Azaria: The Doll Dungeon Chapter 13

Hey Guys! I'm going to try and get my Patreon a bit ahead on this story. I plan to upload today and tomorrow. Keyword plan.  so we're at least 2 chapters ahead. Anyway. Enjoy!

Let me know what you think of this chapter. I might move it towards the beginning if I ever publish. 

Also, making a few changes Azaria chapter 7 and might be adding one between Lance. 

Chapter 13: Mom and Pop. A look outside

Anna Highlock

With a whistling sound, I felt a heavy force impacted my chest. With a large blast, the tank round exploded against me. I dusted my chest off as the cloud of debris around me cleared with the passing wind. A stream of rounds from a nearby gun placement ricocheted off me. 

This lasted a few seconds before two blue streams of fire lanced around me and struck both the distance tank and the gun placement. With a large explosion, both became ash. I dusted myself off again. 

“Thank you, honey,” I said my husband, Zaris, as he came up behind me.

“You might as well wait until the end to dust off the armor, sweetie,” Zaris said with a smile.

“You know that it is part of the magic,” I replied.

“Anna!” I held my hand out and the magic that was heading for us was pulled towards me. The icicles impacted me but disintegrated as they struck. I gave Zaris a peace sign and a smile.

“I still think, as powers go, that really is a cheat,” he said shaking his head. “Have you ever even been hurt with that thing on?”

I gave him a smile and rubbed his jawline. “Nope.”

I heard what sounded like a jet engine coming from the distance, turning I found a missile flying straight towards us. I just shook my head and moved in front of my husband. He grinned and backed away as well. He knew my powers after all. I didn’t have to worry about him freaking out about something like a missile heading at me.

A few moments later, the missile struck me directly in the chest. Spikes from my armor shot down and latched me to the ground. Not even the force of the explosion was able to move me. When it was over, I dusted myself off. My armor, God’s Protection, only worked if a part of it was clean. Not usually that hard since most of the dungeons contained monsters that only knew how to charge, thus my back was usually clean enough for the magic to work.

Against human weaponry, however, it was a bit more difficult. Each time a tank round or missile exploded, I was getting covered in dust. Thankfully, the magic wasn’t too particular about how much needed to be clean. So, dusting myself off usually worked fine.

Lances made of fire sailed through the air around me striking the weapon’s emplacement in front of us. Explosions rang out as the ammunition and explosives blew. Screams usually followed the explosion, if it was small.

“Terrorists. You’d think after a year of this shit, people would have learned by now,” Zaris said coming up next to me since the immediate threat was gone.

“I don’t think we as humans are capable of learning that in this sort of environment. Considering the dungeons are forcing people with these powers to grow stronger. This is only the inevitable.”

“Let’s finish up so we can go home,” Zaris said then grimaced. I gave him a smile as I knew he meant no harm. I didn’t like being home. It felt… empty without our daughter Azaria there. She had been so full of life and joy. Many people called her a golden child as she wanted for nothing but never acted spoiled. Except, of course, when she was with us. 

The large apartment complex turned terrorist’s headquarters met out view as we continued walking down the street. They had managed to take an entire suburb as their ‘land’ and were trying to expand from there. The local government called us in to deal with them as they had several powered in their ranks.

“Honey, did they ask for survivors?” my husband asked as if wanting to know what team as playing on the television.

“No. It just said removal. Everyone not related to the terrorists have been evacuated already,” I replied watching the buildings to protect my lover.

“Good. Emperor’s Flames!”

A cyclone of flames surrounded him as it rose into the air. Once it almost reached the clouds, arcs of flames lanced out into the surrounding buildings. In an amazing display of control the flames flood through the buildings without actually burning them. There were over twenty of them and he was hitting them all at the same time.

I heard some crashing as a few powered bursts through the windows in several of the buildings. I counted close to thirty of them, all baring various degrees of burns. One man that also appeared to use fire magic was the least hurt of the group. They all rushed us once their feet hit the ground.

“Stop or I will hurt you!” I shouted to the men and women charging us.

“Make us bitch!”

“Very well,” I said with a sigh. “God’s Word!” I took a deep breath then screamed. A rippling white light followed the sound and everyone that was a threat to me had their ears burst and most of them went unconscious, stumbling to the ground. Only one man and woman held their ears as they rolled on the ground from the pain. “Please. Stop.”

They managed to open their eyes only to see my husband’s fire wrapping around them. With a simple word he could cause it to burn them alive. The very reluctantly nodded. Zaris pulled his cellphone out and called the government.

“Lucas. It’s done. Come clean up the garbage.” I vaguely heard something along the lines of how many did you kill. “Probably close to two hundred. We have thirty plus powered still alive. There were a few rooms of hostages and people for other uses. I left them for your crew. Make sure they are treated well.”

When he finished on the phone, I grabbed his arm. “More wannabe slavers?” I asked.

“Sadly, yes.”

I snuggled closer. “Let’s go home.”

~~~

Chicago, or that was what it used to be called. Now, it was called Neo Chicago. Mainly due to the fact a Powered by the name of Neo took it over at the being of the Shift and maintained order. The United States was now three separate countries with Neo Chicago being the capital of one third. New York and Washington having been destroyed by Powered several months ago.

Almost as if a callback to the civil war. The north and South were split. With Atlanta, or rather The Hub being the capital. The North and South were split from the West by a massive deadland desert that ran from Canada all the way to Mexico. All attempts to cross it have failed. If telecommunications didn’t still work people wouldn’t know what was going on anywhere else in the world.

. 

People hadn’t completely lost hope to one day reunite the United States, but it was a dream that was fading as the Powered only grew stronger. Abilities that allowed an individual to shake off a round fired from a tank were becoming less rare. Many theorists believe it is only a matter of time before the balance of power completely shifts to the Powered. 

Cities with larger subway systems gained the resources needed to thrive in this twisted new world. Airports and seaports were the next best thing, but the level of dungeons in such places were generally higher than the subway systems. 

To this date, one a limited few station, have not become dungeons. New stations implode as they are being constructed. The same for sea and airports. With it only being a year into the shift, people are sure there is something missing for them to construct said infrastructure

Back to the topic at hand. Neo Chicago was protected by a group of individuals that no one hoped to defeated. There was a man that simply went by Neo. The extent of his power is unknown. Anyone that has ever tried to find the limit of his power has never been seen again.

Then there was Anna and Zaris Highlock. Possessing nearly perfect defense and offense, no one has been able to defeat them. Wealthy before the shift, they only became more so afterwards. Though, they are more benevolent and help out orphans and homeless constantly. 

Next was a woman that went by the name West. She was more along the lines of a hitman, but protected Neo Chicago’s interests. Many a rogue monster has been defeated solo by here that could have threatened the entire city. Many people owed her their lives.

Similar groups operated around the world. Protecting their home countries. Europe was a mess due to the reignited wars that had been forgotten over the years. Asia countries were nearly as bad with South Korea conquering most of its neighbors in a strange turnaround after the Shift.

Now, a year after the shift. Only a delicate balance holds Earth’s political borders in check. Even a small nudge could cause the entire issue to collapse.