2 The Awakening
UNKNOWN LOCATION, February 24, 2011
...
Initially, enduring the ordeal wasn't overly challenging. He primarily extracted blood and occasionally took patches of my skin. It was excruciating, but bearable. However, as time passed, the cruelty escalated. Over the ensuing months, he subjected me to various forms of harm, all in the name of observing my body's regenerative capabilities. During one of his skin-sampling sessions, he deduced that I possessed a mild regenerative capacity, which only fueled his experimentation further. He would intentionally fracture my limbs, shatter my fingers, and even bend my back beyond its limits to test his theories and record observations. Although his hypothesis was correct, my body's ability to heal itself didn't mitigate the torment. I despised him, life, and this existence. In my previous life, I perished, hoping for a fresh start, but he denied me that. I was consumed by anger, helplessness, and fear. I did not deserve this. Losing my freedom in such a manner was something I never anticipated. There were brief reprieves when he left me alone, diverting his focus toward perfecting his creation, "Amazo." I relished those days, unaware that he was preparing something even more sinister.
…
UNKNOWN LOCATION, July 13, 2011
..
A man entered the chamber that held Raiden captive. He wore a meticulously tailored black suit, was completely bald, and exuded an air of sharpness. He peered into the tube containing the slumbering Raiden and remarked, "What an inefficient allocation of resources... Five years and still no tangible results."
The unattractive man, known as Professor Ivo, hurriedly responded, "No, you don't comprehend. Once I succeed, this will prove immensely advantageous to the Light, I guarantee it. He is extraordinary. Once I harness his abilities, you'll be astounded. There are certain similarities between him and my creation, Amazo. I don't quite grasp them yet, but given time, I will figure it out. I just need more time."
"Money doesn't grow on trees. Five years have passed, and all you've discovered is that he possesses modest regenerative abilities. We lost 'Project Kr' a year ago, and we haven't recovered our losses. I'm considering shutting down most of our research facilities. Neither you nor the cloning team has managed to replicate 'Project Kr.' Furthermore, you incompetents allowed him to fall into the hands of the Justice League, bolstering our enemies. You have one month. If you can't yield any substantial results by then, this research is terminated, and 'Project Im' is discontinued and Eliminated."
…
"AGHHH! DAMN YOU! THIS, AND THIS, AND THAT – IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT, YOU DAMN BASTARD! GOD IS PROTECTING YOU!"
Ivo spat out in a fit of rage as he mercilessly beat the lifeless body of a woman before Raiden's eyes. Driven by relentless pressure from his superior, Lex Luthor, Ivo had resorted to experimenting on others using vials of potions he had concocted with Raiden's essence. Most of the unfortunate test subjects met a gruesome fate, either dying or suffering disfigurement. This led to his furious outburst and the brutal assault on the woman, all while he vented his anger directly at Raiden.
For Raiden, this was a fate worse than death itself. He had witnessed over 43 people perish or become maimed solely because of his inability to produce the required results. Deep down, he knew he wasn't to blame, and he wasn't responsible for these tragedies. Yet, an overwhelming sense of guilt weighed upon him, no matter how unjust it was.
"I WILL KILL HIM, I SWEAR IT. I WILL END HIM," Raiden vowed, his anger boiling over, his desperation palpable.
As if the heavens had heard his impassioned plea, the stars aligned for his moment of reckoning, and the world responded to his cries.
[System Update Complete.
User now in full control.
Brief Explanation will commence.]
"TO HELL WITH THE EXPLANATION! ACTIVATE WHATEVER I CAN USE TO KILL HIM."
[Summoning Ceremony Initiated:
Servant Class: Berserker
Servant Tier: A
Servant Name: Heracles]
Raiden's body began to emit a crimson glow, and he grew in stature until he resembled a colossal figure, a formidable "Black Giant."
"Ah, what is this? Damn it! MONKEYS, ATTACK! STOP HIM!" Ivo realized the gravity of the situation and summoned his MONQIs, small monkey-like robots.
Raiden opened his eyes, taking in his newfound freedom, reinvigorated with boundless vigor, power, and, above all, rage.
"IVOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"
Ivo hastily made his escape, his MONQIs converging to confront Raiden. They tried to overwhelm him, but they were no match for his newfound Herculean strength. Raiden swept them aside with a massive sword-axe crafted from rock, slicing through most of them. The remaining monkeys attempted an aerial assault, using jetpacks to fire laser beams, but Raiden shrugged off their attacks effortlessly.
"AGHHHHHHHHH!" Raiden leaped at each monkey one by one, tearing their heads off. When he had dispatched the last one, he focused his gaze on the exit and charged through it.
Outside, a group of soldiers armed with rockets and machine guns awaited him. They unleashed a barrage of firepower as he emerged, but it was like trying to stop a tempest with a pebble. Raiden simply seized the broken door and hurled it at the soldiers, clearing his path.
"IVOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Raiden bellowed as he pursued the man who had inflicted unimaginable suffering upon him. His rage knew no bounds, especially now that he had been endowed with the Mad Enhancement Skill, a characteristic of all berserkers.
Raiden sprinted until he stumbled upon an elevator. Realizing he wouldn't fit inside, he opted to tear it apart and leap to the top. Upon reaching the upper floor, he recklessly demolished everything in his path while pursuing Ivo. Eventually, he entered a vast, empty room containing a giant robot close to his own size, with Doctor Ivo perched atop a podium, glaring at Raiden with manic intensity.
"Now you've done it! You've destroyed my lab, my life's work! You are finished, DONE! AMAZO, KILL HIM!" Ivo yelled, desperation lacing his words.
