Blighted Tides [Alert]

The horn was blown.

The supernatural population across the city could feel the call, a reverberation that rattled their very bones. Shook loose the long honed self control that had been honmed, an attempt to live alongside humanity. Despite that something else heeded the call, an ancient and hungering thing that long since existed in the shadows. It felt emboldened by the call, the excuse and strength that came with it. The people were not ready for what answered the call, waves washing against the shores in massive swells.

While the Lumarian king made his proclamation, something else moved.

Emerging from the sewers below came a tide, a swelling flood of vermin. Rotting things, riddled with open sores that wept black ichour. Things that should have been dead, yet they spilled outwards with a mad vigor. Targeting any living flesh that was within reach, biting and clawing with the kind of madness that was thought relegated to only the bleakest annals of history. Dogs, cats, birds, squirrels or anything they could bite soon fell to the same madness immediately.

Men and women who were unlucky to be found within the vermin tide were ripped to shreds, their screams rising to the heavens in an unholy chorus. Not all were killed, some bitten yet they had not fallen to the madness that the wildlife had fallen to. With the sky blackened by the trumpets call, the only thing people could hope to do was run and pray.

Ethan watched it all from The Heart. Felt that roiling, cloying corruption flow through his veins like oil. It was enough to make him want to vomit honestly.

This can’t be. The spirit within muttered, a kind of despair that he couldn’t deny.

”What the fuck is going on? He had already risen from the comfy couch he usually sat on. Any camera, any screen across thew city was sending him little glimpses of chaos going on.

I thought we’d have more time. That he would wait a little longer...but this is the worst case scenario.

”What is?”

The city could be destroyed if we don’t do something.

He moved through a door in the lounge and appeared elsewhere, smelling the subtle scent of lurid and sweet decay that the spirit within allowed him to smell. ”Nothing new here. He was somewhere in Brooklyn now, seeing the dark vermin tide sweep across the street below. It didn’t even look like rats up here, stanbding now beyond an apartments glass door leading onto a balcony so high up.

What he did hear was the screaming and the sound of gunshots. Smoke from fires rose in the distance. It looked like the world was ending.

If this goes through...I might end. This could be the very death of New York, Such words held a kind of finality that made his stomach sink.  Ethan gritted his teeth, drawing upon what power he had. The call hit her but she felt nothing, he felt no real compulsion either.

”Just means we have to stop this, right? He coould feel the eyes of someone, beyond the thing and transparent glass pane he appeared through looking at him with wide eyes. They weren’t really his concern as he opened the door and disappeared without a trace.

Next he appeared through the door of a corner cafe. A few people running away from the rat tide. Spilling down the streets like water, so he  drew upon his own power. He couldn’t kill all of them, he wasn’t sure if they were just standard rats now. With eyes alight with neon red, and cheeks spattered with strands of power like paint he  swung his arm as the neon red flew over the span of the street behind many fleeing people.  A few squeaks went up as the front of the wave began to conflagrate, yet that was at best slowing them down.

These things were generally just insane. Crawling over the burnt corpses of their comrades until they flooded over the burning paint as if it were nothing. Pain was nothing, like they were zombies of some kind.  He was worried things would go horribly because of that. That was until the hiock, sticky strands of webbing spread from seemingly nowhere and caught he rats that came like a tide toward them. Even still it gave the people precious few seconds to run, looking for any kind of fortified bunker to hide away in.

He remembered some billionaire big wig coming in and building those massive bunkers across the city in case of danger just like this. Guess those tax dollars were going somewhere, weren’t they?

”Really? I don’t think rat killers gonna work on these things,” He took a few steps back, grinding his teeth. ”This might be something more than just rats though.” He looked back into the door he had stepped through. They couldn’t  fight this, not even when

Are you planning on running away now?

”This is too much for us to deal with.” They were chewing through the webbing, a hungry tide that cared not for the strength of mortal or metahuman. ”Follow me.” He snapped, Slipping through the door which lead to a passageway that lead out onto a rooftop.  Even still looking down he could see the chaos that was spreading, his stopgap nothing more than a mild annoyance.

