Genesis: World Gone Mad

Rock Bottom

    Do you ever have one of those days where you think life just isn't going your way? Well, for me, in particular, I've always had that feeling. I had no one think that I would amount to anything, no one to help me, no one to confide in. I always dreamed that if I had the power, then one day, I would steal a little back from the world. Needless to say, that wish came true when Genesis came about. After all, who was ever there for me, right? Though this night was a little special. Word on the street says that some paranoid guy keeps a little bit of his money stash at his company building. And the rumor was true. For many guys, they'd probably spend weeks of planning, but for me specifically, it was a rhythm.

In a couple of minutes, I was on my way to make a daring escape with a duffel bag of money until suddenly I heard the presence of others. I turn around to see three men, Wildfire, Armory, and a dragon man.

"End of the line," Wildfire said aggressively.

Before I could turn around, I felt the impact of a fist, and when my senses returned to me, I saw the Wildfire who was covered in a fiery aura with his fist embedded through my chest. I decided to give up with my disguise and pull all of my clothes inward to reveal myself. The speedster looked particularly shocked, but that's to be expected when you look like a human-made out of light blue slime. I took advantage of his surprise as I pulled himself into me and then proceeded to fling myself across the room, turning him into a ragdoll. I throw him towards Armory. However, he rolled away just in time to fire an entire magazine from his pistol at me! Pieces of me dropped from me in puddles as the pain was blinding. I, however, pulled through and then pushed the guy in a wall and slammed him into the ground. The dragon-man was starting to approach, but I wrapped myself around his head. We engaged in a brief struggle, but before he fell, his overpowering strength pulls me off him and snap me to the ground. Before I could regain myself, Wildfire hit me over and over again until my duffel bag was in his hand, and my lower half had turned into a puddle with my clothes ripped from me.

    The pain was blinding, saying the least. It felt like I was sinking into the floor by some force. No, not yet, I still have time! I summoned up my will and touched the puddle enough to reform myself and take the parts of me on Wildfire arm and throw him aside as I took the duffel bag and jump out of the window! Before the dragon-man could catch up to me, I stuck myself to the side of the wall slipping through his claws and also making myself slippery to further evade Wildfire's blurringly speed. I then dropped towards the ground with Wildfire jumping off the surrounding buildings to catch me, but using my powers, I gave up the duffel bag so that I may carry the money to the sewer drain.

After I made my escape, I spent the next hour breathing from exhaustion as pieces of me bubbles and popped. Hi, my name is Matthew Straits, and I'm dying in a world gone mad. But to my present, you got to know the past. A couple of months before Genesis, I was desperate. I had exhausted all my resources, and I wanted to start making real money. So I became a runner for the Philadelphia Greek Mob. It was good and fun work, and I knew that I could make a future, but I was so sick of being at the bottom for so long that I wanted a little cut of the top. I started skimming a little bit of the payoffs and filling them with counterfeit bills from this guy I knew.

I guess it was only a matter of time before I got caught. Betrayal from my very accomplice who got off scot-free with his half, however, was unexpected. Those rival gang bastards tortured me for days, but in a way, I didn't bear much ill will, after all, it was in a way my fault for trying to be a wolf in a cockroach's skin. I am pretty sure I punished myself more than the people doing it.

I didn't know how long the torture was, but I knew how it ended, a shot of the head. And all I could think of was how I wanted no, needed a new start. I spent those last few seconds begging for a new beginning. And in hindsight, I guess I did get that new start. Next thing I knew, I felt spread out and loose. I didn't feel any of my bones, blood, or intestines. I spent hours freaking out, wondering what happened to my regular body until, in a couple of seconds, my body morphed to human shape. I looked towards my inadequate killer, but I could tell he was dead, but I found my body to be a more unexpected miracle.