Surge, Dawn of the new Era

Part 5 of an on going series.

Read the comments below to see links to the other chapters.

Seconds shift to minutes, minutes turn to hours. Time stretches, twists and slows for both men. Surge still floating in the air wraps his fingers around the edges of intangible electricity. Gripping the bolt of lightning. Edgar appears like Zeus himself shining against the purple/blue flashes of light. Descending from the heavens to smite the revived Titan Quake from raising an army by his side. Quake forgets himself in the moment as his eyes fill with fear at the show of power before him. Forgetting their mutated identities, the two are stripped down to their mortal coils. Until, only Marcus and Edgar remain.

Edgar shifts his body hurling the bolt like a mighty javelin. The lightning strikes within the same moment it leaves his fingertips. Having formed such power in his very hands. Edgar watches as the strike explodes into a brilliant white light illuminating the sky as the sun continues setting over the horizon. Exhausted and losing consciousness. Edgar falls to the ground disappearing into the dust cloud for cover.

With exceptional control Edgar manages to soften his impact. Tumbling across the ground a few times, he wheezes catching himself with his left arm. Rolling onto his back to take a good look at himself. Edgar sees his right arm and leg shredded by debris. The bleeding must have stopped because of the electrical burns. They must have cauterizing his wounds. Wiping away the blood from his eye, he drops to his back laying down. The cool breeze of night billows across the fields on the edge of Centurion city, slowly pushing the dust cloud away.

Staring into the sky, Edgar can’t help but look at the stars. It could be his exhaustion. It could be his concussion. But regardless of the reason. Looking at the stars, the vast emptiness sprawling out before him brings him peace. He always longed for an exciting life. Being an electrician was never enough. Day in and day out with the wife and kids felt tedious. Like many others, he always felt he was meant for more. Looking at his left hand still covered by his bulky copper lined gauntlet. Vision blurred, he closes his fist before reaching out toward the sky itself.

Rocks shifting in the distance break the silence of the approaching night. Starting with tumbling pebbles the sound turns into full rocks grinding against each other. Dropping his hand to the ground. Edgar sits up, glancing down into the center of the impact crater. Taking as deep of a breath as his body will allow. Edgar charges himself up. Surging electricity from his chest out into every limb, into every muscle and fiber of his being.

Picking himself up, Edgar vomits blood saying. “This is it…Marcus! I’m going to stop you. I won’t let you hurt anyone else.”

Crawling out of a pile of rubble, standing on all fours. Quake’s anger shows as all of the debris floats and spins around him in an atomic structure. Leaping into the air. Quake sends the debris away from Surge and instead flies with it toward the center of the city. Evading all of the police cruisers as the commissioner arrives at the scene. The news four emergency response team helicopter hovers momentarily before following quake toward Centurion square.

Standing on the edge of the crater as the police cruisers pull to a halt. Edgar raises his left hand in a show of compliance toward them. Commissioner Jeffers steps out of his patrol SUV megaphone in hands saying. “This is the commissioner. We have no intention of fighting you, but you need to stop and turn yourself in. I can only help you if…”

The commissioner is cut off by the sound of destruction coming from within the city. A cloud of dust and embers flow upward barely noticeable against the night sky. Kneeling down into himself, Edgar charges more power. Focusing his breathing until the electricity becomes a visible aura around him and his hair stands on its ends. With the majority of his suit being destroyed. Edgar feels the electricity burning his body within. Arching backwards he screams while leaping into the air catching the police off guard. Firing a volley of bullets at him, provides zero threat at super speed. Edgar ignores the bullets and launches himself through the air with a pulse of magnetic energy from his feet.

Commissioner Jeffers and the police watch on in awe as Surge dashes off leaving a light trail in his wake. Taking no time to pause. The commissioner gets everyone into position around the meteorite. Taking proper caution into account. A group of officers’ dress up in full hazmat suits with gasmasks to approach the purple crystals. Taking samples of the strange crystals and gas. They’re soon interrupted by returning members of the red lights gang. Busting out fully auto machine guns the gang runs across the open crater toward the police launching their own surprise attack.

Propelling himself forward as fast as physically possible. Edgar flies into the middle of Centurion city. Directly at Quake. His body aches and screams against the electricity surging through it. Fighting against the pain. Edgar probes the city, enhancing his ears and his eyes. Stimulating both to work at their maximum potential to pinpoint Quake.

Twisting and turning through the city streets at intense speeds. His vision barely keeping up. Rounding a final corner, dashing past the ERT helicopter. Edgar grabs onto a street light and spins himself around. With intense velocity and force, he plants his foot into Quake’s temple. Cracking his skull while sending him straight down into the pavement hundreds of feet below.

Dropping out of the air. Edgar grabs onto another street light sucking as much electricity from it as he can. Killing power to the entire city block. Wheezing behind his broken ribs, fighting to stay conscious. Edgar steps toward Marcus. Dropping into a southpaw boxing stance saying. “Stop this. Please. You’ve let power cloud your mind. What are you even after?”

“Just that...I’m after power. I want to use that meteorite to change everyone. I’m going to make a new society. A society for people with powers like us. Where those who never felt accepted can come and no longer feel outcast.” Marcus says, grunting while climbing out of the hole in the street.

“There’s no room in this world for people like us. I want to study the meteorite. I want to turn us back to normal Marcus. Be rid of the pain this has brought us.”

