Categories > Cartoons > Krypto the Superdog > Chaos Chronicles - In the Beginning
Part 1 Chapter 3 - Annihilator of Darkness, Pt. 2
1 reviewA young boy reveals himself as an Annihilator, only to confuse James to no end. Is he really his son?
5Exciting
Chaos Chronicles - In the Beginning
Part 1 - Legacy of Annihilus
P 1 C 3 - Annihilator of Darkness, Pt. 2
[N] Looking back at some of the history of the Cerosa family, I found something...disturbing, and yet interesting. James Cerosa, an Annihilator, was married to Epona Vakliette, also an Annihilator. When the "passing of blood" was complete (details on this expression later), she became a Cerosa, and thus three members of the family existed. As far as known by myself, she was married to him (out of love, of course, but it's a long story) before the new millennia, and they had a child in the year 2000. The gods, who appreciate how irony plays out, made their son an Annihilator, and this was, by far, a monumental occasion. However, when Leon realized the birth of a new Annihilator, he moved quickly. The murder of their son spurred the couple into space, along with Maximus, and they sought Leon out for revenge. It's been seven years since Brian's death in 2005 near Christmas. But, the truth of all of this is...this is the first Annihilator Leon has had the pleasure of killing...most of the others that had bodies had died of other causes...and, several attempted killings were made of two other Annihilators, who still live to this day...but, that is a story for later. An Annihilator doesn't just gain their powers so easily, and not always is it obvious to point one out. Watch...a miraculous event will occur, and past tears will flow again, only this time in happiness...
[S] James, having retreated into the darkness of the night, ran from ULEP at any opportunity he could get. The rain seemed to mask his identity more than anything else. Lying against the wall, he took the time to analyze his situation. His robe had gained a hood attachment that stopped rain from getting him wetter than needed.
James (thoughts) - Max, where are you...this can't be how it ends...
[A] Peeking out from his alley, he spotted several shops that looked warm and comfortable, lights on and welcoming. People walked to and from anywhere they could go, umbrellas up and coats on. This made James feel worse.
James (thoughts) - Okay, I've gotten out of worse before...or have I? (beating his head) Arghhhh...God damn it, why now!?
[A] A few things were suddenly attracting attention from James. His Annihilator symbol, a mark which he wore proudly, was suddenly beginning to glow red and induce a small pain. He'd noticed this since his fight with Marius. Next, the interrogations, and Marius for that matter. Sure, they seemed a little weird at first, but then it dawned on him that something wasn't right. Marius, who was part of ULEP, asked simple questions, as well as an occasionally complicated one. Three times he was interrogated, and something bugged him horribly. Each question gave him a pain in his soul, which he had assumed was just a small cramp. No...something made him think suddenly that he was peering into his very essence, finding every truth there. It had to be that. He was no ordinary summoner. Many summoners couldn't have possibly gone up against him and broken his Soul Wall. He'd seen some in action before, and none used such advanced spells as he used. No even the experts. That giant...beast. That wretched creature that flew was something that seemed ancient, as if from the distant past. Last, his wounds. Several shots from guns had connected with him. These bullets were combined with energy, thus giving them the extra edge to pierce the mage silk. However, some of them had gotten through the protective oricalcum plating in his armor, and they started to make him bleed slowly. Nothing big, but it was getting painful, and a bit harder to move. Plus, it could give the searchers a trail right to him. He felt around in his pockets, finding his scribe and notebook, still holding all of the alchemy symbols he drew. A nice parting gift for Marius, should they cross again.
James (deeply sighing, thoughts) - Suppose I'd better get moving. No telling where they could be...
[A] With that, he got up and scaled the building nearby, which connected to another one through a small bridge.
[SC]
[S] Marius was on a cell phone, and it became obvious to everyone that his mana was flowing out so strongly that he was sometimes summoning small balls of red and blue mana without even thinking.
??? (on phone) - That seems troubling...thankfully he didn't kill you completely.
Marius - I'm still getting worried about him. I know I wasn't trying, but he seemed horridly stronger than expected. I've yet to see any real master swordsmanship, but his mana is astoundingly powerful...
??? - That's to be expected. Possibly worrisome if he assembles the others, but it's nothing now. Johnathan's given you the clear to kill him, should you meet again.
Marius - It might not happen...Leon's here.
??? - He is!!?
Marius - Unfortunately, yes, but it seems to be for other reasons. First he tried getting the Scribe of Memory and was stopped by the brothers. Now it seems that he tracks an Annihilator, which might mean he's of more concern than realized. His first kill gave him wicked power, so we should stop him from getting too out-of-control. What do you think, master?
??? (changing tone) - ...Leave him be. He's still under our influence, so nothing bad can come of him getting rid of the threats. Which Annihilator is it...?
Marius - Darkness. And something seems wrong with it. This Annihilator specifically...I don't know, it feels similar to Cerosa.
??? - Of course they're similar...their powers are the same.
Marius - No, it's not that. It feels...almost the same as James' energy, like a mirror image, only weaker...
??? - Mirror image, huh? Hmmmmmmmmmmmm...heheheheh...heheheheheheheh, hahahahahah!!! That's f**king amazing...he's going after the same quarry again!
Marius - Master?
??? (stops laughing, clears throat) - Please excuse me...I got carried away. If you see Leon, you're to back off immediately. Otherwise, Cerosa is yours for the taking. Make sure you show no mercy...
Marius - Make sure you don't stop me this time...
??? - ...
[A] He hung up after hearing the silence. Marius' last attempts had failed for specific reasons, and he hoped to avoid them in future confrontations...
[SC]
[S] James, now racing across each building, attracting attention from people in the buildings, ran through the rain, hoping he wouldn't slip and fall to his death (though he could probably make a few souls soften his landing). He looked behind him to find the flying leviathan following him. It flew a few meters above him as he crossed the bridge from building to building, high above the lower level of the city streets. The leviathan, showing no current interest in him, flew towards the building ahead and wrapped its massive body around it like its worm-like form led on. James stopped dead in his tracks.
James (worried look on his face, thoughts) - Why the hell is that thing still here!? Marius should be dead...what the hell...?
[A] James now noticed that Centrion came from out of the shadows in the spire ahead. Hovercars passed by right underneath the bridge to the spire, all of which had the curious citizens, humans most of them, looking up to see the monstrosity on the government building. This obelisk, it seemed, was part of five buildings situated in an array around a much larger spire in the middle, which towered above everything else. Even spacecrafts coming and going from the planet busily were having to avoid it, plus the five other constructions were quite large as well. Several bridges connected from various parts, as well as tubes of, what seemed like, glass coming from different parts of the city. Traffic seemed to circle around this and fly over it as if it were a trans-galactical hub. Truth be told, James knew the complex quite well. This was the Daemon galaxy's embassy and government building, perhaps one of the strongest powers in the universe, commanding one of the greatest armies in the universe. Year two in space had pitted him against its army. They failed miserably, and were mocked by various worlds. Yet any smart person would know that going up against an Annihilator would likely result in death.
Marius (calm) - Remember me?
James (jokingly) - Wondered when you'd have the balls to show your ass around me again.
Marius (slightly stunned) - You knew I wasn't dead?
James - I had a hunch. I mean, sure, shooting you fifteen times should kill you, but then again I've seen others walk away from worse.
