One fall night in a forest outside Los Angeles...
A heavily armored truck along with its escorts made its exit off the highway. It was colored completely black, the driver was a man dressed in a suit and tie. The convoy headed down a road leading further into the forest, until it came to a right turn onto another road. It led to a guarded checkpoint, a sign read "GOVERNMENT PROPERTY AHEAD - NO ENTRY UNLESS AUTHORIZED". The convoy came to a stop at the checkpoint, and an armed guard in tactical gear emerged from the booth. As he approached the truck, the driver rolled down his window.
"This the delivery?" the guard questioned.
"Uh-huh. All the product is in the back." replied the driver.
"I'm gonna have to do a quick check, hold here." said the guard.
The guard then moved to the back of the truck and opened up the latches, then he got out his flashlight and began to inspect the cargo inside.
There was a bunch of boxes for the most part, containing weapons parts and tools. But in the back of the truck was a few armored cases, containing chemicals and other hazardous material. One case in particular was far more armored than the rest, and it was labeled with a piece of tape that read, "NEVER OPEN UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCE - PAYLOAD FOR RICHARD D. THOMAS". The guard backed away and turned to leave the truck. He closed the doors and locked the latches in place.
The guard then came up to the driver, "Okay, looks good back there. I'll go open up the gate, safe travels." he said.
"Much appreciated, have a good night." the driver replied.
The guard then walked back to the booth and pressed a button which opened the gate. The convoy began their move again deeper into the woods. They soon came to a building hidden away in the woods, the board out front reading "ANGELES FOREST RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT FACILITY". The two cars escorting the truck split off and allowed the truck to enter the area by itself. The gate into the facility opened up, and the truck drove around to the back of the building where it stopped in front of a large shutter door. It opened up automatically, and the truck entered the loading area of the building where a crew was waiting. The door shut behind it and the driver parked the truck and got out.
A woman came up to the driver to shake his hand. she had short black hair and blue eyes, wearing a lab coat and a protective white turtleneck. "Hey there, nice to meet you, I'm Professor Thomas's assistant. He's busy making the preparations right now, so I came up to collect. Any disturbances along the way?" she asked.
"Nope, we chose to take the long way home this time." the driver answered.
"Any damages to report?"
"Shouldn't be, we made sure the cargo was safely secured whenever we got the chance."
"We'll see about that."
The other crewmen made their way to the back of the truck and opened up the doors. They placed a ramp leading into the truck and began moving the boxes out.
"Have the DOR filled you in on what exactly you were transporting?" the assistant asked.
"They left it pretty vague, but from what I could understand it's some kind of rare and dangerous chemical. They explicitly told me to drive with caution and avoid any large cities or towns." the driver responded.
"I see. So the DOR haven't said much either, huh."
"Hey so, I don't know if I should be asking you this but, it sounds like to me the DOR was worried about the cargo being attacked or stolen. If that's the case, then why not have an DCP Agent or two tag along with us? It could've made the process easier, no?" the driver asked her.
"All of the nation's top agents have likely been marked. The DOR didn't want to risk placing one of them with you and the convoy being tailed. As for the other agents, they're all too weak to defend you if there were to be an attack. Especially if the attack came from our usual suitors." she responded.
"I suppose you're right. Anyway, since it seems like my work here is finished, when can I expect to get paid?" the driver asked.
"Don't expect anything yet. We still need to check if the payload is in good condition or not." she answered back.
The crewmen then began to unload the armored cases and carefully placed them on special carts. The last case they unloaded was the payload itself, which got its own cart. One of the crewmen then rolled the cart over to the assistant for her to check.
She knelt down and took out a piece of paper from her coat pocket. Then she turned on a panel on top of the case which detailed the conditions inside. She began reading them to herself.
"Temperature looks good, the inside is clean, no signs of exposure to other chemicals, the lights are off, okay." she got up and approached the driver.
"Alright, it's in good condition. Nice work, wait for the crew here to pack up the gear and you can be on your way. Your pay should be wired to you in about a week." she told the driver.
"Thanks, all of you take care now. Please try not to involve me in whatever war crime you commit with that. I've got my own issues to deal with." he said jokingly.
The assistant smirked and began pushing the cart towards the door into the facility, the other crewmen following her with the other carts.
