Carcass 1.5.2

Jay took in a deep breath before letting forth a wave of bile from his gullet. The liquid shot forth in a torrent, drowning the area in a caustic substance. Metal, flesh, and trash melted in equal measure. Numerous copies of Argo had fallen. Their broken and decomposing bodies were motionless.

Jay had unleashed this breath by pure instinct. He watched in mute fascination at the chaotic scene his acid left.

It couldn’t have been that easy. Jay twisted his neck, looking for any movement. He flicked a tongue out but faster than he could comprehend a blade sliced through it. The mass of flesh fell to the ground with a shaking of the earth.

Jay let out an inhuman roar. Pain surged through his nerves, his mouth felt like it was on fire. His body thrashed, destroying the leftover structures. The gravesite of the Urchin members transformed into a playground for a furious colossus.

“You just couldn’t let us be?!” Argo screamed, tears in her eyes and fury in her gaze. Jay locked onto the voice and swung his tail, his appendage slammed into the docks, leaving a crater in its path but missing Argo entirely.

“I’m going to fucking kill you!” She let out a primal howl as more of her copies materialized and the assault commenced again.

Jay attempted to recall what he knew about Argo’s power. It was obvious that she could make replicas of herself, each one holding and using a slightly different weapon. Smog had spoken little about her. It was obviously a test meant for Jay. If he couldn’t defeat the minor gang leader, then he would be hopeless in the future. He felt the need to live up to expectations, especially Madok’s.

Do I have to keep killing her copies? Where the hell does she keep getting all these guns?! Jay cursed before letting loose another surge of toxic slosh. He was remunerated with a deep laceration across his side that caused him to huff in discomfort. He briefly saw Argo standing off to the side, her tanned features were faded and slightly green. Noxious fumes filled the air, leftovers from the acid pools left in Jay’s wake.

Jay glared at her, his slitted amber eyes boring into her. He had already massacred at least a hundred of her replicates, and he hoped she was low on stamina. He detested destroying the docks, and he doubted those that lived near would appreciate it either.

Argo could already be classified as a multi-power, her plethora of abilities putting her on the upper tier of strength. Her increased speed, strength, and her ability to create clones of herself made her a package deal that any gang or hero organization would have snapped up in a heartbeat.

Jay could tell despite all that, Argo hadn’t taken those options because something tied her here. Something more than just physical. Argo stayed here because this was where her friends were. The people Leviathan had just sent to an early grave.

Madok had labeled Argo to be nothing more than a middling super, but the girl’s abilities put her above that. She was dangerous and would be even more of a menace if she had nothing to lose.

Another deep slash pierced through his protective skin and Jay let out a reflexive guttural roar. His body coiled up defensively as he waited for the next strike.

Argo was much faster than he had anticipated, she moved with the mobility and flexibility of a high-class Speedster, but with enough strength to classify her as a Bruiser. A deadly combination for Jay’s gigantic body. She was like a bee that buzzed around him. Her stinger was more frustrating than damaging.

A sudden thought occurred to Jay as he let out another acid bath in the area, pools of algae green water encircled his bulk, forming a rudimentary moat. The fumes distorted the air, much like the intense heat that surrounded his slickened scales.

Even greater temperatures were generated near the areas of his wounds, the deep gouges in his sides gradually sealing up, visible to the naked eye. Soft, tender scales formed along with the regenerating tissue.

But even as fast as Jay could heal, Argo was there to impose more wounds upon him, taking special opportunities to target his bulging eyes. A few exchanges later and his left eye had become nothing more than a mass of pulsating flesh, blood dripped down the side of his elongated face and trickled over the slits of his nose.

It was then that Jay finally noticed an opportunity.

The fumes were affecting Argo, as time progressed she slowed more and more. Her copies that came at him got weaker and weaker until she finally stopped cloning herself.

The power must have taken more out of her than she let on.

She made a fatal mistake, her bare feet slipping against some of the grime the serpentine body had oozed out.

