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Chaos Chronicles - In the Beginning


Part 1 - Legacy of Annihilus


P 1 C 15 - Blood Eyes, Pt. 2





[S] Their blasts met, and so did the extended spiked arms of the soldiers into James' back. He screamed in pain, but didn't move as he was suspended in the air, his attack clashing with Darius'. He didn't understand some of the things that were happening. Everything was basically indestructible. The backlash from the clash of their attacks sent strands of mana into everything: buildings, searchers, tanks, soldiers, mechs, and dropships. More soldiers, infected with Leon's power, were arriving, even after James was constantly killing them (actually killing them by hitting them hard enough). The strands of mana tore apart James' robe and cut his skin, causing him to bleed more. Darius was essentially unaffected, as the strands tore him apart, but his skin regenerated. As it resolved, they were both blown back. James, by all considerations, shouldn't have been alive. Counting from start to now, he was wounded in fifty three different places.

Darius (walking forward) - What's wrong, Cerosa? Tired already?

James (breathing heavily) - If you'd fight me like a man...and do it alone...this'd be fair...

[A] Darius kicked him in the face and he tumbled backwards, recovering with a handstand into a punch, another stand, and a series of kicks. He jumped again to stab his swords in Darius' chest, but knew his mistake when it went straight through him. It occurred to James that he was fighting someone like Leon. Black leashes grabbed hold of his arms and legs and wrenched him backwards, where he was held by two soldiers. Darius got up and healed his wounds automatically.

Darius (confident) - My, my, you certainly aren't getting anywhere, are you? You know, I could finish you right now...but I aim to make this as painful as possible.

James (smiling angrily) - Bite me...

Darius - Heheh...

[A] Darius stretched his arm back, like Leon had done so many times before, and flung it forward into James' head, which sent him flying a good thousand feet. The searcher that was watching all of this played it back for everyone in slow motion as it followed Darius. He looked back to see that only two mechs and three tanks were left. He made a signal for them not to follow.

[SC]

[S] Everyone in the ULEP buildings cheered on Darius as he beat the living s**t out of James. John and Genji were pleased with this, and Richard had just arrived to watch it all begin. Marius and Sirius saw everything from the Watch Tower, as did the entire Justice League, and everyone in Metropolis were seeing this on the screens, most just standing around in sheer amazement, while others drove everywhere.

[SC]

[S] Max had just turned his eyes red. Brian was ready to use his bow, and Epona was starting to black out from consistently using her shield.

Epona (eyes lowering, exhausted) - Brian...can't...hold it...(on knees) I have to stop.

Brian (trying to get her up) - Come on, mom! We can't give up yet!!

Epona (falling to the floor) - Used too much mana today...owww...

[A] Just like that, her shield was gone, and the building was susceptible to attacks.

Max (looking back) - What happened!?

Brian (holding Epona up) - She used too much mana!!

Max (rolls eyes) - F**king perfect...and now of all times. Yo, Krypto! If you're gonna be of use, you'd better start now!

[SC]

[S] Darius walked through the streets, zapping cars from it and into the tall buildings nearby. Fires were started, and the rain fell into the pools of blood that were everywhere. He was followed by the soldiers, which killed as they went. Darius picked up the semi-unconscious James from a mass of metal that was a car he landed on.

Darius (holding him above the ground) - I've won, Cerosa.

[A] He got no answer, only a few tears from his closed eyes, and a slight smile.

Darius (angry) - Why...why're you smiling!!!?

[A] He punched him back, and ordered his troops to shoot as soon as he tried to get up. He didn't even make a move to dodge them. He slowly took out his own guns, his arms trembling, and he shot twice at Darius, the wounds regenerating themselves. The shock from firing made James feel just how weak his arms and legs were now. He felt a spike from Darius' arm through his armor and into his stomach. Darius pinned him to a broken car with this.

Darius - If you're still alive, you'd better plea for your life...

[A] James kept smiling and looked up. With his arms free, he sent two Soul Grenades into Darius, this time hurting him. He regenerated and struck out again, this time in a series of kicks, punches, swipes, spikes, and uppercuts that James dodged with ease. He backed up and felt himself getting hit in the shoulder by a bullet. He clutched it and dropped to his knees. Darius shot a blast of lightning at him, then a wave of darkness engulfed him and lifted him high into the air.

Darius - Why...why do you still fight!!?

James - Because...I have no other choice...

Darius (laughing) - Is that why!? You're so pathetic!!

James - I've...been told that...many times before...

[A] Darius slammed him against a wall, which caused him to bleed even more. He slashed his way out of the grip, but found himself stared down by a massive amount of soldiers, as well as yellow and black tendrils of mana.

James (falls down on his back) - You're name is...Gomda...why does it sound familiar?

[A] He was picked up by the tentacles and hoisted into the air before Darius. His eyes were half closed, and he was smiling weakly.

Darius - Stop smiling!!!

[A] He didn't, and Darius blasted him back with a lightning blast while still keeping him held.

Darius - I said STOP!!!

[A] Another blast, and another, and another. James was holding it.

Darius - Why, James? Why can't you...stop...?

[A] Darius broke out into tears and hit him several times with extended fists. He felt weird...

James (getting hit, weakly) - Gomda...it's that name...I remember...

Darius (crying, stops hitting) - You should...you killed my father!!

James - Is that what this is all about?

[A] Darius dropped to his knees and began to shake uncontrollably. He shook his head while tears fell from it.

Darius - Six years ago...my father died and you killed him.

James (closing eyes) - Mark Gomda...that's why...

Darius - How could you...how could you take away the one thing important to me?

James - Because he abused his status...

Darius (getting up) - Why're you such a hypocrite!!!? He was the Annihilator of Wind, but you killed him like any other magic user you'd mowed down!!!

[A] He was back to hitting again, and this time grabbed hold of him and threw him into a glass window, picked him up again, and threw him into another glass window.

