Hey guys! Long-time no see! Happy late Christmas and New Year!
First of all, I want to say sorry for my long absence. In September, I started my third year of uni so I've been very busy. I also recently got a new job which took up a lot of my time as well and kept me from writing as much as I wanted to. Thank you to everyone who sent me messages to make sure I was alright though. I appreciate it :)
So, without further ado, I hope you enjoy this chapter.
"..." Speech
'...' Quote
'Hi' Thought
"Learn your place!" Inner Moka through Rosario
Feedback=Christian
Positive Feedback=Zack
Disclaimer: I own nothing but Christian, Dashslicer, Ultimate Crabdozer, Upgraded Atomix, the ideas for Ironmonger's, Shadowstreak' species, Bloodstalker, Dreamwalker, Icepick and Ultimate Diamondhead. Everything else belongs to their creators. (This list is getting surprisingly long now, haha)
Please don't forget to fav and follow and leave a review. I won't know how to improve if no one leaves comments. Even if you don't like the chapter, just leave a review. Criticism is a big part of the creative process.
Alien Watch in a Monster School
Retribution
Nine Years Ago
"He's been in there for hours. He's not coming out to eat. Mr Tennyson… I… I don't know what to do…"
Max watched as Rose once again came downstairs after another unsuccessful attempt to get Christian to leave his room. He could understand the blonde girl's frustration. She had known the seven-year-old nearly as long as he had and thought of him as a sibling. She was strong though. She had loved the Hawke family like her own. And now here they were; sat in the dark living room of their home, surrounded by pictures of memories that Christian and she would never get to experience again.
"He just lost his family. I doubt he'll be coming out for some time" he replied, massaging his temple. "Can you imagine the pain knowing you'll never see your parents again? Especially at his age."
Rose nodded before moving to sit on the sofa opposite Max. The moment she fell on to the cushions, she buried her head into her hands. "Why did this have to happen? He's only a kid. His parents never did anything wrong… They treated me like I was a part of the family."
"You know just as well as I do who his parents were and what they did," Max replied, his mind going back to watching the two Plumbers train at the academy in his glory days. "They were good Plumbers and even better people. It's just a shame a routine check could go so wrong."
"Does… Does Christian who they were?"
"No. James and Lucy didn't want him to know. The last time I talked to them, they were thinking of retiring."
Rose sniffed before raising her head, her tears burning her cheeks. "You need to tell him. He can't go the rest of his life not knowing why or how his parents were killed."
"No."
"Why not? Lucy told me!"
"You were looking after her child and your family used to have ties to the Plumbers. You could be trusted."
"And their son can't?" The blonde rose to her feet, angrily glaring at the older man. "He deserves to know. He needs to know. If you don't tell him, I will."
Max knew the girl was serious. She was normally quite bubbly but in matters such as these, she could be very stubborn. She would tell Christian the truth, no matter what he did. But… she wasn't the right person. There was no way of telling how he would react to the news his parents had been lying to him all his life. He may resent whoever told him. Christian had already lost his parents. He shouldn't lose his sister figure too.
"Fine. I'll tell him." With a heavy sigh, the older man rose to his feet. "You don't know what this will do to him though."
"It can't be any worse than if we don't." Rose looked at Max with determination he had never seen from her before. She had only just entered her twenties and yet she was so strong. It was time for him to do the same. Flashing a small smile, Max began to make his way upstairs.
As he came to the wooden door decorated in Iron Man stickers, he found himself stalling. Taking a breath, he knocked four times. "Christian? It's me, Max. Do you mind if I come in?" For a few seconds, there was no answer. Finally, the door was open by the dishevelled seven-year-old boy, still clutching at his toy rocket like a lifeline. His eyes were red and puffy from where he'd been crying, and his hair was an absolute mess. His gaze bore into Max as if begging for him to say the last few hours had all been one big joke. Unfortunately, he couldn't do that.
"Christian… There's something else you need to know."
Christian's eyes snapped open. Massaging his temples, he let out a heavy sigh. This was the second time he had remembered that day. He normally tried to suppress it but ever since reading that letter, it was coming back with full force, adding fuel to the fire of his anger.
His thoughts briefly drifted back to his friends. They must hate him for what he did. He wouldn't blame them. There was no turning back now though. Icarus was waiting for him.
Before he could think any more about the subject, a red light began to flash on the ship's centre console. A screen lit up to show the Rust Bucket's hanger. Christian's brow raised as he saw a certain pinkette gingerly making her way towards the cockpit door. It dawned on him he hadn't seen Moka when he left. She must have climbed aboard during the confusion of the fight. She was most likely going to try and talk him out of what he was doing. He peeked at the Vidatrix to see it was still in the red. It seemed he was going to have to do this the old-fashioned way.
