Chapter 1: The Beast

Dropped out of collage and got a job as a bike courier. Mostly just to piss of my parents. I was someone you ever notice.

Just some guy delivering packages to folks you'd never know. And then one day… a package found me.

Thousands died.

Five square blocks smashed into rubble…

And at the center… was me.

Alive. But not alone.

A kid named Cassandra O'Connell was caught in the blast as well, she should of died along with her parents, but like me…

She was changed.

But no one could of seen what was coming. Back then, Empire city was in quarantine. It had gone to hell.

Other people with powers started showing up, and it was our job to sort it all. Find out who had given me that package, and why.

Hell, even my best friend turned his back on me and tired to get powers of his own. But in the end we found the man responsible. Kessler.

He explained everything to us in a vision of the future. A Beast is coming. A monster only I and Cassandra can defeat, provided that we're strong and ready to face him.

A month later, we meet Lucy Kuo.

She somehow knew all about the Beast, in fact… She had come and help us prepare. Claim a friend named Dr. Wolfe, had worked on the Ray Sphere prototype. And that he can amplify our powers.

All we had to do was go with her down to New Marais. We need those powers, The Beast is coming.

And we will be ready.

~8~8~8~

The trio stood on a ship, Cole and Cassandra were leaning against the rails as Zeke walks over to them. "Man, I'll tell ya, Cole, that Agent Kuo? She doesn't mess around, huh? First boat outta town? Chick's got some connections." Zeke states, Cassie covers her ears as she didn't want to ear stuff like that. Cole looks at her for a moment and she uncovers her ears.

"This is going to be a short term visit, man. We're gonna go in, Cassie and I'm gonna get some new powers, and we're gonna come right back." Cole tells the two and Cassandra stood straight and nods at him. Then Cole went to walk away and Cassandra follows him, "Come on, man! You and Cass deserve to relax! We're going to New Marais!" Zeke said in an excited tone. Cole and Cassandra stops and looks at him. "Hey, we need to be back here and ready for when it shows up, Zeke." Cole reminds him as it was no time for fun and games.

Then Kuo walks over to them, "Trust me, Cole. You will be ready when you're done working with Dr. Wolfe." she informs them and Cassandra cross her arms and looks at her. "Work? Ha! Easy Kuo. When get there, we're gonna be the Three Bs. That's beer… boobs… and mechanical bulls." Zeke states, holding up three fingers. Cassandra covers her mouth to keep herself from laughing as Cole tries and wipes the smirk from his mouth. "Hm hmm. Gentlemen and lady." Kuo states as she jesters to Cassandra and she winks at her "I don't think you understand the scope of what's going on here." she states with her arms cross. Then Cassandra groans and presses her fingers to her temple. The three look at her, "Cass, you okay?" Cole asks and places his hand on her back. "Don't know, my head just started to ache all of a sudden." she answers then groans again as the pain came on stronger.

Then a growl was heard in the distance, Kuo looks out and saw explosion from the city. "What is going on?" she asks and the other two look over as well. Cassandra cries out a little and grips her head. "He's here… he's coming…" she mutters as Cole held her in his arms. He looks down at her and back at the sudden destruction that was happening. "No! No, no…" Cole mutters and Cassandra exhales as her headache was gone. "Come on Cass!" Cole tells her and they both ran over and jump down from the boat and onto the docks. Then stood up and electricity pulse in their hands. "Uh, MacGrath…we had a deal. The boat's leaving." Kuo reminds him as he calls him through the phone. "Relax, we got time for this." Cole informs her. "Keep the boat there, for as long as you can." Cassandra informs her and the both ran to the gate. "The Quarantine's over!" a man shouts.

The two stop and looks at the gate, "Cassandra! Cole! Let us out!" a woman cries out, "Back! Away from the gate!" Cassandra orders and raise her hand, the people move out of the way and she fired at the locks, breaking it, then ran up and swung the gates open. "Get to the boat! Go! Run!" she orders and they all started to run to the ship. "Cole, I got these people! You take care of the Beast, I'll join you as soon as I can!" Cassandra shouts at to him, he nods and ran back into the city. "Go, keep going!" Cole shouts to the people running pass him, then docks then became uneven as a blaming bus hits a ship and Cole kept running forward. "Cole, you have to stop him." Kuo calls out. then Cole steps back onto the city's ground and looks up as the Beast Shows himself, he fires at him and got it's attention.

