The Equalizers

The protest was a chaotic sea of movement and noise.

In the distance, members of the Golden Sun gang descended toward the Abyssal Mouth. Their eyes locked on a rival Cumulus gang member, about to strike.

Nearby, Ged flexed his body, his muscles radiating an eerie blue light. He gripped the fishing rod tightly, channeling bursts of energy through his limbs and into the reel. The string unwound at an accelerating pace, each surge sending the hook plunging deeper into the foggy abyss below.

Far beneath the fog of the Abyssal Mouth lay the massive, beak-like mouth of the Planet. Small deposits of glistening green iron clung stubbornly to its serrated edges, like loose pieces of food lodged between teeth. Magnetic ball bearings, attached to the fishing lines of other body sorcerers, moved in a precise rhythm, scraping Celestial Iron from the teeth as if flossing its incredible mouth.

Ged's ball bearing dangled far from this surreal scene, his line barely halfway to the depths below. A bead of sweat formed on his forehead as he cursed under his breath, his eyes darting nervously to the chaos erupting around him.

The Golden Sun gang members closed in, confronting the lone Cumulus gangster. Their leader charged his fist with golden energy, fiery light coiling around his hand. With a devastating blow, he struck the Cumulus member in the back, sending him tumbling toward the pit below.

The Cumulus gangster furrowed his cloud-shaped eyebrows as he fell. Smoke blurred around his feet, slowing his descent with a hazy cushion. From his abdomen, he pulled a thorny, vine-like lasso and cracked it toward the legs of one of the Golden Sun members.

The lasso coiled tightly around its target, thorns digging viciously into flesh as it dragged the victim toward the pit. The remaining Golden Sun members reacted swiftly, grabbing their ally's shoulders and anchoring themselves in place. Their bodies hardening into tiny mountains as they resisted the pull.

A tense standoff ensued, the Golden Sun members struggling to untangle the vine while the Cumulus gangster used its tension to climb precariously back toward the pit's edge.

The violent exchange was a spark in a powder keg, igniting chaos between the protesters and the gangs. Weapons were drawn, fists flew, and blood spilled as the melee escalated into a fiery clash over contested territory. Even bystanders were swept into the fray, colliding in a frenzy of fury and desperation.

The space around Ged constricted as protesters and fighters alike stumbled into him. A hard shove to his back nearly threw him off balance, threatening to send him plummeting into the pit.

"I can't waste another moment, I must leave!" Ged gritted his teeth, glancing at the fishing rod in his hands. "But this loss..." 

His grip tightened, conflict flashing across his face. The temptation of securing valuable resources clashed against his instinct to survive.

"No! I can't afford it!" His voice cracked with desperation as his eyes darted across the rim of the Abyssal Mouth, his mind racing.

Nearby, one of Ged's body sorcerer neighbors, a man in a red flannel shirt, was frantically reeling in his fishing hook. From the foggy depths, a large chunk of Celestial Iron glinted on the hook, catching Ged's eye.

For a moment, the chaos faded, and greed was the only thing on his mind.

The prize was too good to pass up.

Without hesitation, Ged sprang into motion. Activating his Goat Walk muscle ability, he angled his feet to grip the pit wall. His glowing calf muscles powered him as he took agile steps along the vertical slope, closing the distance in moments.

Not far away, the Cumulus gang member clung to his vine-like whip, his hands bloodied from the thorns. Gritting his teeth, he kicked up clouds to propel himself higher along the edge of the pit.

Suddenly, his grip faltered as a powerful foot slammed into his face. His whip flew from his hands, and he tumbled into the Abyssal Mouth below. A hateful glare burned in his eyes, locked onto Ged's silhouette as he plummeted to his demise.

Ged used the Cumulus gang member as a springboard, vaulting upward. Twisting mid-flight, he ascended toward the red-flanneled man, who was still fishing.

His fist connected with the man's jaw with ruthless precision. The red-flanneled man staggered back, dazed.

Ged landed beside him and ripped the fishing rod from his hands. Moving with speed, he threw his own rod at the man, tangling him in its unspun line.

Using the rioting crowd to hide his steps, he stored away the man's rod within his abs, and fled into the crowd without looking back.

The flanneled man struggled in the line, holding his jaw in pain he hatefully looked around for the perpetrator who had been so bold.

But the protest roared with activity, and he couldn't pinpoint who had wronged him.

Slashing through the tangled line, he yelled.

"Show yourself, you damn thief!"

"I'll have you know I'm good friends with an Equalizer! You'll regret this!" he warned.

Ged heard the threat, but it didn't bother him. He had what he needed. If the Equalizers came knocking, he would deal with them when the time came.

