There was little time afforded for preparations as he was led into a room attached to the hallway leading to the gym. Multiple high-clearance doors needed to be opened before he was led into the black-steel chamber, where an entire armory awaited.
Weapons he'd never seen on racks, though more than that which caught his eye was the uniform on display in the center: all-white compression gear, built with kinetic-proof fibers interwoven, as told to him by the armorer on standby.
"This suit is a special prototype meant for combatting the Fulminare, made for the Origin Host," the man in glasses that had been waited inside the armory said, rubbing his hands together with an excited smile, "I call it "Avalon"--it'll increase your kinetic absorption and output."
"He doesn't need a lecture, Dr. Violet," Dr. Goldstein hurriedly said.
The creator of the suit nodded, adjusting his glasses, "...Right, right."
Seven wasted no time sliding himself into the specially-made suit, finding it adjusting itself to the shape of his body as it squeezed around him before becoming comfortable.
"How's it feel?" Dr. Violet asked excitedly.
"Great," Seven answered, moving his arms as he felt more flexible than ever, squeezing his fists.
Before he could fully break into the suit, the hunched-over scientist placed a hulking weapon into his hands: a bulky, black gun that resembled a shotgun, though with a barrel like that of a hammer.
"The Mjolnir," Dr. Violet explained. "An electromagnetic shotgun, a tri-barreled railgun for yours truly. Completely unwieldable by the average person. It has a kick that'd blow a normal man's shoulder clean off his body, but it'll pack a strong enough punch to make even a Fulminare piss their pants."
"Are you sure I can wield this?--" Seven asked hesitantly, holding up the massive shotgun.
Dr. Goldstein chimed in just as another tremor gripped the facility, "--We're running out of time, Seven. You'll need to take a lift straight up to the surface–don't worry, we'll be in contact the entire time."
An ear piece was handed to him by the youthful doctor, which he accepted, placing into his right ear before nodding.
"Right. I'll handle it," Seven accepted his duty.
Any doubts he once had, any fears once etched into his mind were gone, seeming to have sparked a newfound confidence with the genetic reconstruction he had undergone. He was led to the elevator, stepping onto it before the doors closed, getting one last look at the doctors before it lifted.
The purple lights and alarms didn't cease as the rumbling continued, bringing the robotic voice to shout again, "//CODE VIOLET! CODE VIOLET!//"
It felt surreal as he looked up as the elevator rose, feeling it move through the many levels of the deep-ground base. Everything had happened so fast today, given a moment to himself to process it, all of it began to settle in.
'I know I signed up for this when I came here, but…It really happened. I'm about to face a Fulminare–humanity hasn't defeated a single one yet,' he thought.
After what felt like an eternity, the elevator reached its summit as he looked up, finding it leading to an open hole in the surface. As the lids that covered where the lift rose from opened, he could make out a distinct sound, continuous, blaring noises:
'Gunfire?' He realized, listening in.
Between what sounded like dozens of weapons unloading thousands of rounds, there was a haunting laughter that boomed from the surface. It brought his heart rate to intensity as he resided himself for what waited at the top.
As it brought him up, he found himself at the unassuming landscape the facility was buried under: a valley of luscious grass, overlooked by a forest of trees. Yet, that majestic scenery was torn away by what occupied the land.
From the platform amidst the soil, he could see dozens of military operatives in their sleek, black armor opening fire on one figure in the middle of it all.
"Ha-ha-ha! Is that all you can do?! I can't even feel it!"
The boisterous provocations came from a man of towering height and a burly build, with golden skin which the hail of bullets simply bounced off of like wads of paper off glass. In the hand of the inhuman figure that laughed with joy, a massive hammer was swung towards a gathering of trees.
"--Step out and face me!" The golden-skinned man of silver dreadlocks commanded.
The swing of the hammer spurred forth a shock wave that tore the soil in its path, uprooting the slumbering trees before blasting a half dozen operatives into the air. Those caught in the sweeping wave had their bones twisted and snapped, guided to a swift death.
Seven lifted his arms as the aftershock swept through the trees, left agasp at the display of power, 'That's one, isn't it–? This is my first time seeing one in person,' he thought.
[Fulminare registered.]
[Classification: High Superhuman, Stage Three | Threat Level: Disaster Magnitude 7.0]
Seeing it in person, watching as the being that somewhat resembled a human, only of terrible might and golden skin, laughing as bullets bounced off his body, was eye opening.
Through all of the strengthening his body had undergone, he questioned if any of it matters against the force he witnessed sweep through the valley.
As he stood there in shock as the laughing Fulminare swung his hammer to the right, producing another shock wave that tore through trees and soldiers alike, the earpiece buzzed in:
"Seven, do you read me? Are you listening? Seven, come in–!" The voice of Dr. Goldstein played in his ear.
It took him a moment to come to, pressing the communication device in his ear as he finally breathed out again, "Yeah…I can hear you. This thing–Doc, I don't know if I can–"
"Seven, if you don't think you can handle it, then you can retreat. You're the only hope humanity has right now, we can't lose you. I'll trust your judgment–just let me know," Dr. Goldstein communicated.
Even if he was told that, it simply felt wrong to flee. There was a part of him, something etched into his mind that told him this is what his purpose was. As he stood there, the sights of the golden-skinned terror locked onto him.
"You there! Just going to hide behind your kin while they get slaughtered?!" The Fulminare shouted with a blazing smile, disregarding the bullets that reflected off his skin.
Like a blur, the massive figure of golden skin moved around the isolated forest, catching the operatives who shot at him. It was a brutal display for the man, unadjusted to the horrors of fighting a Fulminate; the barbarian crushed the bodies of soldiers with merely the wind of his swings, and splattering them into a red paste with direct contact.
The horrific display continued before Seven witnessed the figure now approaching him, clutching the lifeless bodies of the fallen agents in his hands before discarding them like trash.
'I've read about it, seen it on the internet, but seeing it firsthand…This is what the Fulminare are–living, breathing calamities that live for nothing else but battle,' Seven thought.
There was no avoiding it now, Seven could feel the subtle vibrations through the ground with every stomp taken by the overwhelming entity. A fight was coming; a battle of life-and-death.
Ba-dump. Ba-dump. Ba-dump.
Inside of his chest, his heart wildly thumped as sweat left his pores, finding the approaching presence to be suffocating as he struggled to even lift the weapon in his hand.
The doctor's voice buzzed into his ear as he stood there like a statue, "Seven–? The enemy is approaching–! Seven, do you read me?!"
Amidst his own fear, the monotone voice of the system met his ears before a warm sensation ran through his body. It felt like energy humming through each of his veins, filling with vigor as though his muscles were waking up.
[Engaging in combat with [Grand Superhuman] class enemy.]
[...Accelerated heart rate recognized. Anxiety levels rising…]
[Increasing serotonin levels.]
[All physical capabilities at one-hundred percent.]