She entered the facility and began making her towards the elevator, passing by multiple research labs that are focused on developing high powered weapons and gear or highly potent performance-enhancing drugs. The crewmen that were following her dispersed into the different labs to make their deliveries. She proceeded into the elevator with the cart and pressed the button labeled UG4. The elevator closed and took her down underground, where specialized research and development is conducted. The elevator then opened up, and the assistant began to push the cart again. There was only one large laboratory room on this level, and it was home to one of the nation's most productive scientists, Professor Richard D. Thomas. She got to the door of the lab and scanned her keycard to open it up. The door opened, and she pushed the cart inside. She called out for the Professor.
"Sir, the delivery has arrived." she called out.
The Professor turned around from his desk and got up from the chair he was sitting in. He was a tall man with flowing short brown hair and glasses. He had his lab coat on but wore a casual blue shirt and jeans with white sneakers.
"Excellent, go ahead and roll the cart over to the table right there, we'll begin shortly." he spoke.
The assistant pushed the cart to the side of a large table in the middle of the lab, she then went up to the Professor to await her next order.
"You sure you're wearing the proper attire for this?" she questioned.
"It'll be fine. We're not running any tests today, just analyzing. Did you check the vitals? Everything look normal?" he asked.
"Yes sir, it's been well taken care of." she responded.
"That's good to hear. I've already set up everything we're going to need on the table. Let's get going."
"Yes sir."
The Professor and the assistant moved to the table. He carefully lifted the case from the cart and carried it to the open spot in the middle, where he set it down gently.
"Alright, first thing we need to do is make sure the artifact inside is inactive. I've prepared a neutralizing spray to help with that. You see that canister there? Hand it to me, if you will." he instructed his assistant.
"Yes sir." she replied, and grabbed the canister. It was a bottle of sunscreen with the neutralizing liquid inside.
"Thank you, now, there should be- ah, there it is." the Professor opened up a small hatch on the side of the case and sprayed some of the bottle into it, then closed it.
"What this will do is put the artifact to sleep for a while, this way it will be made safe to analyze in the open. It will take a few minutes for the neutralizer to kick in, so if you have any questions, ask away." he told his assistant.
"I just have one question sir. You describe the product as an artifact, not chemicals. I was never properly filled in on the contents inside the case, just what to look for and monitor when it comes to its condition. Just what exactly are we working with here?" she asked.
"Yes, I suppose now is a good time to let you know. Inside that case is a silver necklace with the artifact in question hooked onto it. You see, as a precautionary measure, all who know about this artifact were demanded by the DOR to never refer to it as one. Instead, we refer to it as chemicals. This was to prevent any rumors or suspicion from arising from within. People would think that this is just another drug development process of some sort. But what we're doing is beyond that. What I'm going to tell you next must stay between us, understand?" he spoke.
"I understand." she replied.
"Good, now take a seat there. It's a bit of long story."
The assistant sat down on the chair next to the table, and the Professor sat on the table's ledge.
The Professor took a deep breath, and began to speak.
"Alright, did you ever read or hear about the news of a terrorist attack in a small town in the Ecuadorian Amazon?"
"No, I don't think I have" said the assistant.
"I figured so. American media doesn't really care for events outside the west. Anyway, the report was that a brutal terrorist attack was carried out in the town of Taracoya, a community just outside Ecuador's Amazon. Eyewitness reports say it was carried out by one individual, a man who was later identified as Julian Asprilla."
"What were the details of the attack? What happened to him?" asked the assistant.
"Like I said, it was brutal. He butchered more than half the town. The people were so terrified they couldn't even get a photo of the guy on the attack, couldn't describe him either. When police arrived on the scene, there were corpses and limbs all over the place. The whole town was painted in blood. Men, Women, Children, it was a sickening sight. The witnesses themselves haven't recovered at all, most of them broke down in tears when giving their report. Among the pile of corpses, the police found Asprilla's body. Which despite the attack being a few hours old at that point, his body looked as if he had been dead for months."
"...And how did he carry out the attack? Spiritual Vitality?"
"No, not exactly. The people said that they knew nobody in the town who had an ability like that. However the police did find a silver necklace around Asprilla's neck. One that had an artifact of some kind attached to it. That same necklace is the one sitting inside the case. The leading theory is it was the necklace that gave him the attack power, although its unknown how."
"Okay... did investigators ever find out where he got it?"
"Not the exact location, but they got an idea of where it could've been found. You see, the witnesses actually reported that Asprilla went missing for two days before the attack. Reportedly, he went into the rainforest to forage for fruit and presumably got lost. He never had the necklace on before that point, so the place he found it likely rests somewhere deep within that forest."
