, things would go back to normal within the century. If the threats managed to take over the world, kill a good amount of the current population, or destroy enough infrastructure the world could be considered over. At least this advanced era in the story of humanity.

In these last 15 days, Individual governing bodies and The Bureau have been scrambling to deal with the situation. Most bunkers, or as they were referred to, shelters were filled up with the population of the world. Roughly 20% of the world's population safe in these shelters with the rest either being dead or attempting to survive the now-deadly surface. It may have seemed grim but there were heroes yet to be discovered that would change the fate of the world, for better or worse.

I awoke with a start, my body falling from the air onto my bed, lading in a pool of sweat. I gasped and then just laid there for a moment, slapping my hand onto my face and dragging it down in a sigh. I didn't even want to think about why I fell onto my bed but I assumed it was just another strange symptom or something.

Not noticing it right away a blaring alarm caught my attention as I got out of bed and stretched. I changed my clothes and wasn't immediately worried, more confused until a huge bang rang out that shook the entire layer of the shelter. Regaining my balance I rushed out of my room to the hallway to look around. The only thing I could really tell was that everyone was gone, the doors to rooms left ajar with nobody inside them.

At this point I was slightly panicking at what was going on and why I hadn't been woken up.

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"I guess I slept through the commotion..." I pondered out loud.

I also didn't remember falling asleep, in fact, I didn't think I would sleep as I wasn't tired at all.

A shrill scream echoed down the hall finally breaking me out of my loopy state. I rushed towards the noise finally concerned and grasping the gravity of the situation. After navigating a few turns, I reached the end of the hallway and stood in front of what used to be huge metal doors to a bunker. Both metal doors were off their hinges and extremely damaged, with huge dents warping the metal.

I squinted at the wreckage and scratched my head, carefully making my way into the room, and climbing over the doors. Once inside I looked around, some of the walls had huge indentations, with rubble scattered across the ground. A dreadful feeling had been creeping deep within my stomach, not only out of concern but also fear. If what I feared was true I was scared I would lose control. I slapped my face and forced the thoughts out of my head, trying to focus on figuring out what was going on.

I made my way to some stairs leading out of the entrance of the bunker and further into it. The deeper I went the more of a wreck it was. What I assumed was emergency rations were scattered all over the ground, It truly looked like a warzone.

Reaching the end of the bunker another set of metal doors were bashed and on the ground, looking into the room my stomach dropped. Not only this but the moment seemed to stretch on indefinitely the moment feeling like an out-of-body experience. I looked around calmly, motionless bodies littering the ground. I noticed Dennis, Alex, Clair, Avery, Travis, and everyone I had gotten to know. I couldn't tell if they were badly injured or dead but to me, in that moment, it didn't matter. I stepped forward, not even conscious of the action as my attention was set on the scene currently in the center of the room.

"Now, take me to the source of that burst of power from earlier or I'll descend and take out more of these pathetic shelters. Eh, I think I'll do that either way, but if you take me now I'll end your suffering painlessly." A hulking figure told a disfigured woman in his grasp, his voice inhumanly deep and raspy.

The man, if you could even call him that, was a behemoth, he stood around eight feet tall and bolstered inhumanly large muscles. His proportions were impossible, to say the least.

He was holding onto Emily by the throat, however his hand was so massive it was basically around her shoulders. Both of her legs were snapped in half and one of her arms was completely limp. Defiantly her last arm was being used to attempt some sort of escape or to deal any amount of damage. The monster of a man just shrugged it off like an annoying fly.

It felt like my mind was numbed and I was living in a fog but I viewed the scene nonetheless.

"You stubborn bitch!" He shouted before turning and slamming her down in front of me.

The hulking monstrosity looked me in the eyes and grinned. "I must have missed one, rookie mistake hahaha."

Emily groaned and looked up to meet my eyes but mine were drilling into the monsters. "Xavier, run! Just run!" she screamed.

"Quiet you." The monster said, kicking her to the side. "I'll deal with you after this kid."

I looked over to Emily and the rest of the friends I'd made in the shelter and my expression became saddened but I still stood calmly.

"Don't look away from me boy, I want the last thing you see before you die to be me." He angrily commanded.

"You, did all this?" I asked calmly, almost emotionlessly.

"Hah! Of course! Now, if that's all, just die!" He screamed.

The monstrosity's fist flew toward my face with so much speed and force that sparks coiled off from it. My gaze never budged from Emily as his overwhelming might met its mark on my cheek but my head barely budged. All of the force was directed through my body and into the ground cracking the concrete floor, with the entrance behind me being torn up from the pure pressure of the attack. My body had been engulfed in an ominous crimson glow, so deep and rich it was suffocating. The man retracted his hand, a few of the bones in his fingers being broken, my cheek. having only a small cut.

As the man tried to recuperate, his broken hand healing quite quickly he smiled. But before he could do anything or say anything more I Calmly uttered "Kneel!".