”The rats aren’t the real issue. Something’s causing them to go crazy, He hoped Huntsman had followed, looking back to him. ”Know anyone who can help with this?

The young hero followed Ethan up onto the rooftop, just in time to see the rats chew through his webbing. “Man, those guys have some strong teeth, those webbings are as strong as steel!” He took a second to survey the street from above, his heart sinking as the full extent of this situation was dawning on him. “We’re not gonna be enough...” He looked over to Ethan as he asked about others. “Well, there is this school I just joined...”

As he was about to explain Daybreak to Ethan, Shock-Heart appeared.  

”Huntsman, SITREP.”

Huntsman immediately straightened up, seeing that they weren’t alone. “Right, the docks are flooded, but it looks like Speedrun got everyone out in time, and Frontline is currently dealing with Dagon...” He nodded to the Rats. “Then there’s the rats, swarm goes out as far as I can see, and well beyond that...” He looked out to the distance, where gunshots continued to ring out. “Judging from the commotion, the entirety of Brooklyn is infested.”  

As Jehoel landed, and then quickly took off, Huntsman shook his head. “Whatever this is, it’s somehow been drawn out by that horn.”  

“The Blight...” A figure stepped out of the shadows beside the group. “That’s what the files called it, some kind of supernatural infestation, known to cause aggression in all those who are infected with it...” Warden looked over the edge of the building. “Couple of Government Occult specialist came across a similar situation awhile back, but nothing on this grand of a scale...” He looked back to Shock-Heart. “The information they gathered from their studies was taken, and stashed away in analogue files, which Circuit can’t hack.”  

“It gets worse...” Jager appeared next, stepping up beside Warden. “Just got a call from the General, if the swarm isn’t contained or dispersed, the Government is discussing alternative solutions, and apparently, firebombing was brought up.”  

“Damnit...!” Warden snarled, rubbing the chin of his mask. “There’s gotta be something or someone we are overlooking here.”  

“Uhh, I mean, isn’t there someone in the school who deals with supernatural stuff??” Huntsman raised a hand nervously, as if he was in class.  

The two vigilantes looked over at him, then to each other, before Warden looked over to Shock-Heart. “Where’s Iha??”

I think I know her, The spirit chimed up in his head, sounding almost chipper about that fact. He didn’t bother questioning that fact, because he just assumed she knew a lot that he just did not know. She always told him that knowledge would come with time.

Ethan still considered the woman skeptically, eyes narrowed in a way that suggested he was still on guard from everyone, save for perhaps the web slinging hero. Not that he was exactly friends with the guy either, he just knew a little about him. ”This lady a friend of yours?” He questioned, ignoring the voice in his head.  She barked something at the young man with him, all of it sounding like a bunch of nothing to him.

What the fuck was going on here? Another person just swooped in like they owned the place and flew off once he said his piece. It was almost enough to make his head split.

Of course that wasn’t all.

Someone else came, some kind of tall fucker speaking all formal and shit. Speaking about The Blight, though he didn’t seem to know much about it. I’m surprised they know that name. Usually its The Conclave and its warriors that try to fight things like that. He didn’t want to hear about how impressed she was right now.

If it has anything to do with the government I doubt its going to be good. He thought to himself,  frowning as if imagining what measures they might jump to. Sure enough, the tall man mentioned something about fire bombing things.  That was enough to make his stomach sink. What kind of damage could that cause? He could feel the spirit in him and her displeasure was palpable.

So is this his plan? Damn him straight to all the hells! A scream loud enough to feel like a knife jabbed into his brain rattled around in his head and Ethan winced.  We have to help him. If he doesn’t kill me, these humans will do the job just fine,

His eyes scanned over them, considering their worth before he exhaled deeply.  ”Fire bombing the city isn’t going to do anything. These rats are just a symptom. The worst you’ll be doing is fucking the city up and helping whatever s causing this, Not that he was sure any higher ups would care about that.  ”Blight this bad should have some kinda...center.  A patient zero like in a zombie movie,” he was plucking this mostly from what the spirit was willing to give him.

