Claws burst forth from the middle of Victory Park and then latched onto the dirt. The Abyssal pulled its way through, shaking off the earth from its body, bellowing a deep defeating roar as it fully emerged. The creature fixated on an apartment block, a near rival to a terrifying height and marched towards it. It was as tall as any of the skyscrapers or complexes around it. Each heavy earth-shattering step it took shook the ground, a cloud of smoke made from pulverised concrete and dirt wherever its tread landed. Francois heard the crunch and thud, the sound of unsettled earth shifting by the tonnes as it desperately filled in the chasm that the Abyssal had emerged from. Even now, he shook and jolted from the magnitude of the beast's lumbering footfall. The Abyssal marched towards the first real target. It took ten steps, each unleashing a cataclysm upon nature and civilisation, leaving destruction and death with just its mere tread. Such a short stride was more than enough to cover the breadth of the once proud park, now reduced to a wasteland with a gaping hole at its centre. The monster then squared itself against a large modern apartment block that equalled its gargantuan height size.
Lightheaded and dazed, Francois struggled for breath. In his stupor, he tried to comprehend the Abyssal. He could not liken it to the ones seen on television, nor from his time within the army. They always grow larger. Year upon year, fight upon fight, this infernal species became taller and taller. This one was perhaps the apex of its kind. It was far too unique and removed from its predecessors' likeness. Compared to its brethren who were more akin to a madman's attempt to splice together pieces of giant sea life and then slapped onto a hulking frame, this beast was far too uniform in its physique. Rather than an oily black, its thick carapace was a dull white and jagged like a rough cliff face. A mass of blood-red sores bulged upon its hammerhead-like face where its eyes should have naturally been. There were gaps between its carapace, chinks in its otherwise impenetrable armour that revealed the beast's skin. They were filled with what looked like pus, though it looked as if something swam within as if it were a cocoon and the Abyssal's revolting flesh housed nests of tadpoles.
Too terrified to continue staring, he looked behind. The door had not buckled. Despite all the madness, even the walls of the office had not given to afford even the smallest opening he could squeeze through. He was trapped. He then stared below. Francois gawped in horror. Fleeing crowds filled the streets in every direction. From up high, it looked as though ants fled and scattered. A white leg came crashing down onto a mass of people. The creature did not care or even notice all those beneath it, not even deigning to look to see what it was crushing. All it was focused on were the buildings around it. A thunderous gargle erupted. Distorted mocking laughter heralded the creature raising its appendage. Its arms were a writhing mass of yellowy tentacles. At the end were sharp boney protrusions that looked like they had forcibly pierced through the skin of the Abyssal.
A slow swipe. It pierced through the walls of the apartment, cleaving clean through the structure like it was merely passing through water rather than solid concrete and sturdy steel foundations. Francois heard the frame of the apartment shatter and crack. Electrical sparks and fires sputtered from the tower block. Furniture spilt out, joining the waterfall of mutilated debris. Glass, metal, and stone, all trickled down like drops of rain. Francois stared. He could do nothing but watch. Horror mesmerised him as he watched this colossal building being gutted like a fish. Yet, in the haze of chaos and madness, he witnessed something else, something minute within the carnage. It took him a moment to realise just what he was seeing.
Small near indiscriminate dots. Through the devastation, he could see these silhouettes, fleeting shadows obscured by the dull grey cloud. They tumbled out of the building, flailing as they plummeted. Francois’s legs went weak. Fear sapped his strength. Despair rooted him to the spot. He watched as the apartment listed and tilted forward. It roared a death throe, crying a mechanical groan. The top half of the apartment lumbered like a cut tree. It listed and then collapsed down upon itself. A storm of grey dust blanketed the Absyall and the street. It rose as high as the office as it swept across. Francois felt the rush of wind as the tempest enveloped all, save for the Abyssal that revelled in its destructive handiwork.
His heart pounded. It felt like it would burst. Air was hard to come by. Francois gasped in desperation for breath. Cold sweat drenched him. Stress, despair and fear all melded into one. The Abyssal started to move. It turned itself towards his office. He stared at his oncoming oblivion and tensed. Terrified, Francois dreamt. He dreamt of salvation, dreamt that something was going to spare him from the same fate as those who plummeted to their deaths. His terror-addled mind spat out illusory hopes. Jennifer was just around the corner. Maybe the Harrower or the Empress was barreling down the street to meet the Abyssal head-on. They had to be waiting for something. An opening or an ambush to kill the creature in one swift blow. A glimmer of hope in a sea of darkness. However faint, he needed something to cling onto. Anything, no matter how minute or insane it might seem. A wild fantasy, however ludicrous, was infinitely better than accepting what was to come. When the abomination moved to overshadow the office block, looming over it like an executioner, all his hopes of being saved were dispelled.