Marius - You're right, but that obviously classifies me as unordinary...you can truly never tell from appearances...but believe me, I can tell when you lie. You get a nervous twitch in your voice.
James - Okay, so I lied. No one human, or even alien, could survive being shot fifteen times, but that still doesn't make you any less normal.
Marius (pausing for a second) - Tell me, Cerosa...has your symbol been hurting lately?
James - Why the hell should I tell you!?
Marius - Take it as a yes.
[A] This confirmed Marius suspicion about another Annihilator being on Daemon Prime.
Marius - So...he really is here. Good...well, James, I'm afraid this is where I have to kill you.
James (summoning his Raem) - Now that's funny...you kill me?
[A] James, however, had been careless. During their short chat, he hadn't noticed (until now) that four other leviathans had been summoned, each one looking a bit different than another, whether it was their teeth in their circular mouth, or perhaps having tendrils from their face that came out like whiskers. That each wrapped their bodies around something, be it a walkway or building.
James - Oh...s**t...
[A] Marius laughed slightly, and made a gesture which caused all of them to attack. The first one came from the right, and James quickly spotted it, running for his damn life. It crashed through the bridge, spraying debris on the streets below, as well as hitting some cars that flew through the air. Going to the other side of the bridge, he now spotted ULEP drop ships, each filled with at least fifty soldiers, guns ready. Then, he found more soldiers on bridges below, firing at him. No bullets connected, but James found it hard to keep dodging them. The next leviathan came from his left. This time, faced with nowhere else to go (nothing within jumping distance, at least), he jumped off the side, and the creature missed. Falling to his supposed death, he realized exactly how high up he was, which was about three miles above the ground. Yeah...not good.
James (falling, thoughts) - Think, damn it, think...the next one's coming for you, you've got more men on your tail, and you can't fight forever...(an idea) yes!!!
[A] He reached inside his pant pocket, clutching the scribe. It had refused to work a while before, but now it responded to his memorycraft circle, and quickly showed him the future. With this, he planned every move he would make, only as a genius could.
James - I've got it!!
[A] The next one, fast approaching, bit down, but got nothing. Moments before, a soul had been summoned from James' body, put below his feet, and gave him an amazing jumping boost that propelled him high into the air. He came slamming down seconds later at the leviathan who just realized where his meal had gone to. Heading up, the creature met James as he used a soul to bounce to the right and send his swords all the way down the spine of it, killing it instantly and spraying everything in blood. The next one tried coming, this time running into a quick Soul Grenade that it swallowed, making it explode from the inside. Now landing on a dropship, several soldiers reached out of the opening in the sides to shoot him. Souls, however, stopped the bullets completely, and the ship was met by another beast. Again, James slammed the Raem into its body, this time killing it on impact. Still at least two miles from the ground, he used a soul to bounces him around, this time taking aim at dropships, then finally releasing his swords into the air to let them drop and pulling out his guns, blanketing the fourth one and destroying all ships he could find. Finally, the last one flew out of nowhere and followed him into his increased descent thanks to several souls pushing him. He grabbed the Raem and fired metacalibur up in three slices by both blades, one set of white and another black. With the last one gone, he plummeted downwards. Marius just smiled.
Marius - He is indeed worthy...perhaps I'll stop toying now.
[SC]
[S] A young boy was walking home carrying a plastic bag of groceries, perhaps enough to feed at least ten people, when he spotted someone in the alley. He seemed innocent, the boy, maybe curious, and his face was stunned. Lying in a pool of his own blood was James, unconscious, maybe dead. He didn't scream, but instead ran far ahead to get help. James, lost deep in dreams, found images he never wanted to see, again, but found himself captivated. The slaughter of thousands of people, the ruining of several planets, all of this was done by...
[SC]
[S] He awoke from his dreams to find himself somewhere warm, on a couch next to an open fire in a large room. His robe, boots, and armor had been removed, as well as his watch, guns, and knives, and draped over a nearby chair near the fire to dry. The blood had been removed and the holes patched. Quite unnecessary, he thought, considering that he could make another one with his CTIPS. Still...weird. Observing the room further, he found many children's toys lying around, including dolls, toy trucks, and balls. The room had a classical wood paneling. Many couches, beds, pillows, sheets, and other things surrounded him. It was homely, to be frank.
James (head throbbing, thoughts) - Where am I...?
[A] Images flashed before him. Images of his battle and his freefall to the ground, stopped only by a group of souls that came to his aid when he blacked out. He landed on them, but bounced straight up and down into the darkness of a backalley, where he walked to safety and lost consciousness again after landing hard. His train of thought was interrupted by a boy, the same one who went for help (he didn't see him however), who came in and inspected him.
??? - Are you okay?
James - I...
[A] James also noticed that his body was almost entirely bandaged, and his wounds had stopped bleeding. It relieved some stress. An elderly woman entered into the den, followed by many children, each at least four years old or higher.
Woman (to the boy) - How's our guest doing?
??? - He looks okay.
Woman - Good...what's your name, mister?
James (gulps) - Uhhh...
[A] Faced with a peculiar predicament here, he had to make his decision. His name was known to almost everyone throughout the universe (thanks to ULEP). What would happen if they knew about him?
James - It's...James...
??? - Is there a last name that goes to that?
Woman (laughing) - Oh, you'll have to forgive Brian. He has absolutely no manners.
[A] Brian...the name definitely caught Cerosa's attention. Brian, while the oldest of the children, appeared to be twelve, which was a random estimate by James. His face, while dirty, was nearly spotless, save a few areas. His clothing was ragtag, but looked formal for him. A black shirt with blue shorts and tennis shoes, as well as a small metal necklace about his neck. His hair seemed like a long version of a bowl cut, patterned with blue strands in a similar fashion to his own.
Brian - Oh, shut up...if anything we should at least know why he was almost dead.
[A] He sensed the moment wasn't a good one to let everyone know his identity, so he kept quiet for a while. Looking out the window, it was still dark, and still pouring.
[SC]
[S] In the kitchen, with everyone else asleep except for the old woman, he started his questioning. He wore his black armor, but not his robe (still needed drying). The kitchen had two sections: a dining room and an actual kitchen, but connected together. A long table, good for twenty people, sat there. They conversed in the food room, away from other eyes.
James (looking around) - So...where am I?
Woman - I run a nursery here for lost and abandoned children. I take it your coming here was no coincidence...
[A] Unfortunately, it was.
James - I suppose you should know my full name...
Woman - ...?
James - My name is James Elonis Cerosa, but I'm guessing you likely already know me...
Woman - You're right...I do. I've heard of your deeds, and I know that you're being chased here.
[A] "Deeds" couldn't be good...
James - You have to understand that I'm not all that bad...
Woman (partially offended) - Did I say you were bad? I've heard of your countless sacrifices for the sake of good, your valorous ways, your amazing stories...believe me, I only have interests to help you, and nothing less...
[A] Relieved, James decided to tell her everything...well, everything concerning his time on Prime.
Woman - That's quite impressive. Our government's army has never been able to fight back against them, so I'm glad someone's standing up for us.
James - But that's enough about me...I need to know about this...Brian.
Woman - Ahhh, yes...Brian's always been a strange one. He came to me one night and said that his parents were dead, and ever since then he's been a bit...quiet. He's the eldest of all the kids here, and they look up to him in a way.
