Outside of the exclusion zone was the Manhattan Surveillance Station. It was a reconnaissance facility established by the Federation of North America and SIGIL to observe the aether level of the enclosed area. Through contrasting the aetheric background, they could detect spikes.
It would determine the emergence of an Aberrant or the hazardous gathering of aetheric beasts. At the moment, one of the surveillance operators noticed a peculiar and gradual increase of aether in a singular location within the exclusion zone.
"Is this an Aberrant?" He questioned himself and promptly contacted his superiors by phone. It rang, echoing within the surveillance room. In mere moments, monitoring officers answered the call with an aloof tone.
"Purpose?" It was cold, but the surveillance operator hardened himself and reported the strange increase of aether within the Washington Park sector of the Manhattan Exclusion Zone. After reporting the news, he awaited the response of his superiors.
The hands of the digital clock ticked by the second while a sense of oppression consumed him. The emergence of an Aberrant was a problem. They needed to warn the federation and SIGIL about the upcoming abomination.
After half a minute, the monitoring officer on the other side finally responded. "Suspend the report. Expunge the data from our servers. This is an order from the top. You must not fail, or the punishment will be immense."
It was a command and a warning.
The surveillance operator realized he could be trapped in a conspiracy. Unfortunately, there wasn't much he could do about it. Compared to the juggernauts of society, he was nothing.
"Understood, Sir. It will be done." He replied, earning a cold scoff from his superior. Returning the phone to its place, he gulped as cold sweat dripped from his forehead. Not wanting to die. He followed as ordered.
He suspended the report and expunged the data from their servers. After completing his task, he glanced at his colleagues who remained concentrated in their duties. They remained ignorant of what had occurred.
'Should I retire?' A thought escaped the mind of the surveillance operator. The job was taking a toll on his psyche and his morality. Besides, being on the playing board of those from high up felt too much.
Unfortunately for him, however, it was already too late. A secret was undisclosed knowledge. The fewer people who know about it, the better.
On the other hand, somewhere within Chicago was a looming building belonging to the Mantle Corporation. In its summit was the office of a board director, an untouchable figure within CORE.
Concluding a call from his operatives, the director remained hidden in the darkness of his office and sighed. His eyes gleamed with a tinge of crimson light as he softly muttered, along with a smile twisted by madness.
"The operation has failed... Perhaps, I should pull the plug on everybody involved." The identity of their target was far from simple. It was an intelligent Aberrant taking the identity of a young man named Damien.
What was most complicated was its connection with the strongest of humanity, Alastair Glass. The personality of the seventh Paragon was eccentric, even compared to the madmen of the Clan.
He didn't want his pieces to be discovered and annihilated. With this in mind, the decision was consolidated. "All of them shall be eliminated from the bottom to the top. Perhaps, I should also prepare a sacrifice."
Someone needed to take a fall, and there were hundreds of them waiting in life for him. The edges of his lips curved into a manic smirk. "Alastair... What are you planning to do? Do you intend to tip the balance?"
---
As the charging duration of the aetheric weapon concluded, the commander of the mercenary group didn't hesitate and ordered his subordinates to fire at the gargantuan black hand wreaking havoc.
The futuristic-like aetheric cannons gleamed with a neon hue, aimed towards the monstrous abomination. A beam of light burst from the dual barrels of the aetheric weapons, piercing the air like super-heated plasma.
A flash of brilliance blinded the entirety of the mercenary camp, dazzling those nearby with radiance. The commander squinted his eyes and stood his ground, intending to observe the effects of the procured aetheric weapons.
'This much power...' He was somewhat astounded by the effects of the aetheric cannons. Although he maintained his exterior calm. A few seconds lapsed, and a fog of dust filled the air.
As the shrouding dust faded with time, the silhouette of the massive black hand emerged, and the commander's gaze widened. "How could this be... It survived?"
The newly emerged Aberrant survived the bombardment of the aetheric cannons. However, a quarter of its body was severed, while half became charred. Before he could react, the monstrous abomination descended into the fracture of reality and vanished before him.
There wasn't anything he could do. The commander could only watch the fiery destruction left behind by the gargantuan black hand. His forces have been trampled and crushed, forever staining him for the entirety of his career.
But the moment the monstrous abomination was injured. The commander's death was sealed alongside his tombstone.
"I didn't expect there to be something capable of damaging my Eclipse." A calm voice sounded behind him, spawning chills within his mind. Before the commander could move a single muscle, a gunshot rang in his ears.
"Thank you for the gun." These were the last words he could perceive as he plummeted to the ground with a thud. His final perception was that of the slick grass, swaying with the breeze.
Behind the corpse was a black-suited young man whose fedora embraced strands of his dark hair. He was Damien, the supposed Jaeger that the mercenary group needed to capture for CORE.
"A bunch of mercenaries wielding weapons not even the special forces of SIGIL could commonly utilize. CORE, huh?" It wasn't that difficult to understand who the commissioners of the mercenary group were.
Turning his attention towards the remnants of the mercenaries, Damien glanced at the bastards arming the aetheric cannons. It was an intriguing piece of technology, but he needed to eliminate the mercenary group first before investigating it.
'I should call the hound.' With a thought, the earth rumbled as a deep crevice emerged from the ground. A growl echoed from its depths, bringing terror to those who heard it.
The remaining mercenaries could barely stand on their foot, staring at the fissure before them with a dumbfounded expression. Out of nowhere, a shadow emerged from the bottom of the hollow and charged at one of the aetheric cannons.
None of them could react as a hellish-looking dog devoured the mercenary behind the aetheric weapon, and immediately lunged at another nearby cannon. Chaos promptly erupted while the mercenaries fired at the Hellhound.
Damien remained unnoticed by the panicking mercenaries and continued watching as each and every one of them got pounced by the giant, monstrous dog. It was an unfortunate and dreadful sight.
However, an eerie calm persisted within his heart. He should have been horrified by the carnage, but the mercenaries in front of him seemed to be no less than insects within his mind. It made him ponder to himself.
'It appears that I truly am an Aberrant.'