Chapter 8: The Other Void (Swamp)
-State of Frolida (Swamp Area)
A group of armed man on a top of what looks to be fortress on a giant tree (Like a giant tree house that has 'bad guy' vibes written all over it) in the middle of a swamp. they we're having a conversation while drinking, some are playing poker. Then their leader spoke. "I would like to thank everyone on the success of the gun deal! Enjoy the night hermanos! for in the future we take our empire to new heights!" He exclaimed and his whole gang cheered, he then stood up and walked down to a metal door (The one that submarines use) then he turned that hatch and opened it and it brought him into a room that looks to be laboratory, he then approached an old Hispanic man wearing a dirty lab coat. "So what's the progress on your experiment Doctor Ramirez?" He asked. "I got the damn thing to work but it makes the plants grow in an alarmingly scary rate! If I can only get it to slow down it's growth just a bit we could be looking at a way to help and solve world hunger!" The doctor exclaimed. "Please! I don't intend in helping humanity solve world hunger, If you succeed I'll sell it to the Chinese and I-" He was cut off by the doctor. "Mr. Vinez selling it might not be a good idea! Do you have any idea as to what this orb could do in the hands of the wrong man!?" He said furrowing his eyebrows. "I do not care doctor! So I suggest you keep working on that orb before I ran out of patience and have your family executed!" He threatened the doctor, the doctor closed his mouth in fear. Vinez then looked at the glowing green orb that was sitting on top of a table. "You are gonna make me a lot of money." He said but then he heard the door open and saw a man wearing a stealth suit and pointed a gun at him. "Oscar Vinez you are under arrest for stealing D.U.P property!" Oscar tried to pull his own gun but then the man shot him on the shoulder, he stumbled back in pain dropping the gun in the process. He quickly ran for the orb not caring what would happen if he touched it. He grabbed the orb and attempted to escape through a window. As he was running to the window he got shot again 5 more times on his back hitting his heart, lung and liver. He reached the window and fell into the deep swamp waters, the orb glowed even brighter as it deformed into a plant like blob and made it's way to Oscar's guns shot wounds, he screamed in pain and began to vomit blood in the swamp and then he shook violently. He appeared dead as the man who shot him looked at him from the shattered window. "Vinez is dead." He said, his hand on his ear piece. "I think the orb is somewhere in the water.. We need extraction and fa-" He stopped talking as he witnessed Oscar's body began to have a seizure and vines grew from within his corpse, the vines kept growing and it wrapped Oscars corpse as if it was a caterpillar wrapping itself preparing for metamorphosis. "WE NEED EXTRACTION FAST! SOMETHING IS HAPPENING TO OSCAR'S BODY!" He said in panic.
-Daniel's apartment
While eating breakfast Daniel turned on the TV and watched the news. "We will be expecting nothing but pure sunshine for this week's weather report, so pull out your umbrellas, put on some sunblock and head to the beaches, it's going to be a sunny week! And for more news. In the state of Frolida dead bodies have been found in a hidden base deep in the swamp. Over 32 bodies have be found, it has been confirmed that the identities of the bodies belongs to the members of an arms dealer gang called 'The Vinez'. The leader of the gang known as Oscar Vinez is still at large." The news lady finished. "Sheesh! that was a brutal massacre!" Daniel reacted. He turned of the TV and got ready for school. "Examination day here I come!" Daniel walked to the station ready for his school exam he felt confident that he would nail this test. Something is bothering him though, he thought of Elise and concluded that she was the reason why he felt off. (The thing that happened to them on the previews chapter.)
-King's High
He went to his locker and grabbed what he needed for the test, but someone closed his locker before he could grab everything he needed and as he looked up he came face to face with person he didn't want to see that day, Elise Avalon along with her 2 friends. "Well if it isn't the creepy geek himself! Daniel Frost!" She said with malice in her voice also she's drinking a milk shake. "Good morning to you too." Daniel said sarcastically. 'I see she's back to her bitchy attitude! Well that didn't take long.' He added mentally. "Think you're so cool now huh!?" She replied and she opened the lid of her milkshake and poured it in Daniel's head and threw the empty cup on his face, her friends just smirked as people laughed at Daniel. "Enjoy the milkshake loser!" She walked away and flipped Daniel the bird. Daniel wiped the milkshake off of his face with his towel his hoodie now covered in milk. "Great. Just what I need. Okay I probably deserve that!" He finished wiping his hair and his face he took off his hoodie and thew it in his locker and continued to grab his stuff. "Good thing that was a thick hoodie that would've got on my under shirt." He said. Now he was only wearing his ACDC shirt. He then arrived and took a seat at his usual spot. When lunch came he decided to try something different instead of his usual sandwich he got burger and fires. He ate on the rooftop enjoying the peace.
