It was a beautiful night. The moon was full and boldly dominated the city sky. Even in the sleepy late hour, light shown through out Omni City. Plenty of light to obscure the stars, but not the moon. The ancient satellite blared with it's borrow light unto a city that never stopped glowing.
An absolute perfect symbolism for the struggle for dominance. Could there be a better back drop to die under?
Luke was about to find out.
He jumped down from the fence with an awkward landing. His old high top sneakers did their job though preventing him from rolling his ankle. Rain water pooled in areas due to stopped up storm drains. The numerous leaky dumpsters in the dark alley conspiring with the rain to make standing quagmires of filth, that Luke did his best to avoid. No way was he going to be able to walk around work smelling like a dumpster diving wet dog.
He chuckled to himself. He was still worried about making it to work on time. What kind of world did he live in?
The crash of a large body against one such dumpster caused him to double his pace. Fuck the smell, if his boss fired him at least he would be alive to look for another job. Nope. Fuck that. If his boss fired him. He would go and join one the Expansion zone gangs.
The Regulators, The Crenshanks, Descantes, Minators or even The Fangs if he was truly despreate.
Any of them may stab you in the back but at least they were human. Which was more than he could say for the thing currently looking to make a meal of him.
Luke ran leaning over his legs, pumping his arms with each frantic desperate step. He heard the impact as the thing collided with the chain link fence he just climbed. The wet sound of slicing flesh coupled with it's horrific screams. The damned thing was like nothing he ever heard before. And the streets of Omni Cities poorest borrow, The PreFabs, was a place to gain a wealth of experiences. Many of which unpleasant.
With a grating peel the thing came free of the fence pulling most of it down as it continued to chase him undaunted.
Luke turned a corner, into a side street he had taken numerous times before. There was always a ladder by the deadend wall. A quick escape way from that closed of route. Then it would be onto the short roofs. He could use them to scurry up to higher ground. High ground was key, and the roofs of the PreFabs with their non uniform hieghts were practically stairs.
From there he could lose the thing on his trail. If that didn't work he would make a detour to the Expansion Zone. The area under construction for Omni City next growth cycle would be as perfect a place as any to make his escape. Or if push came to shove an improvised weapon equiped last stand. What was even better there would be no innocent people around to get hurt by the thing following him.
Yeah, he had a plan. It was even, Luke dared to think. A fool proof plan.
When he rounded the corner Luke's heart sank lower than the sole of his shoes.
The ladder was gone.
How many years ? How many years had he used that ladder to climb onto to the low roof to shave extra bit more time off his daily commute. Atleast 4 years he thought. Ever since he turned 15 and he had to get a company job or risk living outside of the A.C.E..
***
*UWU Mini Lore Dump
A.C.E.: Autonomous Corporate Enclave- are sectors of territory inside the United States that are under the Authority of Mega Corporations.
There are 8 of these terratories across the U.S.A. . These entities are treated like states themselves with representatives in the house and senate based on their populations. Nya…
As each A.C.E. sector expands they increase their population giving them more power in the realms of politics. Some say this is capitalism at it's finest others say it the natural progress of corporate over reach. Ara ara.
Mini Lore Dump Complete UWU*
***
Luke turned maybe he had enough time to try another route but he was fooling himself. He didn't have anymore time.
It rounded the corner slowly. Inching into the confines of the back alley like hot tar oozing out of a jar. The shape was vaguely mammalian. Just not very specific. Back legs like a dogs, with a slinking spine like a cat. The front legs like a huge rat with furry rat like paws. The tail was very reptilian undulating with snake like movements as it slunk behind the main body sliding along the wall. The mouth was huge for its body length and rat shaped. But as it growled low and menacing Luke could see gone were the normal teeth.
As it opened it huge jaws Luke could see row after row of shape teeth they seemed to go on forever even rotating slightly as if the mouth was one big set of counter turning saw blades. It was jet black covered in fur. It was also the size of lion. But was most distrubing were the four eyes. Two on either side one center forehead and one in the top capable of looking up and a little bit behind.
"What the hell cause something as ugly as you to have an eye dedicated to looking up." Luke said outloud. The monster wasn't forth coming with a response. Real monster don't talk to their meals. And Luke was just a young man trying to get to work. He was definetly on the menu.
