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Chaos Chronicles - In the Beginning


Part 1 - Legacy of Annihilus


P 1 C 14 - Blood Eyes, Pt. 1





[S] A woman, in the light of a huge monastery on fire, walked to two boys as she was covered in blood and bleeding to death. Their eyes were drenched in tears and they ran to her. She kneeled to the ground.

Boy 1 (crying) - Mom, what's wrong!!?

Boy 2 (crying) - Please answer us!!

[A] Her face was blank, except for her smile and her half-closed eyes.

Woman (plainly) - Hold out your arms...

[A] They did as they were told. On their arms were memorycraft alchemy symbols. The first boy's was on his right arm, and second on his left. The woman put her own hands on the symbols, both glowing bright red, and she released them. Three lines circled both seals.

Woman (hugging them) - James...Maximus...

[A] They were sobbing, looking nearby at a man slowly walking towards them...one with no face at all, save the darkness.

Woman - Don't die...

[A] A long black spike impaled her back and sprayed her blood everywhere. Her body fell to the ground, her eyes losing their sparkle.

Boy 1 (trembling) - No...no...NO!!!!!!!!!!!

[A] She touched his face as he sat there.

Woman - You both will carry the power of our people...until the day Elion dies...never let yourselves become unfocused...

[A] Her hand dropped limp. As the man slowly approached, the same spike turned into a wave of black substance that swallowed her body whole.

Boy 2 (eyes wide in fear) - Mother...we have to leave.

[A] The other boy was hesitant to go. He looked up in anger at the man, who drew closer still, and lunged for him, his hands connected with the man's skin. A white light glowed from the part where they met, and two long swords came out. This man fell back in weakness, got up again, laughed, and left. His horrific laughter filled the night air, as did the smoke...of their only true home.

[SC]

[S] James stared down at his right arm, where his alchemy symbol was. He could still see the marks.

James (thoughts) - Until Elion dies...how she knew him, I wonder...

[N] Every time he looked at the marks, his painful reminder of that night came back to him. The day his mother and father were killed, and the day the Raem blessed his life. Elion was great at everything, it seemed...little known to James, he had already worked an intricate control on Brian, but I suppose that's for another time, as it doesn't quite play itself out soon. In this time, when all the Annihilators have been discovered, Leon seems to do nothing but get stronger. And with strength...comes the ability to mold it...

[SC]

[S] In the aftermath of the ambush, ULEP was recovering and repairing the room, while Leon still slept. John looked furious about all the damage.

John (looking around) - God damn them...just when things couldn't get any worse, they come along...

Darius (walking in) - You realize this was bound to happen, correct?

John (angry) - Shut up! I didn't expect them to be here so soon...

Genji - Well, you could've at least prepared better...

[A] John was about to throw a punch when he saw Leon against the wall.

John (walking to Leon) - And you...why weren't you helping us!!?

[A] He got no response.

John (grabbing his robe) - Answer me!!

[A] He felt a liquid-like hand on his arm, and he looked over. His minion was staring at him.

Ooze - I wouldn't touch him, if I were you...

John (letting go) - Who the hell are you?

Ooze - I am Leon's elite servant, Bevel, and I'd ask that you at least show my master some respect.

John (stubborn) - Hmph...fine, Bevel...why's he sleeping right now?

Bevel (laughing) - For one who researched the demi-Chaos of Form, you truly have no f**king clue about my master. Every two months, he goes into a deep sleep for a day. This is to charge his strength and gain more power. This one happens to last two days, but is well worth the wait, doubling his mana reserves.

Genji - So you're saying he's doubling his power!!?

Bevel - Yes...but in the meantime...

[A] He stopped suddenly and leaned over to Leon, listening to a few inaudible sounds that he was giving off.

Bevel (bowing) - Sorry, but he's just given me a task to complete.

Darius (stroking his beard) - Task, huh? Why do I know where this is going?

Bevel - The Annihilators have, indeed, escaped. He wants to go after them, but he wants to do it now. ULEP can't handle this alone, so he offers his power to you, in return for following my orders. You there...Darius, is it not?

Darius (pointing at himself) - ...?

Bevel - Yes...you'll do. He wants a thousand of your best men, excluding your magic users, to charge their base of operations. He has already pinpointed it. James Cerosa will tear them apart if he's there, so why not lure him away with something else?

John - In other words, a distraction.

Bevel - Darius must fight Cerosa, and he might even kill him in the process.

John (shaking his head) - You're forgetting something...Cerosa can tear him apart in under ten minutes.

[A] Bevel laughed for a few seconds, and his three reds eyes squinted.

