Planet Fusion…

A planet sized, amorphous mass of slime and space debris. For untold eons it has wandered the cosmos, seeking any life to continue its never ending feast. None have withstood its onslaught. No matter how powerful the species, how numerous and destructive their technology and weaponry, the overwhelming scourge that is planet fusion would always win out in the end. And now, it has set its sights on planet earth.

The calling card is always the same. To prepare the planet for consumption, planet fusion sends hundreds of space rocks coated in the material that makes up planet fusion, known as fusion matter. These space rocks arrive years, or in some cases, such as our current one, decades before planet fusion is due to arrive. Once making landfall, the fusion matter takes on a semi sentience of its own, with its main purpose being to consume and assimilate. And consume and assimilate it did, everything touched by large amounts of fusion matter is transformed and mutated into horrific creatures crafted from everyday objects from mere household appliances to entire buildings or forests. Naturally, the people of planet earth were overwhelmed at first: scattered, defenseless and divided. However, everything changed when an ambitious, ingenious young lad rose to the occasion. His name was Dexter, and, with the help of an at first small band of gifted individuals, formed the very first worldwide organization dedicated to the protection of earth and mankind, known as the Global Defense Initiative.

Now, almost 20 years after the initial invasion, the war between human and fusion rages on, with no feasible end in sight. This is especially disconcerting because every year, that little green dot in the sky that represents the oncoming extinction of the human race gets a little closer. In these chaotic times, very few things were certain, but one thing was…

They needed to do something, fast…

Our story truly begins with the screeching of tires and the echoes of gunfire, as a large APC rolled down an empty street at top speed. Behind them was a large flying creature similar to a gargoyle, except instead of stone, its skin was crafted from metal and dripping with the toxic green slime that signified the fusions, known fittingly enough as "fusion matter". The gargoyle opened its maw and released a blast of supercharged fusion matter. The APC pulled to the right to dodge the incoming blast, which blew a large chunk in the street. The gunman on top opened fire once more at the fusion, sending a storm of 5mm bullets at the gargoyle. While the gargoyle was able to dodge most of the bullets, however, a few managed to strike its wings. The gargoyle slowed its pursuit due to its injury, and, from the side of the APC, a hatch opened, allowing a new soldier to peek out of the vehicle. The soldier pulled out a grenade launcher and with a THOOM! The gargoyle's head was blown clean off. The soldier smirked under a concealing helmet before returning inside the APC.

About an hour later, the APC came to a stop outside the surprisingly imposing massive doors of the Peach Creek Fortress. The doors creaked open when the lookout was reassured that the approaching vehicle was that of human occupation. The APC drove into the fortress behind the walls. What had once been a Cul-De-Sac had since been converted into a mixture of a bazaar and a military base. The APC drove to the center of the square at the end, where it stopped and opened its back to let the soldiers out. The soldiers removed their helmets to cheer and congratulate each other.

"Ye-heah!" one shouted. "That nest didn't know what hit 'em!"

"That oughta keep the goops out of peach creek for at least three months!" said another. "Ain't that right, boss?"

From the APC walked the soldier with the grenade launcher, who removed her helmet to reveal a beautiful young lady with bone white hair and red eyes. A devil-may-care smirk graced her gorgeous face as she stepped out of the vehicle. "Dexter tells us that these things are at least semi sentient. You'd think by now they'd get "Kira's first law": play in my back yard, you play by my rules." Kira handed one of the soldiers her helmet, and another her grenade launcher.

"Technically speaking, Kira, it's my back yard, but you do have a point," said a voice from behind. Kira turned to see a shorter man clothed in a yellow tee shirt and a black business coat which clashed against each other. "So I'm to assume the nest is gone?" Eddy Vera, the head mogul of trade and commerce on the planet. Anyone who needed something moved somewhere had to go through his cardboard fortress at some point or another. While he had competition, for the most part everyone was focused on the war effort, and thus decided that having just one organization handle distribution was far simpler and more practical.

"All taken care of, Eddy," said Kira. "But then, was there ever any doubt?"

Eddy chuckled, with his trademark crooked smirk. "I guess not. By the way, I got a new job for you. Walk with me." Eddy and Kira walked away from the squad of soldiers. "So there's this rich a-hole-"

"Not another job protecting rich a-holes, please," Kira interrupted, rubbing her temples. "I thought I had finally gotten above all that."

"Now now, don't worry. Protecting the a-hole is a part of it, but there's more to it than that. He's apparently the grandson of a great archeologist whose name escapes me at the moment, and living off inheritance. He's apparently got this thing that his grandfather found one time, but never said where exactly he found it. It must be valuable in some way, considering that he's gone to every other hero organization to help him find it. Simply put, we're his last resort."

"And this should matter to us, why?"

"Because when we discussed payment, he told me to name my price. I of course did, and he said if I move him up on my priority list he'd double it. Leading to this being the price we agreed on." Eddy held up the check, which made Kira's jaw hit the floor. There had to be at least twelve zeroes on that check.

"He…he really wants this thing found," she said.

"Yeah, and pronto like. So, I'm assigning you to the mission. Find out where this, whatever it is, is, and then bring it here."

"And if we can't find anything?"

Eddy shrugged. "Then we double his payment for wasting our time. Either way, we all walk away even richer. Now get to the scamper, I'm sending Ed and Jack with you."

Kira raised an eyebrow. "Okay, really? Jack and Ed? Is this job really so dangerous that it requires two heroes?"

"Considering you're probably going to be heading into the darklands, yeah."

Kira shuddered. The darklands were the parts of the world that the fusions had overrun and completely taken over. She had heard tales of what it was like to be out there on the front lines. In short, this had better be worth it. Well, if nothing else, she would have two heroes coming along with her. And ones she trusted, at that. "And here I thought those two would be too busy on mount Olympus to help us mere mortals," she said. Ed had been indicted into the Hero program about 2 years ago, and she hadn't seen much of him since. More than likely, he was out on the front lines, doing his duty. Admirable, but she still missed her friend.

"Well, he would be if you weren't going on this mission," Eddy replied. "Once I told him you were going, he volunteered without question. Jack owes me a few favors, and he knows the darklands better than anyone, so he's coming too. Now hustle your bustle and get to work."

Kira rolled her eyes before grumbling out a "yes sir," and heading over to the armory to get her gear.

Kira entered the armory, where various battle suits and weapons were hanging from the walls and inside lockers. At the end of this weaponized hallway was Jimmy and Johnny, who were sitting behind a desk with a cash register-esque object nearby. Kira browsed the walls before finding the equipment she desired: a set of camo body armor, a compound bow with titanium dipped detonator arrows, and a laser sniper rifle with an advanced scope. She walked up to the counter and prodded Johnny, who was asleep with his feet propped up. "Hey, Woodie," she said, calling him by his nickname.

Johnny snorted and almost fell over from the rude awakening, but luckily he caught himself and sat up straight. "Oh, hey Kira," he said with a small wave. "Heading out for another mission? I thought you just got back."

"Yes, and I did," Kira replied, rubbing her temples. "It never ends, evidently…"

"Nope," Johnny replied as he rung up Kira's weapons. The machine wasn't really a cash register, but in fact a machine built to scan any weapon meant to leave the armory so that they won't trip the alarm when the wielder tried to leave. Kira grabbed her stuff and walked out. As she did so, she had herself a sigh. Something told her that this was gonna be a long mission.

Little did she know just how right she was…