Ch.25 Chaos Rising
Darkness descends. A wind blows. The light flickers.
Emerging from the Ruins, the Pheolvrom Team enters the city through the subway. Slowly and cautiously they enter an ally way. Di Volo and Orchid must stay in the shadows until the right moment. Luke liquefies and travels up the side of a building for a better sum of there opponents.
After a few minutes he liquefies back down. "Ok, I don't know quite how to say this but there are no sentinels."
"What do you mean?" Asked Orchid.
"I mean that they are around but, there not working or something. Most are toppled over and a few others standing but hunched. Now I have the ability to feel magnetic pulses but I can't feel even the slightes trace with in any of them."
"Could be a trap," said Di Volo.
"Possibly," considered Roxie, "But unlikely. I sense that other forces are at work here. I'm hoping that this is for real though, because our mission will go a lot smoother if it is. How much time do we have left?"
Luke looked at his watch, "About one more hour. The convoy should arrive at 4:00am. The air convoy will pass Verona and the ground convoy will pass a few blocks away. So what's the plan?"
Roxie thought for a moment. "Something's not adding up, but it will be you and I, and then Orchid and Di. Di I think you should be able to pilot the ground convoy with ease and Orchid you keep a sharp eye out for trouble. The same deal for us Luke, I drive you defend."
So the hour took its time in passing and for the most part everyone remained quite. Roxie was still pondering about the inactive machines; Luke and Orchid kept giving each other slight looks, but stopped when Di Volo took notice. Then finally, soft rumblings came from the city. The convoys were approaching.
"Ok this is it," said Roxie. "Luke you and I are taking the top, Orchid and Di you take the bottom. A few people are still out walking yes, but at this hour it's only the junkies and homeless so lets do it. On my mark, 3,2,1 Break!"
Roxie and Luke leaped up into the sky, Luke using magnetism as his means of flight and telekinesis as Roxie's. Di Volo and Orchid went by foot.
Upon seeing the massive sky convoy, both Luke and Roxie were surprised at its size. Roxie was in shock that there were no sentinels around. She stopped in flight suddenly. "Luke! Stop." Luke spun around, "What?"
"I can't sense anyone." Suddenly a side door of the convoy opened. A small grayish tentacle merged and lightly touched the convoy door. Then two light blue eyes came into view fallowed by a light grayish mass.
Luke's mouth hung open, "What the?"
Roxie was in just as much shock.
The creature came into full view and their mouths dropped even lower. Its skin if that's what it was, was a mixture of light gray shades along with a milky white tint. It looked like a giant squid almost with its multiple tentacles with the exception that its head was not coned but that of an octopus. Each tentacle ended in two fingers like appendages and instead of a mouth its flesh was intricately woven. It had a childish blue gaze that analyzed both Roxie and Luke. After observing them for a few moments it raised a tentacle at them, though not in aggression. Instead it waved peacefully. Then it proceeded farther out where it then fell out. It gave a series of nasal sounding squeaks as it did.
Both Roxie and Luke were at a loss for what to do. Roxie brought her eyes back to the convoy. It was empty. There was no pilot for the vehicle had been on auto pilot. She looked back down below to see the odd creature was moving.
"Rox?"
"I don't think it's a threat, but it's not exactly intelligent either. Let's go down and see."
They both hovered down.
Di Volo and Orchid had met the same empty convoy as well, and without an odd little squid. They too though saw the first little squid fall and they were heading over to investigate when Roxie and Luke touched down.
"What is it?" Asked Orchid.
"No idea," said Luke. And the team hesitantly walked over. The alien squid was flopping it's tentacles around and then slowly it began propping itself up until it was back to normal or as normal as it could be. Many of its tentacles were bleeding a silver liquid as well as its head. It looked at the team with its blue eyes and resembled an injured animal looking for help.
Roxie eyed it suspiciously and the squid raised its tentacle again, performing the odd wave. "We don't have time for this shit," said Roxie. "No prisoners in the convoys, no sentinels, something's wrong. I'm going to try and read its mind though before we leave."
And no sooner had those words escaped her mouth then the blue eyed squid narrowed its view at Roxie to a menacing gaze. This time it raised two of its eight tentacles, but instead of waving it raised them above its head, challengingly.
