Simon's theme: Indestructible by disturbed
The loud clangs of metal on stone bounce off the rough hewn walls of the large cavern, creating a ringing cacophony that deafens the scientists and technicians working in room. Standing in the middle of the cavity, light upon by a number of spot lights, stands an enormous dust crystal consisting of a scintillating array of colors. Large drills are being moved around the crystal in preparation for its excavation. The technicians chat excitedly amongst themselves, a crystal of this type has never been encountered before. The power readings are off the charts, such a crystal could power the entire kingdom of vale for years to come, such an asset would be invaluable in the war against grim. The drills begin to whir to life before descending upon the crystal and causing a deafening screech to ring out through the mine. Cracks spider web across the surface of the massive crystal, before its splits into four segments and falls away from its center revealing a raised platform. Lying on the platform are eleven human skeletons arrayed around a single large pale humanoid form. Muscle ripples under its pale skin as it breathes in deeply. A head with long black hair slowly rises up to face the startled lookers revealing a gleaming white reptilian skull beset with a pair of blood red eyes. The figure slowly rises to its full height of seven feet before dropping from the edge of the platform and approaching the assembled scientists; one of them panics and slams the alarm causing a mad stampede for the exit as security drones storm into the chamber.
The assembled drones take aim with their guns and demand for the intruder to identify its self. The large creature walking towards the exit give no response and marches onwards seemingly determined to reach its unnamed goal. As one the drones open fire with a roaring storm of hot lead. The bullets deflect off of a strong aura before a number of shapes appear behind the man proceeding to streak towards the assembled drones and leaving them nothing more than sparking chunks of metal littering the floor. The man continues forward, only stopping to collect a fallen lab coat that is far too small for him. Tearing the sleeves as he forces his arms through he lets the garment settle on his shoulders.
As the man makes his way through the mine towards the exit he comes across the now empty workers quarters where a delicious aroma wafts through the halls causing him to divert his course to into a large room with many tables spread out inside. On the far side of the room lies a now empty serving area still filled with many hot dishes waiting for consumption. Staggering over, he dips his hands into the serving trays coming up with a hand full from the tray marked "Mystery meat". Pulling his hand towards his face to consume the food and slate the ravaging hunger inside of him, he is stopped by the tough material of the reptilian skull covering his face as a mask currently obstructing his mouth. With a hollow sounding grunt the man drops the meat and brings both of his hands to the jaws of the shining white bones over his face. The man feels over the smooth surface of the skull surrounding his head before giving off a short startled gasp. Placing his hands on either side of the nose of the mask, his arms ripple with tension as he squeezes inward causing it to fragment into countless tiny shards before falling to the floor and disintegrating into dust. A strong square Jaw juts forward menacingly from his face which is contrasted by his rather small and pointed nose. Thick eyebrows sit over the top of his large red eyes framed by the cascade of black hair tumbling forward off of his head. Turning back to the assembled food the man hungrily tears into it as if he had been fasting for an eternity, causing scraps to fall to the floor as he rapidly demolishes the serving trays. After consuming all the food he begins to make his way towards the exit only stopping to dispatch the few drones that attempt to intercept his ascent from the mine.
The man finds himself before a large blast door, gleaming in the dim red light of the emergency lighting. Placing his hand against the cool metal the man pushes against it to little avail. Stepping back a few feet he holds his hands out as if grasping a solid object. Fractal lines explode from his palms, forming a wire-frame in the shape of a nodachi before bringing to fill in with a vibrant series of colors. The handle forms first, a blackened steel cross guard with a hilt wrapped in white leather. The blade forms next, a Smokey glass substance that shimmers in the blinking red light. Raising the sword above his head he gives a mighty yell before bringing it down upon the steel of the door and causing it to split in two, allowing the brilliant light of the surface world to spill into the depths of the mine. The light is a blinding searing pain attacking his eyes, causing him to stumble back before retreating fully back into the mine. Patting down the pockets of his lab coat he finds a pair of wide rimmed black sunglasses, quickly throwing them over his eyes and finding relief. Stomping out into the hard packed snow, he takes a moment to survey the barren landscape surrounding the mine. Wind whips over the ground driving loose snow into mounds alongside the now abandoned crew quarters of the mine. There is an unnerving silence permeating the camp, though he pays it no mind as he maneuvers towards the gate at the other end. The snow is deep and the man sinks up to his shins as he plows through the impeding powder, the chill of the cold air and the dampness of the snow melting against his skin neither register nor deters him as he moves. He can feel them, like a nostalgic vibe permeating his very soul, his one true enemy, Grim. Exiting the camp and heading for a thicket of nearby trees he begins his long awaited hunt.
2 weeks later
Peter Port had been tracking a powerful alpha Beowulf across the frozen expanse of northern atlas for the better part of a week, and he was getting close. Beacon Academy's professor of grim biology had taken the job during the off season to further stimulate his aging nerves and relive his glory days. His once black hair was starting to fade and his waist had managed to grow a few inches over the course of the last school year. Though he refused to slow his personal hunts during the breaks, such as the one he was on now. The beast he was tracking had decimated a small village before fleeing into the wilderness. His search has led him to the den of the monster, a large cave complex hewn by time into the rough walls of a large Cliffside. What he finds there he does not expect.
