Chapter 43: FORZA
Two Weeks Later
The sun was shining brightly in the sky on this beautiful Saturday morning, casting long shadows across the suburban streets of National City. The hustle and bustle to get to work and school was constant, with taxis and other cars driving around everywhere.
At the same time, Kayn had been shooting across the sky, flying towards a particular home. A report had come in from Francis, who was monitoring police scanners. The situation was bad, a father losing control.
Usually, Kayn wouldn't handle civilian cases, but the reason for the loss of control was suspected to be Forza, a new drug on the streets with magical properties that Kayn and the crew had been tracking.
The drug had simply appeared two weeks before, and had completely taken over National City's nightlife, leading to extensive deaths and even more destroyed families or dead druggies in only two weeks.
Kayn silently landed in the driveway, his keen eyes taking in the scene through the open window. Inside, a disheveled man raged. He was only around 5'10, and looked middle aged, yet he had stained hair, ragged breaths and red eyes from anger.
On the floor next to him was a women, dead on the floor with a kitchen knife sunk into her heart, blood seeping out of her body and into the floor as she had a horrified expression on her face in death.
Across the room, two boys, no older than ten, clung to each-other desperately, in a standoff with the man as they held a knife, their hands trembling with terrified expressions as tears streamed down their faces.
"Dad, please!" one of them sobbed, his voice trembling with fear, "You don't need it! We love you, just stop, please stop! Go back to how you were before!"
One of the boys said, shaking his head in a mix of terror and defiance as he held a clear plastic bag filled with fine purple powder and syringes, the unmistakable remnants of Forza.
Kayn's eyes narrowed as his suspicious were confirmed. The drug Forza was insidious, promising euphoria but delivering madness and destruction, eating away at the mind until nothing was left but a shell addicted to the drug, willing to do anything and kill anyone to get it.
The drug also took effect extremely fast, with some people losing control after only using the drug 3-4 times.
The father's eyes were wild, his body trembling with a volatile mix of desperation and anger, he grabbed the knife from the dead woman's body and moved forward,"Give it to me now you little Bastards!" he bellowed, trying to approach sons', "I need it, I can't live without it!"
Kayn had seen enough. He moved swiftly, a blur of motion that the boys didn't notice until he was standing between them and their father. The man's eyes flickered with confusion, but it was too late.
Kayn's hand shot out, a precise blow to the side of the man's neck rendering him unconscious before he could react. The father crumpled to the floor, his face twisted in a mix of pain and relief, finally free of the drug's grip, if only for a moment.
The boys looked up at Kayn, their faces a mixture of shock and relief. The younger one dropped the bag, his tiny hands shaking as he wiped at his tear-streaked face, running into Kayn and tightly clinging to him.
"It's okay," Kayn said softly, kneeling down to their level. His voice was calm, reassuring, as he placed a gentle hand on each of their shoulders, "You're safe now. I'm here to help."
The older boy, his voice trembling, whispered, "Harbinger, my...my dad..he wasn't always like this. He was… he was a good dad before...before this." The boy said, looking towards the bag of Forza on the ground.
Kayn nodded, his expression somber. "Forza is a dangerous thing. It takes people away from themselves, but it's not your fault, okay?"
The boys nodded, clinging to each other as Kayn offered them a small, reassuring smile, "The police will be here soon," he continued. "They'll take care of your dad, and we'll make sure you're taken care of too."
As if on cue, the distant wail of sirens filled the air, growing louder as they approached the house. Kayn stood, his gaze shifting to the unconscious man on the floor. He could see the toll the drug had taken, sunken eyes, gaunt cheeks, trembling hands. The man was a victim of Forza, just like so many others.
Kayn walked to the stabbed woman on the floor, checking her pulse and confirming her death, turning back as he saw the children looking towards him, crying.
Kayn's mind raced as he considered the possibilities. This was no ordinary drug. It was powerful, magical, and dangerously addictive. He suspected it had ties to ORION, although he had no concrete proof.
