The Shard

Look into the shattered

See the whole

Providence 1

“Where is he.” His hand was gently gripping a hunting knife.

The blade had found a place to prowl just beneath her throat. Her eyes continued to stream as she glanced at her husband. His heart was splattered across the room.

“Look at me, no, no, no, come on. Look at me. I know he's here. Tell me now and I won't kill you and I promise you he won't feel a thing” She was sobbing.

Her body lurched as she took rapid breaths. He placed the knife on her belly button and looked into her eyes. The piercing blue breaking her will.

“I'm going to ask one more time” She didn’t feel the blade part her skin as he pushed. “Where is he?”

She shook her head and whispered “no.”

Her body slumped over as she knife split her spine. He quickly snapped her neck and stood up.

“Danny, Danny, he's gone!” the voice his suit made was now identical to hers.

The device in his armor working just as planned. He grabbed her body and dragged it around as if she was struggling for life.

“He's gone. We have to get out of here” Providence listened to every step as he made his way down.

He aimed his handgun and fired repeatedly then heard his body tumble down the stairs. He slowly made his way over. A deafening screech began to shake the house. Providence knew his eardrums were about to burst. He opened fire and the noise stopped. His ears were still ringing as he walked over. He looked up the stairs to find the child with chunks of his body missing. He walked up to the body and knelt down beside it. He slit the throat of the child and tossed the body in a bag.

He walked to the door and sparked a fire. He walked deeper into the woods. He dragged the body through miles and miles of woodland.

He dragged the body up a cliff and into a massive cave. He had reached his home. He walked over to a wall and removed a newspaper.

“Six dead after the alleged bombing in elementary”

He crossed it off with a red marker and looked over at the body. He looked through the newspapers and found his next target. A woman had killed everyone in a bank and stole millions. He sat down and looked the other news articles. For every good enhanced human two vile abominations walked the world. He knew full well what they would become if consumed by the power. He had seen it before.

He walked over to his computer and went through his data files. He began to write down everything he could about the child he could remember. He walked to a table and looked at the bag.

He grabbed his medical gear and placed the child on the table. He began the process of cutting him apart to find what anomaly had created his power. Slowly he found two abnormalities. The lungs were unlike anything he had ever seen. They seemed to be capable of compressing air to the point that it nearly became a liquid. The lungs themselves proved impossible for his obsidian scalpels to cut. He looked at them and sighed. He looked at the child's throat and found nothing out of the ordinary. They were far more rubbery than anything should be but it was nothing spectacular. He looked at his heart and found black threads growing in the heart.

He knew that the child had been using the power more than he let on. Providence looked at his notebook. He looked at his notes with annoyance. He had found nothing but knew there was more to this. He knew that he was close to finding what created them and how to stop what was making them.

He looked over at his fridge and knew he was running low. He walked over and opened to find what remained of his food.

“Why” It was empty. He looked around and wondered if she had found her way here.

He knew he had just enough time and he had another target nearby. He slung a sniper over his shoulder and looked at the newspaper.

He knew where they had taken the man. He had managed to find the locations of five people in the information he had stolen from the police station. He knew if he killed them all they would know he had taken the information. He had spent two weeks trying to find enough flaws in their safeguard to make it look as if they had messed up.

He began his walk back to civilization. He looked up at the empty sky. The city was dim. The gray walls ate the light and his cloak blended into the shadows. He slowly made his way to the home and setup the sniper rifle. He looked at building and knew they would be there.

He set up his gear and his spotter. He waited and saw someone move by the window.

“Come on” he took a deep breath and saw his face. He pulled the trigger and shattered glass. He could see the body drop and he knew.

“Fuck” He grabbed all his gear and began a full sprint. He knew they would be on his trail. His airtight suit would keep the dogs from following his trail but not from the thorn in his side.

He knew the target was lost he had taken the only shot he would get. He ran for hours and made his way back home by the break of dawn. He tossed his sniper with enough force to snap it in half. He slammed a wall cracking it. He took a deep breath and leaned against a wall.

“I let him get away” He looked at his hands and knew he wasn’t good enough. One was one too many. He couldn’t let murderers and monsters live. He knew so many more he could kill but if he did those that had yet to do something wrong would hide and he would never be able to stop the monster at rest.

