THE PROSPEROUS AND EMPOWERED CITY
~An "Alliance of Worlds" story~
Welcome, fellow friends, to a world that lies way ahead of our own time line and in a dimension that is far different from our own home. You cannot even fathom how much the word "difference" marks or is emphasized in this world. Everything you witness, from the ground up to the sky, compels you to a spell-binding state of awe: technology has become unimaginably advanced, the scientific research has evolved exponentially and even society has taken a drastic change. But this boosting improvement in multiple fields would have taken many more years if a cataclysmic event hadn't occurred; as a meteorite hit a certain metropolis on planet Earth, it partially wrought its destructive wreckage, but also conceived greatness with its waves of radiation upon collision. While most citizens were immune to these tidal waves, few were fortunate to experience a change unlike they've ever dreamed of. They were blessed with powers, their bodies enhanced with god-like abilities, offering them a new purpose in their lives. What those people did with their new-found powers was entirely up to them, whether they used them for righteousness and the betterment of mankind or for their own selfish deeds and lust for wealth and more power.
It was in the year 2772 when the meteorite's fate became the birth of a few citizens destiny. But that is now in the past, so let us not linger here any longer and look at a couple of years ahead of us at the city called Acmetropolis.
As you may expect it, if you were a spectator in this world, especially in this city, floating vehicles are hard to miss. High-rises and skyscrapers here are worthy of their titles, but none of them seem to reach the sky's limit as much as the tower in one of the greatest cities on this planet. You must understand that this tower is not a hotel for you nor is it a facility for any research groups studying or experimenting. This tower is owned by a group of extraordinary individuals, known to as the protectors of this city and also the remnants of the Cataclysm in 2772. They are among the very few who use their powers for the safety and protection of Acmetropolis, and this tower they erected is symbol of their oath. It stands as the team's fortress, to house those superheroes as they stand watch over their city and beyond.
Hold on, where do you think you're going? Into that tower? Nice try, but they wouldn't let you in unless you had some pressing, crime-related matters that they can look into. And even if you did, they wouldn't open their heavily-secured entrance because they're not there. For a team of crime-fighting superheroes, they are constantly busy saving the world from countless enemies.
Don't worry, the tour guide is far from over. Let's jump straight to the place where the action is and see what's happening!
For now, let us witness from afar, since a battle between local law enforcement and a criminal has taken place. As you watch from a sidewalk a couple of dozens of yards away from the Millenium Museum, a historic building containing ancient artifacts from our epoch that have become priceless over time, you see nothing but a cloud-enveloped battlefield that has taken a nasty turn. Cries of guns and people are heard, rays of indistinguishable and destructive power illuminate the dust-covered area to reveal some unrecognizable silhouettes, even the ground trembles before you. Any Acmetropolitan would just, as you would say, turn tail and run off; the last thing they'd want would be to get caught in the crossfire.
Let us get closer now. What? There's too much mayhem going on to avoid getting hurt? Please; this is just a story you are reading. But you have to admit that if I weren't your guide and I'd let you take over that responsibility, you'd be stuck behind this wall at the corner of the street, unable to explore this event since you're cowering here, safe and far away from the battlefield. Yes, your limbs are trembling. Look at your hand; you can't stop it from shaking because you are afraid. And yet deep down, you are also curious, aren't you? Do you have what it takes to get closer to this dangerous zone, or are you as terrified as those around you, screaming as they flee for their lives?
In the end, you don't have a choice, for I have already taken you there.
You now find yourself in the middle of what looks like a war zone. From behind you, you see and hear the bullets that zip past you, and you know just by the shouts of men that they are the police. Up ahead, you can't see anything but hear the crunching metal until a wrecked car shoots out of the thick cloud of smoke and dust and soars over your head. The yells and cries intensifies and become vivid as you turn to look behind you, only to have them all silenced by the explosive impact of the car. You are knocked off your feet, your hands scraping against the ground as you desperately try to stop yourself from rolling towards the criminal's territory. That is the least of your worries, for you are choking as this poisonous, scourging air fills your lungs, and your eyes swell from the fumes, burning as they shut themselves tight. And as you struggle to your feet, you realize that you might as well be wandering on a minefield, for you are as blind as a mole and as confused as a naive child. The fact that you are helpless and caught in the line of fire is one of the greatest terrors that you can ever face. In those moments, you resort to prayers, hoping that God is gracious enough to let you live and that He sends someone to save you. I can promise you that in a city like Acmetropolis, prayers are a lot more often heard than you can imagine.
The thick midst is pulled away from you, from the entire combat zone, sucked into a spiraling whirlwind close by. From the strong gusts, your first guess is a tornado, but as you lift your head and look, you question yourself as you see the whirlwind is of a purple shade. It's a thought that only lasts a second before you peel your eyes open and your attention is focused on the battle between two opposing forces.
From the way you gawk at them, I see you have come to understand what I meant when I previously said that society had taken a drastic change. Both the villain and the defenders of justice are a lot more different than you pictured them to look like. A group of colorful animals from a breakfast cereal – two bunnies, a duck, a bird, a coyote and a monster-cat of some sort, each one of them wearing their own theme color – that's how you depict them, and they were up against an azure skin-colored, over-muscled action man with a capability to levitate things with ease. He didn't even need to touch them to get that job done.
Right now, you are what stands between these two forces. You tilt your head to the left to face the villain, just in time to watch him use one of his hands to bring a truck above the ground and fling it like trash towards his opponents. Valiant and quick, they leap in multiple directions as the large vehicle smashes to the ground and causes another breathtaking explosion. You're in complete disbelief, aren't you? This is what you only see in cinemas, and yet these events are coming true before your very eyes.
Every single one of these sci-fi warriors have formed a line and march towards you, the criminal set as their primary target. To you, time seems to have slowed down, just to show another infernal, crunching explosion emerging from their backs, exposing their tremendous valor as they remain unfazed and collective. Their courage is exceptional, for the villain is among the toughest of criminals, because all the team of superheroes does is show their amusement as they rise up to this challenge.
The hare in the middle, obviously the leader of his team, gives off a smug grin in response to the attack. "Hope ya don't mind us crashin' the party, doc, 'cause we Loonatics are just gettin' started! Let's jet!"
.
Well hello, everybody!
I do hope you have enjoyed this little story... It acts in some way as a trailer for my big crossover story, "Alliance of Worlds" which you'll find soon on my main page. This alone should somewhat let you know who might be involved in that big event, so if you are curious about it, then come check it out.
Oh, and any constructive criticism is greatly appreciated! ;D