James - Hmmmm...
[A] Puzzling...he felt weird about it. There was always the possibility that...no, he was too old.
Woman - It was seven years ago...yes, he seemed quite sad, and yet...he almost seemed unfazed. He's twelve years old, now.
[A] Twelve!!? No...this could've meant something else entirely. Maybe it really is him, but he had to find out for himself.
Woman - If you want, I can show you some of his drawings...he has a real talent for this sort of thing.
[SC]
[S] He gladly accepted, hoping for some answers here. The room now was specially made for Brian. It was like the main den, just with only one bed: his own.
Woman (handing James a stack of papers) - Here...these are some of his finest. He said that he made these ones from images of his dreams.
[A] Uninteresting at first, though some seemed eerily realistic and archaic. Gigantic stones that came to life, flying monsters, men of various ages and legendary status. As he neared the end, one single painting came to his attention. He squinted his eyes, and got a better look at it.
James - This one...so...familiar...
[A] He had suddenly noticed that Brian wasn't in his bed anymore, as if he crept out while they were looking at his drawings. He apparently had been so half-asleep he hadn't noticed them. James, returning to the painting, observed it more, and realized, to his horror, what it was. It was a man whose skin was bathed in shadow, wore metal boots, a red robe with black engravings, a red cape with a strange symbol, and carried two swords.
James (gasping, dropping the picture) - It...can't be...no, no, no...!!!
[A] Before the old woman realized it, he had run out the door, but she understood everything. The painting...it was of him.
[SC]
[S] Brian, who'd actually gone out for a walk to clear his head, noticed James running by, tears falling from his eyes. This part of town was slightly shielded from the rain, so there wasn't much obstructing it. James had grabbed his robe and other items before leaving. Brian knew something was weird. He was the man from his dreams...he followed him to an area where multiple pipes were jutting out of the ground, carrying heat and releasing steam. James had come here to think, and stood right in the middle of the hallway-like passage that lined the backalleys. Brian, being twelve, understood some of the pain, but still didn't know exactly what was going on.
James (crying) - My son...my son...it can't be...how? It's not possible...unless...but...
[A] Brian tried to approach him, but backed away before he could talk to him.
Leon (from out of the corner) - Poor, poor Cerosa...too gutless to handle the truth?
[A] Leon had naturally figured things out already. He'd been stalking Brian for some time now. He slowly walked towards James, who looked up. His tears had stopped. The room was actually a connecting vent to the sewers, which transferred water, electricity, and heat through the city via underground pipes.
James - What do you want...?
Leon - Probably what you want...the boy.
James - ...
[A] James, having seen Brian, knew he had to act fast. He slowly lowered his black gun from his sleeve, knowing that Leon had already seen it, and fired it point blank at him. The shot actually spread out in multiple blasts right in his face, blinding him for a second while he grabbed Brian and ran farther into the sewer.
James (running, thoughts) - Have to get him to safety...please don't follow us...
[A] He turned a corner with the boy, looked back, and saw Leon on all fours chasing him quickly.
James (thoughts) - Damn it!!!
Brian - Yo, what's going on!!!?
James (flinging Brian into a crevice) - No time to explain! Stay there!!
[A] He met Leon head-on with his swords, getting into a complicated fight between swords and scythe. Leon jumped back and stretched his arm out, while James blocked it by crossing both swords, making a shield. Leon rushed up to him and punched him in the face, followed by a kick against the wall, and a swift dodge by Cerosa with another punch.
James - Soul Grenade!
[A] Hitting Leon directly, he bounced back, lifting his foot and turning it into a spike, stretching it toward James, who unfortunately couldn't dodge it. It pierced straight through his arm and came out, but not before James responded with a bash from a soul. Temporarily paralyzed, Leon was kneed by James, punched in the face, and hit dead on with another Soul Grenade. Stepping back, his entire body trembled, making James fear something was about to happen. Leon's robe turned into a part of his body, and his entire form became a wall, or rather flood, of spikes.
James - Soul Wall!
[A] The wall held him off, taking up the entire hall space, but soon was breached by Leon, who slipped a small portion of himself by and formed himself on the other side, continuing the beating. For another five minutes, they struggled, and James was losing. James finally succumbed and fell to the ground. Leon dropped a part of his blackish-white body, which took the form of two oozy soldiers of his (the ones Maximus fought off). They picked him up and held him.
Leon - So this is how it ends...you never even got properly introduced to your "son". I'll enjoy his screams of anguish again...but first...
[A] He slowly made his advance, only to find himself behind held back by Brian.
Leon - Well, that's convenient.
James - Brian, get away from here!!!
Brian - No...
James - Please!!!
[A] Instead of running, he screamed in anguish as Leon lifted him up with one arm, his right specifically. He stretched his other arm down into James' pocket, taking the scribe.
Leon (looking at the scribe) - Now that I finally have this...I don't need anything else. Now witness the horror of...
[A] Leon had to stop there to notice how the scribe was glowing red, as well as his memorycraft symbol on his arm. Everyone couldn't believe what happened next...
Leon (panicking) - What's happening!!!?
[A] Brian seemed to take in a massive amount of mana from the scribe, screaming loudly until blacking out. A reciprocal of red electricity flowed through Leon's body. It was over in an instant, leaving James to wonder what happened. With his hands free, he fired off dual Soul Grenades that put a hole in both of the minions and went for Leon with a metacalibur slice, taking of a large chunk of him and stepping over the unconscious Brian. Before he could deliver another slash, Leon's minions formed their arms into chains and pulled him back by his arm. The other arm slashed the chains, but another set grabbed his other arm, this time by a much bigger army of minions, each one with either a sword, axe, or lance for an arm. They all jumped on top of him, trying to stab or cut him, but met a huge spread of souls that quickly came from James' body in all directions, knocking all of them to the wall.
James (tired) - Damn...it...why...won't...they...stop?
Leon (coming out of shock) - That little bastard...I should kill him!!
James - You're not touching him.
[A] Leon's fist then stretched and connected with James' stomach. He coughed up blood. More minions formed from his body.
Leon - Look around you...is there anything you can do to stop me? I killed your son the first time, and I can do it again.
??? - Not this time...
[A] Brian stood right behind him. When he looked back, it was way too late to react. He put his hands up to Leon's back, and in a flash of light and alchemy a bow formed. Leon fell to the ground.
[OD] Chaos Weapon - A weapon created from the body of a demi-Chaos, specifically Leon, considering his highly formable organic structure that can be formed as needed. Made of oricalcum, these weapons are made when energy is applied to a demi-Chaos' body (specifically a unique energy made by the Annihilators). Some renditions of these can be made out of oricalcum without using Leon, but the process is harder.
[OD] Splice - Brian's bow. It bears black engravings and runes in the wooden stick area, and the string is made from a high source of energy. It fires arrows made of pure energy that are continuous. A black, yet pure, aura radiates from it.
Brian - Duck...
[A] James, bewildered, saw Brian aiming the bow at him, and crouched to avoid a single arrow of mana form when he pulled the string back that split into multiple arrows, mowing down all of the Chaos minions at once.
[MD] Breaking Arrow (Brian) - Takes an arrow and splits it up into up to a thousand arrows using pure mana.
