CRASH
Leaves crunched and branches snapped in a hidden clearing of the park. Kairo lay on the ground, chest heaving, sweat glistening on his brow.
Slowly rising up to his feet, he'd pull out his phone and check the time.
"5:48, I still have plenty of time to get home before Dad does. I might as well update my journal."
Reaching for his backpack, Kairo pulled out a small notebook. Flipping through its pages, he'd eventually stop at a page detailing a black superhero suit.
It looked armored with purple plating covering most of the black fabric. The mask covered his entire face with a detachable plate for his mouth and white eyes.
Staring at the drawing with stars in his eyes, Kairo could barely keep himself from jumping up and down in excitement.
"Now all I need is someone to actually make it!" he grinned, excitement bubbling in his chest.
He almost started giggling like an excited school girl before he caught himself and looked at his surroundings as if looking for cameras.
Taking a few deep breaths, he'd look at his left hand before aiming it at a small boulder that rested in the middle of the clearing.
Slowly and surely, the rock began to lift off the ground before dropping back down.
"It's so much harder when I'm trying to do it on purpose." He'd say as he massaged his left hand.
'I would have simply written this off as simple telekinesis, but it doesn't feel like that...it's strange, it's not like I'm actually lifting the object.'
Walking closer to the small rock he'd lift it again, notably with much more ease.
'Almost like... the rock is just caught in the ripple of something bigger. I don't know how to explain it...'
'And this strange feeling, it's like I can sense everything going on inside this clearing.'
A breeze passed through the trees, carrying with it a scent he couldn't place—like ozone and decay."
Something felt off. The birds had stopped chirping.
KREEEAHHH
"Shit! My ears!"
Before he could continue, a piercing screech tore through the clearing's peace.
"W-what the hell was that." Leaving the clearing and entering the park's more public area, Kairo would find himself confronted by a peculiar scene.
A man with bloody holes in his body was stuck inside a tree, seemingly knocked into it.
Kairo had to restrain himself from throwing up at the bloody sight in front of him.
Before he could run up to the man and ask if he was okay, another piercing screch followed by that same smell started again.
Kairo's eyes immediately widened as he saw a black liquid like substance appear on the ground.
Slosh Slosh Slosh
The liquid began rising up as Kairo watched in a terrified awe, it slowly began molding it's shape into a humanoid form.
First the torso, then the limbs, soon after white hair sprouted from its head. Before long it'd take the shape of an old man that looked to be in his mid to late 60's.
The old man stared at the mangled body with a dissatisfied expression before he began to speak, "Is that really all the fight that you have in you, my student?"
The old man's face deepened with a look of disappointment, "It's truly a shame, it seems that I expected too much from you."
But before the old man could continue monologuing the mangled man would slowly begin convulsing. A twitch here and there before he soon began... burning?
Green flames erupted from his body as the holes in him quickly disappeared and he leaned back onto his feet.
Gone was the mutilated man, instead stood a young man with flowing green hair. A cocky smirk plastered onto his face.
"Your reanimation flux Anomaly is such a crude technique but I suppose that it's a good thing." The old man spoke up his body begining to droop back into that black goop.
"I don't want this fight to end too quickly."
The screeching sound came back with a vengeance, the old man's body completely transforming into a large mass of that black sludge.
"I don't want to fight you, old man!" the green-haired man shouted, his smirk faltering as the black sludge loomed over him.
From within the sludge, the old man's voice screeched, "Well, you should've thought of that before you double-crossed Lord Ashura!"
The green-haired man settled into a strange fighting stance, green fire slowly surrounding him.
Kairo was currently hiding in a nearby bush, watching the confrontation in awe.
'I've never seen a Flux anomaly that turns someone into sludge before. It's a shame he's a villain.'
'He's… a villain. God, I'm gonna hate myself for this.'
Before the fighting could begin, a voice cut through the area. Kairo emerged from the bush, a cocky grin spread across his face.
"Hold it right there, criminal scum!"
Inside, Kairo was panicking: 'WHAT THE HELL AM I DOING?!'
The green-haired man turned to Kairo, perplexed, a drop of sweat rolling down his face.
"Hey kid, you should get out of here! This guy could instantly kill you, this isn't a playground," the green-haired man yelled in frustration.
"Now you listen here, you broccoli-haired bitch! My dream is to become the best hero in this damn dimension, so excuse me if I can't control my legs when I see your sorry ass in danger!"
The green haired man recoiled in surprise that soon turned into anger. Never in his life had he been called something like that.
"Who the hell are you calling a-"
"AHEM!"
The large mass of sludge spoke, "While I am incredibly amused by this, I'm a very busy man and I'd like to continue my fight with Verdant"
The green haired man turned to face the black sludge before scratching the back of his head, "I'm not gonna lie, I completely forgot that you were here."