If there was one thing she knew, it was about other spirits. If this was truly The Blight, and a spirit that meant it had managed to get a vessel and that meant they were all in trouble. He knew  vessels were able to focus and amplify a spirits influence over the world, which meant an attack on this scale could begin to happen. Even still this all screamed though out plan. Which meant that bastard was way ahead of them in this regard.

A screech echoed out above him, as he realized something else. The sky now blotted out with darkness was filled with thousands upon thousands of different kinds of birds. Also that many were beginning to swoop down upon them and anyone else in their sight. ”Everyone close your eyes or look down.” With that he raised his hands, eyes glowing a brilliant yellow as a light of the same color filled the sky. Birds veering off with a screech as they plummeted below and slammed into the roof around them.  He was sure a good portion of them weren’t dead. Blighted animals tended not o die from something as simple as smacking against he pavement, as if whatever messed with them also made them tougher.

”I think we might need to find some cover ourselves,” He noted, looking around to those around him. How good would they be in a fight against a city wide invasion like this? Not even counting what he felt from the docks, where the waves were roiling and a cold presence had set foot on the city.

This was going to be a fucking awful day.

--

Rowan felt he discordant cry that echoed throughout the city. Millions of voices, screeching in a kind of agony only he really appreciated.  The kind of clawing sound that worked at he back of his head, and threatened a painful headache. Nestled in the boughs of an ancient tree that had managed to survive the intense modernization efforts of the city he watched the tides of rats sweep over the streets.

Absolutely saddening.

To see these creatures, pushed under the streets of the city reduced to nothing more than a faceless tide of vermin. Squealing, gnashing fangs that sought to rip apart any flesh they touched.  How many humans would have been bitten by now? Would infection harm them in the same way as the others or was this an unknown catastrophe just waiting to happen.

Dressed in his cloak of patchwork animal hides and feathers, he hid within the shadows of this tree as if debating if he should act. It only took a minute for him to decide, and so he descended from the branches of this ancient tree with bow in hand.  The core of this blight would be somewhere around here. Only with its destruction would he be able to do anything.

”To think I’m helping these people,” He muttered to himself, stepping back into the tree and seemingly melding into it.

Huntsman turned away from Ethan, closing his eyes, while Warden and Jager simply closed their eyes, and turned their heads slightly to the side.  

Once the light cleared, Warden looked over to Shock-Heart, who was giving out orders, being the leader of the program. “Alright...” He looked to Ethan. “You, you seem to be able to handle the numbers game, if you think you can handle it, I’d like you on point with me, Huntsman, you go with Shock-Heart and web up as many as you can, slow them down enough to make a clearing...” He looked to Jager. “You know what to do.”  

Without a word, Jager drew out an arrow with a rather large head, knocking it as she aimed down at the street below, firing the arrow.  

Suddenly, the street erupted into a small explosion, followed by the smell of burnt fur, and the screeches of dying rats.  

Warden looked to Ethan. “Follow me, you’re gonna love this.” He then moved over to the rooftop access door, moving inside and down the stairs to the buildings garage.  

Sitting inside the garage, it’s all-terrain wheels splattered with blood, was an armored vehicle.  

“I hope you don’t get car sick...” Warden stated as he climbed into the driver side. When he turned the ignition, the vehicle roared to life, rumbling as the engine growled, giving the vehicle the impression of beast, ready to charge. “Once we get out there, I want you to stand out the top hatch there, and start clearing as many as you can.” He explained, shifting the vehicle into drive.

Suddenly, they took off, charging through the metal garage door, and out onto the streets. The beast of a vehicle managed to do pretty well as it dozed through the swarm of rats, the suspension and thick tires making the ride amazingly smooth.  

“Alright, you’re up.” Warden signaled to the top hatch, before pressing a button on the radio.  

Music suddenly filled the vehicle, as the song Before I Forget by Slipknot started to play out the surround sound speakers build into the vehicle.  

