Chapter Nine: The Inner Circle

There were few villains with such a means for chaos and domination as the Void Insurgent. Rommel had personally been to a base on a business trip in the Nerva Archipelago, when she had single handedly stolen a plutonium energy source they were holding for the research and development sections. The most irritating part of it was its casual nature. She walked in unarmed, and strode past the guards with nary a thought. When they opened fire at this known menace, the bullets were deflected six feet from her and scattered away, embedding themselves in the walls or other longbow agents. When she got to a locked door, it bent and shuddered, then broke as she walked closer to it. She was shielded by a personal force field, or as they informally call it, a "bubble." Even when longbow wardens ran in to intercept her, they were pushed away by an even larger field that kept them out of her way. In fifteen minutes she had reached the vault the power source was stored in, and personally deactivated the door's high quality shielding and barrier technology. The heavy door would never have been pushed away, but she clearly knew how to get around it. When the plutonium was in her possession, she nodded at the enraged longbow, without even a smirk, and teleported out of the base, with no trace left behind.

"So how'd you know it was Void anyhow?" Bone pressured.

"Well she's your boss isn't she? This whole story links every fact with another. Its only natural that now the Inner Circle is involved. That means that Void has something to do with it."

Bone chuckled. "Yeah, she's a riot, let me tell you. She's either got more contacts than I do, or she's a goddamn psychic. She knows everything about everyone, and there's really no reason for her to know. Its only too bad she doesn't venture out of the base anymore. When she was active, you only had to stay close to her to be almost absolutely safe from incoming damage. I've seen hero "bubblers," but they never compared to what she has up her sleeve. Plus, she's got some giant ass robots stored in the hanger at our base. If she ever decided to break them out, I dunno what she could do. But… for some reason she never has, tell you the truth, the ones you have seen are pretty small compared to those. I'm talking about transformer type big! goofy Japanese anime big! And to think, she used to be a hero."

Rommel sighed. "Void's file doesn't make sense. Yeah, she used to be a hero. In…" Rommel squinted, "Damaged Goods no less. The Throw Down Kid actually put her away after she went bad. Thing was, she didn't have any of the powers she has now. Her file goes way back, too. Before her hero days, she was a council galaxy technician. But then there was no file of her service either. Before that, she was a service mechanic for large aircraft and mechs for the Vanguard. And yet, no record. It seems she just showed up one day to these jobs with the qualifications and the proof she worked there. No one knew where she came from. This goes back seven years, every instance lasts a year, and every time, its different to boot. This one, the "Void Insurgent: Mastermind, is the first time she was actively evil, and has lasted for seven."

Bone shrugged. "Yeah, with all her power and toys, its amazing she's not the boss anymore."

"What? How'd that happen?" This was news to Rommel.

"Actually… I don't know. I haven't a clue what happened. One day she was the boss, then the next her Lt is in charge. Void told everyone by loudspeaker that he was in command, and that she would be in the lab if anyone needed her advice on something."

"Her Lt… Doomsdayve's in charge?"

Bone nodded.

"That explains some things. There has been a more aggressive nature to the Inner Circle lately. There isn't always much of a plan either, more of a desire to destroy, and to spread terror and carnage."

"Yeah, that pretty much sums it up!" She crossed her arms, "Tell the truth, I enjoy it! it's a lot easier to accomplish and understand."

"I'm going to have to look into this. Doomsdayve's reaching archvillian status fast."

"Knock yourself out, boss."

Rommel studied the Void Insurgent's file for a moment. "Tell me what the Inner Circle has to do with William Holmes."

"Gladly. I get to have your unwavering attention some more." She gave him her winning smile. He blanched. "As I said, Void knows freaking everything. She picked a day, and a time where it seems everything went wrong." She held up a finger.

"Lusca attacked Independence Port."

Another finger.

"Trolls were raving in Skyway"

Her favorite finger.

"The Circle of Thorns summoned Baphomet."

