Ch. 14: Viral Evolution: Flash-Bulb Freak-out
The sun rises once more on the city of Juuban, Tokyo, and with it, we find Thedon once more engaged in early morning training. Along with his group training with the scouts and the Eds, he would also engage in a more taxing regiment on his own, to help measure how much this new virus had improved him. As the note said, he found himself becoming stronger on many levels.
With the penguins overseeing the operation, Thedon found that his physical strength was at least tripled what it was. He was even capable of holding several slabs of solid steel over his head for a time without exhibiting any signs of strain. His speed was such that at full sprint, he was just a hair below the speed of sound. He could even use his momentum to run up the side of a building. His enhanced durability allowed him to shrug off blows that would severely injure others, it was even speculated that he could even survive bullets. His reflexes and reaction time also improved drastically.
All these improvements, however, did come with some drawbacks. The sudden introduction of the virus and subsequent rewriting of his DNA caused an unexpected spike in his hormone levels, causing him to go through a sort of second puberty. Now, Thedon wasn't ignorant when it came to the relationships between men and women, owing to a rather traumatic incident that occurred when he was ten years old. The problem was that he was starting to focus more on the scouts and how they were physically maturing, and his mind would constantly replay scenes of Serena, Amy, and Raye transforming into their respective Sailor Scout.
Now were you to ask anyone's opinion on this matter, they would say that even for Thedon's unique circumstance, what he was experiencing was normal for any healthy, young man. But such reassurance brought Thedon little comfort. The fact of the matter was that Thedon was afraid, afraid of doing something that would ruin his friendship with the scouts, afraid that they would outright reject him. Sadly, this fear caused him to avoid the girls, which in turn was causing the scouts to worry about him.
Back in the present, the school day was drawing to a close, and Thedon was preparing to book it out of there as fast as possible. Managing to avoid the attention of Serena and Amy, who were distracted by a magazine and studying respectively, he first went to the boy's bathroom to try and collect his thoughts.
'What the hell is wrong with me? I'm supposed to be protecting the Sailor Scouts, not lusting after them. I need to find some way of keeping my hormones in check, or else it could be a repeat of the incident.' Thedon tried to think, yet found it difficult as every thought seemed to lead to Serena, Amy, or Raye.
'Dammit, this is getting me nowhere. I need to get home and blow off some steam.' With that final thought, Thedon exited the bathroom and made his way home. Upon reaching his home, Thedon pondered on what to do. While his physical training did a good job of tiring him out, the penguins suggested that he take a few days to allow his body to heal and rebalance itself before trying anything that was considered extreme. Training with the virus was also out of the question for the same reason. Finally admitting that he's hit a dead end, he figured a small nap might help him.
Thedon's sudden change in behavior was also worrying his friends. The animals, especially the penguins, spent every spare moment they had trying to find some treatment or cure for his condition, although so far they came up empty-handed. The Eds were also concerned, although Eddy was more concerned about his next big payday then Thedon's well-being. But the most concerned for him were Serena, Amy, and Raye.
We now join the Eds, strolling down the street on the outskirts of the city. This particular street was adjacent to a lovely cliff-side vista, capturing the city in a sunset worthy of any portrait. It reminded them of the junkyard back in their cul-de-sac. Walking further down the road, they came upon someone else admiring the view. This person was Peter Fischer, a student at another school who recently won an award for his landscape photography. They had heard about him from Serena, who had tried to get his autograph only to be stopped by Raye. Edd started thinking out loud.
"Isn't that Peter Fischer? The person Serena was talking about?" Double D's question caught the other Eds attention, and the gears in Eddy's head began to turn.
"I think you're right, sock-head. Oh, this is too perfect. If we can get his autograph, we could sell it to Serena and other girls. We'd be rich by lunch-time. C'mon, let's get cracking."
Just as he said that, Peter started getting up. He was about to leave when he lost his footing and slipped. The Eds shot forward, and Eddy just managed to grab hold of his hand. Then Eddy started to slip and was grabbed by double D. But then even he started slipping only to be grabbed by Ed, who was hanging on to the guard rail. In an amazing show of strength, Ed hoisted all of them back onto the street. Peter was just amazed by what happened.
