Due to an unexpected burst of inspiration, the two chapters were written quicker than usual. I'm going to leave the topic of what came from where alone, mainly because there might be some people who wish to figure out the things on their own. Besides, I probably won't know exactly what the details are unless I consciously wrote them out.

I might write an extra chapter at the end to show what I noticed, but that's far off.

Chapter 18: The Judged

"Here we are Mark. Enjoy."

"I will." Marius walked off.

"Hello, I am Tarin. I've looked over the troops and am awaiting your instructions Mark."

"I see. My memory is still hazy, so can you give me a quick run down of what's happened so far?"

"Of course. The loss of the troops is primarily from the Suicide Squad. We've followed your plans and are attempting to directly assault them to take out as many of them out as we can. The Suicide Squad is well adapted to this to risk high numbers of our own troops."

"I see," Mark said smiling softly. "Now then, will you please tell me the true strategy that you are using?" She looked up at him in surprise. "If you were really following my strategy, then I would not send troops to die needlessly. I would send out well trained troops to take them out quickly."

She smirked at him. "You really are the Mark they say. Let's start over, I am Tarin. I watch over the troops in your charge while you are not here."

"I see. Well, I am Mark. I exist."

She looked at him strangely. "Well I'm sure you've got questions. Let's hear them."

"Can you tell me more about the Suicide Squad?"

"You should know, you were the one who formed them in the first place if I heard correctly."

"Really? Well, my memory's still coming back to me, so if you would be so kind."

"Very well. The Suicide's Squad's main purpose is to provide a distraction for the opposition. They were recruited from those who have no qualms about dying in line of duty."

"It would lull the opposition into a false sense of security. Very cunning," Mark said amazed.

"You will fit in very well," Tarin said with a small smile.

In the Pyramid

Hector was walking down a dark corridor. It was led to a rather plain door. The door led to another corridor, which led to another door. This process went on for a while. Hector was beginning to get tired of this so he took is ax and made a mark on the wall beside the door.

He went through that door and walked the length of the corridor. At the end, there was no mark. Well, at least he knew that he was walking forward at least. He went through the door again and walked down the corridor again. At the end was the same mark he made two corridors earlier. Some up there hates him, he just knows it.

Enraged that he took the wrong path, he stomped down the corridor to retrace his steps. Yanking the door open, expecting another corridor, he was surprised when he saw that it was a circular room. Pillars lined the edged and there was a rug that had patterns. It was of no importance to Hector though.

In the center of the room was a strange…thing. Thing was the only way to describe it. The general shape of the main portion was like a cone with the flat face curved outwards. It looked half organic and half inorganic. There was a glass like covering, a little more than half way up, that resembled a small dome, like a window or a windshield. Small, round, jewel like stones also dotted the body.

Extending from its back were two wing-like appendages. They were wing-like except without the flesh covering them. They were like the bare bones of a bat's wings. Hector pulled out his Silver Ax and walked up closer to it cautiously.

It didn't respond when he was right in front of it. He tapped the glass with his knuckles. "Hello in there," he said with a grin. WHAM! It happened so fast that Hector barely registered it until he was half way across the room.

The wing that Hector thought was dormant lashed out and smacked him right across the chest. Hector landed hard on his back and was winded. He gasped several times as he tried to get his wind back. After a while he finally staggered to his feet.

"Okay wise guy. That was a lucky shot," Hector yelled at him before rushing right at him. The wings reared back and swept him again.

"Another lucky shot!" The same thing happened again.

"How lucky can a guy get?!" Hector asked exasperatedly. Hector rushed forward again, this time with a plan.

All of sudden, the lights went out. "What the-?!?!?!" In the background, various sounds are heard: screams coming from Hector, a whirling sound, a saw, a cow, and several other sounds.

By the time the lights came on, Hector was standing and heavily panting. The wings of the thing were cut off and it was lying uselessly at his feet. The body looked heavily damaged and the glass dome was demolished.

"How'd you like that?" He panted out. He walked towards it. "You weren't so tough. I've faced grandmas tougher than you!" Unfortunately, while he was taunting, he didn't look where he was walking and tripped on one of the fallen wings. He careened headfirst through the broken dome.

With a flash, Hector looked up to see a room. It was slightly different from everything because mostly everything was blurred. It was like looking through one of those weird glasses Mark showed him. What was it? Corrective lens for when one didn't need them? Whatever.