[A] James suddenly noticed how noble the Annihilator of Darkness looked. Still a bit confused, he felt curious as to exactly what happened. That, however, was interrupted when Leon stood up. Half of his face was missing, replaced with some kind of dimensional tear.
James - ...!
[A] James suddenly recognized the sight.
Leon (different voice, though similar) - Way to go, dumb ass...you've actually managed to piss me off...
[A] James dodged a large slime-like spreading abyss in Leon's arm that came towards him. He led Brian out of the sewers through a nearby pipe that took sewage water and they both jumped out. Black ooze came out in large flow, like a flood, and tried to get to the two of them. Leon's body suddenly formed in the middle of it and grew larger, expanding out in spikes and grabbing all nearby objects, tossing them at James and Brian. His arms multiplied and turned into multiple other arms, and so on and so on, until his entire body eventually blackened the lake. James could see the scribe inside his body, but he spat it out and it landed on the ground where the two of them got out, which was right next to the city.
Leon (booming voice) - I'm just getting started, and you're already giving up. How does it feel?
James (picking up the scribe) - It feels...pretty pathetic.
Brian - What's happening!!?
[A] Brian obviously had never seen something so horrifying. As Leon drew closer to them, spreading out his body in all directions, what looked like one of his hands grasped his heart area in pain. A voice had appeared from nowhere, seeming to control Leon with no equal.
??? - Leon...you've gone so far as to disobey me again? That will not be tolerated...
Leon (in pain) - Stay outta this Elion!!
James - Elion...!?
Brian - That voice...
[A] Leon struggled against it, but saw his entire body breaking apart in blue particles.
Leon (fading away) - No...no...NO!!!!!!!!!!!
[SC]
[S] The old woman from the nursery was in her rocking chair, watching the children she had raised play around. The phone suddenly rang.
Woman (answering) - Hello?
Marius - Jess...Hews requests that you rejoin...now. Cerosa has retrieved the Annihilator. I trust that you did your job?
Jess - The Annihilator was of no use to us at the moment. Cerosa took him with open arms...at least that's what I saw.
Marius - So then...father and son are reunited. How touching...the master will be glad. Now then, what shall we do about the little ones?
Jess - If I rejoin, I'll need no guise. They have no use now, so I'll do whatever you command, Centrion.
Marius - Heheheheh...
[A] The woman, now known as Jess, left the room, returning with a gun. With a faceless expression, she pulled the trigger, and...
Bang...
[CD] Jess Arabac - Age: 61. Birthplace: Daemon Prime. Species: Human. Sex: Female. Birthday: October 31, 1951. Physical Description: 5' 9", 178.8 lbs., short gray hair, red eyes. Clothing: Green uniform with a blue vest, several gun hostlers on her vest, two knife holders on her vest, green cargo pants, and kachin-plated shoes. Type of Magic User: Alchemist. Occupation: Leader of Assassination Units (ULEP).
[SC]
[S] James returned with Brian cradled in his arms, worn out from exhaustion. Nearly killed by Leon, plus bombarded with unknown mana, a new Annihilator had been revealed. James, surely, hadn't understood everything that Brian had said. It's as if he knew everything that was going on. Maximus was waiting for them on the Aeros. Being contacted by means of the CTIPS, he knew everything he needed to at the moment. James took Brian to a bedroom in the Aeros, and made sure that nothing would disturb him.
James (conversing with Maximus at the front of the ship) - I don't know what happened to him, and I still don't know if he's really...you know. But...I have this feeling...
Max - But how...? He's too old to have been reborn.
James - You know the other possibility...
Max - Soul possession? You know that it's not possible, otherwise he wouldn't need the Scribe of Memory to restore his mind to normal.
[AD] Soul Possession - A theoretical term used to describe how a soul can sometimes be reborn into another person's body by will. There are restrictions, however, and the body must closely match the soul's original body form. Blood type can be different, but once possession occurs, the victim's body changes in whatever way needed to contain the soul. In rare cases, the original soul of the body won't leave.
James - Think about it...what if only half of it occurred? What if...his looks only came over, and only some parts of his memories were kept. It explains a lot.
Max - We'll see...right now, there's no proof. What did that scribe do to him?
James - More than just give him memories back...he saw something that not even we can see...what was it?
[SC]
[S] Brian was sleeping in his room.
Brian (sleep-talking) - Elion...
??? (voice) - Do you enjoy your new body, or will that one be unsatisfactory?
Brian - ...
??? - Jess always saw something in you, even enough to give up her ways. I don't care what she feels, but she won't spare you again...and if she doesn't kill you, Leon will. Think about it...
[A] The voice stopped as James came into the room and looked down at Brian. He noticed everything about him was the exact same about his son before. Everything...
Brian (waking up) - Dad...
James - ...
Brian - Where's mom? She's always been with you...I'd like to see her again...
[A] James just smiled and broke into tears, hugging Brian and never letting go.
[SC]
[S] Jess stood in a dark room, where various men stood.
??? - So...you've given up on Brian?
Jess - If he knew what I truly was, he'd never love me anymore like I used to care for him. I don't care for the company of children, anymore. They'll never replace the loss in my heart...perhaps I'll never love again...
??? - Heheheheheh.
Jess - Begin Project Genesis.
[N] Brian - She was an old woman who took me in after grieving the loss of her son at the hands of the people she worked for. She hoped she could raise me to be just like her son. In the process, she gained the love of children, and worked as a government nursery owner to help others be like her son. Thus, she became an old woman, and lost interest in her job. When I left, she knew that her pride and joy would never come back. That is a story for another time. Brian Kaste, my body that my soul possessed, refused to leave, and thus the transmission was incomplete. My father and my mother might have to live to learn with the fact that I'll never be normal, but I'm finally back...
[SC]
[S] ...
Elion - So Leon...disobey me, will you? I told you to force the Release of the Annihilator, yet you try and kill him instead. How touching...I'd like to face him myself, or even have my other minions do so when he's a real god, but instead you deny me my pleasure. The great gods celebrate another day, and the soul of the Annihilators will not be mine. Only when they are true gods will they be reborn, and thus when I attain their souls. Do you still not understand this?
Leon - My human form will do whatever it takes to stop you...this Chaos soul won't hold me for long. The Annihilators of Darkness and Light will lay me to rest, and you'll never get what you want. Their souls are not yours, so long as Jelos can maintain control over the gate.
Elion - In time, I'll get what I want. When Jelos weakens, I'll get the gate, and their deaths will bring them right to me...it matters not, now. Go...regain your true ancient strength on the blood of the innocent. Wage war, destroy, conquer, but don't harm the Annihilators. They make a move to come together, and I won't have that.
Leon - Yes...
[N] Finally, the Annihilators have become whole again. Brian will gain his powers soon, should his body take the strain. What is this, I speak of? For another time. The mysteries of this new Annihilator are endless, aren't they? Heheheheh...
Author's Note - Please, everyone...the mysteries of everything will be revealed in the next three chapters, where we get an in-depth look at the psyche behind ULEP, reveal another Annihilator, and even see Leon's true strength. The mysteries behind Brian...well, this chapter was a bit of a hard one for me to do. Trust me, though...ignoring this chapter and moving on might make more sense if you just take some time to think and reflect. The true merit of Brian Cerosa will be revealed when you see him battle. (To be perfectly honest, if you get the main point of this story as Brian becoming an Annihilator, you'll be fine in the future).