"OK," said Luke. "Do we kill it?"
Roxie didn't answer but continued watching the squid carefully.
Then as if a series of multi electrical shocks ignited under the squid's skin its body started to change. Beginning with its wide head, as if bone structure was suddenly forming its face began stretching and contorting. Its mouth stretched out and then back in and slowly the skin pulled back and a mouth was revealed. Then in an ear shattering nasal alien voice it screamed out, "Jadalien!!!" Its blue eyes turned green, and its two tentacles bulked into two massive ape sized arms while the rest of its appendages merged together to form two bulked legs. Its skin quickly changed as well into a blackish gray tough hide. Its head stretched a little more and now it appeared reptilian like the head of a king cobra, with its neck skin creating an intimidating hood.
Thus its metamorphosis was complete. Its mouth now contained hundreds of razor sharp teeth and it growled. It used its two massive front arms for additional support, using the knuckles of its fingers for support. It started walking forward, ape like and snakeish, all the while growling. It kept its reptilian eyes fixed on Roxie.
"It's hostile," said Roxie sternly. "Kill it."
Luke picked up on Q perfectly as he extended his metallic arm into a point spear which then struck the beast straight through its arm. The creature reared its head and screamed an alien cry to the night sky. Luke pulled back at as Roxie now attempted a mental bombardment. It failed. The creature's tough skin blocked her psychic thoughts.
Di Volo went next along with Orchid. Orchid shot out green vines from her arms that wrapped around the creatures legs and flipped it over. Di Volo opened her mouth and unleashed an inferno of fire upon the creature. The creature gave more alien screams and then smoke blocked there view.
"Is it dead?" asked Luke.
Roxie stared into the smoldering fires. A low pitched growl came from with in. The creature reemerged, burnt and crispy. It walked slowly out of the fire with its shallow growls and looked the team over each member as if looking for something. It stopped at Roxie, opened its mouth and unleashed Di Volo's fire breath in stronger counter attack.
Instantly Roxie raised her arms to create a psychic field while Luke morphed his arm into a shield that spread past everyone. The creature stopped.
"My god," said Orchid. "It can copy our mutations and make them stronger."
The growls stopped and Luke's expanded shield pulled back together. The creature was gone.
"Be on your guard!" shouted Roxie.
Everyone's eyes quickly darted left, right, up and down. It was no where to be seen and then two massive beastly arms seized Di Volo from behind and bit into her neck. Instantly the creature's teeth began absorbing Di Volo's cells, as it could clearly be seen as Jadalien began mutating its structure, matching Di Volo.
Orchid suspended her self with multiple vines and lashed out at the beast while Luke made a piercing stab with his metal arms. Roxie used her telekinesis to gather lying around debris into a swirling vortex from which she also used against the beast.
It held on fiercely before it opened its mouth again. Di Volo instantly started staggering away before Jadalien opened its massive arms for another capture. Roxie mentally pulled a near by lamp post from its concrete base and sent in piercing through the monster's stomach.
Orchid used her vines to gently bring Di Volo back while Jadalien struggled with the lamp post.
Di Volo kneeled to the ground in pain.
Luke asked, "Are you ok?"
Roxie nodded her head in response, "She'll be fine. Both her and I share a similar regeneration gene, the difference being that mine works faster then hers dose."
Roxie looked back at the still struggling creature. It had ripped half the pole out and was working on the rest. She noticed that it had sprouted long black hair from its head matching Di Volo's and its structure had some what morphed into a more human posture. She also noted that it was regenerating from its wounds faster then Di Volo.
"Ah, we have to stop it now," said Roxie. She scanned there surroundings and found a sky car parked above on an out stretched platform. That will do just fine. But before she could summon it, the Second King arrived. Sinister.
Landing behind the still struggling Jadalien Sinister touched down, his leather flaps falling slowly to his feat. His darkened eyes observed the team, and a sinister smile made the corners of his mouth rise.
"The Pheolvrom team," said the evil King. "A little group of rebellious teenagers that have been causing us so many problems over the years, how ridiculous."