The door opened and Moka stepped through. It was just as she remembered it from her last trip on the green jet. The pinkette's eyes swept across the cockpit in search of the Vidatrix teen. However, the teen was nowhere to be seen.
"So, you managed to get on the ship then."
"Wha-?"
The pinkette turned in time to see Christian standing just to the side of the door with his hand on a lever. "Stowaways are not permitted on my ship." Flipping the lever, a cylindrical layer of glass descended from the ceiling around Moka, trapping her before she could get away. As the vampire teen looked around at her predicament, she saw Christian walk past her towards the controls. "Sorry about the tight space," he continued, his voice monotone, "I'm still timed out and even sealed you're a lot stronger than I am. I couldn't take the risk you'd try to stop me."
"Christian, let me out!" Moka cried, banging her fist against the glass to no effect. "You need to stop this! It's not too late to turn back!"
"We both know that's not true," the teen replied without looking at her. "I've made my peace with this decision."
"But what about Yokai Academy? What about our friends?"
"I've betrayed them," Christian said as he retook the controls. His eyes were locked on the sky in front of them. "By doing this, I've gone against everything our friendship stood for. I can't go back. Not now."
"No! They will forgive you! We all know how it feels to lose someone close! But what I think you plan to do… there is no coming back. You won't be able to come back to Yokai. You'll never see our friends again. And… you'll never be able to see me," she said, placing her hand over her heart.
For a moment, it looked like Christian flinched and was about to turn. However, his head slightly moved to the side and it looked like he was listening to someone. But, Moka couldn't hear anything.
Finally, he turned back to her. "It's too late. The course has been set and I'm not changing it. I'll talk to you in a bit." With that, he pressed another button on the console.
"What did you do?" Moka asked. Christian did not reply. He didn't even seem to have heard her. "Christian? What did you do?" Again, there was no reply. She tried to rap her knuckles against the glass but the Vidatrix teen still didn't react. Suddenly, the Rosario on her neck began to glow.
"The fool has soundproofed the cell." Outer Moka didn't say anything but her inner self knew she agreed with her assessment. "When I am next released, I swear I will make him learn his place. If I had been in that fight…"
"You would have been defeated like the rest of us." Outer Moka leaned against the wall and slid down to the floor. "He wasn't holding back. No doubt he has a form to deal with us." This time Inner Moka remained silent. Her outer self let out a sigh as she looked back up towards Christian. "There's something wrong with him."
"He's been blinded by revenge. Hawke isn't going to stop now and there's nothing we can do trapped in here," her inner self said regretfully. "Our priority is to get out of here."
"And how do you propose that we get out?"
Both personalities went quiet. Neither could come up with an answer.
It was over an hour before Christian unmuted her cell and even then, he still didn't say anything. Moka watched he became more and more restless the closer they came to their destination. His fists were clenched against the controls and his whole body shook with anticipation. The temperature in the ship had also dropped significantly and she could see snow begin to cling to the panes of the windows.
As the ship began to slow, Moka heard Christian murmur under his breath, "It won't be long now."
"Where are we?" the girl asked, her eyes darting to the windows only to see a dark grey sky with a flurry of white.
"We're on Utö Island in the Finnish Archipelago," Christian said as he began the landing procedures. Outside, Moka heard the roar of the rockets as the Rust Bucket descended. After a few moments, the entire ship bumped as the landing gear hit the ground.
Looking back towards Christian, Moka watched the teen's hands danced around the controls before getting up and approaching her confinement. "If I don't come back after five hours, I've programmed the ship to take you back to Yokai. Don't bother trying break out. That glass is reinforced and even then, I'm putting the ship in lockdown."
"Christian… What about you? The way you're talking..."
The teen's face remained stoic but he the way he was looking at her; it was like he was doing it for the last time. Finally, he flashed her a small smile, causing a pit to form in her stomach. She felt sick. He didn't think he'd be coming back with her. Giving a small wave, Christian walked away without another word. Moka watched him leave before slamming her fists against her confines.
"Christian! Come back!"
The Rust Bucket ramp lowered upon an icy wasteland that went on for as long as the eye could see. A great mist covered the ground, making it impossible to see where one was walking. However, several ice-coated rocks poked out from the mist, making it slightly hazardous to walk.