Francois fumbled for the phone in his pocket. It was hard to press on the screen. His fingers shook. He summoned all the might he could. He would see this through. He owed it to Jennifer. For what it was worth in those flickering moments of life, Francois did not want their last shared moments of theirs to be a petty argument.
The phone rang for what seemed an eternity. It went to voicemail. His heart sank. Knots were formed in his stomach. Francois gulped. It felt like swallowing a shard of glass.
“J-Jenn?” He stuttered. Francois felt parched, his body using up all his water to drench him in terror-induced sweat. “Jennifer, it's me.”
The Abyssal roared. Francois’s ears rang. He could not hear anything save for a piercing ringing. His head ached from the pain.
“I’m stuck in the office. There’s an Abyssal at Victory Park. It’s…”
A crash. The monstrosity kept on stepping forward. Its weight made the building rock. Francois gripped the phone tight.
“Listen, I’m… uhh… stuck in the office. The door is stuck. I’m stuck at the top and I can’t get out. I-”
A thud. A dirge of metal being torn asunder filled the air. Screams mixed with the sound of another structure collapsing. The Abyssal, distracted by its accidental demolition, howled again, its ear-piercing cry an otherworldly groan of victory. It bought precious seconds.
“I just want to see you again and I want you to-.”
A shadow grew over the floor. The rank smell of fish overwhelmed his senses. The Abyssal turned its attention and its wrath towards him. Francois remained at the edge. The beast was beyond comprehension, a nightmare spawned from the foulest and unknowable depths. A perversion of all nature. For a moment, he felt as though the being stared directly at him, its red bulging eyes locking to the one lone figure stuck in the building. Trembling, he met with its gaze. He glimpsed into bottomless malice, a stare that radiated a primordial hatred for all life.
Time slowed. A thousand thoughts raced. Whilst he stared at the writhing mass that was the monstrosity’s mutilated mutation of tentacle and claw, he saw only images of Jennifer. Her warm inviting smile. Her lounging on the couches. Her posing in that stupid costume. He remembered the pier where they met. How it felt like the weight of the world was lifted just by her presence. Together with her, the mania of life became simpler. So many memories from across their years together. They flooded him all at once. All that time together. All those tiny insignificant moments by each other's side. It was all fleeting, like the fading embers of a smouldering flame. In those final moments, he could feel the cold creeping in. There was only regret. Regret he did not have more time.
“I want you to know how much I love you Jenn.”
The claw came hurtling down. Francois closed his eyes.
Thunder clapped. A shockwave and a concussive blast flung Francois back from the precipice, tossing him like he were nothing more than a ragdoll. He crashed onto the floor, rolling along the dust-covered ruins of the office. His vision was blurry. The world split into several different versions of itself. Fresh blood trickled down his head, his clothes were rent and worn, turning more into rags. He groaned. Every muscle ached in his body. There were cuts all over, wounds that he ignored thanks to the rush of adrenaline. Yet, there was something else outside the office, something that rivalled the Abyssal. Another blast came and he heard a skull-rattling roar. The structure quaked. Parts of the floor beneath him began to crumble. Francois, his mind whirling and body battered, stood up and moved towards the edge once more.
A white costumed woman with a flowing mane of red hair. She was as tall as the Abyssal she challenged. Her muscles bulged against her tight suit as she grabbed the creature's arm. A booming crack erupted. Her vice-like grip snapped the Abyssal's wrist. Glowing gore stained her costume. The beast whirled, letting loose an eldritch scream as it tried to free itself from her grasp. With a punch, the towering woman sent the Abyssal stumbling backwards. The giant looked over her shoulder. Francois locked eyes with Jennifer. If he had found insight into the fathoms of hatred with the Abyssal, Francois found the depths of love and compassion in Jennifer. Her momentary shock turned into a stunned broad smile. Her golden pupils glistened beneath the radiant sun, her rose-red hair fluttered in the breeze. Francois fell to his knees, fighting back the urge to weep.
“J-Jenn…” He stammered.
