Prologue - arson
"It's done."
Black smoke bellowed from within powerful, blazing flames, which erupted from a nearby factory enveloped by a raging bed of blue fire. From atop a building stood a figure, sniffing as charred bandages absorbed the heat without causing its form to turn to ashes unlike the remainder of their burnt clothes falling apart at the seams.
"Tommy. Head to the next location."
The darkness aided in obscuring the person's identity as the closed-off area built behind the facility, which contained the power stations exploded, causing the approaching firefighters to watch the direction the flames spread. The explosion only made the flames hotter, allowing firefighters with Quirks suited for the job to brave the inferno.
"… I understand."
When the flames were finally contained, important Pro Heroes and the State Police appeared to make the statement promising whoever's responsible will be put to justice.
The unprecedented arson of the Young-Johnson's pharmaceutical facility in Salem, Oregon had federal authorities in the United States concerned due to the increase of Quirk Takeovers in recent years. Many MS cell carriers had been affecting Quirkless populations worldwide, causing panic within communities and sparking divisions between those with Quirks and the Quirkless.
"All personnel within 9 months to 13 years of age identified to be carriers of mature MS cells need to proceed in this line!"
A disheveled young man held a dirty little boy close to his chest with shaking arms, anxiously looking around as officers and medical professionals alike were decked with biohazard suits.
His eyes seemed dull, devoid of any shine. The pupils were a bluish-black with irises starting from a deep sapphire hue fading to a lighter blue.
"Shh… Don't worry…"
Little fingers held onto the young man as he tightened his grip on the crying toddler, asking for the comforting presence of their parents. He turned around to see the front of a taller figure with their eyes focused on the line he and his brother were placed in.
Tears fell from his eyes as unruly black locks covered his vision temporarily.
"It's going to be-"
From the far end, a man screamed, yelling as he brandished a pistol. The nearest guard shot at the direction of the panicked individual, missing by a hair and misfiring into a pregnant woman. The crazed man immediately shot the guard and a few others closest to him, causing an uproar as the terrified crowd fled from the scene and started to run towards their direction.
The moment it broke into chaos, others fearing their lives took it upon themselves to take out the nearest guards, inciting the authorities to order the shooting of the horde regardless if the others were merely running for their lives or they were actively murdering the manpower and medical staff they had on the field.
"Brother?"
As soon as the gunning started, the young man grabbed his brother, moving away from the open area towards the military vehicles near the medical camps. Halfway through their sprint, shots dotted the front of the group they were following. Blood splattered on their faces as a bullet pierced his shoulder, forcing him to hold the toddler under him on the bed of deceased people, shielding him from the shower of bullets coming down towards those still running away in the distance. He gritted his teeth, his zipper-down hoodie seeping with the blood from those under them and his very own.
"D-Don't move…"
…
There was an odd silence that pervaded the field stained red as those near the gates begged for their lives. The soldiers assisting the transfer of individuals were finally ordered to stop their assault, feeling as though the image in front of them was merely a hallucination - an unpleasant dream.
The young man's body felt stiff as hot tears washed down his cheeks, blood caking parts of his youthful face. He held his little brother close to him, pulling up the toddler's face only to drop the body right on top of the lifeless corpses covered in dark red blood.
A bullet hole found its way on the little boy's skull. Somehow, the wound on his shoulder didn't register at all.
"B-Bull's… eye…"
An opportunistic swarm of flies buzzed around him as his ears rung with a deafening shrill noise - White clad figures carrying weapons led a bloody, dirty group towards the military vehicles.
"N-No…"
Two strong hands grabbed his body and hoisted him on their shoulder before placing him inside another vehicle on route to the survivors' next destination.
Strangely, the young man's body felt incredibly warm. Too warm.
Seven Years Ago
"I'm Sandra Brooks.
Despite the nationwide effort of controlling the newest global pandemic affecting only Quirkless peoples from every state and county, there is still major confusion regarding how the disease actually affects the population.
Dr. Froste, leading Quirk Geneticist, and his team had consulted medical professionals from every corner of the world. They will now tell you what they've learned from such a short time."
