All Purpose Disclaimer: All characters are property of their respective owners. This story contains violence, language, gore, and possibly adult situations. Read at your own discretion.

Genesis

Rain. Its quiet symphony beat dully against gray concrete, a single figure huddled beneath a black jacket, a conical beam of light piercing the darkness of night. His shoulders were slumped forward as he trudged along the exterior of the simple structure, head occasionally twisting to scout the dense woodland that sprawled beyond the chain-link fence that outlined the perimeter of the property. "Shitty day to catch patrol duty," he grumbled in a low voice, indolently sweeping the glow of his flashlight over the edge of the forest.

A flash of movement captured his attention, muscles tensing for action. "Probably a stantler," he grunted, body relaxing again as he returned to his routine.

"Someone’s gonna pay for stickin me with this shift."

---

Eyes carefully watched the retreating figure of a patrolling guard, satisfied he posed no significant threat a figure masked in shadows stood, breaking from the edge of the woods. A simple blue bandana covered their short blonde hair, the folded edge pulled low, nearly covering steely blue eyes. A deep blue, long-sleeved shirt clung to his trim torso, similarly colored cargo pants hanging low on his hips. Without a glance backwards he lifted a gloved hand, motioning for anyone who may be watching to advance. Five figures dressed as the first arose from the darkness, looks ranging from deadly resolve to unspoken nervousness adorning faces of varying ages. "Ready?" the first spoke, his voice authoritative, his head swiveling to receive nods from the assembled party, "Move out."

With silent compliance the six figures darted towards the fence that lined their objective. The first to arrive was a man of considerable bulk, hefty muscles covering his frame. Pausing with his back to the fence he locked his fingers together, bending slightly forward at the waist. "Hurry it up Smalls," the man hissed, voice low, eyes focused on the one he addressed.

"I’m working on it," Smalls, a boy looking no older than his early teens, squeaked back, quickly approaching the larger man.

In a flurry of motion, Smalls planted a foot into the waiting hands, his counterpart thrusting upwards. Easily clearing the fence, the youngest member of the team landed in a crouch, a hand planted firmly on rain-drenched concrete. A quick inspection allowed Smalls to find his bearings, mind scanning the mental images of the blueprints he had spent the previous day memorizing. Sure of his position, a simple nod back to his waiting teammates, Smalls raced from his position, fading into the multitude of shadows covering the area. Tense seconds passed, no new sounds audible over the pounding rain and the low roar of rushing water in the distance. The blonde glanced down at his watch, lifting his eyes to gaze upon the automated gate that stood between them and their objective, mentally counting down the seconds. With the clock striking zero he nodded, the gate whirring to life, ‘Perfect.’

---

"Perfect, just perfect," the gruff voice of the patrol guard echoed down the concrete corridor, his hands working to peel the damp jacket from his body.

Heavy footfalls clapped like thunder as the irritated man marched down the hallway, stopping at one of the many steel doors that lined the passageway. Gripping the doorknob, the cool metal sending a chill over his form, he turned it, half expecting the man inside to be asleep. Hinges moaned as the door swung open with a pull. Pale light from the hallway spilled into the small room mixing with the dim glow from a bank of television monitors. Bathed in the soft light of the screens sat a young man, trim arms resting on a control panel, torso leaned forward. "You awake?" the guard asked with a smirk, hanging his soaked jacket from the doorknob.

"You don’t need to keep mocking me about my eyes Tom," the seated man relaxed, falling back into the room’s solitary chair, a strong hand coming to rub his face.

"Aww you know it’s all in good fun newb," Tom chuckled, leaning against the doorframe, crossing his arms, "Somethin buggin ya?"

The seated man’s chocolate complexion scrunched into open frustration, fingers running slowly through short spikes of dark hair, "Just trying to figure out how six street thugs could infiltrate the premise."

"What?! Why didn’t you tell anyone?"

"I tried but couldn’t seem to get in contact with any of the patrolling units," the junior member of the staff grumbled, rubbing his narrow eyes with the heel of his palms.

"Damn it! Where are they?" Tom asked himself as much as he did his counterpart, his wide eyes snapping to the screens displaying video streaming in from various surveillance cameras.

Glancing up from behind his open hands, the seated guard quickly scanned the monitors, "Just passed through sector three."

Snatching the still dripping coat from the doorknob, Tom thrust his arms into their proper sleeves, scampering back down the hallway he had entered. Silently sitting in the dim light of the monitors, the young man listened to the resounding thud of a closing door, lung drawing in a deep breath. Releasing the breath he pushed himself up, his body erect as he turned to face the door. "Welcome…" he sighed into the silence, walking out of the room, starting down the hallway, "…to the end Aqua scum."

---

The thunderous roar of rushing water, the steady drumming of rain, the rhythmic slapping of shoes against wet concrete all mixed within the shroud of darkness, creating an anxious symphony. Darkness became interrupted, lights burning holes in the cover of night, the moist terrain shining with a dull sheen. Standing pools of fallen rain trembled as droplets struck their surface, the puddles exploding upwards as heavy footsteps crashed down on them. Footfalls and rain slowly faded into obscurity as the raw power of rushing currents rose above them, any spoken words quickly swallowed by the torrent. The final lengths of darkness shrank away, a solid wall of light greeting the group of six as they slowly their pace. Standing tall, the leader strode forward, cold eyes locked on an expansive rift and the concrete structure that connected the two sides. Blackness seemed to swallow the earth itself as the slender figure stepped onto the dull gray edifice. ‘Here it is. The first piece in the grand scheme of things,’ the man thought allowing a small grin to twist his lips, ‘and now this piece must fall.’