It was a white room that was barely furnished. Hector looked around. He can barely see anything. Also, all the blurriness is giving him a headache. He was getting used to it though. He can see a chair with someone sitting in it. Hector decided to go up to him to see if he knows anything.

When his face came into view, Hector shouted out happily, "MARK!!!" Mark was slightly younger than he remembered, but this was Mark no doubt. Mark didn't respond to him. He only looked ahead. "Oh ignoring me huh Mark? Two can play at that game…………………….okay Mark………………….you won't win this time………………..Okay! I give up! Just please talk to me Mark!"

"You wish to know why you are here, correct?" A voice boomed from above them. Hector looked up. There was no one there. It was just a ceiling.

"Yes," Mark said, still staring unblinkingly ahead.

"The truth is Mark, that you are being prepared."

"Prepared?" Mark and Hector said at once.

"Yes, you have seen the state our world is in. We need someone strong. In every sense of the word: physically, emotionally, mentally, morally, grammatically. We want you to be that person."

"But wouldn't that make me something like the ruler of the world?" Mark asked in awe.

"In so many words yes. And why not? Once you've saved the world, people everywhere will bow down to you. You can appoint anyone to any position of your choosing. You'll become a legend."

"I don't want to be a legend," Mark said softly.

"Come now Mark. You won't be doing this for yourself alone. Your closest friends will benefit as well. Don't you want to give them a peaceful world to live in?"

"More than anything!" Mark said. "I'll do it then," he sighed. "But I don't have to like it. If you'll excuse me," he got out of the chair. Hector made to follow him. Mark walked forward but disappeared in a ball of light. Hector couldn't find him anywhere.

"Mark! Don't leave me here! I'm lonely," he whimpered sadly.

"Do you think that he's caught on to our plans?" A voice came from above again.

"Can't have! Dunno why's he's beginning to questions things now though," came a deeper voice.

"It's simple. His 'friends' are worming their ways into his heart. They're tainting him," said a thin snide voice. "After all, wasn't it one of them that convinced you to let him out and enjoy the sun, during training no less?"

There were some sputtering heard and Hector couldn't help but snicker. "I only did it because he asked me to. You know what would have happened if I refused him!"

"Calm down everyone. We all know that what he says was true," a softer voice spoke up. "There was little anyone else could have done in that situation. Do stop mocking him for something you could not out do."

"Thank you! See, you understand."

"I am sorry, but I believe you are mistaken," the soft voice said again. "Simply because I spoke up for your defense once, does not mean that I hold any particular tie with you."

"Wh-what do you mean?!" The voice sputtered, bordering on outrage.

"That is quite simple," the snide voice said. "If you don't start proving your worth, we'll just have to terminate you permanently." The oncoming silence was only pierced by the sound of metal gently sliding against metal, blade against blade.

"You-you can't mean…!"

"We do entirely," the soft one said.

"Let's move back to the topic before he wets his pants," the deep voice commanded.

"Yes. The problem relates back to his friends. As long as they're around, they will inhibit his ability to continue growing in the direction we want," the first voice said again.

"Let's not forget that-that…GIRL he's with," the sputtering voice said. It spat out the word 'girl'.

"Then our solution is simple. We get rid of the girl, he falls back to us," the snide voice suggested.

"Would not recommend such course," the soft voice objected.

"Why not?"

"Such actions may cause him to further distance from us if he finds out. There is too little data on what course of action he may be driven to."

"And how in Sanction will he find out?!" screamed the snide voice.

"There are always ways," the voice said again. "In fact, this whole conversation may be heard."

Hector froze. "Impossible, the room we're in is closed off to all. Nothing would penetrate it."

"Then what about the room below," said the soft voice with an I-know-something-you-don't edge.

"If so then we should shut it off. We're wasting too much energy nowadays anyway. However, I doubt that someone is down there. We would have seen them."

Hector looked around him as the white room suddenly had cracks in the walls. The entire room collapsed and he was thrown in darkness. With another bright flash before he was cast into oblivion, Hector found himself somewhere else.

The floor was stone and so were the walls. It was a different change from the other room. There were more people here this time, though everything was still so blurry that Hector couldn't make out any of the faces.

There was one person he could make out though. He saw the back of Mark's head and rushed forward to talk to his friend. Mark was slightly older but still not to be like when Lyn met him.