"Thanks, you saved my life. But, who are you? I don't recall seeing you around here before." Eddy responded first.
"Well, we're new in town and decided to learn the lay of the land. I'm Eddy, by the way. The big guy in the jacket is Ed, and sock-head over there is Double D." Eddy pointed to each of them as he introduced them. Peter thanked them once again and was about to leave when he noticed that his camera was missing. He looked around frantically until another voice caught their attention. They looked to see the familiar form of Maxfield Stanton holding a camera with an extended lens. Peter retrieved his camera and thanked both parties once more before leaving.
Unbeknownst to either the Eds or Peter, Nephrite implanted his mark on Peter's camera, which would in the coming days drive him to take pictures of people instead of landscapes. The following evening, Peter placed an ad in every major magazine advertising a contest for potential swimsuit models. This had immediately caught Serena's attention, fantasizing about being a famous model and meeting her dream guy in the process.
Luna was also busy, as she was giving each of the Scout's special communicators. After watching Serena pout over Amy's lack of enthusiasm for the model contest, she decided to bring a communicator to Thedon. She felt he was owed one even though he wasn't an official Sailor Scout; he was still an important part of the team. She also intended to get some answers on Thedon's strange behavior. After reaching his home, Luna made her way to his window. Peering inside, she saw Thedon in what she could only guess was a meditative pose, surrounded by the penguins, the Lemurs, Marlene, Phil, and Mason.
Thedon was currently deep in a meditative trance. During his nap, he got the distinct feeling that something was reaching out to him, something that wanted to help. So now he sat, reaching out with his mind to make contact with this presence. He soon found himself in a strange land, filled with numerous small islands situated in sickly green water. There were countless bookshelves, all twisted into various positions and filled with all manner of books and scrolls. But, the thing that really got his attention were the inhabitants, all of which looked like something out of a cthuluian horror story.
"So, you finally made it here. Quite impressive for one without training in the arcane arts." Thedon spun around toward the source of the sudden voice, only to come face to face with what appeared to be a huge mass of tentacles and eyes, all centered around a single large eye with a figure-eight shaped pupil. It spoke in a refined, almost condescending tone despite the apparent lack of mouth.
"I'm here because something called me here. Was it you who called me? And just who or what are you?"
"You are correct in the assumption that I contacted you. I am Hermeaus Mora, deadric prince of knowledge and the last of the deadric prince's."
"And what, exactly is a deadric prince?"
"Eons ago, in another reality, countless spirits inhabited the ether known as the Void. I was one of those spirits, having been helped into existence by the eventual god of time, Akatosh. Each of us created our own plains of existence, separated from one another by our power, all except for one. His name was Lorkan, and he had what he claimed to be a great idea, a singular realm in which every spirit would have an influence upon its development. We all agreed without a second thought, and started pouring our divine energy into the creation of this realm. It wasn't until much later that we found out that a vast amount of our power was being drained, leaving us in danger of being trapped. Many of the weaker spirits learned this too late, and their entire being was absorbed by this realm. I was among a group of spirits that managed to escape back to our own realms, allowing us to recover. After we had recovered enough power, we cast our sights on this new realm, called Mundus. Within it was a single planet, called Nirn, upon which would evolve the mortal races, which would later dub us as the Deadra, with myself listed among the strongest of the race, who were called prince's. Time passed and our curiosity about this realm grew, and soon we had our own sphere of worship among the mortals. My sphere of influence was knowledge and all things related to it. All of the knowledge I have gathered over the ages is stored here."
"And where exactly is 'here'?"
"This is my realm, known as Apocrypha. It is a massive library filled with all manner of information, from common knowledge known by all, to forbidden knowledge long forgotten; all of it is stored here. Countless mortals have sacrificed everything for the chance to learn such knowledge, and nearly all of them have gone insane."
"So why have you contacted me?"
"Yes, that is the whole reason for you being here. Your subconscious pleas for help reached out to me, you desired knowledge that would help you, knowledge that I had. I, in turn, became curious about your world and the memories you contained. So I contacted you to propose a deal."
"What kind of deal are we talking about? A "you grant me power in exchange for my soul" kind of deal?"
