Chapter 14: Hiding-Out, and Upgrades...
~Omniscient Pov~
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The man who was saved just moments ago just glanced towards Ezra...
"Uhh... Why...? W-why did you help me?" The man couldn't help but ask, still confused about the entire scenario. All he knew, was that this person had powers as well, not only that. They were extremely powerful.
Ezra paused, turning back to the man. "Because no one deserves to be at the mercy of monsters like that..." he replied cooly, his voice steady, "And because I can help. Plus, I don't think you wanted to die... It's as simple as that." Ezra mumbled.
The man seemed to relax a bit, still trying to process everything so far... "T-thank you," he said, gratitude evident in his tone. "I... I didn't think anyone would come." The man remembered his friend who died at the hands of the monster just moments earlier.
And what terrified him most was that these things were men. Now just killers out for more power.
"Hey man, what can I even help you with?" The man asked. Ezra looked at him, "You might not be able to. But, you might know someone who can. I need a place; a bunker to be specific, but I don't have documents... Do you know someone I can get to help me out? not for free of course." Ezra asked.
The man hesitated, thinking it over. "There's a guy I know. Used to be in construction, but now he's more into... let's say, less legal ventures. He could probably help you get what you need—his name's Marcus. You can usually find him at a bar called The Rusty Nail, downtown. Tell him Sam sent you. He'll understand."
Ezra nodded. "Thanks, Sam. Take care of yourself." With that, he turned and started walking toward the city, his mind already focused on the next steps of his plan, however;
"Oh, before you go... I'll need one of those vials you have."
Sam looked again, wondering what his helper would need it for... Still, if he said no, the guy could take it from him without so much as blinking an eye. Or worse, end his life.
He weighed his options a bit more before giving in, 'Crap... I'll just have to tell the boss that one of em' was broken during the encounter we had earlier, he'll understand...' Sam thought, tossing the amber vial towards the figure. Realizing that he wasn't a threat.
Ezra caught it and walked away...
As he walked away, Sam watched him go, still in awe of the power and finesse of a man who couldn't be more than 18 and had just saved his life... He hoped Marcus could help the masked figure, knowing that someone like him could make a real difference in their world.
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~Omniscient Pov, An hour later...~
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Ezra found himself in a nearby forest area to speak with ECHO. The sunlight filtered through the dense canopy above, casting dappled shadows on the forest floor. He leaned against a tree, feeling the cool bark against his back as he initiated the conversation...
"Hey, ECHO... I'll have to admit. It was a great idea to do what we did today. I might even get a new power out of this... Speaking of powers, do you think I can absorb this one anytime soon?"
[Yes master... Due to the limits of what that creature showed earlier today, it might be possible to do it now. However, if it was any more powerful, the process would need to be halted until you grow strong enough to handle the changes.]
Ezra thought for a moment... "That's, great news... I'll just absorb his blood later then, at least until I sort out my problems with this Marcus guy." He decided. Ezra got up and headed to where he could find his target.
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After some discreet inquiries, Ezra finally arrived at The Rusty Nail, the bar that Marcus was known to frequent. Ezra thought himself lucky enough that the man was decently known, or his life would be much, much harder... The establishment had an air of roughness, like the bars of Gotham with shady characters coming and going.
'Don't wanna stick around here too long...' He thought. Since he kept on the mask, albeit a different one, he didn't want to be identified too quickly. That would compromise what he's going for.
He finally stepped inside, his senses now alert and his posture more confident. He quickly scanned the room, looking for any signs of Marcus or someone who could lead him to him. The dimly lit interior and the murmurs of conversations added to the atmosphere of tension.
And the men looking at him as he came him didn't ease it either...
Finally, Ezra spotted a familiar face at the far end of the bar. Marcus, the typical burly man with a rugged appearance, seemed like he was engrossed in a discussion with a group of individuals... Without hesitation, Ezra made his way towards him...
Noticing the figure approaching, he raised his head, "What do you want?" Marcus said with a sharp tone, clearly displeased by the interruption.
Ezra sat down across from him, leaning forward slightly. "My name doesn't matter, but your friend Sam sent me... I hear you're someone who can arrange things, no questions asked."
Marcus took a sip of his drink, eyeing Ezra carefully. "Maybe. Depends on what ya' need..."
"I need a place to stay off the grid. A bunker." Ezra said plainly.
Marcus raised an eyebrow, his interest piqued, "And why would I help you? What's in it for me?"
Ezra leaned in closer, his voice dropping to a low whisper. "I'm willing to pay. And let's just say... Helping me could help you more in the future..."
Marcus chuckled, though his eyes remained wary as if thinking, after a few moments, he then nodded. "Everyone's got a price. What's yours?"
Ezra met his gaze, unflinching. "Five thousand up front, and another five when the job is done. I'll pay for the place separately, heck upfront too if it's to my liking..."
Marcus seemed to consider this for a moment before nodding slowly. "Alright. I'll help you. But make no mistake—if you cross me, you'll regret it."