Back on top of the roof, Huntsman leapt off the edge, firing a line of web onto the building, swinging himself towards Shock-Heart, firing large nets of webbing, cascading them over the swarms, holding them in place long enough to slow them down.  

Jager, moving across the rooftops, knocked three arrows at once, firing them into the swarm from above.  

Suddenly, the swarm was covered in a foam-like substance, which hardened around them, holding them in place, unable to move or bite at it.  

“Please tell me you got more of those??” Huntsman stated into the Comms he was provided.  

“Not enough to stop them all, but we just need to clear a path to the emergency shelter...” Jager replied. “Between you, me, and your friend, we should be able to do that just fine.”

”Hey, boss, just ran a facial scan of Huntsman little friend, names Ethan Karovsky, and he’s got quite a rap sheet here...” Images appeard on Wardens HUD, showing a picture of the very person sitting next to him, followed by a rather decent police record. ”Vandalism, drug trafficking, assault, suspected for a couple deaths, though no charges were filed due to lack of evidence, kids got quite the history.”

Warden kept his eyes on the road, but couldn’t help but glance over at the young man, a sense of familiarity washing over him.

We know what we need to do. The spirit spoke up,  almost like she were trying to urge him to one direction of action. He knew nothing about Huntsman and his friends, aside from the fact they were some kind of superheroes with costumes and everything. Even when he dressed up, it was more like a mildly thuggish kind of look. Nothing like he’d see in some of the comics he occasionally drudged up from the stream of things passing through the infinite corridors.

Ethan's eyes turned to the tall man, saying something about following him to who knows where. I know The only mental response he gave to the spirit, following after Warden by a few steps. He didn’t want to walk into whatever kind of danger might come with being close to a person like this.

He followed down flights of stairs until they were in a garage, the sensation of walking where a door was meant to take him almost feeling novel. ”I’m not some kind of pussy,” He replied, the notion of him getting carsick sounded ridiculous. He drove around in fast cars, not like he didn’t know what it felt like to go fast. It was a car that roared like a beast, the engine coming to life causing his bone to rumble with their reverb.

It could be fun. Sure, you’re saving my existence in the process but no harm in having a little fun too, He only rolled his eyes in response, stepping into the vehicle without saying anything. The man likely had some kind of idea, even if he had not a single clue beyond maybe pushing through the swarms of rats like little bugs being crushed.

It happened just like that, with them taking off and hurtling through the multitude of rats that swarmed the streets. Their squeals echoed out much like the crunch of their flesh that was mushed under the tires and body of the car.

Soon as his head popped up through the top, he was channeling two colors. Neon red and blue, colored up with those opposing colors that he was sure fit perfectly for this occasion.  Arcing sprays of red that burnt rat flesh and shattered shards of brilliant blue ice that ripped them to pieces with efficacy that was a sight to behold. The spirit within him powered the energy that emerged from him, feeling almost limitless now that he drew upon it.

He had a feeling this wouldn’t slow them down but he wasn’t looking just to kill rats.

I will try to sense for any hot spots around us. Keep these things under control until then, you don’t know what else can happen.

While they roved through the streets two things happened.

Some of the corpses of the rats, spattered with their blood turned blighted black began to write as their remains became more like liquid. Jerking and writhing, as they cleaved to one another and up rose horrific monstrosities of amalgamated rat flesh. What they lost with the small and fast bodies of the rats they gained in sheer size. They climbed the sheer walls of buildings, picking out any real signs of oppositions. If the smaller cousins were unable to bite through superhuman flesh, they were not lacking in such strength.

The other thing was seemingly something more mundane. A shot aimed at the heroes still within sight. Shots from high powered rifles ringing out through the air, aimed for  Shockheart, Jager and even Huntsman. Even shots at the angel if such a thing were possible.

As Jager moved across the rooftops, the sound of gunshots echoed out from the distance, followed by a round hitting her left leg the moment she jumped from one roof to the other. “Shit...” She managed to make it across, but fell flat on the ground, a sharp white-hot stinging sensation she knew very well coming from her leg. “I’ve been hit.”  

