Eidolon

I'm cruising at a high altitude, at first they try to talk to you, then they try to bribe you, then they send a strongly worded letter. I'm what happens when you ignore that strongly worded letter. Theoretically, Radar could pick me up at this height, theoretically anti aircraft guns could take me out. Thing is, a lot of things are theoretical, but that asskicking I'm about to deliver? That's a law, a scientific principle.

It's a small, almost deserted city state in what used to be Libya, over 90% of the country have either died, or left by now. Now it's just warlords of various stripes, people who can't leave for one reason or another, as long as they keep the oil flowing and don't try to fuck with the countries that are still functioning. Which in this case means Egypt. I really don't care about what they call themselves, it really doesn't matter. Right now I'm listening to a Motown marathon, right now the Queen of Soul is singing her heart out, thank you miss Franklin for making this moment happen. I decide to sing along, I'm not as good as miss Franklin but it's something to do.

"Ain't no way for me to love you
If you won't let me
It ain't no way for me to give you all you need
If you won't let me give all of me."

I strafe the rooftop and blow up their weapon depots, I land on the ground and walk towards the mob of men armed with dime store AK47s and keep singing.

"I know that a woman's duty is to help and love a man
And that's the way it was planned
Oh but how can I how can I how can I
Give you all the things I have
If you're tying both of my hands."

A storm of lighting rises from my hands as they scream and die, I continue walking to where their leaders are, I think there are what, half a dozen Parahumans on their team? One of them is giving some kind of speech over the intercom, I raise the volume of my headset to drone him out. I've been through this a million times, I really don't give two shits about what this current asshole is saying.

"Oh it ain't no way
It ain't no way
It just ain't no way baby
Ain't no way baby
It ain't no way for me to love you
If you won't let me."

A Brute rushes forward, I slam him to the ground and snap his neck, my power reaches into him and feeds, it's not a pleasant process but if I want to stay at 100%, if I want to keep Keter going, It has to feed, thank god there are so many volunteers. I keep walking towards their base, the Tinkers and Blasters are trying to shoot me, kill me. I don't bother dodging their attacks, it might disrupt the song.

"Stop trying to be someone you're not
How come it's true there's a man
Who payed too much for what he got
And if you need me like you say you do
Oh then, then don't you know that I need you"

I kick open the door and start ripping the screaming villains apart, I'm pretty sure they're screaming, people usually scream when you set them on fire, I really can't hear them die over my sound system. I continue forward singing along as it hits the end of the song. I blast open the door where their leader is. I continue singing as his eyes open in horror.

"Oh, it ain't no way
I tell you that it ain't no way
It ain't no way, it ain't no way baby, no
It just ain't no way
It sho' ain't no way
It ain't no way for me to love you
If you won't let me

No way, if you won't let me
Ain't no way"

I pick up a wrench and causally bring it down on his head over and over again and steal his essence, and with that the music ends, I walked out of the now deserted compound, the smell of burnt flesh in the air and flew away. As Miss Franklin did her rendition of 'Say a little prayer for you.' another gem from the first lady of soul. Wherever she is I hope she's doing well, thank you Aretha