"It's good to see you again."
With a snarl, Henrick almost lunges forward, but hesitates as he watches the terrified faces of the group before him. Haggard men, women, and children, surrounded by a group of five with their own abilities. "Dominic," the soldier spits out, electricity coiling around his body. "You look good. All burned and scarred."
Dominic clenches his jaw in rage, but keeps his composure as he ignores the jab and waves towards the group of five. "These are some ability users that I met. They were guarding the empire state building against a particularly nasty horde of monsters, in which I swooped in and helped." he says, a proud smirk on his face.
Henrick scoffs at the story. "It's more likely that you waited until they got desperate." A lanky man with a gaunt looking face and green eyes steps up in clear anger. "You don't get to talk to Dominic like that! He helped us, and we don't know you, so watch what you say!"
The group of five then prepare their abilities. The first one, the lanky man, has visible wind currents spiralling around their body. The second, a man with sharp and angular features, has flames spewing out from his hands. The third, an athletic looking woman, zips around from side to side at super speed while twirling daggers. The fourth, a boy no older than 12, has tree roots growing by his feet. And the last one, an old muscular woman that matches Henrick's height, clearly has a strength enhancing ability.
Henrick unleashes electric arcs that make Dominic's group jump back in shock, their eyes measuring his ability with fear. "How about we all calm down? We're all the children of God." says Father David, even as concussive energy builds in between the palms of his praying hands.
Selene readies a bolt of magic in one hand and a blade in another, her face a mask of indifference. Henrick takes a step forward and looms over Dominic, a tense silence hanging over the confrontation.
"Do they know what you were doing before coming here?" whispers Henrick harshly as electricity threatens to explode from his body, eyes set in a disgusted scowl when he recalls what Dominic and his followers did to that family.
Dominic just leans in closer, a smile on his face. "They won't believe a thing you sa-grrkk!" he starts, but is cut off as Henrick grabs hold of his throat with a vice-like grip. "I don't give a damn." growls Henrick as he lifts the little weasel off the ground, electricity already snaking up his arm.
The group of normal people shout in fear, faces paling at the almost malevolent electric glow of Henrick's eyes. "Alex! Are we all going to die?!?!" asks an old man, looking towards the fire wielder with terrified eyes.
Roots suddenly wrap around Henrick's limbs as they attempt to constrict and immobilise him. "Kevin! What are you doing? Wrap him up!" shouts Alex, anger surging on his face at Henrick's aggression as he speaks to the little boy.
Henrick frowns and starts slowly tearing free from his bindings, his muscles bulging impressively at the exertion. "I'm trying AL! It's like trying to move a building!!" Kevin shouts as he tries even harder to pull Henrick's limbs down.
Father David lets loose a concussive blast at the little boy, meant to stun, but stops as the old lady steps in front of Kevin and protects him. "You call yourself a man of the Lord, but would hit a child?!" David doesn't get to answer as Alex unleashes a torrent of flames that Selene blocks with a magical shield.
Henrick scowls as more vines wrap around him in an effort to halt his movements. Rock spears even form slowly as Dominic desperately wills his ability to work, his eyes radiating a manic glee that only Henrick can see.
A blur slams into the soldier, staggering him but not enough to let go of Dominic. "Let him go, before this gets ugly!" says the athletic looking woman, brandishing her knives with lethal intent as she circles Henrick's group.
Selene lets loose a barrage of magical bolts that are easily dodged by the speedster, harmlessly passing by inches from her face. The world slows down for the athletic woman, as she runs past the bolts and approaches Henrick.
She takes in his handsome face, and sighs in what seems like regret or pity. Raising her knives, she ruthlessly aims for his eyes, but widen hers as the soldier's leg twitches with a spark of electricity.
Lashing out with an electricity enhanced kick, Henrick looks as if he decided to attack the air for no reason, when his foot suddenly slams into the speedster's chest. The ground shakes with the collision, as electricity bursts out and creates an electrical wave.
The wave rips through the vines entangling him, and vaporises the half-formed earthen spears. Dominic himself twitches in pain as electricity arcs off his skin, adding to the electrical burns on his skin.
