Chapter 1 LN: Mundane Day Meets [ANGEL]

Corporate Alliance Territory

Eden City// Cordell Industries Central Territory.

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"Wow....everything kinda sucks..."

Underneath the neon lights, an unassuming dark-haired teen stared blankly into the night sky, watching as aerial trams soared by. Or, at least what constituted as a sky for the massive underground city. The only defense between the humans that lived inside it and the hordes of monstrosities on the surface that wanted to tear them apart.

At least that's what the Corpo's told them.

“Everyday, it’s all the same isn’t it.” Jack muttered as his gaze wandered from the billboard-ridden sky to some tech-junkies getting frisky in a nearby alleyway.

Same woman, different customer Jack thought to himself, his gaze eyeing a familiar prostitute allowing herself to be undressed by a dirty vagrant. Alas before he could get a good peek, the sound of a squeaky door opening drew his attention from the naughty couple below.

“Can't sleep?” the middle-aged police officer asked as he stepped out onto the roof of the dingy apartment building. Hearing the sounds of lustful moans, the man peeked over the rail where he was immediately disgusted by the sight.

“Hey! Go home Clara, or I’m booking you for indecent exposure!” The Constable hollered down, picking up a random brick off the roof and throwing it at the deviants getting busy in the alley. The couple flicked him off, screaming obscenities as they scurried off into the cover of darkness.

“Tsk, damn tech junkies," Mike shook his head and swore, before turning to the teen and placing a hand on the boy's shoulder. "You should get inside kiddo. Have you eaten today? I've got leftover crackers and gin.”

Jack sighed, while it was true he was hungry, he wanted to be left alone and waved dismissively at the man.

“I'm still a minor Mike.” Jack replied flatly as he tried his best to focus on his own thoughts and hoping the man would catch a hint.

Unfortunately, the boy’s adoptive father shrugged before leaning his back on the rusty railing next to Jack.

“Cigarette?” The man offered, fishing a stick of nicotine from a hidden compartment of his prosthetic hand. Jack refused the offer causing the man to chuckle. “Good, you shouldn’t smoke kiddo. Bad for your health."

“Didn’t you promise Jill to quit?”

“I did. That's why it's hidden in my prosthetic. Won't tell if you don't.” Mike laughed, lighting up the nicotine stick using the torch on his prosthetic finger. “Your sister worries about everything. At the rate the world is going, pretty sure I’ll die way before the sticks do me in…"

Mike took a puff of his stick before continuing on. "So, what’s up?”

At Mike's pestering, Jack looked up at the holograms in the sky. Far above the aerial trams where much of the "sky" was littered with advertisements and adverts from the various Corpos that ruled the city.

“The sky.”

Mike smiled at the comment before taking another long drag of his cigarette. He looked up at the expansive light show that blanketed them above the city and shook his head. “Minus the ads asking for kidneys, add some twinkles to it, maybe even a moon, and you could almost believe we were outside... So, what's up? On Real this time. Nightmares? Stress? Work? Or are you worried about your day of adulthood?”

Jack hung his head low as he relented to his father’s constant questioning. Mike always pestered, never leaving anything alone until he got an answer that satisfied him.

“Combination of everything I suppose. How’d you know what you’d want to do after turning sixteen?”

The man chuckled at the question before fixing his gaze over at the bustling sounds of pedestrians below them.

“It was a lot different forty years ago kiddo. We never got a choice. Back then the government was still drafting kids to fight Demonspawn on the surface, and we were still recovering from the War of Secession. Now though, at least they ask first before sending them to hell," Mike took another breath of his cig, reminiscing for a moment as sirens began blaring in the distance. “Who knows, maybe you’ll awaken this time and you’ll get a choice pick instead eh kid. Might even make enough money to pay rent for once.”

Jack scoffed at the response.

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“Don't count on it. No one paying good creds will hire a drop out. Besides, I’d rather take a mundane job where I can read and earn money than having to live that life of anxiety.” Jack said, watching as several white specks suddenly began buzzing around in the distance. “Maybe Kagawa or Liu-Tech can hire me as a paper pusher. Always easier pushing papers than fighting demons.”

“True dat kiddo and if that fails you could also always do porn,” Mike laughed, his cigarette nearly sputtering out. “Get inside soon alright? You got work early in the morning. Oh! And one more thing, remember to eat, Jill can do without a couple of new dolls and toys.”

Jack turned toward Mike and flashed a smile, pinching his nose as he did so.

"She says it's part of a set. Apparently if you get them all together and scan a code you get a power bonus in-game, and transformation, whatever that means," Jack chuckled to himself, fishing out a small photo of a neon-green haired girl pointing at a specific character on a poster. A picture they had taken so Jack could know which toy to buy.

"Don't run yourself ragged kid." The middle-aged man shook his head before flicking his cigarette and departing, leaving Jack alone on the terrace with his thoughts.