"What about the necklace itself? What's the deal with it? How does it's power work?"
"Well, like I said, it's all theory for now. But we think the artifact in the necklace is harboring some form of ancient Spiritual Vitality. A Vitality that is too strong for normal humans to interact with, and causes them to go crazy. When investigators tried to run tests on it, the artifact started glowing, and being near it caused them to act almost insane. They had no choice but to lock it away. Which brings us to the reason we are here today, to discover what it's made of and get to the bottom of it's powers."
"I see. I suppose now I should ask, how did we get our hands on it?"
"A colleague of mine was working on the investigation down there and told me about it. I thought it looked like an interesting case to study, so I told their department I was willing to take it off their hands and analyze it myself. They rejected me at first, but about two weeks ago you probably heard that the United States and Ecuador agreed on a deal that sent three of our own high ranked DCP Agents to work over there in exchange for cooperation with American business and research ventures in the country. Since my issue had to due with research, I was able to send in another request for the necklace which they accepted. After that, I told the DOR what my plans were for it and the potential that it had. After hearing me out they immediately made it a top secret matter and shipped it to me."
"Okay, I understand it all now. I imagine all that's left now is to enact your plan, correct? What is it that you want to accomplish with the artifact?"
"If the theory proves true and there is an ancient Vitality within the artifact, I want to be able to harness it. Understand that it turned a normal human man into a force powerful enough to rip through an entire town. If we could figure out how to negate the corrupting effect and give it to one of our top Agents, imagine the power they could have. It could be revolutionary for us, both for the recognition and the paycheck."
"Revolutionary indeed, sir. I'm glad I'll be able to assist you with this project. Anyway, it's been a few minutes now, is it time to start?"
"Yes, a good amount of time has passed now. Let us begin."
The assistant got up out of her chair and stood next to the Professor in front of the case.
"Oh, and I forgot to mention this, the necklace isn't the only artifact in this case. There is another item that was found in Asprilla's pocket. However no activity has been reported from it since it's been found. It's going to need further analysis, but for now we will focus on the necklace." the Professor said.
The assistant nodded her head, and the Professor put on a pair of blue surgical gloves and a facemask. The assistant also did the same. The Professor then carefully unbuckled the latches on the case and opened it slowly. The neutralizing spray and cold temperature seeped out, creating a small fog in and around the case. Once fully opened, the Professor used a piece of paper and waved it around to clear out the fog. It was then the two artifacts in the case were revealed.
On the left was the silver necklace, the artifact attached to it wasn't glowing. On the right, a small golden ring with an engraving. A small white colored jewel was attached to it, making it look like an expensive wedding ring.
"There they are. Pretty, aren't they? I bet the necklace would look even prettier when its glowing, just a shame about it's side effects, though."
The assistant looked in awe. Even though they were in an inactive state, the artifacts had a strong presence about them.
"I assume that neutralizing spray was to stop the necklace from glowing, yes? How did you make it?" asked the assistant.
"Yes, that was the reason why it was needed. It is simply the same kind of spray that DCP Agents use to subdue their target's Spiritual Vitality. Since the necklace's effects are caused by the energy it emits when it glows.
The Professor grabbed a small stand on the table and placed it next to the case. He then carefully grabbed the necklace and placed it on said stand.
"Alright, first thing I want to do is find out what kind of material this artifact is made out of. There are multiple mineral testers next to you, can you grab them for me?" the Professor asked.
"Yes, one moment." the assistant replied.
She grabbed the mineral testers and handed them one by one to the Professor. He lightly pressed each of the testers against the artifact, in the end, none of them beeped.
"Okay, I figured this wasn't going to be that easy. Alright then, onto the next one, grab that microscope for me." he ordered his assistant.
"Yes sir." she said, she then grabbed the microscope and set it down in front of the Professor.
The Professor carefully moved the necklace from the stand and placed it under the microscope, the artifact itself directly under the scope. He calibrated it and began zooming in slowly on the artifact. The pitch black color of the artifact mixed with the shining light of the microscope made looking at the artifact like looking into space. It was mesmerizing, but other than that there was still nothing to be found. When he was done, the Professor turned off the microscope light and took the necklace out, placing it back on the stand.
"Still nothing, eh. I'm starting to think that the only way to figure out what the artifact is made of is by triggering it's glow. But its too risky for that now. Maybe I could try this for now," as he said that, he took off his right glove.