James - To live and die with absolute honor...that is the way of the Annihilators, as decreed by Jelos, Great God of Univus. He gives magic to the world to be used for good purposes, and I am his holy hand to kill those who misuse it...that's my only reason.

Darius (crying harder) - But you...but you...you killed him!! He didn't do anything...wrong...

James (sympathetic) - You have grown to become such a fine magic user...you'd make your father proud.

[A] He was kicked in the groin then hoisted up again.

James (in pain) - I scared him into his Release, and I tried to save him...but I couldn't...

Darius (head down) - You're such...A HYPOCRITE!!!!!!!!

[A] He slammed James down hard.

Darius - First you kill an Annihilator, now you save one. If you're all about becoming whole again, then why'd he have to die?

James (sighs) - Souls often become misguided...like you are right now...I'll admit that what I did wasn't thought through, but...the Annihilators are all about knowledge of what's right and what isn't...

Darius - But why them!?

James (looks up) - Because I can tell...they'll make decisions of right and wrong. Your dad...he chose to instill fear into those who opposed him. That's why he could never be a true Annihilator. And killing me won't help solve this fact now that you've come to recognize it. Are you that obsessed about becoming a real mage that you accepted Leon's power?

Darius - To become the mage my father never got to be...that's what I've always wanted...and with my power, all I could manage was as a sorcerer. But with Leon...(looking up) I can become anything...

[A] James was thrown to the ground and blasted five more times with dark energy blasts. Then, forming a blade on his arm, Darius slashed and sent metacalibur over James' body. He didn't scream in anguish, like Darius wanted him to.

Darius - Tell me you're sorry...give me the satisfaction of causing you pain and grief...I'll tear you apart if that's what it takes!!!

[A] James slowly got up and shot Darius a few more times, then dropped the guns and ran for him with his swords. All of his attacks were slow and easily blocked. He was hit back and covered by soldiers.

James (looking up) - When I see your face...your body turned asunder by Leon...I can't help but think that you could've done something more with your life...my parents were killed by him, but I never let that fact get to me...you're so weak that you'd throw your life away for revenge...

Darius (angry) - Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!

James - But then again...I've done that thousands of times...

[A] Darius settled down.

James - You and I...are not so different. We strive to be better, to obtain what we need for truth...but I'm still different from you in many ways. Your soul has become misguided...please, don't make the mistake of doing this...

Darius - SHUT UP!!!!!!!

[A] Punch, punch, stab.

Darius - I'm nothing like you!!!

James - What I wouldn't give...to die right now...

Darius - Don't change the subject!!! I'll make you suffer until you beg for mercy!!!

James - No matter what you do, you'll never erase the memories...why couldn't you just be happy with your life? Why not live and not make pacts with those that would kill you...?

[A] Darius finally snapped, and stood tall, with a serious expression on his face.

Darius - My father is dead, and you take a child into your ranks instead. You kill hundreds of magic users that do nothing wrong, and spare the lives of hundreds more that are truly guilty. You kill thousands, then you save thousands. You...you've committed such a hypocracy that it's unfathomable to me how you stay alive...you're not worth my time to kill, but you will die...

[A] He got to a considerable distance and turned around, snapping his fingers. A single soldier slowly walked in front of Darius.

James - You'd be a true warrior...truly strong...if you didn't be so selfish. I lived my life with no regrets, no selflessness, and thus I've found peace. But you'll never find peace, so long as you kill to end killing. No human has the right to take the life of another...not even I do...

Darius - I've heard enough...

[A] Darius was about to give an order, when he felt many people starting to converge on their location. A little girl threw stones at him, and they were all ready to fight back.

James (panicking) - Oh no...please, everyone, leave now!!!

[A] He tried to get up, but it was no use.

Darius - Impudence...

[A] From the ground came spikes of darkness that wrapped around them all, rather than killing them, and took them into the air.

James - Darius, I'm the one you want, not them!!! Kill me instead!!!

[A] Darius laughed and held his hand out, halfway clutched into a fist.

Darius - Pain and suffering, remember?

[A] His hand became a fist, and James' tears hit the street as it rained blood from the sky. The searcher was still recording this, and many people were gasping. James became quiet, and his head lowered, his entire face blanketed by shadow.

Darius - Now then...where were we?

[A] He finally snapped his fingers again and the soldier ran for James. In mere seconds that seemed like it took forever, memories flashed before his eyes.

--------------------------------------------------------------

To live and die with absolute honor...that is the way of the Annihilators...

No one person has the right to take the life of another...

Through dishonorable death does one lose their right to life, and their right to have ever had life...

We don't fight just to die. Sometimes sacrifices must be made, and you have to go against your code to protect yourself...

What will come of your death? Will you just die right here?

You are an Annihilator...you're my child...now keep living, and don't look back.

My son...you find yourself hopelessly lost here. But there's still something you can do...don't die just because you feel sorry for him, or because you think you deserve to die. You fight to win, and you'll win with honor and dignity. But you know the way around this...uncloud his soul, and release him from Leon's grasp of painful memories...use the blood eyes...

--------------------------------------------------------------

[A] He stood up limply, souls supporting him at the arms, legs, and head, as the soldier quickly made his approach with his lance-like arm. Though his eyes weren't seen, his face was serious and angry. The soldier pulled back to swing, and James thrust his arm into his oozy jet-black skin. The soldier stopped, and everyone was amazed.

James (head down) - Soul Bomb...

[MD] Soul Bomb (James) - Blood eyes attack. Charges any soul with mana, shattering it and releasing amazing amounts of mana that explode outward.

[A] In front of him, the soldier exploded fiercely, the explosion filling the entire air with smoke and blowing everything away. Darius was stunned, and when the smoke cleared, the souls of the dead people flew to him, bracing his arms and his legs and stopping the blood flow. He lifted his head...the red eyes.

Darius - Those eyes...!!

James - Soul Blizzard...

[MD] Soul Blizzard (James/Brian) - Sends many souls into the air to attack targets or unleash soul energy blasts.