Ezra extended his hand, sealing the deal with a firm handshake, "Agreed. I'll have the money ready."
With the arrangement in place, Marcus motioned for one of his men to come over. "Take him to the location." He ordered. "Make sure he gets what he needs."
Ezra followed the man out of the bar, feeling a sense of relief wash over him. He had secured a safe place to stay now, and now it was time to focus on his next move. As they walked through the dark alleyways, they finally headed towards a vehicle.
Ezra didn't like the idea of following strangers in a car, but he followed through, knowing they wouldn't be able to hurt him at all... On the way, he spoke to the men about the specifications of what he needed...
Finally, they arrived at a nondescript building on the outskirts of the city. The man unlocked the door and led Ezra inside. At first, it looked like a regular home, it was even maintained on the inside as well. Since this place was outside the city walls, it was secluded; and rural, but when they showed him what was downstairs...
'It's, huge...' Ezra thought.
The bunker was everything he had hoped for—secluded, large secure, and equipped with everything he would need to lay low for a while, hell maybe even permanently.
The bunker was massive, but he could tell it was somewhat young. Likely a decade years old. Still, it was utterly massive. It was likely 27 x 27 meters in both length and width, with a height of 30 meters...
"How much for this place?"
"Considering it's a net-zero bunker... Around 1.5 million dollars, but the boss said he'd give you a 10% discount since you know his friend." One of the men said. The price was very high, but that's to be expected when it comes to a place like this.
Ezra smiled under his mask and nodded in satisfaction, "This'll do. Thank you. I'll give you the cash tomorrow, upfront for everything."
The man grunted in response before leaving, locking the door behind him. Ezra was alone now, in his new sanctuary. He took a deep breath...
"Damn... This place is perfect for training... Spacious most of all, and tough. And it's even semi self-sufficient too. I lucked out. If saying people can get me shit like this, maybe I should do more of it." He said to himself.
[I agree... Now I can truly allow you to push past your limit without worrying about outside interference.] ECHO stated.
"Wait... What do you mean by that? Are you saying that you've been going soft on me?" Ezra asked confused.
[Yes. I couldn't give you exercises that would compromise where you are, and how powerful you are, but now, I can. With this place.] ECHO said a matter of factly.
"Urghh... Let's just get this guy's blood in my body..." He said, grabbing the syringe. But before he could start the process, he closed the bunker's doors from the inside. Making sure nothing could stop the process.
Like before, he removed his clothing and stepped into the bathroom nearby, sitting in it...
"Alright... I'm ready..." He added.
[Good... I will initiate Force-Sleep-Mode. In 3... 2... 1...] ECHO said.
Ezra soon felt a wave of drowsiness wash over him as ECHO initiated the force sleep mode. His eyelids grew heavy, and he succumbed to a deep slumber, allowing his body to focus entirely on the assimilation process without distractions...
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Hours passed in the quiet solitude of the bunker, with only the faint hum of machinery and the occasional rustle of leaves outside breaking the silence... Inside, Ezra's body underwent a metamorphosis, adapting to the new genetic information and incorporating it seamlessly into his body...
As he drifted into unconsciousness, images and sensations danced through his mind, a montage of past battles, training sessions, and moments of growth. It was as if his subconscious was preparing itself for the changes to come, aligning his mental and physical faculties for the integration of the creature's genetic material...
"Gahh!" he exclaimed, the sudden rush of stimuli hitting him like a constant tidal wave.
But even amid this sensory overload, Ezra's mind swiftly adapted. With each passing moment, he found himself attuned to the deluge of information assaulting his senses. What initially felt like chaos gradually organized itself into a rich tapestry of awareness.
"Argh!" The sharpness of distant sounds, the nuance of scents carried by the air, and the sheer intricacy of minute details in his surroundings utterly bombarded all his senses...
"Fffuckkkk!" he muttered, though his grip on his head loosened.
When he had finally awoken, his senses felt more than just heightened, and a newfound clarity permeated his thoughts. He slowly stood up... Still feeling a bit drowsy... Other than that, his body felt fine, nothing changed again. Other than his senses feeling as if they were off the charts.
But slowly, his mind was getting used to the pain and new information it was being fed... And soon, the pain stopped, now more distant than before...
[Assimilation is now complete, master Ezra... How do you feel?] ECHO asked.
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He took a while to answer, still getting his bearing straight, "I feel, sensitive..." He mumbled.
Ezra could now hear the chirping of the birds outside, the grasshoppers, the ants crawling, and the frogs in the distance, croaking. His tastebuds felt more potent as well, the flavors of his tongue were more vivid than he remembered.
Even his eyesight. He felt like he could see much more clearly than before. Things that would escape a normal person's vision wouldn't dare cross his new eyes unnoticed...
"Pull up my status panel Echo..."
