The 14th Zoalord

Chapter One

Prelude

Mikhail Czyvek had never had a real family. His parents had died when he was very young, and the many foster homes he'd grown up in had lacked any trace of familial love. CHRONOS was his life, his home, and in a very real way, Lord Friedrich von Purgstall was his father. Years of living in abusive homes had taught Czyvek the skills of stealth, of being fast and agile, of hiding in plain sight, and that was what had brought him to CHRONOS' attention. He had joined a Ninjitsu Club as a teenager, using his natural and learned abilities to excel in the art, and he had swiftly mastered it. A small and silent young man with short brown hair and piercing black eyes, he could slip into a room unnoticed with a grace that would make a cat burglar jealous. Soon he had excelled beyond his Sensei, and that was when he learned the true nature of the club.

One day Czyvek had noticed a tall, grey-haired man in an expensive business suit speaking to his Master. He had seen the man before, though he didn't know who he was. The man frequently came to watch the exercises and tests of the students, like a recruiter scouting a football game for talent. Today would be different. "Mikhail, come here, I want you to meet someone." The Master called, and Czyvek obeyed, "This is Friedrich von Purgstall, one of our most important sponsors. No doubt you've seen him here before." Czyvek bowed politely, "He has a job opportunity he'd like to discuss with you."Purgstall smiled gently, "I would prefer to discuss this in private." His voice carried an unmistakable Austrian accent. He waved toward the door, and a waiting black sedan.

Czyvek sat quietly as Purgstall began to speak in the privacy of the car. "Your name is Mikhail Czyvek, correct?" "Yes, Sir." "You were born in Romania, and your parents immigrated to the US to escape the dictator Ceausescu." "Yes, Sir." Czyvek wondered where this conversation was going, surely this man knew who he was. "I have been watching you for some time, and you impress me. Your skills are unmatched in the arts of stealth.""Thank you, Sir." Czyvek looked closely at the man, he was probably in his mid-to late forties, with short, steel-grey hair and slightly pointed ears. "Have you ever heard of CHRONOS?"

"Chronos, the Greek god of time, he devoured his own children, didn't he?" Czyvek cringed despite himself. "Yes, but the CHRONOS to which I'm referring to is an organization, an elite group of men and women who are striving to make the world a better place." "I've never heard of it." Czyvek replied. "I am one of the chief executives of the CHRONOS Corporation, and the school at which you trained is a "testing ground" of sorts, owned by CHRONOS, used to find those whose abilities could best help our cause." Czyvek sat impassive, but his mind was racing, What sort of group have I involved myself with? "You said CHRONOS is trying to make the world a better place, How do they intend to do that?" "I'll have to show you that. Would you be interested?"

"Yes, Sir."

The sedan pulled into a nondescript warehouse parking lot and Purgstall exited, followed by Czyvek, while the driver remained in the car. Within the warehouse a number of men in blue and white uniforms and helmets, obviously combat gear, waited, some playing cards, some watching the doors like sentries. When the pair entered they rose to attention instantly. "At ease." Purgstall spoke quietly. Czyvek didn't speak at all, What is this place? "I have to warn you," Purgstall said, "what you are about to see may shock you, but I assure you it is all for a great cause." How many tyrants have said that? Czyvek thought as they stepped onto an elevator. Purgstall pressed a button, and they began to descend. "CHRONOS, as I said, is devoted to making the world a better place. The founder and leader of CHRONOS has given us great power to achieve this goal, but it comes at a price. Many of those who choose to serve CHRONOS become Zoanoids, super-powered warriors, with the ability to transform themselves into more powerful forms, not all of them pleasant. Down here we keep a Zoanoid processing plant, where human volunteers become Zoanoids." Purgstall turned to Czyvek, looking him over, "We don't force them . . . Well, some unscrupulous Zoalords do force people to become Zoanoids, but I don't. You're free to choose." Czyvek tried to process this information, Humans transforming into battle creatures? Was this a joke? But Czyvek was a good judge of character, and Purgstall seemed sincere, he bore no hint of deception. "What's a Zoalord?"