Part 1 - Legacy of Annihilus
P 1 C 3 - Annihilator of Darkness, Pt. 2
[N] Looking back at some of the history of the Cerosa family, I found something...disturbing, and yet interesting. James Cerosa, an Annihilator, was married to Epona Vakliette, also an Annihilator. When the "passing of blood" was complete (details on this expression later), she became a Cerosa, and thus three members of the family existed. As far as known by myself, she was married to him (out of love, of course, but it's a long story) before the new millennia, and they had a child in the year 2000. The gods, who appreciate how irony plays out, made their son an Annihilator, and this was, by far, a monumental occasion. However, when Leon realized the birth of a new Annihilator, he moved quickly. The murder of their son spurred the couple into space, along with Maximus, and they sought Leon out for revenge. It's been seven years since Brian's death in 2005 near Christmas. But, the truth of all of this is...this is the first Annihilator Leon has had the pleasure of killing...most of the others that had bodies had died of other causes...and, several attempted killings were made of two other Annihilators, who still live to this day...but, that is a story for later. An Annihilator doesn't just gain their powers so easily, and not always is it obvious to point one out. Watch...a miraculous event will occur, and past tears will flow again, only this time in happiness...
[S] James, having retreated into the darkness of the night, ran from ULEP at any opportunity he could get. The rain seemed to mask his identity more than anything else. Lying against the wall, he took the time to analyze his situation. His robe had gained a hood attachment that stopped rain from getting him wetter than needed.
James (thoughts) - Max, where are you...this can't be how it ends...
[A] Peeking out from his alley, he spotted several shops that looked warm and comfortable, lights on and welcoming. People walked to and from anywhere they could go, umbrellas up and coats on. This made James feel worse.
James (thoughts) - Okay, I've gotten out of worse before...or have I? (beating his head) Arghhhh...God damn it, why now!?
[A] A few things were suddenly attracting attention from James. His Annihilator symbol, a mark which he wore proudly, was suddenly beginning to glow red and induce a small pain. He'd noticed this since his fight with Marius. Next, the interrogations, and Marius for that matter. Sure, they seemed a little weird at first, but then it dawned on him that something wasn't right. Marius, who was part of ULEP, asked simple questions, as well as an occasionally complicated one. Three times he was interrogated, and something bugged him horribly. Each question gave him a pain in his soul, which he had assumed was just a small cramp. No...something made him think suddenly that he was peering into his very essence, finding every truth there. It had to be that. He was no ordinary summoner. Many summoners couldn't have possibly gone up against him and broken his Soul Wall. He'd seen some in action before, and none used such advanced spells as he used. No even the experts. That giant...beast. That wretched creature that flew was something that seemed ancient, as if from the distant past. Last, his wounds. Several shots from guns had connected with him. These bullets were combined with energy, thus giving them the extra edge to pierce the mage silk. However, some of them had gotten through the protective oricalcum plating in his armor, and they started to make him bleed slowly. Nothing big, but it was getting painful, and a bit harder to move. Plus, it could give the searchers a trail right to him. He felt around in his pockets, finding his scribe and notebook, still holding all of the alchemy symbols he drew. A nice parting gift for Marius, should they cross again.
James (deeply sighing, thoughts) - Suppose I'd better get moving. No telling where they could be...
[A] With that, he got up and scaled the building nearby, which connected to another one through a small bridge.
[SC]
[S] Marius was on a cell phone, and it became obvious to everyone that his mana was flowing out so strongly that he was sometimes summoning small balls of red and blue mana without even thinking.
??? (on phone) - That seems troubling...thankfully he didn't kill you completely.
Marius - I'm still getting worried about him. I know I wasn't trying, but he seemed horridly stronger than expected. I've yet to see any real master swordsmanship, but his mana is astoundingly powerful...
??? - That's to be expected. Possibly worrisome if he assembles the others, but it's nothing now. Johnathan's given you the clear to kill him, should you meet again.
Marius - It might not happen...Leon's here.
??? - He is!!?
Marius - Unfortunately, yes, but it seems to be for other reasons. First he tried getting the Scribe of Memory and was stopped by the brothers. Now it seems that he tracks an Annihilator, which might mean he's of more concern than realized. His first kill gave him wicked power, so we should stop him from getting too out-of-control. What do you think, master?
??? (changing tone) - ...Leave him be. He's still under our influence, so nothing bad can come of him getting rid of the threats. Which Annihilator is it...?
Marius - Darkness. And something seems wrong with it. This Annihilator specifically...I don't know, it feels similar to Cerosa.
??? - Of course they're similar...their powers are the same.
Marius - No, it's not that. It feels...almost the same as James' energy, like a mirror image, only weaker...
??? - Mirror image, huh? Hmmmmmmmmmmmm...heheheheh...heheheheheheheh, hahahahahah!!! That's f**king amazing...he's going after the same quarry again!
Marius - Master?
??? (stops laughing, clears throat) - Please excuse me...I got carried away. If you see Leon, you're to back off immediately. Otherwise, Cerosa is yours for the taking. Make sure you show no mercy...
Marius - Make sure you don't stop me this time...
??? - ...
[A] He hung up after hearing the silence. Marius' last attempts had failed for specific reasons, and he hoped to avoid them in future confrontations...
[SC]
[S] James, now racing across each building, attracting attention from people in the buildings, ran through the rain, hoping he wouldn't slip and fall to his death (though he could probably make a few souls soften his landing). He looked behind him to find the flying leviathan following him. It flew a few meters above him as he crossed the bridge from building to building, high above the lower level of the city streets. The leviathan, showing no current interest in him, flew towards the building ahead and wrapped its massive body around it like its worm-like form led on. James stopped dead in his tracks.
James (worried look on his face, thoughts) - Why the hell is that thing still here!? Marius should be dead...what the hell...?
[A] James now noticed that Centrion came from out of the shadows in the spire ahead. Hovercars passed by right underneath the bridge to the spire, all of which had the curious citizens, humans most of them, looking up to see the monstrosity on the government building. This obelisk, it seemed, was part of five buildings situated in an array around a much larger spire in the middle, which towered above everything else. Even spacecrafts coming and going from the planet busily were having to avoid it, plus the five other constructions were quite large as well. Several bridges connected from various parts, as well as tubes of, what seemed like, glass coming from different parts of the city. Traffic seemed to circle around this and fly over it as if it were a trans-galactical hub. Truth be told, James knew the complex quite well. This was the Daemon galaxy's embassy and government building, perhaps one of the strongest powers in the universe, commanding one of the greatest armies in the universe. Year two in space had pitted him against its army. They failed miserably, and were mocked by various worlds. Yet any smart person would know that going up against an Annihilator would likely result in death.
Marius (calm) - Remember me?
James (jokingly) - Wondered when you'd have the balls to show your ass around me again.
Marius (slightly stunned) - You knew I wasn't dead?
James - I had a hunch. I mean, sure, shooting you fifteen times should kill you, but then again I've seen others walk away from worse.
Marius - You're right, but that obviously classifies me as unordinary...you can truly never tell from appearances...but believe me, I can tell when you lie. You get a nervous twitch in your voice.