Jadalien wrenched the rest of the pole from his body and slugged it forward at Roxie who with a quick wave of the hand diverted the pole into still hovering convoy.
Luke's scowled at vamperic King. "A bold move Sinister, one that you won't live to regret."
Di Volo stood back up, her wounds fully healed.
Sinister scanned her as well. "Well look at you. Ugly indeed." He turned to Jadalien and observed its new features. "And you were going to try and absorb her? Please. Why don't you aim your sights a little higher, how about the metal mutant eh? Of all of them his qualities seem the best."
Jadalien smiled its monstrous lips at Luke and it drooled slightly.
Sinister continued on, "How do you all like my little creation by the way. A super genetic absorber who given proper time can become possibly the ultimate mutant warrior. Jadalien is quite remarkable and should gain additional intelligence with each absorption."
Orchid clenched her fists and small vines began protruding from her body. "That's it, we've heard enough. Its time to place you and the freak to your graves, and by freak I mean you Sinister."
The team motioned to strike when Sinister raised a finger, "No, no, no. I have one more player on my team. And here he is now." Sinister looked up into the sky, Pheolvrom team fallowing his gaze. And there miles above the city, a white light was descending down rapidly. The sky broke out in bolts of lightning as it neared and Roxie suddenly felt sick for she had a suspicion for which she prayed was wrong.
Closer. Closer. Then its direction changed and it landed on the air convoy and kept out of sight.
Sinister was pleased. "So what do we have here? Four against three it would seem. But let's face it; Jadalien will be enough to handle you all. And if you're wondering as to who my third mystery mutant is, his name is Chaos."
Roxie entered the teams' minds telepathically.
Ok guys, we can do this. Di, when you attacked that creature with your fire, it was severely wounded which it then in turn tried to absorb you to heal it self. While it may be able to project fire, I'm not entirely sure it can manipulate it as you can for that ability would have required more of your cells. Currently you have the best chance with it. Orchid, Sinister is not actually a mutant but I wouldn't doubt that his body has been genetically improved. Take a look at his lower mid section and you will notice that his cloak keeps hidden various mechanical wiring. Aim for that section to weaken him and then go for the kill. Luke and I will deal with this new comer who appears to be electrical and if so Luke will have the advantage.
On my mark, Go!
Luke and Roxie took to the air instantly while Di Volo began creating a new fire ball and Orchid started manifesting her tentacles.
Jadalien picked up on Di Volo's attack and launched its own streak of searing fire. Di Volo, discarded her own flame and using her powers of manipulation she redirected Jadalien's attack, inflicting it upon itself. The monster how ever for lack of reasoning kept on burning its flame even though it was the only one being torched.
Orchid sprouted thorns on her new vine tentacles and sent them directly at Sinister's mid section. With unexpected lightning reflexes how ever he dodged the horned vines and grabbed hold of them. "I hope you can do better then that!" and using unknown strength he swung Orchid around and around until she went smashing through a shop window.
Roxie and Luke landed on top of the Convoy to meet the stranger with his back turned to them.
Luke morphed his left hand into metallic like lance and his right and extended hammer. Roxie gently placed her hand on his shoulder before he could attack.
Hold on for a moment, she said mentally and took a few steps to the stranger.
"Immortal?" her voice quivered. The strangers head raised at her voice and suddenly his shoulders began shaking…with amused laughter. Then came his attack. Spinning around with such velocity he sent a wave of arcing electricity at Luke who was knocked off the convoy. He turned to the shocked Roxie. "Gonna kill you" and suddenly his whole body electrified and he zapped around the convoy faster then Roxie could keep up with until he appeared directly in front of her and pummeled her face with lightning fists.
Roxie didn't know how to respond. The man she loved more then she could have ever known was trying to kill her. She was loosing conscious before Immortal super shot her off the convoy as well, part of her hair was incinerated and though burned, her skin was healing.
Having healed from his own attack Luke caught Roxie in the air as he arrived back up. "I've gotcha!"