Jay struck with predatory dignity, Argo was only scarcely fast enough to evade.

But she couldn’t dodge completely.

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Argo splattered across the concrete ground, her lower half missing entirely. Jay let the human limbs fall from his mouth. His giant head hovered over her prone form, examining her chipped and deteriorated sword, along with her decaying flesh.

Argo lay on the ground, her body pale and limp. The air around her was thick with the metallic scent of blood, the fluid poured out of her severed veins, mixing with the pungent green pools that surrounded her.

Her breath came in brief gasps, her chest heaving with the effort. Her eyes fluttered open and shut, gaze coming in and out of focus. She was barely conscious, her body weakened from the anger she channeled into her attempt at killing Jay.

Her pulse was erratic, her powered body trying to recover from the fatal wound but coming up short. Only a strong Healer could have saved her at this point. A power that was rarer and in more demand than any other.

She had looked so strong just moments before, so full of life and confidence. Now only a burning anger filled her gaze, a feeling she was too weak to act upon.

“Why?” She finally asked. Her voice was fading like a smothered fire.

Jay felt his entire body shrink down, going through much the same process as his initial transformation. Finally, he returned to his human form, one of a skinny teenager. No clothes covered his being but Jay didn’t exhibit or feel any sort of shame from the display.

He touched his still-healing eye with a tender touch, the steam from the wound puffing into the crisp air.

“Because I have someone I want to protect. Even if it means I have to hurt others to do so.” Jay responded, his gaze looking far off into the distance. Examining the beauty of the ocean in the light of the moon.

“Such bullshit,” Argo declared in her final words. She tried weakly to swing her sword at Jay but he easily evaded.

“I don’t think it is. You went about trying to protect those you love in the wrong way. Stepped on the toes of someone you shouldn’t have. You thought yourself invincible with your powers. No one is invincible,” Jay spoke more to himself than to Argo. The light in her eyes already faded.

“You’re right, no one is invincible.” Jay felt the sword cleave through his torso, bisecting his body, each half tumbling to the ground. Guts and organs slipped out from his exposed bottom, painting the cratered concreted a sickening deep rich red.

The young man caught sight of another Argo holding her sword in two hands, heaving and wincing with each breath. She glared down at Jay with rage-filled satisfaction, and very much alive.

Jay’s eyes widened, a fiery burning sensation spreading throughout his being. Intense agony flooded his systems and he let forth a scream. Glass that had yet to be shattered in the vicinity turned to tiny shards, and Argo reeled backward, covering her ears with her hands.

Dropping her flawless-looking sword to the floor.

A throbbing vibration, centered on his wound, soon turn an intense sauna-like heat. Steam and mist erupted forth from Jay and within seconds his bisected lower half had reconnected with his torso. He bit back a curse and slowly returned to an upright position, his legs shaking and wobbling with every movement.

Blood trickled down from Argo’s ears, her fortified body reducing the soundwaves but not negating all of the damage.

“That’s a new one,” Jay mumbled to himself. Knowing that Argo was in no position to defend herself, he reached down to pick up her sword. The copy that he had watched die had used a slightly different cross guard.

“You fooled me. Would’ve worked too if you weren’t hopelessly outmatched. It’s not your fault though, I’ve realized life is just unfair.” The undressed teenager continued to wander around Argo, an unwavering heat still surrounding his body, continuously returning his condition to its peak performance.

“Gods, that was so edgy.” Jay felt a twitch of self-doubt flow through his head. The introspection was pushed away by an overwhelming urge to hurt and inflict pain upon his prey. The prey that had danced and evaded him for too long.

He examined the wound that was almost completely closed.

Jay did not have the body of a model. His muscles serpentined beneath his thin and gaunt features, twisting line worms in the soil. His frame was small, his limbs gangly and skinny. He didn’t look that much different than the teenagers he had just slaughtered.

A stark difference from the deadly beast that hid beneath his exterior.