And Huntsman swung through the air, his body tensed, instincts shifting into overdrive, as the shots rang out. He pulled on his line mid-swing, pulling himself up and over just as the bullet passed underneath him. “Oh crap, we got people shooting at us now!!”  

“Fuck...” Warden snarled. “Kid, get inside and cover the hatch, we got snipers...” He slammed on the gas as he followed the van. “Shock Hearts been hit, we are going full mobile.”  

Huntsman swung back to Jager, finding she had crawled behind a vent for cover. “Guys, Jager is pretty messed up, I should take her to the hospital.”  

“Screw that...” Jager stated, looking over the wound. “I hope you don’t mind blood...” She pulled out one of her throwing knives, lightly stabbing it into the wound. “Don’t pass out on me, Imma need you here in a second.”

Huntsman stood frozen in place as he watched Jager mutilate herself more. “Uh, are you sure you should be, oh god...” He felt his body shudder as a small squirt of blood shot out of the wound and onto her face. “You, you got something right, here, let me uhhh...” Unable to think straight, Huntsman just reached over, wiping the specs of blood off her face. “There, better.”  

Jager chuckled as she glanced over to the nervous wreck that was the young hero. “What a gentleman...” She winked to him, as she pulled the knife from the wound, reaching her fingers in next. “Okay, when I pull the bullet out, I want you to fill the hole with your webbing.”  

“I mean, did not expect a girl to ask me that...” Huntsman cocked his head, as the realization of what he just said finally clicked in his head. “That wasn’t supposed to be said outloud.”  

Jager chuckled lightly. “You’re going through shock, it’s understandable...” She growled as she ripped her fingers from the wound, holding onto a bullet. “Okay, now!”  

Huntsman reached over, pressing the hole on his wrist where his webbing came from against the wound, flexing the muscle that allowed him to shoot the substance. He fired just enough to fill the hole, then around the top to seal it in. “Okay, so when you’re ready to remove it, use baking soda and water, it will break it down and make it less sticky.”  

“My hero...” Jager placed a hand on Huntsman cheek, leaning in for a quick kiss on the other cheek. “Now...” She quickly moved back to her feet, as if there wasn’t a clear bullet hole in her leg. “The shots came from around due north of us, judging by the round, it was high powered rifles, which means the targets are some distance away...” She looked back to Huntsman. “We need to clear some distance and get to those shooters, before they manage to kill one of our friends.”  

Huntsmans stood there for a second, rubbing his cheek as he just stared blankly before realizing it was his turn to talk. “Right, uh, yeah, yeah, I can, uh, yeah, I can try and distract them, while you, uh, you sneak around?”

Jager placed a hand on his shoulder, a proud expression on her face. “Think you can avoid getting shot?”

“Oh please...” The smirk showed even through the mask as Huntsman gave a playful salute. “I’m untouchable...” He then turned and dashed for the edge of the building, leaping off as he fired a line for one of the buildings. “Untouchable, what the hell was I thinking?”

He heard the shots fired.

A loud sound that echoed above the skittering of millions of rat feet across the concrete and the crush of rat flesh as they drove through the roving hoard, the tide of vermin that sought to consume all it could reach.  Was someone shooting? It sounded about right, people fighting against the rats. Cops were probably loosing all the lead they had available, anything to kill these damn things.

Guns. One invention of man I am not looking forward to seeing here, The spirit noted, and filled him with a little of her dread. Compared to a mass spiritual attack on a city, he didn’t know if guns would be bad at all but here he was, feeling dread despite the heavily armored vehicle he was riding. Without putting much thought into the motion, he ducked down to avoid any stray shots at him.

If this was The Blight then it was likely trying to kill him.

I think it might be trying to strike sooner than later. As if reading his mind, something changed in the path before the vehicle. Corpses of rats and skittering bloated masses releasing a spurt of thick, blighted ichor that formed into a massive clawing hand. One that rose large enough to blot out the  path forward. It came down, with a kind of superhuman force, one that slammed down onto the front of the  vehicle,  denting the metal inward and hitching it forward.