[Affirmative... Here is your new status panel;
Physical Age: 15 years / 234.2 years --> 481.55 years
Height: 5'7" / 6'6"
Weight: 95.89 kg --> 110.42 kg (Effectively 66.43kg)
Physical Strength: 354.32 kg / 4.67 Tonnes --> 223.44 Tonnes
Physicality: 7.52 --> 7.61 / 45.31 --> 185.3
Perception/reaction speeds: 254.11 mph / Mach 255.33 --> Mach 1,334.1
Movement-Speed: 21.74 mph / Mach 2.1 --> Mach 12.33
Intelligence: Very intelligent / Mid Genius
Proficiencies;
Hyper-focus --> Tachypsychia: You can dilate your perception by approximately 125.31% for 26 seconds, per 4 seconds.
Knife Proficiency: Easily high master level.
Hand-to-hand proficiency: You are a master in the ways of hand-to-hand combat.
6th Sense: Via intuition and experience, you can make out danger extremely well before it heads your way.
Muscle-Reading: You can predict where someone will attack based on their muscle movements easily.
Enhanced Stamina: Your stamina amount and recovery have quadrupled.
Electricity Sense: Allows you to sense anything that has electricity powering or utilizing it.
Electrokinesis: Allows you to manipulate electricity, with decent standards.
Super Enhanced Regeneration: Your natural recovery from injury has increased by 943.22%.
Shock Immune: Immunity to conventional electricity.
Ultra Enhanced senses: Your sense of smell, and hearing have been augmented by 24.66 times greater than normal.
Enhanced Tastebuds: Your tastebuds can identify and distinguish between flavors with greater ease, as well as being 2.32 times more potent.
Enhanced eyesight: Your eyes are 7.44 times more powerful.
Increased bone Density: Your bone density has increased by 33.57%.
Nocturnal vision: You can see in the night without any issues.
Denser-Skin: Your skin density is 3.21 times higher.]
Ezra realized that almost everything about him improved, especially his strength and physicality statistics. His lifespan more than doubled as well...
Ezra smiled, "This was well worth it... Though..." He looked down, feeling an odd sensation in each of his fingertips...
He focused on the feeling, then suddenly, he felt his fingernails begin to twist and change into claws...
"What the fuck?!" Not thinking something would actually happen.
"Uhh... ECHO, mind explaining this to me?" He asked, confused.
[Hmmm? It's a part of the power that creature had, he was human and had transformed into that tall creature based on what I saw within his blood. You can now do the same, but more changes were made, better ones...] ECHO said.
Ezra heard her, taking in her explanations... "And those changes mean I have claws now... Got it..." He said, still shocked but not displeased in the slightest about his new ability.
'I wonder how strong they are...' He thought, wanting to test that at a later date. Now, he was intrigued about this new transformation he had unlocked as well.
"You said I can transform... But, I don't want to end up looking like that thing..."
[You wouldn't like it, master. at least not nearly to the same degree. That person's transformation was too inefficient based on the changes it had on their DNA. However, I made it more effective, so there's a 100% possibility that you will look much more different compared to how he did, so... Test it...] ECHO explained.
Ezra still doesn't want to find out, but if it made him stronger... "Alright... I guess I'll try it out..."
He closed his eyes, focusing on that same feeling he had in his fingertips, this time. He focused that same sensation toward the entirety of his body... And it didn't take long for things to change.
Ezra could feel his bones realigning, but under his skin, there was no pain at all, his muscles felt off, sure. Next, his senses grew sharper as well as his strength... He felt his hair growing and his facial muscles twitching wildly...
Soon, the metamorphosis stopped completely, and he finally re-opened his eyes.
His senses before became much more potent compared to before... His strength now felt immeasurable. Like he could go on for days without tire. He looked downwards to see that he kept his humanoid appearance. However, he was slightly bulkier than before, much broader in the shoulders from what he could also tell...
He could even see patches of light grey fur on the back side of his obliques. The same thing was on his arms, but his entire hand from his wrist to his fingers was covered in fur, his claws looked sharper now too.
His hair had lengthened enough to fall over his shoulders, but most of it stood on end towards the back. It wasn't even black anymore, but a light shade of grey, almost sliver-ish...
He looked to find a mirror closest to himself, only to see his blue eyes now gone, with none of the blue remaining. In fact, It was completely silver instead, with an animalistic slit, showing the round of his pupils had disappeared, glowing too. Now that he could see his face, he could see darker outlines over his eyes. While his facial structure had gotten slightly sharper...
In a weird sense, he was actually more attractive than he used to be.
"T-this is, me? Huh? M-my voice?" Ezra spoke, his once childish tone sounded more deep and primal.
"Shit! This transformation... It feels, amazing..." He felt strength bursting from his fingertips...
[Based on my new biometric readings... Your physical attributes have roughly quadrupled compared to before, your reaction and movement speed, however, have octopled... Quite impressive.] ECHO said.
Ezra didn't say anything... He just stood there clenching his fists. In an instant, he got into a basic boxing stance, "fuuhhh~" He exhaled.
Fwish!
Fwoosh!!
FWAAAH!!!!
Each punch he made created shockwaves easily, his speed felt unreal too...
"Oh... I think I'm gonna love this..." Ezra smiled.
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END
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