Jadalien ceased his attack after his body could no longer take being fried. He lunged at Di Volo with clenched fists. Di Volo took flight, mustered her own fire assault and blasted the creature out of the sky. Skidding across the ground, Jadalien's body was recovering. Di Volo had to work fast to kill it. She then summoned hundreds of fire balls and started blasting the downed beats, with each blow his skin melting away. She noticed Sinister approaching where Orchid had fallen and in turn she launched multiple flames at Sinister who was caught off guard.
Sinister's body fell to the ground as his cloaks burned away. Rage in his eyes, he turned to attack Di Volo when from out of Orchid's impact sight came 10 horned vines, which impaled Sinister across his body.
Landing back on the convoy, Immortal was gone. Roxie instantly stretched out her mind to sense out his presence. She found it to late, for as she realized that Immortal had electrolyzed himself inside the convoy, it exploded sending Roxie skyward, while Luke went unfazed.
Pulling himself back together Immortal charged after Luke who did not have the same feelings that were restricting Roxie. Luke impaled the Immortal with both fists as he arrived and Immortal was taken off guard as he struggled with shock.
"Nooo!" Roxie screamed as she flew back down, falling faster then her tears.
Luke acknowledged her solemnly, feeling guilt for his action but simultaneously knowing it couldn't have gone any other way. He let his guard down when Immortal came to.
"AAAHHHHH!!!! You WILL DIE!!" And charging his entire body Luke's arms were incinerated inside Immortal and Luke pulled away. "Ha, ha. Ha, ha!" Immortal charged his body again and the wounds were gone. He looked up as Roxie tried stopping herself in mid flight. Immortal launched his body up. His head slamming into Roxie's stomach, knocking the wind out of her.
Then he zapped behind her and slammed both fists down upon her back. The wind left her lungs and she fell. Luke was racing to catch her when Immortal zapped besides him and super charging his hands, he shot Luke with higher intensity bolts which upon this strike burned through Luke, severing his body completely.
It was at this point Luke got a good look at Immortals face. The whites of his eyes had changed to blackness while his actual eyes were jeweled red. His veins were visible across his face and his teeth had unusually sharpened. And then something in Immortal's eyes caught Luke's attention. Something had just happened but he didn't know what to make of it. His metallic body healed up and he took a quick punch, sending Immortal flying into the Verona Tower.
Luke caught Roxie once more. She had regained some of her breath in the fall but was still weak.
Back on the streets, the battle was flaring on. Di Volo had blasted Jadalien away and put her full attention on quickly trying to kill Sinister. Orchid had reemerged and was attacking as well, multiple vines impaling and stabbing, while Di was showering sinister with fire.
Taking in the beating of his life, Sinister was succumbing to defeat.
Ah! How? How can they be winning? My body should have absorbed them instantly the first time they touched me. But why. Reality suddenly kicked in. Apocalypse! Its you who is responsible for this, its you. You betrayed me aahhh. I'll kill you. And then darkness fell. The once King was finally finished.
With Pleased faces, Orchid and Di watched the smoldering body of the dead King.
"We did it," said Di Volo, smiling at Orchid. Orchid gave thumbs up. Orchid was still smiling at Orchid when Jadalien emerged directly behind her, its mouth stretched completely open.
Orchid screamed, "Di its behind you!"
To late.
Jadalien had Di Volo completely inside its mouth by the time DI turned around. It was swallowing her whole, as it arched its serpent head backwards to better slide its prey down its throat.
Instantly the creature gave a scream of joy as its body began to change, light shining its eyes. It looked at Orchids face in joy of her terrified expression when suddenly Jadalien's body changed in color. An orange light was glowing from the inside and then the creature widened its eyes in shock. It had made a miscalculation in devouring its prey and before it was able to regurgitate its entire body expanded and exploded sending waves of heat passing by Orchid.
The smoke cleared and Jadalien was no more. In its place stood Di Volo, smiling with a second victory.
Orchid sighed in relief. The both mutants attention was drawn to the battle above.
Roxie and Luke had joined together in an unbalanced battle. Immortal was sending out multiple attacks and both she and Luke were either dodging them or deflecting them.
Immortal? What's happened to you? Roxie was searching for the strength she needed for this battle but it was eluding her with every turn, how do you confront the one you love most? She had tried a mental attack but some how it had been blocked some how. She suspected an outside force. Roxie noticed a gathering crowd that had poured upon the streets below, and in another dodge of an electric ball it headed to down to the crowds.