"No, I have no need or use for such things. What I propose is an exchange of knowledge. In exchange for allowing me to record your thoughts, be they past, present, or future, I will unlock a dormant, powerful energy source that rests within you that will prove beneficial to your cause."
"Alright, let's say for the sake of argument that I accept your deal. How will I know what this energy is good for or if it does anything at all?"
"As cautious as you are intelligent, admirable traits for a mortal. As a sign of good will, I will tell you this. Your parents collected many antiquities over the years, including a particular assortment of books which contain spells that are fueled by magicka. They are kept locked away in a hidden room located within your families library. Look for a particular tome that seems out of place among its surroundings."
Just as he did with the Crow father's offer, Thedon thought for what felt like ages before making his answer. With the Crow father, Thedon had a sense that he was being tested. Here, Thedon could tell that this was a do or die sort of deal. With a small sigh, he swallowed his pride and answered.
"Very well, Hermeaus Mora, I accept your deal, on one condition. If you ever try to manipulate me into harming my family or friends, I WILL find a way to rip you a new asshole."
"A pleasure doing business with you. I shall remain here in your mindscape as an observer, seeing and hearing what you do. Now I shall unlock your magicka as per the agreement."
Hermeaus Mora stretched out one of its many tentacles until it made contact with Thedon's forehead. Shortly thereafter, Thedon felt something flowing through him like a rushing stream, and he felt like a large weight had been lifted from his shoulders. Soon after, Hermeaus Mora removed its appendage from Thedon's person.
"The process is complete. You are a very lucky mortal, most would have either died or become little more than vegetables. And I was right; the amount of magicka in your body could rival even Akatosh himself. However, just having this much magicka isn't enough; you must also learn how to use it properly. But my time grows short and I must leave."
"Very well, then I shall take my leave as well." Thedon was about to leave when Hermeaus Mora caught his attention.
"One more thing, in regards to your uncertain feelings for these female friends of yours, when the hour seems darkest, when all hope seems lost, your love will save them and they will accept your feelings with open arms. Goodbye, young mortal."
However, unbeknownst to either Thedon or Hermeaus Mora, their meeting would have far reaching consequences, but that is a story for another time. Back in the present, several days have gone by since Thedon's meeting with Hermeaus Mora, and he has since managed to find the cache of spell books mentioned by the Deadric prince. He spent every moment he could studying the spells listed within each tome, refining his casting and thinking of new ways to apply the spells both in and out of battle.
Serena, on the other hand, wasn't having anywhere near as productive a time as Thedon. After submitting her entry for the model contest, she was laughed at by her little brother, ignored by her mother, and further talked down to by Darian without Thedon around to support her. The following day would provide an emotional rollercoaster, as she had received confirmation as a finalist in the contest. Her mood immediately took a nosedive when she found her swimsuit had been eaten by moths, leaving it full of holes.
It was with this confused attitude that Serena went to school. Thedon, having felt like he gained some form of grip on his hormones after his training in magic, decided to see if he could help her. After relaying all of her troubles to him, Thedon got an idea.
"Well Serena, lucky for you I'm a man of many talents. I had some training in the art of tailoring under some of my cousins who own a string of successful fashion boutiques, and I'd be more than happy to fix up you swimsuit. Bring it over today after school and I can promise you it will look better then new when I finish with it." Thedon punctuated this by flashing a grin.
Serena was absolutely ecstatic. One of her best friends finally started talking to her and was now offering to repair her moth-eaten swimsuit. She was so happy; she felt tears welling up in her eyes. Thedon, being the gentleman he was, reached over and wiped away a lone tear from her cheek. Serena could feel her heartbeat speed up at the contact, but she was so happy she paid it no mind.
Time seemed to pass slower than normal, but finally the school day was finished. Without even stopping to chat with Amy or Molly, Serena sped home at near Soru speeds arriving in record time. She ran up to her room, packed her swimsuit in a bag, then sped off out the door. Her mother and little brother just stared at all this with blank, confused stares.
At the same time, Thedon had the penguins set up a mannequin roughly matching Serena's proportions while he quickly skimmed through the many spells he thought would be useful. The spells he was researching belong to two of five primary schools of magic, specifically Restoration and Alteration. His research led him to believe that no matter how damaged it was, repairing a swimsuit should be relatively simple. Depending on the original design printed on the suit, he would use some Alteration magic to add some extra designs. He was just running through a series of ideas when the doorbell rang loud and long. Upon hearing this, Thedon had just two words on his mind.
