Author's note 1:
Yepper!
I did announce I'd be experimenting my writing skills with a Purple Dragon that everyone loved in the 2000s. And hey! At least I've got a beta reader to help me in this insidious journey. Give a warm welcome to Author-San!
Author-san: I'm here to fix grammar mistakes and chew gum. And I'm all out of gum. It's an honour to be here, and I only hope my contribution can help you get better immersed into the story. Trust me when I say this story will be...an experience. ;)
No pressure on him, might skip some errors and make a few of his own. Just want this read to be bearable by ya all.
Rating may change, had to mind to put this under the 'M' category. We'll see.
And, to conclude, the second part is a subtitle. The story itself is named 'Among Us' (not the game), 'An Invincible Man, like Destiny' is the subtitle.
Big thanks to my 'Rickbini' for this cover! You can find him either on Deviantart with the same name, or on Instagram.
Enjoy!
Black.
It was all black around him.
Yet, in this seemingly infinite void, he found peace. It allowed him to let his muscles and bones rest; it allowed him to let everything go in those moments and reach his own version of Nirvana. His shallow breath emitted only a few particles of CO2 to expel into the nearby atmosphere, and his heart wasn't beating as fast as it normally did during a workday or when taking care of his family. He was... catatonic, to say the least.
Morning sunlight slowly filtered through the gaps between the blue curtains that draped the window. One particular stream landed directly on Samuel O'Connell's face, stirring him from his sleep. The man merely twitched at first, still trapped in the world created by his subconscious. He was a heavy sleeper for the most part, meaning only noises directly blaring into his ears could wake him up. And that possibility only presented itself if said noise was very loud!
Samuel's body slowly recognized the time of day, despite the curtains being tightly shut to avoid sunlight from invading the bedroom. He soon groaned in frustration and awoke, lifting the palms of his hands and rubbing them on his face. "Shit." He grabbed another pillow and practically smashed it against his face. For each slumber, there would also be a rude awakening. This was a lesson he learned a long time ago... which he still didn't take completely to heart.
Balling a fist of his hair and inhaling, he mentally nodded. Today's another day. Samuel sat on the edge of the bed and glanced at the clock resting on his side's nightstand. 10 a.m. in the morning? He scrunched his nose at the numbers displayed. So he had slept at least an hour more than usual, which wasn't groundbreaking per se but still drilled a hole in his plans for the day. Life was never easy, right?
Samuel clumsily pushed the bathroom's door away and stumbled towards the sink. He was a well-built, thirty year old man who weighed 95 kgs; his body was suitable for both agile tasks and heavy lifting. Because of his job, he needed to keep himself in shape: one good diet here, a thirty minutes long jogging there. Hell, even his... 'productive time' spent with his wife was a good training.
Keyword being 'productive'.
Ocean blue eyes stared at the reflection on the other side of the mirror, as if they had discovered a long lost twin; that black hair and beard so familiar. Samuel gathered water in his hands and splashed it on his face, taking comfort in the refreshing feeling storming his nerves. They buzzed on and soon, similar to a cat, an electric discharge flowed through him, making the man snap to attention. It was incredible how the human body responded to stimuli. It was indeed the 'perfect machine'.
Still, if there was one thing Samuel would never give up? Coffee.
He exited the bedroom and let out one last yawn, stretching his arms and cracking his sore bones. Faint sounds from a nearby room caught his attention. With a smile he quickly made his way over and practically barged in. Samuel spotted a white and creamy-coloured crib with space ships hanging on a cable for the occupant to enjoy. He slowly descended and leaned over it, peeking and letting his smile grow more and more.
The infant was wrapped like the bundle of joy that he was for his parents. Samuel and his wife, Katherine, named their son 'David'. David O'Connell. He had noticed a giant intensively watching him and released a small coo of confusion. This was incredible to Samuel: The infant was just six months old, yet he possessed an advanced sense of self awareness. David was already capable of expressing emotions, to understand and want.
Samuel slightly shifted his weight on the left and traced one of his fingers on David's covered chest. His son squealed at first before releasing small fits of laugh, closing his eyes and wiggling his appendages aimlessly.
"Good morning, buddy." He cackled from the display. "Sorry I'm late. Slept more than usual 'cause I'm gonna need it this evening. Daddy has an important job to do." He knew David didn't understand him, but speaking to him rendered their interactions less awkward. Even one-sided conversations could be remarkable. "Mom fed you already?"
Not really knowing the answer, Samuel wrapped David safely in his grasp and accosted his little head near his cheek. The man took five sniffs in total and pursed his lips at the aroma the infant was unleashing. "Yep." He groaned. "That's milk coming out of your breath. At least she had time to do that before heading to school." He kissed his son's forehead and patted his back. "Daddy's gonna make some coffee. Wanna join me?"
David didn't answer. Rather, he buried his tiny hands into the crook of Samuel's neck. It was a habit the newborn had developed rather quickly: When he felt cold, David would cover his exposed parts using his father's clothes. It was the combination of the heat Samuel's body produced and the one processed by the artificial garments. The man's 'protective father' mode switched on every time the infant did this. He was a treasure, their treasure, and he deserved everything.
The house was the classic pro-family environment everyone could ask for. The upper floor contained four rooms stretching across a hallway: one was their main bedroom, one was David's room, the two were Samuel and Katherine's offices where they left the paperwork for their respective job. A pair of brown stairs parallel to a white wall led father and son to the ground floor, which was arguably the main house itself. Katherine had been handling the bulk of the work, Samuel remained in the back and suggested his own input every now and then. It could either be accepted as valid criticism, or brushed aside.
Women. He tsk-ed. Then again, I chose to marry one. I wouldn't want it any other way.
The living room obviously had the TV in front of a long sofa, and bookcases traced the perimeter on the right to form a 60 degree angle. They kept the textbooks Katherine made use of during her time at university inside. He could still remember the two of them locking themselves indoors and him sitting cross-legged on the soft material as he listened to his future wife repeating word after word of whatever junk was inscribed with black ink.
It was funny how they fell in love studying. He revaluated school after a few years.
He still held David in his left arm as he used the other to make himself coffee. The child really glued his tiny body to his father's. He was worse than a damn spider! Samuel sincerely hoped his son wouldn't keep being so clingy growing up. He'd still be their baby boy, but they'd act like that only in private. David had the whole world to explore.
Caffeine always had its special effect on Samuel. He poured the refined liquid into a mug and smelled its content, smacking his lips at the strong odor permeating the air. As soon as it touched his tongue, the taste buds began identifying the flavour; it slightly burned him, indicating the high temperature. Samuel felt a new flow of energy traversing him, he relished in the feeling and put the dirty mug in the sink. He'd clean it later.
