Chapter 21:

Beyond The Darkness!

Blu's back arched as he slammed into a nearby street lamp. He moaned and shuddered as he felt the pain shoot through his body. Without warning he fell forward, landing upon the cement sidewalk face down. His body trembled as he fought to get back up onto his talons. He needed to do this himself... no, not just for himself, but for every peaceful bird within the city, and state of Rio de Janeiro.

He raised his head, spitting clumps of dirt from his beak. He tried to rid himself of the grimy taste, but found he couldn't. He studied his body, eyeing several long gashes ripped out of his body. His blood soaked feathers shifted with the wind. The bleeding itself wasn't as severe as he would have led himself to believe, it just stung whenever Marco impacted those spots. He shifted his attention to his opponent, to see him working his way forward. The hawk held a confident smile and spread his wings.

"What's the matter, Blu?" he asked. "Before you returned to your good side, you seemed so strong. You conquered several different areas of Rio in the name of my new order, and you even held me back several times without hesitation. Were you always this weak or have I become too strong for you?"

Blu's eyes widened as he felt Marco's wing wave across the end of his beak. Back and forth the wing swayed as Marco spoke. His voice a cruel form of admiration towards the macaw and everything he had done. Blu cringed as Marco's wing slapped him across his cheek. He could feel his senses drive from his body as he struggled to regain his composure. Marco's wing seemed unusually strong, even if he was borrowing the powers of every other member of the Dark Robe Society. Blu felt himself impact the ground, bouncing along the pavement several times before he could stop himself. The macaw wiped a wing across his beak, and found a small trace of blood flowing from a mouth wound.

"Ugh, that wasn't fun." He cringed. "Are you telling me, that you've got the strengths of all six members of your little group of villains, and that is the best you can do?"

Marco's eyes glistened with an intense hatred. He slammed a talon upon Blu's wing, listening for the snap of bones breaking from the sheer force. After a failed attempt he stomped his talon again, his smile deepened as he enjoyed the moment. With each attempt, Blu let out a muffled gasp. He couldn't stand the sudden pressure being added to his main artery.

"You couldn't possibly understand my desires." He growled, continuing his onslaught on Blu's wing. "What would a spix macaw know about anything? You're pathetic ancestors have taken everything away from me! So hurry up and die will you!"

Blu rolled to the side, right before Marco could impact his wing again. He watched the hawk's talon slam into the sidewalk, his eyes glared at him. Breathing heavily, Blu got up onto his talons, ignoring the pain which coursed through his body. He couldn't continue to moan about such things. He needed to put this evil away for good.

"Why have you done all of this? What has my species done to you?"

Blu winced as Marco punched him in his chest. His wings knocked Blu away from him, and although he remained standing, he looked pretty winded from the surprise attack on the hawk's behalf.

"That's none of your business." He growled. "I know your kind, you're all the same. You don't care about anyone other than yourselves."

"Tell me," Blu gasped. "You don't do these kinds of things just because you decide too. Every story book I've read says there is a reason."

Marco spread his wings in defeat. He sighed and closed his eyes.

"Very well, if this is the last thing you'll ever want to hear. I guess i can oblige you. You won't remember it after you're dead anyways."

# # #

Marco was once a young hawk. Although his species proved to be a rare find within the Brazilian jungle, they existed as a secret society hidden amongst the glades far off from any city. Unreachable by most humans, the civilization thrived, becoming one of the more feared predatory birds to the creatures of the jungle. None of them dared to venture close to the cities, the reputation of humans were legends amongst themselves. They knew of the dangers, the smuggler's which sought to do them hard for a profit. But none had ever considered the possibilities that Smuggler's would ever find them.

Marco toyed with his wings. He stood beside his father in front of a carved spix macaw statue. He watched his father and bowed his head low and closed his eyes. He could feel a mystical presence amongst the statue which filled him with an inner peace of tranquility. He spread his wings and dropped low to the ground in worship of the great bird which captured his interest. He knew the story of the spix macaws. They were a species of birds which held the closest resemblance to the ancestors, which became protective gods to the species around the whole of Brazil. The presence seemed to grow stronger within him. He smiled as he stared through the darkness of his closed eyelids, and saw a figure emerge into his mind. With cerulean feathers, and jet black beak, the figure appeared to be the same as the statue. His face though seemed twisted and darkened, almost like a monster.

