Prologue - Basin City

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Opening my eyes, the dim fluorescent lights hit me forcing me to close them right after. With a few blinks and rubbing I was able to see clearly. Resting my forearm on my head, I look around my room with a sigh. Other than the bed I was sleeping on, it was a cluttered room. With clothes hanging on my door or resting on the ground. Along with distinct marks of color on the grey walls of my room. Shit, another day of fucking life I thought. As I jerked my body up from my bed and went towards my bathroom. I washed my face with a couple splashes of water. Quickly brushing my teeth before stepping into the shower.

After finishing my shower, I went to the kitchen starving, scavenging up some eggs from the back of my fridge to cook. It took a minute to crack and whisk them. With practiced ease that seemed to come from years of repetition. I added a pinch of salt and gave it a final whisk before pouring into onto the sizzling pan. I watched as the whisked egg slowly coagulating around the edges of the pan. Beautiful, I thought. Even the simplest of things were marvels in their own way. After a few minutes or seconds I’m not really of fan of keeping track. I flipped the egg not completely but halfway as an omelet, then flipped it again on the other side so it could cook evenly. My mouth began to slightly fill up with saliva with every second I watched it. Giving up the notion of waiting, I slowly put the steaming omelet on a plate, grabbing myself a glass of milk before devouring it. Yeah, devouring it. I’m a devourer. A person that devours. The notion of devouring is pretty much devouring. I am, the paradoxical devourer. I get high off omelets.

I’ve never paid it much attention but I’m a weird person. Shaking my head, I go back to my room to get dressed. I check the time on my phone before calmly putting on a pair of khakis with a hoodie and a hoodless jacket. Standing before my full body mirror. A lean, brown skinned kid teen with black curly hair and eyes so dark brown they looked black, stood before me. Swiping my nose with my thumb, damn I look fresh I thought to myself. I grabbed my school bag, before walking out my apartment.

As I stepped out I looked out at the greying sky, hidden behind  the massive skyscrapers I smirked. What a time to be alive, I thought. I lived at the south end of Basin city, also known as A.K’s territory. Not a nice place to live but you gotta do, what you gotta do if you're an orphan. It was either this or the orphanage and I’ll tell you one thing I learned. Living in the territory of a gang is much better than living with adult supervision. Fuck that shit.

Walking down the street, I ignored the stares of the drug dealers and prostitutes, most of them learned not to fuck with me. Growing up in the streets meant you had to be tough or you got your ass kicked. There are many types of people you learn not to fuck with, the first type are the guys with connections. They’re the most dangerous types, since you don’t know too watch out for them until it’s too late. The second type are the guys with super powers aka power users. Even though they are way more dangerous, at least you know what to expect. You get your ass handed to you, the first are still more dangerous though. Since you don’t know how they’ll get to you. They might go after your family, or make you lose your job and a lot of other shit that are even worse. You might be wondering the type I am. I’m an A.K gang member. As well as power user, I’ll fuck your day up.

“Yo Zeke was good!” Yelled a voice behind me as I walked down the road. Turning around I caught sight of a pair of men in their early twenties. “Was up Troy, sup Layston.” I yelled back giving them both a firm handshake and a pat on the back. “Was happening.” I asked. “Nothing much Zeke, just the usual. Patrolling and looking for any punkass bitches actin up.” Said Layston, the taller of the two who was sporting his blonde hair in a ponytail as well as a small stubble. “Yeah, good luck dog. I can’t talk though I got to get to school. Been late too many times, I don’t wanna get expelled.” I said giving Layston a final handshake before Troy spoke up. “Fuck school! Zeke, just drop out and hang with us full time. There’s no point of you going to school, when you can help the A.K’s get bigger. With you on our side, we can fucking take over the city.” He started getting hyped, shouting by the end of his little speech. With every word he said I just kept getting more pissed. Layston must’ve noticed because he quickly put a hand over Troy’s mouth.

