FADED SHADOW

WELCOMING PART ONE

[]𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐎𝐍𝐄: 𝑻𝑯𝑬 𝑾𝑬𝑳𝑪𝑶𝑴𝑰𝑵𝑮 𝑷𝑨𝑹𝑻 𝑶𝑵𝑬[]

**

[]𝑁𝑂𝑇𝐼𝐶𝐸: 𝐶𝐻𝐴𝑃𝑇𝐸𝑅𝑆 𝑈𝑃𝐷𝐴𝑇𝐸𝐷(𝑅𝐸-𝑅𝐸𝐴𝐷)[]

**

APRIL 11TH, 2023.

Within the dark hearts of the wild,

Running footsteps emerges

...bunch of armed men in black vests raced through with their heartbeats beating against their rib cage violently.

The said men, were sent by an unregistered organization, to investigate the case of missing civilians that has been going on for weeks now.

They had seen something terrifying, but what could they have seen? Something worse than death?

A series of agonizing screams cut through the still air of the night sky, more soldiers were dying behind them.

“The vans are just up ahead! Move people!” the man who was seemingly ahead of everyone shouted.

Black armored vans, five in total, were lined up on the tared roads beyond the forest boundary.

Just as he approaches, the five vans explode violently, sending every one of its spare parts in a different direction.

The man ducked several getaway spare parts. All the vans were blown to pieces. The remains are scattered around the forest.

Smokes traverse into the night sky.

The man stopped to notice the fire was still burning, they wasn't a normal fire.

For this fire. . .

. . . Was black before the naked eyes of the man who had nearly reached the exit.

Little did he know, he was all alone.

Alone with unknown forces of the great darkness that loomed this territory.

With the perks of silent deadly movements that were completely undetectable. Jacob stood, unarmed, his guns were partially useless, no ammo to back him up.

He stood quietly, shrouded in fear and horror of the night. Nowhere to possibly go, as the black fire had formed a boundary that prevented a going in and going out sequence.

He looked in a different direction, his heartbeat was the only thing he could hear,

Something observes,

Bright emerald eyes spawn in the dark behind him and vanish like it were never there.

Just then, in the unperturbed silent night

Jacob felt his heartbeat sound envelope his eardrum, and his senses were suddenly disrupted.

His mind is troubled, but he fights back.

Dark faces with bright emerald eyes purge into his head, screaming violently that blood streamed down his eardrums

Abruptly, falling to his knees, holding his head in agony. The dark faces… they came like a hound of demons, from ten to hundred, from hundreds to thousands, from thousands… to …infinity.

He began screaming at the top of his voice. Wild veins traveled across his entire skin. Shaking violently, growling like a true beast,

Just then,

His entire body explodes to bits, splattering blood on the snowy ground, not even a single part of his body was left,

. . . In the absence of the soldiers and their commander. The night grew darker and silent, bright emerald eyes loom the veils of the night,

and vanishes with absolutely no trace of its existence.

***

***

***

APRIL 12th, 2023, GREENLAND CITY HIGH.

"Here is the story of the week!.”, Naomi Garfield, stomped her hands on the desk of her fellow youths. “Mysterious figures loom the Greenland forest.”

“So what?”

“I believe the school news board needs to publish this.”, Naomi, stood boldly before the board. A band of five youths, each with a different kind of attitude, that she struggles to deal with every single day of her life while she schools here at Greenland High.

" We can't publish this.”

She raised a brow. " Why can't you? It's a big story, you know. The Mug and Dash are even on the story as we speak, so what's wrong if we publish it for the school? I mean, we could earn from it.”

" Well…"

She folded her hands, observing the ring leader trying to speak.

"…I am sorry, but we can't. We have other news to publish which are technically school related and not… public related.”

" Are you forgetting the Greenland forest is literally behind our school? It might be a little far---”

" Way far. The forest is miles away from here.”

“But--”

“That's enough, Naomi, we can work something out. At least I am happy with every contribution you have made here. But you need to bring us something related to the school and not the public. Meetings over.”

**

The door shots close with Naomi standing outside.

Her unparalleled beauty, beheld by the tranquility of the hallway— her delicate long blonde hair rested behind her, her enchanting steel blue eyes looking pale, she looked saddened, at the same time angered, but she tried to hang in there.

