2 Chapter 1: Auto Shop (1/2)
There was a massive explosion of people awakening strange and terrifying gifts every day, all over the globe. Thanks to that, World War 3, which was close to hand, was put on hold. That is until each, and every country could study and weaponize these people who had awakened these so-called gifts.
Humanity was able to usher in a new era of technological advancements and prosperity. Thanks in part to the research done on the powers of gifted individuals, and the much needed increased landmass, which helped with the overpopulation crisis that humanity was facing.
But alas, not everyone was able to share in, on the increased bounty….
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Date: December 20, 2077.
Location: Twin Cities, Minnesota.
”Yo, Magnus!” shouted a short and heavyset man. He had muscled arms from working out, and a weather-beaten face from being out in the open air. Calluses and blisters covered his fingers. Furthermore, you could also notice a tattoo extending out from his oily blue-stained shirt, all the way up to his neck.
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”Why the hell, do you keep on talking to him, Nicolas?” Asked a tall and lanky man, with slightly crossed eyes. ”He is an idiot!” He yelled as spittle flew out of his mouth.
The man, no the young man, that they have been talking about, took his head out the car's hood. He used a piece of cloth to wipe away his hand, as he studied the two men with a lazy gaze; like they were nothing more than clowns putting on a dull show, seen day after day.
He looked to be in his early twenties. He had soft black hair in a ponytail, with an oval-shaped face, and a button nose. Round amber-colored eyes, sometimes nearing gold, with a straight eyebrow. He was nearly 2 meters tall, well-built, and evenly proportioned all around. His fingers were covered in calluses, blisters, and engine greasy. You could even notice a smudge of black greasy on his clean-shaven cheek.
His skin was smooth, and the tone of warm, bronze color. He was a handsome young man that could catch the eyes of many young women. Plus, the dirt and sweat lent him a rugged, rough, look that was attractive in its own right.
'What the fuck, do these two idiots want this time? Magnus Clade asked himself silently. Do they not have any shame! The two of them look like, they are in their mid-forties, and they still got the courage to continue acting like gangsters!'
He gave them one more withering look and shook his head internally. Then he got back into the hood of the flying car, in front of him.
”Shut your trap, Daniel. Just because somebody does not want to blabber on and on like you, does not mean they are an idiot.” Nicolas said with a dangerous tone, not noticing that the person he wanted to chat with, had decided to ignore him and his lackey, completely.
”You have no idea who you are dealing with here. This guy...” Nicolas said as he pointed his finger at Magnus' direction, without really looking at the young man. ”has graduated from OAS Mecha University!”
Daniel looked at his buddy in suspicion, ”What the fuck is he doing here, in an auto mechanic shop, if he is some big shot that graduated from one of the best Mecha schools in the U.S.?”
Nicolas looked up and down at his friend... no scratch that, his minion, then grabbed the front of his shirt. He lowered his minion down to his eye level and asked him coldly. ”Are you doubting what I am saying, Daniel?”
Daniel waved his boney arms around in surrender, and answered back in a shaky voice, ”No... no, I was not, bro! I was only trying t-”
Nicolas cut him off before he could finish whatever he was saying. He glared down at his minion with unconcealed menace in his eyes, and Daniel loudly gulped when he saw that look on his boss's face. The minion immediately went limp in his boss's arms. He would have also pissed himself if Nicolas was not generous enough to let him go when he got the response he wanted.
After the short man let go of his minion, who straight away dropped on to the ground. Nicolas nodded to himself, in some sort of congratulatory manner for terrifying his minion and teaching him a good lesson. He looked down at his follower, who was sprawled on the ground and spoke up to him, in an icy tone. ”Let me make myself very clear, Daniel. I do not want that ever to happen again, okay?”
Daniel hastily nods his head in acknowledgment, like the good servant he was.
Nicolas turned back to face Magnus, who was enamored over this drama unfold right before his very eyes. Nicolas cleared his throat and said in a bright and cheerful tone, ”Sorry, you had to see that.”
The young man groaned internally in his mind and thought to himself, 'buddy can't you see that I want to ignore you. Must I embarrass you, so that you could leave me alone? Ahhh, if I did that, I would be starting a fight with cavemen, and that would be totally annoying. Sight, I guess I will have to wait until he gets it out of his system.'
Nicolas carries along with his evil boss monologue, all the while not knowing that the man he is talking to, has started to get annoyed with him. ”My boy here likes to wag his tongue too much sometimes. Isn't that right, Daniel?”
Daniel hastily nods his head and nervously chunks. ”Yeah, boss, it gets the best of me sometimes.” He said after he notices that the danger has passed.
Magnus glanced over at the two idiots, especially the tall one. 'Nothing more than a spineless dog, the young man thought disgustingly. All bark, no bite! Well, never mind them, this time I am really getting back to work, while they continue to yak on.'
With that thought, Magnus went on to ignore both of the men for the second time in a row. All the while, they continued to blabber on, while not knowing that whatever they are saying, is just being spoken out loud for their own benefit and no one else.
”Anyways, my cousin, Arno, he got his hands on an Ultralight Mecha suit. I want you, Magnus, to work on it for a bit. I told him you are the best out there, an OAS Mecha graduate. We are willing to pay you 400k, 200k upfront, and 200k after you are done. How does that sound, man?”
Magnus immediately ceased with whatever he was doing under the car's hood, completely reneging on his earlier promise to himself. He lost grip over the tool in his hands and banged his head against the car's hood, but all of that did not matter to the young mech builder. All that did was the words that Nicolas has just spoken.
What does one do nowadays when you have superpowered individuals running amok and causing all sorts of mischief? Bullets won't work since they can be blocked, rockets can be dodged, tanks can be destroyed, and cops can be easily killed.
What does one do?
The solution is very straightforward once you think about it for a bit. And it has been proven to work by the greatest gifted man alive.
Mecha suits!
It is effortless, and any halfwit could understand the idea behind it. You put together all of your weapons of mass destruction, then outfit it onto one machine. Then out comes a machine bred for war and destruction.
Magnus looked at the two men with suspicion in his gaze, yet, deeper within those eyes was a pang of hunger that dwarfed all rational thoughts when the offer was made.
'It has been a very long time since I have been able to touch a Mech suit, not ever since I have graduated, the young man thought to himself. I knew that, deep down, this would lead to a slippery slope. But, I could use the money since my mother's hospital bills won't be paying itself,' a small part of the young man motioned.
Before the young mech builder could answer them, an old gruff toned voice speaks up. ”What the hell am I pay you for Nicolas, Daniel, huh? Is it to stand around, talk, and look pretty for me.”
An older gentleman with fine, greying hair and a similar color goatee walked up to the three men as a scowl played on his square jaw face. He had a left prosthetic leg, a crappy one at that since you could notice from the way he continued to limp and lean on to his cane, whenever he walked. Yet he had a light tanned, chiseled body, with tough, scarred skin.
The old man walked up to the two gangsters, slowly and steady. As he got closer and closer, they start trembling, and it is for good reason that they are scared and nearly pissing their pants.