[A] A stream of souls passed by him and hit him several times. James was completely silent, and his eyes closed slightly.

Darius (regenerating) - That hurt...attack!!!

[A] Four more men appeared out of nowhere and ran for him. James suddenly disappeared, and about a sixth of a second later, he was in the air before one of them, kicking them in the head. Another sixth of a second later, he punched one, then sliced one in half, and kicked the last one (all in increments). Darius was shocked by his speed.

Darius (backing up) - This can't be...how are you still standing?

[A] James was speaking, but his mouth didn't move...

James (eyes closed) - Darius...I tried to get you to stop, but you continue anyways...how can you ignore your father's sins when they've been placed in front of your eyes? Whatever the case...if you keep this up, then you will not be spared. I've warned you...

Darius (trembling, angry) - Grrrrrrahhhhhhhhh!!!

[A] Darius held his hands to the sky and summoned lightning down to strike where James was, but it hit nothing, as James suddenly disappeared and came up right in front of Darius, hovering in the air. Striking down, he hit Darius' moldable skin and revealed a soul in between the contact point and his fist, where he had fired off a quick Soul Grenade and jumped back off of Darius' torn-up arm. The arm molded back and fired a lightning blast, which didn't hit James because he suddenly disappeared and reappeared behind him, sliding forward and turning around. This clued in Darius to the immense speed he had.

Darius - DIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[A] He held his hands up again and created a ball of light (black and yellow). James moved forward, but was covered up by ten men that lunged onto him.

James (calmly, eyes closed) - Soul Grenade Fury...

[A] They were all blown away by souls hovering around his body. The air was thick with a blue mana that created a fog as the rain fell. He began moving ahead again. From the ball shot a tremendous beam that rocketed through the city and over a Soul Wall James had erected. Buildings crumbled from it, but James held his souls up.

Darius (confident, firing the beam) - Come on, Cerosa, you can't hide for long!!

[A] The wall split and a soul remained in James hand.

Darius (noticing) - What!?

[A] The beam was drawn into the soul and it completely stopped. James held the soul out in front of him.

Darius (holding head) - No...this can't be...I...won't...lose!!!

[A] His body went out of control and formed into a towering wall of black oozy spikes that came for James.

James - Soul Star Split...

[MD] Soul Star Split (James) - Blood eyes attack. An upgraded version of the Soul Star, it creates a Soul Star and splits it apart to spread the effect, as well as multiplies damage.

[A] His entire body was damaged and pushed back into normal form. A Soul Chain wrapped around his arm and he was sent flying into James' fist, then flung into a wall. Upon landing, a slash from James' swords went over his body and exploded. Getting up from this, a Soul Grenade, then a stab into the wall, pinning him down by leaving his sword there. James backed up a few meters.

Darius (coughing up blood) - What now, Cerosa? Aren't you forgetting something?

[A] His entire body shook as he tried to free himself. No good...the Raem held him in place. He couldn't morph anymore.

James (eyes opening, lips closed) - I might be dead...but I'm not useless.

Darius (confused) - Dead?

James - Soul Grenade Omega...

[MD] Soul Grenade Omega (James) - Blood eyes attack. An upgraded version of the Soul Grenade that starts as a small blast that stops in mid-air and begins to expand rapidly in an explosion.

[A] Darius counted every second he had left until the blast hit him. And when it did...half of the city was inside a blue flame of mana. Nothing was destroyed, however...

[SC]

[S] Darius emerged from the rubble of the building that fell on him (the only building actually damaged in the explosion). He looked at his surroundings to see James standing in the middle of the mana mist with onlookers waiting for him to make his move. Darius' men were going straight for him for a few seconds, all dying quickly through stabs and Soul Bombs. He held his head down and his eyes were in darkness, likely closed.

Darius (on the ground, thoughts) - What is this...immense mana and bloodlust that I get from him? Is this man really human?

James (lips not moving) - It is true that I had failed you at first...I never wanted to resort to this, but I'll do anything to win, even if it costs me everything...

Darius (thoughts) - I'm having no luck sending the soldiers after them...(looking around) looks like reinforcements are arriving, with bigger guns I hope...guess I'll have to fight this one-on-one...

James - I'm waiting...

[A] He stood up proudly and dusted himself off. In comparison to James, he was only beaten about a bit. His last-minute mana shield repelled some of the damage, but he was still getting weaker, while Cerosa got stronger. He noticed something interesting...James' soul was giving off its own aura through his body, shining over the light of the other souls. It was a dark red color. His body, however, was bloody all over and had no aura. This couldn't be...

James - Time's up.

[A] James quickly ran to Darius, his souls still holding his body up.

Darius (holding hand out) - It's not over!!!

[A] A beam of lightning came out and hit exactly where James was standing, at least before he suddenly vanished and reappeared behind Darius, punching his head to the ground. Darius recovered after his face hit the dirt and kicked James in the chest, used his feet as the landed to stand up and blasted him in the head with a wave of darkness. James fell into the side of a building that had already been collapsed earlier.

Darius (triumphantly, thoughts) - Yes! Got him! Now for the finishing touch!!

[A] A large ball of electricity collected in his hands.

Darius - Now die!!!

[A] From the smoke emerged James, running right for his foe at breakneck speeds with his swords trailing behind him. Darius released the blast right as James slashed his hands away to his left and it destroyed a large grouping of complexes. Another slash to the head from James, then a kick to his chest after spinning around, and Soul Chaining his arm as he landed on the ground, pulling back and tossing him up where he landed on the swords again. James' eyes were filled with red rage as he tossed him to the ground and repeatedly blasted him with Soul Grenades. He tried to get up but met James' knee to his face and stumbled back, receiving a series of punches that sent him upward and to a wall, where he was chained again and flew into James fist. Déjà vu...finally, James picked him up by the arm and slung him into the sky, taking out his guns and blasting his malformed body a thousand times with Rapid Fire feature. Darius landed with a loud thud, and blacked out.