“Yo, s-sorry Zeke. Troy went overboard man, but go easy on him.” I could see the sweat glistening on the side of his forehead. I wasn’t the type of person who became more complacent when somebody feared me. I was actually the opposite, I got less pissed and more amused. “It’s cool Layston. I ain’t mad at you. So you don’t got to be apologizing. This bitch has too!’ I said with cold face, as I activated part of my power. A small tinge of coldness. washed over me. Giving me a euphoric, and ecstasy ridden sensation. My irises, and pupils both became white. As my vision became dawned in darkness with gray colored human figures began to appear. These gray figures are souls, the souls of people and there is one specific soul I was targeting. Troy, noticed my stare and his knees collapsed under him, “I-I’m s-sorry Z-Zeke, I-I’m r-re-really s-sorry p-please f-forgive m-e.”

There is a reason why he's so scared, he knows a bit on my power. Everyone in the A.K gang does, it was requirement for me to join it and have their back up. Even though I didn’t personally name my power. Everyone in the southend came to a silent consensus to call it Soul. I guess I kinda understand why, I have had my power for a while and still haven’t figured out a lot of ways to use it. It allows me to look inside a person's soul, and spiritually mess with it. I know I can do a lot more things with it, but so far I only learned how to look into a person’s soul and find out everything to know about that person. As well as take over that person body, an extremely terrifying combination isn’t it. Nobody knows about the possession part of my power but they know about it’s mind reading properties. Still they don’t know that I actually look inside a person’s soul. It was just coincidence they named it that. It might’ve also had to do with the fact that, when I use my power on people it looks like they’ve lost their soul.

That’s why Troy is soscared. He thinks I’m going go after everyone he cares about by using my power to find out who they are, and calling hits on them or doing the dirty work myself. That’s why Layston and every other crew member are always slightly wary about me, too bad they don’t know about the possession part. If they ever found out, I doubt they would would be willing to step ten feet near me. Just imagine it. Someone taking over your body and using it to kill everyone you love. Pretty sickening, yeah my powers weren’t meant for the good, lucky for Troy and the rest of the world that I am. “Get up Troy.” I said helping him get up from the ground as his knees shook. Keeping my power activated, I looked at him in the eyes or where I thought they would be, “Next time watch your words.” I said, watching him give me one last fearful look before he ran off. It may have looked like I was going overboard but fear is the ultimate protection. It keeps people wary of attacking you, no matter what you do. ”Zeke, as much as I want to stay…” Layston interrupted my thought who stood off to the side with a hidden but also fearful expression. “Go, I’m already late enough as it is.” I said with tinge of coldness as I deactivated my power. My eyes returned to their normal dark brown color as I walked away from Layston.

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**

“Leo Layard!” Shouted a middle aged woman with wisps of grey in her hair. “Is Leo here!” she asked again, looking up from her clipboard. “Yes, I’m here!” yelled a blonde haired kid from the back of the class. It was opening day of Basinward High School, the most notorious school in the city of Basin. Located in the south slums, not only was it rampant with gang members, drugs, and violence. It was also the school with the greatest amount of power users who attended the school as students. Some even had extremely powerful abilities. The council of Basin City, were puzzled to why so many power users attended the school. Since any power user under the age of 18 had the chance to go to a prestigious school for a free and receive training to use their power more efficiently. Even if you were older the council was willing to make some accommodation.

Walking in the classroom, I took a quick survey around the class and took seat near a window in the back. “Nice to have you back in class Mr. Altruisk.” said my homeroom teacher as I sat down. “Glad to be back, Mrs. Felter.” I replied with a smirk. Noticing my smirk, she gave me a cold overview before moving on with the attendance list. “Now that everyone’s been accounted for let me start my lesson.” she said as she walked up to her white board. The school gave up on the normal smart boards, and stuck to white boards. Due to it being cheaper to replace. “We will first be talking about a subject most at least have some background knowledge in.” she said drawing a figure of the human body. “Where’s the cock, Mrs. Fellie. That’s no human.” Yelled a kid from the right side of the class. He had brown hair that was braided, into dreadlocks, he seemed to be half black and white. When he yelled out his whole posse start laughing.