-D.U.P Labs Starlington DC (Neighboring City of Kings City)
On the morgue room of the laboratory there he was or it was, the cocoon of Oscar, a doctor was working on autopsying his body. He tried cutting the vines that wrapped around Oscars corpse, he tried every tool in his arsenal but to no avail, not even the powered saw was able to scratch it. he searched for the vine's weak spot and tried from there, he finally manage to cut a piece of vine. So he decided to test it under a microscope, he was amazed as to what he had discovered, it was like nothing he'd ever seen. As he was amazed the cocoon began to shake and it crack open. The doctor turned to the cocoon only to see a dark green Oscar sitting face down. "O-oscar?" The doctor asked with fear in his voice. Oscar then looked up to the doctor's face with superhuman speed causing the doctor fumble back on the floor. Oscar slowly stood up vines slowly wrapping his hands, then body, then face, he was then buffed up he grew larger and taller. (It was 7 feet and 6 inches tall it was very similar to Venom[Tom hardy] but it was green I'd say it's features are a mix between venom and swamp thing) He grab the doctor by the neck and his hand did a thing where the doctors flesh began to decompose (It was absorbing the doctor). it then threw the doctor's very thin skeleton like corpse with the skin still intact on the ground. It made it's way around the lab looking for more humans to consume. One by one the D.U.P Soldiers dropped like flies when the alarm came off it was too late, it already made it's way out by breaking the walls of the building. It escaped in the city consuming every human it encounters. It looked like it was making a B line for Kings City, will our hero be able to stop this new void abomination? Find out next time on drago- nope this chapter's not over yet.
-Bill's Shop
"Bill have you read this article?" Daniel said while Bill giving him a confused look. "It says here that 'A giant green monster is killing people only leaving their skeleton like remains on the streets.' That's pretty scary!" Daniel exclaimed. "Yeah anything can happen this days! From smoke morphing guy to green giant life sucking monster." Bill said, but then Dan realized something as Bill said that. 'Could it be possible that 1 of the spheres has a connection to this thing? I mean I got my powers from that thing. And Bill said there were other spheres that scattered maybe the guy who turned into that giant monster found one and activated it somehow?' Daniel theorized in his thought. 'It could be possible' He added. "Dan? Daaaan? Danny? Daniel!?" Daniel finally snapped from his thoughts. "Oh sorry Bill! just lost in thoughts! haha!" he laughed weakly. "I said it's closing time so let's lock up." Bill commanded. "Right! It's getting pretty late." Daniel closed the shop and bid goodbye to Bill.
-Kings High
''Finally! that was so agonizing, it's like hell!" Carol said. "It was alright! Elise said tackling and hugging her boyfriend, Carol rolled her eyes at them. "Get a room love birds!" Samantha teased. "Hey isn't that the guy that hugged you? The nerd... Ummm Daniel? Was it?" Sam added. "Yeah.. That's h-him!" Elise stammered. "What was he thinking hugging you? hahaha!" Samantha asked. "Well he won't be trying that again!" Edward exclaimed feeling proud at himself. "He was just thanking me for helping him out on something... He got pretty carried away." Elise looked down as she blushed. "You guys wanna see them practice?" Sam asked. "S-sure!" Elise said. "Like I would wanna see outcasts losers playing in a band. I rather hear a horse fart! I bet it sounds better than those losers!" Carol exclaimed. "Yeah! You guys wanna destroy your ear drums? Be my guest! I'll just go hang out with the boys!" He kissed Elise and left, Carol soon followed next. "They're a little mean don't you think?" Sam asked. "Yup that they are." Elise answered. When they reached the gymnasium the band was already sound checking. The drummer was drumming the beat to MJ's Beat it, and soon enough Dan joined in, next the bass player join in as well. They reached the solo part and Dan played the solo cleanly without mistakes. "Well I'm pretty sure no horse could fart with a sound that good." Sam joked. "Daniel can really play can he?" She added. "Yup he really can." Elise said with a sigh."Okay what's wrong El?" She asked in concern. "Nothing, forget it Sammy." "You know what? Let's text carol to meet us in the mall.. Oh! and maybe Edward and the boys!" She giggled. "Okay." Elise replied. What they didn't know was the Daniel had the same plan to go to the mall but with different reasons.