[SC]

[S] Darius was lying on the ground motionless. His body was now normally shaded as a black substance came off of his entire skin. All around were the oozes of Leon, in black puddles against the rain, moving toward the ULEP building once again. The blood on the streets was becoming cleansed, and the souls of the dead flowed into James' body.

Darius (severely weak, on the ground) - This...can't be...

[A] James leaned down and reached into his body, his hand phasing straight through. He took out the fallen man's soul and clenched it in his hand. Every shred of darkness inside it was cleansed, and it sparkled with light and life. He put the soul back in.

Darius - Ugh...wh...why?

James - You'll die on your own...I have no right to kill you...

[A] James began to walk away.

James (walking) - I don't care what you do now...but I won't spare you again.

[A] As he left, Darius was furious, but highly damaged and too much so to move.

Darius (thoughts) - No person has the right to take the life of another? That bastard...

[A] He grasped the ground and more forces arrive, seeing his scarred body and immediately getting help.

[SC]

[S] Max just stood there, looking on at the vast amount of enemies he had to face. It's like he was waiting for something...Krypto seemed to ignore Max, thinking that he wasn't serious. Everyone was watching from the second and fourth floors, feeling hopeless. It started to rain...

Kevin (whispering) - Shouldn't we just run?

Krypto (quietly) - It really wouldn't matter...they'd just follow us.

Kal (looking ahead) - And we're obviously outmatched, speed and power-wise.

Kevin (looking ahead, holding his waist) - Then why don't we just give up!? What's the worse that could happen if we surrender? We're gonna get killed if we stay here!!

Max (suddenly) - Because they'll kill you anyways, regardless of what we decide.

[A] He was just standing there still, looking ahead and not averting his gaze. His eyes forced him to watch their every move, and he couldn't turn away, else risk the chance of being killed in an instant. His red eyes were fixed, and even with the wind and slight rain against his eyes, he didn't blink...

Max - Krypto, I told you to get your ass out here...I'm not gonna be able to do this alone...

Krypto (staring, confused) - But, I...we can't...

Max (confidently) - You can if you try...

[A] Krypto was left to ponder this thought, but Kal was looking on as he felt Max making his move.

Max (pressing buttons on CTIPS) - Activating AT field.

[A] He kept his eyes forward as he produced a small glow of orange mana around him, which quickly subsided. Kal had seen that it was still there, though. Then, at that moment, Max had done something that he wasn't wanting to do. He quickly glanced over at everyone inside the building, taking in quick information. Epona's blue aura was weakened...mana shortage. Brian's was exhilarating and bright black. He could also find auras from Kevin (his being green, but it was leaking through his semi-closed wounds), Krypto (an amazing red), and Kal (an even more impressive dark orange). He had to squint his eyes to see this. In less than half a second, he analyzed these things and turned around.

Max (thoughts) - Okay, so Epona's out. Obviously, the three of them can't fight with mana, and the boy can't do s**t with brute strength...maybe those other dogs might stand a chance. Brian should do fine, provided he doesn't need to go hand-to-hand right away...(actually speaking) fine then! I can handle this myself!!

[A] A small ring of mana formed along the ground in a circle around him, as well as on his katars, and he was still waiting...all of a sudden, all of the mutated soldiers raised their hands with the guns imbedded in them.

Max (thought) - Aaaaaaand...go!!!

[A] As soon as they fired, he was gone in an instant. Everyone who could see this was bewildered.

Kal (looking around, thoughts) - Now where is he...?

[A] In the midst of the bullets firing everywhere, Max appeared right in a large crowd of the men, and was slashing around at them while dodging their own stabs from their shape-shifting bodies. One of them that snuck up on him met Max's hands to his chest.

Max - Alchemy bomb...flesh and blood!!

[A] The ooze exploded and rained a small spray of blood in the area. Some of the soldiers were seemingly reluctant to take him on, so they instead decided to scale the ramp towards the warehouse, all of which were blasted away by the collection of laser turrets. A lot of them decided to rush it, some being able to dent the armor on the turrets, but none of which were good enough to destroy them. An advancing group was just about to change into a shower of black spiky tendrils when...

Max - Stay away from there, bastards!!!

[A] Max took a small sphere from a pocket in his armor and tossed it right next to them, resulting in a glorious white explosion. Brian was done tending to his mother and picked up his bow once more, pulling the string back and letting loose an energy arrow at the survivors that were trying to form together again. Max was once again fighting off his own attackers, this time with strands of metacalibur coming from each swipe and demolishing his enemies completely. Now everyone was regaining their senses and firing at him. The orange force field around him was stopping the bullets and stray stabs from reaching him.

Max - Is that all!!? F**k, I'm sure you can do better!!

[A] From small panels in Max's wrists came metallic ropes that were sparking. He flung them right at the oozes and they either imbedded in their skin or lashes around him. He tossed them up, and then slammed them down into the ground, which was followed by clapping his hands and hitting the ground, sticking them through with a bed of spikes.

Tusky (tooth slurring speech) - Nicthe...

[A] They were now growing more fierce, this time dropping their attempts at barging in and killing the innocent and instead all shooting and slashing at Max. After three minutes of fighting, he was starting to feel worn out, but wasn't even scratched thanks to his AT field.

Max (breathing heavily) - God damn it...could you let up a bit?

[A] A soldier held a sword of energy in one of his hands, raised it into the air, and slashed it down, somehow shattering Max's shield.

Brian - Uh oh...

[A] Brian fired a Breaking Arrow that sliced straight through the converging troops. More were arriving each minute, which made everything seem impossible. They threw cars out of the way with their might, they crushed the very ground they stood upon, and they plowed through anything that got in their way. Were these even human at all?

Max (avoiding attacks, thoughts) - What the hell's up with these bitches...such disregard for life, and their attempts at kamikaze-ing me into hell...this is definitely Leon's work...

[A] His train of thought was cut short when he was stabbed in the side, then the leg, and an arm. At close proximity, no one was shooting at him, but he had no choice but to run and try to dodge the bullets that were inevitably coming his way. He regained composure at the top of the ramp to the warehouse, where the turrets kept them all at bay.