It couldn't be a coincidence that Forza appeared around the same time that ORION made their presence known, and began threatening him and National City as a whole.
~BANG~
Suddenly, the front door crashed open, and the police entered, weapons drawn, but they quickly lowered them when they saw Kayn standing calmly over the unconscious man.
"Harbinger," one of the officers breathed, recognizing him immediately. "Thank God you're here. What happened?"
Kayn gave a brief nod, his tone measured. "He was under the influence of Forza. I incapacitated him before he could harm his children. They're safe."
The officer, a middle-aged man with kind eyes, knelt beside the boys, offering them a reassuring smile. "You did good, boys. You're safe now. We'll take care of everything."
Kayn stepped back, watching as the police restricted the father and comforted the boys. His work here was done, and Kayn naturally walked away from the scene, suddenly getting a call from Francis, "Hey, swing over here, we've got some solid info on Forza."
Hearing that, Kayn immediately shot off towards AEGIS headquarters.
_____________________________
Time passed swiftly as Kayn arrived at AEGIS's sleek, modern headquarters. Swiftly transforming back into normal clothes, he was greeted by the familiar sight of advanced security measures and a team of highly trained personnel, all loyal to AEGIS and trained in Russia alongside him.
Kayn swiftly moved to the secret elevator and swiftly headed into the Command Centre of the Headquarters, where he found Francis and Violet already waiting for him.
"What's up?" Kayn asked, waiting for Francis or Violet to begin their explanations.
Francis quickly stepped forward, tapping a few buttons as a holographic image of the Drug, Forza, quickly appeared,
"According to the research we did, Forza is imbued with unrecognizable Alien Blood and Dark Magic Energy. The basics of the drug are that it overwhelms the senses, creating an intense euphoria where users feel invincible, as if all their worries and fears have melted away. The world seems vibrant, and life feels perfect, with every sensation magnified to an almost heavenly level." Francis began his explanation, quickly reading through the information he had gathered.
"As you know, it first appeared two weeks ago. All of the dealers claim that they were given it by a tall, handsome man, but reading their memories proves it was tampered with, and all we know is that the true source is connected to ORION in some manner. After concentrated research, we gathered detail information about the drug:
Addiction and Dependence: The high the drug provides comes at a steep cost. With each use, the body and mind become more dependent on Forza. Users crave the drug more intensely, finding that their normal state feels unbearably dull and lifeless without it. The addiction is not just psychological but deeply physical, with the body developing a rapid tolerance, requiring higher doses to achieve the same effects.
Mental Deterioration: As the addiction grows, so does the user's descent into madness. The once-perfect world begins to crumble, and paranoia sets in. Users start to experience hallucinations, mood swings, and violent tendencies. Their perception of reality becomes increasingly distorted, leading to irrational and dangerous behavior. The drug twists their mind, turning the initial high into a prison of their own making.
Physical Decay: Without a timely dose of FORZA, the user's body begins to deteriorate at an alarming rate. Muscles weaken, skin becomes pale and fragile, and internal organs start to fail. The rapid physical decline is extensive and can only he stopped by consuming more of the drug. However, each dose only hastens the overall deterioration, creating a cycle that ends in inevitable death if the user is not freed from the addiction.
"We've got reason to believe Forza is more of a Magical Bio-Weapon, specifically designed to destabilize the City." Francis said, going on to explain,
"Our closest lead is the age of the dealers are all young, no more than 18, so we think that you 2 can go undercover in your everyday personas to catch the real sellers."
"There's a party happening two days from now hosted by Felicia, one of the school's popular girls. Most young adults will be attending, we can try our hand there." Violet chipped in, and Kayn just nodded in agreement.
"The cure has almost been fully synthesized. Now that we have full analysis, we should he shipping cures tomorrow, but be careful. There's so much Forza out there we won't be able to cure everyone, so we need to kill this drug ASAP!" Kayn ordered, and everyone looked at each-other, nodding.
It was time to end ORION's games!
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