He needed to check the mailbox after all.
David glanced around the sidewalk as they traversed the outside, eyes focusing and unfocusing, likely a side effect of being so young... especially if it was really hot outside in the middle of October. Currently, the air had a temperature of 28 Celsius degrees, but the humidity was high.
Despite living in Colorado, there were echoes of the past summer. Perhaps they'd be eliminated with November's arrival.
Samuel checked the box and sighed at the amount of paper inside. He stuffed the junk mail into the pockets of his night shorts and divided it from the bills. Another... 'cultural difference' they shared with a few people around the block was the choice of still opting for the mailbox. Katherine's friends asked why they didn't simply stick to emails when they came visiting their house for special occasions, and Samuel responded by pointing out how 'traditional' they both were.
Returning to the house, he tossed the junk mail into the garbage can beneath the sink and sat at the kitchen table. The bills covered basically all the services a house provided: water, electricity and gas. But they also covered the taxes regarding the title deed, or even the gardener they appointed to handle the lawn's maintance around the neighborhood. That was basically a collective gathering of money for each family, yet they were behind even for that.
David looked at the bills in question while Samuel bit his hand to avoid whimpering, almost drawing blood and leaving a few scars to cover later on.
This wasn't the classic 'Man doesn't work, drinks, and beats the working woman' trope every Hollywood movie liked to shove into every piece that arrived in cinemas. Samuel and Katherine thought their savings could last until they both began an activity which could generate a safe and steady income. They were wrong though, as the taxes seemed to greet them with even larger numbers, and they didn't want to crawl to their families, asking for help when they had their own issues to face.
Katherine was a teacher, working from 8 a.m. in the morning to 3 p.m. as most schools in America dictated. Her income could barely cover a fourth of the debts they faced, and she even asked for a small raise after basically beginning her career by performing overtime. It still wasn't enough. The bills resembled loan sharks waiting for the opportunity to snatch everything they held dear from them.
David's arrival, despite bringing pure joy into their lives, only made everything worse. They wouldn't put him on adoption or anything similar to that, not even over their dead bodies. They had to find an alternative solution to this issue.
That eventually presented itself on Samuel's part. Samuel barely finished college with a clear head and appropriate grades, so he knew he wouldn't be able to continue studies in any university. He simply quit school life and searched fortune elsewhere, eventually meeting his future wife and dating her.
She was his angel... and he wondered why she chose a failure as her husband.
He wasn't anything special, below average, even. Yet she supported and decided to stick with him, tracing the perimeter that would soon represent their life together with her fingers. Samuel's parents of course gave their part of the sharing to buy the house they currently resided in, while the red 1997 jeep Wrangler TJ was purchased by Katherine.
Samuel always possessed an innate sense of duty to protect others, despite barely managing to protect himself and make something out of the disgusting shell he was. He had worked as a security guard for a football stadium for three years, making sure no funny business would occur during the matches. One time, he got a bit of fame on newspapers and online sites 'cause he stopped a man from firing a Kalashnikov at the crowd. He acted on reflex and subdued the target.
How a man simply stalked around with an AK-47 concealed in his jacket in 2023 was still a mystery. America really had some weapon fanatics, uh? A cultish following regarding firearms was spread across this country.
Sharing democracy through bullets? Seems legit.
The event was the catalyst for their solution to all the economic fatigue they were experiencing. A military base situated in a canyon approached him through its representatives. They'd heard of his experience and were looking for his services as a security guard. Normally, this would stink of Area-51 secret stuff, and he wouldn't so easily oblige to petty requests from the government. Who knew what fucked up shit they were cooking behind the curtains?
But when he saw how much they were willing to pay? He had to sign up.
He had to help his family; he had to because he owned it to Katherine; he had to because David didn't deserve to live under a bridge and not under warm blankets.
He had to because he needed to give his worthless existence a meaning.
Samuel blinked out of his existential trance to look at whatever was touching his cheek. David had rolled around and was resting his head on his father's adam's apple; and since his muscles weren't coordinated with his brain yet, he was aimlessly touching Samuel's cheek, trying to discover a good position to close his eyes and drift off.
The man took a deep breath and retreated with his son to the living room. He grabbed the remote and turned on the TV, stretching across the sofa's surface to ensure the newborn was lying horizontally on his chest. Samuel flipped through many channels until he found one showcasing a re-airing of 'The Shining'. He glanced at David before lowering the volume and enjoying the movie.
He would only get up when he needed to feed his son. For the rest, groceries were already bought and the house didn't need maintenance.
Katherine eventually returned in the afternoon. Samuel heard the faint sounds of an engine purring near their home, and he rushedoutside to help his wife unlock the garage. She gathered her belongings and entered the house from the garage's backdoor, almost stumbling if her stance was anything to consider. If it was any other situation, he'd think she was drunk. He knew how tiring teaching could be, especially if the lessons extended well over in the afternoon.
Sometimes he envied the Europeans for ending school at 1 p.m. Which was their time for lunch.
"Hey, Kath. How was school? Did those brats give you any trouble?" David was currently awake and sitting in his father's lap, wiggling a little bit. He kissed his forehead, beginning to pet the back of his head in a slow rhythm. The child calmed down and simply diverted his gaze elsewhere, looking at nothing in particular.
Katherine shrugged. She was a brunette woman with darkened brown eyes, her black hair reached over her shoulders, and her smile was the stereotype of a seductive girl craving for a fun time. "These days, few kids are interested in history and the figures that shaped it." Her eyes fell on the little man. "How is my husband doing?"
Samuel simulated a heart attack. "Gah! Here I thought I was the most important man in your life! Call an ambulance, call an ambulance!" He grinned and shifted his stance so he could close one fist with David around his arm while he formed a finger gun with the other hand and held it near his chin. "But not for me!" He unleashed an imaginary arrow out of his imaginary bow.
His wife giggled. "Great work, Cupid. But you'll need to do more."
The twenty-nine-year old woman raised her opened hands. Samuel recognized the request and reluctantly gave up David, who immediately nested in his mother's embrace. "Did you feed him?" The infant gallopped in her mother's arms as she pushed him up and down.
"Yeah, I did. Why wouldn't I?"
"Just checking, Sam." Katherine closed the distance between them and pressed a soft kiss on his lips. He was one hundred and eighty-eight centimeters tall, while was Katherine one hundred and seventy. He always liked to make fun of the fact that he needed to lean down to properly kiss her. "You begin today, right?"
Coming out of the daze induced by the kiss, he rapidly blinked a few times and nodded. "Yeah. It's half past three, mmmh? I'll need to be there by nine o'clock."