"Yup! Right here, man!" Cole calls out to him. Then the Beast throws a flaming statute at him and Cole could do nothing but watch. But then a pair of arms suddenly wrap themselves around Cole's waist from behind him and pulls him out of the way of the statue and the two laid there. "Cole! Get up, man!" Zeke shouts out. Cassandra rolls onto her side as Cole pushes himself up. The two stumbled a little as they were trying to get their feet back under them, then felt the ground shake a little and they both turn around and looks up at him. "The Beast." they both mutters as it was looking right back down at them. "Kessler told us about you! I'm not going to let it happen!" Cole shouts at him and they both fired away.

The Beast charges up his attack and slams it onto the docks, knocking the two off their feet, but they flip back up and fired right back at him, Cassandra fires Hammers right at him, chipping off a bit of it's charred skin. But it growls and broke off more of the docks, making the two fly up into the air. Then the Beast thrust his hand out and the froze on mid-air. They look at it and saw it was trying to drag them to the burning fireball in his hand. They used their thrusters and push themselves away from the hand and manage to stay clear as the fireball was them gone. They then fired right at the Beast again as he charges up other fireball, but Cassandra threw a Hammer right at him and he cries out in pain. The two were knock back and land back onto the docks.

The beast roars and growls at them, Cassandra could see that she took a chuck of it's head off as he destroyed even more of the docks, she then pulls Cole to his feet and they both look up at the Beast and they fired more bolts at him. "Now! Give him everything you got!" Zeke shouts and they both summon lighting from the sky it crashes down onto the Beast and cries out in pain as the electricity tears him apart. He then sinks down into the water as the two pant a little, "Hey, good shot, man! Now get back to the boat! The Pier's breaking up!" Zeke warns them, then two them step back and ran for the boat.

"Nice work, MacGraths, that was… impressive." Kuo said to them, then the docks started to break up more, making Cassandra stumble and fall. Cole stops and ran back to her, "Get up, Cassie! Run!" he said to her, pulling her back up, took her hand and they ran. The boat was right in view. "Whoo! Come on, man! Jump!" Zeke tells them, they were right above the boat and the two jump right for it. But they froze in mid-air. Kuo and Zeke looks up at them as they were being pulled away and a hand shot out and took a hold of Cole as another shot out and took a hold of Cassie. They both were turn and looks up at the Beast as it was still alive and missing half of it's face. "Come on, Come on!" Cole shouts out and fires at it. "Just die, already!" Cassandra shouts out as well and fires Hammer right at it.

The Beast tightens his hands on them, trying to get them to stop, but they kept firing at it and then both summoned lighting, hitting it on it's head again, they both cried out as they Beast falls back and lets them both go in the process and, "Cole! Cassandra! Cole!" Zeke cries out to them, but they heard his faint cries as they plummeted into the water.

~8~8~8~

The Beast had drained us. Broken our powers…

It felt like the end…

I almost wished it was.

The Beast had just put itself back together. And now Empire City… is dead.

Our ship ran for it, fleeing South to New Marais. People kept their distance, whether out of respect or fear. I don't know. Either way, Cassie and I were alone.

Others kept busy acting out their routines as if it would make the world right again. But we knew better. Cassandra and have been given powers to defeat the Beast. We were strong, we were ready. We had fought it with every we had…

And it wasn't enough…

That needed to change. The next day I went to work. I helped Zeke create a device to help focus on my powers. Hell, he'd do anything to be friends like we used to be.

Kuo was able to gave Cassandra new clothing and restyles her hair, to keep it out of her face. She even help Zeke create a device to focus on her powers as well.

Guess that's he's way of saying sorry.

Agent Kuo gathered intelligence on the Beast. Town after town was lost as we traveled down the coast.

She also used her contacts to requisition a smaller boast. New Marais was in locked down. Wouldn't let anyone in.

We were going to have to sneak in through the swamp…

I don't know if you've ever let someone down. Got your ass kicked or straight up failed. But those are the moments that define us.

They push you further then you've ever thought possible and force you to make choices.

No matter what the cost…