Corruption

"Why the hell are there so many police officers out here?" Asked a peeved Renne, "Like how important are you two?" After escaping the threat of the mysterious sniper and his crew, Renne and Alan, with Evangela on his back, traveled through the shadows of the Alley in order to escape their new pursuers. As they ran, Renne noticed Alan was progressively getting paler by the minute. His movements had slowed and his breathing had become louder. Evangela had a pained look on her face as a potent scent of something burning filled the alley. "Hey, are you okay?" Renne glanced back at Alan.

Alan gave no response. Renne continued to move on ahead, looking for a safe spot to rest, as she knew that traveling any further would be fatal. Eventually, Renne found a safe spot to hide and motioned Alan to stay put. Evangela got off his back and leaned against the wall. The shirt that covered her bullet wound was covered in blood and scoot. Renne walked behind Alan and noticed that there was a large burn mark on his back. She bit her lip and looked away. Alan look at her and smiled. Renne then moved towards the entrance of the strange alley they found themselves in, with her scythe in hand.

"Alan, are you okay…?" Evangela said weakly. She held her stomach as she spoke. "If I'm too much…then just leave me." Small tears formed in her eyes. "After all, I'm the target. I've been completely abandoned. My father disowned me after I had a difference in opinions with him. That's why I was trying to change my ways...but… I guess it was pointless of me."

"Looks like you have given up." Alan looked at the crying Evangela. He tried to move towards her but stopped himself. Black markings appeared on his arms. While Alan maybe not have noticed, Evangela's eyes widen with shock. "We may have had our differences, but I will not give up on you. I haven't suffered this much for no reason." Time froze.

"You gotta watch what you say, dude. Your body can't handle this." Chronos said to him. "Also, since you are already here, I might as well tell you something juicy. If you want to freeze time on command, say 'Prohibere Tempus', it's easier and quicker this way." As time unfroze, Alan felt a blast of pain coming from his scar, causing him to groan in agony. The black markings on his arms grew to his face.

"ALAN!" Evangela shouted, rushing to his side.

"What happened?" Renne ran back into the hiding spot. She stared blankly at the boy, "So...he really is one." She gave Alan a doleful look before rubbing her chest. Renne then gripped her scythe and stood on guard as a strange noise came from behind her.

Evangela, despite her injuries, held Alan. "What do you mean?"

"He's just like me, a child cursed by the earthquake."

"And just like the other cursed children, I shall be your salvation." A man in a white lab coat had approached them. Renne backed a little, aiming her sights at the man. "Hello, there children. My name is Professor Omega. It's a pleasure to meet you." A crooked smile was plastered onto his face as he gave Renne and Evangela lustful looks.

"!?" Renne and Evangela were both frozen stiff. Renne bit her lip in irritation while Evangela dropped Alan. As the black markings took over his body, his pained wailing stopped.

Professor Omega ignored this and continue staring at the girls. "Heh heh, I'm sure you are surprised, but this was bound to happen. As for you see, I have a very special ability that allows me to paralyze any woman that I deem worthy of my time. It's a self-made artifact using the technology given to us by the nanomasses."

"So what, are you just another pervert?" Renne said while attempting to struggle out of the Professor's spell. "Sorry, but I already have to deal with one, so dealing with you should be a cakewalk."

The professor raised a brow. "If that's what you think of me, then let it be. I personally believe it to be a waste to let two beautiful girls go to waste."

"But that would just make you a pervert and a pedo." Renne retorted while still struggling.

"Ah yes, the views of society. Where it's frowned upon to date or love anyone with a small physique. But let's cut the crap here. Love should have no boundaries as long as both sides consent." He said while reaching his arms out into the sky. "But at last it's a shame, in this situation I'm not looking for consent." He walked towards the struggling Renne and stroked her cheek. "After all, you are 16, which to me it means that you are already a woman."

The pervert visibly disgusted Renne by stroking her cheek. "You damn creep." She then bit the man's hand, and he backed away.

He smiled at Renne. "You say that, but you know you are happy that you finally have someone relay the sense of love you have sooo longed for." After he said that, a flash of crimson zoomed past him, knocking him into a nearby wall and destroying it.

"Took you long enough...huh?" Renne was confused by the one who was standing in front of her. "Apollo?" The person standing in front of her was not who she thought it was, rather it was Alan. Though his appearance was completely different as he had soulless eyes, with black markings covering his body, and he held a large broadsword in one hand. "...Are you okay?… And where are your clothes…?" Renne was bewildered but what she saw. The same weakling as before now had a somewhat threatening aura around him.

Alan glared at her with soulless eyes as the surrounding air hissed violently. As the smoke from his body slowly cleared up, Alan fixed this glaze on the man he threw into a wall.

"HAHAHAHAHAHA." A burst of laughter came from Omega. "Now, now, that's a surprise. I can read you like a book. Wrath and envy took control of you, causing you to be consumed by corruption." Professor Omega stood up with a crazed look on his face.