A ferocious Howl of pain cuts through the cold morning air, causing the veteran hunter to cover his assaulted ears. Moving into the clearing he finds his quarry locked in a deadly battle with a rather strangely dressed young man appearing to be in his late teens. A shredded and bloody lab coat adorns the warrior's frame while his hands hold an oversized nodachi seemingly made of a foggy glass. The rapidly decaying bodies of the alpha beowulf's pack litter the clearing in droves, creating a nightmarish vista of black flesh and red blood over what would normally be a picturesque winter clearing. The beowulf's claws lunge forward, intent to spill the warrior's blood upon the cold ground. The claws slam against and flickering white aura before being deflected away. The Beowulf's momentum forces its weight to the side before the young swordsman's blade finds the creature's unprotected neck. The beast's head tumbles through the air in a slow arc before landing in the red splashed snow.
Port boldly drives his way into the now silent clearing before addressing the unknown warrior "You there!" his thunderous voice booms across the open ground as he nears the man. "What a show! What is your name my boy?"
The young swordsman's head slowly turns to the loud man making his way across the clearing. Turning to face Port fully, he responds in a slow and deliberate monotone voice "This unit's designation is fifty one tack M zero N(51-M0N), who are you?"
Port's eyebrows stitch together in confusion the response before he quickly shakes his and responds "well that's quite odd, you don't appear to be a drone my dear boy, at least not in how you wield that sword." Port hums to himself in contemplation as he retrieves his scroll from his pocket. "Well all the same, what are you doing way out here wearing nothing but a lab coat, are you not cold?"
The young swordsman's response drones fourth in a stark contrast to the rolling thunder of Port's voice. "Killing grim."
Port hums in thought before pressing on with more questions "where do you live boy, where is your family? Surly you could not have walked all the way out here." As he says this he swings his arm out to gesture at the barren landscape.
"I have no family, my reason to live is to kill grim, and so I kill grim." The young swordsman responds before turning to walk into the surrounding forest leaving a flabbergasted port behind him.
Port looks down at the message on his scroll before snapping up to look at the figure walking away, Jogging to close the distance between him and the young swordsman port calls out to him "Wait my boy where are you going now?"
Slowly turning around the young Swordsman responds with a dull voice "kill grim."
Coming up in front of the young man Port straightens himself out before resuming speaking. "I have an offer to make you, have you heard of beacon academy?"
"no" is the answered returned by the young man
"No? My boy it is only the most prestigious school for hunters and huntress in the whole world" port responds surprise plainly written across his face. The thought that there was someone in the world who had never heard of the school he taught at floored him.
The swordsman responds with a slow deliberate response "what is a hunter?"
"What is a hunter? WHAT IS A HUNTER! HEROS SWORN TO FIGHT THE THREAT OF GRIM WHERE EVER IT MAY MAKE ITS SELF KNOWN, SWORN TO PROTECT THE INNOCENT, UPHOLD THE TRUTH AND FREEDOMS OF THOSE WHO ARE NOT STRONG WNOUGH TO FIGHT! MY BOY HAVE YOU BEEN LIVING UNDER A ROCK?" ports now booming voice severs the calm quiet of the cold air as it rolls though the clearing. His hands gesture about wildly as though he were attempting to fly away into the sky with determination alone.
"Yes" is the simple answer returned to ports question. The swordsman's tone and face shows no reaction to the storm that just exploded no less than five feet away from him.
Port staggers back as if he had been struck by the inane words just spoken. His mustache twitches is agitation before heaving a deep sigh a though he has come to a decision. "Look, you don't have a home to go to, so how about coming with me and joining Beacon academy. We will teach you to be a hunter of grim." Port says while beaming.
"But I already kill grim" is the shallow monotone response given by the sword wielder.
"Yes! And you do a fantastic job my boy, fantastic job" responds Port while gesturing about with his arms. "But! You are simply hunting small fry out in the wilderness like this. If you attend Beacon we can guarantee you the biggest most ferocious grim to fight" Ports hands clasp onto the wide shoulders of the young swordsman before he continues speaking. "You just need to complete four years of training to become a licensed hunter, and if I may say my boy, you could use the education as well!"
"Acceptable" responds the young man with no emotion.
"Great, I've already called in a ride for us." Answers port, now getting use to conversing with the odd boy. "In the meantime let me regal you with the tale that will teach you what it means to be a real hunter!" 51-M0N listens with rapt attention to the tales that are spun as he unknowingly makes his way toward the end of his long journey. Little does he know what adventures and friends he will find in the prestigious Beacon Academy.
A/N: thank you for all who have read this far, I ask that if possible you may leave constructive criticism. I have not written sense I left high school over five years ago and feel I am a little rusty so help is appreciated. Just one other quick plug, the comic for this story can be found on my profile page.