"What are you going to do, sir?" asked his assistant.
"I'm going to get a feel for it's texture directly. The neutralizer should be in effect for a while, so it'll be safe to touch. I'll be careful with it, like always." he answered.
He slowly brought his index finger toward the artifact, preparing to touch it for a few moments. Then, he softly pressed his finger against it. The artifact felt like a jewel, and had a faint warmth to it. The Professor slightly moved his finger along it, and the texture was the same. After he was finished he removed his finger from the artifact and put his glove back on.
"How does it feel sir?" his assistant asked.
"Like how any other jewel would feel. Although I did feel some warmth on my finger. It very well could be a result of the Vitality within." he responded.
"So what's up next? Do you have any more analysis to conduct?"
"Yes, I do. First however, I need to write up a report. I'll be at my computer for a little bit to get that settled. In the meantime, take this." the Professor handed her a paper with instructions written on it. "Those instructions are related to the other artifact in the case. I want you to go through them and find out what you can about it. Notice anything interesting, make sure to let me know."
"Yes sir." she said, and she moved back to the case to inspect the ring.
Unbeknown to the both of them, the artifact on the necklace began to glow faintly.
About 20 minutes pass by, the Professor finishes up his report and makes his way back to his assistant, who is still researching the ring. He walked slower than usual.
"Hey there, find anything interesting yet?" he asks her.
"No, not quite. If anything it just seems like a normal wedding ring, see?" she held up her right hand, she was wearing the ring around her middle finger.
"Heh, looks good on you. You know, if we end up finding out that it is in fact a normal ring, why don't you keep it for yourself? If you ever wanna get married in the future you wont have to blow a fortune on a ring." he said, with a hint of fatigue.
The assistant scoffed, "Yeah right, nobody's had a crush on me since preschool. I'm already 38 anyway, my time has long been passed."
"You know what they say girl, you're never too old to love." he responded, kind of slurring his words.
"Um, sir? Are you-" the assistant was about to express her concern when the Professor cut her off.
"Here, I'll tell you a pretty funny story. You see, back when I was in high school, my family got news that my grandma got pre-"
The assistant zoned out of his story and observed the Professor closely. She began thinking to herself as she looked at his condition.
"He clearly looks exhausted, no doubt about it. He sounds exhausted as well, strange. Did he not get enough sleep? No, cant be, he got here just four hours ago. He told me he got enough rest so he could work deep into the night. Maybe he hasn't had enough water or food? But he has a fridge next to his desk, and I can see some empty water bottles next to his computer as well. What's going on with him- wait..."
Just then, she noticed the glow emanating from the necklace.
"-and that is how I ended up with a now 25 year old grand-uncle. Like I said, never too old for love."
"Sir, look at the artifact!" the assistant said abruptly, and pointed towards the necklace.
The Professor looked behind him, his eyes opened up right away. The artifact on the necklace was glowing brightly now.
"How-, how long has that been glowing?" the Professor asked, impassively.
"I don't know, I noticed it just now." she said.
The Professor slowly made his way over to the necklace. The closer he moved, the brighter it glowed.
"Sir, be careful! You know what it can do to you!" the assistant warned.
"Oh, I know what it can do. Don't worry, I'll be real gentle with it." the Professor said calmly.
"He's not listening, is this that corruption he talked about? Is this what happened to that guy a few months ago?" the assistant thought, then she spoke up again.
"Sir, I think the necklace is corrupting you! You need to-"
Her speech was interrupted by the Professor, "Ah, is it? Well, be sure to record this down somewhere. It's an important study, after all."
The Professor stopped in front of it, staring at the artifact. It had a fiery colored glow to it, it was like looking at a tiny sun. The Professor was mesmerized.
"So warm, so pretty, so rich, so... powerful" the Professor said to himself, clearly in a trance. He reached out to the necklace with both his hands.
"Sir.." the assistant said, raising her voice now.
"I need to see it. I need to experience it. Tell me now, what are you made of?" he said, as wrapped it around his neck.
"SIR!" the assistant shouted this time, as she rushed over to him.
The Professor clipped the necklace on, and nothing happened. There was no change in the artifact or the Professor. There was just a stillness in the room.