"Hopefully it's nothing dangerous..."
The man sighed and brought his hand on Katherine's shoulder. "It'll probably be me guarding some egg-heads as they rant about Einstein jerking off. We need the money." Samuel winked. "Besides, it's a research facility, not a heavy armed military one. There will still be soldiers from the army guarding the outside anyway. It's just a month for each wage segment, so I can always work there for three or four to accumulate and then quit. It'll be fine."
She slowly nodded her head. "I trust you. Just make sure to come back home, you're gonna need many hours of sleep to keep this up."
After one last kiss, she retreated up the stairs with David on her shoulder. "You should also use that poncho you've bought. The news say there'll be a storm tonight!" The child was watching his father as they made their way; Samuel waved back at him and winked.
He didn't deserve her.
Katherine had been right.
It was 6 p.m. when he grabbed the keys from his wife and exited the house. It was raining, so the lawn outside was completely wet, and with each passing minute the strength of the drops increased. They almost bore a resemblance to pieces of solid hail, yet they remained liquid in form. It had been a while since it had last rained like that.
Samuel peeked at the darkened sky from underneath his hood, noticing the greyish clouds enveloping the entire panorama. He wore a dark green poncho with laces sprouting out from the hood, and reaching down to his chest. The sleeves reached about the wrists in length. On the front side, to allow him to walk more comfortably, there was a triangular cutout. The rest of his clothes included white pants and brown shoes.
Something he had bought for an eventuality like the current one.
The man closed the garage behind him and bolted for the jeep, practically slamming the door wide open and jumping inside. Samuel latched on the sides of the hood and lowered it, then turned on the windshield wipers and scanned the road for any incoming car. Noticing no one, he pressed his foot on the accelerator and rolled the steering wheel to the right. The jeep purred in delight at the requested velocity.
Samuel headed towards the highway, letting the GPS guide him. He patted his jeans' pockets to check if he had all the documents with him and hummed in approval.
The wasteland of Colorado was beautiful, and if he wasn't so concerned with driving, he'd be staring out the window. With its long stretches of dirt, flanked by small rock formations, and large sturdy cacti dotted with pink cactus flowers, Colorado was a beautiful place. Samuel imagined the wildlife that the grassland around them hid, coyotes and lizards alike. Too bad the current weather didn't allow a better look at this magnificient display; Samuel was barely able to see ten or fifteen meters past the never-ending rain.
It would soon most likely bring fog with it.
Considering he still had a little more than three hours before he'd need to get his ass at the base, he mentally checked a destination he would visit.
A work night couldn't be faced without a good tasting mug of coffee, now could it?
In the distance, he spotted a gas station, its neon lights already turned on for visitors to easily identify the place and stop. Samuel turned on the left green signal and pulled in said direction, decreasing the speed through the brakes. He found a decent place to park and yanked the key out the hole of the steering wheel. The man raised the hood of his poncho and opened the door, immediately scrambling for the nearest opening to the inside of this station.
The establishment was owned by a woman named Rebecca. He often visited the place because she cooked some nice tasting sandwiches and, in his personal opinion, offered the best coffee he had ever tasted. Samuel immediately caught on the empty atmosphere of the station, likely a result of the unexpected weather travelling across the United States. On the news he already heard about this elusive storm creating problems in D.C. and in New York. Colorado was the next target.
There were just three girls on the far side chatting among themselves, one man inserting a coin into a dispenser and snatching what appeared to be a can of beer, and... a dog panting near the counter? It was a german shepherd; the mutt raised its long snout and tilted its head at the newcomer. Samuel let his hood fall and sauntered up to the animal, crouching down and scratching its chin. The shepherd closed its eyes and enjoyed the motion.
"He's been hanging around since it started raining."
Samuel shifted his gaze to the speaker. Rebecca watched the exchange between man and dog with crossed arms and a grin on her lips.
"That explains the humid fur. Does he have an owner? Or is he a stray? Don't see a collar on his neck."
"Stray as far as I know, Sam. Don't think an owner would just forget his giant german shepherd at a gas station in the middle of nowhere. He's good company though; that's why I've allowed him to stay here." Rebecca shrugged. "Now, I'm no expert on these things, but my brother has a shepherd of his own. I took a look at a picture of his mutt and compared it to our friend here. Turns out they're both the exact same size. It means they're both adults; but him?" She pointed at the mutt. "Saw him zooming around like it was Christmas before it started raining. Could be two to three years old, rough estimate."
"Damn, 'Becca. Didn't know you were a veterinarian."
"Oh, shut it, Sam." The woman dismissively waved her hand. "What can I get ya?"
"You know what. I've been accepted as a new member for another type of job. Need something strong to stay awake 'till tomorrow."
"Ohhh, secrets." Rebecca made a shushing motion. "Can I know some details too?"
"Sorry. It's classified. Now, do you want my money or not?" He leaned on the counter and grinned at the owner. He wouldn't have considered Rebecca a direct friend, though she was indeed someone he could joke around, someone who could understand him other than his wife. Hell, one time she even tried to hit on him, and he politely declined. He was already preparing the wedding and sending official invites through letters.
He still didn't understand why Rebecca tried to hit off someone as him...
The mug of coffee slid across the table like a snake closing on its prey. Samuel didn't waste time in bringing the container to his mouth and gulping the liquid down.
The dark moisture slightly burned his tongue, but Samuel pushed past this obstacle and continued consuming his drink. Without warning, he felt something thumping against his legs and glimpsed from the corner of his eyes at the cause. The german shepherd sat on his haunches and watched the human with a deep stare. Samuel already guessed what he wanted; attention seeking dogs only meant one thing.
"You've, uh, got some beef jerky you've yet to use? I'm willing to pay for it."
Two minutes later, the shepherd was happily munching on pieces of beef jerky, nesting around Samuel's feet. Little bastard. Sure knows how to get what he wants. Wouldn't mind a pet like him in the future. He knew dogs were smart, yet he could feel the smugness emanating from the animal as he consumed a good reward for its cuteness. He and Katherine already discussed a buddy for David; too bad the loan sharks were currently knocking on their door.
Maybe they should indeed bring a german shepherd home. There was plenty of space anyway...
"C'moooooon! I can show ya the goodest time of yeh life!"
The chair creaked under his weight as he turned to watch the guy from before 'talking' to the group of girls. 'Talking' was a huge understatement, for the man was releasing incoherent babblings out of his maw at his targets. Hell, was that drool dripping from his chin? Samuel winced at the ten cans of beer laying empty on the floor.
He was drunk; that much was clear. The disgusting stench that emanated from the individual reeked of pure alcohol. Not the processed beers but rather the highly inebriating beverages.