"You have inner strength that has yet to be tapped, Marco." The figure said without moving his beak an inch. The voice seemed to circle around him, filling his ears and mind. Marco stood in awe at the impressive trick.

"Who are you?" he asked. "How do you know me? I've never met you before in my life."

The macaw shook his head, ignoring the question. His eyes still peered into his mind without moving or blinking. There seemed to be something about this bird which filled the hawk with a sense of dread. Although for the moment, his presence proved to be comforting enough not to run away.

"You've got a great amount of strength." The macaw repeated. "Too much for a mere hawk, I sense great things about you, you can be worshipped, you can be like me... you can be a god amongst humans and birds alike."

Marco nodded his head and swallowed a lump in his throat. The very idea filled him with a joyous feeling.

"What must I do?" he asked. "How can I get your power? How can I become a god?"

"Find strong comrades, and kill as many creatures as possible."

Marco's eyes opened as wide as possible. The macaw had reappeared as a statue. He peered at his father who looked at him with a stunned face.

"Who are you talking too, son?" he arched a curious eyebrow. "

Marco pointed a wing at the statue. His father followed his wing and eyed the statue for a moment.

"It was a spix macaw, dad." He smiled. "He was talking to me. He told me-"

His father held up a wing and shook his head. His eyes hardened and turned stern. He growled with his temper beginning to rise.

"What nonsense! The spix macaws are a legend. They've been extinct for years. Even if a few did survive they would not be talking to you."

The remainder of the day passed by without much incident, Marco returned home and tried his hardest to sleep. He couldn't shake the feeling of dread within his heart. He eyed his razor sharp talons and formed a wicked smile. He remembered the last few words the spix macaw had said to him.

"The path to becoming a god is to kill as many creatures as possible." Marco eyed his slumbering father. His smile deepened. He knew the first creature on his hit list of victims. He raised his talon and slammed it on his father's throat suffocating the creature within seconds. His father had never awakened to defend himself.

# # #

Marco held up his sharp metal enhancements and pointed them at the macaw. His eyes filled with a cruel twinkle as he thought about his past. Blu could see the satisfaction in his eyes, the smug expression on his beak as the hawk licked his beak, remembering every single moment. There was no doubt in the macaw's mind that the hawk was evil, no other creature could find satisfaction in such things.

"You're sick." Blu cringed. "You are blaming the spix macaws for something you decided to do? Is that it?"

Marco shook his head and continued on with his story. His voice rang out with excitement.

"No, I'm an innovator." Marco shrugged. "If you look around you, you'll see that nature is a cruel thing. Snakes eat anything they can find. Bears eat fish. Even sharks eat other sharks. Death is a natural part of life. I simply took it one step further. After I defeated my father, my life changed, it was almost a defining moment of my life. I didn't know why but I enjoyed hurting everyone I met. It became like a second nature to me. I would fight daily, building up my strength and stamina. When my opponents served no more use or became too weak, I slew them all. Weaklings hold no value to me, I only enjoy strong opponents. Now I wasn't sure if what the spix macaw had told me was the truth, but I loved every second of my job as a mercenary."

Marco shifted his attention to the city and spread his wings for added emphasis. He cackled.

"Not long after I met Roger, and we formed a plan to form the Dark Robe Society. A group of murderers with two main purposes, to kill as many strong creatures as possible, and form the New World Order to rule over those who would be enslaved to us."

Blu listened to the next phase of his story never once hiding the continued look of disgust on his face.

# # #

Dark overcast lurked across the jungle. Almost as if sensing the ominous situation in the jungle, very little light came forth through the clouds. Marco stood over the bodies of his enemies. His talons prodded across the dirt ground. He admired the carnage and breathed in the sweet smell of the breeze.

"That's sixteen more victims this morning." He smiled, panting as he seated himself. "That's not too bad, if I do say so myself."