Max - Okay...I take that back. I can't do this by myself.

Brian (from above) - Should I come down and help?

Max - No, stay up there and keep sharp-shooting. I'll keep them under control...

[A] A black mass came hurling at the turret to his left. Then another to his right. More were coming, more of his creations were being bombarded, and Brian had to fend them off with a group of Dark Blasts and Black Arrows. As all of the men ran for the building, Max was there slicing them through in quick succession and dodging any attack he could see. His eyes even saw the bullets that were traveling towards him, which he sent flying in a ricochet by blocking with his katars. He pulled out the metal tentacles from his wrist panels again, this time using both arms, and charged everyone that he grasped with electricity, then threw them through the air and into the other advancing groups. Some that got close felt his alchemy that took spikes and explosions to them, while others suffered more complicated alchemy experiments, such as a quickly-drawn Planeshift that drove them all back and crushed some. Brian was constantly letting arrows fly, but most that he hit either reformed, regenerated, or were replaced by more soldiers coming in. He wasn't really panicking, however...

Brian (shooting between words) - God...damn...it...why...won't...you...die!!!?

[A] They dropped liked flies as Max finished them off by stabbing them in various locations, their remains pooling as black blood. More were still coming, and Max was pounding the crap out of them with his spherical bombs. Boom, boom! They rocked the city, and everyone felt the shockwaves. Alchemy wasn't enough to finish them off as they simply slipped straight through it in some cases. Their bodies were forming all sorts of unorthodox things, such as whips, tidal waves (black tidal waves, might I say), and fires (yes, fires...). Max was running and jumping in quick succession to dodge each thing thrown at him (both literally and metaphorically), but was also getting shot in some areas by stray bullets, most of which bounced off his armor, but one actually tripped one of his bombs, which blew up right on his stomach. Sooner or later, he was cornered, and his turrets were destroyed, allowing some free passage for the oozes, which were all killed by Brian before they made good progress.

Epona (struggling to get up) - Got...to...try and...help...ugh...

Kal (looking over) - Sure you can manage?

Epona (now standing) - I'll be fine...

[A] She limped over to the window that Brian was at and saw Max fighting off wave after wave of men, slowly loosing footing.

Epona (weakly) - Crystal...Bomb...

[A] The gem-like mana bomb formed in here hands that she held in front of her and rocketed out, knocking her back to the ground and making Brian run to her aid. Max saw this coming in and jumped up incredibly high, chased by tendrils of black, which were severed in the tremendous explosion. This cleared a pathway for him.

Max (in the air, coming down, thoughts) - If I make it out alive...I need to thank her for that one...

[A] He sped off like lightning once he landed, once again getting in front of the warehouse and stopping everything. Krypto and the Dog Stars were, perhaps, the ones that were most fascinated by his skills. Kal, however, has seen many things like this before.

Hot Dog - He's amazing!!!

Brainy - I must admit...he's pretty good.

Kal - Resourceful, yes. But this is a battle he can't easily win. Not at this rate, at least...

[A] Max was slumping over with his hand on the ground. An arrow from above caught an ooze soldier in the head as it ran right for Maximus. He was catching his breath, it seemed.

Max (breathing heavily, thoughts) - Damn it! I'm getting too tired for this...God damn those dogs...they could at least help me.

[A] A Dark Blast was now heading for the gigantic swarm of men advancing slowly on their position. Though it managed to thin them out a bit, they just began to regenerate. Brian kept firing arrows as fast as he could, and Epona was too tired to even move.

Krypto (looking around) - Why do they keep fighting? Don't they know it's useless?

Max (standing up) - Ugh...fine then. I didn't wanna have to use this, but I guess there's no choice!

[A] He crossed both of his arms like an "X" and his hands touched his shoulders. His armor started to pulsate with a red aura, and a slight burst of light led him to relax. What had just happened? He seemed normal...nothing was gone, nothing extra was there. Then what? Everyone stared in disbelief...he got into a sprinting position and raced off gracefully into the crowd of men, plowing them over one at a time and sending bolts of mana in metacalibur slashes along their bodies. He jumped along their heads and kicked them all, slowly making his way through them, though knowing that most of them would just come back. Still, he could see and sense most of their attacks, all of which he dodged with ease...that is, until they started shifting their bodies into a flood of black spikes. In the middle of a jump, he grabbed one of the spikes and jumped off, landing on a building nearby and jumping back to a safe location, where he sliced through the tendrils after they flooded over the building and came back for him. The mass formed back into more men and they all sliced and stabbed at him with their energy swords and deformed sword-arms.

Max (dodging, thoughts) - This is too easy...maybe I won't get to use the Copyseal after all...

[A] After stabbing one of his assailants in the chest, he suddenly realized that at least a hundred more soldiers were standing behind him, guns ready to fire.

Max (standing still) - Oh...s**t...

[A] The next thing anyone saw was Max's body falling to the ground, which was set up by a roar of machine guns. He seemed lifeless. That's when Kal noticed something...

Kal (eyes widening) - What?

[A] From what he could see, Max was completely empty on the inside...as if he wasn't even there. Krypto was looking where he was, and saw the same thing...his body disappeared in a flash of light, and Brian immediately stopped firing arrows everywhere.

Krypto - It's a...fake.

[A] The oozes looked stunned, but that reaction was quickly changed to pain when Max emerged from the shadows and started slicing them all away. Krypto and Kal saw that this one was real. Max jumped high into the air and slammed down with alchemy that raised pillars to crush everything in sight. It didn't seem to stop them much, as they kept coming, extending their bodies into lances and piercing his body. Now the two of them could see that his body was empty, yet again. It also disappeared in a flash of light, and Max came out from another alley and made his attackers into bombs, stringing them onto his metal ropes and swinging them into other soldiers. He was again shot and pierced, and again disappeared and reappeared to slay another group. The next time brought a tank shell that blew his body into a burst of light, only to find that he came up right on top of the weirdly-shaped tank, slicing it open and turning it into a bomb with alchemy. He was now warping all over the place, never seeming to die when they hit him.