-The Mall
"Neat this sound awesome!" Daniel said while trying a new guitar effects pedal. "That came in earlier today, it's latest Boss model." The music store clerk said. Across the music store Elise was watching him. 'Oh Daniel.' She thought, it didn't last long though. The whole top floor began shaking as people ran in panic and fear from the green monster that is about to wreak havoc. Elise and her friends also began to panic as all they could do was watch in terror because the monster focused on them, the beast screamed and jumped uncontrollably causing partial of the floor to collapse. As the floor collapsed Elise fell but luckily was able to hold on she screamed for help to her boyfriend because she was starting slip, but Edward just left her and ran to save himself, luckily Daniel saw what was happening and ran as fast as he could not caring if anyone had seen him. He slid to the floor and managed to grab her hand before she could fall. "Don't worry! I Got ya! I Got ya!" Daniel pulled her up and Elise was in a state of shock. When Dan got her up she cried and hugged him tightly, Daniel was caught off guard but returned the hug and rubbed her back to comfort her. "It's okay! It's okay! It's alright! You're alright!" Dan said looking at her, tears dropping in her eyes. "Can you stand?" He asked, and she wiped her tears and nodded. "Okay." Daniel helped her stand. The beast huffed and was aiming for Elise and her friends. "You guys need to get out of here!" Daniel shouted at his schoolmates who was in shock as to what Daniel did. "GO! Get her out of here!" Dan pushing Elise gently to her friends, but Elise refusing to let go of Daniel. "I'm not leaving you here!" Elise said. "JUST GO! We don't have much time!" Daniel exclaim in frustration at Elise's stubbornness. "No! no no no no! I'm not leaving you Dan!" Daniel looked at Elise's friends mainly at Samantha. "Get her out of here, she's in a state of shock and isn't thinking straight." Samantha nodded and grabbed Elise who was still hugging Daniel's waist, he pushed her again this time he got her of him. "Daniel no!" Elise exclaimed. "GO! While I distract it!" Daniel said. "NO! What about you!?" Elise asked now crying even harder. "Don't worry about me okay?" He gave her a small smile. "I'm sorry.. For the other day.. Now GO!" Daniel said then sprinted to the direction of the beast while Elise was being dragged by her friends she stretching her arms trying to reach Dan. The beast ignored Daniel and was eyeing Elise and her friends. "HEY! HEY! Over here!" Daniel said waving his hands on the air to get the beast's attention. When the beast's attention was on him he slowly backed away. "Hey big guy, the sun's getting real low." He said. The beast approached him and tried to grab him but lucky for him he was fast enough to dodge the beast's attempts at grabbing him, he dodged a couple more attempts. 'What should I do with this thing?!' he thought to himself. 'I should keep stalling until all the people are out.' Until all the people are out.' He then taunts the beast. "That all you got big guy?" The beast roared at him. "Not good!" Daniel ran regretting what he did. The beast chased Daniel, almost catching him a couple of times. "Okay that was close!" Daniel exclaimed while running, at this point most of the people are out of the mall then he decided to use his powers and smoke dashed as far as he can to escape the monster. He hid behind the counter of a store and quickly changed into his smoke outfit(He had his backpack on this whole time by the way). "I can't just let this beast rampage all over the city, I need to stop it." He decided to face the beast. "I don't really have my chain on me." He said to himself, he left his chain at his home due to his plans of going to the mall after practice, and he couldn't bring it with him to the mall due to the metal detectors on the entrances. "Welp! This is gonna suck! Fists then. I don't even know if fists would work on it!" Daniel finished. He smoke dashed and stopped in front of the beast. "Hey! you miss me?" He said sarcastically. The beast threw the first punch but Daniel dodged it and threw a punch to it's right side of it's torso he aimed for it's ribs but to no avail. "Oh uh!" The beast elbowed Daniel and he was sent flying to a cloths store, he landed hard on the floor. "Uhhh! Okay... That hurt.. mmhmm![Grunting]" He slowly stood up and shook the pain away, he smoke dashed at the monster trying another punch but this time he added his smoke powers with it. He hit the spot he was aiming for the first time and it broke a piece of the side of it's torso as if it was it's skin, only it wasn't made from human skin tissue, it resembled a tree bark. Daniel noticed and smoke dashed backwards away from it. "So you're a tree thing huh? Are you Groot?" He joked and the beast roared at him. "I'll take that as a no." Daniel said. The beast then regenerated the piece of bark it lost and it touched the ground with both of it's hands. Vines started growing from the ground and caught Dan in both of his legs, he was too surprised to even react as to what was happening. He tried moving but the grip was too tight. "That's not good." The beast ran towards him and punched