“Then, we truly don’t see eye to eye. I don’t think we ever will.” Marcus solemnly replies, slowly levitating away from the ground.

“What are you planning? Where does this lead? When does this end?”

Staying silent. Quake lifts his hand into the sky ripping a chunk of loose pavement from the road and sends it flying into the nearest apartment building. Flying higher into the air. Quake laughs as the building starts collapsing. Waving his hands about he rips debris loose from the building making it fall to pieces faster. People scream in horror as they’re crushed alive or thrown from the building itself. Others are trapped within the rubble as it settles. Charging himself up beyond any level he’s used before. Edgar watches as an explosion hits Quake sending him flying backward into another building. A heavily armored tank turns its body to roll straight down the road toward them both. Happy to see the military. Edgars smile fades as the barrel points at him next.

Trying to move his right arm but unable to. Edgar holds his left hand up against the tank shell. Sending his entire charge into his remaining gauntlet. He barely blocks the majority of the explosion sending the shrapnel down into the ground at his feet. Taking a deep breath. Edgar picks himself up and dashes as fast as his body will take him to the collapsed building. Muttering to himself. “I have to save who I can. The military should keep Quake busy for a second.”

Troop carriers catch up to the tank as the military floods the streets. Quake flies out of the building he landed in and out toward the military. Using a cloud of debris to protect him from the gun fire and more. He makes a single sweep against them destroying the tank.

Pulling a few people from the debris. Edgar is spotted by the ERT helicopter. Shining its spotlight down on him. Linda inside the helicopter lifts the mic to her lips as she begins. “The very scene downtown tonight is something out of the movies themselves. What you’ve been witnessing is the unaltered truth. As you can see the military has arrived in full force, but much like the police seem unable to handle the situation at hand. Quake is decimating our forces. While you can see below, Surge is attempting to save anyone he can. Back to you Miranda at the studio.”

Live in the studio. Miranda shoots a smile to every soul in Centurion city. All eyes glued on their screens, or out of their windows watching the action live. Miranda shifts calmly in her seat moving one leg over the other saying. “Welcome to those of you just tuning in. The last few months have been trying for Centurion city. Meteorites' falling from the sky and the rise of mutated individuals. Just know, the efforts of the military will bring this dark chapter to a close and we can move forward from this bleak mark in our fine cities’ history. Now back to the only news station bringing this action to you live. Linda.”

Peter and Daisy continue watching in horror from the television set in Peters’ basement. Daisy covers her mouth as the camera focuses on Edgar pulling people from the collapsed building. His bones showing under flayed skin on his right side. Blood crusted over his left eye and his forehead swollen like a melon. His suit utterly destroyed aside from his boots and left gauntlet. Grabbing Peters hand, Daisy asks. “How can we help him?”

“I have an idea. But. I have no idea how it’ll go.” Peter replies, tears at the edge of his eyes.

“We can’t let him die out there alone. He needs help.” Daisy says.

“I have some of the gas.”

“From the meteorite?” Daisy asks.

“I think it’s only enough for one of us though, and based on how it works. It’s a crapshoot. We have no way of telling if it will work or how you’ll mutate.”

Staring at the television. Watching the feed from the ERT helicopter as Edgar leaps out into the fray. Flying into the air with a flip clasping hands with Quake, stopping him from shooting more debris at the soldiers down below. The camera man of the ERT zooms in on the two as they flip through the air descending to the city streets below. The soldiers start to scatter realizing the magnitude of their situation as Quake continues firing wave after wave of debris around him using his mind alone.

“Flip a coin?” Daisy asks lightly.

“You do it.” Peter sternly says. His eyes meeting hers.

“What? Wait, why me?”

“Look at the difference between Edgar and Marcus. What is it? Ignore all their powers and look at the men.”

Watching the screen carefully. Daisy sees it. Edgar despite his ability to increase his speed, strength and senses. He can’t keep up. Marcus keeps getting the upper hand physically. Edgar speeds around Marcus to put him in a full nelson like before, but Marcus shifts his legs back and trips Edgar while overpowering his grip. Flipping around. Holding him up. Marcus punches Edgar repeatedly in the face until they fall to the ground. The military busy building barricades around the alleyways and openings of the street closing the two in. Set in a defensive perimeter. The soldiers start firing volleys of gunfire toward them. Quake simply blocks all view as he builds a barrier of stone around Surge and himself.

Daisy snaps back to the moment saying. “Alright, do it. Where is it? How are we doing this?”

Peter leads Daisy over to a large sealed container. Opening it up, Peter grabs the vacuum cannister containing the sample of gas Edgar managed to collect days prior. Hooking one end of the cannister up to a tube. Peter connects the other side to an oxygen mask saying. “Okay, we only get one shot at this. You might want to sit down. Are you ready for this?”

Daisy sits down in a nearby computer chair and shakes out her hands. Looking to Peter without saying a word. She nods. Putting the mask on. Peter grabs some tape and seals the edges of the mask flush against her face. Kneeling down in front of her. Peter holds onto the cannister with both hands sweating.

Glancing up at Daisy, Peter asks. “You ready?”

Nodding, Daisy gives him a thumbs up. She takes a deep breath saying. “Yeah…yeah. I’m ready.”

Slowly turning the nozzle on the bottom to release the gas from the top valve. Peter lets a slow steady flow of gas into the mask. Watching as her eyes cloud over, turning milky purple before clearing up as the mutation sets in.