He hefted the sword, feeling its weight in his hand.

Without the weapon in her grasp, Argo looked weaker. Her strong physique was a pale imitation of the moment prior.

“I wonder how your power actually works. How strange, what a shame that we'll never find out.” Jay heaved the sword overhead, swinging it down like an executioner's ax, and a head dropped down onto the floor. Jay tossed the body part into the ocean for good measure. The lower half collapsed into an acid pool, splashing the bubbling liquid into deadly drops.

History always showed that those with replicating powers rarely died, unless caught unaware. Argo might have been blinded by anger but she didn’t seem the type to toss her life away.

Gimmick powers are so tedious. Good thing they're rare. Jay tapped the side of his thigh with the sword, humming to himself as he slowed his rushing adrenaline, the lack of the combat high he experienced when he transformed caused him to realize what he had done.

His face turned a shade of green and he felt bile rise to his throat. He dropped the sword and it went bouncing into the waters below.

His face contorted with agony and discomfort as he doubled over, clutching his stomach. His body convulsed with violent spasms not unlike during his transformations.

Suddenly, Jay lurched forward and heaved, spewing a foul-smelling mixture of partially digested food, stomach acid, and bile. The vomit came out in explosive bursts, splattering the ground in front of him with a sickening squelch. The liquid quickly melted and dissolved anything it came across, leaving a long hole in the ground that unhurriedly continue to eat away at the surroundings.

Jay’s face turned pale and sweaty, he gasped for air as another wave of nausea overtook him. He gagged and retched, his body wracked with involuntary contractions as he emptied the contents of his stomach in an uncontrolled display.

Eventually, the murderer lay on the ground, panting and weak, his face twisted in pain and filled with the realization of what he had just done. Sweat covered his brow and flowed down his features, slickening his bare body with viscous ooze.

“They didn’t deserve this,” he whispered to himself as he hugged his fetal body, shaking gently in tune with the ocean waves.

“Good job kid. Madok will be pleased.” The hooded figure clad in shadows and mysterious appeared, hovering over the prone form of Jay.

“I killed them,” Jay felt tears in his eyes.

“Yep, you destroyed whatever life they were going to live. If they had family then they’ll always wonder what happened to their sons and daughters. They’ll hear on the news how Leviathan attacked the Urchins, wiped them and their leader out, leaving no survivors.” The words pierced into Jay with more pain and damage than Argo’s sword ever inflicted.

“What was the point?”

“The point, kid? The point was Madok wanted them dead and so he sent you to deal with them.” Robes fluttered in the wind as the man paced around. Making sure to dodge the still-present acid pools.

“Let me remind you, Levy. New Seattle works on a delicate balance. Madok controls The Docks. Do you know what would happen if Madok let some small gang set up shop without his permission?”

Jay stayed silent, his ignorance and naivety showing through his ruinous power. The man didn’t wait to give him a chance to speak.

“It shows weakness. The moment Madok allows someone to get away with this once, the next person will do the same. Over and over until either Madok is forced to fight against dozens of powered, or,” the man looked Jay dead in the eyes, “he snips the problem in the bud. And everyone we protect in Drowned territory is that much safer for it.” A tendril of shadow shot out from beneath his robes and plunged into the waters below.

“Let me give you some life advice kid. Strength is the only thing that matters in New Seattle. You can debate philosophies and governments with the best, but nothing will change unless you have the ability to back it up. What you did here today backed up Drowned policy, made sure someone worse than the Urchins won’t take their place before thinking twice, thrice, and then sticking a gun into their mouths and pulling the trigger for being so idiotic.”

The figure stopped for a moment, and cocked his head before nodding.

“We need to go now. Capes are on their way. Seems Pantheon still has you in their sights.” A cold and cruel chuckle escaped from under the shadows.

“Let’s go.”

Darkness engulfed the duo, leaving only the shattered remains of the cargo yard in their wake.

And the bones of those killed in the wake of the Leviathan.