'Show time.'
Saturday rolled around, and with its arrival marked the beginning of the model searches final round. Serena and Thedon, along with Luna, made their way inside the hotel where the photo shoots were to take place, expecting to find a very small group of women. What they found was the very opposite, as they were confronted by a large group of girls and women. Seeing a group of finalists this large immediately set off red flags in Thedons head. Luna also felt this situation was very suspicious.
After listening to instructions given by Peter himself, Serena, Thedon, and Luna, who was hitching a ride in Serena's bag, made their way to one of the many changing rooms. Even though both Luna and Thedon expressed their concerns, Serena remained unconvinced.
"I have to agree with Luna on this one, Serena. Several of my cousins run modeling agencies, and the standards are usually set incredibly high, narrowing potential models down to only the best of the best. For a modeling contest to be so open as to accept any who enter is almost always a clear sign of foul play."
"Oh, Thedon, there's nothing to be concerned about. Peter's just a little eccentric is all. All great artists have some level of eccentricity to them. Besides, I'm eager to see the look on the other contestants faces when they see my swimsuit."
"Clearly you're letting stardom go straight to your head. If Thedon suspects there's foul play, there has to be something wrong." Before Luna could say anything more, she quickly ducked back into Serena's bag to hide. Thedon and Serena looked up and saw Molly and Miss Haruna, who were also finalists and a bit lost. After finding a changing room, Thedon was asked to wait outside. So seeing as he had nothing better to do, he decided to have a look around.
Meanwhile, back in the changing room, Serena was practicing her poses for the camera, when Molly and Miss Haruna stepped out from adjoining cubicles. Molly was wearing an orange and yellow one piece, while Miss Haruna wore a modest turquoise bikini. After a few minutes of insistence on Molly's part, Serena removed her clothes showing that she wore her swimsuit underneath. The majority of the suit was still a dark pink, which in itself wasn't too impressive, but what really caught her eye were the patterns engraved in it. Various stars, crescent moons, planets, and suns were embossed on the suit in various combinations of gold, silver, platinum, and bronze. Needless to say, both Molly and Miss Haruna were highly impressed.
After being joined by Luna, Thedon found himself in a large area with a pool. He also saw Peter with a group of five contestants about to take their picture. Deciding to remain cautious, he stayed hidden just out of sight. Luna decided to risk a closer look. Thedon kept his eyes locked on Peter, his ears focused on any stray sound. But something began to echo within his mind, a song that was both familiar and foreign to him; it sent tears to his eyes and strength throughout his body.
Within his mindscape, his other past lives could hear the song, half of them just as confused as Thedon. But some of them simply smiled in recognition, namely Solaris, the Crow father, and Hermeaus Mora.
"How long has it been since a heard that song? It would seem the Tree of Life still holds strong even after 12,000 years." Mora's comment caught the attention of the others. "The origin of this tune goes as far back as the very beginning of the universes creation. Those able to hear it are destined to take part in events that would change the course of history, and sometimes even fate itself. However, it will be up to the mortal to decide when and how those changes will take place."
Meanwhile, as all that was happening, Luna was trying to get Thedons attention after watching the latest group disappear in a flash of Peter's camera.
"Thedon, snap out of it, we need to warn Serena and the others at once. The Negaverse is involved here and we need the Sailor Scouts." That declaration seemed to snap Thedon out of his trance, and followed Luna as soon as he regained his bearings. He arrived at the changing room just as Serena, Molly, and Miss Haruna were leaving. The sight of Serena in her swimsuit caused Thedon to pause for a second or two, but he quickly pulled himself together. He told Molly and Miss Haruna he was here to wish Serena good luck, which seemed to satisfy them as they continued on to the pool area with their assigned group. Once they were out of earshot, he turned to Serena.
"Serena, as much as it pains me to say this, I don't want you out there." Serena was confused and slightly hurt by this statement, but he continued on.
