Chapter 24: Right Where He Left Off

Civilians covered their ears when the creature screeched. It looked like a bat but it was massive. Each was, at least, as long as a bus. It screeched again, and ears bled. Confusion rose as people ran for cover, and in the midst of it a lone child was left on the floor, crying, defenseless. The bat landed and crept towards the child, its eyes filled with blood lust. Its jaws open. Her death would've been swift, ended in a single bite. But she was saved. A whistle pulled the creatures attention. The source, a maestro with a baseball bat. The bat creature lunged for him, ready to kill, but the maestro didn't flinch, instead he swung the bat, slamming the creature in the head. It fell still.

With a smug grin he walked over to the girl and took her into his arms. "You're safe now kid," He said, but the girl didn't respond. Her eyes were wide as she pointed over the maestro's shoulder. There the creature laid, its corpse swelling with a light from deep within "What the hell?" The maestro said, and, in a moment, got his answer.

He tried to clear the radius but it was impossible. The creature exploded. In a split second everyone within a two hundred metre radius was incinerated, nothing remained, not even ash.

And so it began, with the death of innocence and the maestro that failed to save it. Draven's ruin of Icarus City picked up right where it left off.

The silence of the night was broken by an explosion. Penitulus leapt into action to see what could done but he didn't make it far. A muscular humanoid slammed him into the ground. he picked himself up and gazed at the creature. It was huge—far larger than himself, "So you're finally back." Penitulus said under his breath. Sudden explosions and screams pulled his attention for a split second, a split second that his opponent didn't waste. It cleared the distance between itself and Penitulus, driving its fist into his face a fist into his face. The shockwave of the impact shattered brick. Penitulus was sent flying backwards, bouncing through buildings like a stone would skip water.

The creature caught up in an instant and threw another punch, but this time Penitulus was ready, with an incomplete stance he was able to completely block the hit, regardless of pain. Sending one in return. This punch was that of a master. The creature wasn't sent flying. All the energy contained within it was used to exert damage. The punch landed on the creature's lower right abdomen, a part of it's body it no longer possessed.

Penitulus's eyes narrowed. He was surprised that it could still hold itself together let alone be rearing for another bout, but it was. It lunged for Him once again. Penitulus took a step forward and drove his fist upward. It connected, the creature was sent flying into the sky. Penitulus jumped and immediately caught up with it, he drove his fist into it's gut driving it back down to earth into a pillar of rubble. Penitulus landed and watched as it dispersed into ambers. He looked around at the collateral damage and cringed, he would have preferred to be cleaner. He looked up and a feint glow in the sky which surprised him. In a single leap he landed on the closest, tallest building and realized that collateral damage didn't matter tonight. The city was in flames, tearing at the seams. He tried to count the number of monsters, flying, running, jumping. But he couldn't, there were hundreds, thousands even. He would he wondered how Draven could do all this but he didn't, all he could worry about was the war at his door step.

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Police officers were swift to set up barricades in hopes to slow the onslaught but it did nothing. Creatures of all shapes and sizes eviscerated everything in sight. Some soared through the air, bomb diving and grabbing prey before lifting them up high into the sky and dropping them only to repeat the process. Most of the creatures were perverted examples of real world animals. dogs, wolves, lions, lizards alike. There existed a few that only ever seemed to reside in nightmare. Creatures that could only be conjured up in the mind of someone as twisted as Draven. They were Vile senseless creatures. Some had four pairs of bony limbs, other had rotating teeth that tore people to shreds.

Penitulus did what he could, but he was overwhelmed. With each successful punch another creature would leap on his back and tear his skin. Or sink reptilian jaws into his legs. Another creature leapt out of a burning building. It's jaws were stained red with blood. It slowly approached Penitulus who was preoccupied with other creatures. It stalked on all fours until it was suitable distance away, then, it leapt at an incredible speed. Penitulus glimpsed it in the corner of his eye but could do little to react.

He braced himself for the attack but then, a wave of heat blew past his face. A turret of fire hit the creature and reduced it to ash. Penitulus turned to his friend Victor, who immediately doused him in flame. "We're on the same side here!" Pentitlus shouted over the roar of the continued attack.

"I know, you seemed like you needed a pick-me-up," Victor replied. "Have you seen the state of this place?" Victor asked as he pressed his back against Penitulus's.

"I have," he said, "But I can only estimate how bad it is."

"Estimation won't help," Victor said as he drove another turret of fire into an approaching creature, "It's worse than you can imagine, the whole city's under attack, even Corin is having trouble." Penitulus grit his teeth. "I'll tell you what the problem is, it's all these small fry maestros getting in the way, I can't use my full strength or I'll fry them."

"Same here," Penitulus responded, "We'll just have to make due," Victor nodded, "Speaking of small fries, I fought a creature just now that survived a punch, a pulled punch, but still. Why is Draven creating so many small fry creatures when he can make those things,"

"He's probably trying to overwhelm the city, it's pretty nasty out there."

"You're right, we should spread efforts, help as many people as we can, split up."

"Agreed," Victor replied as he propelled himself away with a jet of flames. Penitulus stood his ground, but something bothered him. Years of conflict had taught when to be weary of something worse.