Krypto - This doesn't seem natural...

Kal - That's because it's not.

Kevin - What do you mean?

[A] Max was slowly dispatching all of them, watching as they came from all directions. Strangely enough, no citizens seemed to be out on the street or inside any of the nearby homes. It was all abandoned, but it served much better for the battle. Max was knocked to the side and impaled, then disappeared and kicked his next victim in the head. A single bullet scraped his elbow and tore the armor slight, revealing a glowing red alchemy seal.

Kal - That's what I mean.

[OD] Copyseal - Forbidden alchemy of Gemini. The hardest of all to construct, it's well worth the effort. When used, it temporarily creates a shadow-like clone of whatever the seal is placed upon. The new clone thinks on its own, and could even betray its creator if not crafted properly. The doppelganger rejoins the other half automatically after a set time. While active, it has all the powers of its predecessor, only slightly weaker in retrospective.

[A] A group of small panels extended up from his wrists again, this time firing repetitive bursts of intense mana that ripped through everything, joined by a Breaking Arrow from the distance. Brian wasn't ready to lose focus, no matter how amazed he was. Max went into the middle of the street, watching as everyone was regenerating and converging around him.

Max (holding shoulder, looking around) - Looks like the secret's out...

Kal - I've seen those symbols before...I think it was called the Copyseal...

Kevin (confused) - Copyseal?

[A] Now from the darkness came at least twenty Maximus doppelgangers. Each one with their katars extended out. They all walked through the reforming oozes and into a circle with the real Max. Kal was paying attention to all of this. One was real, the others were fake.

Paw Pooch - There's so many of them...

Max - Now that everyone's here, I think it's time we kick some ass.

[A] His clones didn't speak, but rather pulled out various pieces of equipment.

Max (fighting position) - Three...two...one...go!!!

[SC]

[S] It was the weirdest place he'd ever seen...in the middle of a large void, like he was underneath the ocean, James stood on an ethereal floor. It seemed like he was underwater, with bubbles rising up all around him and the floor slightly mirroring and distorting his image. But he could tell he was somewhere else. He had no clothes on, but also had no real bodily features. It was as if he was there, and yet not there...

James (looking around) - This place...

[A] His attention was caught by a little girl, standing in the middle of the oceanic void and staring at him. Her hair reached to the floor, she wore a long robe with similar engravings to that of his own robe, and she carried a scythe that was a little less than twice her size. She just kept staring.

James - You...

[SC]

[S] James' limp body walked through the streets, souls holding him up and blood dripping from everywhere on his body. On the actual street, where cars drove, he slowly walked with his swords drawn. Cars swerved to miss him, and people stared in horror at his apparent recklessness. Traffic stopped, and cars were pushed aside slowly by his souls that seemed to come endlessly from his body. Everyone was yelling at him as it rained, but just kept walking. Until...

Soldier (running to him) - Hey! Get outta the street, now!!

[A] ULEP...wonderful. James simply stopped and looked at him, showing his red eyes, then grabbed the man by his helmet visor and hoisted him up into the air with one hand.

Soldier (flailing about) - Aughhh, lemme go!!!

[A] James' palm flashed for a second, as the soldier continuously fired his gun into James' chest. His hand then grew brighter and shot an energy blast through his head, which sent his blood everywhere: against the street, car windshields, buildings, and souls that had lined up to protect the people watching on the sidewalk. Everyone was silent as he kept walking, and he dropped the body in front of him...

[SC]

[S] The large group of Maximus clones was now on the move, mowing down everything in its path. Explosions from small orb bombs were all around, bullets from different sources were trying to hit their targets, and sparks flew from everywhere with the clash of blades and the alchemy that rippled into spikes along the ground. It seemed like every minute Max was getting faster, and every blow he took seemed to make his eyes exude mana. Everyone was watching, whether from the warehouse or nearby buildings, and all were equally stunned as he punched and kicked his way through the thousands that kept coming. It was an endless swarm of them, and he couldn't keep up. Or so it seemed...one of his clones had made itself into a living bomb and dashed into them, which sent their black bodies into pieces against the walls. Shells from above blasted most of his clones away, and even shot him into the warehouse steps. More soldiers made a move for him as he tried to recover, all of which were shot back by Brian with Breaking Arrows and Dark Blasts. Max got up and stumbled down. He was sweating and coughing up blood. Perhaps even too weak to keep fighting. All of his remaining copies disappeared into a burst of light and he crawled back.

Max (retracting his katars) - Well, I guess this is it for me...yo Brian! Think you can finish them off for me!?

Brian (shooting randomly from the window) - At the rate they keep coming, I don't think so...

Max (slumping down against the wall) - Perfect...(sighs) God damn this world. Not even the blood eyes are enough to stop these bastards...

[A] He just noticed that he was bleeding excessively and sitting in a pool of it. It started to rain...everyone was starting to panic slightly as they saw their defender sitting defenseless. Krypto and Kal were calm.

Krypto (staring outside) - I wonder if we can do anything.

Kal - Not likely, but I suppose it's worth a shot.

[A] Krypto was hesitant to do anything, until he saw a figure moving through the sky in the rain. Orange...furry...ears...yellow streaks...it was Streaky? Bad timing, as luck would have it. He was returning with food for everyone (carrying it all in huge amounts on his back, which made him slow). Krypto's eyes widened.

Streaky (uncomfortably flying) - Agh...this load is...heavy...(noticing) hey...w-what's happening down there!?

[A] The next thing anyone could see were bullets heading for the cat, which were strong enough to pierce his skin and fur. He fell to the ground, the food with him, and it was evident that he was bleeding everywhere.

Kal (horrified) - He's...dead...

[A] Krypto's legs were shaking, he was growling, and he felt himself losing control.