"Fran-"
The rumbling of heavy footfall. Jennifer turned. The Abyssal swung its unbroken arm, striking her in the shoulder. She stumbled to her side and then face-first into the office. Jennifer came ploughing through unimpeded. The floor, ceiling, all the bits of furniture still left, all of it fell away as Jennifer collided with the building. Francois saw her falling towards him. He tried to run as best he could, but his legs were too sapped of energy. He hobbled like a limp man but then was thrown from his feet. Francois tumbled. His vision was blurred by the chaos and calamity all around him. All of the office came crashing down upon him. Then, for a brief moment, he felt as though he were flying. Air rushed by him. There was no longer solid ground beneath him. Falling fast, he then smashed hard onto something hard. A sickening snap came from his shoulder and he screamed in pain. He began to roll. By the time his sight returned to normalcy, Francois was now sliding down Jennifer’s costume. It tipped down like he was tumbling down a hill. So much of the building fell with him, some parts striking him as if to help speed him towards his demise. He shifted onto his front, desperately attempting to cling to something. Yet, her costume was too slick, too tightly adhered to her muscular body to offer him any crack or nook to forestall the drop he was hurtling towards.
Just when it appeared he would fall off her, a giant hand came and scooped him up.
The Abyssal howled, beating its chest like a gorilla as Jennifer recovered. It's damaged appendage flailed about. Jennifer opened her hand. It was a miracle to collect Francois before he slid down her breast and plummeted to his death. He was far too tiny, so small to her eye, it was hard to even see him. With all the wreckage that came out of the office, finding him was like spotting a falling needle in a haystack. When she saw a limp body soaked in blood, Jennifer froze. She thought he was sleeping or resting. He was still. Too still.
Francois's vision blurred. The pain was unbearable. Every bone fractured, every muscle torn. Francois felt blood slather his face. It trickled down. A terrible arctic cold crept up on him. He blinked. His eyes became heavier. Breathing became a war. Every inhale was a battle that drained him further. He was on something but could not tell what. A dull ringing filled his ears. Fatigue overwhelmed. He fought, he raged, trying to summon some final bit of strength. He would not close his eyes. Not now. He heard the distant voice of Jennifer. It seemed miles away. He was too tired to respond. Francois gaze weakly turned. He gazed at Jennifer's face. Her eyes and mouth were wide with shock and terror. There wasn't enough strength left to smile at her. He could only promise to himself that he would only close his eyes for a moment.
“F-Francois?” Her bass-ladened voice carried far.
He did not stir.
Something boiled within. She clenched her free hand. Her knuckles cracked. Her nails dug into her palm. Every muscle tensed. White-hot fury. Pure blood-boiling rage. She gritted her teeth. It was taking every ounce of willpower to hold herself back. It was too much for her to control. Jennifer could only imagine what she was about to unleash. She scanned the area. The authorities had saved everyone they could. Police and ambulance crews were escorting or carrying the stragglers through the dust clouds and safer passages. The Abyssal took advantage of her pause. Sore swelled in the cracks of the monstrosity's carapace. They burst open. Luminescent pus flowed and small creatures trickled off the Abyssal. Pale arachnids with sharp spine-like tails with glowing red eyes lept from their host. They lept and showered onto the ruins and debris below. Like a swarm of locusts, they went about devouring and feasting on whatever they could find. Corpses and wounded stragglers who were too slow to run were set upon. The beast laughed, gurgling to itself in triumph, mocking the Titaness. Jennifer felt her anger spike. The Abyssal swayed to keep balance. A rumble overpowered the creature. The fury of the Titaness erupted.
A metallic groan echoed across the city. Those who heard the battle from far away stared on in amazement and terror. Something was growing, larger and larger with each passing moment. It eclipsed everything around it and still, it grew larger. The ground strained to cope with the welling mass. As it grew, the groan became more powerful, forcing everyone to cover their ears. Vehicles rattled, glass shattered, and people collapsed, forced to tremble on the floor unable to withstand the quaking beneath them. Cracks in the roads began to form, and buildings shook. The metallic groan transformed. It took on more bass, transforming into a terrifying roar.
When it had finally stopped, a giant beyond any other rose like a newly formed mountain at the heart of the city. It towered above all, overshadowing the mightiest of the skyscrapers still left standing. They barely rose to the giant’s ankles. Jennifer panted. She looked down. The city she stood in looked like nothing more than a small patch of shaved grey grass. It was all so flat, so minute. Beyond was the sea and behind were the winding paths of the highways over green fields that led deeper inland. All this from a loss of control. All that rage pouring out. It still welled even now, urging her to grow taller, pleading with her to reach heights unfathomed by man or Abyssal. She would look down on all of it, she would have the strength to undo entire armies of Abyssal with a single step. Nothing could stop her. All the power was there. All she had to do was let go.