Another finger.

"Paladin was waltzing around Kings Row"

Yet another.

"The Mayor was kidnapped by nemesis troops."

Yet another finger.

"The Hellions were burning down buildings in Steel Canyon."

More finger action.

"Clockwork were disabling and dismantling police cars and attacking any cops who tried to stop them."

More and more.

"Captain Mako was sighted with a horde of Crab Spider troops in Peregrine Island.

You guessed it.

"Devouring earth were running amok in Founder's Falls."

This is getting ridiculous.

"There was a bomb threat on the Atlas statue"

How many fingers does she have?

"And, Hamidon suddenly showed up. You know, like Godzilla."

Rommel sighed. He remembered that day, He himself was on route to intercept Mako on the bulkheads of P.I.

"And while all of these things happened, there weren't many heroes to help out the piddly little King's Row third national bank. All of the heavy hitters were elsewhere."

Rommel's eyes widened. "Except…"

"That's right, William Holmes. But then he actually had company. The Throw Down Kid was in attendance too. He was in the area and was determined to support the King's Row citizens over ritzy Founder's Falls. They got there just as a monster exited the bank, cash in hand. The First Born Son wasn't really surprised to see them. But then why would he? It certainly didn't stop him from setting TDK on fire. Nor did it stop him from fighting William. The both of them were shrouded in darkness, and the Kid didn't know who was who. By that time, William had almost mastered his darkness powers and was a shadowy figure with spines jutting out of it in random intervals. It was actually a close fight, and spinal only emerged victorious with massive burns and injuries. TDK was too weak to leech off of, and the dirty alley was out of sight of the citizens. The Kid was about to go get help, when another foe, this time a smaller winged, pale slip of a girl shoved a long knife through William's chest. He went down with a gurgle. Then the First Born Son got up and only glared at the little demoness, his sister, Death By Sexy.

Rommel brought up the two demon's files. The First Born Son was a beast of war, who wielded power over flames and chaos. Darkness followed him wherever he placed his hooves, and his huge stature inspired fear in lesser beings. Even just being close to him warped the minds of those with no mental training, causing confusion and soon afterwards, horrifying burning death. All history claims Enoch, the First Born, has lived for centuries, relishing in battles and wars of humans, either in human form, or sowing terror in his own bestial self. He represented pure chaos by way of power.

Enoch's sister, Sera or Death by Sexy, represented the other half, cunning and intrigue. In her mad schemes, she always loved to manipulated people to do her bidding then betray them in the worst way possible. She had multiple ways to do her business, with means of suggestion both subtle and overt. She was skilled in physical combat and with her own innate powers. Where her brother always ruined her plans by barging in and destroying them with his own hands, she delights in ruining his agenda by turning them upside down with mind games and confusion. The siblings were always at odds, but surprisingly, not this time.

Rommel interjected. "By all of our accounts, The First Born Son and Death By Sexy never actually made a team of any kind. Our sources say they hate each other.

"They do. With a passion." The Bone Matriarch held out her hands in an expansive gesture. "That only makes it even more poignant, when they agreed to do this just once together. At this time, the two demons were arguing in their natural tongue. TDK just hoped he'd be able to heal in time and somehow save Will. To his rescue, Josef Holmes swooped in on a whirlwind and buffeted the little demoness through the air. The demons were faced by someone godly, and they reacted naturally. Death by disappeared, only to reappear behind Josef and strike him with her knife, then use some sort of power to thrust him towards the earth and immobilize him. She cackled in midair as she's wont to do. First then proceeded to breathe fire on the subdued hero, and before TDK could even think of helping, a massive thunderhead exploded in the alley, thrusting the demoness into the air and she wheeled out of control, in some sort of mad dash for safety. Josef followed her flustered flight, chasing her out of sight. The thundercloud sent lightning to deal with the other demon, knocking him off his hooves and electrocuting him, giving TDK more time to drag William close to the trash cans. Within seconds, he rose again, stealing the souls of a thousand insects and taking a bit of TDK's regenerated health for himself. He rose, unhurt, and they bore down on the now freed First Born Son. The demon leaped away, in massive bounds, but William tore after him in pursuit, his mutant energies driving him at high speeds. TDK "requisitioned" a parked motorcycle and sped off after them. I've got to remember to try that some time."

