“Can you see it my old friend, this whole city is starting to get crazy. Phantoms are popping up all over the place, thankfully most of them are inert right now.”
In the middle of the night, an old man stands on the roof of a tall building staring down with a smile on his face. He steps closer to the edge and looks down without any form of hesitation as the wind pushes him around. He reaches into his pocket and pulls out an odd coin with the symbol of a crown on it as he smiles.
“Do you see, friend? This world and yours, at this rate there will be no difference between the two.” He lowers his head. “Unless someone can stop it, soon both worlds will face their doom.”
Tri wanders the streets looking for any sign of the homeless man he encountered the previous night. Frustrated and with no clues he wanders into the park walking around noticing the signs of chaos from the night before.
No luck? Edmond asks appearing above Tri.
Tri pulls out his phone and puts it against his ear. “Well, I would be getting along if I had some help.”
Well, I don’t know who we’re looking for and just saying we’re looking for an old man doesn’t help. And what are you doing?
Tri scans the area and puts his phone away. “I’m talking to you, but because no one can see you I look like I’m talking to myself. So, if I talk on my phone then no one will give me a second glance.”
Interesting, you can communicate with others through that device?
“Yes, anyone, anywhere, across the entire world. So long as they answer the phone.”
I see what this world lacks for magic, it makes up for it in technology. A most interesting world indeed.
Tri stares at Edmond and walks along. “Anyway, we need to make some form of progress today.”
Well, a good description would go a long way in that regard.
Tri thinks back on the man only bringing up the image of his dirty appearance and the rags he used to cover himself and his face. He thinks hoping to remember some facial feature as he lowers his head in annoyance.
“Damn it, that old man did that on purpose!”
What?
“He covered his face, he did that on purpose to avoid me finding him!”
Edmond lands on the ground. What if it’s not you he’s hiding from? He could be hiding from someone else and that could be why he’s disguised himself.
“Well if he’s hiding from me or someone else doesn’t matter. All that matters is that he’s hiding, and it’s making it a pain to find his old ass.”
Tri pulls out his phone and makes a note of the time as he sighs loudly. “And it’s getting late. I should head home because I have school tomorrow.”
Ah, a youth should strive to get an education. Despite your gruff attitude, you are quite the diligent student, aren’t you?
Tri rolls his eyes. “Nothing of the sort. If I don’t go to school, then my Mom will come back home and beat my ass like I’m a child.”
'Tis true, you live alone. That home has no warmth, I’m sure most would not want to spend too much time there alone. Edmond says as he disappears.
Tri walks ahead. “Shut up you stupid ghost, don’t try to psychologize me.”
Elsewhere in the city, a Phantom appears in the sky above a crowd of people. It looks in the crowd and spots a person as it rushes ahead entering a man’s body as he stops cold and begins to sweat. The man begins to convulse as he looks up into the sky and screams out in pain and anguish.
“Hey, are you okay?” A bystander asks concerned.
“Maroon…” The man whispers as the screams stop. “Maroon!”
He yells out with as the Phantom takes over his body and it begins to morph and change. Black tar seems to cover him in a humanoid form as a large ax forms in his hand and a horn forms on his head.
“Hey calm down man.” The bystander says unable to see the monster’s true form.
“Maroon!” The monster yells out as it charges the crowd.
Tri walks out of the park to a bus stop and sits on a bench as he stares into the distance awaiting the bus. As he stands around Edmond appears and puts his hand on his sword staring into the distance.
“What’s up?” Tri asks.
It’s coming!
“Run, run away!”
“Call the police!”
“He’s gone insane!”
A small group of people rushes down the street running away from a man as he swings his arm wildly smashing the surrounding concrete. Tri stares at him and notices his monster’s form holding a large ax smashing anything near it apart.
“MAROON!” The creature yells out.
“Another monster?”
As Phantoms appear in this world sights like this will grow more and more common. Edmond says. It appears this one’s victim had no resistance and gave himself over immediately.
Tri grips his fist. “Damn it.”
We have to do something, I do not have the strength to combat that threat on my own. If we do not unite there will undoubtedly be casualties.
“Casualties?” Tri asks.
He grips his fist as the image of a man in uniform appear in his head followed quickly by an image of his empty apartment. He breathes heavily in a cold sweat as he looks at the watch attached to his arm.
“Fine, just this once because people are in danger,” Tri says softly.
As I said this sight will become more and more common if you fight this one time there will be more. If you wish to avoid fighting in the future, it is best to turn your back now.
Tri grips his fist and reaches out towards Edmond. “We can worry about the future later! There are people in danger in front of us right here and now so we’ll deal with this now!”
Fine, but you cannot avoid a decision. Either abandon this path or go along it, it will not go both ways.
Edmond fades away as Tri stares at the coin trapped by the watch with the sword symbol appearing on it. “Don’t tell me what to do.”
Tri puts his hand on the watch as the coin begins to glow. “Phantomize!”
“I’ll fight when I want and protect who I want. That’s just how I work.”
In a flash of light Tri stands as a sword appears. He reaches out and grabs it with the energy from the blade traveling along his body. As the light fades he stands in his transformed state staring at the monster as it smashes its ax into the ground.
“Hey ugly, I’m going to end this in a moment,” Tri says sternly.
