Codename. J. M. Cobb

      Chapter 1

      “Shift’s done! Pack it up, and head out! No lollygagging tonight, boys!”

      The shrill voice of an older woman could be heard over a speaker throughout the entire building, a somewhat smaller factory full of assembly lines, most of which were filled with toys and games of all sorts and varieties. A younger male, twenty-one, quickly grabbed his jacket from underneath his line and headed for the door, being stopped by a coworker before he got his hand to the handle.

      “Hey, Eli, got any plans for tonight? Me and some of the boys were thinking about heading out, having a quick drink, maybe shoot some pool, darts, something, ya know? Wanted to see if you were interested.”

      He spoke with a thick Brooklyn accent, standing over Eli, easily topping the 6'6" margin, heavier build like he worked out all the more so than the average male. He was clean-shaven—even his head only had some small bristles of hair on it.

      “Uhm, yeah, no. I, uh, I’m not really sure what’s going on.”

      Eli was a bit short, barely under six feet. His dark-brown hair had a few strands of green in it from when he had previously dyed parts of his hair, now mostly fading. His eyes were also a nice bright-green color.

      “Eli, man, you gotta get out of this headspace you’ve been hiding away in. The world isn’t out to get you, and who knows, you may make a friend or two if you just let loose once in a while. I’m only trying to help, ya know? Been a real good worker since you started, and you seem like a good guy. So come on, just one drink tonight, what would it hurt?”

      Eli looked down at his feet and began playing with the keys in his pocket, clearly a bit nervous. This wasn’t the first time he had been reached out to since starting the job and not by this man only.

      “Thanks, Mick, I just really, I’ve got something I need to do tonight, and it’s the only time I’m gonna be able to. You understand, right?”

      Mick snickered a bit, placing a hand on Eli’s shoulder.

      “What is so damn important that you can’t come out and have a drink, eh? And tonight only? Come on, man, talk to me. You know, I’m eventually gonna break you down, right? It’s my accent. It lets people know I’m a good safe space of a man, ya know?”

      After a pause and no response from Eli, he continued, “C’mon, man, it’s 2014, and you aren’t living the best life you could be living.”

      Saying that caused Eli to laugh a bit before shrugging Mick’s hand off his shoulder. He kind of cocked his head to the side, trying his best to fake smile. Mick raised his hands and sighed in defeat.

      “All right, all right, all right. Ol’ Mickey can take a hint, but I’m warning you, I used to do construction, so I know how to break down a wall or two, eh. That emotional one you’re hiding behind, it’ll be no different, okay? How about a rain check, at least? Pretend to show interest in it, ya know?”

      Mick chuckled to himself slightly before giving Eli a light tap on the shoulder and heading out the door himself. The night was worn. The beautiful dark sky with its purple hue made Eli smile. It was his favorite time, and standing out in an open field to stare up at the stars and wonder about life—its mysteries and everything in between. It was his favorite place. Though tonight, he would not be lying in any fields or stargazing as he hadn’t been doing much of lately at all. He got on his bike as he didn’t know how to drive and began riding off toward an old road, barely seen a car in days. The road led to the top of a hill, a very old rickety abandoned building sat atop, set to be demolished soon. This is exactly where he wanted to be and the exact time he needed to be.

      Eli was no ordinary person, human as much as anyone else, though much, much more. When he was a kid, a comet storm shot through the skies, just outside the Earth’s surface, somehow completely affecting the planet itself. Weird things began happening all over the world and to the people inhabiting it, Eli being one of them. It was also the day his eyes turned green as they were a nice shade of brown before. He laid his bike down near some trees just down from the building, not wanting it to be found if anyone happened upon what he was doing. He was more than happy to walk the rest of the way.

      Outside the building, a common two-story metal bottom wood-like walls on the top, probably some sort of mill when it ran in its heyday, was a sign about its demolition with the deconstruction starting at noon tomorrow. Eli quickly ran to the side of the building, looking for any crack or crevice in its walls. His eyes lit up with joy, the green almost now a glow as he shot a green pulse from his hand

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