Rommel surfed the web whilst she talked, and book marked the Paragon Pride's articles of this very day. "Demons Bring Nightmare to Already Hectic Day" chronicled the robbery, and made only minor mention of a dark man showing up to fight them, but no mention of his name. The fact that Josef Holmes came out of hiding on this day showed his devotion to good, even when he was in danger in the public. Saving his cousin and his friend further proved his allegiance. Could it be possible, he wondered, if he had found him sooner, would William have kept his cape?

The Bone Matriarch continued, with a light in her eyes. She was coming to the exciting part, as if a fight with infernal creatures was an everyday occurrence. Though truly, in Paragon, it almost was. "You might be wondering where I was at the time. I was acting on a deal of my own. I was promised a spot in the Inner Circle at this time, it was my charge to keep anyone out of an old apartment building. I had heard of the Void Insurgent before, but never met her until she appeared before me, and offered a place in an epic moment in time. She may have been exaggerating, but it was still a generous offer. People as powerful as her tend to accumulate wealth, and I wasn't opposed to that. Besides, I wasn't sure how long id be of help to you guys, but don't worry, I'm glad I'm still in employ to two major factions. Of course with her vast knowledge, she knew all about our racket. She really didn't seem to care. In fact, she never really seems to care about much. Anyhow, I stood at the doorway, blocking access to normal folks when William and the Kid sped up. I had missed the fiend accessing the building from up high, but they obviously haven't. I was just about to tell them it was off limits when a voice echoed in my ear. It said "Let thossse two enter… Lock them in." I wasn't sure who it was, but I was certain it was an ally of the Void Insurgent. Tell you the truth, I wasn't sure I could have stopped them to begin with. The both of them had been in the hero biz for quite a while now, and had considerable security clearance. After they had entered, albeit cautious, I spotted another figure in the distance. It was another hero, wearing blue and white tights, with a giant bulls eye on his chest. He barreled through the Skulls guarding through the door, only to slam into the building. Skulls leapt upon him, immobilizing him. "Let me enter!" He exclaimed, "I must help my comrades!" This was Suicide Rush, another college of the Kid's, though I wasn't sure how he was involved. Later on, I learned he was following an anonymous tip he had received. When refused access, he electrocuted those connected to him, blasting them from the area, but that didn't stop four sledgehammers and twelve pistols from ending his brief struggle."

Rommel brought this new player on the scene up with his laptop. Rush was a man with an interesting affliction. He was immortal. However, it wasn't his idea. He went on the most suicidal missions when he was a hero, and fought giant monsters solo. Every time he died, he would get back up, dust himself off, sigh, and continue looking for something that could kill him. He never accepted a Hero Medi-porter chip for that very reason. The only thing longbow didn't know is why and how he turned evil. Perhaps this would shine some light on the question. He wasn't seen in Paragon after this day, unless he was creating random chaos. Even more of a coincidence, he was another in the defunct Damaged Goods super group. Probably the most damaged of all, he thought with a chuckle. Rush had technological gloves that emitted a force of energy, and conducted energy over long distances. However, he didn't fight from afar most times. Instead, he fought hand to hand, when he was very seldom at an advantage.

