Kasssh~

The loud hiss from the energy drink penetrated through the silence of the night. The dancing lights of the city reflected off the smooth curve of the aluminium surface and alighted the amber eyes of the young woman holding it up. She sat on the ledge of the rooftop, legs dangling precariously down the side and hair swaying in the wind. On her lap was a silver laptop, the flickering light from the screen washed the concrete floor with a dim glow.

She tipped her head back and took a sip of the divine drink. Eyes closed, she savoured the rich and heavy flavour of the drink as it slid down her throat. Delicious. Dragging her eyes back to the screen, she paused the video with a tap on the keyboard.

“That’s another episode finished,” she murmured, “maybe I should submit to the website someday…”

She was cut off from her thoughts when a movement from her peripherals caught her attention.

It has arrived.

Here we go again.

A middle-aged man climbed up the ladder and clambered up slowly onto the windy rooftop. His dark suit was dishevelled and speckled with dirt, the long night wasn’t doing it any favours either, the breeze only ruffled and creased the cloth even further. He stopped a few feet away, stepping on top of the wires crisscrossing the rooftop and stood motionless with no indication that he heard her.

Well, I guess I’m playing ‘white’ this time.The woman smirked. Eyes locked on the screen, her fingers flew over the keyboard in a series of quick taps .“There you go, enjoy.”

A surge of current surged out of the junction of wires the man was stepping on and immediately poured into his body. His limbs twisted and flailed viciously, and crashed onto the floor. His face was contorted with pain, mouth opened in a silent scream, as he flopped on the floor. The only sounds she could hear was the thudding of flesh against the stone and the crackle of sparks.

Soon, the smell of burnt flesh filled the air. She typed another command.

The plastic coverings of the wires become insulating once again and the man drooped lifelessly, limbs landing awkwardly. Like a doll, she thought, how fitting.

It wasn’t enough, however, and the man manoeuvred his hands under his chest and pushed, struggling to a kneel.

Cough.

“Finally revealing yourself?” The woman typed out a few more commands before finally turning and faced toward the man.

Cough. Cough.

As the man hacked violently, screws, wires, steel nuts, and all forms of scraps fell from his mouth. Ew. The man’s limbs enlarged and the seams on his shirt and trousers burst, revealing a dark red tissue. His jaw hung open and was unhinged as a dark mass formed and grew inside the space of his mouth, slits opened to reveal soulless orange eyes the size of a shot put the ball. The glimmering eyes spun before locking on to the woman. Bundles of wire burst out of the body of the man. Dark metal tips pierced through the skin, across his chest and fingertips, growing longer and sharper, forming foot-long spikes and razor-sharp claws.

A monstrous groan erupted from its throat, carrying to the surrounding blocks. She could feel the floor trembling with it...

Slowly, it raised its long claws and reached towards her. Legs stumbling forwards, unaccustomed to the additional weight.

The woman narrowed her eyes and studied it a moment longer as if waiting for–

A beam of light blurred across her vision and tore through its face. Bloodshot eyes turned into ash within milliseconds and the roof was splattered with gore. The woman blinked and stared at the remains of the creature.

The majority of its mutated head has vanished, fluid pooled and dripped from the crevice where the rest of its appendage should be. Metal scraps grew loose and its body fell apart, long pipes clattered onto the cold stone floor.

Electromagnetic accelerator: Using current and its magnetic fields a projectile is propelled forward from the induced magnetic force, accelerating it to speeds up to four thousand meters per second.

Not a bad job, She thought, for a prototype.

With a sigh, she stood on the ledge of the roof and faced the city once more, and the wind lifted her golden tresses into the air. She took another swing from the can and downed the rest of her drink in a few large gulps.

“Tastes like…” She smacked her lips and crumpled the can in her grip, pondering

“Cranberries.”