"I'm afraid Luna was right about this. The negaverse is involved and the contestants are disappearing. If you don't believe me go ask the receptionist if any of the previous groups have left yet. I'll follow Molly and see if I can't buy some time." With that, Thedon took off using Soru. Serena was about to follow him, only to be stopped by Luna, who was pulling on her pig-tails with more strength then her frame should allow.
Despite moving at speeds which the untrained eye could not track, Thedon somehow got there a few seconds late. He saw that Peter was about take the picture, and thought of a plan. He concentrated a small amount of magicka into a Lightning Bolt spell and shot it at the camera. This caused the camera to short out for a few seconds. He did this several more times before Serena and Luna joined him. He was distracted by their arrival, and all three looked up just in time to see the group vanish in a flash of light.
Having been convinced, Serena and Luna rushed to the other side of the pool to confront him. Deciding to run interference, Thedon stayed behind to draw Peter's attention. "Hey, Shutter-bug." Peter looked up in Thedons direction. "You call yourself a photographer? I've seen better pictures come out of a two dollar disposable unit."
This had the intended effect, as Peter pointed the camera in his direction. Thedon gathered some energy in his hands, causing sparks to dance between his fingers and across the back. Peter clicked the shutter, a ball of light raced towards him, and halfway across the pool, Thedon fired a Lightning Bolt spell. The two projectiles collided and cancelled each other out. It wasn't long before this confrontation began to resemble a dodge ball game, with balls of light and lightning bolts flying every which way. A few bolts can close to striking Peter, only for him to move out of the way at an unexplainable speed. Thedon was also avoiding some close calls thanks to the virus, bending and weaving out of the way of several balls of light.
Serena was momentarily stunned, watching as her best male friend was shooting lightning from his hands, some of which almost hit her and Luna. She finally got over to Peter's side of the room and made her usual intro. With peter distracted, Thedon made his way to Serena's side just as she started her transformation into Sailor Moon.
"MOON PRISM POWER!"
Peter took several more shots at them, which they dodged out of the way of. Growing tired of this game of Cat and Mouse, Thedon used the virus's power and started shooting balls of webbing at Peter's camera. One of them hit the camera, blocking the lens, after which Sailor Moon kicked the camera out of his hands and into the water. As Sailor Moon checked on the unconscious Peter, Thedon's attention was drawn by two things;
One: Despite their lack of use, his viral claws now looked like long blades where his fingers should be.
Two: There was what sounded like an explosion that came from the pool, along with a column of smoke.
His eyes grew narrow as he realized this battle wasn't over yet. He snarled as the water began to churn and shot up. The smoke thickened, forming a female figure. The resulting monster had pale blue skin and green hair which rested on the right side of her head. She wore what looked like a black one-piece swimsuit with a purple apparatus which covered her entire right arm. Her shoulders also had two protrusions on them.
The monster smiled as she extended her right arm, revealing what appeared to be an eye.
"Smile for the camera."
A white beam shot towards Sailor Moon, who jumped away only to watch as Peter's unconscious body disappeared in a flash of light. The monster shot one laser after another, forcing both Sailor Moon and Thedon to stay on the move. Thedon tried attacking with lightning, only to find out that the lasers were much stronger, overpowering the bolts and Thedon back on the defensive.
One of the lasers forced Sailor Moon of balance, causing her to fall and leaving her vulnerable. Thedon rushed to her side, only to watch as another beam was fired. Luna sacrificed herself by jumping in front of the beam, disappearing in the same manner as Peter. The monster them produced two photographs, one of Peter and one of Luna. The monster laughed as she said,
"And I get to keep the negatives!"
Sailor Moon was visibly shaken, while Thedons' blood boiled. The monster prepared another shot when Sailor Mars and Sailor Mercury intervened.
"MERCURY BUBBLE BLAST!"
The room filled up with mist, obscuring the monsters vision, or so it seemed. Sailor Mars then attacked with paper talismans, only for the monster to shoot them down. The mist slowly cleared, and Thedon knew the other two would be easy targets. He activated Soru and rushed to their defense, but he was too late. Mars and Mercury soon disappeared in a flash, with the monster producing two more photos.