The crunch of bone is audible as Henrick sends the speedster hurtling through the air. "Jen! Damn you!" says the lanky man, watching Jen smash into a distant light pole, breaking it upon impact.
The wind user prepares to unleash a blast, eyes alight in righteous anger at Henrick's attack on his companion. "We've got incoming, Jacob!" shouts the muscular old woman, bracing herself as a mangled truck is hurled towards them.
Jacob unleashes a blast of wind that barely slows the truck down, when Father David steps forward and unleashes a concussive blast that utterly flattens the vehicle. Dominic's group pull back in shock at the priest's strength, their own abilities flaring out on instinct.
"Look, maybe we got off on the wrong foot. Whatever Dominic did, it isn't as important as stopping the coming horde!" says Alex, igniting his arms in flames. Selene looks at where the truck came from and frowns as she prepares a magical blade.
"It isn't a horde...what the hell is that?!" she asks as their assailant comes into view. A veritable giant shambles towards them, pustules exploding and dark purple blood seeping out of its exposed muscles whenever it takes a step.
Its hands have mutated into giant bulbous and almost metallic looking wrecking balls, pulsing with dark purple veins. Its face remains human-like, its eyes bulging and its mouth stuck in a perpetual snarl.
It watches the gathered humans for a beat, then lunges towards them in a frenzy. "GROOOOOOH!!" it screams, it's voice a deep and guttural broken mess as it hurtles through the air.
The muscular old woman roars and leaps towards the giant, her fists radiating a subtle glow as she slams into its chest. The impact displaces the surrounding air and overturns vehicles as the giant gets repelled.
It staggers back, but easily recovers. The old woman, on the other hand, bounces off with blood at the corner of her lips, collapsing on the ground in a heap. Her arm is bent the wrong way, and her legs look boneless.
She claws weakly at the ground as the impact rattles her bones and brain, her internal organs feeling like mush. "Get everyone–" she starts but is crushed under the giant's fist with a wet SQUELCH, her body exploding into meaty chunks.
The ordinary humans scatter in terror as the giant monster starts running towards them again. Alex raises his hands and a tornado of fire surrounds the giant monster, its skin rapidly being scorched as it tries to attack the flames.
The little boy summons giant vines that capture the giant's limbs as tears stream from his eyes. "NOOOO!! I'LL KILL YOU!" he screams, completely wrapping the giant and squeezing with all of his might. His face of anger gives way to shock, however, as the giant monstrosity easily rips free of the vines.
A fireball slams into its face, taking the giant's attention away from the little boy. The monster whirls around and roars at Alex, who leads the monster in the opposite direction from the ordinary survivors.
Henrick squeezes Dominic's neck, whose face has turned into a deep purple, even tighter as Alex and the little boy keep the giant busy. "I can...ack-help!!" pleads Dominic as his limbs start thrashing in his oxygen deprived state.
Jen stands up, clutching her chest in agony. "Please! We need him! The giant will attract other monsters! He'll make defending these people easier!" Her words fall on deaf ears as Henrick squeezes even harder, but stops as David places a hand on his shoulder.
"Henrick, please. These people need our help. Let's sort out whatever it is that happened after this is over." says the priest, a determined gleam in his eyes as he lets go and focuses on the fight. Henrick hesitates, David's words and unhesitant departure draw a picture of trust in his ability to make the right choice.
The soldier throws the sadistic murderer onto the ground, his fists clenched in anger. "Make yourself useful." Dominic's face flushes in humiliation at those words, but wisely chooses to stay silent.
Henrick roars and leaps towards the giant, fist charged with electricity, and slams a haymaker onto its face. The blow forces the giant to twist its head and use the adjacent building to the Empire State as support.
Its face muscles twitch as electricity spreads from the site of the punch. The force of the blow shakes the ground, and forces the ability users to shield themselves from the shockwave. Henrick lands in a crouch and wreathes himself in electricity as he stands to his full height.
"Let's make this quick."
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END