Perhaps someday, she would find her way out of the darkness she dwells in. Always feels the world closing in on her. Closing her eyes brings back old memories that hunt her soul.

Gasp!

She opened them, her heartbeat reverberating throughout her body.

“I need to get some fresh air.," She said to herself and exited the hallway.

***

***

APRIL 15TH, 2023.

•|• THE ANDREWS MANSION •|•

“Yo! Has anyone seen Monday?” a voice, shot from the interior of the house. “I haven't seen him since last weekend.”

“Monday said he will be out for some days, he said he has something important to do.”, a brown-haired girl in a yellow tank top and black shorts responded while she was reading a novel.

A towering figure walked down the staircase, clothed in a black buttoned-up shirt and gray jeans. “Have you heard the news?”

“What news?” She asked while still reading her novel, hard to tell if she was even interested in the news the towering figure was talking about.

He sighed and seized her novel. “The black blur strikes again.”

“Oh…”, she uttered, with no little emotion attached. “That man …”

“Yeah!.”

“So? What about him? Just a vigilante doing his thing, how does it connect to Monday?”

He heaved a sigh and sat beside her, slamming her novel on the thick dark brown table that was in the middle of the living room. “The black blur isn't a vigilante. He's a menace!.”

“Good morning guys.”, A voice blasted through the door followed by a loud yawn. A latter in a red buttoned-up shirt whose long sleeves were pulled up in style. Black jeans and fitting boots made sounds as he paced forward.

“Monday!.”, The towering figure uttered in shock and got up to confront the green - eyes fellow about his whereabouts. “ Young man! Where have you been!.”

“I told Debbie I would be out for some days to attend to---”

“What work do you do? For all we know, you just disappear whenever you feel like it and return whenever you feel like it, and you expect us to be okay with it? ”

Debbie nodded in disappointment at hearing the towering figures' statement.

“Look… Jake, I will be honest with you but for now, I need to get some rest.”, Monday patted Jake's shoulder as he spoke and walked past him and headed upstairs to his room.

“ “Somethings up, and I'll find out.”

“Why are you even bothering yourself? Let him be, I mean, what harm will it cost him if you gave him his space? ”, Debbie questioned him.

“Oh, so you know where he is always running off to?”

“No, I don't, I never said I knew a thing about where and where he goes and does not. All I said is, give him some space, quit interfering in his matters, trust me. He will come around.”

Jake hummed for a bit before picking up his car keys from the table. “You know what, I'm just going to head to work. I'm almost late already.”

“Then go!.”, a smile sat on her face as she chuckled.

“Yeah! I'm going.

With the sudden silence in the house. Debbie looked back to the stairs, her mind busy as she went up the stairs and steadily walked the way to Monday's room.

She knocked on the door before saying. “Monday… can I come in.”

There was no response.

She tried again,

Still, no response came.

“Hey, what's the matter?” another black beauty, walked her way from the end of the corridor. Tucked in a white top and green baggy trousers with a golden necklace dangling on her full chest.

“It's Monday, I was trying to see if he would let me talk to him. You know, how he is.”

“Forget about him for now, what are we eating for breakfast?” the other lady asked as she led Debbie back downstairs. “I am starving, maybe we should go with some noodles.”,

She entered the kitchen while Debbie headed back to Monday's room and tried a few knocks to see if he would still respond, but she was mistaken.

There was still no response.

*****

*****

******

“* We are reporting live from the Hayward Tech industry, where there's been a sudden attack on it. The police are trying their very best to put an end to this, but it seems they are up against something different. *”

•|• Hayward Tech Industry •|•

A black BMW pulls into the heated scenario with cars blocking the way. Police car up ahead. The door opens with Jake comes out of it. He ran his hands across his taper fade haircut as he observed the horror down the road.

He ran forward and rushed through the crowd until he was able to get in contact with one of the cops. “Sir! Please, what's going on?”

“Some men have invaded Hayward Tech, and they're holding everyone in it captive as we speak.”, he then turned away from Jake, who gasped and took a few steps backward.

Jake looked ahead.

There was something else. A figure, donned in an overall crimson armor, hovering above Hayward Tech's perimeter.

The cops were firing all they had at, but it didn't budge, the bullets bounced off it on contact.

The armored man didn't move an inch, he allowed them to down their bullets on him. His head tilted to the side, taking another spray of bullets from reinforcement.

Bullets die down,

Ammo turns empty.