With an aura of triumph, he turned to face his comrades, slowly raising a fist into the night air, a wide grin stretching across his face. Pride swelled inside as he watched his partners make their way towards him, then looked on in confusing as they all paused, the looks on their faces unreadable at the distance. All that was forgotten as a stinging sensation engulfed the lower part of his legs, the warmth of spilled blood flowing freeing from opened wounds. Whirling around, eyes straining, he spotted a solitary man, arms extended, inching his way forward. Glancing down he noticed pockmark in the concrete, ‘the bastard shot at me.’

Muscles tensed, jaw set, fingers tightly grasping a small sphere attached to the wounded man’s belt. With a pull the man dislodged the orb from his belt, cool metal expanding to fill his hand. ‘Bastards gonna pay, bastards gonna pay,’ raced through his mind, the ball hurtling forward with a thrust.

Brilliant white light flashed as the object struck the ground, a towering monstrosity replacing the flare. Wordlessly, the leader ordered his creature to lash out at the opponent. The beast silently complied, lowering the twin cannons jutting from the hulking shell that covered a majority of its frame. Two solid pillars of water erupted from the mortars, each aimed for the guard holding position on the far end of the dam. Time elapsed too quickly for the doomed sentry, each column of liquid crashing into his torso, launching him into a building. Disinterested, the leader recalled his beast, returning his gaze to his partners as the battered structure collapsed. A satisfied smirk worked at his lips, similar twisting of lips appearing on all his partners’ faces. One member allowed the expression to slip from his face, his head twisting to stare off in another direction. Annoyance darkened the leader’s features, his lips parting to ask the man what he found of such interest. Before any words made it free of the blonde’s throat the distracted man’s head lurched back, a spray of dark matter bursting from the back of his head. Momentum toppled the lifeless form, diluted crimson spreading quickly from the wound. "Shit!" one of the other men shouted, jumping away from the prone body.

Continuing to stare at the lifeless man with wild disbelief, the man remained still before a single bullet tore a ragged hole through his temples. The leader watched his second man tumbled, turning away as the dead man’s head bounced against the concrete. Distant, blue eyes shifted towards Smalls, the young boy’s face desperately trying to conceal the fear that shook his thin frame. A flash of fear raced through the leader as a heavy hand landed on his shoulder, thick fingers digging into his flesh. Twisting his neck to see who had silently approached him, the leader winced as the grip intensified then slackened, the fingers sliding from his body. Darkness greeted the leader’s inquisitive gaze, his eyes lowering to spy another lifeless body. "Damn it! What the hell is going on?!" he snapped, knowing no one would hear him, let alone answer him.

Turning back to Smalls, the other remaining member crouched behind him, eyes sweeping the area, the leader mouthed a single order, ‘Run.’

The boy simply turned and started away, slapping the other man’s back on his way by, motioning for them to retreat. A questioning glance came from the crouched man, the leader confirming his command with a nod. The blonde shifted his gaze upwards; watching as Smalls body lurched forward, seeming to trip over himself. Stumbling turned into a sharp turn, Smalls’ body twisting a tight pirouette, feet flailing our from under the boy. "No!" the blonde shouted with wide eyes.

His head swiveled away from the fallen boy, a new figure sliding from the shadows, arm extended forward. A brilliant flash emitted from the end of the figure’s arm, the last member of the leader’s crew crumpling at his feet. From a distance the figure, a sizeable man, held a neutral expression, his dark features void of any emotion. Something beyond rage dwelled within the blonde, his fists clenching tightly. Purposeful strides began his trek towards the killer, the slow gait building into an adrenaline-aided sprint. The killer watched the charging leader, swinging his firearm to sight on the blonde’s forehead with eerie composure. Spying the movement the leader dodged to his right, shoes skidding slightly on the moist ground before regaining the rushed pace. The sight of the gun dropped, a single tongue of fire leaping out from the barrel. Searing pain engulfed the leader’s leg, his weight overwhelming the injured limb. The leader collapsed heavily, his hands shooting to the wound. Crimson greeted a worried gaze, stained fingers wrapped tightly around the shattered knee. Methodically, the dark skinned man moved to the injured blonde, his pistol loosing a single bullet into his skull. Satisfied by the growing pooling of blood, the last man standing strode from the lifeless body, stopping when he reached Smalls’ quivering form. A red circle continued to grow around the wound that penetrated a shoulder, the boy wincing greatly from the burning sting. The executioner bent forward, wrapping his fingers around Smalls’ collar, yanking him upward with little more than a grunt. A yelp is all Smalls could muster at the sudden movement. Planting the boy on his feet, gun resting against his forehead, the man released his grip. "This is no place for a kid," the killer spoke into Smalls’ ear, "Better run home to momma."

Needing no further motivation, the injured boy staggered backwards, nearly collapsing as he turned to race away. Watching Smalls’ hasty retreat with a hint of malice the man spoke again, "Run boy. Run."

To be continued...

A/N: Yes this story was already uploaded once under a different title, but I found the old title unfit so I simply took down the whole thing. Hope you enjoyed.