As Christian descended the ramp, now wrapped in a black coat. He pulled up his collar as a sharp wind blew past him, making him involuntarily shiver. Taking a breath of the crisp air, he began to make his way across the icy landscape. He didn't have to go far. The ship had landed at the base of a great, rocky mountain that spanned far and wide. In the centre was a large metal structure with a large steel door that had been ripped open from the inside. The tangled mess of metal was curled upwards, reaching for the sky and begging for salvation.
Christian knew this place. He'd seen it in photographs so many times. This was it. This was where his parents and so many other Plumber agents had been murdered. As he got closer, Christian noticed a figure standing at the entrance of the base. His white lab coat billowed in the wind, but the man otherwise seemed immune to the freezing temperatures around him. The Vidatrix teen stopped in front of Professor Paradox, the two of them staring the other down.
"This is your last chance to stop. Anything that happens from this point, I cannot interfere," the man said.
"Go regenerate."
Christian strode past the time-traveller, not looking back as he entered the base. Professor Paradox watched him go, sadly shaking his head before disappearing in a flash of blue light.
The Vidatrix teen continued onwards through the base. According to records, Plumbers had set up this location in the late 1940s during the war. Something had been found in the London Underground after a stray bomb had caused a tunnel to collapse. The Plumbers had swept in and moved whatever it was to this location. However, the object was highly classified. Christian wasn't even sure Max knew what had been in here. Whatever it was, it had disappeared the same day is parents were killed.
As he walked through the ruins of the base entry corridor, Christian was reminded of the devastation reported on that fateful day. The steel corridors had been punctured inwards like something had tried to fight its way up through the structure. After the initial investigation, the base had been left to rust. Large ice-covered cobwebs were hanging from the ceiling, however, the teen doubted he would find any spiders. It was far too cold for them to survive here now.
Surprisingly, the base was quite similar to the one in Bellwood. It was easy to navigate in that regard. At the end of the long corridor, there was an elevator that would take him down to the base's main level. He tried pressing the button, but nothing came.
"No power…"
Wasting no time, the teen quickly changed into Big Chill and used his intangibility to fall through the floor and into the elevator shaft. As he came to the bottom, he was greeted by sight of a demolished lab. Equipment and wiring lay broken and askew and there was a horrible, musty stench that forced the transformed teen to cover his nose to prevent himself from being sick. Scattered around the floor, overlapped by white lines, were coppery smears where Plumbers had fallen. Pressing the symbol on his chest, he reverted to his human form and gave a silent prayer for the fallen. Remaining there for a minute, he imagined all the pain and horror that had occurred in this place.
"This ends today."
Turning his head, he looked towards a glass window that took up the entire side of the wall. Clenching his fists, Christian walked forward. Unlike the base in Bellwood, where there would have been a training room, this space was entirely taken up by a large cave. However, embedded in the far war, was a large pile of rubble with what looked like black vines stretching out amongst the rocks.
To his right, he spotted a door leading out into the cave. But, before he could even take a step, he heard the crackle of electricity and suddenly the lab burst into light as the power came back on. The sudden change caused Christian's eyes to burn as they adjusted to the brightness. Before he could even wonder what was going on, he heard a soft hum.
Below him, there was a lone computer on its side. The screen crackled for some time as an image of an unfamiliar man appeared. He was an incredibly thin human man with short, greying hair. He wore a long, white lab coat with a small pair of spectacles on his nose. He was sat at what Christian assumed was one of the many desks that had been in the lab. As he looked at the camera, he grinned broadly
"This is Doctor Somm's video journal, entry one hundred and thirty-three. The specimen has finally been showing signs of change. Inside the shell, there is a heartbeat!" Every word he spoke was filled with glee. Like a kid with a new toy. Christian couldn't help but wonder what the man was talking about. "None of the Plumber scans can penetrate the shell and it is still a mystery what is inside. The Egg has been here for what we estimate it is over a hundred years and has been feeding off the minerals in the rocks. If this continues…"
There was suddenly a large rumble in the background. The so-called, Doctor Somm, looked around in confusion as the several Plumbers rushed past with weapons.
"What happened?" The Doctor shouted.
"Something's attacking the base! Sir, you need to evacuate!" a fully armoured Plumber cried, stopping for a moment before continuing on their way.
The Doctor looked concerned before rapidly moving around his lab, grabbing various papers on desks. Suddenly, the room turned red and another alarm began to blare. Looking over to a computer that he assumed was offscreen. "My god… It's active…"
The screen went black, the picture fading to nothing. Christian didn't know what to say. That must have been the attack that claimed his parents' lives. But what was the egg he was talking about?
Before he could question anything further, he heard a crunch come from behind him. He turned in time to see a black figure lunging at him with an outstretched hand. An armoured gauntlet wrapping around his throat, knocking the air out of his lungs. With amazing strength, his attacker threw him back. Christian crashed through the glass at the back of the lab, falling towards the rocky ground of the cavern.