"Well in that case!" Kairo stepped up and pointed an accusatory finger at the large mass of sludge."
"I'm taking you in! You have the right to remain silent!" Turning quickly to Verdant, Kairo would ask, "Is that what heroes say when they're about to arrest someone?"
"What am I saying I already know the answer to that."
The sludge would sigh as it seemed to expand, "I'm growing tired of this banter. Move child so I can complete my mission and return to Master Ashura."
"Listen here you Venom knockoff, I don't give a crap about who the hell this Master Ashura is. I'm here to stop you from killing this poor defenseless man!" Kairo would respond as he points his thumb to his chest.
"Uhh I wouldn't say that I'm defenseless."
Before Verdant could continue Kairo would slam his palm to his face, "Shut it!"
The sludge villain's mass pulsed, tendrils of inky blackness stretching out like living shadows. "Enough," it rumbled, voice bubbling up from the depths. "You children are wasting my time."
Before Kairo could even blink, a thick tendril lashed out—straight at his chest. His heart leapt into his throat.
Oh crap, oh crap, oh crap—
WHOOSH!
Before he could react, Kairo would feel an arm wrap around him grabbing him and taking him out of the way.
Looking on in a mix of shock and awe, he'd watch as the tendril struck a tree behind where he was previously standing.
The tree cracked apart and got sent flying. Not only was the tree splintered in half but it also seemed to be... rotting?
Kairo blinked up at his rescuer, Verdant, the broccoli-haired man who'd just yanked him out of the way like a sack of potatoes. His heart was still hammering, his breath coming in quick, panicked gulps.
'Holy crap, that could've been me!'
He stared at the shattered, rotting tree, the splintered wood already turning black and crumbling.
'What kind of power is that?!'
"Thanks, I guess," Kairo muttered, still half in shock. "But I totally had that under control."
Verdant rolled his eyes, green flames flickering around his fists. "Yeah, sure. You looked real in control, kid."
The sludge villain's laughter echoed through the park, deep and gurgling. "Such gratitude! But don't worry, you'll both get your turn."
Kairo swallowed hard, but he couldn't help himself. "Listen, Sludgeboss, if you think I'm gonna stand here and let you turn me into compost, you've got another thing coming!"
Verdant shot him an annoyed look. "Seriously, now's not the time for your one-liners."
"It's always the time for one-liners!" Kairo shot back, shaking off the last of his fear. "Besides, what's his deal? Did his Flux Anomaly come from some kind of ghost dimension?"
Verdant's expression darkened. "That's not just any anomaly. That's decay, pure, concentrated rot. One touch and you're mulch."
Kairo's eyes widened. "So, uh… don't get hit. Got it."
The sludge villain's form rippled, tendrils rising like a wave. "Enough talk. Let's see how long you last."
Kairo clenched his fists, feeling that strange ripple in the air again.
'Okay, Kairo. Time to be a hero—or at least not die trying.'
The mass of sludge lunges forward as Kairo pointed his both of his hands towards it and stopped it mid air.
"Tch, hurry up and move out of the way you green idiot."
Verdant looked on surprised before nodding and bolting in the other direction, Kairo still wrapped in his arm.
Kairo kept his grasp on the sludge villain for as long as possible before losing focus due to the strain.
Verdant's grip tightened around Kairo as they zigzagged through the park, dodging between trees and benches. Behind them, the sludge villain surged forward, tendrils lashing out like hungry snakes. Everywhere it touched, grass withered and trees blackened, leaves crumbling to dust.
"Can you move any faster, he's gaining on us!" Kairo yelled as he flailed his hands around, trying to throw any item he could at the sludge with his ability.
"Well, sorry that my Flux Anomaly doesn't affect my physicality! Can you at least try to be useful and slow him down again!"
"Hey, I'm doing my best! It's hard to focus on him with you running like this!" Kairo snapped, already scanning for the next projectile. "Can't you, like, throw some fire at him or something?"
Verdant's green flames flickered around his free hand. "I would if I wasn't busy carrying your butt!"
"Tch, it's not like we can do any damage to him anyways." Verdant grunted out as he leaped over a large bush.
"Wait what if we like lures him into water or something, so he could get like diluted or something!" Kairo yelled as a rotted tree was flung towards them, Verdant quickly ducking.
"That's a dumbass pla-... actually that might just work." Verdant paused mid sentence before begrudgingly agreeing with Kairo. "Anyways do you know where the closest source of water is?"
"Yea it should be over the-"
Before Kairo could answer, loud cackling would come from above them. Looking up Kairo's eyes would widen. "Who the hell is that!"
Verdant face would darken as he looked up to the sky with frustration written all over his face, "Shit, not her."
***
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