"A Zoalord is a being of immense power, they control and command the Zoanoid forces via a Zoacrystal implanted within them. The Zoacrystal is a gift from The Supreme Zoalord, Archanfel, the leader and founder of CHRONOS." Purgstall spoke the name with a mixture of reverence and awe. "I am one of the Zoalords." He turned to Czyvek again, and a bright light began to fill the elevator, a light coming from Purgstall's forehead itself, as a large crystal, embedded in the man's skull, came into view. For a few seconds Czyvek could feel it's power radiating through him, and then it vanished again into the Zoalord's body.

The elevator door opened, and the two men stepped out. "We are more than two miles below ground," Purgstall said softly, "If you want to leave now, I will not stop you, but if you want to see more . . . " "Yes, I want to see more." Czyvek was breathless, in shock, "And who, or what is Archanfel ?" "Archanfel was the first Zoalord, created millions of years ago by an alien race we call "The Creators." They were seeking to create the perfect weapon, so they created man." "Given our history, I'd say their experiment was a success." Czyvek replied. "Here we are." The men stood at the end of a large room where scientists walked back and forth inspecting large, clear cylinders, "This is part of the Zoanoid processing plant." Czyvek walked forward, to the nearest cylinder. A nude man floated in some sort of liquid, attached to tubes and breathing apparatus, but it was the next cylinder's occupant that caught Czyvek's eye, a huge, hairy creature, with the face of an over-sized bat on a gorilla-like body, floating in the same type of liquid, hooked up to the same type of apparatus. "That one is called a Ramotith, he's a "Strength Type" Zoanoid, he has the strength of ten men, once fully processed. The man you saw in the other cylinder is going to become a Gregole, another Strength Type, with the strength of fifteen men. These are our two most common models." "May . . . May I look around?" Czyvek was intrigued, he had never much cared for humanity, and certainly not his own. He had no friends, no relatives, no one to care about or to care about him . . . But here, here was a chance to become more than human . . .

As he wandered through the rows upon rows of Zoanoids and men becoming Zoanoids he took note of them all; furry Ramotiths, massive reptilian Gregoles, fish-like Cadan, the variety seemed endless. Suddenly he saw it. It was beautiful, a shiny hunter green carapace covering a lithe humanoid form, the five-fingered hands, two-clawed feet, and the head, a rounded beetle's head with red, multifaceted eyes and short antennae. The screen beneath the Zoanoid marked it:

"RAZELL."

"Incredible, isn't he?" Purgstall whispered, "The Razell is a Scout and Stealth Type Zoanoid. He is usually sent on covert missions." Czyvek examined the Zoanoid further, moving around the cylinder, observing the six spiracles in the creature's abdomen, the small wing covers in back, "Can it fly?"he asked. "No, sadly, but he's fast and agile. The Razell lacks the power of other Zoanoids, but he makes up for it in his stealth abilities." "I always loved bugs, ever since I was a kid. We had something in common. Always getting stepped on." He expected Purgstall to laugh, most people did at that joke, but the man only looked sad. "Those days are over. Even if you choose not to join CHRONOS, you have the abilities to defend yourself from such petty creatures as bullies."

"You said that a Zoalord controls Zoanoids, how do they . . . " "Telepathy. The Zoacrystal allows the Zoalord to telepathically control hundreds of Zoanoids at once. Some are given more freedom than others, depending on the volunteer's attitude and trustworthiness and the situation at the time." Czyvek could tell the man was speaking the truth, for why would someone lie to make their position less appealing. "How do you know if you can trust someone?" Czyvek asked, "By seeing their thoughts, treachery cannot go unnoticed among Zoanoids, since we can read their thoughts at any time." "If I did choose to become a Zoanoid, what would be expected of me?" Purgstall reached out to touch the cylinder containing the Razell, "You would be expected to use your abilities to the full in service to our cause."

"Give me an hour. Let me try to sort things out. Then I'll let you know."