his chest with such force that it send him flying through benches, advertising signs and side stalls and he landed with a loud bang. He coughed blood and struggled to breath, as he tried to stand his body won't let him, it was as if his body was a piece of metal and the floor was magnet. He continued coughing blood and failed to notice that the beast was slowly walking towards him, the beast then grabbed him by the neck with it's right hand, it's left hand then morphed into what looks to be a wooden spear like thing with a sharp tip and stabbed Daniel right in his shoulder. It was deep enough to go through the other side. "AHHHHHUUUUGGG! [In immense pain]." The beast looked him in the eyes and smirked and started to absorb him. Daniel could feel his life slipping away, his vision slowly turning dark, he could see his life past through his eyes, every event that happened, every present he opened, every cake his mother baked for him, every happy and sad events in his life, until lastly the event of his parent's murder. 'Is this it? Is this the best I can do? This probably isn't that bad.. I get to see my parents now! I accept this.' He said but then he saw a security guard pointing his pistol at the thing and pulled the trigger. The beast stopped absorbing Daniel and turned it's head to the person who shot it. It growled a low and scary growl and while this was all happening Daniel's healing factor kicked in but it was very slow, Daniel regained his vision, and then a little bit of his strength. "Hey asshole." Daniel said with this his right fist on the ready to throw a punch, his fist was already emitting smoke. The beast then turned to Daniel in with a surprised look on it's face. "I'm the one you're fighting!" The threw the punch so hard that his fist broke the beast's mouth, Daniel continued to shove his hand on the beast's mouth and mustered all the energy he has to create a giant smoke projectile inside the beast's mouth. It exploded in it's mouth completely obliterating the beast's head without a trace on it left. The beast's body went limp dropping Daniel on the floor, Daniel then removed himself from the spear hand of the beast screaming in pain in the process. he sleeveless denim jacket was completely torn off. but the hoodie under it was mostly intact with a few tears and holes on it. Daniel breathed heavily and crawled to a nearby wall and leaned his back on it trying to recover most of his strength. He looked at the man who save him and nodded at the him, the security guard ran in fear thinking that Daniel was gonna do what he did to the monster to him. "You know I'm not a monster!" Daniel tried to stand and go after him but failed. He breathed heavily again. "Well this is not gonna do." He took of his hoodie off slowly, grunting in pain in the process. He grabbed his torn up denim jacket and put it inside his back pack with the hoodie. He stood up slowly and walked in agonizing pain down the steps and out the main entrance, the mall was heavily damaged, no one's gonna be shopping in there for a long time, so anyway back to Daniel.
-Out side the mall
there was no more people outside of the mall except for policemen, firemen, and medical professionals. Daniel slowly limped his way to the safe zone. "There's a kid!"
a policeman shouted. "He looks heavily wounded! We need medics!" The policeman added. Elise was still there with Samantha minus their other friends, they left due to the scary event that occurred, but Elise decided to wait for Daniel and so Samantha being the good friend that she is decided to stick by her. As they saw a limping Daniel exit the building, Elise ran to him ignoring the safety perimeter that the police had set up. "Ma'am? Ma'am!" One police officer shouted. Nothing could stop her from going to Daniel. Elise caught Dan in a tight embrace with Dan grunting due to the pain he felt from the tight hug. "What we're you thinking!?" Elise scolded him with tears on her eyes. "I [Heavy breathing] I need[Heavy breathing]." Daniel felt dizzy his vision began to blur and then there was darkness, Daniel had collapsed into Elise's embrace. "Dan?! Dan wake up!" Elise shaking Daniel's body. "Daniel! Help! Daniel wake up!" She said while screaming for the medical team. When the medic reached them they were separating Elise from Daniel. He was hauled away in the ambulance. The medics was treating Daniel's wounds and bruises in the ambulance on the way to the hospital Elise was there with him crying while hugging Daniel's backpack while Samantha was rubbing her back. "Don't worry sweetie he's gonna be alright." a female medic that looked to be around her mid 30s said assuring her on Daniel's condition, but that didn't stop Elise from crying.
-The mall
D.U.P Soldiers went in with a doctor that has a blind left eye with a scar on it standing over what looks to be like a cocoon. "Don't worry Oscar.. We have a lot of use for you." He said with a thick Russian accent. "Take him." He ordered and the med brought in a giant tube and opened it and took Oscar's cocoon and put it inside the giant tube and hauled it in a military grade truck. "One down.. 6 more to go." He smiled a menacing smile and his blind left eye began to glow a bright purple.