And being drunk, refusal was not an option for the ever-persistent horny dude.
Samuel sighed and pushed himself on his feet once the man groped one of the girls' breasts without consent. The blonde slapped his hand away, but he laughed like an idiot in response. The security guard decided to step in and administer the situation before it got out of control.
"Hey, buddy." He grabbed Drunky's shoulder and whirled him around to face him. "I know you're horny and everything but... these girls really don't wanna have anything to do with you. Can I buy you a beer or something and you can go home?"
Samuel at least expected a curse to be sent his way... but it didn't arrive. The empty broken shell of a human from before wobbled left and right. That expression greatly reminded Samuel of Patrick's erratic behaviour in the cartoon show 'SpongeBob Squarepants'.
He noticed Drunky clenching a fist and swinging it towards his face. Bad move. The funny thing about being drunk is that your reflexes are slower and so is your speed. Samuel simply stepped aside, gripped Drunky's neck, and slammed the man on the counter. The coffee mug crashed on the floor, shattering, the shepherd jolted to his feet and began barking, and the girls' eyes widened in shock. Meanwhile, Rebecca leaned on the wall on the other side of the counter, inspecting her nails and bearing a disinterested look.
"Was that necessary?"
"F-Fuck y-you!"
The security guard scrunched his nose at the burp escaping Drunky's lips. Jesus Christ, this guy is completely gone. He was staring at Samuel through gritted teeth and a seething glare, desperately trying to wiggle out of the strong clutch gluing his face to the counter. Samuel pressed his elbow on the neck and kept the right arm still with his right hand; the only moveable appendage remained Drunky's left arm, and even then, it was useless from its current spot. In fact, Drunky attempted to slap or latch on to Samuel's mouth, the pressure would force the security guard to release the man below him.
Samuel simply responded by increasing the strength in his arms; Drunky groaned in pain as a result and continued drooling, the sickening odor of alcohol flowing in full force. Samuel had hoped the poison in the man's system wouldn't cloud his thoughts completely, that maybe they could reason and not opt for hostile measures. Clearly, the security guard's judgement had been too brash and quick, not evaluating his target possibly lashing out like an animal.
"Unless you want me to break a few bones and call the police to collect your useless remains..." Samuel slammed his face yet again when he continued struggling and thrashing. "I'd suggest you give up. I'm gonna release you, and you'll walk out of that door unharmed." Save for a few scars. "We'll forget any of this ever happened. Deal?" He hoped... no, he prayed a small resemblance of the true man could resurge from the depths of a hazy mind currently panting like a rabid dog.
Speaking of dogs, the german shepherd was lowered on all fours and growling at Drunky. This action reminded the security guard of 'Crowd Control', where one of his companions during the day shift would provide support for his endeavours. And truth to be told, Samuel had never witnessed molecular dogs in action. Sure, the news on TV often exploited images taken directly from camera men on the scene, but the security guard never saw one face to... snout?
"O-okay." Drunky hic-cuped, drawing Samuel back into the land of the living.
Samuel steadily disengaged his arms and took two steps back, allowing Drunky to set his hands on the counter and push himself up so his weight was balanced. The security guard kept his gaze solely on the man as he pushed past him and stormed out of the gas station, making sure he wouldn't jump and assault anyone again. Sighing in relief, Samuel smiled at the shepherd and patted him on the head. "Good boy." He praised, chuckling at the pleasant sounds emitted from the animal.
Then, the man noticed the broken pieces of glass and ceramic laying around on the floor and pursed his lips. "I, uh... I can pay for that and any dent left on your counter."
The owner cocked an eyebrow. "You just saved me a lot of time. Would have had to call the cops and cause a scene." A thunder hit somewhere outside, its echo vibrating throughout the inside. "You can wait here for the storm to calm if you wish. Mi casa es tu casa." She winked, disappearing in the back room and retrieving a mop to clear the mess.
Rubbing his face, Samuel raised the hood of his poncho and sat on one of the chairs. All he wanted right then was to disappear. The rush of adrenaline from before vanished, leaving him without a great amount of his stamina. He retreated to fidgeting his fingers, patting the shepherd, or staring at nothing in particular. After a while, he concentrated on the dog's panting, the sound almost welcoming compared to Hell opening its infernal gates outside.
"Hey theeeree~"
Samuel did not expect the blonde girl of the group to stand directly in front of him. She had one of her hands on her hip and shined a flirtatious smile for him to bear. Without warning, she slid towards a chair and sat down. "Me and my friends want to thank you for handling that creep."
The security guard angled his head past the girl to catch the other two women waving at him from their table. "No problem. Hate to see that happen."
"Say..." She inched closer, tracing lines on the table with her finger. "What do you do for a living? You seem very... prepared for fights."
He snapped his hand back before she could touch it. Samuel narrowed his eyes at the pout on the woman's face. "Was a security guard for a football stadium. Now... well, it's classified. Let's just say I did something and someone became interested in my talents."
"Interesting." She tilted her head and winked. "Would you like to accompany me home? My friends' homes are on the other side of the road, and I don't have a ride. My house is also... empty." She had fucking purred that last word out.
Samuel raised his left hand, the girl froze the moment the ring entered her field of view. "Sorry, cutie. I'm married and have a son. Need to make this clear before she jumps for my throat."
And before you see what kind of man I am. I was already lucky any woman chose to stick with me.
One fuming girl stumbling out of the station with her friends later, the storm calmed down ever so slightly. Samuel left a few extra dollars as a tip and walked out of the establishment. The rain pecked the top of his head instead of hammering it down as thirty minutes ago, water dripped down the fabric of his poncho to join the already swelled puddles on the ground, which were soon splashed by the strength of his feet. At least the green clothing protected most of his body from getting wet.
Now, he would have opened the jeep's door if he didn't hear heavy panting among the splattering of the rain.
Shifting on his feet, his eyes widened when the german shepherd came into view. The animal had stopped tip toeing towards the human and watched him with his tongue out. "Oh. Uh, shoo!" He pointed a finger. "I'm not your owner. Get inside before you freeze!"
Doggy traced the imaginary line created by his finger through his eyes, but he soon snapped back to stare at him.
It was clear Doggy wouldn't budge anytime soon...
Samuel switched his gaze between the shepherd and his red jeep.
He released a long, drawn-out sigh.
Fuck.
Katherine loved dogs.
The first time she lamented a puppy's absence was during their dating section of their relationship. She always desired to have a dog by her side, and Samuel promised she'd eventually get one. However, his intentions weren't exactly selfless, for the security guard planned to buy a puppy not only to maker her happy, but also to exploit it to render the dating part faster. Call it manipulation or whatever, Samuel knew he'd have more chances at not fucking up a potential relationship if he bought a dog to satisfy the girl.