A little girl, no older then six holding her mother's hand was struck with that attack. The girl was incinerated as was half of the mothers hand and Roxie stopped in shock.
Defeat overwhelmed her. Starring wide eyed at the screaming mother, and the black ashes of the little girl something inside of her slipped.
I let you die…I could have stopped him, It's my fault. She turned her head to Immortal who was in a duel to the death with Luke and her eyes glowed blue.
A sudden burst of wind was emitted by her body caused both Immortal and Luke to stop in awe.
And I won't watch this any more!
Suddenly Roxie was screaming at the top of her lungs as a power took hold of her. She aimed both hands at Immortal. He was constricted instantly and she charged her own power blast that glowed red and launched at him with full unforgiving force. The blast sent him flying through the air at an enormous velocity. She watched Immortal slowly disappear towards the Empire state building. A flash of light confirmed his end.
Then sensing another presence Roxie's mind connected with another. Focusing on the dead seven year olds ashes Roxie swirled them back into the air as she reanimated the body. Feeling the girl's presence afloat in the air she captured it and returned it back to her body.
With that last summon of power, Roxie's power vanished like a blown candle light and she passed out.
Luke quickly grabbed her and brought her back down to the streets below.
Orchid and Di Volo quickly rushed over as Luke held on to Roxie. "She's alive," he said. "Just out for a moment."
Over where the little girl had been resurrected came sobbing laughter from the mother who though missing a hand was still hugging her daughter for dear life. The streets now were file with hundreds of people brought out by the disturbances. They watched the group of mutants huddled in the street with curious looks, and multiple whispers.
Suddenly the lights went out and electrical sparks started jumping out ever where, the people screamed in fright. Buildings all around were spouting sparks and the Pheolvrom team looked for the source when an intensifying light caught there attention.
Looking up, almost a mile away, above the Empire State building Immortal was summoning all of the cities power into one massive arching electrical ball of energy.
Hypnotized by the massive energy absorption, the hundreds of people stared in awe.
Luke widened his eyes as did both Di and Orchid.
"No," said Luke, "That can't be meant for us. It's enough energy to blow up the city ten times."
Immortals electrical screams suddenly passed all of there ears. A mile away Immortal had his own eyes transfixed on the downed team.
Luke was still in shock. "You guys, we can't stop that." Suddenly shouting at the top of lungs Luke screamed. "No! Immortal, no, why? Why are you doing this? There will be nothing. Nothing left at all! Please Immortal."
Smiling a demonic smile, Immortal launched the energy ball which was nearly as large as the Empire State building, containing all the power of New York.
As the massive energy ball came it devoured hundreds of sky scrapers along the way killing hundreds, possibly thousands of innocent lives.
Still transfixed, the people in the streets stood motionless, like hundreds of dear caught in the headlights of a massive semi truck about to claim there lives.
Luke turned to Roxie. He started shaking her, "Wake up, come on Rox wake up," he pleaded desperately as the energy ball was closing in.
She winced her eyes open as he shook her. "Rox get up, you have to slow that down some how, please that's all you have to do."
She looked past his back and saw the massive electrical ball gobbling up the city as grew closer and closer, a blinding white light.
"What's happening?"
"Damn it," and Luke flew into the sky, bracing for an impact. "Roxie!!! Slow! It! Down!"
The ball was still approaching at an unstoppable speed when suddenly it started slowing.
It was drawing in closer. Closer. And finally with open hands Luke made contact, the ball's power pushing him backwards slowly. "Rox, you have to increase your power once more, I need the strength to turn it away!"
Immortal watched from afar as his attack was slowing. He grinded his teeth together, charged his hands and fired a super electric wave to reinforce his giant ball of chaos.
Suddenly Luke felt the strength he needed when the ball suddenly lurched forward with even stronger force then before. Luke held his place with all of his might as the energy ball threatened to consume him.
"Rox, I need more!"
And seconds later he felt the surge of power with in him. "Thank you, thank you guys."