At this point, Thedon was slowly losing his mind. An innocent victim, their advisor, and two of his comrades had all fallen prey to this abomination, and he couldn't do anything to save them. His rational mind began to shut down, giving way to burning hot rage which shot his instincts into overdrive. A sinister black and red aura radiated off his body, his blade-like claws became longer and sharper, glinting in the light. His legs became more animal in appearance, developing an extra joint with his muscles expanding. A thick, black reptilian tail which ended in a sharp blade grew from his spine. The muscles on his arms and torso also expanded, causing his shirt to burst. His eyes become bloodshot, his teeth became fangs, and he let out a maddening roar.
Sailor Moon was stunned by this transformation, and yet she somehow didn't feel threatened. The monster was likewise perplexed by this, but felt nothing but sinister intent from this new opponent. The new, beast-like Thedon then shot towards the monster, intent on ripping her apart. The monster prepared another shot, only instead of aiming at Thedon, she aimed at Sailor Moon. She fired the beam, Sailor Moon covered he eyes, but she felt nothing. She opened her eyes and saw that Thedon had shielded her with his body, protecting her by taking the shot meant for her.
Thedons magicka energy seemed to be fighting with the light based attack, during which he looked behind to Sailor Moon. His eyed softened and a tear escaped his eye as he too disappeared. The monster was most pleased that her plan had worked, and now all she had to do was take care of Sailor Moon.
However, things didn't happen as she hoped. Seeing Thedon sacrifice himself had caused something in Sailor Moon to snap. The monster was physically paralyzed as she sensed an overwhelming amount of anger coming from he next target. Sailor Moon stood up, her hair shadowing her eyes, then disappeared in a blur of movement. Her voice then began to echo all around the monster.
"How dare you take them away from me? They meant more to me then you could possibly imagine. In the name of the Moon, you will be punished!"
Sailor Moon then began to rain punches and kicks on the monster at such a speed that no one could follow. Blow after blow after blow struck the monster, which fired wildly in all directions hoping to land a lucky shot. This would prove to be her downfall, as one of her shots bounced off a nearby window, rebounding on her and frying her lens, weakening her considerably. Sailor Moons rage, somewhat calmed by this then struck the final blow.
"MOON TIARA MAGIC!"
The attack struck, causing the monster to explode in blue fire whilst screaming in pain. Then, the monsters victims began to reappear, first the last group of contestants, then Peter himself, then Luna, then Sailor Mars and Sailor Mercury, and finally was Thedon, back to his normal self with his shirt torn to shreds. Sailor Moon began to feel faint as her anger subsided, slowly sinking to the ground in exhaustion. Thedon rushed to her side, gently helping her up and making his exit with her, the other Scout's, and Luna not far behind.
Meanwhile, in a mansion surrounded by trees on a hill, Nephrite was fuming that his latest plan was brought down. He couldn't understand it, he was so close, having not only captured two of the Sailor Scouts, but also that meddlesome human boy. Speaking of whom, Nephrite was both angered and perplexed by this mere human, who seemingly out of nowhere was able to gain such incredible magical power, to say nothing of his physical prowess. Questions swirled around in Nephrites head with no answer to be found.
Who was this human?
Where was he getting these powers?
What was he truly capable of?
How could he be overcome?
Another question that ate at Nephrite was why.
Why was he so willing to sacrifice himself to protect them?
His musings were interrupted by several snide comments from Zoisite.
"Foiled again Nephrite? Your performance is becoming a disappointment."
"Silence Zoisite, I almost had them all this time."
"And yet you still failed, just like that fool Jadeite."
"Next time I won't fail. Not only will I get rid of those Sailor brats and that worthless human, but I'll have gathered more than enough energy to unleash the Negaverse on this pathetic planet."
"And what makes you so sure of that?"
"The fact that I captured two of them and that pesky human proves their not invincible. Next time I'll be rid of them once and for all."
Back in Juuban, night had fallen. Thedon dropped of the tired Serena to her home before heading back to his. After changing into a new shirt, he settled down to watch some TV before turning in himself. He watched as Peter Fischer was being interviewed about what happened earlier that day. He smirked as questions were asked, but raised an eyebrow at Peter's comment about the warrior from the Moon, calling her a princess before Thedon turned off the TV. While all this happened, Serena slept soundly, dreaming of herself dressed as a princess along with Amy and Raye, happily smiling and laughing with a regally dressed Thedon at their side.