Bone continued. "However, a few brief seconds after he went down, he got back up, no worse for wear. He looked genuinely disappointed. As I learn later, he always was eager to find the day he didn't get back to the land of the living. But the Skulls were having fun, so I let them get back to the fight. Every time he died, he took a couple with him, though I was sure he was pulling the punches. The Skulls were knocked unconscious or rendered powerless with electrical surges. He was giving them every chance he could other than stand completely still, where its no fun at all, now is it? The cycle continued eight times, and at this time I noticed a little something out of the corner of my eye. A man in tattered clothes sat in our alley, paying only the most casual of attention to the goings on, but his eyes glinted in the fading sunlight with a hidden agenda. He wasn't causing any harm, not to us at least. There was faint movement under his dirty cloak whenever Rush got back up. Whenever he got back to his feet, the shadows began to gather to him like an aura. They infused him with some sort of energy, that clearly didn't affect his battle prowess, but from the way he was acting, it might have an effect on his mind. My Skulls didn't notice, but with my powers, I like to think I'm more perceptive in this field than most. Rush was yelling gibberish, but was also running out of Skulls. When only three were left, he ran off, not in fear, but in total confusion. He was screaming "Damn kids! Get off my lawn!" The tattered man slowly followed. I let him pass without incident, after all, he might be a hidden ally. I wasn't sure how many of Void's followers there were in the city. After a tremendous explosion at an intersection nearby, all was quiet, except for sounds of battle high up in the building."

"Now everything I'm going to tell you now is all hearsay and second hand knowledge. I wasn't in the apartment, but I can tell you from different accounts what happened. Both William and the Void Insurgent recalled events, Void the most clearly. She seems to have a photographic memory to the smallest detail, and though it was utterly boring story telling, the substance if it was very interesting indeed."

"When TDK and William found the room the First Born Son had leaped into, they came face to face with him yet again. But this time they were more than a match for the winded beast, and outnumbered him as well. However, it didn't exactly matter, when the First Born Son suddenly teleported away from some unseen force. In his place, however, from a side room was a large man with an angry expression. Chains adorned his arms and fists, and he wore a surgeons' mask on his face. His hair was wild, swept out of his face, giving him a look of recklessness. Other than that, he was almost someone you'd see walking down the street on any given day. Well, except for the glowing aura of hate that originated from him. That's kind of an important detail. William and TDK launched an attack at this new foe, driving fist and spine into the large man's torso. They both rebounded as if they attacked a wall. The man responded with a punch of his own, driving TDK back through the door, and past the one opposite the hall. "Sheeeit! Who is that??" He rebounded back into the room, hurt but already mending. The man with pure anger in his eyes only responded with, "I am Doomsdayve. And I am your end."

TDK rolled his eyes. "That's a stupid name."

"Though it might be useful to make other villains angry, it only increased Doomsdayve's power. So it was no surprise when he pummeled them both within an inch of their lives. Any damage they could have caused was stopped by Doom's iron like skin. The whole battle lasted for maybe five minutes. When Doom grabbed William in his steel grip, TDK found himself imprisoned in a bubble of force, unable to act, and unable to change what was going to happen. Only then with the two threats eliminated did the Void Insurgent appear. She approached William and softly clapped her hands. In a quiet but strong voice she spoke. "A valiant effort, William. If only you used your powers correctly." William swore, and Void turned to the captured TDK. "Its nice to see you again, Miguel. I see you've still retained the spark of life which made you so resilient. I'm sorry things never worked out between us. My awakening put us on opposite sides, and I could not help but do what I had to, to regain my strength." TDK was never one for fancy words. "Shut yer yap, you annoying bitch! I should have broken your jaw with my "Shut the fuck up punch!" It would have made you SO much bearable."

Void only shrugged. "I only decided you should know the reason. I have expected no such other reaction." She turned back to William. " I have an offer for you. Please wait until the end to answer, or it will only prolong your current state."

William spat. "This is when you try to make me evil right? Well you can forget it. I might be a vicious bastard, but I'm not evil. I was brought up right."

Void almost smiled. "You were? I wasn't positive you even had a family. Well not anymore. They were destroyed by your own." William's eyes widened at the mention of that day. "The Banished Pantheon was only half of the plot against you. But have no fear, those who acted were summarily punished. I just want to inform you, William, that you are different than those other heroes. As cliché as it may sound, you will never fulfill your true potential as you are now. You need guidance. Would you like to know who killed your family? Would you like to know how to create your own destiny? I can give you all you desire."

