A/N: I decided to do a side story to my Fable/Halo crossover 'A Hyper-Lethal Hero', featuring the origins of my OC Alex. I urge you to read the mentioned work above if you want any idea on where this is going.
*The Darkness Within*
Alex walked up the helm of the ship, bowing before his king. "My King, are you sure we should go on this expedition?"
Logan looked at the blonde with his eyes fixed and determined. "Captain, we will go there, and Albion will be expanded. What's the status of our men?"
"We have a small platoon, sir. Nothing more," Alex replied, pushing a stand of hair from his emerald eyes. He stood up, his hands resting on my sword before yelling down to the men on deck. "Move it people! We're expected to reach shore in about thirty minutes. I want you all to be ready. That includes you Alana."
The girl in question sucked her teeth. "Aw, I thought you loved me." They way her lips pouted were almost too irresistible.
Alex rolled his eyes. "I do, but that's beside the point. I gave the order, so follow it." Alana gave up and did what she was told for once. "Fine…"
The ship reached a sandy shore, with countless desert in front of them. Alex waved his arms. "Move men! On the double!"
The soldiers splashed down onto the sandy shore, with Logan stepping down last, his cutlass gleaming in the intense sunlight.
Alex turned around and saluted. "Awaiting your orders, my King."
Logan returned the gesture. "Fall out into a single file line, and head east. There's supposed to be something in the desert over there."
Alex nodded, and he motioned for the group to follow him. "This way."
Logan walked alongside Alex, his trusted Captain. "Do you think I should have told my sister where we were going?"
Alex shook his head. "She'd probably force you not to go sir. Better you don't mention this place." The Captain may have been only 19, but he was a smart man.
Logan sighed as the wind whipped his hair around. "Sometimes, I really wonder why we do this."
Alex shrugged. "For the adventure? The thrill?"
Logan shook his head and sighed again. "I know, it just seems that one of these days, we're not going to return."
The squad halted in front of a large cave-like entrance, completely dark. Alana turned behind her. "Captain? Do we go through?" Alex nodded. "Proceed. But. Make sure your torches work. I can't see anything."
Alana struck a match and lit her torch, the path lightened up a bit. Alex sighed. "Now that's a whole lot better."
They entered the cave, only to see it widened out before them into a large, abandoned temple crumbling in ruin. Alex had his hand on his sword. "Weapons out. Better safe than sorry."
The soldiers drew their own weapons, exploring the temple. It was dark and cold, with a very eerie feel to it. Almost as if something was watching every little step they made.
Logan had his grip tightening on his cutlass, his knuckles white. "I have a very bad feeling about this, Captain."
Alex flashed him a look, but before he could speak, an old voice charged with power and hatred filled their ears.
"The light bringers are here. Children of the Darkness, show these toys what happens to a piece of flesh once Darkness touches its soul," the voice growled. A horde of shadow beings appeared, wielding swords and clearly acrobatic in fighting style.
Alex drew his pistol and fired a short, almost panicky trio of bullets. "Let 'em have it!"
The soldiers fired their rifles, and the creatures kept on coming, until one by one the soldiers began to fall and die. Alex and Logan watched as their entire squad was eliminated, except for Alana. The young woman was fighting furiously, letting a scream escape her lips as a shadow sliced her wrist open. Two more shadows grabbed her from behind and brought her into the dark shadows.
Alex could her screaming as they did something to her, and his fury grew. He ran forward, slashing at any of the shadows that stood in his way. "ALANA!"
Logan reached an arm out to stop him. "No, wait!" But it was too late. Alex was out of reach. He was alone. The voice laughed, and a dark blanket covered the King, forcing him out of the cave. Forcing him back into the desert, back to civilization. When the Logan stumbled out of the cave, he crashed in a heap on the sands.
-0-
Alex ran after the shadows, still following Alana's screams. As he got deeper inside of the temple, he stumbled upon a dark cold chamber, with Alana in the middle of it. "Alana!"
The girl was trapped in dark sludge, pinning her to the ground and causing immense pain, her eyes being filled with the dark material. "Please, just stop!"
