Chapter 1: I Am, Zarek.
Zarek ran for his life as a group of mutant 3 legs chicken zombies burst through the protective formation. He heard defenders screaming and falling behind him as gunshots and explosions rang out incessantly. Time seemed to slow down as the inside of his head felt like a ball of cotton, before the concussive blast of an explosion launched him clear across the walkway.
Zarek struggled to crawl forward to safety as blood dripped down from his forehead. He could only hear ringing as he quietly accepted that this might finally be it. The end of the road.
*Dammit*
His vision was blurry and his senses dull, but out of the corner of his eyes he saw movement. He craned his neck up and saw the hazy figure of a man floating in the air. Behind him were rods, rocks and wreckage also floating on air.
The man waved his hand and the wreckage came alive, flashing past Zarek's field of vision. Zarek could barely make out the man's expression as the man silently floated past him. Zarek couldn't resist and turned his head.
He saw the zombies falling to the wayside, as the rocks smashes them to shreds and rods impales them to dead.
Zarek's vision was fading, and as the encroaching darkness began to blanket him, only one thought reverberated in his mind: When would he be that strong?
---
Zarek awoke to a splitting headache as he groaned in pain. He found himself lying in a bed within his garrison. Nearby, he heard some huffing noises and looked over to see his friend Brakk doing push-ups on the floor. When he completed a set, he stood up from the ground and flexed his arms to an imaginary audience.
Brakk was a brawny young man, of a similar age with Zarek. He had blond hair that was short on the sides and slightly longer in the front. He gave off the vibe of a hoodlum, easily spurred into a fight when provoked. He had blue eyes and tanned skin to go along with bulging muscles. He was a veritable tank of a man, and he would be the first one to say so. Brakk was certainly cocky at times and had a temper, but he was a good friend who went through thick and thin with him.
Zarek himself was a young man who had just turned 19 a few days back. He had dark black hair and a face with symmetrical features. Some would say he cut quite the dashing figure, evidenced by the roguish smile that framed a chiseled face. As opposed to Brakk , he was lithe, like a panther. His sinewy muscles hinted more at speed rather than strength. His eyes were pale green and hawkish, perhaps influenced by his primary role as a sniper in the battlefield.
Brakk noticed that Zarek was awake and he said, "Hey you are alive? Surprising since I thought I will be preparing to bury you soon, huh? By the way, a healer came by earlier and patched you right up. He gave you a clean bill of health, aside from a possible headache from the residual pain."
Zarek nodded in thanks for the update as he sat up at the edge of his bed. Just as he was about to get up and move his aching muscles, he saw his other good friend Drakewalk into the room with a frown on his face.
Drakewas a man approaching middle age and tended to gravitate towards being the strong, silent type. He had survived many more missions than either of them, evidenced by the sheen of a bionic arm made of azurite and a pale white scar running down his neck. Black hair cascaded down like a lion's mane and framed deep brown eyes. He was rather quite tall, with an austere demeanor that generally brooked no nonsense from others.
Noticing their questioning looks, he merely motioned them to look at the letter in his hands. Zarek and Brakk gathered around him and read the letter:
"The Last City Council requires your services and you are to report to ARC to receive further orders. You are to dispatch with your regiment at noon. Godspeed."
"Damn, this is bullshit! It is hard enough to survive on the walls, it is downright suicide to go out on a mission with how low levels we are!" yelled an aggravated Brakk .
Worry creased Zarek's forehead because he had never been sent out beyond the wall. The likelihood of his survival on such an endeavor was slim to none. Ever since the radiation arrived and changed the world, people either turned into a zombie, a monster, or a meta-human. Unfortunately, 70% of the population was converted to zombies and monsters, while only 30% became meta-humans. Add on to the fact that zombies could infect others, and it was no wonder humanity was on the brink of collapse.
Zarek had yet to awaken any powers, relegating him to the very bottom of the hierarchy as the weakest of meta-humans. He wasn't even strong enough to reach the most basic Grade F.
The lack of a power frustrated Zarek to no end because his friends had long awakened theirs. Brakk transformed into a hulking grey mass of muscle that provided near impervious skin, along with increased strength and speed. Drakehad an even greater power, the ability to control gravity. He could increase the gravity felt by any opponents withing a certain radius. The applications of his ability were as of yet, untapped, and his potential seemed to reach as far as the vaunted A Tier, the highest level of power for meta-humans.
Then, there was his childhood friend Rika. She had awakened one of the greatest of powers: Existence Dissonance
Zarek closed his eyes and remembered the moment her powers were born—not in glory, but in chaos. They were ambushed while fleeing their shattered hometown. Surrounded. Outnumbered. He naively made the choice to hold the line, teeth clenched, fists numb, buying her time to escape.
But she didn't run and instead wanted to help him.
When one of the mutants lunged for him, Rika screamed and tried to help. One of them struck her—hard. She was flung through debris, her body slamming into rubble like a ragdoll making Zarek thought she was dead As blood gushed out from unknown part of her body and she spasm. Zarek could have swore he thought he had lost her but then...
Then, the air tore open.
A warped orb of energy bloomed from the dust, howling like a storm. The monsters froze—then were obliterated. Shredded by invisible blades. Zarek turned in disbelief. Rika stood, swaying, a glowing purple flame in her palm, her eyes wide in fear… and rage and she collapse again.
When they reached Eagle Street with Zarek carrying her, the Last City, news of her awakening spread fast. The Council saw her potential. They fed her resources, training, power—all the way up to make her reach S Grade quickly.
Zarek watched it all from the shadows. He loved her, maybe always had. But now, they stood on different shores—she, a legend in the making; he, still clawing for scraps. With a silent breath, he opened his watch and pulled out a capsule glimmering blue, his last hope.