James - Okay, so I lied. No one human, or even alien, could survive being shot fifteen times, but that still doesn't make you any less normal.
Marius (pausing for a second) - Tell me, Cerosa...has your symbol been hurting lately?
James - Why the hell should I tell you!?
Marius - Take it as a yes.
[A] This confirmed Marius suspicion about another Annihilator being on Daemon Prime.
Marius - So...he really is here. Good...well, James, I'm afraid this is where I have to kill you.
James (summoning his Raem) - Now that's funny...you kill me?
[A] James, however, had been careless. During their short chat, he hadn't noticed (until now) that four other leviathans had been summoned, each one looking a bit different than another, whether it was their teeth in their circular mouth, or perhaps having tendrils from their face that came out like whiskers. That each wrapped their bodies around something, be it a walkway or building.
James - Oh...s**t...
[A] Marius laughed slightly, and made a gesture which caused all of them to attack. The first one came from the right, and James quickly spotted it, running for his damn life. It crashed through the bridge, spraying debris on the streets below, as well as hitting some cars that flew through the air. Going to the other side of the bridge, he now spotted ULEP drop ships, each filled with at least fifty soldiers, guns ready. Then, he found more soldiers on bridges below, firing at him. No bullets connected, but James found it hard to keep dodging them. The next leviathan came from his left. This time, faced with nowhere else to go (nothing within jumping distance, at least), he jumped off the side, and the creature missed. Falling to his supposed death, he realized exactly how high up he was, which was about three miles above the ground. Yeah...not good.
James (falling, thoughts) - Think, damn it, think...the next one's coming for you, you've got more men on your tail, and you can't fight forever...(an idea) yes!!!
[A] He reached inside his pant pocket, clutching the scribe. It had refused to work a while before, but now it responded to his memorycraft circle, and quickly showed him the future. With this, he planned every move he would make, only as a genius could.
James - I've got it!!
[A] The next one, fast approaching, bit down, but got nothing. Moments before, a soul had been summoned from James' body, put below his feet, and gave him an amazing jumping boost that propelled him high into the air. He came slamming down seconds later at the leviathan who just realized where his meal had gone to. Heading up, the creature met James as he used a soul to bounce to the right and send his swords all the way down the spine of it, killing it instantly and spraying everything in blood. The next one tried coming, this time running into a quick Soul Grenade that it swallowed, making it explode from the inside. Now landing on a dropship, several soldiers reached out of the opening in the sides to shoot him. Souls, however, stopped the bullets completely, and the ship was met by another beast. Again, James slammed the Raem into its body, this time killing it on impact. Still at least two miles from the ground, he used a soul to bounces him around, this time taking aim at dropships, then finally releasing his swords into the air to let them drop and pulling out his guns, blanketing the fourth one and destroying all ships he could find. Finally, the last one flew out of nowhere and followed him into his increased descent thanks to several souls pushing him. He grabbed the Raem and fired metacalibur up in three slices by both blades, one set of white and another black. With the last one gone, he plummeted downwards. Marius just smiled.
Marius - He is indeed worthy...perhaps I'll stop toying now.
[SC]
[S] A young boy was walking home carrying a plastic bag of groceries, perhaps enough to feed at least ten people, when he spotted someone in the alley. He seemed innocent, the boy, maybe curious, and his face was stunned. Lying in a pool of his own blood was James, unconscious, maybe dead. He didn't scream, but instead ran far ahead to get help. James, lost deep in dreams, found images he never wanted to see, again, but found himself captivated. The slaughter of thousands of people, the ruining of several planets, all of this was done by...
[SC]
[S] He awoke from his dreams to find himself somewhere warm, on a couch next to an open fire in a large room. His robe, boots, and armor had been removed, as well as his watch, guns, and knives, and draped over a nearby chair near the fire to dry. The blood had been removed and the holes patched. Quite unnecessary, he thought, considering that he could make another one with his CTIPS. Still...weird. Observing the room further, he found many children's toys lying around, including dolls, toy trucks, and balls. The room had a classical wood paneling. Many couches, beds, pillows, sheets, and other things surrounded him. It was homely, to be frank.
James (head throbbing, thoughts) - Where am I...?
[A] Images flashed before him. Images of his battle and his freefall to the ground, stopped only by a group of souls that came to his aid when he blacked out. He landed on them, but bounced straight up and down into the darkness of a backalley, where he walked to safety and lost consciousness again after landing hard. His train of thought was interrupted by a boy, the same one who went for help (he didn't see him however), who came in and inspected him.
??? - Are you okay?
James - I...
[A] James also noticed that his body was almost entirely bandaged, and his wounds had stopped bleeding. It relieved some stress. An elderly woman entered into the den, followed by many children, each at least four years old or higher.
Woman (to the boy) - How's our guest doing?
??? - He looks okay.
Woman - Good...what's your name, mister?
James (gulps) - Uhhh...
[A] Faced with a peculiar predicament here, he had to make his decision. His name was known to almost everyone throughout the universe (thanks to ULEP). What would happen if they knew about him?
James - It's...James...
??? - Is there a last name that goes to that?
Woman (laughing) - Oh, you'll have to forgive Brian. He has absolutely no manners.
[A] Brian...the name definitely caught Cerosa's attention. Brian, while the oldest of the children, appeared to be twelve, which was a random estimate by James. His face, while dirty, was nearly spotless, save a few areas. His clothing was ragtag, but looked formal for him. A black shirt with blue shorts and tennis shoes, as well as a small metal necklace about his neck. His hair seemed like a long version of a bowl cut, patterned with blue strands in a similar fashion to his own.
Brian - Oh, shut up...if anything we should at least know why he was almost dead.
[A] He sensed the moment wasn't a good one to let everyone know his identity, so he kept quiet for a while. Looking out the window, it was still dark, and still pouring.
[SC]
[S] In the kitchen, with everyone else asleep except for the old woman, he started his questioning. He wore his black armor, but not his robe (still needed drying). The kitchen had two sections: a dining room and an actual kitchen, but connected together. A long table, good for twenty people, sat there. They conversed in the food room, away from other eyes.
James (looking around) - So...where am I?
Woman - I run a nursery here for lost and abandoned children. I take it your coming here was no coincidence...
[A] Unfortunately, it was.
James - I suppose you should know my full name...
Woman - ...?
James - My name is James Elonis Cerosa, but I'm guessing you likely already know me...
Woman - You're right...I do. I've heard of your deeds, and I know that you're being chased here.
[A] "Deeds" couldn't be good...
James - You have to understand that I'm not all that bad...
Woman (partially offended) - Did I say you were bad? I've heard of your countless sacrifices for the sake of good, your valorous ways, your amazing stories...believe me, I only have interests to help you, and nothing less...
[A] Relieved, James decided to tell her everything...well, everything concerning his time on Prime.
Woman - That's quite impressive. Our government's army has never been able to fight back against them, so I'm glad someone's standing up for us.
James - But that's enough about me...I need to know about this...Brian.
Woman - Ahhh, yes...Brian's always been a strange one. He came to me one night and said that his parents were dead, and ever since then he's been a bit...quiet. He's the eldest of all the kids here, and they look up to him in a way.
James - Hmmmm...
[A] Puzzling...he felt weird about it. There was always the possibility that...no, he was too old.
