"Every act of creation is first an act of destruction." - Pablo Picasso 

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A burly man dressed in a suit stood outside a wood oak door, his weary face evidence of inner fatigue that threatened to bubble over at any moment. 

Being a member of the Underground Rebellion was only getting more problematic as the years went by due to the government getting bolder and stronger. 

Bad news had plagued them throughout the miserable year of 2025 and something told him only more bad news lay ahead behind the gloomy door.

He tapped the door twice in precise succession, pausing five seconds before repeating the action. 

The door swung open, courtesy of a colossal man attired in a full black suit with matching sunglasses.

"'Night, Jarek." 

Jarek nodded in response, squeezing past the man and into the room. The room was a minimalist's dream with a single table and three chairs occupying its vast circumference.

A figure reclined lazily in one of the chairs, not bothering to acknowledge Jarek's arrival until he sat across from him and cleared his throat.

The figure sat up, revealing a bright purple suit that looked reminiscent of the Joker from the Batman comics. On anyone else it would've looked out of place, corny even, but for some reason, the flashy attire fit his fluid carefree demeanor.

His soft amber eyes studied Jarek for a brief moment before his lips curled into a big smile. "So glad you could make it on such short notice."

Jarek shrugged. "I figured that it was urgent since you called off the Arcaid raid."

"Indeed, brother." He made a motion and the large man produced two bottles which he poured wine in before returning to his post at the door.

Jarek whistled. "Some good news finally, then?"

His brother grinned. "Depends on how you view it." He paused to take a sip and Jarek followed his lead, revelling in the smooth liquid with grateful lips.

Wine had become a foreign commodity since the government had bared its fangs, making such privileges completely out of the average commoner's price range. That is if the product could be found in the new government-owned stores anyway. However, to a senior member of the Underground such as his brother, the rare beverage was well within his reach.

"Let's get straight into it then," Jarek's brother announced, his face taking on the practiced seriousness of an authoritative figure. "A new means has been found to aid in the fight against our old pals."

Jarek straightened up. He was well acquainted in the Underground community, so the fact that he hadn't heard of this meant it was classified info, and damn serious.

"What I'm about to tell you will raise questions about the world as you know it, and you may initially think that I've finally gone senile, but do offer an imaginative ear." He waited for Jarek's hesitant nod. "As you've experienced yourself, the Underground has been increasing the number of raids we conduct on government storehouses and the like, but in truth, that was just a bluff from the higher-ups as we attacked something a bit more precious to our enemies." He paused, causing Jarek to unconsciously lean in in preparation for his next words. Like a true performer, his brother drummed his fingers idly on the table letting the silence stretch for a few more tense seconds.

"A Lighthouse."

Jarek scratched his chin idly as he considered his words. The government lighthouses were located in secret locations, with decoy lighthouses set up along the coast. The rumor was the lighthouses were where the government stored top-secret stuff as well as ran experiments on new gear and...people.

"What did they find?" Jarek asked, his voice a harsh whisper.

His brother didn't hold back this time, meeting Jarek's eyes with such an intensity he had to consciously will himself not to turn away. "Parasites. Codenamed Parasytes by the Underground. And I'm not talking about some measly ticks or nematodes either. There's clear proof that these parasitic creatures are not from Earth."

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

Jarek digested the information with another sip of wine. Of course, he had been aware that the existence of aliens was very much a possibility due to the vastness of space, but hearing confirmation that their existence was in fact a reality was a completely different story.

"What makes this a weapon against the government?" Jarek asked finally. From where he stood, this was a threat to humanity as a whole.

"This is where things get a little... wacky." He reached under the table, producing a tablet which he held up, revealing a paused video. He hit play and for the next thirty seconds, Jarek's mind was indeed blown.

The video immediately showed a shadowy figure that seemed to be hopping from building to building at an astounding pace. The jumps were nothing short of extraordinary considering the buildings were not only at least five stories tall but had a significant distance between them. Yet, the figure used them as stepping stones, skying into the air like he had launched off the world's strongest trampoline. Over and over, again.