The voice laughed again, and the most hideous creature Alex had ever seen appeared. It had pale gray flesh, six black eyes, spiky horns, and what looked like three faces on each side of its head. "So, he has come to protect the light! My minions, tear his body asunder!"
Several strange creatures dropped down, and on the end of each arm was a blade, sharp enough to tear through any armor. Alex drew his pistol and fired six times, each creature bursting into shards after three shots. He paused to reload, and he couldn't get out of the way in time as a Minion struck him in the side. Blood splashed from the wound.
Alex stumbled onto one knee, blood flowing from the gashes in his side. He stood up, shaking, but he still had the strength in him. He still could fight.
He got low, and then ran at full speed, his sword a blur of motion. As the Minions began to fall one by one, Alex's limbs started to burn and tear. He was losing strength, and fast.
He stopped after the last Minion burst into fragments, and he tried to free Alana from the dark sludge. "Come on! Come on!"
Alex heard something move behind him, and he turned onto to get hit with something large and heavy. The blonde Captain fell, his weapons clattering on the ground while Alana still cried and tried to escape.
-0-
Alex came to, and he was in a chamber of sorts, his limbs firmly bound. In front of him was the creature that had killed his men, and it was holding Alana captive. The girl tried desperately to get free, the creature having an iron grip. "Let me go!"
Alex struggled to free himself, only for the bindings to tighten on his limbs. Alex winced as the thin material cut into his skin, drawing blood.
The creature laughed and held a spiky hand at Alana's throat, the girl still struggling. "I am the Crawler, and this girl will be another that falls to the Darkness!"
Alex lunged forward, the bindings holding him back. "NOOOO!"
The Crawler slit Alana's throat, and the girl let out a quick gasp before falling limp, the life fading from her blue eyes. Blood splashed out, coating the ground a sickly crimson. The Crawler let her body go, and Alana's corpse fell to the ground.
Alex sank back, horrified by what he just saw. "Alana…"
The Crawler appeared in front of him, and it grabbed his face.
Warning: Brief torture
The Crawler raised its arm, aiming at Alex's left eye. "You will become a product of the Darkness too!"
The Crawler stabbed Alex in the eye, causing the blonde to scream in pain. He thrashed wildly, trying to get the creature off of him. His attempts were futile, and it only increased his pain.
The Crawler raised its other hand, a black sphere appearing. "Our power will be forced within you. You are the Dark Knight now."
The Crawler sank his arm into Alex's eye, plunging the Darkness magic far inside of him. An intense pain, almost electrocuting, pulsed through the blonde's body. He jerked and convulsed, his sight going away in his left eye.
The Crawler grabbed his throat and squeezed, hard enough for Alex to nearly black out. "So, this is what happened when Darkness touches your soul. Interesting. I may have use for you after all."
The Crawler drew its arm from Alex's eye, watching as it flickered between a bright blue and black. "The power of the Darkness is yours. Kill all the light bringers, and let the Darkness take over the world!"
Safe from it. Told you it was brief
Alex began to pant, his left eye pulsing and throbbing. He had to get out of here. No matter what.
He felt something course through him. He looked at his hands to see two shadowy masses forming. With a final heave, the bindings snapped, and he was free. The Crawler merely laughed. "Run all you want. No one ever leaves the Darkness behind."
The creature was gone, and Alex was alone in the chamber with Alana's body, rapidly cooling. He sank to his knees, picking up the body of his childhood friend, holding her for the last time. Tears fell on her body. "I'm so sorry. I was too late." He picked up her body, and stiff limbed, stumbled out of the cave, not forgetting to bring his weapons.
Once he was out in the desert, he found his way quickly to the devastated city of Aurora, heading for the port. He stole a ship, and he set sail for Bowerstone.
Alex looked at his two hands, putting one over his eye. The eye that held the Darkness.
"This…is the Darkness within me."
A/N: There we go! I hoped you all enjoyed it, and feedback of any kind is appreciated. See you and don't forget to read 'A Hyper-Lethal Hero' to understand this!
Ja