Air rushed around me threatening to push itself into my body. But my helmet was enough to hold them back. I wasn’t going at crazy speeds right now. I was just taking a leisurely stroll across the ocean. At least that’s what would compare to a speedster. The first few times I sped across the water was the worst. The fear of plunging into the dark watery depths was easily defeated though once I realized how relaxing it was.

But right now I didn’t have time for that. So I poured on my speed. Behind me, the waters remained unaffected. Another perk of a small ability of reality warping. I couldn’t control it but I didn’t need to. As long as it prevented me from disastrously affecting it, I would be satisfied.

“Hello there!” I smiled as I made a sudden stop — that should’ve killed me — in front of a giant mess of tar. “Oh. It looks like the event didn’t treat you kind my good sir.” I said in disgust.

The smell of the creature was toxic. Bad enough to somehow make it in through my air filters. People around looking at us were at least a couple meters away covering their faces in cloth. There were some that had even passed out — from the smell I guess.

It was true, what I said. The event that created us and gave some people godly powers also kind of destroyed other people. It created everything from our fictional stories. Zombies, werewolves, monsters, heroes, things from comic books. It was a result of alternate realities colliding with our own. The scientists called it a freak accident. Others called it a miracle — especially because now we know we aren’t alone in the universe. While guys like these would call it a curse.

“I’m sorry to be a bother sir, but I’m going to have to remove your big arse from this segment of the planet. If you go without a struggle, it would be greatly appreciated, if not. Then I’ll still be enjoying this.”

But for me? I would grovel at whoever was responsible for this. So I guess I would belong to the second group. But I really don’t care. I wasn’t affected by the Event badly and I wasn’t shunned by it, so I’m not complaining.

“Reagh!” the swarming mess of molten coal opened its mouth to reveal an orange substance dripping out of it.

The unscathed floor that it touched sizzled and created smoke. Red hot, good to note. Don’t touch it and I’ll be fine.

“Alright big and ugly. Let’s do this,” I ran back a few feet and dashed forward punching it as hard as I could.

All that ended up doing was getting me stuck in its molten body. I could feel the superheated goo heat up my suit. My suit should be able to handle extreme temperatures, but that didn’t stop it from exposing me to the scalding my armour was giving me. It was painful. And as I finally freed myself, I saw as the dark blue metal that once covered my hand produced a dim red glow.

“This suit is very expensive. So now you’re going to pay for that.” I growled.

Sharp edges popped out of the bottom of my wrists which I used to slash the monster. Each of the slashes just bounced off or went straight through like butter. This is getting me nowhere. I need something else to defeat this guy.

I evacuated a few blocks around the monster in order to make room for my idea. Once I knew it was all clear I concentrated on the air around me. The Molten Tar’s howls were blocked out as I opened my eyes and summoned a huge purple lightning bolt from the air and did my best to guide it towards the creature. A loud explosion washed over its cries and shattered the glass around me. It even knocked me to the floor as I felt it shake my chest.

Once it was all over and I gathered my bearings, I looked to wear the thing once stood. There was a large crater filled with smoke. Around me, there were mounds of tar just boiling whatever it landed on.

I should’ve started with that to begin with.

Satisfied with my work, I left back home. There was nothing else for me to do anymore, there would be a cleaning crew to clean up the mess too. It’s what they were paid to do. Who was I to take away the only job that gave them the money to purchase their necessities?

“Hey there, Anael,” I popped into the room where my best friend was sitting doing some quiet reading.

My sudden appearance sent up several papers flying and made the curtains twitch.

“MY GOD! Martin! You scared me again with that stupid entrance of yours!” she threw her book at me.

I just snatched it out of midair and flipped through the pages quickly.

“Warriors? You’re reading this stupid series again?” I tossed it back to her.

She failed to catch it, but picked it up from the floor where it landed and raised it for me to see the cover, “This stupid series was what got us to meet in the first place remember? Or is that superdensity also affecting your brain?”

I was about to retort back when she took in the damage I sustained to my suit.

“Oh my stars! What happened?” she gazed at the half melted blades that refused to retract back into my costume. They were still hot to the touch as was my glove. Yet she cautiously tried to touch them.

“Fight with a tar changeling. Nothing too bad that you won’t be able to fix I hope,” I smiled at her as I took off my helmet.

The thing clanged as I placed it on top of the tempered glass table. I also proceeded to take off the rest of my costume since my skirmish with the monster damaged the interface that allowed me to command it off.