The clip ended before Jarek's mind could properly register the breathtaking information it was being asked to process. In its place, another clip appeared with the camera focusing on a pitching machine and a man just twenty feet away from it by Jarek's estimate. A ball shot out from the pitching machine, its spin a blur as it crashed into the ill-fated man. 

Or at least, that's what should've happened.

Instead, the man now stood a few paces from where he previously stood. Jarek blinked repeatedly, failing to understand how the man hadn't been hit by the lightning-quick projectile. He was no baseball enthusiast, but the ball had to have been traveling at at least 100 mph.

Again a ball exited the machine, and again the same result repeated itself, with the man returning to his previous spot. Almost as if angered by the evasion, the machine spat out multiple balls and this time Jarek saw the man move. Perhaps move wasn't the right word to describe the insane speed at which the man traveled to casually dodge the oncoming balls. The reaction time alone required for his mad show was otherworldly, but it was the speed he reached that truly made Jarek's hairs stand on end.

"What the f-"

Jarek's voice caught in his throat as the man suddenly appeared directly in front of the camera, his face only inches away from the lens. His sinister stare caused Jarek to jump back in his seat. The man's features were pretty normal, average even, but his eyes. 

Oh, his eyes were the thing of nightmares.

They resembled a snake's, the pupil a diamond amidst a pool of molten gold. They screamed caution, like the amber lights of a stop-light, warning you to halt or risk the consequences.

Jarek's brother removed the tablet, craning his neck forward in an excited manner. "Fascinating, right?" Jarek shuddered, unable to form words in response. He had just seen a real-life monster. His brother took his silence as a cue to continue talking. "What you just saw was the first recorded footage of a successful merge with a Parasyte by one of our members. As shown, the merge grants superhuman powers. Further experiments show that some end up faster than the other mergers while some end up stronger and etcetera. There have even been some that developed...abilities."

A shiver ricocheted its way down Jarek's spine. "What about side effects?" He choked out.

His brother frowned, clearly not pleased that was his first thought. "Well, the success rate of the merging going well has proven to be low, and with that, failure means death. Next, all of the mergers have reported hearing a voice beckoning to them, some more frequently than others. Through our studies we've deduced that it is the parasyte launching psychological warfare on its host, attacking their weak points such as buried insecurities in hopes of weakening them enough to completely take over. We've had no such cases as of yet but it remains a possibility." He listed them off in a bored tone as if their importance was comparable to a mere grocery list.

Jarek didn't share his calmness. "Then why would the higher-ups not limit it to one study merger before they continued trying to create more? Do they hold no remorse for sentencing people to their deaths?" 

His brother made a tsking sound, shaking his head slightly. "Don't let your strong empathy cloud your judgment. Think. Where did we discover their existence? There's no doubt that those damn tyrants have been experimenting with them and we can't be certain how much of a headstart they have on us. For all we know they can already have an entire task force of mergers, and we both know that they would use them to not only eradicate the Underground organization but, also to make the population unable to defy them. We have no time to sit around hoping we learn all of the secrets these Parasytes have to offer, we must be prepared. Whether it's to go on the defensive or the offensive."

Another shiver trailed down Jarek's spine as he imagined the number of lives that would be lost with the war that appeared to be shaping up on the horizon. He could see the truth in his brother's words, though his being screamed to point out the disaster that was fighting fire with fire. Logically, though, after witnessing just a glimpse of the capabilities of a merger, he knew this was the only way. 

Jarek's brother had been observing his expression and his smile reappeared when he noticed the grim acceptance etched across his face. "Fear not, brother, this is finally our chance to tip the scales. No longer will we be a far second in firepower, left to carry out insignificant small raids while hoping our sheathed claws pinch our enemies. This is destiny finally rearing her beautiful head." He raised his glass, a sparkle teeming in his eyes. "A toast..."

"To the era of the Parasytes!"