"Envy…?" Renne said softly.

Alan looked at Professor Omega with a blank stare as he took a fighting stance. "So then, you wanna fight for these fine girls?" The Professor brushed off his lab coat. "Fine by me, just to be warned though, unlike you, I am not an amateur when it comes to fighting." White sparks of electricity surrounded the Professor, and from those sparks came a mechanical blade with bits of liquid oozing from the edge. "One last thing," he gave Alan a creepy smile, "try not to get pricked." Upon finishing, Alan leaped towards Professor Omega.

Alan flailed his blade without sense or direction, hoping to hit his target. The Professor kept a cool posture and dodged his attacks with ease. After a few moments, Professor Omega took the offensive and slowly backed Alan into a corner as their blades clashed against one another. Next to the two paralyzed girls, appeared a crimson mist. From this mist, a strange Aqua spirit-like entity appeared.

"...And who are you?" Renne asked the uninvited spirit.

The spirit looked at Renne and inspected her weapon. "Pandora…" He muttered in a deep tone. The blade of the scythe grew a little towards Chronos' neck. The spirit sighed and looked at Renne. "My name is Chronos, and I'm only here to observe," Chronos said while finding a place to sit next to Renne. "You are the same as Alan, you know. You just haven't awakened your curse."

"What do you mean?"

A loud shockwave rippled throughout the air as Alan was sent flying into a wall. Alan stood up and manifested a fireball in his free hand. He hastily threw it at the Professor. With a surprised look on his face, he leaped to the side, only to nearly get smacked by Alan's blade. He ducked and kicked Alan in the ribs. Alan then swung at the man's arm. Professor Omega jumped back to create some distance.

"Simple. You both have two curses: one from the items you both wield, and the other from God." Renne stared at Chronos. "Silent I see. I can see why the boy views you in such a way. Despite that, this is a pretty big problem. The Crimson Princess has taken control of his body. That little brat."

"What curse are you talking about?" Renne asked.

A groan of pain mixed with dry laughter was heard as Alan managed to successfully land a hit on the Professor. "Not bad, kid. However, you need more power behind your swing." Professor Omega emitted a strange light as he charged up his blade. Upon finishing, he swung his blade like a baseball bat and smacked Alan with the flat side. The blow sent Alan flying into a brick wall that was about fifty feet away. Alan got back up immediately, seemingly unfazed. "Damn, you are tough."

"The curse is corruption. The corruption is proof of our sins because we once tried to kill God. Nanomasses aren't just a machine, they are a lifeform. A man-made life form created by killing millions and repurposing their souls. And it's because of that very reason humans aren't very compatible with controlling them. For the select few that can control them, the souls of millions forever burdened them, trying to take control of their body."

"So, is that what's that our pain is about?"

Chronos nodded, "Usually those who fall to corruption are lost forever, but those with the willpower to fight can ward off the corruption." Chronos turned to look at the two men fighting,

"However, emotions and our weapons can hasten the spread of corruption. Currently, Alan is being controlled by an old soul who lost her way in life long ago."

"Argg!" Professor Omega leaped back and coughed up blood. "Damn, this is taking longer than expected." Alan leaped forward at Omega but was stopped by a barrage of bullets coming from a drone. "Looks like time is up, young boy. Even though I don't know if you are conscious or not. However, you won't be able to resist corruption forever. So next time we meet, I will be your salvation." Omega leaped up onto the nearby rooftop with a drone following in tow.

Alan stood quietly, staring at the two girls.

"Alice, don't you think playtime is over?" Alan's body twitched as Chronos called out. "Give the boy back his body." Renne's weapon dissipated into a purple mist. Renne had a puzzled look on her face as she stared at her hands.

"You know nothing, you bastard," A distorted feminine voice ranged through the minds of everyone in the area. "I will never forgive you, Chronos. How long must we go through this cycle?" With that, Alan collapsed onto the ground with the strange black markings disappearing from his body.

"So you protected the boy because you wanted to use him for your revenge plot?" Chronos sighed, "But at least that boy was spared from the horrors of losing his mind because of corruption." Chronos drifted to Alan's collapsed body. "You better thank her later, Alan." Chronos turned to look at the girls. "I don't know whose side you two are on and, frankly, I really don't care. But heed my warning. You three are special. The sins of humanity rest on your shoulders, so you best brace yourself for the horrors yet to come. Otherwise, you will just be a burden to him. Chronos faded away, leaving nothing but an aqua mist behind.

After a moment of processing what just happened, Renne walked over to Alan. She took off a small layer of clothing and placed it on the naked Alan. "What were you envious about, I wonder?" Renne said with a faint smile.

Evangela stared at the two with envious eyes as Renne said that. She then slapped her face and forced a smile as well.