That obviously didn't happen. Reasons were a mix of shortage of money (their savings were used for the house; they both kept something to hold on for the future despite them not knowing they'd end up as husband and wife) and time. Samuel had been looking for a job which would eventually be him guarding a football stadium while Katherine finished university. History had always passionated her, which fueled her desire to be a teacher.
The second time she vocally craved for a dog was after their wedding. As they... engaged in husband-wife activities, she whispered to him about her desire, and for the second time he promised this wish would be fulfilled. It didn't happen. David was developing rather quickly, so they had to prepare for their son's arrival. Nothing else mattered. Again, it had been a mix of money shortage and time.
The third occasion was directly after David's birth. She pitched this idea about David eventually needing a close friend or brother figure, something or someone to look after him when they couldn't (The woman was insatiable in that regard. She even mentioned another kid!). A dog was the perfect candidate for this role, and Katherine immediately settled on a golden retriever or german shepherd. These two breeds were among the most popular, but they were also suitable for the task of a protector.
From the beginning, Katherine had decided they'd rescue a male.
Currently hooked on the backseat of his red jeep, was the german shepherd. The fur had dried a bit since their departure from the gas station; too bad the process left a rather distasteful stain, enticing a groan from Samuel. Doggy tilted his head at the foreign noise before lowering it back down and resting, every now and then producing sounds akin to confusion or inquiries. Yet again, the animal's intelligence astounded him.
The hard part would be explaining to his superiors why he had brought a dog with him.
Maybe he could craft an excuse about Doggy being a sort of homemade molecular dog and that he could be useful for his shift?
I really need to give him a name. 'Doggy' wouldn't do after all.
Rebecca had said he was zooming around like it was Christmas prior to the storm. It already gave him an impression of what type of personality this animal possessed. Despite being an adult, Samuel was also a gamer. When he and Katherine were merely dating, they met with either his or her friends. Samuel's friends still retained an old, dusty PS2, the more modern PS5 or even a computer in their garage, and they often engaged in gaming nights to celebrate 'old times', as they designated them.
One particular horror experience still haunting him to this day was 'Blair Witch 2019'.
"Bullet." He looked at the mirror of his car. "Your name's Bullet."
'Bullet' grunted, and Samuel took it as a sign of acceptance. He temporarily drove with one hand and inched the other close to the shepherd's snout. Bullet approached on his own and gently 'kissed' it, licking all over its surface. With one final pat of praise, Samuel refocused on driving. It was almost 9 p.m. and they had to quickly reach the base.
And what a sight it was to behold!
The assholes governing the USA certainly knew how to pick concealed positions and construct their facilities.
Two towers on either side of the base stood around twenty to thirty meters. They cast multiple beams of light in the dark, rainy night, which veered around to illuminate the area. A fence ran across the entire perimeter, daring any intruder to attempt a direct assault. Chopping noises resonated throughout the area as a few choppers traversed the air. Finally, as the last line of defense, a patrol of guards stood at the main entrance, guns at the ready.
Bullet released an inquisitive whine.
"Yeah, it's... majestic."
One soldier pointed his rifle to a spot, indicating where he should park. The man approached the red jeep and leaned, tapping the window. Samuel obliged.
"This is a restricted area, sir. Are you lost?"
Samuel gritted his teeth, supressing a growl as he gripped his steering wheel tighter. It wasn't the request itself that annoyed him. After all, there were protocols to follow. It was the tone of the dude's voice. Had he not been trapped in a corner, he would have given him the middle finger. Samuel restrained himself from doing so. He needed the job.
He buried his hand into the pocket of his pants and angled his ID outside the window. "My name is Samuel O'Connell. I'm a new security guard. First day on the job, y'know?"
Samuel received narrowed eyes and a stunned look in response. The soldier took the piece of plastic and retreated, producing a radio to contact his superiors with. Bullet sat on his haunches and panted beside him, Samuel raised his fingers and affectionately rubbed his neck. Come on. Just get over it so I can escape this fucking rain. He sighed and tapped his fingers on the steering wheel.
Footsteps alerted them both. "Sorry for the unpleasant inconvenience, Mr. O'Connel. You're free to go." He waved two fingers at the manager handling the checkpoint from his post, and red-and-white striped bar raised. The fence slid open as a result, revealing a straight and clear path. Samuel went to collect his ID... but the soldier inched away.
"However, I'm afraid pets aren't allowed in this facility. I'm sorry, sir."
Samuel blinked. What kind of joke was this? They said he was clear and even opened the entrance, yet they were stopping him from accessing the interior because of Bullet?
Samuel carefully selected his next words. "He's... highly trained. You can consider him an unofficial molecular dog. His name is Bullet. I thought he could have been useful. Is it possible to employee him as well?"
Samuel held his breath as the soldier pressed a button on his radio and spoke into it.
The exchange wasn't too long, and he gave him a nod afterward. "Alright. We can make an exception and see if 'Bullet' is useful. You're both free to go. When you park you should head for Sector 7. Retrieve your gear and wait for the other guard. He'll explain your task."
So he had a colleague? Good to know.
One could expect the corridors of the facility to be empty, a long, white hallway resembling a location only found in horror movies. That wasn't the case for 'Sector 7'. Samuel encountered the bulk of the personnel walking back and forth, likely carrying on with their job. Bullet stuck closely to his feet as he galloped alongside his new owner. Thank God he's obedient. I don't have a leash with me. They continued their journey to the backrooms, where Samuel would collect the required equipment.
Another guard had personally given him a key. Maybe the equipment was stored in a locker? At least it wasn't too different from how he operated in the stadium.
A pair of stairs led them down one level.
Samuel opened a door and entered. He nodded as he gazed over the various lockers and brown benches. A double mirror rested on a wall on the left side of the room, sporting three electric sockets embedded in the wall; convenient for those who wished to bring hairdryers. And speaking of drying... He glanced at another door and caught a glimpse of the showers. There were many similarities with gyms, which Samuel had frequented in the past.
His key labelled the number '8'. The symbol of the infinite. He grinned at the joke.
"Sit." Samuel gently commaned to Bullet, hoping he would understand the order. The shepherd licked his chops before perching his butt; Samuel rewarded him with a good rubbing. "Good boy." The human cooed.
The locker contained the guarding clothes (all black and white. Who was the genius designing them?): a white, full-body suit with a black tactical vest overlapping the torso, which appeared to have three pouches mounted on for storage reasons, black gloves, black and gray shoulder pads, black combat boots, and gray elbow and kneepads. The vest also had an armour panel for protecting the pelvis attached to it. Whoever chose the outfit must have thought they'd get in a warzone or something.