Kal (looking over at him) - Krypto, no!!!

[A] He was too late to stop the dog from flying off at top speed and plowing through everyone that got in his way, before they could devour his friend's body. He sawed through them with his heat vision, seeming to kill everyone that got near him, and punching all of the soldiers till he found them incapable of reforming. He walked limply through the mess of bodies to Streaky, and looked down at him.

Krypto (prodding Streaky) - Streaky...Streaky, wake up...Streaky...(starting to cry) Streaky...?

[A] It was silent, except for his sobbing.

Krypto (screaming) - Grahhhhhhhhhh!!! Aughhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!

[A] Maximus was usually tough in situations like this, but he couldn't help but feel sorry for Krypto. Everything he destroyed, however, was taking shape again, including the ones that were there since the beginning of the battle.

Max (breathing heavily) - Sons of bitches...can't they stay down?

[A] Krypto was quickly back to fighting them, carrying Streaky and punching them at the same time, and yet losing gradually as he also got shot himself. His own blood, and that of Streaky's, was running down his coat, barely cleansed by the rain. Brian shot several Concussion Dark Blasts towards him to give him cover, but they were now reforming faster than anything. Epona was back up and seeing how hopeless things seemed. Krypto was soon pile-drived into the street and then dog-piled. He was trapped...Kal was getting ready to come in and assist, when...

James - Soul Grenade Omega...

[A] The huge pile of soldiers was sent everywhere, and everyone could barely make out James' form in the slight fire that began to form from the rubble in the aftermath. Krypto peeked up and saw James quickly take out his guns (with the help of his souls, of course) and shoot each one of the mutated men at least five times each, then advance on the rest of them all.

Max (eyes widening) - He's got the blood eyes on, but...no aura? What's he doing now?

[A] James was trembling, and Krypto felt like something was about to happen. His blood-red pupils showed themselves as he held his head up.

James (screaming) - GRAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[A] Just like that, he was off. He slashed everything in sight, sent metacalibur into everything, and picked up soldiers every-so-often and took an energy blast to their heads. Soul Bombs, Soul Grenades, Soul Chains, the works...all flew everywhere and tore through them quickly. They kept trying to reform, some of them succumbing to a Soul Break, and some stupid enough to grab onto him. They stabbed him and received an agonizing yell from him, though also received a stab or kicking to various areas. Brian was absolutely stunned...no, everyone was. Krypto took this opportunity to take Streaky's body and fly to the warehouse once again. To shorten the details, imagine him ripping them all apart for three minutes. I may be an angel, but that doesn't mean I have all the time in the world.

Brian (stunned) - What in God's name is he doing?

Max - Heheheh...you've never seen the blood eyes in action, have you?

Brian - Blood eyes?

[OD] Blood Eyes - When James or Maximus Cerosa becomes angry, their eyes pulsate with red mana, causing their feelings of rage to be converted into physical, magical, and mental strength. This causes a discoloration of the eyes, turning them red, and letting them quickly see and react to attacks that head for them. Also, some powers can only be used when under the influence of the eyes. Both of the brothers receive different effects from the eyes.

Max - I don't wanna explain it too much, but let's just say it's something you shouldn't mess with.

[A] As James continued fighting...

Max - When we focus our mana enough, we can activate the blood eyes. After that, when we get angry, our eyes somehow convert those feelings into even more mana, allowing us to do the impossible. I'm a bit different from him. His mana goes into physical and mana strength. Mine goes to my speed. Depending on the situation, we can contribute different usages. His eyes, however, have some...side effects.

Brian - Side effects?

Epona - He's out of control right now...he can't stop until the things that piss him off are dead. That's how it works...

Max - And it looks like he'll fight to the death...

[A] Max began to deactivated his eyes and returned to normal vision. He then saw that some soldiers had snuck up on them while they were talking. They shot in random places, even when they were being pierced by Brian's arrows. They were flooding the area and shooting the building. Kevin just happened to be at one of the windows. The bullets all missed him. They did, however, knock a huge hole in the wall that he fell through and to the ground. Time seemed to stop for the moment that he fell to the ground. A single mutated man ran to him with his arm into a blade and tried to stab down. James was busy with another ooze when he noticed this. He sliced him in half and disappeared.

[SC]

[S] It was completely silent...Kevin was staring up in horror as James stood in front of him with the man's blade-like arm in his chest. Blood poured out slowly as James looked back at Kevin.

James (mouth not moving) - Are you...okay?

Kevin (mumbling) - Y...yes...

James (sighs) - Good...

[A] Souls shot everywhere from his body and pushed every soldier back. He then pushed his arm ethereally into his assailant's own chest and grabbed his soul, pulsed his energy through, and kicked him into the larger crowd, where his body exploded and took everything else with it. Souls came up around Kevin's body and lifted him up to the warehouse balcony again.

Max - Well there's a first...you actually came out of it.

James - Heheheheheheheh...it wasn't too hard. But back to the matter at hand...

Max - These things are stronger than the others. Not even I could kill them for good.

[A] James laughed for a few seconds and sent thousands of souls into the street, where they chained them together and threw them around into each other. At least half of them were reforming when he was finished, but this gave him enough time to prep another attack.

[MD] Soul Chain Breakout (James) - Blood eyes attack. An upgraded version of the Soul Chain, it can only be used by James, as it requires high amount of mana that link several chains together. These chains are enchanted with mana that burn anything they touch.

James - I think it's time for the finally.

Max - Bro, where are you getting all of this mana?

James (pausing for a few seconds) - ...Let's just say I got really pissed off before I got here.

[A] Max suddenly realized what he was planning to do. From a small soul that he held in his hands (which Max surmised to be his own), James extended several small tendrils of white light that traveled through all of the soldiers and chained them together on many strands.

Max - You can't be using that, can you?

James - I am...

Max - F**k...anyone who's squeamish should cover their eyes...now!

[A] This seemed to get little reaction as James said the words.

James - Soul Bomb Reaction!!!

