He listened to all the voice notes, it was basically telling him that they needed to talk before she left. She didn't want their relationship to be as it was.
Then he saw it.
The text from Vanessa.
[After everything's that's happened, I think it's time for us to move on in our lives. Get a life Mason, find a fucking job before you end up in the streets, that's if you haven't already. It's over between us.]
"Huh?"
He rubbed his eyes over and over again.
"I don't understand... This has to be some sorta joke? Right?" He couldn't understand it, she wanted to break up? Even after begging to reconcile?
He refused to believe it.
He tried to audio call her, but there was no response. He texted her, but she wasn't online.
He proceeded to call her. But that's when he heard it.
The number you called is not available.
He heard it many times on many attempts, and that's when he realized.
She blocked him.
"She blocked me?" He chuckled, he couldn't believe it. Now that he thought about it, she mentioned something about him ending up in the streets. He knew her dad was stupidly rich, and she knew his parents were dead, and yet she decided to go with such a phrase. "I can't believe it..."
"Yo Mason!" Luke called him from afar.
He was done with his own classes, and he rushed over to him. "How was trig? Seeing as your outside does that mean you've finished? Man, that's a new record, especially for you."
Silence.
Mason didn't say a word. He just stared into his phone which he squeezed tightly in his hands.
"Mason?" He called out to him again, but he still didn't respond. "Oh... I see you heard about Vanessa leaving." He said as he caught a glance of Vanessa's chat name on his screen.
Almost immediately, Mason snapped.
He threw his phone to the floor with all his might, and it shattered to complete pieces. Reduced to mere fragments of glass and metal.
"Mason!!" Luke couldn't believe it. His phone — a device he saved up for nearly six months, he destroyed it just like that.
Mason walked away, pissed. He had nothing to say, he couldn't even say anything. For the sake of not crashing out on his friend.
"Mason!" Luke called out to him, but there still, he didn't respond. He just walked away.
..
Nova City Police Department
"You incompetent fools!" Within the briefing room of the precinct. The Chief of police — Chief Marcus Kane, lashed out all his officers. Pasted on the walls of the room were several pictures of various criminals.
Most especially members of the Purple Nova Syndicate — Nova City's worst of the worst.
But chief amongst them — was the photo of the newly named Vigilante — Night Hunter.
"You all had one job, this was our moment, our time. Over the years we've had our jobs, our duties taken away by these god damn heroes, but with the arrival of the Vigilante, our opportunity came."
He picked up an empty cup from his table.
"But you fools let him get away!" He threw his cup to the side of the room — enraged. "And now he's been given a nickname. The Shadow Vigilante, what the hell do you have to say for yourself!?"
"I'll have him cuffed in your office within three days."
A voice came from behind the crowd of officers, and all eyes turned to him.
"Within a week?" Chief Marcus Kane finally calmed down, and he approached the man who spoke. "Is that right, Lieutenant Dean?"
The man — dressed in a sleek black suit, underneath a matching trench coat, had his back pressed against the walls. "Undoubtedly." He took off his shades, and stared down at the Chief with purpose.
"Alright then." The chief didn't argue, after all, Lieutenant Dean had his track record to back up his claims. He's arrested the worst of the worst, and even managed to pin down the vice leader of the Purple Nova Syndicate once before.
"Bring me this Shadow Vigilante in my office in three days." The Chief ordered.
The Lieutenant simply nodded softly, then left the room with his hands readjusting his tie. "Finally." He muttered under his breath. "My time has come"
He had captured Nova City's worst of the worst over the years, but Night Hunter was different. He moved too fast, he slipped through the shadows easily, and he even avoided capture the last time.
It was a challenge for him.
And it was one he wasn't willing to back down from.
"Three days Vigilante, I'll have you behind bars in three days."
..
Back home, Mason sat on his bed, his eyes distant, lost in his thoughts. Part of him prayed for Vanessa's return, to resolve things between them. But his other half — the stronger half, wanted nothing more than to erase her from his life.
Not after what she said to him.
[Master, you have rewards you haven't seen yet. Do you wish to open them?]
"Huh?" He thoughts were interrupted by H.A.V.A. "Rewards? From where?"
[The mission you completed the previous night.]
"Oh... I forgot about that." He said. (Me too, my apologies)
"Sure, open them."
[Ding! You have successfully completed the mission "Rescue"]
[Ding! You have levelled up!]
[Level 3 > Level 6]
[You have unlocked a new gear!]
[Azrain Battle Kit (Level 1)
[You have gained new weapons!]
[You have received 1000 credits!]
"Whoa... I levelled up that much just by completing a mission? Holy shit... Status."
[----------------------STATUS----------------------]
[Name: Mason Harris]
[Age: 18]
[Gender: Male]
[Credits: 1000]
[Affiliations: Sonia (Aunt), Vanessa (Girlfriend), Luke, Mike and Conner (Best friends)]
[Race: Human]
[Talent: NanoForge]
[HP: 100]
[Level: 6]
[Strength: 25]
[Speed: 20]
[Agility: 21]
[Stamina: 25]
[Gear:
• Highly Advanced Virtual Assistant (H.A.V.A)
— Dual Specter (Level 3)
• Azrain Battle Kit (Level 1)
— Azrain Excalibur
- One of the Azrain's most lethal machines. It is a one handed 30 inch blade with a red, black and solid gray colour scheme. On the side of the handle is a rotor which is where one can insert a energy disc. This disc can be used to energize the sword through supercharging it as it spins at a very high velocity like a generator. This allows the sword to project energy slashes that is said to penetrate even the skin of a Ravemite predator.
— Type-6 Disruptor
- It has the same characteristics as a normal disruptor, but this level is one created and used by Azrians only. Disruptors has the ability to damage matter at an alarming rate by breaking down the molecular bonds gradually, the Type-6 disruptor can do the same but at an even greater pace. It can also serve as a basic gun which can be used to fire different projectiles, the most popular one being fast moving Azrain bullets, which is said to be able to penetrate even the skin of a Ravemite predator.
• NanoForge Abilities:
- Nano Creation (Level 2)
- Nano Regeneration (Level 1)
• Inventory
- Basic Body Armor
- Shadow Suit Mark I
_____________________________________
"Awesome!" He stood to his feet instantly, he didn't just level up. He got upgraded tech!
He understood what H.A.V.A meant by Nano creation was limited to earth's mediocre technology. These upgrades were out of this world, literally.
And judging from the descriptions, they were undoubtedly not earth's tech.
"Azrains? What is that?"
[Azrains are a race of scientific organisms that inhabits the Cromethean Galaxy.]
"Inhabits the Cromethean? Galaxy!? You're telling me aliens are real!? And somehow I've got access to their tech!?"
[Yes master, they are real.]
"Awesome, but it looks like this weapons were created especially to kill this Ravamite predators, what are they anyways?"
[They are a species of parasites called Ravemites that lives in the Cromethean Galaxy.]
"Oh, that makes sense, but why do they call them predators? Do they hunt the Azrains as food?"
[Essentially, they are planet eaters.]