Bevel - Show me your toys...

[SC]

[S] Genji led John, Darius, and Bevel, carrying Leon on his back, into a tremendous room underground that held mechs, tanks, searchers, planes, dropships, and guns everywhere. There were millions of them...

Bevel - Are these all?

Genji - No, just a twentieth of it. But you really don't need all of them to be successful...

John (walking forward) - Well then...now what?

[A] Bevel was listening to Leon's strange noises again.

Bevel - Wait right here...

[A] Into the groups of machinery, he placed Leon in the middle of them all. He then ran to where everyone else was.

Bevel - Now watch...

[A] Leon's body began to rise from the floor, red and blue mana pulsing below him from the floor, making him levitate. His body became a large group of strands that fed into everything, turning it all black. The mechs, tanks, and searchers all came to life, but stood completely still, other than the searchers, which hovered in the air. Leon's body came back down, and Bevel ran over to him again, picking him up and bringing him back.

Genji (amazed) - Chaos element synthesis!! It's f**king incredible!!

[A] More sounds from Leon.

Darius - What now?

Bevel (getting near Darius) - This may hurt a little...

[A] Bevel touched Darius on the chest and turned into a small stream of black liquid that covered his body and soaked in. He screamed in pain, but his screams were soon ended, and began with laughter as his body was overflowing with mana.

Darius - Yes...such power, such strength, such greatness!!!

[A] He felt stronger than he'd ever been before.

John - Are you feeling okay?

Darius - Heheheheheh...leave that bastard to me...

[SC]

[S] Thousands of soldiers marched out from the buildings, and searchers followed behind, along with the mechs, tanks, and dropships. Darius soon followed, dismissed by John and Genji (Richard and the others were in the Watch Towers).

Darius (thoughts) - It feels great to be a mage...

[SC]

[S] The warehouse, though dark, was quickly being fixed up by Krypto and the Dog Stars, as they raced around and helped out in any way that they could. James had said that leaving the building would likely give their position away, so everyone had to stay. They were surrounded by other storage facilities and factories, but it was a wonder they weren't discovered already...either way they looked at it, ULEP was searching for the Annihilators, so they were never safe anyways. Streaky had just left for another food run (not to get food for himself, but for everyone else). He was the fastest of them all, and the least noticeable, so he was perfect for getting food for the hundreds of people. Krypto, with his heat vision, had just finished welding a group of pipes to the wall while Kevin watched.

Krypto (flying down to the ground) - There, that's the last of them...

Kevin - That didn't take too long.

[A] Andrea was walking around aimlessly, thinking and carrying a worried expression.

Krypto (noticing) - What's with her?

Kevin - She must miss her family...I hope we can leave soon...

James (from above) - Don't count on it...

[A] James watched the outside from the second floor and through a window. He felt like something was about to happen...

James - Until we get all of this resolved, you might be with us for the long haul.

Krypto - Is it really that bad?

Kevin - Well...they did beat the Justice League...

Krypto (sighs) - Whatever...

[A] Brian came running across the walkway towards James, and whispered something in his ears, frantically. They both ran to the windows nearest to the doors, where Max and Epona were stationed. Krypto decided to listen in. Kevin put his own ear on Krypto's and he could hear them as well.

James (looking out) - Strange...all the lightning's striking there?

Max - Worse...it keeps happening, and the power's out all around the city, for one reason or another.

Brian - Should we check it out?

James - No...it's too risky.

Epona - Hmmm...

[A] Epona looked closer and saw lightning tearing apart the buildings, but it came from somewhere on the ground. Then, another flash of lightning, and a thunderous explosion in the middle of the city, sending fire and clouds into the sky as it rained. Everyone was starting to panic, but kept a slight calm.

Epona - It seems so...familiar.

[A] Now dark tendrils engulfed buildings in one swoop, and even took people into the air and crushed them into a bloody dust.

Kal (from below) - Something wrong?

Max - I'd hate to say it, but yes...

Kal - Then maybe we should do something.

James (turning around) - Sorry, guys, but you're not leaving...not yet.

Krypto (from across the room) - Well what do we do!?

James (thinking) - Mmmmm...I'll go.

Brian - What!?

James - I feel immense mana, likely that of one of their magic users. I can probably take him, so I need everyone else to keep guard while I'm gone.

Max (quietly) - Bro...you know this is a trap! They'll move in while you're gone, and they'll kill us all!

James (quietly) - Yeah, but not doing anything will mean more people will die.

[A] Another explosion.

Max (grunts) - Go...