His two firearms were a P-90 TR and a M18. Thank God he knew how to use them.
"Well, well, well! Guess I won't be the only one watching over those idiots, aye?"
Samuel turned around. Across from him, a man leaned on one of the lockers, arms crossed and a shit-eating grin plastered on his face. He had close-cut brown hair, eyes of the same colour, and somewhat well-chiselled features. He took in long puffs of his lit cigar. His British accent was so obvious even an infant could recognize it.
He closed the distance between them and raised a hand. "Lukas Farber. And who might you be, mate?"
Samuel slowly wrapped his fingers around Lukas's appendage and gave him a strong-gripped handshake. Making a good first impression was vital, after all. "Samuel O'Connell. So, you're my colleague for the night?"
"For the night?" Lukas snickered. "We'll be working for a while together, Sam. Can I call you that?"
Samuel nodded in reply.
"Great! The other guy retired earlier than I expected. I was left alone for a few days 'till toi..." Lukas lifted a finger while raping the French language with his accent. "...got assigned here. Must have done something good to gain these guys' attention. Mind filling me on that?" The British man sat near Samuel as he slipped his feet into his boots. Lukas already had his garments on.
Being so close to him, Bullet slightly growled at Lukas, but Samuel silenced him.
"Nice shepherd!" Lukas commented.
"Thank you. Anyway, I'd been working in this football stadium as a security guard for three years. One day, everything seems to go as planned: We run the checkpoints, search the crowd for any contraband, help the people requiring information on either the match or the stadium's structure. We even reunited a kid with his father."
His cigar spent, Lukas tossed it into a nearby trash can, grabbed another one from his pocket, lit it up, and then focused his undivided attention on the man beside him, whose expression had hardened.
"Suddenly, a man pulls out a concealed Kalashnikov out of his jacket. I was the nearest guard, and having no immediate back up I did the most logical thing."
Lukas squinted his eyes, already having an idea of what this was leading to.
"I tackled him onto the floor. His finger had pressed the trigger by then, and the rifle started blasting holes into the ceiling. The brawl lasted long enough for my colleagues to arrive, yet I managed to subdue him all by myself."
"Hey, I remember that!" Lukas exclaimed. "You were that guy? What was that, the Folsom Field?"
Samuel shrugged. "Maybe? Can't remember the name. Anyway, decided to quit after I received a proposition for a job with a better pay. You can guess where the 'letter' came from." He tied the laces and cocked an eyebrow at the British man. "What about you, Lukas? What's your story?"
"Eh, nothing much. Enlisted in the army back in Mother UK, but it didn't work out. There was a brawl with an officer, almost resulted in a stand off with guns. It costed whatever career I imagined for myself, so I travelled here in the US to search fortune. I always wondered if the 'American dream' was real or just fiction." Samuel rolled his eyes at that statement, but Lukas didn't seem to notice. "Got picked up by these bloody assholes. At least the pay is good."
"You said you've worked for a while here. What's our role anyway?"
He didn't like the grin Lukas gave him.
"Okay, okay. Just... you've signed a contract, aye? You're entitled to seal your mouth and never mention anything about what happens here to anyone. Correct?"
"That's what the job description said, yes..." Confusion dripped from his tone as he spoke.
"Let me drop a bombshell on ya then." Lukas leaned closer to whisper into Samuel's ear. The proximity made him uncomfortable, although he didn't voice his concerns. "They ran some experiments with a machine, mentioned sci-fi stuff a non-nerd like me can't understand. What I do know is they've recovered a crystal swarming with many energy traces. Where they recovered this thing from? Sam, the multiverse is real."
He was fucking with him...
"Bullshit." Samuel hissed, jerking his head back. Whatever respect he had developed for Lukas evaporated right then and there. If there was something he despised, it was people playing games with him. Sure, jokes were welcomed, but not of this proportion. Lukas had stepped out of line, basing his phrases on tropes commonly exploited by Hollywood to produce cheap and insignificant stories.
"You don't have to believe me, mate. You'll just see when the meeting begins. For your information, a Major working closely with the President has been chosen to act as his representative. He's here to oversee the results of 'Project Sigma', as well as to check if the machine properly works. We'll have a front seat!" Lukas gently elbowed him, a brotherly gesture. "Bloody fucking hell! Ain't that great, uh?"
Jesus Christ. He was serious, wasn't he?
Samuel gave an unreadable expression. He was, for lack of a better expression to describe the current turmoil inside his spirit, at a loss of words. On one hand, the prospect of a far-fetched possibility to be real was interesting, appealing... exciting; on the other hand, it also awakened questions, fears, doubts. What was this supposed alternate 'universe' like? And a crystal? Why bring a crystal as proof?
Lukas said it was because of multiple energy traces stored in the material.
Was it an unlimited source of energy? An answer to the future energy issues humanity would face? Or just another key to power any nation would push countless people to die on battlefields to retrieve it? Could it be exploited as a weapon of mass destruction?
In the end, it was probably better that they found it first than Russia or China. Especially Russia. God knew the man in charge would use anything to finish his current war.
"Alright, Lukas. I'll play your game."
Lukas' expression brightened up at the news.
"When is our shift starting?" Samuel asked.
"The meeting begins in fifteen minutes. Better get ready. Gotta reach the control room, aye."
Bullet barked.
Yeah, this will be interesting.
Samuel had been truly amazed only one time in his life. That event was David' birth. As the doctors brought his son outside the room after Katherine had to rest, his eyes met David's small head in the blanket he resided in. He had been completely frozen while the medic approached him with such a tiny creature in his arms. The instinct to protect switched on the moment David leaned his cheek on his chest, near his heart to be precise. It took such a small motion for the man to devote his entire existence to the child.
The second time amazement flowed through him would be right now.
He swivelled his eyes around an entire hangar from behind a giant glass window, gaze falling on the giant machinary standing in all of its glory. It had a long spherical beak, to which Samuel's mind immediately projected a comparison with a plasma weapon from X-Com. Surely it wouldn't fire upon them, right? What madman would create something like that? No, maybe a beam would come out, but it wouldn't connect with their position.
Workers walked around it and made necessary changes to meet the maintenance marks. It could have been a mess of wires if they circled around it, though the front appeared to be in order. He didn't want to imagine the amount of power needed to turn it on and amplify its effectiveness.
They were standing inside a platform-like room, high in the air.
"Impressive, aye?" Lukas whispered.
He nodded.
Loud footsteps thumped the floor. Samuel and Lukas recognized the signal and retreated to opposite sides of the room. "Need you to use your nose and tell me if anything is wrong. Okay, boy?"