Will sneered at the goggled woman. "I'm a hero. People need me to beat the hell out of people like you. So why don't you make Dumbsdayve let me go so I can finish things!" He flinched when Doom tightened his grip.

"Calm yourself Doom. No need to get excited," Void reprimanded.

Doom only growled.

"People need you, Mister Holmes? Perhaps. But do they need you over the other heroes in Paragon? And the question really is, do they acknowledge you?" William sneered, but listened.

"I spoke only the truth, William, when I said you were different. This fact made you an outcast in life, am I right? Darker than most by far, spines jutting from your body, white hair, you're utterly demonic. A face only a mother could love." She paused for a moment. "And through everything you put yourself through to save the citizens of Paragon, have you gotten any appreciation? Anything other than "Oh, thanks, I'm leaving?" My guess is no. Other heroes dislike your for your brutal ways, however effective. They got so jealous and hateful of your existence… That they murdered your entire family.

William gasped and narrowed his eyes. "What do you know?"

Doomsdayve put William down just in time to intercept TDK flying at him. Their rematch ensued in earnest, Doom being tired of inaction, while the Kid was fighting to rescue his friend. William, on the other hand, was too caught up in Void's new proclamation to even notice. The thing that had consumed him throughout the years was his family's death. He was desperate to know what happened.

TDK put up a good fight. Fully rested and renewed from his fight before, brought his fist right into Doom's face. Though it hardly did any damage by itself, he changed his strategy to darting in and out of his reach, chipping away at his defenses. He grabbed anything that could be used as a makeshift weapon, chairs, lamps, anything to enhance his normally powerful attack. Though a big man, Doom wasn't slow to act. He often countered the smaller hero's attacks with a force of brute strength, and even a clip to the shoulder knocked him back off his feet.

Doom spoke with malice in his voice, but also a hint of excitement. "You fight well. If only you weren't so weak!"

He punctuated his speech with a overhand haymaker that sent the Kid halfway crushed through the floor. The floor joyces downstairs creaked with the impact. "Get up. I'm not finished with you yet. Heal for me, so I can rip you apart."

He picked up the kid only to get a foot in the face, disoriented for a moment, Dayve threw him up, intent on spiking him like a volleyball. However, TDK was faster. Grabbing the ceiling rafters, he escaped his wrath for a moment. Doom narrowed his eyes, and started floating up to meet him. "Shit! Why can everyone fly except for me?!" TDK looked for an escape route. Instead, inspiration struck him, and he flung himself down to meet the bigger man, booting him in the face, and sending him down to the floor again, while using that force to get back up to the rafters. Doom rose with rage in his eyes. He stamped his foot in anger, the shockwaves almost knocked the hero off his perch. Seeing opportunity, he stamped again, and again, attempting to dislodge the martial artist. Soon, the Kid was hanging by his fingertips, almost in range of Doom's long reach. One last stomp reduced it to one hand, but his own foot was suddenly stuck in the floor. TDK's last ditch effort, while Doom was unwittingly standing on the already reduced floor, was to drop down and add his own considerable weight with a smashing double kick to Doom's skull. While he jumped off onto solid floor, Doom crashed through to the room below, and the one below that, and the one below that… Unyielding indeed. So much for the floor."

"Void and William hardly noticed the fight, for she was still telling him all about his supposed destiny. There was power in her words, TDK knew, whether it was supernatural or not. A terrific force slammed into his side, and laid him out before he even knew it. He laid panting in pain, while the perpetrator slowly advanced on his friend."

"…. so fight now for yourself, not those who disrespect you. Instill fear instead!"

William still wasn't convinced. "Leave all I know to go with you? I don't know your intentions. I think I'll stay here instead, thank you very much."