[MD] Soul Bomb Reaction (James) - Blood eyes attack. An upgraded version of the Soul Bomb, chains of mana strike out and attack to nearby souls, causing them to break open and explode.

[A] It was a blinding flash of blood and light. Mixed in with the rain were the falling remains of every ooze soldier and the blood of them. With no souls to keep them together, they were really dead now. James was eerily silent now. He turned around and used his souls to push his way in through the door of the warehouse. Everyone backed up and came to the floor to congratulate him. They cheered loudly and celebrated (except for Krypto, of course). Max got up himself and noticed that James was beginning to stumble. He fell to the ground with a great thump, the souls relieving themselves from his body. Everyone hushed and Max ran to him, holding his head up in his arms.

Max - Brother...brother!!! Speak, damn you!!!

James (weakly) - I'm sorry, Max...I could only squeeze out enough life mana to keep me fighting until now.

Max - Then you're...you're...!!?

James (eyes closing) - Dead...? Well, it's definitely been a good five hundred years...but I'm afraid I have to...

[A] Max was furiously crying and shaking his head.

Max - Don't say that!!! You dumb ass, don't you dare say that!!!

James - I can finally rest in peace...

[A] His blood eyes ended as he finally took his last breath...everyone else was sad, too. Epona limped down the stares towards the terrified Max, and Brian was shocked to see this happening.

Epona (calmly) - Move.

Max (lightly sobbing) - It's no good, Epona. He's gone.

Epona (repeating, firmly) - Move.

Max - I told you he's dead!

Epona (very firmly) - Move...

[A] He stepped to the side.

Epona - Krypto...bring your friend over here.

[A] He did just that, and she kneeled down to meet the two bodies.

Epona - Brian...give me your hand.

[A] He grabbed hold of her and she began to fluctuate his mana to herself. A blue light began to take hold of the room, and her hair lifted up magically.

Epona (chanting) - Cast in the name of the Great God Jelos. Restore these tattered souls to life! Bring back the spark that they once possessed!! I cast in thy name, Jelos, to bring them back!!! Life mana restoration...HEALING WATER!!!

[A] There was a long pause as the mana that floated in the room drew closer to their bodies and healed their wounds, as well as Max's and Krypto's. She chanted the line again and their blood that surrounded them was sucked back into their bodies. As it ended, they could all see the two of them breathing again...

Max (confused, petrified) - Epona...what did you just do?

[SC]

[S] Darius walked into the ULEP building and was noticed by the medics inside. He was definitely beaten up, but was fine for the most part. John walked in to examine him and knew that he failed.

John (sighs) - Should've known this would've happened...get me the searcher tapes.

[SC]

[S] Darius handed a paper to John, with Genji and another young boy standing behind him. It took John by surprise.

John - A request for a vacation?

Darius - Not exactly...

Genji - It's for training, isn't it?

Darius - Revenge is something I don't necessarily like, but I'll make an exception here. As a sorcerer, I'm outranked by many of the other elite magic users here at ULEP. Therefore, I'm asking for permission to leave and train to become a mage. I don't know about everyone else, but I hold a personal grudge against James Cerosa. If you don't succeed yourself, I'd like the pleasure of finishing him someday.

[A] John took a minute to think about this.

John - Very well then. I hereby give you, Darius Gomda, orders to take leave, effective immediately, for...(looks at the paper) four months.

[A] They saluted each other, and Darius left the room that was stationed at the top of the main building.

??? - I don't see why it's that big of a deal. So he's pissed. Big, God damn deal. It's not like he has to go through all of this trouble to pursue a hopeless cause.

John - Hopeless cause?

Genji - Zach...that kind of talk is considered treason. Though I must say that you may be right in certain context.

[CD] Zach Armais - Age: 19. Birthplace: Hram. Species: Human. Sex: Male. Birthday: June 18, 1994. Physical Description: 6' 3", 200.3 lbs., short blonde hair, blue eyes. Clothing: Gray uniform with a blue vest, kachin-plated shoes, glasses, and two gun holders. Type of Magic User: Geomancer. Occupation: Assistant Leader of Technologies (ULEP).

Zach - Bah...

[SC]

[S] James was in bed, sleeping, and Streaky was on a pillow a few feet away. Bandaged in many places, they slept peacefully as Krypto, Kevin, Epona, Kal, Brian, Max, and the Dog Stars looked on. Max, in particular, was inspecting his brother's armor, finding some bad results.

Max (thoughts) - It's just as I feared...he's getting stronger. His minions were even able to go through the hard parts of the armor. I thought I was just imagining it, but...he's preparing to kill us.

[A] The others were stationed around a small fire. Brian was asleep with his head on Epona's lap, but he was still listening in on everything (a side effect from his training as an "assassin"). The Dog Stars, stationed comfortably around the fire on small pillows, slept as well. Krypto was lying down in a ball, but was awake, as were Kal, Kevin, and Epona. Max walked over to join them and sat on the bench adjacent to Epona's.

Max - You never told me you could do that...

Epona (rolls her eyes) - Please...I spent years on Lubaf. What else was I supposed to do other than experiment a bit? The monks taught me more than just alchemy and runes. You'll be glad to know I can hold my own in a fight now.

Kal - Heh...you're definitely some of the weirdest people I've ever met.

Krypto - I'd have to agree with that.

Kevin (staring at James, thoughts) - Thank you...

[N] James - I was dreaming and alive again...a good sign, I guess. I dreamed of the nightmare that I had created for Darius. It was six years ago. His father terrified his planet by threatening to use his powers as the Annihilator of Wind on them all if they didn't do as he said. This was all a hoax, and myself and Max had a duty to make sure this didn't happen. An Annihilator who doesn't use his powers (or status) for good doesn't deserve to live. We killed him, with no remorse, and left. His son never forgave us, it seems...

[N] Finally, this horrid time for the Annihilators was over for now. Secrets would come to be revealed...in time.





I'd like to thank rachel131 for helping me write this chapter.