Nucleation

CHAPTER 1: The Nuclear Assassin

“Yo, Acanthus, you ready or what?” Proxius called impatiently. “Don’t tell me you’re getting cold feet already.”

Proxius Ashfold is my friend, my only friend, but he’s really more like a brother to me. We found each other when we were just kids, struggling to survive, just trying to find our place in this sickening world. Proxius is a couple of years older than me, but we’re roughly the same height, even though he swears he’s taller. He wears these tattered black and gold jeans and an old designer shirt he found in an abandoned mall. He’s always been more of a fashion guy than I am. I usually just stick to a plain old black hoodie, some sweats, and the katana I keep on my hip.

“Yeah, of course I’m ready. And you’re sure our guy is here, right? Cause last ti–”

“Oh shut it, I know what happened last time.” Proxius cut me off. “But don’t worry, I’m never wrong twice in a row.”

Proxius and I are freelance bounty hunters; it’s how we’ve gotten by all this time, and this particular hunt was one of personal interest to us. Damien Kastle, known to our kind as the Nuclear Assassin; he’s killed a reported 189 Radicals in just the past month. If you asked me, I’d say he ain’t no assassin, he’s just a discriminatory serial killer. Now the bounty on his head has risen to 342,000 dollars; enough to set us up for a while and get revenge on that revolting Normie for all the Radical lives he’s taken. The way I see it, it’s a win-win.

Radicals are those who gained what’s known as nuclear abilities after a world war that took place over a century ago. Then there are the less fortunate, such as people like Kastle, the Normalities. Normies have always been jealous of us Radicals, but they usually kept their distance since we leak enough radiation to kill any non-Radical in minutes. However, since the invention of Anti-Nuclear Energy devices, those damn normies have gotten bold. They’re able to replicate our abilities now, and the worst of the worst want us dead.

As Proxius and I entered the city of Nightruxor, we were immediately surrounded by Radicals of every kind. Some were obvious at a glance, sporting striking mutations like abnormal skin tones that ranged from neon green to deep violet, or in some cases extra limbs. Others were noticeable even without visible mutations because their bodies constantly emitted nuclear radiation that distorted the air around them. The city itself looked as though it had grown rather than been built. Jagged metal structures fused with concrete rose at uneven angles, warped by decades of exposure to radiation. Glowing signs flickered erratically above narrow streets, advertising black-market tech, gentlemen’s clubs, and a sketchy medical office. People chatted and mingled in the streets, one man tumbled out of a bar while being chased, I suppose he didn’t pay his tab. Children’s laughter was heard throughout the alleyways, their scavenged rags were far too big for them. Normalities were scarce, those who did roam the streets wore protective suits or A.N.E. wristbands; all got subtle glares from bystanding Radicals.

“Hey, bro, look over there. Isn’t she hot?” Proxius nodded toward a short girl in the distance, her purple skin and large wings protruding impossible to miss.

I shot him an annoyed glance. “Shouldn’t you be focused on the mission right now? Instead of scoping out eye candy, how about you actually make yourself useful and locate the target.”

“If he’s even here.” I muttered into my shirt.

“Hey, I heard that! And for the last damn time, he’s here. I had a good source this time!” Proxius snapped.

“And by source, you mean the waitress who said she’ll tell you if she’s seen someone that matches his description, but only if you tip her twenty bucks. That source?” I shot back, remembering his so-called source.

He rolled his eyes, but before he could rebut, I spotted someone who matched Kastle’s description almost perfectly.

I grabbed Proxius by the shoulder. “Hey, look. Over there. That’s him, right? Has to be.”

He squinted. “Yeah, that’s got to be our guy.”

Proxius chuckled, a smug smirk spreading across his face. “See? Told you he was here. When am I ever wrong?”

We rushed toward the alley the figure had disappeared into. It was dark, the air was cold and dry, but Damien Kastle was nowhere to be seen. A feeling of impending dread crept up my spine.

“Wait, something feels off.” I said. “I know you feel that too.”

“What are you talking about? If you’re scared, just say that. I won’t judge... too much.” Proxius chuckled. “It’s just an empty alley. Dead-end too, you sure you saw him go this way?”