Creating a magnetic wave around the energy ball Luke brought fourth all the generated power. "Aaahhhhaahhh! Aaahhhhhhh!!!!" And Luke pushed out his arms and hands in full force and the energy ball headed back. Back with greater intensity and velocity then which it had come. Back directly to its source.
Immortal's red eyes went up in shock and his mouth dropped as his own attack was coming for him. It hit with full force but Immortal steadied it none the less and was struggling for control.
Roxie lay on the ground watching Luke in a battle for millions. He has asked her for a power transfer a couple of times and had thanked her. The problem was that she hadn't been able to give him any power, so how was it that he had generated it. She watched the struggle, the flashes of light; the display of power and suddenly her mind was flooded with another's thoughts.
The first was a vision of a younger version of Immortal's mother in a hospital bed and a doctor. "Congratulations madam, there twins.
A second vision came. It looked to be a ruined city and there Immortal hovered in the sky when a flash of light cam and another Immortal stood opposite. What? thought Roxie. The vision continued to play out, both of the Immortals aimed there charged hands at each other in close range and fired electrical waves from which there was an equal struggle. The left Immortal had two tears in his eyes while the seconds burned with demented delight.
A final flash and then only one Immortal stood.
A third vision came. This one actually seemed to be taking place in Immortal's mind as once again there existed two, both fighting.
Then came thousands upon thousands of images, of all the battles, all the internal struggles and then Apocalypse. Apocalypse who had been playing both sides.
There was only one Immortal, Roxie suddenly realized. The other is Chaos.
The images ceased and Roxie was brought back to the real world, where Luke was seconds away from victory.
That mean that Immortal is still alive, Roxie realized. No Luke doesn't know!
Luke sensed his closing victory. "It looks like it's the end of the road Eric. It's a darn shame. Maybe if your name proves to be true you'll come back some day…as a better person I hope. I'd like that. Perhaps we'll have a little one on one," he said grinning. "Se ya, I'll bee waiting for you Immortal!"
But before the words could escape her tongue Luke had launched a final massive wave of energy at Immortal.
Hovering at the top of the Empire State building, fighting for his life Immortal could no longer maintain his defense. His eyes faded back to there original brownish green and the black veins vanished as well. The ball of energy closed in on him.
Roxie watched at the energy ball exploded across the city sky, creating a perpetual day and then darkness fell, with the cities yellow emergency lights activating.
Luke descended from his ultimate battle. He smiled at Roxie, "Thank you. I couldn't have done it with out you."
Roxie's gaze was fixed on the Empire State building. Nothing.
"Rox," asked Luke. Her attention snapped back.
"Huh? Oh…that wasn't me."
"What?" asked Luke.
And then emerging from the crowd, "No. It was me." Stepping out from behind a well rounded man stood Ty.
The Pheolvrom team stood in shock.
Then the little girl, from whom Roxie had brought back to life, stepped over to them. She walked right over to Roxie. "You saved me," she said.
And she hugged tightly around Roxie and as if on cue, the crowd suddenly applauded with cheering and shouts of joy.
And emerging from the sky, came a Haven transport ship, piloted by none other then Bronc himself. The ship hovered low to the street and the Pheolvrom team hopped in, Ty as well. The ship gave a roar of its engines and flew off into the night sky.
Roxie looked out the window upon a cheering crowd and then over to the Empire State building.
And she knew it in her bones that this night had marked a turning point.
A possibility of peace and acceptance. Then there was the loss of the man she loved. A bitter Sweat ending it would seem. Ty was staring at her when she turned around and with out warning he came over and hugged her tightly. Roxie allowed the fall of a few final tears and hugged him in return. She was all he had now and she promised to herself and to the memory of the man that was Immortal that she would look out for him now.
A final promise came to herself. I will shed no more tears.
From atop the Empire State building Immortal watched the transport ship fly off back to Haven and listened to the continued cheers from that small group of people and his heart was slightly warmed.
His revelation came much the same as Roxie's. For the first time in ages, a chance for peace did seem possible. But at the same point he was now alone, and would remain so he figured, till the end of his days.
He scanned his surroundings, searching for the monster, now freed.
I'll find you my brother. I'll find you Jason. But until then, you are Chaos and must be stopped.
Immortal looked down and jumped, gliding down into the city.