"The Void Insurgent stood with arms crossed, even when a spine slid out along William's arm. He whirled around at a strange noise and for a flash, saw a hand pass before his face, then he saw nothing. Though he was aware of a presence, he could see no one but the Kid laying on the floor, and Void standing quietly behind him, nodding if listening to a conversation. His sense of smell was going haywire though. His eyes widened and he forgot all about his friend laying injured when he recognized it: Sulfur and cinnamon."

"Sinister Soul slowly became visual in front of her son, and she stood with the same expression on her face. The crimson woman who left him in Paragon 26 years ago saw her own blood again, and her human half was overwhelmed with compassion and relief."

"M- Mother?" William stuttered, his only family left was his own estranged mother, who had followed these villains to his doorstep. All questions were silenced when she crushed him in a maternal hug.

TDK watched the scene. The young looking crimson woman wearing a revealing outfit was embracing William with no concern for the spines that were slowly receding. "Dude.." he mumbled, still stunned, "your mom's hot…"

William, now released, shot question after question at his mother, who answered them in turn. Void just watched and nodded, someone snored in the background, and behind it all, Doomsdayve floated up through the hole in the floor with his eyes ablaze.

"William," the Void Insurgent said, " have you made a decision now? There may even be more surprises if you return with us. We can be your family now. Trust me, its not so different than being a hero.. You just fight for yourself instead of disrespectful citizens."

She turned to Doomsdayve. "David, control yourself." He stopped and glared knives at his mistress.

"He must die."

"He might be more of a challenge, David, if you leave him to get stronger." The woman put her hand on her chin and cocked her head. "Destroy him now, and he will never be more than a insect to you."

Doom narrowed his eyes and nodded. His battle aura calmed and he stared at the Kid, who was beginning to stir.

"William… Lets get out of here. We can get Joey! Then we'll kick their asses!"

Will looked at him then his mother. "No… I'm going with them."

TDK let out a string of obscenities. "Don't listen to them! They're lying to you!"

"No, I have a family again, Miguel, I'm sorry, man, but I don't have anything here anymore. Cousins don't compare to a real family. I never had anything close to a real father. And… well, if I can't get respect from the people and the heroes that represent them… I'll have their fear.

TDK knew he had made up his mind. It had been coming to a head anyhow, though he had hoped that the return of Josef Holmes would bring up his spirits to return him to a heroic attitude. But when he was trained by a Skull and given birth to by a demon, what chance did a guy like TDK have to dissuade him? Even he had his own shameful past. But unlike William, he wouldn't accept the easy way out.

"Will…" The Throw Down Kid said evenly, "You'll never have my fear. But you've always had my respect." He disappeared out the window, jumping down to escape the coalition of villains."

"Five minutes later, the apartment was empty. Words echoed in my head again, with a slight hiss with instructions once I get to the domain of Arachnos. I sought out my contacts in the Rogue Isles a couple weeks later after longbow planted me in the Ziggursky Prison. It was my time to do the same thing that I did over in Paragon, with a whole new cast of characters. William was surprised to see me in the Inner Circle, as well as his cousin Camille. She had been ecstatic when he appeared, she jumped on him and gave him a hug like a little kid, not a super powered pyromaniac. After that, Sinister Soul took him away to teach him of his birthright. Its that man you face today."

Rommel finished typing the backstory of William Holmes, and clicked back on Sinister Soul's profile. A demon, she had many powers, unlike normal villains and heroes. Most have powers revolving around a specific ideal, such as ice or fire, others healed, others withstood damage. Ixxilithu, aka Sinister Soul, was a whole new breed. She was very quick on her feet, had the power of flight through wings, and controlled powerful blasts of inky darkness. Added to that, she could go invisible at will, had razor sharp nails, change her form to suit her needs, and manipulate intangible forces such as mind control and sonic waves. She was normally a background figure in Inner Circle missions, but now that she had her son back, she was being sighted more and more lately, constantly coaching her son.