[SC]

[S] At a lightning-fast speed, he ran to the part of the city where the explosions were coming from. He was so fast that not even the searchers could spot him. His watch was held up to his mouth.

James (into watch, running) - This might be bad if Leon really is here...

Max - I don't think it's Leon, but whatever it is, it's dangerous. So be careful.

Epona - James...

James - What?

Epona - The lightning...I think I might know who this is.

James - Go ahead...

Epona - His name is Darius Gomda. He works for ULEP, but I feel strange right now...his strength feels incredible, even from here, and it was nowhere near this great when we were on Arbistram.

James - Seriously? Damn, this could be trouble...

[A] He entered a broken section of the city with multiple pieces of the overhanging street in the middle. It was like a large crater, only littered with blood and fire. People were running and screaming, but there was no sign of the man.

James (scratching his head) - There's no one here...

Max - Are you sure?

James (thinking) - Nothing...unless...

[A] A surge of mana went through his body, and he felt like he was standing on his own grave.

James (scared, shaking) - Ohp...never mind, there's definitely something here...

[A] A shock of electricity came from the shadows and hit James head on, knocking him back. Darius appeared from the shadows, followed by a searcher. Darius' body was...different. His skin was shadowed in darkness, and his eyes had a lust for blood in them.

Darius (smiling) - Greetings, Cerosa. I am...

James (getting up) - Darius Gomda? Yeah, heard it already...

Darius (slightly shocked) - Oh...well then. (clears throat) I'm glad you could make it today...I didn't think you would actually show up.

James (summoning swords) - Whatever. Look, can I just kick your bitch ass and get this over with?

[A] Darius turned around and looked up at the searcher. On several electronic billboards and screens, as well as every TV and radio, his face was there, or at the least his voice.

Darius - Citizens of Earth...my name is Darius, and I'm an elite member of ULEP, your captor. I'm sure you're wondering why I'm here today. Funny story, actually...

[SC]

[S] A television set, connected to a back-up generator for power, was watched by everyone in the warehouse.

Darius - This man you see before you is guilty of a crime...a crime against us that has possibly passed judgment on all of you. This man, James Cerosa, stole something from us, and now we want it back. If we don't get it, we'll be forced to kill every last one of you!!!

Max (watching) - What the f**k...?

[SC]

[S] Back in the area...

Darius - But...there is a simple solution...either return to us what he took, or we can just kill him instead. (turns around) It's either them...or you.

James - You're s**tting me, right?

Darius - Does it look like I am?

[A] James ran over to him and sliced one of his swords through his shoulders. No blood...only black ooze that parted to make way.

Darius (cocky) - Did I mention that won't work?

[A] Darius put a hand to James stomach and blew him back with a combined beam of electricity and darkness. He landed against a wall and coughed up blood. Darius snapped his fingers, and instantly, from the darkness in the streets and the sky, came ten mechs, nine hundred and five soldiers carrying an assortment of guns, three hundred and seventy seven searchers, forty dropships, and nine tanks. James was horrified when he saw all of these.

Darius (hands out to his sides) - Meet the new and improved ULEP! Thanks to the demi-Chaos of Form, we have become twice as strong as ever, including myself! I was once...a lowly sorcerer. But now...

[A] In his right hand, he held a concentrated ball of yellow mana. In the other, a ball of black mana.

Darius - I've finally become a mage!!! Muwahahahahah!!!

James (standing up) - You made a deal with him...for "ultimate power"!? Good God, you dumb ass!!! Do you have any idea what he'll do to you when you're not useful anymore!?

Darius (stops laughing, still smiling) - Ahhh, but that doesn't matter now...if he wants you, he can have you. But you're mine to kill first...FIRE!!!

[A] A barrage of bullets, shells, and lasers came his way. He held up a Soul Wall around himself, but he found the souls starting to crumble under pressure. The bullets, it seemed, all had Leon's mana in them, which made it impossible for him to survive forever. Just then, a lightning blast dispersed his souls and sent him flying. Regaining footing, he threw his swords to the ground, making them disappear in a flash of light, and pulled out his guns. He began to shoot everything he could, and tried to dodge bullets and mana attacks at the same time, but failed quickly, only managing to stop about a hundred things. Against a large wall, he hid to avoid getting shot. Most of it had gone to his armor, but some had hit his skin.

James (breathing heavily, thoughts) - Crap...not a good time to fight these guys...okay, what mods can I use?

