Requiem of the Broken

Chapter 22: Dead Dreams

The Hunter could hear the creature approaching, felt its presence. He stood in the center of the room, in the silence he focused his mind. The power Guardian had lent him, coursed through his very being. A storm of power roiling within himself, he meditated on it while waiting for the creature or creatures to find him. He wasn't sure if there would be more than one, but with this power, he was certain he could fight multiple at once without issue. The only limiting factor was time, he could not use this power forever. Eventually, the power would return to Guardian and he would be left powerless, and then he would inevitably perish unless Uravity managed to end the Nightmare. He wasn't sure how that was to be accomplished, but Guardian had been clear in that he would not be able to protect everyone from the creature if it managed to get to the chamber they had been in. So he had volunteered to buy time while Uravity solved things. He had not been expecting the Guardian to be able to lend him his powers, albeit temporarily.

His thoughts were broken by the barricade he had erected being torn apart. He opened his eyes in time to see the black scaled monster forcing its way into the room, what had once been a research lab, now destroyed and debris scattered everywhere.

The creature spotted him and it hissed, its snake-like tongues forking out. The Hunter for his part, readied himself, the katana of Guardian ready in his hands. Blue light streamed off it like smoke, and then he let the storm inside suffused his body whole. Light started to steam off his exposed skin and he felt a power, unlike anything before, course through his muscles.

In the heartbeat, before he lunged at the creature, he wondered, "I wonder if this is what it felt like to be All Might."

Then he was swinging at the creature at blinding speed, the light leaving afterimages as he moved. The creature was fast, but he was well trained, something Guardian lacked. He sliced through one clawed hand and deflected two other swipes from scythe-like claws. Then he stepped into the whirling storm of claws, dodging everything with his enhanced reflexes and in one fluid motion, bisected it from shoulder to waist. It fell apart easily, dying instantly and melting away, leaving only its bones left.

The power of Guardian augmented his physical prowess to unbelievable heights, and his blade burned hot enough to easily cut through the creature, and burn all that it touched. He had to conserve the power, he didn't know how long he would have to fight, but he was determined to make every second count. Already he could hear another creature approaching, their bloodlust out of control with fresh prey so near.

He readied himself once more and prepared for the oncoming onslaught.

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Her eyes opened and at first, she was confused, because she couldn't see anything. Then she blinked and things started to come into focus. She blinked a few more times, then she remembered being impaled through the gut and she looked down. Her body was intact, though it was clear it wasn't a dream due to the fact that there was a hole in her suit where the pike had hit her. She poked the area with a finger and it felt fine, she sat up and looked over the rest of herself. In actuality, all her injuries were gone, though the damage to her suit proved that they had happened.

"Ah, you're awake, good." said a voice from behind her.

She bolted to her feet and spun around, only to see a man standing beside a large object integrated into the floor. it was vaguely coffin-like in shape but it had numerous lights glowing and blinking from a suite of control boards installed on the side.

The man stood beside it, one hand resting on the rim of the coffin pod.

"Who are you?" she asked warily.