Her mind was centred, and her attention turned to her palm. Francois was no longer there, too small to even be perceptible to her. Just how much had she grown, Jennifer thought to herself. How many hundreds or even thousands of feet in just mere moments? She knew he was there still. Her lover, all torn apart because she was not fast enough, not powerful enough to stop the Abyssal in time. That Abyssal. Her ire focused. She started down. A meagre dot stood by her toe. It had been pushed, caught by her growing foot, yet somehow it survived being caught underneath her. The breadth of Victory Park was now totally beneath her feet. From the brown wasteland at the centre to the destroyed offices and apartments on the edge of the park. Jennifer dominated it all through sheer magnanimity.
Squatting down, she plucked the Abyssal like the speck it was. Her fingers dwarfed the nearby structures, the tip of her finger larger than even the proudest feats of engineering. Jennifer's weight made her mere movements enough to quake the city. She felt the air drag and resist against her. Nature itself was actively fighting her at this height. All of the city would no doubt gape in horror as the sky came falling down on them. Seeing a thick shapely ass that spanned an entire metropolis squatting above you could easily do that. How many citizens would stare upwards and realise how powerless they were? All of them would be drowned in her shadow, forced into near total darkness as her gargantuan form blocked out the very sun. They screamed in terror at the monolithic woman whose ass hovered above them as she squatted, looming above as if threatening to crush them all beneath her cheeks.
Jennifer paid the meek cries no mind to it. All there was now was hatred, the desire for revenge. Jennifer caught the Abyssal between her finger and her thumb. She brought it to her eye. This fetid murdering brute. All it knew was how to reap death. The abomination screamed. It's mewling was high-pitched and utterly insignificant to the now thousands of feet tall Titaness. Jennifer grimaced as she slowly squeezed the Abyssal. It howled, writhing and fighting against her finger. With one final bellow that welled louder and louder, the creature suddenly popped like a balloon, spraying glowing gore and viscera on Jennifer's digits. That once great Abyssal was reduced to pulp, along with all its wretched spawn. The most mighty of its kind, crushed to death between a woman's fingers.
She huffed. Exhaling that much air parted the clouds, sending a weak storm blustering through the city. Jennifer shrunk herself back down. Her rage simmered. Dread, sharp as a knife, welled instead. Her stomach churned. A whine echoed. She focused on Francois as came back into view. He went from a speck, to as big as a grain of rice, a doll then back to his normal height. The city around became larger around her until she was surrounded by the ruined concrete jungle. She held Francois’s limp body. Blood oozed from his scalp, drenching his pale face. His eyes were closed shut. All of his clothes were cut to ribbons. Cuts and grazes abounded. Without her fury, despair overwhelmed her. She refused to believe it. Francois was merely stuck in a deep sleep. It was why he did not wake as she gently shook him. Any moment now, their eyes would meet. He wouldn't be so cold, so limp. She fought the tears as best she could. They dripped onto his blood-soaked face.
“No no no…” Jennifer stammered out. She gently stroked his pallid face.
Emergency services bounded onto the scene in an instant. Police to medics, national guard to firefighters, they all came scrambling in to find more survivors. Terrified as they were from the giant that once stood in Victory Park, they still had a job to do. The climb up stalled their advance. Jennifer's growing form had caused her feet to push dirt, earth and churned concrete aside, forming steep hills. They pushed onwards and the first over saw a blasted hellscape. Abyssal gore splattered across brown mud. Piles of rubble were strewn about from collapsed buildings. Smoke bellowed, fires raged. Sirens blared. Cries for help and screams rang out. The once grand Victory Park was now reduced to a warzone. Some came bounding over, sliding down the hill into the epicentre of chaos, organising themselves and directing their efforts to begin rescuing anyone left.
A group of medics came running towards a woman drenched in strange ichor that hummed a turquoise blue. One of them placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Its okay ma'am, we can hel-"
It took the man a moment to realise he was shaking the Titaness, Abyssal Hunter, the heroine of the city, back to her senses. She was tightly hugging a blood-drenched man, brushing the dust that had turned his brown locks a filthy grey. She buried her face deep into his chest as she rocked back and forth. The medics paused, stunned into silence.
The Titaness whimpered. She shook, her hands trembled as she gripped the rags that were once the man's clothes. The Titaness rose her head and looked upwards. Dark clouds formed above. Jennifer cried out in despair.