Bullet's panting increased, probably his way to show he understood his master's order.
A highly decorated Major of the US stepped towards the glass followed by his escort. He crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes.
"Ah! Major Heckler!" A researcher stopped whatever he was doing and greeted the man. "You're finally here! Grant, Grant Worthington." They shook hands. "I am in charge of Project Sigma. My team and I recently experienced a significant breakthrough, as you may have heard. I am pleased to know you'll be personally confirming our success and reporting it to the White House."
"I sure hope so." Heckler muttered. "I find the irony really funny, doc. We start providing less resources to your project and you, in return, immediately find the golden egg." He grinned. "Work better under pressure?"
"I believe the correct term would be crunch." The two shared a laugh. "Let me introduce you to my main assistants." He beckoned a woman and a man over to them. They were younger than anyone else, possibly in their mid-twenties. "This is Matteo Ferro. He's Italian, if you you didn't get from his name. He's our physicist; worked directly on the device."
The young adult awkwardly shifted on his feet as he cleared his throat. "Uh, you can just call me Matthew, the English equivalent of my name." His accent confirmed his nationality. "It'll render things easier, sir." Black hair, brown eyes, little beard on the chin, a nervous wreck. Samuel already identified 'Matthew' as the nerd. Too bad he did not sport a pair of glasses.
"And this is Linda Anderson. She's our biologist as well as our psychiastrist. Being as prepared as her is essential, both to analyze the other side of the portal when we begin sending explorers and to help them should collateral effects arise."
The young woman kindly smiled. "Pleasure to meet you, Major."
Long nut-brown hair falling down her shoulders, vibrant green eyes, not much make up on her face. If Samuel wasn't engaged and a shitty man he'd definitely try to hit on the girl. Screw the five or more years of difference! When a man wants the potato, he goes for the potato!
"Charmed to meet the benefactors that brought this discovery to our country." Heckler straightened his posture and offered the classic army salute. "Now, I've heard you've retrieved an artifact. Is it possible for us to see it?"
The doors opened, and two other researchers pushed a carriage containing a sophisticated canister. It was shut by an intricate mechanism, requiring a pair of keyes to be opened.
Worthington sent a shit-eating grin Heckler's way."Its already here, Major. Place the container on that table, gentlemen! The Major demands proof, so we shall give it to him." He crossed his arms as he proudly stared along with his assistants at the procedure.
The two researchers produced keys from their white coats and inserted them into the holes. The head popped open with a mighty hiss, gears shifted as the cover raised to reveal the interior. A bright, multicoloured light spread outward for all to gaze. Samuel's mind connected the sight with a rainbow but the colours did not completely match it. One of the scientists lifted a forceps and grasped into whatever what was stored inside the canister.
The crystal wasn't as big as anyone would imagine. Rather it was medium-sized with pink colouring, with two twin protrusions sproutingfrom its sides. What astounded Samuel wasn't the bright colour in and of itself or the unknown material that couldn't possibly exist on Earth. What astounded him were the small particles of different colours moving through the shards.
Red. Sky Blue. Yellow. Green. White.
If Samuel had been closer he would have recognized the corresponding elements: Fire, Ice, Electricity, Earth, and Wind.
"As you can see..." Grant began. "The artifact is seemingly unstable in nature. Yet we have run extensive tests and have determined it is not hazardous. It will not emit radiations or cause any symptoms; and that's why I've allowed my colleagues to expose you all to its proximity. Although I wouldn't recommend touching it. We're using forcepses and solid surfaces for a reason."
"What are those lights inside, doc?" Heckler's eyes narrowed.
"Atoms moving, processing enormous amounts of energy as a result." The doctor grabbed a clipboard from Matthew and passed it to the Major. "I am fully aware that advanced scientific terms might be too much for you to handle, sir. I have personally instructed Mr. Ferro to detail what element each cluster of particles corrisponds to."
Heckler scanned the sheet of paper. As his eyes examined the page, they widened. "Mother of God." He uttered. "This... this is-" He blinked three times. "Jesus Christ, Worthington. I might not be a researcher but even someone like me knows that the only type of energy the rapid movement of molecules produces is heat! Ice? Electricity? These other two unknown strains? It's impossible!"
Grant merely smiled and shrugged. "The beauty of different universes, I suppose."
The Major sighed. "How the Hell did you retrieve the crystal anyway?"
"We've sent in what we call a 'Sentinel'. It's a small remote-controlled robot with claws... kinda like Wall-E." He chuckled for a moment. "Imagine our surprise when the connection did not falter. Evidently, the area around the portal is connected with our own, meaning our router's signal can safely travel outside it. The test tonight will fully show you how our success came to be, sir."
To Samuel's ears, the voices became a muffled mass of unintelligible noises, gradually being filtered out as his focus squared on the crystal. There was... something familiar about the artifact, as if he had already seen it somewhere. He couldn't quite place it, yet the answer was on the tip of his tongue. He'd have to dig into his memories later, Samuel still wanted to see how the portal behaved when activated.
"Psst!" Lukas hissed, making Samuel glance at him. "Stop staring at that, mate! They're beginning!"
"Are all systems ready and has all the personnel been evacuated?"
"Affirmative." A technician sitting near a console said. "Sentinel-3 is also 100% functional."
"Sentinel dash 3?" Major Heckler had perfectly echoed Samuel's thoughts.
"We've sent a Sentinel unit through the portal on the third try." Worthington wiggled his eyebrows much to Samuel's inner dismay. "Marvellous, right?"
"Beginning activation sequence."
The hangar's lights turned off, shrouding everything in a never-ending and menacing darkness. The two men operating the console tapped many commands on the twin consoles, the bipping echoing throughout the observatory. What happened next would forever remain implanted into Samuel's memories, something that would haunt him for the next ten years of his existence. A dream, a nightmare, a distant reminiscence and an ironic souvenir all at once.
Power surged through the device and into the spherical tip. The console screens flickered on and off, probably a collateral effect induced by an excessive extraction of power to keep the machine operational.
Then, it literally shot a beam towards them...
...until it stopped midway and started creating a shape.
Before them, a rectangular, giant, white door materialized. It was bidimensional at most, a flat-looking shape which appeared the same if anyone bothered circling around it. It shined a bright light. It wasn't any conventional gate any Sci-Fi lover would expect, for it did not act like a mirror. They couldn't see anything past it; all that greeted them was a pure, white void. A bit disappointing in Samuel's eyes, yet that was the function of a portal.
You had to cross it to see what laid behind it.
"Heh!" Lukas latched on his cigar with two fingers and blew smoke. "Never ceaces to amaze me."