Slipping deeper into the crowd, he let the turmoil cover his tracks.

The crowd's fury continued to boil. Reports of deaths spread rapidly, as anger and desperation thickened the air. Body sorcerers retaliated with brutal force against those around them. Protesters were shoved aside in waves, many trampled underfoot as the chaos spiraled out of control.

Ged didn't linger to witness the inevitable. He pressed forward, weaving through the unending waves of people. The press of bodies and the deafening roars of anger felt suffocating, but he pushed on. With so many angry people in one space, without intervention, a catastrophic loss of life was certain.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Thunderous drums boomed across the city, their deep, commanding beats reverberating through the masses.

A cold wave of clarity rippled through the crowd. Weapons were lowered, tempers cooled. Like a parent forcing quarreling children into uneasy compromise, the violence ebbed, replaced by tense, hostile stares.

Even the fighting gang members faltered. Moments earlier, they had unleashed their most vicious strikes, but now they hesitated, lowering their weapons. Some hastily covered their faces, desperate to conceal their identities and avoid the approaching storm.

From beneath the city's stone roads, red and blue flying saucers emerged, their smooth, gleaming forms hovering ominously above the crowd.

Body sorcerers descended from the saucers like otherworldly beings, suspended in bright yellow beams of light.

"The Peacekeepers," Ged muttered. "Good thing I acted when I did, this place is about to get shut down." Relaxing his stance, he stopped making a path forward for himself and stood still, resigned to wait for the inevitable.

The yellow beams scanned the masses like searchlights. When they found a troublemaker, the beams froze them mid-air in a glowing halo, rendering them weightless. Flailing helplessly, the captured individuals spun slowly, as though adrift in space.

Several gang members, too slow to hide or reckless enough to keep fighting, were caught in the lights, their bodies dangling weightless.

Suddenly, a new beam of light appeared at the center of the crowd. Within it stood a towering mountain of a body sorcerer, his figure radiant with resplendent light. Gasps and murmurs of awe rippled through the crowd.

"The Abyssal Mouth is now closed to the public." The mountainous figure spoke.

"Prepare to be dispersed immediately."

"City Governor... I can't believe I get to see him." people whispered, pointing at the giant man in reverence.

Ged remained unmoved.

The City Governor reached into his abs and pulled out a metallic faucet. Fixing it into his palm, he turned one of its knobs. A waterfall of shimmering, illusory water gushed out, cascading onto the crowd below.

Though intangible, the torrent moved with immense force. It swept protesters and bystanders alike in an invisible flood, scattering them far from the Abyssal Mouth.

In seconds, the crowd vanished, carried off by the unseen flood. Only those trapped in the yellow beams of light remained, suspended in glowing halos, awaiting harsh punishment from the authorities.

Ged was among those caught in the currents. He tumbled through the uneven stone streets, gritting his teeth and flexing his body to absorb the blows from the jagged rocks beneath him. After being carried nearly half a kilometer from the Mouth, he grabbed onto a spire, halting himself at last.

The shouts and clamor of the protest were now distant echoes. Ged's shoulders relaxed slightly. As he tested his bruised limbs, he realized he'd escaped largely unscathed. Surveying the vacant streets and toppled spires, he noted other washed-away protesters in varying states of disrepair. Letting out a sigh of relief, he acknowledged his luck.

Scanning the area for enemies or acquaintances, Ged ensured there were no immediate threats before rising to his feet.

A wry smile tugged at his lips. "Looks like I got lucky this time," he muttered, savoring the rare sense of relief.

Reaching into his body, Ged felt for his newly acquired goods. His fingers brushed against the stolen fishing rod, and a satisfied grin spread across his face.

The sleek black handle gleamed with a polished finish, and as he tested the mechanism, he noted it could release and retract at twice the speed of his old rod.

"No wonder that rich idiot snagged Celestial Iron so quickly. With a rod like this, fishing is easy," he muttered, his tone laced with begrudging admiration.

Hefting the green Celestial Iron clustered on the magnetic ball bearing, Ged let his grin widen. "Not bad. I have no use for it myself, but Resh will be happy to trade for this."

Brushing the dust from his clothes, Ged carefully navigated away from the stone spires. With his spoils secured, he was eager to leave the city behind.

"The Sixth Sector..." he muttered, recognizing the surrounding spires. "This is fortunate, I should be able to find Resh's new hideout just outside this part of the city."

With a new goal in mind, Ged moved quickly, his steps purposeful as he left the city center. He maintained a brisk pace, but as he neared the city's edge, his stride faltered. Hanging in the sky, a glowing red handprint insignia cast its ominous light, a warning signifying the looming authorities beneath it.