Woman - It was seven years ago...yes, he seemed quite sad, and yet...he almost seemed unfazed. He's twelve years old, now.
[A] Twelve!!? No...this could've meant something else entirely. Maybe it really is him, but he had to find out for himself.
Woman - If you want, I can show you some of his drawings...he has a real talent for this sort of thing.
[SC]
[S] He gladly accepted, hoping for some answers here. The room now was specially made for Brian. It was like the main den, just with only one bed: his own.
Woman (handing James a stack of papers) - Here...these are some of his finest. He said that he made these ones from images of his dreams.
[A] Uninteresting at first, though some seemed eerily realistic and archaic. Gigantic stones that came to life, flying monsters, men of various ages and legendary status. As he neared the end, one single painting came to his attention. He squinted his eyes, and got a better look at it.
James - This one...so...familiar...
[A] He had suddenly noticed that Brian wasn't in his bed anymore, as if he crept out while they were looking at his drawings. He apparently had been so half-asleep he hadn't noticed them. James, returning to the painting, observed it more, and realized, to his horror, what it was. It was a man whose skin was bathed in shadow, wore metal boots, a red robe with black engravings, a red cape with a strange symbol, and carried two swords.
James (gasping, dropping the picture) - It...can't be...no, no, no...!!!
[A] Before the old woman realized it, he had run out the door, but she understood everything. The painting...it was of him.
[SC]
[S] Brian, who'd actually gone out for a walk to clear his head, noticed James running by, tears falling from his eyes. This part of town was slightly shielded from the rain, so there wasn't much obstructing it. James had grabbed his robe and other items before leaving. Brian knew something was weird. He was the man from his dreams...he followed him to an area where multiple pipes were jutting out of the ground, carrying heat and releasing steam. James had come here to think, and stood right in the middle of the hallway-like passage that lined the backalleys. Brian, being twelve, understood some of the pain, but still didn't know exactly what was going on.
James (crying) - My son...my son...it can't be...how? It's not possible...unless...but...
[A] Brian tried to approach him, but backed away before he could talk to him.
Leon (from out of the corner) - Poor, poor Cerosa...too gutless to handle the truth?
[A] Leon had naturally figured things out already. He'd been stalking Brian for some time now. He slowly walked towards James, who looked up. His tears had stopped. The room was actually a connecting vent to the sewers, which transferred water, electricity, and heat through the city via underground pipes.
James - What do you want...?
Leon - Probably what you want...the boy.
James - ...
[A] James, having seen Brian, knew he had to act fast. He slowly lowered his black gun from his sleeve, knowing that Leon had already seen it, and fired it point blank at him. The shot actually spread out in multiple blasts right in his face, blinding him for a second while he grabbed Brian and ran farther into the sewer.
James (running, thoughts) - Have to get him to safety...please don't follow us...
[A] He turned a corner with the boy, looked back, and saw Leon on all fours chasing him quickly.
James (thoughts) - Damn it!!!
Brian - Yo, what's going on!!!?
James (flinging Brian into a crevice) - No time to explain! Stay there!!
[A] He met Leon head-on with his swords, getting into a complicated fight between swords and scythe. Leon jumped back and stretched his arm out, while James blocked it by crossing both swords, making a shield. Leon rushed up to him and punched him in the face, followed by a kick against the wall, and a swift dodge by Cerosa with another punch.
James - Soul Grenade!
[A] Hitting Leon directly, he bounced back, lifting his foot and turning it into a spike, stretching it toward James, who unfortunately couldn't dodge it. It pierced straight through his arm and came out, but not before James responded with a bash from a soul. Temporarily paralyzed, Leon was kneed by James, punched in the face, and hit dead on with another Soul Grenade. Stepping back, his entire body trembled, making James fear something was about to happen. Leon's robe turned into a part of his body, and his entire form became a wall, or rather flood, of spikes.
James - Soul Wall!
[A] The wall held him off, taking up the entire hall space, but soon was breached by Leon, who slipped a small portion of himself by and formed himself on the other side, continuing the beating. For another five minutes, they struggled, and James was losing. James finally succumbed and fell to the ground. Leon dropped a part of his blackish-white body, which took the form of two oozy soldiers of his (the ones Maximus fought off). They picked him up and held him.
Leon - So this is how it ends...you never even got properly introduced to your "son". I'll enjoy his screams of anguish again...but first...
[A] He slowly made his advance, only to find himself behind held back by Brian.
Leon - Well, that's convenient.
James - Brian, get away from here!!!
Brian - No...
James - Please!!!
[A] Instead of running, he screamed in anguish as Leon lifted him up with one arm, his right specifically. He stretched his other arm down into James' pocket, taking the scribe.
Leon (looking at the scribe) - Now that I finally have this...I don't need anything else. Now witness the horror of...
[A] Leon had to stop there to notice how the scribe was glowing red, as well as his memorycraft symbol on his arm. Everyone couldn't believe what happened next...
Leon (panicking) - What's happening!!!?
[A] Brian seemed to take in a massive amount of mana from the scribe, screaming loudly until blacking out. A reciprocal of red electricity flowed through Leon's body. It was over in an instant, leaving James to wonder what happened. With his hands free, he fired off dual Soul Grenades that put a hole in both of the minions and went for Leon with a metacalibur slice, taking of a large chunk of him and stepping over the unconscious Brian. Before he could deliver another slash, Leon's minions formed their arms into chains and pulled him back by his arm. The other arm slashed the chains, but another set grabbed his other arm, this time by a much bigger army of minions, each one with either a sword, axe, or lance for an arm. They all jumped on top of him, trying to stab or cut him, but met a huge spread of souls that quickly came from James' body in all directions, knocking all of them to the wall.
James (tired) - Damn...it...why...won't...they...stop?
Leon (coming out of shock) - That little bastard...I should kill him!!
James - You're not touching him.
[A] Leon's fist then stretched and connected with James' stomach. He coughed up blood. More minions formed from his body.
Leon - Look around you...is there anything you can do to stop me? I killed your son the first time, and I can do it again.
??? - Not this time...
[A] Brian stood right behind him. When he looked back, it was way too late to react. He put his hands up to Leon's back, and in a flash of light and alchemy a bow formed. Leon fell to the ground.
[OD] Chaos Weapon - A weapon created from the body of a demi-Chaos, specifically Leon, considering his highly formable organic structure that can be formed as needed. Made of oricalcum, these weapons are made when energy is applied to a demi-Chaos' body (specifically a unique energy made by the Annihilators). Some renditions of these can be made out of oricalcum without using Leon, but the process is harder.
[OD] Splice - Brian's bow. It bears black engravings and runes in the wooden stick area, and the string is made from a high source of energy. It fires arrows made of pure energy that are continuous. A black, yet pure, aura radiates from it.
Brian - Duck...
[A] James, bewildered, saw Brian aiming the bow at him, and crouched to avoid a single arrow of mana form when he pulled the string back that split into multiple arrows, mowing down all of the Chaos minions at once.
[MD] Breaking Arrow (Brian) - Takes an arrow and splits it up into up to a thousand arrows using pure mana.
[A] James suddenly noticed how noble the Annihilator of Darkness looked. Still a bit confused, he felt curious as to exactly what happened. That, however, was interrupted when Leon stood up. Half of his face was missing, replaced with some kind of dimensional tear.