Luke took off his jacket the olive green puffy coat would do nothing against this monster's claws let alone it's toothy maw. But it was all he had. Since there was no chance of escaping he had to attack. He wrapped the coat around his left arm and charged. The exchange of blows was furious. So was the ripping of flesh and sinew. Blood splashed against the walls of the alley. As the holy dance of survival and violence that has marked man's time on this planet like the great metronome of life tick on with out remorse.
Duels to the death require one to stand and one to fall. There can be no ties when your life is on the line. As there were not now. A clear victor emerged.
And as Luke laid bleeding from multiple cuts, his left arm take from his shoulder, his right eye gouged out from the claw of the beast who was currently gnawing greedily on one of his legs. He looked up to the bright moon and smiled.
Tonight was a good night to die Luke thought to himself looking from the bright moon to the slowly glazed eyes of the four eyed rat monster. The rat monster that was starting to feel something was wrong. It didn't know what? It's instinct just told it that it should run.
That wasn't right instinct made it jump back. Or at least it tried to jump back but its movements were sluggish. It's tail lagged and flopped listless and sporadic. It's legs shook with fatigue.
Luke chuckled. "What's wrong Mickey? Bite off more than you can chew? Or maybe you don't like dark meat. Maybe you should be more careful of who you Transgress." Luke said as he stood to his feet. Slowly, shakily he tried to walk but ended up falling to his knees.
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"Why do these fuckers always go for the legs. I know momma blessed me with milkshake thighs but seriously do they have to bring all the boys to the yard." He pulled his short dreadlocks to the back of head and used one to wrap the others up with his good arm.
It was always good to look you best while on your knees. So without any concern for dignity Luke crawled to the huge rat chimera that was starting to cough and hurl in an attempt to get the Luke bits out of it's system. It was far too late however. Luke had seen this before this was the third time this week in fact. It was only Thursday.
The rat convulsed and fell to it's side before kicking a few times. Feeble spasms of a dying brain. Luke covered his face as the lion sized rat died. He waited a beat then two then three and his heart lept. Could this actually be the one. The one that will…
Then the rat exploded. Bits and pieces flew everywhere. One of the rats arms slapped Luke in the face as it flew by him and Luke found himself covered in gore, furry skin and various entrails.
Luke wiped the gunk from his face it was in his dreadlocks too but he didn't take anytime to worry about that. Instead he hobbled to the center of the mess that used to be a murderous mutated sewer chimera.
There Spinning above the ground, glistening and shining with a light that rivaled the moon in the night sky was a jagged hunk of crystal. The raw gem looked like a badly formed jumble of various colors and shapes.
The gem spun and twisted in patterns that seemed compelled to move an any direction they could. Also it shifted and reconfigured itself like a three dimensional kaleidoscope image. Refracting colors and shapes but overall one color was prominent. As the crystal began to flicker other colors fell away.
Luke sighed. "Fucking yellow. You couldn't have been a fucking different color. Hell blue was bad but it had utility. Red was even nice once I figured it out. Mother Fucking yellow." The anger he felt was quenched by the shooting pain in his left arm. His missing left arm.
"Well, fucking beggars can't be choosers." He says with resignation. As he beckons to the frantically dancing crystal. He waves at it to come to him speaking softly.
"Hey I know you are scared. There is alot to take in. You are not safe out here. The sun will come up soon and you know what happens then. You never seen it but you know. So come to me. I will keep you safe. No matter what. Even if it kills me." He sounded sincere and earnest. He sounded like a man trying to encourage a scared kitten from a tree. The crystal was reluctant as any kitten would be it hissed and spat at him making fearsome grinding sounds as it rubbed against itself. But to Luke it just sounded like crackling fire made of glass.
Still he didn't give up he didn't move just held his hand and let the crystal decide. It was a bit of a game of chicken as the blood lose was making him even more woozy by the second and the crystal being about the size of a baseball seemed to ponder what, if any, other opportunities for lodging tonight were available. None but Luke were present
And if Luke died then it would be dispersed by morning's light. Luke however wasn't concerned he just waited patiently for the crystal to see reason. To read his true intent. It decided quicker than he expected. Gingerly floating towards him to land in his hand.