Amazo glanced at Raiden and calmly stated, "Access Supermen."
Before Amazo could launch an attack, Raiden struck first, delivering a powerful punch that sent the robot crashing into the wall. Raiden prepared for another assault, but he found himself attacking empty air as Amazo swiftly changed to Martian Manhunter mode. Behind him, he heard the command, "Access Atom."
"Access Atom!" Raiden heard before being hit by a powerful energy beam, sending him flying. Before he could regain his footing, another assault commenced: "Access Flash." Amazo unleashed a rapid barrage of punches to Raiden's chest. Following the flurry of blows, a sound wave from "Access Black Canary" slammed into Raiden's face as he clutched his ears, leaving him vulnerable to another attack: "Access Superman." The robot fired a laser beam from its eyes and followed up with a series of punches aimed at the fallen Raiden.
Growing increasingly angry, Raiden gripped his Sword-Axe and swung it at Amazo, but once again, his attack struck nothing as Amazo switched to Martian Manhunter mode. Recognizing the pattern, Raiden left his sword inside Amazo's body, forcing the robot to retreat to avoid injury upon reverting.
As Amazo flew away, Raiden regained his footing. The relentless onslaught of unexpected attacks and rapidly changing abilities had surprised him, but they hadn't caused any lasting harm. Despite his fury, Raiden had become one of history's mightiest heroes, embodying Heracles, a berserker driven by rage but not devoid of strategic intelligence.
Raiden scanned the area, locating Ivo, and leaped towards him, Sword-Axe poised to strike. This move prompted Amazo to intervene to protect its creator, once again transforming into "Access Superman."
Amazo intercepted Raiden, using laser beams to deflect the sword-axe. Raiden shifted his attack from a slash to a kick, sending both him and Amazo hurtling outside the building. Meanwhile, Ivo made his escape in the direction opposite of the attack, utilizing his monkey minions.
Blinding sunlight enveloped Raiden momentarily as he and Amazo descended from the building, the first time he had seen the sun in over five years. "Access Red Tornado," Amazo used wind abilities to slow their fall, though Raiden paid it no mind and landed gracefully on his feet. Scanning the surroundings, he attempted to locate Ivo but lost sight of him, foiling his previous plan.
Amazo unleashed two tornadoes in a futile attempt to harm Raiden, who effortlessly dissipated them with a swift hand motion. Raiden roared in frustration as he countered Amazo's attacks with his sword-axe. Once again, Amazo reverted to Martian Manhunter mode and attacked from an unexpected angle.This was proved fruitless as the Robot realized that only Superman's punches could inflict any meaningful damage.
Seizing the high ground, Amazo took to the skies and transformed once more into "Access Atom." He fired a beam from his hand, but Raiden swiftly evaded and lunged at him with his sword-axe. Amazo switched to "Access Martian Manhunter" midair, striking Raiden as he attacked. This time, however, the attack proved ineffective against Raiden's resilient skin.
"Access Superman" followed as Amazo transformed yet again. Flying towards Raiden, the robot Tackled Raiden with his double fist upwards, catching him off guard and flying him through multiple buildings. Raiden interlocked his hands, delivering a powerful blow to Amazo's back, halting the assault. Raiden quickly got to his feet, charging at Amazo before it could transform. He punched the robot, sending it soaring.
"Aghhhhhhhhh!" Raiden yelled as he grabbed his sword-axe and hurled it towards the airborne Amazo, slicing through its hand. He leaped once more, catching the sword and attempting to strike Amazo's head. Yet again, Amazo shifted into Martian Manhunter mode and swiftly gained the high ground.
"Access Superman" came next as Amazo shifted forms again. This time, Raiden devised a brilliant plan. He hurled his sword-axe at Amazo, "Motion Martian Manhunter." The sword passed through Amazo's body as it changed, then in attempt to transition back into "Access Sup----AJI." Raiden surprised Amazo with an astonishing burst of speed, launching a rapid punch to the head. He continued to pummel Amazo's head until it shattered into pieces, repeatedly slicing and destroying every part.
Raiden then looked to the sky and bellowed, "AGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH, IVOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO, WHERE ARE YOU?"
However, Ivo was long gone, and Raiden's rage showed no signs of subsiding.
Soon, a green dome formed around him, and he heard a voice from above, "Relax, Mr. big scary monster. It's time to calm down." Gazing upward, he saw a man in a green suit, another in blue and red, a woman in armor on a green platform, a man with a bow, and a man in a bat suit. On the ground, a man in a red suit approached.
"I WANT IVOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Raiden roared with unrelenting anger, shattering the green barrier and lunging towards the green-clad man, almost landing a punch before collapsing to the ground.
[Transformation limit reached. A Rank Transformation New Record: 9 minutes 27 seconds]
Raiden's head spun as he glanced around before losing consciousness.
The woman descended and remarked, "It's just a kid!"
…
{Creating a Servant Profile…
Name: Heracles
AKA: The Immortal Great Hero, Hércules
Gender: Male
Attribute: Sky
Alignments: Chaotic・Insane
Basic Traits: Argo-Hero, Divinity, Greek Mythology Male, Humanoid, Servant
Passive Skills: Mad Enhancement・Divinity
Active Skills: Bravery A+ ・Eye of the mind (False) B ・Battle Continuation A
Noble Phantasms: Nine Lives C-A++ ・God Hand B
Stats
Strength: A+ … Endurance: A
Agility: A … Mana: A
Luck: B … NP: A
}