"Ah, well, you see dear? Told you I'd be gentle. Now, I think this is a good time to continue our analysis. Remember when I said-"
*BOOM*
In an instant, the artifact exploded in a blinding flash. The laboratory was blown away along with the assistant, the ceiling above collapsed causing the floor above to fall. It was a complete mess. The facility alarm sounded immediately, the workers above now filled with terror and worry.
the Professor's body lay still. He was unscathed, only his clothes dirtied. The necklace stopped glowing. After a few moments, he opened his eyes, and slowly moved to get up.
"Hmm... again? What happened to me now, and what's wrong with my Vitality? I feel like I lost so much..." he said as he got up.
Not only his voice, but his whole presence had changed. This new Professor was intimidating and imposing.
"This body... my heart... did I possess somebody again? And where the hell am I? Damnit, everything feels all out of place. I'm forgetting so much... well at least this time the body tolerates me, almost killed myself last time."
The Professor walked around, scanning his surroundings.
"What even is this place, a graveyard of some kind? So filthy..."
The Professor then walked to the center of the room, looking up at the floors above.
"Something tells me I've got to bust my way through there if I wanna get out, well here goes."
A mysterious black armor-like substance wrapped around the Professor's legs. A fiery glow similar to the one on the artifact coursed through them, making a charge-up noise. After 3 seconds, the Professor blasted up and broke through the two upper levels, reaching the ground level of the facility.
the Professor checked his surroundings, "Hmm, doesn't look like a graveyard to me, why am I even here?" he said.
"Look! Over there!" a voice shouted, followed by the sound of multiple running footsteps. The Professor turned around to see a squad of armed guards in tactical gear.
"Wait, Mr. Thomas? What the hell? What happened?" one of the guards spoke up.
"And who are you people? Was it you that brought me here?" the Professor interrogated.
"What are you talking about, and what's wrong with your voice?" another guard asked.
"Oh, right, how could I be so rude? Allow me to introduce myself, my name is Oborus. It's a pleasure to meet you. Now, it seems like your friend here was kind enough to let me borrow his body for a little bit. So, why don't you people follow in his ways and-"
One of the guards interjected, "-Borrow? Wait, the fuck!? You possessed him!? ALL OF YOU, GET READY TO OPEN FIRE!" at that command, all the guards pointed their rifles towards Oborus, his body lit up with red dots.
"Listen up, I don't know what the hell you are and I don't care what you are. Let him go right now or we'll punch holes all over ya!"
Oborus sighed, "And here I was trying to play nice... you do realize that you'll also end up hurting your friend here if you try anything, right? What a bunch of idiots."
The guard stood firm, "Let him go right fucking now, you hear me?! You've got 'till the count of three!"
Oborus stood there and said nothing, and let the countdown begin.
"One!"
The guards spread out and readied themselves.
"Two!"
There was a slightly longer pause, and then somebody spoke up.
"Three."
"What?"
In an instant, Oborus dashed forward and transformed his right arm into a big and sharp black scythe. It was made of the same armored substance that was covering his legs during the jump. He cut off all five of the guard's heads with one precise swing of his scythe. Their necks instantly began spouting blood, bodies falling to the floor seconds later. He stood over one of the guard's head, their expression still frozen in place before they died.
"In your next life, try not to start things you cant finish. Maybe you won't end up like this again." he said mockingly.
Another guard showed up around the corner of the hallway, armed and ready to shoot.
"What happened!? I heard-" the guard saw the scene, he saw Oborus standing there, his face and coat covered in blood.
"Oh-HOH! HOLY FUCK-" his panic was interrupted by Oborus dashing forward and grabbing him by the neck. He forced him onto the wall, holding him up and choking him.
"Now now, what's the rush? You and me are gonna have a little chat, hear me? I need you to answer some questions for me, answer me well, and I give my word I won't crush your neck. Understand?"
The guard nodded his head yes, terrified.
"Good, now, where are we?"
"A-Angeles Forest Research Facility s-sir..." the guard said.
"Research- Facility? What is that?"
"We study and c-conduct science here s-sir..."
"Ah, I see, is that why I was brought here? So you could experiment on me?"
"N-No sir no way, I don't know who did, a-ask the boss h-he'll tell ya!"
"And where is he?"
"He's in h-his office on the top f-floor, I-I swear I never saw him leave!"
"Are you sure?"
"Yes!"
"Hmm..."
Oborus stared deep into the guard's eyes for a few moments, before finally letting go of his neck. The guard dropped to the floor and scrambled to his knees.