Ethan grabbed onto whatever was around him, the feeling of the world around him just spiraling and spinning.  There was a sudden thud, slamming into what he thinks was the side of a building.  Looks like he doesn’t waste any time, Ethan didn’t respond, instead  letting his hand light up with neon yellow and revealing that the vehicle was likely upside down.

Alive there big guy?” He was sure he hit his head, though the pain that came with a concussion wasn’t there. Reaching for a door, found one and pushed. The first time did nothing but second, it gave way with some effort. Ethan pulled himself through, looking around to see the tide of vermin still as well as the black liquid flowing into massive limbs. He shouldn’t be able to manifest like this.

”Obviously he is.” He muttered to himself with a frown.

So this is the vessel you choose. A little lacking isn’t he? A voice echoed in his head, bringing with an echoing, ringing pain.

Ethan, we need to run now!

”But what about...

He’s here. If he gets his hands on you, we’re both doomed! She almost screamed in his head, bringing with it throbbing pain.

No point running now.

The black ichor was rising further from the street, grasping claws of it moving as if it would drag him down into unknown depths. A kind of dread came with it, paralyzing him for a second. That being until one after another the hands of blight began to burst like balloons. Someone was attacking them but who? His eyes darted around, eventually looking upon a fluttering cloak from the edge of a fire escape with bow in hand.

Warden

Suddenly, the entire world was upside down, as a mass of rats rose from the swarm, forming the shape of a hand. They’re bodies covered in a black ichor that seemed to hold them together as they lurched forward, forcing the armored vehicle to flip on its axis, sending it into a nearby building.  

Warden groaned as he reached down, unbuckling himself from the seat. Fortunately, his body was hard to break, but it didn’t stop getting flipped from hurting like hell. “Kid, clear us a path...” He managed to growl out as he shifted into a crouched position, opening up the back seats hidden compartment, pulling out the tactical .12 gauge pump action shotgun. “We gotta get to the others, they were most likely...” He looked out the window to see the van a few yards away, also flipped, lightning crackling out at another hand coming for them. “Oh, good, glad to see you’re still alive...” He stated through the comms. “Me and the kid are alive, gonna make out way to you, just gotta take care of these...”  

Before he could finish, the hands suddenly burst like a balloon from a small explosion, most likely delivered from an arrow. While at first he assumed Jager had doubled back, seeing the cloaked figure on the fire escape told him otherwise. “Eyes up, we got an unknown on the field, looks like an archer...” He chambered a round into the shotgun, opening a latch on the floor of the vehicle, which would allow them to climb on top. “This way, we can get jump into one of the buildings nearby, Shock-Heart, I suggest you and your team move into the buildings, we are gonna have to finish this hunt on foot.”  

Huntsman and Jager  

As the young hero swung through the air, he looked over to see Jehoel swoop by, storming the building the sniper fire was coming from. “Nice hit!” He stated over the comms, firing quick shots of webbing as he swung by. They hit the snipers with enough force to knock them into nearby walls before bursting into a net that would hold them in place, keeping them from the swarm of rats below. “Jager, we’re all clear on this end.”  

“Copy, little spider...” She stated as she leapt from one of the rooftops, crashing through a window of one of the upper floors of the adjacent building. She shifted into a roll before coming back to her feet. “Meet you back with the others, I got some business to attend to.”  

Standing in the apartment in front of her, were several masked men, who seemed to be holding various objects, such as a TV, or microwave. It was clear these men were trying to take advantage of the current situation, and the apartment, nor the items, belonged to them.  

“Do you need back up...?” Huntsman landed on a nearby rooftop, looking over to the building Jager had jumped into. “I mean, not that you aren’t capable of handling yourself, just I figured with my strength, not that you aren’t strong or anything, just I am superhuman strong and...”  

“Relax, little spider...” Jager chuckled, the kids rambling was kinda cute. “You get back to the others, this will only take a a few minutes, tops...” She looked at each of the looters. “So, how do you guys expect to get out of here, the streets are flooded with rats?”  

“We got a truck.”

“Dude, shut up!”

