Deep in the heart of the floating city, Mercer watched the population buzzing about, gong about their daily business.
"Fucking weak creatures." He said to himself. "How is it that they can live with themselves, wandering so aimlessly? They assume that their lives have some sort of meaning, and yet, when it comes to it, they're all the same." He watched for a time as the people passed, then steppedx away from the wall anfd grabbed a young woman from the crowd, dragginghe into the alley that he had waited beside. The movemetn was so quick, no one noticed, and even as her eyes widened, tendrils erupted from every part of his body and punctured her skin. She tried to scream, but he covered her mouth with one hand and left her to squirm helplessly as they wworked deeper. She thrashed wildly then fell still as her body was drawn close to, and then into Mercer's. As quickly as it began it was all over, and Mercer stepped out of the alley to join the corwd, no one any the wiser as to what had just happened.
"Ah, just like thw ones on Earth."