"You've done well to answer to me. Now, unlike your comrades over there, I am a reasonable being that always keeps my word. I won't harm you. But you best believe that if I don't find this boss of yours where you said he is, I will hunt you down. Count on it. Now leave."
"Y-YES SIR, THANK YOU!" the guard quickly got up onto his feet and ran away, holding onto his neck.
"Seriously, he could've had a little more of a spine"
"THERE HE IS! KILL THAT SON OF A BITCH!"
Oborus turned around to find six more guards running down the hallway.
"Ooh, looks like its time to dance." he said excitedly.
Oborus threw off the Professor's coat and shirt, then dashed towards the first guard with his arms transformed into long blades. The guards all opened fire on him, hitting him multiple times. He impaled the first guard through the heart with his right blade, and used him as a shield from the gunfire. He dashed towards the second guard and did the same thing with his left blade. He then threw both of them with maximum force towards the third and fourth guards, the impact of the bodies striking them in the necks was strong enough to snap them and kill them.
"FUCK! HE'S RIPPING US APART, KESSLER, DO IT NOW!" shouted the fifth guard.
"ON IT." the sixth guard emerged from his cover and unsheathed a machete from his belt. He got on one knee and positioned himself like a track athlete about to run a 100m race.
The guard began to hype himself up, "C'mon, here we go, like a flash of lightning, faster than you've ever been before, no hesitation, no pressure, ONLY VICTORY."
After he finished his sentence, an aura of white lightning flared around his body, and he assumed a fighting stance.
Oborus's eyes widened in surprise. "Ah! You are-"
He was cut off when the guard shouted, "TURBO!"
In the blink of an eye, the guard launched forward and stabbed Oborus through the chest with his machete. He tried to counter by thrusting his left blade into his stomach, but he was too slow and the guard slipped behind him. The guard instantly attacked again while Oborus was caught lacking and sliced his back. All the while the fifth guard was still landing shots on him.
"Damnit, they've got me good. I'm taking too much damage, I need to wrap this up quick" he thought to himself.
Before the sixth guard could attack again, Oborus extended his arm blades to the side and spun around as fast as he could, like a helicopter rotor. The guard couldn't stop himself in time before he got his chest sliced up.
"ARGH, YOU FUCKER." he exclaimed in pain.
In the instant he was down, Oborus dashed back to the fifth guard to take him out. He blasted through the wall he was taking cover behind with his blades, and thrust his right blade straight through his head, splitting it in two.
"DAVID, NOO! YOU FUCKING DEMON, I'M GONNA TEAR YOU APART!" the sixth guard yelled in agony and fury.
The sixth guard blasted forward even faster than before, too fast for Oborus to react. Using his machete, he sliced Oborus's right arm off, then punched him right in the chest, which was powerful enough to send him flying back into a wall.
"Shit, this damn random is gonna kill me. Alright, enough toying around, this ends now." he thought to himself.
Oborus got up quick and dashed forward to attack the guard head on, to which he did the same. Due to Oborus's weakened state and the guard's heightened state, the guard was able to hold his own in the clash with Oborus's larger blade. The two went blade for blade at a high rate of speed, both failing to find an opening for an attack.
"Have I seriously gotten this damn weak!? What the hell happened to me here!?" Oborus thought to himself, frustrated.
"THIS ENDS NOW YOU FUCKING DEVIL, DIE!" the guard shouted, as he slipped below Oborus's blade and attacked from below. He thrust his machete straight through his leg, causing Oborus to drop down and lose focus. In that instant, the guard sprung up again, standing over him. He then drove the machete straight through his heart before Oborus could even do anything.
"What? No, did I-?" Oborus was in shock, his conscience fading.
"Go--hah. Go to hell ya shapeshifting bastard." the guard said, exhausted. He drooped over Oborus, ready to pass out.
"No. This is not how I'll end. I won't allow it. Never. I need to do it, I have no other choice." Oborus thought, and begun to speak, slowly.
"Become my vision, become my mind, become my body, become my vitality."
The guard perked up, but was to exhausted to say or do anything. Oborus's blade transformed back into an arm, and he placed his hand right on the guard's heart.
"Consume."
With one word, the Spiritual Vitality within the guard began getting sucked out from him. A white light shined within his heart and his veins, it coursed into his heart and then into Oborus's arm. The guard groaned, and struggled for air as this process occurred. His skin became pale, his muscles shrunk, his hair fell out. Within moments, he looked like a zombie. Eventually, the last of his energy entered Oborus's arm, and the process was complete. Oborus threw him off of his shoulder, and he lay there almost a bare skeleton, dead.