“Are you kidding, man, look at her, she’s dressed like a superhero, no way I’m gonna deal with her.”  

Jager smirked and nodded to the man who mentioned her suit. “That’s a smart move, I reckon I will break at least four arms before you guys start pissing yourselves.”  

The other man who spoke up, set down the television, pulling out a gun from his pants. “Oh yeah, who’s gonna piss themselves now!?”  

Jager raised a brow as the gun was aimed, rather poorly, in her direction, the limp wrist at slight sideways hold indicating the man had no training or knowledge other than that the gun shot bullets. “Oh, I am quaking in my little suit...” She mocked, her hand quickly snapping up, grabbing the gun and twisting it away, the mans wrist and arm followed. “Funny, that didn’t seem to change anything...” She stated, before giving the hand a final twist, the wrist popping from being dislocated. “Now, who else is next?” She looked up at the others.  

With a fearful look in their eyes, the others gently set down anything they were holding, and politely bowed their heads to her before exiting, the broken wrist man following shortly after, holding his hand and crying. “She broke my fucking wrist, man!!”  

Huntsman, who had heard everything over the comms, was thankful his mask hid the complete terror on his face from the noises he had just witnessed. “Right, so, uhmmm, do you need a pick up?”  

Jager chuckled. “I suppose you can come pick me up, little spider, I will meet you on the roof.”

The ranger in dappled cloak looked down on them, face inscrutable in the shadows of the hood.  No real response to the large man touting the large shotgun, instead looking at Ethan. Staring even? He had the feeling of his locked on him, as if this person had some reason for doing that.  Their gazes held for a few seconds before he turned around and vaulted over an open window. This left him once again with The Big guy who was saying something about getting getting on one of the buildings. Navigating the city was never difficult for him, despite that he found himself having to face the frontline without reservation.

Why the hell did he have to fight this shit anyway?

That person seems familiar somehow. The spirit noted in his head, ponderous sounding.

”Doesn’t everyone seem familiar to you?” He muttered to himself,  drawing upon neon red. The power was simple and yet managed to get the job most of the time, unless he was dealing with something that couldn’t be burned. How often did he come across something like that anyway? His eyes scanned the field, black ichor slowly beginning to reconstitute the hands they were before.

Tell Warden we need to get off the streets. His power is too centralized here.

What else?

That he has agents and they’re going to be more dangerous than some rats. That might have explained those gunshots he heard not too long ago, though no shots came his way so who was getting shot? Ethan frowned,  looking up to Warden with a quirk of the head. If they were supposed to be working together, save the city and whatever he wanted to  at least get some information across.

”Got any extra guns on you? He walked up alongside Warden, arms crossed and feeling out. He had a tangential connection to the city around him, including trying to track people around him and those he had met. ”Blight has agents, little bitches who do what it wants. Think it's trying to blow our heads off,” He noted, looking around and seeing a human shape on a distant rooftop. Without even thinking about it he interposed Warden between himself and that point.  Bullets would punch through that guy, right?

”This thing has a vessel, close by maybe.” He looked around but saw nothing, then focused on a door. ”Follow me.” He took off while the creatures were still recovering, hopping between safe spaces and grabbing into one of the only remaining doors. It didn’t give the first time, as if something had jammed it shut. He gave a few more hard tugs before it opened and revealed the inside of an apartment building.  With a quick turn behind him he, considered the big guy before stepping through and expecting him to do so as well.

Whatever the exterior of the building was, the inside looked like something else entirely.  The room was a little ruined as if someone had tried to leave in a hurry, a couch tipped over and shattered television set on the floor. ”So you’re what they’re looking for.” An unknown male voice noted, the cloaked archer stepping from the shadows.

”Who’s asking?”

”An enemy of The Blight. Something ia sounding, it rings through the world and resonates with the rot your people create.”

”The fuck does that even mean?”

”That something wants you dead. You and anyone who would protect you.” The bow was still in his hand but lowered in a non-aggressive way. ”I believe it will be waiting for us in the heart of this city, wherever that might be.”