James - ...!
[A] James suddenly recognized the sight.
Leon (different voice, though similar) - Way to go, dumb ass...you've actually managed to piss me off...
[A] James dodged a large slime-like spreading abyss in Leon's arm that came towards him. He led Brian out of the sewers through a nearby pipe that took sewage water and they both jumped out. Black ooze came out in large flow, like a flood, and tried to get to the two of them. Leon's body suddenly formed in the middle of it and grew larger, expanding out in spikes and grabbing all nearby objects, tossing them at James and Brian. His arms multiplied and turned into multiple other arms, and so on and so on, until his entire body eventually blackened the lake. James could see the scribe inside his body, but he spat it out and it landed on the ground where the two of them got out, which was right next to the city.
Leon (booming voice) - I'm just getting started, and you're already giving up. How does it feel?
James (picking up the scribe) - It feels...pretty pathetic.
Brian - What's happening!!?
[A] Brian obviously had never seen something so horrifying. As Leon drew closer to them, spreading out his body in all directions, what looked like one of his hands grasped his heart area in pain. A voice had appeared from nowhere, seeming to control Leon with no equal.
??? - Leon...you've gone so far as to disobey me again? That will not be tolerated...
Leon (in pain) - Stay outta this Elion!!
James - Elion...!?
Brian - That voice...
[A] Leon struggled against it, but saw his entire body breaking apart in blue particles.
Leon (fading away) - No...no...NO!!!!!!!!!!!
[SC]
[S] The old woman from the nursery was in her rocking chair, watching the children she had raised play around. The phone suddenly rang.
Woman (answering) - Hello?
Marius - Jess...Hews requests that you rejoin...now. Cerosa has retrieved the Annihilator. I trust that you did your job?
Jess - The Annihilator was of no use to us at the moment. Cerosa took him with open arms...at least that's what I saw.
Marius - So then...father and son are reunited. How touching...the master will be glad. Now then, what shall we do about the little ones?
Jess - If I rejoin, I'll need no guise. They have no use now, so I'll do whatever you command, Centrion.
Marius - Heheheheh...
[A] The woman, now known as Jess, left the room, returning with a gun. With a faceless expression, she pulled the trigger, and...
Bang...
[CD] Jess Arabac - Age: 61. Birthplace: Daemon Prime. Species: Human. Sex: Female. Birthday: October 31, 1951. Physical Description: 5' 9", 178.8 lbs., short gray hair, red eyes. Clothing: Green uniform with a blue vest, several gun hostlers on her vest, two knife holders on her vest, green cargo pants, and kachin-plated shoes. Type of Magic User: Alchemist. Occupation: Leader of Assassination Units (ULEP).
[SC]
[S] James returned with Brian cradled in his arms, worn out from exhaustion. Nearly killed by Leon, plus bombarded with unknown mana, a new Annihilator had been revealed. James, surely, hadn't understood everything that Brian had said. It's as if he knew everything that was going on. Maximus was waiting for them on the Aeros. Being contacted by means of the CTIPS, he knew everything he needed to at the moment. James took Brian to a bedroom in the Aeros, and made sure that nothing would disturb him.
James (conversing with Maximus at the front of the ship) - I don't know what happened to him, and I still don't know if he's really...you know. But...I have this feeling...
Max - But how...? He's too old to have been reborn.
James - You know the other possibility...
Max - Soul possession? You know that it's not possible, otherwise he wouldn't need the Scribe of Memory to restore his mind to normal.
[AD] Soul Possession - A theoretical term used to describe how a soul can sometimes be reborn into another person's body by will. There are restrictions, however, and the body must closely match the soul's original body form. Blood type can be different, but once possession occurs, the victim's body changes in whatever way needed to contain the soul. In rare cases, the original soul of the body won't leave.
James - Think about it...what if only half of it occurred? What if...his looks only came over, and only some parts of his memories were kept. It explains a lot.
Max - We'll see...right now, there's no proof. What did that scribe do to him?
James - More than just give him memories back...he saw something that not even we can see...what was it?
[SC]
[S] Brian was sleeping in his room.
Brian (sleep-talking) - Elion...
??? (voice) - Do you enjoy your new body, or will that one be unsatisfactory?
Brian - ...
??? - Jess always saw something in you, even enough to give up her ways. I don't care what she feels, but she won't spare you again...and if she doesn't kill you, Leon will. Think about it...
[A] The voice stopped as James came into the room and looked down at Brian. He noticed everything about him was the exact same about his son before. Everything...
Brian (waking up) - Dad...
James - ...
Brian - Where's mom? She's always been with you...I'd like to see her again...
[A] James just smiled and broke into tears, hugging Brian and never letting go.
[SC]
[S] Jess stood in a dark room, where various men stood.
??? - So...you've given up on Brian?
Jess - If he knew what I truly was, he'd never love me anymore like I used to care for him. I don't care for the company of children, anymore. They'll never replace the loss in my heart...perhaps I'll never love again...
??? - Heheheheheh.
Jess - Begin Project Genesis.
[N] Brian - She was an old woman who took me in after grieving the loss of her son at the hands of the people she worked for. She hoped she could raise me to be just like her son. In the process, she gained the love of children, and worked as a government nursery owner to help others be like her son. Thus, she became an old woman, and lost interest in her job. When I left, she knew that her pride and joy would never come back. That is a story for another time. Brian Kaste, my body that my soul possessed, refused to leave, and thus the transmission was incomplete. My father and my mother might have to live to learn with the fact that I'll never be normal, but I'm finally back...
[SC]
[S] ...
Elion - So Leon...disobey me, will you? I told you to force the Release of the Annihilator, yet you try and kill him instead. How touching...I'd like to face him myself, or even have my other minions do so when he's a real god, but instead you deny me my pleasure. The great gods celebrate another day, and the soul of the Annihilators will not be mine. Only when they are true gods will they be reborn, and thus when I attain their souls. Do you still not understand this?
Leon - My human form will do whatever it takes to stop you...this Chaos soul won't hold me for long. The Annihilators of Darkness and Light will lay me to rest, and you'll never get what you want. Their souls are not yours, so long as Jelos can maintain control over the gate.
Elion - In time, I'll get what I want. When Jelos weakens, I'll get the gate, and their deaths will bring them right to me...it matters not, now. Go...regain your true ancient strength on the blood of the innocent. Wage war, destroy, conquer, but don't harm the Annihilators. They make a move to come together, and I won't have that.
Leon - Yes...
[N] Finally, the Annihilators have become whole again. Brian will gain his powers soon, should his body take the strain. What is this, I speak of? For another time. The mysteries of this new Annihilator are endless, aren't they? Heheheheh...
Author's Note - Please, everyone...the mysteries of everything will be revealed in the next three chapters, where we get an in-depth look at the psyche behind ULEP, reveal another Annihilator, and even see Leon's true strength. The mysteries behind Brian...well, this chapter was a bit of a hard one for me to do. Trust me, though...ignoring this chapter and moving on might make more sense if you just take some time to think and reflect. The true merit of Brian Cerosa will be revealed when you see him battle. (To be perfectly honest, if you get the main point of this story as Brian becoming an Annihilator, you'll be fine in the future).
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