It had been nine years since the Elysium Massacre. An event where Demonspawn had somehow broken through the city defenses and slaughtered a number of people, including Jack’s parents leaving him and his sister orphaned. The pair of siblings would have met a similar fate if not for dumb luck and Mike losing an arm for them. A fact of which Jack always felt guilty about whenever he saw the man.

Most people would have sworn vengeance against the demons, and dedicated their life to fighting them. But not Jack, he had other responsibilities. Like taking care of his bedridden sister and paying back the closest thing he had to a father. Which is where his current conundrum stemmed from.

He was bored of life.

Despite his words about wanting a boring job to his adoptive father, Jack had plaguing thoughts about how mundane his life was. Every day was the same old, same old. Wake up, go to work, come home, and play video games. Wake up, go to work, come home, and play video games. Rinse and repeat. Thanks to his constant work and taking care of his sister, he had no friends to speak of, at least not IRL. And no hobbies outside of anime and gaming.

A life of a depressive shut-in.

That’s what his days had become. He always told himself he’d strike out or get lucky but he never went for it. Instead lazily idling his days away as he got older and older and saved every penny for his sister.

But his Day of Adulthood was coming soon, and with that a second chance at Awakening. As humans grew, they could display an affinity for mana. Usually at the ages of five and six. If you didn’t Awaken then, then you had one chance left and that was your sixteenth birthday. The Day of Adulthood.

Awakening spelled a lot of opportunities for folks, mostly because being one granted you access to the outside world. A land of innumerable adventures and exploration, or at least that's what the guilds advertised. But it was deadly to non-awakened where they could quickly become infected or succumb to mana madness, so access was heavily barred or at least taxed to the non-immune. At least that's what the pamphlets said.

That didn’t stop people from trying though. Despite the safety of the underground City, folks risked life and limb to escape. And Jack was beginning to see why.

Staring out at the spacious city, he couldn’t help but feel a bit claustrophobic as he looked out at the neon night. He needed change. No, he craved it. He was so tired of living a life of atrophy that he almost considered signing up for the military just to get away from the city.

Almost.

"Hm, maybe I shoulda taken that cigarette." Jack mused, taking one last look at the metropolis before heading back inside his run down apartment.

Jack sighed, he didn’t know what he wanted to do, but one thing was for certain. He needed change. Maybe if he awakened he’d have some motivation to change his life.

Turning the doorknob to go back inside, Jack paused.

Something was wrong.

He could feel a tingle on his skin as his hair stood on end almost as if something was brushing up against him. Then he heard it, no, felt it. Something or someone screaming at him to move.

Spinning around, Jack’s jaw dropped as he eyed a black fireball hurling his way. The boy reacted by attempting to dodge, but it was too late. The rooftop erupted into a cornucopia of debris and flame sending Jack flying.

Pain flooded his senses as his entire world spun, before finally settling to a dull ringing sound in his ears as he found himself incapable of moving. He didn't know what happened but there was one thing he was certain of, he was hurt, and hurt bad. To what extent Jack didn't know as his vision blurred and he tried to claw his way around the debris of the collapsed roof.

"Uuurffh." Jack moaned, struggling to move. He couldn't feel his legs, or his left arm for that matter and his side felt dull, almost as if something was missing.

Looking down with what remained of his eyes, the boy's mind went blank as he saw the bloodied remains of where his legs should be and a large spike of debris stabbed into his side. He reached down to remove the foreign object but only managed to rub a bloodied stump on the rebar.

Where’s my hand?

As the realization of what he was staring at dawned on Jack, his breathing began to rapidly escalate with each breath coming up a little shorter with each intake.

No,no,no,no my legs! My legs? I don't want to die! I don't want to die! Why? Why! No! Oh Saintess! Why! Oh no! No! NO! PLease. Oh God! My legs! My legs! My arm!

"Help!" Jack screamed. "Help me please!"

His mind raced, trying to figure out ways to save himself but came up short as weakness began to take hold. With his life force quickly dyeing the ground Jack struggled with every ounce of his being to stay awake but found himself slipping further and further into unconsciousness.

I don't want to die! Please!

Suddenly the smoldering remains of the roof began to shift, revealing a slender silhouette of a naked girl covered in blood and dust with golden hair that seemed to shimmer under the neon lights. It would have made for a magnificent sight if not for her arms and legs that were bent in incorrect angles, snapping, and twisting as they realigned themselves.

The Reaper! Jack gawked as the specter of death began shambling, every one of its movements unnatural and inhuman.

"No… stay away..." Jack pitifully wheezed as the figure began approaching him.

“So…rry.. I’m.. sowry.” The mangled humanoid sputtered before falling and draping itself over the dying boy. Jack tried to shimmy away, but between the blood loss and weight of his assailant he only managed to let out a wailful moan.

I dont want to die... Was Jack's only thought as the creature’s black palm filled what remained of his vision and his sight faded to black.