[A] He checked the small screen on his guns and saw the options: Rapid Fire and Spreadshot. He switched the black gun to Spreadshot and the white one to Rapid Fire, and began firing aimlessly into the groups of oncoming men and machines. This time, it was more successful, and he quickly destroyed half of their forces, but found himself running away when his bullets didn't work on the mechs. He stabbed one of them in the cockpit area, triggering a small explosion, and noticed nothing inside. Not good...he was then shot at a few more times, quickly dodging those, and hid behind another wall, this time higher up in the side of a destroyed building so that they'd have a hard time hitting him. The bullets went cleanly through the wall, so he got farther back. Peeking out, he fired a Soul Grenade and killed many more. He was met with another bombardment of bullets, and this time a few missiles. After a few more minutes of Soul Grenades, he found himself in Darius' sight, and met a flow of darkness on his chest, followed by more shots which hit his arms and legs. He reached into his pocket for a second and his arm glowed. Using the scribe, he saw the future and ran into the crowd, his swords held high. He sliced through them with metacalibur, shot energy blasts at the searchers that fired lasers at him, and even took apart a mech with a single swing. Even after all of this, he was still outnumbered. He kept getting hit, and was losing a lot of blood. Suddenly...it all stopped, and he was laying on the ground, watching the feet of someone draw closer.

Darius - You disappoint me...not much to bring you down, was it?

[A] James smiled angrily and looked at Darius.

James - It's not over yet...

[A] James rolled over to reveal a Sunburst seal, which he touched with white mana and set off a huge explosion that killed most of them. Through the smoke, he sliced at Darius, but no blows connected, and he was sent back again, this time feeling weaker than ever.

James (holding his side) - Hah...that's almost all of them...got anything else for me?

[A] He was bleeding profusely through his robe and armor. Darius just smiled and commanded the rest to attack. They all met his metacalibur head on, but James then saw Darius running into him, punching him with electricity in his fist. He coughed up more blood as everyone watched his defeat.

James (trembling, looking up) - What now? You've got no more left...

[A] Darius smiled and snapped his fingers again. The broken parts melded together, fixing themselves and continuing the attack. The guns also lashed out at the dead soldiers with dark tendrils, taking them over and turning them into hybrids of humans and Leon's minions. There were only half of the machines left, but all of the soldiers still. He was faced with bad odds now...

[SC]

[S] Epona was stunned...soldiers kept coming in from the front of the warehouse, each one carrying a gun that was slowly chinking their defenses. Max had installed machines to keep them at bay, but they were getting passed the electrical fields and spikes that came up from the ground. People were now starting to freak out, and Krypto was suggesting that they help.

Max - It's too risky...something's different about these...

[A] From a distance, shells came and missed the building. Epona was trying to keep her shield up, but the bullets were piercing it easily.

Epona (tired) - Brian...you have to stop them...

Brian (prepping an arrow) - I'm on it!

[A] The arrow he fired off was a Breaking Black Arrow, which sent everything that advanced on them flying into the other buildings. It was over now. Everyone went to the windows and looked out, but Krypto felt like something was about to happen. They all cheered, and Max came up behind Brian.

Max - Finally...

[A] Their cheers were stopped when their guns had turned them into ooze creatures. With lances for one arm and guns in the other arm, they kept advancing, and everyone was screaming again. Epona held up the shield longer, but they broke through...

Max and Brian - Oh...s**t...

[A] Max jumped down from the second floor window and extended both katars. He slowly walked down a large ramp-like walkway that connected the warehouse's level with a slightly lower level, where everything was attacking them from. He pushed a button on his CTIPS and small turrets with three small cannons came up from the ground near the building.

Max - Krypto...Kal...and everyone else...I guess we'll be needing your help after all...!!

[A] Max closed his eyes for a few seconds, opened them back up, and they were red.

[SC]

[S] James ran through a row of ooze soldiers, dodging bullets and slicing them all with his Raem, and made his way towards Darius, firing off quick Soul Grenades and missing him, but hitting more soldiers. He rolled to dodge a wave of darkness.

James - Rapid Soul Grenade!!!

[A] Even after ten blasts, he still couldn't hit Darius, who seemed to be doing great at hitting him. He got up to dodge a lightning blast and was stabbed in the back and leg by a group of soldiers, both stabs going straight through his armor. He kicked and punched them away and got back to running speed quickly, jumping up into the air and holding a soul in his fist. With more souls circling his arm, and punched down and was about to hit Darius' face. Behind his back, the man had an orb of yellow and black mana. He brought it forward, and their attacks met. One was a beam of mana, the other a Soul Grenade Fury along the arm...





Author's Note - In the next part, there will be more action from everyone, as well as more displays of power by Darius and some awesome kick-ass action from both James and Maximus. Also, I'd like to thank rachel131 for her help in writing this chapter.