"Thank you. I will take good care of you." Luke said rubbing his cheek to the warm crystal.
Luke cradled the crystal for a while till it's jagged pieces settled and it's sharp angles melted. It adjusted and morphed into a palm sized rectangular cut gem that blazed with a yellow flickering glow like a camp fire.
Now that the crystal was calm it's jagged pieces were gone. Luke smiled. A smile that began to split his cheeks up to the ear. His mouth opened becoming an unhinged maw like a snakes. When he opened his mouth behind the normal row of teeth a person owns tendrils and tentacles could be seen. A veritable black mass of wiggling writhing tentacle.
They thrashed about in the confines of his mouth and burst out like a host of chameleon tongues.
The black tentacles engulfed the gem wrapping it up and pulling it back into Luke's mouth making his head clamp shut behind them like a trap door closing.
He only had to wait a second for the update.
*UWU Synnergy System activated
Topaz Gem Intergrated. Ara ara.
You gained the Skill: You Are What You Eat
Organic matter you consume will be applied to your physical form. Be careful consumption of too much foreign matter can affect your personality, afterall you are what you eat. Doki Doki. UWU*
The annoyingly chipper, gratingly high pitched, E-girl voice faded and Luke knew what he had to do.
"Yuaaack." Luke spat as he grabbed the arm of the rat that just exploded. The same rat that maimed him. He began eating the rat arm with gusto. Each bite of his normal looking teeth were like a hydraulic cutter. Slimy skin, rancid flesh and choking bones thick enough to break bricks. All of it crunched and tore in his mouth with ease.
With each bite he swallowed his body began to heal. The bleeding stopped his muscle and skin began to knit together. When he finished the arm and legs and entrails. He felt the familiar tingle of his system in action as his arm regrew of course it wasn't a human arm.
After all you are what you eat sprung to his mind and wanted to swear.
Luke stared at the rat arm he grew. The four fingers and the useless thumb like digit. The dark fur that grew out wasn't extremely long, that was a minor blessing. If his jacket hadn't been ripped up in the fighting, he could have hidden his arm and hand easily. But not now he would have to wait for the sun to come up to banish this nightmare.
He sighed deeply.
He needed to look on the bright side, he was alive he had defeated another viscous night creature. This time one that could have eaten a normal person. And now that he thought of it, and he didn't want to think of it, what would that thing have been if it ate a few people.
Shaking himself he continued, plus it was still possible to make it to work on time.
Things were looking up.
The he felt the tingle in his lower back a spasm that was very unfamiliar and unwanted he grunted as a it forced it's way out. A long serpentine tail extended out of the waist band of his pants to wrap around his torn pants leg.
"Are you fucking kiddin me. How am I supposed to frigging hide this." Luke said his frustration peaking as he screamed into night air.
He waved his hands at the newly grown green and yellow speckled appendage. The tail, for it's part curled up four of the yellow speckles on it's back coloring could be easily mistaken for eyes scrunched up while the tip pointed down. Overall it gave the 5 foot long extra reptilian appendage the look of a sock puppet. One that currently had the audacity to be looking around as if to say. 'Who? Me?'
"Yes, you. Do see anyone else around here who I could be talking…. Oh my God I am talking to my own tail. That I grew as human being."
Luke gave a frustrated muffled scream. Before looking back up to the sky and proclaiming.
"This fucking System Sucks!!"
With that he began running to work.
************
*UwU Character sheet follows Skip ahead if you so choose. Nyaar
USER
Name: Luke Titus Age: 19 Ethnicity: African American Pronouns: He/Him/Fuck My Life System: Synnergy Class: Syn Eater LVL: 1 Exp: N/A
STATS
HP: 32/100 REGEN: -0.03 HP/HR MP: 27/50 ACCUN: -0.02 MP/HR Corruption: 23.6% FILTER: -0.09 SP/HR Strength: 5(3) Agility: 6(3) Stamina: 4(4) Intelligence: 6(9) Spitirt: 4(8) Durablity: 7(4) Will: 5(13)
SKILLS
Trangression: LVL 3 Description:???? Absolver: LVL 0 Description:????