Oborus stood up and took the machete out of his heart, using the Spiritual Energy he had left to heal his wounds. However, he didn't have enough to completely regenerate his right arm. With his newly acquired Vitality still coursing through his arm, he placed two fingers on the necklace artifact, then channeled the Vitality into it.
He looked at the zombified body of the guard and said, "I was very wrong to underestimate you, hell of a fight. I promise to put this new power to good use in your honor."
He began searching for a stairwell to reach the top floor and pay a visit with the boss. Once he found one, he began his ascent and quickly as he could. He thought to himself as he made his climb.
"That was a disaster. I didn't expect to be so weak. Maybe it's the body? No, I remember in my past life I inhabited a weaker body than this, and I was much stronger. I can't seem to remember what technique I used though. Those two rude awakenings in a row messed with my memories. Damnit, this boss guy better have a good explanation for me. Otherwise I'll just take this blade and cut his throat out, if I wasn't planning on doing that already."
After a few minutes, he reached the top floor of the building, and began looking for the boss's office. It was simply located down the hall in between the two laboratories that were on that floor. He approached the door quietly, and then busted it down with a kick from his right leg.
"Where the hell are you." he said intimidatingly, as he walked into the room.
He focused his hearing, trying to drown out any extra noise, and then he heard breathing coming from under the boss's desk. He ran straight over to the desk and found the boss hiding under it.
"There you are"
"HOH SHIT-"
Oborus grabbed him by the collar and threw him onto a wall, standing in front of him with the machete pointed right at him. He began his interrogation.
"You were hiding from me. That means you must know who I am. Don't act foolish. So you better answer everything I ask you, alright?"
"Shit! Is this that corruption thing he mentioned?! What the fuck happened?!"
"You shut your trash mouth before I do it for you, boy. Now, you see this little necklace here? Where'd you find it."
"Huh?! I-I didn't find it, the DOR had it! They pulled it out from some shithole in Ecuador! But seriously, what the fuck Richard!? What happened?!"
"My name is Oborus, pig. I don't know who the hell Richard is, and I sure as hell don't care for him. You're talking to me now."
"O-Oborus? Wait wait wait, w-what? Did you-"
"You mentioned this Ecuador place, that's where I was found, correct? Where is it."
The boss stayed silent, staring at Oborus in shock.
"Speak up boy, don't test my patience."
"Did... did you possess him? Was this what the necklace could do? Was it containing a soul?"
"Good god, now what are we talking about. I'm asking the questions here, fool. Rather simple ones too. Are you just trying to prove to me you're useless?"
The boss remained silent, he looked at Oborus with an anger clearly building in his eyes.
Oborus then walked up to him and grabbed him by the neck, dragging him up the wall and then pinning him against it when his feet were off the floor. He got close to his face and began speaking to him in a furious, teeth clenching tone.
"You listen very closely, you damn pig. When I ask you a question, you answer like a good boy. Don't give me that look, you ripped me away from my home and tried locking me away in a cellar to use me for whatever twisted experiments you conduct. My fury is justified, and it will always be. Now, I'm going to give you one more chance. Answer me, completely, honestly. Where. Is. Ecuador?"
"Ergh, what difference is it going to make, asshole. It's a million miles south of the border, you'll never make it there. I saw you on the CCTV, you struggled to beat that guard. Guess what? That guy wasn't even the strongest guard that works here, you're lucky our number one was sick today. Besides, I already called the DCP, they'll have agents swarming this place real soon. All of them are way stronger than any guard who works here, they'll flatten your ass so bad there'll be nothing left! You here me dipshit?! You're finish-"
Oborus dropped him and backed up, then threw his machete right into the boss's head, killing him instantly. He zoned out the conversation right after he told him where his home was.
"A million miles south? What the hells' a mile? Whatever, I have the direction. I'll just ask around. Time to get out of here."
Oborus left the office and went back to the stairwell. He descended back to the ground level and found an exit out of the building.
"If I remember correctly, piggy said that we'll have some unwanted company arriving here soon. As much as I'd like to fight them, I'm far from fighting condition right now."
Oborus looked around for a place to go, and saw a mountaintop in the distance.
"Ah. There looks perfect."
He walked over to a portion of the metal gate surrounding the facility and knelt down. Using his strength, he pried open a spot to crawl under on the bottom of the gate. He crawled through and entered the wilderness, heading towards the mountaintop he spotted.
