Chapter 10: Number three

Moscow city, a skyscraper in the middle of the business district of a busy city. At about the 10th storey of the 60 storey building was taken over by unstoppable fire. It was going to cover floors that were higher in no time, consuming everything in the path including people's hope of surviving. Countless office workers and their belongings had been gone in the burning arms of the flame. The very desperate ones fastened their death by suicide jump from windows. Dozens of lifeless bodies lay beneath the building. Chaos was ruling inside.

In an attempt to live a little longer people ran to the higher levels of the building. Last resort of hope in that chaotic time was the roof. Hundreds of survivors stormed there hoping to get into the promised rescue helicopters. There were CEOs, managers of the rich companies among them.

One particular person stood out of all the panicking folks on the rooftop. It was a young man in a janitor's uniform. Only this man's face showed a different expression. He had an emotionless face and blank eyes staring up high in the dark sky. People around crashed into him, pushed him but he stood motionless as if he was in a state of a deep trance.

When finally he was pushed to the edge of the building he snapped out of his trance. He looked around but with no emotions, he had no pity for the people on the roof nor he had any hope of surviving in his eyes. He just slowly climbed over the fence right on top of the edge of the building. Centimeters separated him from the free fall, huge gusts of the darkest smore came with the strong waves of the wind below.

It was hard to breath and after a couple coughs janitor balanced himself back, he stood tall looking into the horizon. City was in ruins, buildings were either destroyed or in flames. Piles of bodies filled the sidewalk around the building that he currently was on.

He stood there for a while, hearing the desperate screams of helplessly dying coworkers beneath and behind him. Then he pulled out his phone from his pocket and turned on the last received video.

On the cracked old model phone’s screen, a young man's round and tanned face appeared. "Hey friend, how are you doing in big Moscow? I bet you craved my handsome face. Haha." Young man burst into laughter after his joke. Then suddenly his face gained a serious look, he turned the camera to record what was in front of him.

At this point, the facial expression of the man on the roof, which was cold up until this time, changed. It was full of sadness now. His eyes got watery, and tears ran down.

It was his house now on the video. He saw his wife and children, his parents and big brother. He missed them so much that he felt actual pain in his chest. Like some knife was poking his heart. He was ready to give everything he had and his life with no doubt to have a chance to be there with his family.

Voice in the video continued. "This is your house, you see over there your family. Do not worry, they are fine. Police are everywhere. They surrounded the whole block. But still every single person in the village is here now. Do you have a clue why? Ask me why. Aliens man, aliens. There, look" and he changed the focus of the camera to the other side from his family. There stood 4 figures. Tall dark green lion, same color but a regular human sized tigress, robot in the brown cloak and an ordinary human. Giant lion had some big weapons as tall as himself.

"Do you see them? Everybody is recording them. Actually I was the first who came here, you know. I was passing by and heard your wife's scream. When I came to help I saw them. That human among them then explained everything to me. That the aliens contacted him directly and asked him to help to find their princess's spaceship. I called the police then your parents too. But the most shocking thing is that your father came and he admitted that he really buried a small alien ship with its pilot inside many many years ago. Can you believe it bro?! And he said that a female looking alien landed by his house, and she was in blood and bruises all over her. Also he said she cured your heart, apparently you were born with some congenital heart disease and she fixed you and died after. She died in her ship so he had to bury the whole ship. Mind blowing, huh? Your father always knew that they existed, he had business with aliens. And you have something to do with them too. So cool!"

"And the other best part is that boy with aliens, he offered a big reward for inconvenience. Because, part of the house is exactly on top of that ship and they will most likely destroy it while pulling it out from the ground. Oh, hold on they found something they're going to extract using that big thing. Oh my god, I remember helping you to build this house of yours."

Huge green lion did some manipulations with the nug gun and pointed it on the ground. A little earthquake started. Right after half of the house was ruined and lots of dirt rose into the air, a grey plane-like thing came out. People were gasping and talking to each other amazed by the sight all around. They tried to approach a little closer to get a good glance, but police stopped them due to the unprecedented situation. Even though a young man who came with the aliens explained their intentions, the police didn't know what to expect. Head of the police department was getting extra instructions regarding the case.