“Had your fun? My turn then.”

The armored man landed, exhibiting an omnidirectional wave of repelling nuclear energy, burning everything in its path, causing an uncalled-for explosion!

*****

*****

Monday wakes up from his sleep due to the sound of the explosion. Appearing that they had sunk into his eardrums. His eyes shimmered a bright emerald light.

*****

*****

Cars burnt,

Several Civilians dead,

Many to still account for as this menacing figure sets to purge out another wave.

“Now that is what I like, the sound of pain, the sound of death calling, the sound of --”

An eerie sound emanates behind him,

“Just stop already.”

Followed by an unregistered voice.

The armored figure turned slowly to see who it was.

"You?!”

A figure hovered behind him, a man with a black faded haircut was dressed in an overall black Spandex suit, coupled with a dark green jacket with his collars stretching up to his neck level. His identity is hidden beneath the black semi-eye mask.

"I was enjoying my nap, but then. You woke me up. Now you're going to have to pay for interrupting my sleep.”

The figure groans with annoyance. “Then how about I put you back to sleep!”

His armor begins to unravel, nuclear energy in his palms. The supposed man in the sky makes a low grunt and bolts at his opposition at superhuman speed! Knocking him off with one belligerent hit!

The impact made a reverberating sound across the perimeters. Nearby breakables shatter and a feeble wave is exhibited from the hit.

Scraps of the man's armor are left behind after the hit!

Sending the man across the city without his armor. The fellow sighs, he cared less of whatever might happen to the armorless fellow.

"Where is it!” His eardrums picked up an ongoing situation within the building which wasn't too far from behind him.

𝐼𝑁𝑆𝐼𝐷𝐸:

“Where is it? ”, The first man in a black vest and combat outfit, demanded. He and his crew had invaded one of the top tech companies in Greenland, they were after something, a foreign tech perhaps that might help advance their technical supplies to a whole new different level.

But at what cost?

Doctor Grayson Snow, the head of the facility, was trying to get himself together to speak, but the demanding beast roared again. “Where the hell is it? I won't ask again! ”

Thoom!

The ceiling shattered abruptly as a figure burst through with brute force.

“How about I answer to you, but! You let them go.”

A sudden thud occurred behind the armed men, and they swiftly turned back with their rifles pointed out to the figure that stood at the center.

They took note of the alarming figure, their boss, the only one who had a silver helmet on and two fists equipped with metallic silver gauntlets with a few wires attached, had carefully taken a turn back to who was intruding.

“And who the hell are you? ”, His voice vibrated through the helm.

“You know… I don't joke with my sleep. ”, the voice responded as he walked out of the shades. “. . . Neither do I joke with criminals like you!.”

The men looked at one other as if they were all confused by what he said.

“Look. . .”, He heaved a sigh, talking more calmly than before. “ Will you leave? Or should I make you? ”

“ You don't know anything! ”, the silver-helmed guy beamed. “You’re just a kid from my perspective, scared and trying to be a hero. . . Hiding behind that silly mask of yours. . .”, He walked forward a bit. “. . .if you know what's best for you. .leave! Now! ”

His voice deepens abruptly, “The only person leaving here, is. . .you.”

****

/ I have been very violent. Ever since I was fifteen, I had a mental trauma that messed with my rage.

I was put on a medication period to stop it and went on a series of Therapist sessions, but all in all… I am still as violent as ever.

The pills given to me to reduce my rage don't even seem to work anymore. Nothing is sure anymore, my rage might consume me someday,

It might not be now, but someone has got to watch out In case. . .I lost it. /

****

Swift!

The latter disappeared at super speed, and gunfire began! Everyone else took cover, the armed men kept their rifles firing. As they did, the latter reappeared beside one of them and grabs his face, and disappears! Again at super speed.

The firing stopped.

“What just happened?!.”, The silver helmed man asked. He looked around, up, and down, but nothing. “Where did he go?”,

Their naked eyes couldn't follow his movements.

“I don't …know.”, The other said, fear had gripped his voice so that it nearly became too tight for him to speak. He had only managed to speak while he tried looking around with the rifle still pointed in his hands.

Sharply!

The silver-helmed man turned to doctor snow, who was buried in fear that death would take him if he wasn't saved from the hands of this man.

His crew was already lifeless, just a few remained, and he wouldn't want to see another one due to information he knows absolutely nothing about.