He began to rummage his wings through the valuables and lifted a large blue cloak from the carnage. He studied it for a moment before slipping it overtop of himself. The fabric fit perfect. He pulled the hood over his face, hiding any discernible features from sight. He enjoyed the anonymous feel the cloak provided.

"Not bad, I guess even fools can hold some valuable objects, eh?"

He caught movement out of the corner of his eyes and turned to face the creature stepping out of the jungle. An evil looking scarlet macaw stood before him. Both creatures glared at each other suspiciously.

"Who are you," Marco asked raising a wing towards the newcomer. "What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same question." The scarlet macaw smirked. "I followed the sound of battle and hoped I could join in. But I'm too late."

Marco continued to hold his wing in place. A smile formed upon his beak.

"Perhaps not, if you are strong, I'll fight you. I always look to add another number to my list of victims."

"How many victims do you have?" The scarlet macaw asked a little curiously, their seemed to be a hint of approval in his voice.

"About six hundred, not just birds, but sloths, fish, anything strong enough to put up a descent challenge."

The scarlet macaw nodded his head.

"Impressive, what do you say we work together."

Marco pretended to think about it. He winked at the macaw and nodded his head.

"It sounds like a good idea, but we should recruit some more comrades. Some good fighters, and form a band of mercenaries. No one can stop a group of powerful warriors. We'll rule both human and birds alike."

The scarlet macaw arched a curious eyebrow.

"You mean you want to rule everything?"

"Yes," Marco nodded. "I was told by a spix macaw once that forming a group of mercenaries will cement us as gods to all living things. I want that power for myself!"

The scarlet macaw shook his head and thought about it for a moment.

"Spix macaws? I don't trust their kind. They're liars and care about nothing more than themselves."

"Exactly why we should wipe them out," Marco smiled. "We'll see how powerful their ancestors are when they're facing off against me. Their little god like powers will be no match for our brute strength."

# # #

Marco glared at Blu and held his wing up at the macaw. His face darkened with rage. His beak twisted into a savage snarl.

"I never saw that spix macaw again. So as far as I am concerned Roger was right. You and the entire rest of your species are liars. I eventually forgot about acquiring the powers of the divine, and tried to focus my attention on learning black magic. It seemed to help me in my quest. It brought me the rest of my comrades. We learned the value of shadow marks which would transfer a portion of their spirit within a conduit... me. When we learned that there were still two spix macaws that we've yet to encounter, we sent our own personal one out. You knew her as Amber. She tried to strike back looking for revenge, but you turned her against us. In turn she ended up destroying herself and defeated Roger. But that wasn't enough, you had to go and defeat Nigel, and Jollo too! You'll pay for what you did!"

Marco charged forward with all of his new speed. Blu could scarcely see him pass. The hawk slammed his wing into the back of Blu's spine. He lurched forward, bouncing off the cement pavement.

"It was like I said. No one can defeat a group of strong mercenaries. Sure you might have defeated the rest of my group, but they live on through me. They want to see you defeated, and I'm about to grant their wish. Now be a good bird and die!"

Blu didn't listen to a word the hawk said. He peered past him to the shadowy apparition of Amber who peered at him.

"Blu, it's time." She said. "Don't resist, it will be alright. I promise."

Blu didn't move. He closed his eyes and let Marco's metal gauntlet sink into his flesh. He let out a muffled gasp, despite there being no pain from the wound. He peered down surprised that he wasn't bleeding. The metal blade must have punctured a vital organ, he couldn't deny that, but a bright light flowed forth from the wound.

"What's happening." He tried to speak out but found no noise came from his mouth. He closed his eyes one final time and lay motionless... dead. Marco's bladed gauntlet had done their evil deed. The blue macaw would not survive the impact.

Within the light, Blu heard a voice call out to him. He recognised it almost instantly. The voice belonged to Amber.

"I told you it would be okay," she said, appearing before him.

"Where am I?" he asked.

"You're in Limbo," she replied. "There is no heaven. There is no hell. Not for you anyways. You've still got much to learn, and you've only a year to learn everything you need to know."