The journey took hours, as the rough terrain and the forest slowed him down. The Professor's body also gave out multiple times, so Oborus had to manage it by taking small breaks here and there so the body could recover.
Eventually, at a little past midnight, Oborus reached the peak of the mountain. A bench was placed on top of it, at the edge of the summit. He sat down to rest and admire the view.
"You know, this view isn't half bad. Brings back nice memories of my past life. Damn, if only those two idiots didn't try and toy with me I would've remembered a lot more from that time." he said to himself.
When he said that, he began to think. He wanted to figure out what it was that he was missing.
"My past life... It's been far too long. I suppose now that I'm relaxed, I could try to piece together what it was that I needed to do. I know I need to get home, but for what exactly? I can't be waiting for somebody or something, right? They should all be gone by now. Also, even if I do get home, I highly doubt anything would be the same as it was. How would I know where to look? Damn, I'm making myself frustrated again just by thinking about it. I need to calm down, I've torn up enough already."
He picked his head up to admire the view again. In the distance, he noticed the city lights of Los Angeles. It was unlike anything he had seen, the sight of it perked his interest.
"What in the world? What is that place? It couldn't possibly be... a city right? It's massive, so bright, so pretty."
He stood up, deciding to walk closer and get a better look.
"I wonder what I could find there-"
*BA-DUMP*
Suddenly, Oborus sensed a heartbeat, which echoed throughout his body. The feeling caused him to stop in place.
"What? What the hell was that?
*BA-DUMP*
The heartbeat echoed again, this time even louder.
"Where, where the hell did that come from?"
For some reason, the heartbeat made him feel a slight happiness.
*BA-DUMP*
"Wait, why do I feel-"
*BA-DUMP*
"-I feel, excitement? Wait, now that I think about it..."
*BA-DUMP*
"Is this, what I was forgetting about? This heartbeat?"
*BA-DUMP*
"Yes, I think I remember now."
Oborus shut his eyes and cracked a slight smile.
*BA-DUMP*
"I remember you now."
A memory flowed back into Oborus's mind, a memory of his past life. He was speaking with a human, whose appearance was unintelligible. They spoke in a language long lost to him, but he didn't need to understand it to know what happened that day.
"I remember, that battle, I lost..." Oborus thought to himself.
The human appeared to be pleading with Oborus, their being still being uninterpretable.
"I-... I have to go. I need rest..."
The human got closer, their appearance cleared up a little, it seemed to be a woman.
"I'm sorry, dear. This is goodbye."
The woman wrapped her arms around him, face pressed into his shadowy body.
"I promise, I will protect them..."
Oborus's arms wrapped around her as well. He felt a warm, yet sad feeling welling within.
"One day, one day I will return. I shall never forget you."
He felt her heartbeat on his body. He took in the feeling.
"This heart, I shall always remember it. I will find it again. I promise."
The memory began to fade, as Oborus's conscience came back to reality.
"I will set this world free."
Those were the last words he thought, before the memory ended. He opened his eyes and was back on the mountaintop, gazing into the distance.
"It's all come back to me now. I know what I must do." he said to himself.
Just then, he felt some of his Spiritual Energy replenishing itself. His exhaustion became alleviated.
"I see, my heart agrees with me as well."
He looked towards the distant city, now with a new determination in himself.
"That heartbeat, I sensed it. It came from there. Her family has lived on." he said, with a little bit of a proud tone.
Oborus covered his legs with the black armor again, and with his rejuvenated power, he dashed off towards the city.
"I suppose now I should pay you a visit, I made a promise after all. I will become one with your heart once again. Whoever you are, you better be prepared. Father Oborus is making his return. Don't disappoint me." he said, excitedly.
He continued running, off into the city lights. With a newly found determination and purpose, Oborus jumped into this new world without any hesitation.
...
Back at the facility, the building remained vacated and quiet, the alarm lights still flashing. The underground levels were still totaled beneath.
On level UG4, the assistant's body remained lying on the floor, face planted into the ground. She was still wearing the ring artifact on her middle finger.
But then, the jewel on it began to glow, with a white light.
As it glowed, a smoke-like air rose throughout the assistant's body, and channeled into the glowing jewel.
It was a sinister feeling, like the ring was taking her soul.
A few moments later, the process finished. Silence filled the tattered room. The aura of death hung heavy.
Then, the assistant's middle finger slowly became skeletal.