“You are causing me a lot of trouble. . .I should be on my way out of here! Where's the damn orb..”

“I don't know… how many times do I have to tell you this??? I don't know what you are talking about?” His voice noted how frightened he was. Trembling at the grip of death's calling as the silver-helmed man glared through his helm, if only you could see how ugly he looked.

“You don't want to talk?... that's not a problem…”, He raised his hand slowly. “I will just send you to hell instead.”

“Not so fast”

A hand gripped his right shoulder and they both disappeared again…

Snow's heartbeat rate returned normal. He didn't hear death's calling anymore. He felt relieved from the jaws of death, he sweated so much that he sharply took off the lab coat and got onto his feet.

Furthermore, he removed his glasses and looked back to see his crew, who had already started running towards the exit of the building.

He then turned back and tapped the top of the curve table, a small space opened up with the doctor dug his hands into it and brought out a glowing orb and sunk it into his pocket, and made his way toward the exit.

******

******

/ During my time trying to take care of my mental health, I was getting help from people who helped train my abilities. At least, some of them. /

JANUARY 8TH, 2017

A.O.U.C.E. HEADQUARTERS.

/ Located in an unregistered sector of the universe, I received special training from people who were beyond my league. /

“You have to focus on your surroundings' son, don't think too much, or you won't gain anything from it. Which is why we are going to start from a smaller piece.”

Monday shook his head when he saw what the man showed him, what lay in his open palm was a mere pebble.

“What?!”

/ Jackson Kyle, The Terra King, Nature's Champion, The Earth Master. He taught me a few things, but he mostly taught me …balance, basically balance and how to coordinate myself. His teaching was quite sick, though /

“Your powers work with the gravitational fields around us, you need to try working on how you can manipulate it, so it can benefit you.”

“Starting with a pebble?”

“If you can control these pebbles and perfect your grasp over them, then, I promise, we will go higher than this.”

/ At first. . .I thought it was going to be easy, but it wasn't, controlling a pebble was quite harder than I thought and there we were, for days, months, Jackson helped me try to stable my control over it/

/From pebbles… we went higher with different tryouts, the Man pushed me to my limits, and my strength was tested. From asteroids to space-craft, a lot of heavy shit that were crazy heavy for me, but Jackson didn't give up on me, and neither did I/

**

APRIL 15TH, 2023.

Everyone had exited the building and gotten to safe perimeters, at least long enough to avoid what was about to happen next.

A puncturing force pummels out of the building's rooftop. It was the black blur, he had punched the silver-helmed man so hard in the guts it sent him through the building top.

He reappeared atop this man at superhuman speed yet again, squeezed his palm into a fist, and punches him in the chest, inducing a heavy amount of force that sends him back into the building, crashing through floors until he met his fate and landed on the last floor.

The impact of the silver-helmed man had left a huge dented hole in the middle of the last floor of the building.

As a result. . .

The man was unconscious.

The latter was still deep in midair when everyone started taking pictures…

**

/And then, there was the fastest thing in the cosmos, I don't know what or who the hell he is, but he's fucking fast!/

MARCH 19, 2018,

A.O.U.C.E. HEADQUARTERS

“So who are we meeting today.," Monday asked with curiosity written all over his face. Donned in a white singlet and a pair of blue shorts.

Beside him stood Jackson Kyle.

/Sometimes I wonder… where were these guys at the time my father vanished. What were they doing, why didn't they come. . . I never tried asking this question./

“We are going to meet someone who will help you with your speed session, but be careful. He moves fast, fast enough to cause an anomaly.”

“A what?”

“Ugh? Nevermind.”, Monday shook his head, and Jackson responded. He could have sworn he heard him say an anomaly, but couldn't confirm so.

/At first, I wondered… who could be so fast to make an anomaly happen …if he is so fast …where was he the night my father risked his life to save the world?/

/So many questions left unanswered/

/Even until now, I am still struggling with the questions buried in my heart and trying to live a normal life but who am I kidding… the chances of ever living a normal life are… /

An extremely blinding white light inundates their presence, causing Monday to shade his eye from the light, but Jackson didn't flinch from it.

The light slowly dims bit by bit, revealing an alarming figure.

/… impossible./

UPDATED!

WARNING: THE REMAINING CHAPTERS ARE UNDER AN UPDATING SESSION.