Mikhail Czyvek quickly rose through the ranks of CHRONOS, his skills and innate loyalty made him the perfect operative for sensitive and vital missions, and soon Lord Purgstall appointed him his personal assistant. Czyvek learned a great deal from his master. Friedrich von Purgstall was more than two hundred years old, yet had the body of a man in his mid-forties, the Zoacrystal having imparted longevity upon him along with awesome powers. Czyvek also learned a great deal about CHRONOS and it's goals. The purpose of CHRONOS was to make the world a better place . . . By conquering it. Czyvek had no problem with this. He had no love of politics or politicians of any creed. Purgstall strongly believed that this was the only way, he was totally loyal to CHRONOS yet, he retained his compassion and concern for his followers. Many of the other Zoalords viewed their operatives as disposable pawns at best, and Czyvek began to despise two in particular, Doctor Hamilcar Barcus and Commander Richard Guyot, vicious, amoral men. Barcus, at least, was loyal, Guyot was totally self-serving and without any redeeming qualities. Czyvek held in awe the incredibly ancient Waferdanos and the stone-skinned giant Tuatha de Galenos, and deeply respected Purgstall's friend, Lord Sin Rubeo Amniculus. He had never seen Archanfel, and doubted he ever would, the ancient Zoalord was reclusive, Purgstall himself had not seen Archanfel for decades.

As Zoalord Purgstall's most trusted agent, Czyvek was offered an "upgrade," his Razell body would be altered to have greater abilities, and he jumped at the chance to serve his Master better. Hyper-Zoanoid Galvak, an experimental type devised by Purgstall and Barcus, was physically similar to the Razell, but had a wider range of abilities. He could change his color, and even his texture, to blend in with his surroundings. He could lean against a tree and take on the look and feel of bark and leaves. His exoskeleton was considerably lightened and streamlined, making him far more fast, maneuverable and silent, combined with fully functional wings for flight. He could now remain perfectly still for hours at a time, and he could elongate his fingers several feet, without losing any manipulative abilities. And, most of all,in the ultimate show of trust, Lord Purgstall had implanted within him a telepathic dampener, effectively shutting out his mind to Zoalord control and mental scanning, so that he could infiltrate areas without even the other Zoalords knowing of it. Barcus had initially opposed the idea, but decided he could then serve as a useful spy against less-than-trustworthy Zoalords like Guyot, in which Czyvek proved himself more than capable.

Czyvek had come to view Purgstall as a father. He was the man/god who had taken him from his miserable existence and given him a purpose, and a home. He served the Zoalord with a loyalty bordering on fanaticism, which troubled Purgstall, who wanted the man to have a life outside of CHRONOS. Czyvek could see no life beyond CHRONOS, he lived only to serve his master, to try and repay him for the gift of purpose he had given him . . .

When the three Guyver Units were stolen by a renegade Zoanoid from the Japan Section, things started to become complicated. One unit was found by a seventeen-year-old boy named Fukamachi Sho, who accidentally activated and bonded with it, becoming Guyver I. Czyvek was disgusted by the actions of the Japan Section. Instead of trying to recruit the boy, they brutally attacked him and his friends. Barcus even turned the boy's father into a Zoanoid, forcing them to fight to the death and forever destroying any hope of swaying Sho to CHRONOS. Several of Czyvek's friends had been killed in the debacle, such as Tora Kenishiro, the Lost Number Gelpess, a Zoanoid with a pudgy, lizard-like body who could transform into the form of anyone his own relative small size. Lost Numbers could never be reproduced by the Zoanoid process, there would never be any other Gelpess, or Dyme, or Somlum, they were extinct . . .

The CHRONOS agent Oswald Lisker bonded with the second Guyver Unit, becoming Guyver II, but died while trying to kill Guyver I due to damage his unit had sustained when it was stolen. And then there was Guyver III . . . Cold, manipulative and merciless, Makishima Agito was the adopted son of the deposed leader of CHRONOS Japan, and had engineered his adoptive father's destruction as retaliation for the man's driving his parents to suicide. Agito desired to use his power to overthrow CHRONOS and become the ruler of Earth.

As if this was not enough, X-Day, the date for CHRONOS' assault, was rapidly approaching, and the group was besieged from within as well as without. Guyot was plotting to kill the other Zoalords, including Archanfel, and take the Guyver Unit. A Zoalord with the power of a Guyver would be unstoppable. All of the Zoalords gathered in Japan to stop him. Archanfel himself defeated the traitor, but at great cost. The whole of the Japanese base at Mount Minakami was destroyed, along with the priceless "Relic," a living ship left by the Creators, and the Unit Remover, a device designed to remove the Guyver unit from it's host. Worse, at least to Czyvek, countless Zoanoids and personnel were killed.