"Yo! Mark! Why'd you leave me there? Anyway, you wouldn't believe what I heard after you left!" Hector was talking animatedly to Mark, but Mark was just staring down at his lap.

"Come on Mark, let's bust out of here." Hector tried to grab Mark's arm but he just went right through him. "What the-?!"

"Mark. You know why we've called you here, correct?" Hector could have sworn that he heard that statement earlier.

Mark stayed silent. "Staying silent will only incriminate you further." Hector spun to face the person calling Mark a criminal. He faced a man on a high podium. He was wearing deep purple robes with gold fringes. Hector couldn't really make out his faces except for the vague details but he was wearing a white wig.

"Mark here's straighter than an arrow. He wouldn't break any rules and you know it. I'll vouch for you Mark!" Hector screamed.

Mark stayed silent. "You are charged with the murder of Ms. Sauris. Do you have anything to say in your defense?"

Mark stayed silent. "Very well," the voice sounded disappointed. "What is the verdict?"

"We all know that he is guilty. He's the only one who could have done it. Anyway, he didn't even bother denying it." A person from one of the side bars called out. Hector could tell that he was someone important to this situation because he was sitting with a panel of other people to the left of the guy on the podium.

"Unless he knew that you wouldn't believe him even if he told you the truth anyway!" Hector shouted at them. "Let's go Mark."

"They're telling the truth," Mark whispered so that only Hector heard him. "I only hope she got away."

"You can hear me buddy? Well let's not waste any time busting this joint!"

Hector didn't hear what the guy on the podium said. The next thing he knew, two guards just walked through him and grabbed Mark by his arms. Hector saw two black bands on Mark's wrist connected by a heavy looking chain.

The guards led Mark out of the room and downstairs to what Hector could only call a dungeon. The guards unceremoniously tossed Mark into a cell and left.

"Don't worry Mark, I'll bust you out of there," Hector said as he drew his ax. However, when he swung it, it went right through the bars. He heard someone coming down and took a step back.

Hector recognized who it was. "Good thing you're here! I understand that we may have some differences that we really need to work out, but right now, Mark's in trouble. You have to help him." Hector said really fast without taking a breath.

Marius strode in calmly. "Hello bro," he said sadly.

Mark only nodded in response.

"Please tell me the truth. I'll try and get you out as fast as I can."

Mark shook his head.

"They're not telling the truth are they?! You didn't do it! I know it!"

Mark didn't respond.

"Please Mark!"

"You have to understand," Mark began.

"I understand. You can't always control them in you. Just tell them that."

Mark turned away and faced the opposite wall. Hector was the only one close enough to hear Mark mumble, "I hope that she's still safe."

Another flash brought Hector back to the room he just left. Again, Mark was sitting in the chair facing the really high podium with a panel of people to the podium's left.

"Mark! What have you done?!?!?!" The voice from the podium commanded.

"You would already know what I've done if you've called me here," Mark said calmly, though Hector was sure that he detected a hint of defiance in Mark's voice. It was a change from the Mark a few seconds ago.

"You have broken the greatest taboo of your powers!!!"

Mark chose not to answer to that.

"You know what the punishment for that would be." Mark looked up sharply. "Where have you hidden the girl?"

"You'll get no answers from me," Mark called out mockingly.

"Get him to talk!!!" The voice called out to the guards.

"It won't work," Mark said with a small smile. "I guess that your plans are really coming back to bite you in the-!" Mark suddenly screamed as a whip lashed across his cheek.

It left a cut on his cheek but Mark didn't really look like he was in pain. His eyes were burning with defiance though. There were several punishments on Mark, but he didn't yield even slightly. Numerous times, Mark mocked them by lifelessly muttering, "OW," as if it didn't really bother him. Then there were times where he really did scream out from pain. He fell unconscious several times but he refused to tell anything.

Hector was impressed by Mark's tolerance to pain, but he did try several times to help Mark. Strange that he kept going through everything that was from this weird world.

Hector didn't get to see what the ending was because he was suddenly swallowed by yet another blinding flash. He found himself in the room with the thing with wings. It promptly faded away, leaving behind a key.

Hector took the key and unlocked the door in front of him. He hurried down the corridor hoping to find Mark. He wanted to know what happened at the end. Oh and offer Mark some words of comfort, but that was just a bonus.

I loved writting this chapter. I don't know why, I think it's because of the different voices. Anyway, yet again, we look in on the wacky world of Mark.