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Giant green beast inspected the plane for a little while and managed to open the cabin, video zoomed in anticipating to catch the glimpse of the pilot-princess.

The man on the roof remembered that it was at this moment, when he saw this video for the first time, at this very moment he felt something click inside of him. His body felt incredibly light, as if it got rid of all fatigue that he had for his whole life. He began to actually feel every millimeter of his body. Every bone, every single cell and hair, he felt them separately. His eyesight improved to an unbelievable level. He now could see detailed images from many kilometers away. It was as he received or evolved just by looking at a dead skeleton in the cockpit.

Video could clearly capture how saddened the aliens were. But a human among them had complicated, mixed facial expressions. He looked shocked and stepped a couple meters back, away from the ship with words: "Something is happening. I'm not feeling very good." His companions tried to ask him what he was feeling exactly but he was speechless. He just stood there holding his stomach.

"It's burning, it's burning me from inside." Safo Nur shouted.

"My god, what is it? Look at that guy, his skin is...like...melting." In the video Safo Nur's skin was really melting, his clothes caught on fire, his hair next. Now he was screaming in agony.

"Aaarrgh"

"My god, oh my god, what is happening. His body is glowing like...it is going to explode now." As soon as the cameraman said these words the video stopped.

Janitor stood on the edge of the building, he slowly put his phone back in his pocket. Tears ran uncontrollably. He hated the guy on the video. He hated him and the other 3 aliens beside him. He remembered how, right after the video, he called his wife, parents, brothers, his friends and everybody who he knew in the village. No one answered. Later that day he saw the news telling that the whole village was annihilated by the big explosion caused by the human that came with aliens. Nothing left in the radius of a dozen kilometers, shockwaves could be detected for more than a hundreds kilometers from the epicenter of the explosion. Supposedly everybody died.

But he knew that it was false information, he knew that the guy who killed his family and friends was still alive.

He understood that when they both first saw the skeleton-pilot they got their body changed, while he received a holy and sacred blessing, another guy got a devilish, wicked curse. He hated him so much that he gained the ability to see him through any matter. His regular vision was much better, but the power he got was different from regular vision. He could see his sworn enemy with his three alien companions even with closed eyes.

He also knew that they were up in space already. And there was nothing he could do to catch him. Meanwhile his anger, hatred and rage towards them was overwhelming him. He was very near to losing his sanity.

Only available solution was to meet his family and friends. So he jumped...

On the way down to the ground he saw a strange couple staring at him. Man in a black elegant suit and girl in school uniform. Both were blond and beautiful looking except for one curious detail. Man in a black suit had elf-like ears and a girl had cat-like fluffy ears. They just stood there staring at him falling from the sky with no intention of helping him.

Mosj Earlanotq, seeing his "number three" is going to smash and die, had second thoughts. Earlier, Eve, that's how she asked to call her from now on, told him not to interfere. Eva wanted to handle the situation and recruit a new member on her own.

But seconds later the body hit the ground. His head shattered and splashed across, like a watermelon. Red paint appeared immediately around the body. Body itself was now painted in a greenish blue hue. Recruit was very dead.

"Explain" said Mosj Earlanotq calmly, not even looking at the girl, he stared at his ex soldier's body getting blue after impact.

But before his companion gave him an answer, the dead body started to move. It started to grow another head and a young man rolled around and sat up.

"Such strong regeneration ability. Good." Mosj said.

Eva was happy that her Master liked her candidate, she jumped saying that he can rely on her in recruiting new members and ran away to meet their new comrade.

"His name is Safo Nur. He survived that big boom. But you know it, don't you? Can you sense him?" Eva said, approaching him, while he sat and stared at the dark sky.

"You're too weak, no match for him right now. You can't even go up there. On the other hand, we can. And we can take you with us and train you. So one day you would be able to avenge your family and villagers. However, you have to be a loyal soldier and do everything we ask. If you are ready, come with me." Said Eva solemnly as she turned and started to walk away.

Immediately another person came near her walking by her side.

"What is your name, soldier?" She asked casually.

"Aazaam Jon." A cold voice answered back.

"You will be the one holding a whole humanities grudge, you're their Hero. Come, we expect one more addition to our squad."