Suddenly, the sound of child-like screams ghosted through the air; though quiet, they were unbearable. My ears rang, my jaw clenched so tight I thought it would crack. My entire body froze. Then, in an instant, the screams were no more. That brief moment of sound was enough to shake my very core. Awful memories of my childhood flooded in. The pain of watching my world being stripped away. It all came back too fast, like a dam in my mind had finally burst. I tried to flush them back out, back to where they couldn’t hurt me anymore. But still, I couldn’t dare move. I knew that sound all too well. I had once grown accustomed to it. But hearing it again after so long unearthed a part of me I wish I’d buried forever.

“Where is that coming from?” I barely managed to whisper, using the last of the air in my lungs.

Before Proxius could respond, a nervous rattle crept beneath our feet. It quickly escalated into a violent shake as a tremor passed under us, threatening to tear the land apart.

“Whoa, what the hell is happening!?” Proxius struggled to maintain his balance.

“Is this an earthquake? No, it can’t be, Nightruxor doesn’t get quakes.” Panic clouded my thoughts.

A ripple appeared in the wall ahead, warping the stone unnaturally.

“Hey, look at that wall!” I dragged Proxius’s attention to the weird distortion.

Is it because of the shaking? I wondered.

“Do you think this is some sort of ability?” Proxius asked.

I tried to touch the wall, but my hand went completely through, it completely vanished as if it never existed at all. The tremor stopped.

“Huh? The wall’s gone... And there’s a latch on the ground over there.” I pointed to the metallic emerald-green door embedded in the floor.

“You think that leads to Kastle?” Proxius asked.

“There’s only one way to find out.” I tried to shake my nerves, but panic strayed in the back of my mind.

I sensed no radiation coming from the latch. Still, something felt wrong. Forcing myself forward, I grabbed the handle and tugged. Nothing. “Damn it, the thing’s locked.”

“Move,” Proxius said, shoving past me. “Let me handle this, ya weakling.” He placed a hand onto the latch, freezing the metal solid. “Was it really that hard?” He teased, before leaping feet-first through the door and shattering it like brittle glass.

I rubbed my face, shaking my head at his recklessness. Then, more cautiously, I checked where the opening led, and climbed my way down the ladder inside.

We emerged into a hallway that seemed to stretch endlessly. The atmosphere was thick with the smell of decay, heavy chemicals burnt my nose. Each step felt sluggish, as if the ground turned into sand. Time itself seemed to slow.

Everything about this place brought back horrific memories. My soul felt exposed, every step scraping at old wounds; nothing could have prepared me for what came next.

“What the hell...?” Proxius and I muttered in unison.

Cages were scattered and stacked along the floor. Inside them were Radicals, or what was left of them. Half of them were unrecognizable. The others barely clung onto life. My heartbeat spiked. My mind fogged. My fingers curled around my katana before I had even realized. Radiation poured out of me in uncontrolled waves.

“T-they’re... they’re kids..” Proxius whispered, horror hollowing his voice.

Every cage held children. None older than sixteen. The smallest corpse looked no more than five.

Who could do this?

Who would do this!?

“Did two of you escape?” A sickening voice echoed from the hall opposite of us. “You know what I said would happen if I caught you trying-” He paused. “Oh...no... I haven’t had the pleasure of capturing you two yet.” The voice chuckled. “These filthy Radicals truly do make it too easy. Strolling right into my prison, now where’s the fun in that?”

The man revealed himself. His eyes were darker than the night itself, his smile joyful and deeply wrong. He wore a clearly expensive tuxedo, crocodile-skin shoes, and on his wrist sat an infamous Anti-Nuclear Energy Device of the same green color that painted the latch. Every detail about him made my skin crawl. He perfectly fit the description of our bounty, the Nuclear Assassin. Damien Kastle.

Silence settled in the room. I shifted my stance, placing myself between him and the cages. I could hear my own pulse throb.

Kastle took another step forward. “So,” his twisted smile widened as he pointed at us, “which one of you will grant the pleasure of letting me slaughter them first?”