Bullet tilted his head and whined. His owner scratched his chin. "Calm down, boy. It's alright. It's... uh, a door."
The shepherd didn't understand the human concept of a 'door', but he settled down as Samuel commanded.
"Sending in Sentinel-3."
Just as Worthington described, a remote controlled robot with claws resembling the design of Wall-E padded its way towards the portal. It shifted its gears and... simply disappeared behind it. No trace of its existence remained, as if it had never resided in their reality in the first place. "Video feed is being processed. Five seconds."
Many expected to see what lay on the other side thanks to the screen on the glass of the observatory; they expected everything to click after the five seconds passed.
Something in Samuel's guts twisted. A terrible feeling rushed through his stomach until it arrived to his chest. Bullet whined harder and took two steps back, hiding behind the security guard. For such an adventurous and fearless dog, this was unprecedented! He felt the ground under his boots rumble and grow heavier. Lukas must have also noticed, for he cocked an eyebrow as he shifted his attention to the floor.
"Uh..." Samuel began, drawing the attention entirely on him. "Sorry to interrupt, but something ain't ri-"
Red lights popped up and blared, and a box of broken metal (the ex-Sentinel) flew out of the portal and crashed on the wall beneath them. Ethereal tentacles crossed their side of the portal and started striking everything in their path.
"Shut it down! NOW!" Worthington shouted, he and everyone else barely having time to duck and avoid a hit. A tentacle lashed out and tore through the glass like it was made of butter, forcing the technicians to throw themselves away. One of them scrambled to sit back and check the machine's status.
"It's critical! Code Black! I repeat, CODE BLACK!"
Samuel, receiving his call of duty, dove for the nearest researchers and helped them get up, with Bullet right behind him should his owner require assistance. "Lukas! Help me!"
"Right, right!" The second security guard joined him.
The spikes of power increased in number, the 'tentacles' acting as giant belts ready to crush anything within range.
"Whatever it's doing, I think it's time you evacuate this facility!"
Heckler shook his head to get rid of the glass pieces in his hair., with mild success He grabbed his radio from his pockets. "We've got a Code Black! Repeat, Code Black! Get everyone out of here!" He paused. "Doc, what is this little out-of-control experiment of yours gonna do if we can't shut it down?"
"It could either sever the connection on its own, or blow up with the might of a dying star!"
"Great. Fucking great."
Something fell beside him as they all crouched on the floor save for the technicians. Samuel glanced at the crystal and saw that it had fallen. His gaze darted between the chatting scientists and the army members. He couldn't leave anything to chance. What if the crystal was the key to stop this madness and they couldn't find it? Crawling between shattered pieces of glass as he gritted his teeth, Samuel extended his hand and snatched the artifact. He didn't care about the small cuts left on his skin, that pain was nothing in comparison to his inner dread.
"NO! Stop!" Worthington had spotted him and understood his intent.
But it was too late.
The chain reaction started like a calm musical piece. Samuel stared at the crystal as the colour faded into a dull grey, and each respective 'element' Grant had hinted at began travelling across his arm, switching home from the artifact to his body. He stared in wonder at the event, blocking out everything else happening around him.
And then the pain exploded. He screamed.
The song had suddenly exploded into its climax, its instruments bombarding Samuel all at once.
First came Fire. A blazing inferno smothered Samuel, making him sweat buckets and cutting off his respiration as if a giant hand had wrapped his body in its grip and squeezed all the air out of his lungs. His nerves screamed in pain at him as the fire assaulted every inch of his skin.
Then came Ice. Samuel shivered like he was the living embodiment of an earthquake. His fingertips and toes felt numb, and each breath he took stabbed his lungs with jagged ice daggers. Everything felt so cold, colder than absolute zero, and the frostbite assailed him, mercilessly biting his skin. Despite being fully clothed, Samuel had never felt more bare.
Then came Electricity. A hundred and ten thousand amperes surged through Samuel, kicking his nerves into a wild frenzy. His muscles spasmed as garbled babbling escaped his trembling lips, and a frantic dance of lights filled his vision.
Then came Earth. A cacophony of tastes invaded Samuel's mouth. The sweet, chewy, and juiciness of sugarcane mixed with the bitterness of grass and dirt. Somehow, there was an aftertaste of...salt and vinegar chips? Before Samuel could dwell on it, a wave of nausea slammed into him. His stomach lurched as an invisible force compressed his insides, forcing him to drop to his hands and knees as bile built up in the back of his throat. It gushed out of his mouth, his digestive fluids splattering onto the floor.
And then came Wind. It began as a gentle hum, a mere whisper in Samuel's ears. Then, it crescendoed into a deafening whiz that barraged his eardrums. Finally, a sonic boom rang out as the force of ten speeding trucks smashed into him.
Samuel wondered, among all the haze and pain, how his heart hadn't stopped beating.
He was everything and nothing, everywhere and nowhere, the yin and the yang. He was a man, and yet he was not. He was a human, and then he wasn't.
Don't drown.
"It's gonna explode! Everyone get the Hell out of here, NOW!"
Don't drown.
Purple eyes from the darkness watching him, they divided into two pairs.
Don't drown.
One pair phased through the body of a giant, winged reptile, turning its scales black, its eyes red, and morphing its maw into an unsettling grin.
Don't drown.
The second pair, less shadowy in nature, approached him.
Don't drown.
"Here you are." The voice was soothing, friendly, and welcoming. Yet tainted with a concealed goal the human knew nothing about. "Consider this a 'Gift'."
Don't drown.
"I choose you."
Don't. Drown.
Everything faded to white.
Author's note 2:
I have never written a chapter this long before.
Now, I wanted to do something different than the usual "OH! PORTAL IS UNSTABLE! EVERYTHING IS GETTING SUCKED IN." So I added my twist with Samuel's point of view as he gets isekai-ded.
I also wanted to warn all of you that I was inspired in writing this by Aimless (I'm speaking with TheSilentInsomniac on Discord. Cool guy! We're going back and forth with my ideas and his reviews of them) and Broken Perceptions. I'm gonna be... well, perhaps I'll take some plot points from them, but of course I'm gonna add my own twist and turns. Not straight out copying and pasting them.
(Example: I may have made Samuel absorbing the crystal, but he ain't gonna be receiving dragon powers or another version of the Unknown Element XD)
I want to be frank and say this in advance so drama will be for the most part spared. I feel like my concept, while echoing past events you may have already read, can be original in its own regard.
Not expecting many people to read this, tbh. The Spyro archive has become stale over the years. But those that do? Maybe a review would be appreciated!
Another thanks to Rickbini and Author-San.
Aaaaaaaaand...
Until next time!
Gino out!