GrimmFall: Toonami Rebirth

Episode 5

Xxx

The trip down to Earth was faster than TOM thought or maybe that was just brought on by the experience of the pod falling through the Earth's atmosphere. He believed he had avoided detection since Earth's communication network was not much different from the Earth of his reality. He piloted the drop pod down, landing in a forest close enough to see the city but far enough he would not be seen. Once he had landed TOM made his way to the city known as GrimmFall, easily spotting it due to way it lit up the night sky.

GrimmFall was a large city by the looks of it which according to the information TOM had read was to be expected since it was considered one of the largest cities in the world. Built close areas known as the Darklands and the Wildlands the city became a hub for heroes and other fighters called Huntsmen which TOM considered to be another kind of hero. He hadn't had time to read on all the information since they were in a rush to repair the Absolution. The city had suburban areas but the center was a jungle of concrete and steel with skyscrapers rising to dizzying heights.

TOM considered himself lucky to have brought a jetpack along since he'd probably get lost in the city.

"TOM?" SARA's voice spoke through his built-in communicator.

"Hey, what's up?" TOM asked as he landed on the roof of DexLabs.

"I've combed through all available information on this Earth and lot of it is fascinating…And unnerving. Especially considering how easily the inhabitants can access strange powers. They call it Aura and it's apparently powered by the soul."

"Soul power, huh?" TOM remarked as he spotted an air vent that would lead down to the basement. "My built in ECM will shield me from detection. Probably saved me from any roof cameras they had set up."

"Soul power might be overreaching it, TOM but this Aura seems to be deeply tied in with the existence of the soul. It allows these people to perform the kind of feats you'd probably only see in action cartoons and anime."

"Neat." TOM slid down the air vent, magnetizing his boots to the walls so he wouldn't make a noisy impact. He opened a nearby vent and landed in a men's bathroom. "All right, I'm inside."

"Great. The data center will be just down the hall. There will be three main data hubs you need to decipher for me to directly access without tripping security."

"Right." TOM opened the door. "Anything else I need to know?"

"Aside from the appearance of these super powers there appears to be large gaps of history missing back in the earlier eras. These eras are collectively referred to the Age of the Forgotten World or simply the Forgotten. An apt name if you think about it. These forgotten eras are over five thousand years ago."

"Yeesh. Talk about losing a chunk of history." TOM remarked, coming upon a sealed door that opened for him.

The door opened but when TOM walked in it suddenly locked. "Uh oh."

"TOM?"

"SARA, the door just locked itself behind me. What happened?" TOM reached down, pulling out his pistol.

"You didn't trip security. It must have been something else."

"Like what?" TOM held up his pistol.

"I am not sure but it's imperative you unlock the data hubs and give me access. It's the only way I'll be able to unlock the doors."

"Right." TOM said, walking over to the nearest console and began working his way on deciphering the first hub. "Did you find anything on what caused the doors to unlock?"

"I am checking the security cameras now…Oh no."

TOM stopped upon hearing the dread in SARA's voice. "What is it?"

"There's been an attack on the facility. Something just blasted through the wall and it is making way deeper into the facility."

"Any idea what it is?" TOM asked as he got back to work.

"No. I doubt it's human. Radiation levels are off the charts. It's like a walking nuclear power plant."

"A walking power plant huh?" TOM pondered as he unlocked the first hub. "One down, two to go."

"TOM, you must hurry. Whatever it is it's burning through the interior. I think it's making its way to the basement." SARA urged as TOM made his way to the second console.

"Should have known." TOM sighed as he hooked up to the second console. "How much time do I have?"

"Not long."

TOM should have known better to ask but it seemed to motivate him to work faster. "Is there anyone down here with me?"

"Just an elderly man inside a private lab behind some sort of vault. Judging by the appearance I believe he is the founder, Dexter O'Reilly."

"Just one old man?" TOM asked as he unlocked the third hub. "No guards?"

"The rest of the basement level is empty. The workers must have gone home. DexLabs apparently not only acts as the center of this corporation it is also the home of the founding family."

"Talk about taking your work home." TOM said as he reached the third console. "I am at the third hub. I'll have it unlocked in a moment."

"TOM you must hurry. The radiation surge is reaching down to the basement. If not for the radiation signature I would have thought we were dealing with the Intruder again."

"Now that's a blob I'd like to forget." TOM muttered, remembering how his previous body and part of the original Absolution had been destroyed when the mysterious red blob had invaded and tried to eat the ship. "Though in some way this is similar to what happened with that blob. Only this time it's not our ship being invaded."

The final hub was unlocked, giving SARA access to the security system. "All right, I am downloading the files now. The door's unlocked. Get out of there, TOM!"

Just as TOM moved towards the door he was stopped as the lights flickered…

And then the room was consumed in a blast of flames.

To be continued…