A woman sporting horns protruding backwards spoke very cautiously as she let her purple slitted eyes focus on the camera capturing her and the screen right behind her.
"There are many rumors and opinions that are floating around the Internet and among social circles regarding the Miranda Strain Syndrome. Any cure advertised by any organization or company at this point on is ineffective and untested, and I want everyone to understand that acting on mere assumptions may lead to troublesome results. I advise everyone to stay calm and wait for verified information to come out from either Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, World Health Organization, and the Federal Government."
The screen shifted, displaying an array of medical professionals. One of them was a man wearing a white coat and sharp glasses. He was youthful despite being in his early thirties, snow white hair slicked back to give him a clean, professional look.
"I believe that it is crucial for everyone regardless whether they are with Quirk or without to calmly understand that not all Quirkless people carry Miranda Seed Cells or MS Cells, in short.
The facts that we will provide are verified by medical personnels involved with the first few cases of the MS Cell sighting."
The information displayed had very clear progression, explaining the first person developing the Miranda Seed Cell to the only known function it had, which was commonly termed as "Quirk Takeovers", or coined by the scientific community as the "Quirk Acquisition Theory".
…
"Honey… The kids would be fine…"
The shuffling of footsteps came upon the living room as a dark-haired woman grabbed her phone from the kitchen counter just as her husband glanced at the television, her fearful deep blue gaze moving from her first born to the toddler playing with his toy cars. The little boy fumbled with his model car, muttering under his breath as he directed a red SUV car to stop in front of a police car with its signature black and white paint coating.
"Stap… kwi-minul…"
The older boy got up and slowly looked between both of his parents. He didn't know why there was apprehension in his mother's face and tone, but he could tell it wasn't a good sign.
There was something coming…
"Haven't they been tested? They're both positive! I'm worried, Isaac!"
His father's dull grey eyes studied him for a long time, walking towards him to grab his shoulder.
"Martha. I'm tell-"
At the direction of the door, a few loud knocks could be heard, which made the man push his oldest son towards his mother. He whispered softly in her ears something none of their children could hear.
"Martha and Isaac Mirren? We're with the Harris County Police Department, and we're here to escort your children to the designated shelters. These are strict CDC guidelines we have to follow, and you have to comply."
…
It was a blur, being pulled and directed to follow in the direction of the bunker hidden in the basement.
The steps were quick enough to trip the older boy in his descent down the stairs of the bunker as his mother locked the entrance, which led to a miniature living room complete with necessary utilities and grocers that could last a family for a year or so.
"M-Mo-"
When the younger boy fell asleep in his mother's arms, those beautiful sapphire orbs silently pleaded for her first born to listen closely as she kept every bit of complex emotion hidden behind a calming, gentle smile. She gave both of them teary-eyed kisses, silently sobbing. There was nothing more she could do but to wipe away her tears while desperately hugging her baby boys.
"You have to take care of your brother… alright? Promise mommy, alright… You're a brave boy… I'm so sorry I can't say more, but mommy and daddy love both of you… Alright?"
"I love you too, mommy… I promise I will…"
…
There wasn't a time he didn't think of his broken promise, walking down the empty stairs leading down to the building's back exit as he grabbed the remnants of the burnt articles of clothing he had on prior to his mission and stuffed them in a bag. He pursed his lips as he pulled his jeans up to his waist, zipped it up, and held it in place with his belt. Afterwards, he wore a hoodie, pulling a chemical compound inside the bag and spraying himself with it.
He took a whiff, noticing that the burnt chemical smell had vanished. He proceeded to walk out and boarded his motorcycle, placing his motorcycle helmet over his head and driving away from the vantage point and onto his next assigned target.
I hope ya'll enjoyed the Prologue! See, I planned this to be an SYOC, but I'm a new writer, and I want to know if I'll get enough readers to actually keep my writing going.
I had to really think on how to approach MHA given a lot of avenues have already been explored. I hope I can keep writing given I have a busy life outside of FF.
Reviews will really be appreciated! You could say it will be a great way for me to see readers' interest in the story (and would likely increase the likelihood of your character to be accepted).
What do you think so far? What will 'Tommy' do next?
Until next time!