THE SHADOWVERSE

The Job

After a transient teleportation to the slums of the alien city Azintea, the team of humans began their search for the one named Trypher. In this area, gas, waste, and garbage abounded. Every so often, a patrol would glide by on a hover-scooter, eyeing the foreigners.

Although the area surrounding them was littered with garbage, advanced technology could still be seen, almost always attached to giant, dirty buildings. These buildings were lined with metal wires which allowed energy to course through them like blood through veins.

Johnny had zipped like lightning through many of the abandoned buildings and was now in the last one on that block. He passed by an electronic door, which opened automatically upon his presence. Peering in, his eyes caught sight of several armored individuals.

Must be the guards, he thought.

Each guard resembled Ledarius, except they were taller and spikes protruded from their backs. These spikes prohibited attacks from behind. In short, their appearance clearly stated: Do not mess with us.

He sped out of the building and met up with the others, who waited at an information booth nearby. The door swished closed, leaving the guards confused, since they had not seen anyone present.

"Ah, Johnny," Ryan greeted. "You find anything?" he asked. His eyes scanned the information provided to him by the information booth.

"You won't believe it, but I found them. They're in a secret room behind an abandoned building around the corner."

"Finally!" Sam exclaimed.

Johnny frowned. "What do you mean 'finally'?"

"You know how long we've been waiting here?" Sam replied, his arms crossed and his foot tapping melodically.

"Uh, I don't think it was very long, Sam," Johnny said.

"Precisely three-and-a-half minutes," Jane interjected, glancing at her watch.

"Ages!" Sam responded. Johnny rolled his eyes.

Jane giggled. "What?" Johnny asked her, puzzled.

Jane smiled. "Nothing. It's just . . . I admire you guys. I never had brothers."

"Well, Johnny boy here admires other stuff too, you know," Dustin snickered, an impish smile on his face.

Johnny turned and glared at him. "Anyway, it's time to put our training to good use."

Ryan turned the information booth off. "Thank you for using IB1759," it said. "Goodbye, and never forget to serve Lord Titan." Ryan snarled at the generic comment, laying a punch onto the mainframe which obliterated the fragile device like shattered glass. Thankfully, no patrols were close by.

"If this Titan guy's personality is anywhere near the same as these booths, I'll hate him," Ryan remarked.

"He's probably worse," Johnny noted.

"How do you think Rose is doing now?" Ryan wondered aloud.

"Not dead, hopefully," Johnny answered.

"Wow, bit pessimistic?" Sam tutted.

"Not much to be optimistic about, considering our circumstances," Johnny replied.

The team snuck around buildings and through a few crowds of alien beings, who bustled about or stood around, talking. When they arrived at the guarded room, Sam initiated his powers, causing his hair to turn white. "I can't wait to beat some bad guys up," he said. "It's going to be so lit."

"Just don't get hit," Johnny said.

"Yeah, by the way, what do these guys even look like?" Ryan asked.