“Of course not. I can do anything with any material, but I can’t do the same with your body,” she examined my burnt hand. I winced as I was bit with pain, but said nothing.

The skin tight leotard I wore underneath the suit was also slightly damaged. It was burned in several places where the metal was heated up.

It hurt to move and stand. But I wasn’t going to be defeated by these sensations.

“I’ll just rest this off while you fix up my armour,” I offered.

“I’m starting to run out of resources for this, Martin. You have to start being more careful. I won’t be there forever. You know that I was just accepted into MITP. This is something great for me. And I can’t let you screw this up by getting yourself killed,” she glared.

“I’m going to be okay. Besides, whenever I need something fixed, I’m just several minutes away from you,” I smirk.

My smile broadened as she relented.

“Something came in the mail today though. It’s addressed to me, but I don’t recognize who its from.”

“Then let’s open it.”

I walked into the kitchen followed by her. On the counter sat a beautifully wrapped box. It happened to be cold to the touch too. Red and blue ribbons decorated it in intricate bows. Whoever sent this to Anael must’ve spent a few days fixing it up. I didn’t like it. I already had a feeling what it was about. Sure enough, Anael pulled out a note.

“It came with this. A letter.”

I took into my hands. It felt soft, like silk. Red floral patterns decorated the yellow background. It was the size of regular printing paper but was folded in half. The long way. I opened it up and gazed at its contents. It was a lot of writing. Describing how the person felt about Anael. That did it, I didn’t like this person at all.

“What’s it say?” she asked.

“It uh, it says: My Dearest Anael,

We met in the past, I do not expect you to remember, but I do remember you. Everyday that I spent gazing upon you was the best day of my life. I considered myself the luckiest guy for being able to be in the same class as you. It may sound cliche, but to me it was love at first sight.

Whenever I woke up, I no longer had to have hope to find that special someone because I knew that that person was in the same room as me everyday. I knew in my heart that you must’ve felt the same way about me, for you would always treat me with the utmost respect and love.

I played the loser side, however, whenever you decided to choose a jerk over me. But that was just a ploy to make me jealous. I am certain of it. I know that it was to force my hand and get me to confess my feelings about you, but I never did. Though now I am here to tell you and confess my darkest desires for the hopes that are to come true.

Your beauty is incomparable. It is astounding, but not boastful. Independent, but for something that is dependent. But most of all, you are wonderful, one of a kind, one in a million. For me, Maximillion.

I know that right now you are sharing rooms, and perhaps even beds with someone else. And to prove what I am capable of, I will get rid of him for you.

With love,

Maximillion.

“Uh that is creepy,” my friend nodded in agreement to my observation.

Whoever sent this to her was clearly unhinged. Maybe it was best not to open the gift. I voiced these thoughts but she just waved them away.

“I know that it’s disturbing, but there’s no harm in just looking at whatever it is the guy sent, right?”

She grabbed the box and rushed over to the couch laughing before I could react. I really didn’t use my powers in the house because of a dampener, not that it affected me that much, so I just let her do as she pleased.

“Let’s see now,” she neatly took off the wrapping trying her best to not make a mess.

Once all the paper was folded neatly on the table, she took off the lid and picked something out. It was a toy. A small grey figurine that was molded to look like her. Complete with makeup, her hairstyle — her hair was dyed red right now and was starting to grow making the top of her hair a dirty brown which was copied exactly onto the doll —, and the two scars she had on her chin and her forehead were all exact.

“The hair, it feels so real,” she commented as she ran her fingers through the dolls hair.

I moved in closer to check what she was talking about. Sure enough, as I ran my fingers through it, I could feel the softness. What the hell was wrong with this sicko?

The doll suddenly moved grasping my wrist with surprising strength. I was shocked, I wasn’t expecting this at all. A small choked gasp escaped from me as the thing grew hot and red veins cracked its appearance. Anael dropped it in shock but before it hit the floor, it grew to half my size.

A crevice appeared where its lips would’ve been and opened to reveal a molten abyss of tar. It couldn’t be a coincidence that I’m fighting two tar monsters on the same day. There must be an explanation for this.

The monster — now my size — threw me and sent me crashing into the table. The wooden item was crushed by my impact and fell to the floor in splinters. I ended up being impaled by small splinters as well making my skin sting. My wrist also now had a fresh burn. I’m going to have to fight this thing without my armour now. Not only would it increase the amount of heat, but it was also wrecked by the fight with the first Tar monster.