It was midday and most people were at work right now, any vehicles moving around were people doing their own. They would be flashes as I ran by on the main road.

"Hurry over. Our new systems are picking up more and more mana readings. There will be backup...There's something wrong."

The buildings around got smaller and older as I ran along. Falling from four or three stories, and new, down to single storied buildings with holes in their roofs. They were so close together, like dead cockroaches, how parts of each would be found on another.

There was no bad weather to make the situation feel appropriate; that would be spooky. But the silence was unnatural, proving that being alone was unnatural. This feeling was even more than snow and dark clouds while heading to your doom.

I stopped at a building that was painted white. Its had paint that flaked and would probably be chalky to the touch. Though, if someone were to live in it, the paint would not be their main concern: there were windows missing, some were just holes in the walls, now. And the missing roof would be a problem for anyone.

"There's someone moving north on foot between the houses. Let the cops know he's not empowered."

"Right away."

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I wore a white t-shirt, the mask, and gloves; I just wish I had put on the suit today. For some reason, it just felt like the right time. So, for second time in three days, I walked up to a creepy, likely, dangerous place.

The stairs creaked at a different note than those of my home. Maybe they were different nails or screws in their stead? I held the railing to spread some of the weight, as I let out about seventy-percent of my power going up them. There was no door.

I could see it well at 6'10. There were sigils. A design of leaves caught in a wind.

"I found the magic problem. There's a pattern carved into the floorboards... radio girl you should call for more back-up, and make sure no one jogs this way. Something's turning up in the basement, I'm taking the building down."

"I'm on it... Wait! Don't destroy the building! There might be something we need there!"

I rolled it around in my mind for a time. It would be safer to destroy the place, it might even kill the abomination below...

"Alright then, I'll wait outside."

It sounded like bones rubbing together, inside of a shack of thick liquid. The air smelt like puss, so that was a possibility.

"B rank, if anyone's available,"

"Alright, Firebreather will be over in a minute."

I sighed as I waited on backup. I saw the street pole, walked over, ripped it away from the sidewalk, and began to mold it into a spear. A black one.

The rattling got worse and I heard it rise up, on what sounded like four legs. No six.

"It's coming up."

"...Flee if you can't holdout; use discretion."

The creature's head was a skull. An oversized imitation of a human's. Again, it seemed weird to see certain things in the wrong places. They could make the weather seem odd. It was too sunny for this thing to exist now.