He knew he had to create before he could destroy. He grabbed a belt of knives and made his way to the slums. He could see the sun begin to wake. And the shadows grew in strength. He made his way through the dark alleys and passageways. He was almost a shadow himself. He looked at people as they walked by. He looked at their every detail and began to find who belonged to what gang.

He heard a scream “Stop!” the sound of thrashing plates and cries began to pour out a house a few blocks away. He made his way over and found a mother beating her son. He knew she didn't hear him.

The armor he had would be perfect for striking fear into her. His voice was like a drum. A deep booming that passed through her like a bullet. “Never more” She froze but didn’t look back. The boy looked afraid. Providence let coolant out of his armor and the woman began to shake.

He moved out with enough speed to not be seen. He moved and continued to stride throughout the city. The empty streets he had spent weeks bending to his will had slowly grow to know him.

He knew the king pins were in rage with all the mayhem he was causing.

He looked at the world and smiled. He had taken the lives of so many of their killers. They never knew but he had taken full advantage of greed. He found it remarkable of how much people would do for a few hundred marks. They told him everything over a talk. He never meet them face to face but he was alway nearby. He never liked making face to face contact.

He moved passed the world and left to his home. He looked through his world wondering if she had found him.

“A professional, that's what I need.” He looked over at his gear and let out a cold breath. He knew it was possible. “How the hell do I get a mercenary.” he took a seat and began to think. “Got it.”

He got a full cover motorcycle helmet and an outfit to match. He looked to make sure that it covered every inch.

“Good enough” he road his way into town with a old beast of a motorcycle he had in the part of the cave he called a garage.

He looked at the town. The rats had begun to eat one another because they couldn't find enough food.

He slowed just outside what he could only call a meet and greet for serial killers. He parked his bike and took a look around.

He placed a volt charge on the bike and walked off. He knew anyone who touched it would be in for a shock.

He kept everything on and when he stepped in several guard had their guns trained on him.

“No sudden movements, we just need to give you a quick pat down buddy.” She began to par him down and made sure he wasn't hiding anything.

“Gonna need you to take off the helmet.” He looked at her and knew.

“I'll show you why that's a big no no” he lifted the inky black visor.

Her mouth opened just a bit and she moved back. She was breathing heavily and her eyes were watering.

“What are you”

He looked away sealing the vizer.

“I just need a mercenary” He turned away from her.

“Hey Tulip what's wrong?” Asked another guard.

“Nisha, you don't want to know. Just let him keep that fucking thing on for all that is good” she placed her hand over her mouth, seemingly holding back vomit.

“Thanks” He chimed.

“Please just go” She seemed sick.

He looked around wondering how exactly this whole place worked.

He looked over the tops of everyone around him. He was just shy of seven feet. But meet the mark with his boots.

He walked over to what looked like the serving area.

“Hey”

“Holy fuck you're big. You wouldn't just so happen to have a older brother would you?” Providence took a moment and lost this man in his words.

“No?” He spoke slowly.

“You sure? Big fellow about your size but more bulky. Dark brown eyes, dark hair, buzz cut?”

“No idea” Providence knew his brothers looked nothing like the man was describing.

“Welp, what can I do ya for?”

“I'm looking for a mercenary”

“You got um all around ya bud. Anyone in particular?”

“Someone good with a sniper”

“Dime a dozen. What you need is a fucking legend. We don't come cheap just so ya know”

“That's fine. So could you show me where this person is?”

“Buy a drink and I'll show you” “Have any wine?”

“What? Hell no. Do I look like a butler? We only get that good stuff. Hard shit none of that fancy crap.”

“Alright, two of your best”

He walked over to a box and unlocked it. He pulled out two large white bottles and smiled. “Got these all the way from Earth. This ain't no cheap shit”

“I'll take them both”

“I'll be damned. You are rich. Three hundred hundred each” He slapped the money down on that table and grabbed the bottles.

“Right this way, your reward awaits” he followed the bartender and found a small group of merks.

“Gentlemen,” they looked anything but gentle. They were armed and looked like they had spent their whole lives in this line of work. “this is… what's your name?”

“Providence”