A small smile appeared on my face, as I was tipping on my chair. It wasn’t even funny but I laugh at everything most of the time. School, was the one place I could relax without someone taking it as sign of weakness. Everyone knew not fuck with each other. Our school kinda had an hierarchy, people got bullied and the teacher couldn’t do shit. They can’t exactly expel everyone in the school and plus anyone who did get bullied either killed themselves or dropped out. Leaving only the most cunning, or powerful, that why so many power users appeared here. To awaken your power you have to go through some life changing shock and with all the shit that goes through this school. It’s no wonder so many people awakened.

Of course they’re always exceptions like Lily. “Shut the fuck up Fain! You’re such a faggot, I’m pretty sure Mrs. Feltor was using you as example. That’s why she didn’t draw a cock.” said a black haired girl. She had a cold expression on her flawless face. A silence descended before everyone started hyping it up. Even I busted out laughing. “Not again.” I said laughing. She turned towards me, “What are you laughing about, Faggot.” She said with the same cold expression on her face.

By exception, I mean Lily drew one of the most powerful superpowers in the book. Even I wouldn’t fuck with her, I doubt even official heroes would. She had full blown psychokinesis, other than the fact she couldn’t directly affect you, she could do everything else. She’s one of the rare few in the school who wasn’t affiliated with a gang. The other guy Fain, was also one of the top dogs of the school and a friend of mine. He wasn’t affiliated with the A.K’s but with Outcast a crew who fucked with the underground, Heliot organization. That’s why no one fucked with him either. His connections were even better than mine.

Heliot better known H.T were the biggest crime syndicate in the Basin Province. They dealt with human trafficking, drugs, and assassinations. I met Fain a couple years back, when I lived in the orphanage during sixth grade. My orphanage like every other organization in southend was affiliated with a gang for protection. When I awakened, I was getting my ass kick by some Outcast kids. They tried robbing me and I fought back, I knew how to box but I was still outnumbered. They kicked my ass and threw me in a random garbage can. Taking my allowance money for the month. The next month I almost died, the orphanage gave only two meals a day, other than that you had to use the money they gave you to buy what you wanted.

I was tired, hungry, and angry for weeks until the next monthly allowance. Guess who I ran into again, yep Outcast. I don’t know how, but they must’ve found out about the allowance from other orphan kids. Since then they came after me every month and took my money. This went on my whole sixth grade year, I started skipping school and they just became more creative trying to embarrass me and shit. One day when I got my monthly allowance and they came after me, I snapped. My pupils went white, and the gray figures started appearing. I was so pissed and overwhelming force came from my body and the gray figures started distorting. An influx of information about the kids crammed into my brain, images flashed bye and I was able to remember everyone of them. I learned about their personality, who they liked, their relatives, friends, and family. I lived their life in a matter of seconds. Unconsciously I spewed their deepest desires, and secrets. With every word I uttered they just became more fearful. Eventually all of them fainting except for one.

The one who didn’t faint was Fain, by unconsciously reaching into his soul and putting his life on display. I forcefully activated his own super power, his skin became covered in static, his hair buzzed with flickering energy. At that moment he could’ve killed me, he could’ve took his power and attacked me but he didn’t. He gave me a hand after I fell on the ground due to the backlash of my power. I still don’t know why he didn’t attack me, but when I asked him about it later on. He said something about the sins he committed and how he has to atone. The people that really know him, will find out to much surprise that he’s a really serious guy. After the incident of awakening, the gangs automatically found out, and the A.K’s recruited me. Fain went on to join Outcast, which pissed me off since I hated them. He told me that he had his reason, primarily revenge. I stopped asking at that point, since I didn’t want to infringe on his privacy. That was probably one of the last times I talked to him. I still consider him a friend though, I don’t know if he does though.

“You talk alot of shit Lily. I wonder if your family can too.” I said with a small smirk on my face. I couldn’t go after Lily directly but nothing could stop me from going after her family. Her already cold face became colder before she replied, “I dare you to do anything to my family Zeke. You and the A.K’s will rue the day you met me. A sharp killing intent descended upon me. I stopped tipping and raised my hands in submission, “Calm down, no need to get so hostile. It was just joke.” I said the smirk still plastered on my face.

She gave me a long hard stare before, she looked back to the front of the room. What a Bitch I thought. Also looking to the front of the room to see Mrs. Feltor still standing, with her arms crossed. “Since you finished your little argument there, let us resume our lesson……...