"Looks like an Equalizer is out on duty," Ged muttered, his tone heavy with irritation. "I guess I spoke too soon about my luck..."

This sight wasn't uncommon, but Ged typically avoided these situations. Today, he chose to walk boldly through, unwilling to delay. However, as soon as he spotted the Equalizer casting his light, regret gripped him.

"Of all people, that bastard Wattkinz had to be out patrolling today."

Ged stared out at the man, clenching his fist.

Beneath the glowing handprint, a colossal man loomed, several times Ged's size. His trench coat stretched awkwardly over his massive frame, unable to fully conceal his bulk. A lit cigar glowed between his lips, and his mirrored sunglasses reflected a broken and bruised man before him.

"Please!" the broken man wailed, stumbling backward. "Mr. Equalizer, I didn't mean to take my physique above regulations. It was a genuine mistake!"

Wattkinz grinned, his cigar bobbing slightly as though savoring the man's agony.

"Shut up, you power-hungry degenerate," Wattkinz rasped. "We don't need your tyrannical beliefs here on Blue Eagle."

The man's legs finally gave out, and he crumpled to the ground. Wattkinz loomed over him like an oak tree, his shadow swallowing the smaller man whole. The sheer presence of Wattkinz was enough to drive the broken man into unconsciousness, his body slumping onto the stone street.

Taking a puff from his cigar, Wattkinz turned slightly, addressing the figure attempting to slip past him.

"Little brother Ged. Why haven't you greeted me yet? Don't tell me you're embarrassed." He smirked. "Or perhaps... you're up to no good again."

Ged halted, forcing his expression to remain neutral. "You're on duty. Why would I bother you while you are working?"

"Working?" Wattkinz scoffed, his grin widening. "This? Hardly. When it comes to family, I always make time"

Reaching into his abdomen, Wattkinz pulled out a white capsule, which hissed open and unfolded into a sleek mechanical hatch. With casual precision, he nudged the unconscious criminal inside with his foot.

Turning back to Ged, his gaze sharpened. 

"I heard the protest at the Abyssal Mouth turned into a riot," he said. "I hope you behaved and didn't stir up any trouble."

Ged shrugged. "I didn't do anything."

"Nothing? Nothing at all?" Wattkinz laughed, his sunglasses glinting. "Maybe my delinquent brother is finally turning over a new leaf. Perhaps I should celebrate."

He stepped closer to Ged.

Suddenly, the handprint insignia buzzed.

He froze.

A message flickered across Wattkinz's sunglasses, deepening his frown.

"Hold that thought," he said. "We'll have to finish this another time. Apparently, I'm needed elsewhere."

He turned around, wheeling away the capsule. But before leaving, he paused, glancing back at Ged to lock eyes one final time.

"Don't think you can hide your growing physique from me," he said, his voice cold. "How many times must I tell you? Stop chasing the impossible. Stop trying to become a Celestial."

Ged clenched his fist.

Wattkinz's face darkened.

The world no longer tolerates ascension. Aim for something else," he commanded.

"Find at least one thing that brings you peace, even if it means settling for less."

As he moved on, the capsule's metallic wheels clattered softly on the stone street.

Over his shoulder, his voice softened.

"It would be nice to see you happy..."

Wattkinz's broad back loomed in Ged's vision, a silent display of authority and power.

Ged's eyes narrowed, his gaze lingering on the retreating figure.

"I don't need happiness." He finally spoke, turning toward the outskirts of the city.

"Whether or not my dreams are impossible, I don't care."

He flexed his arms, his expression unreadable.

"To me, stillness is torture. If I'm not striving to grow, I'd rather be dead." His eyes darkened.

"Someone who is satisfied with life would never understand my drive for perfection."

Out of the city, he left the scene behind and set his sights on finding Resh's hideout.

Walking through the fields of stone, he paused periodically to press his palm against the ground, sensing the resonance. Each time it turned cold, he adjusted his path, searching elsewhere.

Finally, the resonance warmed beneath his hand, guiding him to an inconspicuous stone grotto. The plain exterior gave little away, but Ged knew he was on the right track.

Activating his muscle ability, his traps glowed bright blue as his arm spun like a drill. The ground crumbled beneath his effort, and after digging deep, the floor gave way, and Ged dropped into a crystalline cave bathed in hazy, red-tinged light.

Ahead of him, a glowing sign hung over what appeared to be a nightclub bar: "The Hidden Olympian."

Its entrance was flanked by two massive body sorcerer bouncers standing stoically behind a red velvet rope, their eyes scanning the space with quiet intensity.

Found it.