The large metal warehouse main door burst inwards, slamming against the walls with a thunderous hollow bang that rattled the old wooden rafters above.
Boots thundered in, over a dozen men fanning out like clockwork. Green halos from the night vision causing them to stand out in the dark room.
"We can't see the target sir" One of the agents said into a crackling ear piece. But before they could get a response, a faint creak whispered above them.
Every rifle suddenly tilted upwards.
But before they could shoot Lucan dropped down like a hammer. His bare feet smashing into the lead man's shoulder. Bone snapped beneath Lucan's feet as the man folded inwards with a gruesome crack that seemed to echo through the warehouse.
The agents scream cut through the night as he smashed into the floor below, rifle clattering against the ground.
A man to Lucan's left lifted his rifle.
One of Lucan's wings snapped open like a blade, the heavy black limb smashed into the soldier's chest. The sheer force had sent the agent airborne with a scream that cut short when he slammed into the warehouse wall with a wet splat.
Rifles swung back towards Lucan, muzzles flashing in the dim light. Tranquilliser darts shooting towards the dark form, but missing by inches.
Lucan was already moving, pushing off the ground so hard the concrete below cracked. His wings folded tight to his body as he blurred past the agents, the sound of shouts followed, but he didn't slow.
He tore through the warehouse doors, cold air slamming into his face as his wings snapped open and he burst into the night sky above.
He had cleared the warehouse when he heard a sudden thwip cut through the air.
And then another, and another.
He looked back over his shoulder at the warehouse, only for a sudden cold stinging pain to erupt from his leg.
He looked down, a thin, long dark tore through his dark sweatpants into the back of his thigh. His breath caught as he felt some sort of liquid pour into his body.
Lucan's jaw clenched as fear tore through him, his wings only beating harder in response. He cut through the dark like a blade, going as fast as he possibly could while ominous black spots built at the edges of his vision.
He could faintly hear more thwips bursting past him but he didn't dare look, not when every ounce of his focus was on staying aloft.
The black spots started to take over his vision, each one growing until they threatened to swallow the world below. His chest heaved as cold sweat slicked his skin. He clenched his fists so hard that his nails cut into his palms, the pain a reminder to keep moving.
The town was now just a faint glimmer behind him.
His wing beats grew ragged.
The horizon tilted.
The black spots surged, whatever remained of his vision was taken from him.
He dimly felt the wind roaring past his face, he was falling.
—-
A lone camper leaned back against a rough, cool rock, the chill seeping through his jacket but failing to pierce the tranquil comfort of the night.
Above him, the sky stretched impossibly wide and impossibly dark. It was a black canvas dusted with thousands of stars, each one a distant fire, burning relentlessly through the dark.
The forest around him breathed softly, leaves whispering in a gentle breeze, the comforting rhythm of insects singing their songs. His campfire cracked lazily, the sweet smell of burning marshmallows filling the small clearing.
He traced the constellations absentmindedly, his mind running with the stars above.
He was enjoying himself.
Until he caught a glimpse of movement in the dark sky above.
It was…big.
Moving fast.
Tearing through the sky at speeds he couldn't even follow.
It fell like lightning towards the ground, as if banished from the heavens—
BANG!
A plume of dirt and shattered debris burst upwards, blotting out the glistening stars for a heartbeat.
The forest shook violently, birds erupting in frantic flight, wings beating wildly as they fled the sudden explosion.
Silence crashed in afterwards, sudden and heavy.
Except for the campers ragged, panicked breaths.
—-
Thoughts so far?