Despite this, X-Day was successful, and every government and military on Earth was overthrown in a single day by the Zoanoid troops. Galvak/Czyvek led a team sent to neutralize a nuclear missile base, which he accomplished with ease thanks to his new abilities. And the world belonged to CHRONOS. Within a year the world was at peace, save for a few human rebels who resented CHRONOS' authority.

But more trouble was brewing, in the form of the two Guyvers and monstrous renegade Zoanoid named Aptom, who devoured other Zoanoids, absorbing their powers into himself. Barcus had created Aptom, experimented on him until he was uncontrollable and near-indestructible. Czyvek's contempt for the man only grew, he was convinced Barcus would bring down CHRONOS with his cruel stupidity.

Zoalord Purgstall was quickly appointed leader of Japan, and Czyvek followed him to Cloud Gate, the new CHRONOS headquarters in Japan. Purgstall proved to be a just and caring ruler, but things came very near to ending when he was struck by a blast from Guyver I's Mega Smasher Cannon while trying to protect the city from one of his servants, the crazed Hyper-Zoanoid Neo Zx-Tole. The powerful Zoanoid was willing to sacrifice the entire city and it's people to destroy Aptom and avenge the deaths of his comrades, the Hyper-Zoanoid Five, at that despicable abomination's hands. Badly injured, Purgstall only survived due to his Zoalord physiology and the fact that he received quick medical attention. Czyvek didn't hold it against Fukamachi, because it seemed his Lord had accidentally been caught in the blast, and everyone realized that if Neo Zx-Tole had succeeded in his mad attack the entire city would have been destroyed. The experience only increased Czyvek's respect for his noble Lord who was willing to risk his life for his people.

Then Czyvek's world ended.

Guyver Gigantic was apparently attacking Japan, killing hundreds of innocent people, and Zoalord Purgstall had rushed to defend those under his care. He never came back. Czyvek had known the moment it happened. He felt it in his soul. Czyvek had been helping rescue and evacuate injured civilians when the cold wave swept over him. Purgstall's closest friend, Zoalord Sin Rubeo Amniculus, had rushed to the scene to help, but arrived moments too late, as did Czyvek, who had been slowed by the rubble strewn about the battlefield that had once been a city . . .

Zoalord Friedrich von Purgstall lay on the ground, a massive hole burned through his chest. He was dead. Three other Zoalords stood over the body, Cabraal Khan, Jabir Ibn Hayyan and Luggnagg de Krumeggnic. As Amniculus wept over his friend's body, Czyvek collapsed in shock, out of view of the others. He dimly heard someone saying that they had come to help him, but had arrived too late . . .

Mikhail Czyvek made his way back to Cloud Gate, stumbling in a fog of hopelessness. The place was in chaos, Zoanoids and other staff running around, not knowing what to do. This wasn't supposed to happen . . . How could a Zoalord die?

Czyvek walked past them without taking any notice, it didn't matter, nothing mattered now . . .

His master was dead. His life no longer had any meaning. There was only one thing to do.

In his sparse room he searched through his weapons, until he found it. His Hari Kiri blade. He knelt down, raising the blade high, and plunged it downward. The blade flew from his hands, ripped from his grasp by some unseen force before he could even scratch himself. "You don't want to do that," A soft, childlike voice came from behind him, "It would be such a waste." Czyvek turned to see a tall, handsome teenage boy with long white hair and catlike eyes, dressed in an immaculate white suit. The power hit him like a hammer between the eyes. This was no boy. Standing before him was The Supreme Zoalord himself, Archanfel. "Wouldn't you rather kill the people responsible for killing your master?" "How, I don't have the power to kill a Guyver . . . " The ancient boy smiled grimly "The Guyver did not kill our friend. That is what the true killers wanted us to believe, but it was a poor charade at best." He held out his right hand, which held a large, glowing crystal,

"As for lacking power, I can offer you that, and more . . . "

To be continued . . .