As he fell, his hands went towards the Vidatrix and slapped down on the core. He felt his body enlarge and broaden. A hard-yellow shell formed on his back and arms as he curled up into a protective ball. The next moment, he slammed into the ground, Cannonbolt shook his head, dislodging some of the splintered pebbles in his cheeks.
His head still spinning, the large alien looked up as his attacker leapt out of the window. He flew over Cannonbolt and landed in the middle of the cavern. As the man stood tall, Cannonbolt got his first good look at his assailant.
He was dressed in all black, his long, open coat slightly brushing against the dirt. Streamlined armour adorned his body, looking not only resilient but also allowing for good mobility. Covering his head was a helmet with a smooth, glass cover that reminded the transformed teen of a motorcycle helmet. The figure turned his head towards Cannonbolt and tilted his head to the side.
"Mr Hawke…" His voice was modulated but clear and calm. "So good to finally meet you in person. I am Icarus."
And then he lunged forward.
"Let me out!" Moka screamed at the ship as she once again smashed her fists against glass cell confining her.
"You need to calm down," her Inner Self said from within the Rosario. "Think about this rationally." For the past few minutes, Inner Moka had been trying unsuccessfully to calm down her Outer Self. Unfortunately, the girl was in a panic. She was too unfocused to do anything.
"And how would you suggest I do that?" Outer Moka cried, still banging her fists on the glass. "I know you could smash through this if you were out but you're not!"
"Silence!" Her Inner Self's sudden cry caused the pinkette to stop and look down at her glowing necklace. "You could break out of this too. You just need to focus."
"What do you mean?"
"You don't realise it, but you have access to my strength all the time as well. But your happy go lucky attitude keeps you from being able to draw it out," Inner Moka explained.
"Wait, I can?" Outer Moka gasped.
"Yes. You will never be able to draw out our full strength. But, if you concentrate, you should be able to call upon enough to make our escape."
"How?"
"Close your eyes. Feel the energy within you. Let it flow to every part of your body like a coat of armour. Can you feel it?"
Outer Moka closed her eyes and tried to act upon her inner self's words. However, she just couldn't feel it. There was nothing. "I can't do it!"
"Yes! You can! Concentrate! What is it you want to do?"
"You know what I want!" Outer Moka cried. "I'm pretty sure you want it too! I have to help Christian!"
"Then let it fuel you. Let it be your motivation! Use it and breakthrough!"
Outer Moka began to feel it. The flow of monster energy wrapping around her hands like a protective coat. Taking a deep breath, she clenched her fist and threw it forward.
"Ow!" she cried, reeling back and nursing her aching hand. "Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow! How do you do that?"
Before Inner Moka could reply to her, the pinkette heard cracking. Turning to the noise, she saw spider web cracks spreading across the surface of her prison. Tentatively, she reached out and tapped the glass. Instantly, it shattered into pieces, falling harmlessly to the ground.
"I…I did it…" Outer Moka gasped, taking a step outside of the ring before a broad smile spread across her face. "I did it!" Despite her words, she felt remarkably tired. Her body felt like there was a weight attached to it. Was this due to her trying to release her power while the Rosario was attached?
"Well done," Inner Moka said. "Now it is time for us to move. Hawke locked down the ship. And with your current condition, you will not be able to break through the hull. You will need another way."
"Umm… This is a Plumber ship, right? Christian must have some weapons stashed away. If we find them, we can get out." Opening the door to the cargo hold, she walked in to look at the many crates and weaponry on the walls.
"Are you sure that is wise? You have never used a firearm before, and this alien technology could be dangerous if used incorrectly."
"You're right," Outer Moka said with a sigh. "If only there was something that was connected to the Vidatrix's secondary user system."
"VIDATRIX SECONDARY USER SYSTEM ACTIVATED. VOICE PRINT VERIFIED."
Outer Moka jumped in fear as she suddenly heard a synthesised version of her voice spoke out.
"Hello… Who's there?" the pinkette called out.
"HELLO MOKA AKASHIYA. I AM THE ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE SYSTEM OF THE DV-8. IT IS GOOD TO SEE YOU AGAIN. I AM C.I.R.A."
Moka's eyes darted towards Christian's motorbike. The four-wheeled cycle was hooked into place to keep it from moving but it seemed its dashboard and other systems were completely running.
"You're the DV-8? How are you talking? Better yet, why do you have my voice?"
"I AM SPEAKING THROUGH THE SPEAKERS ON THIS UNIT'S CHASSIS. AS FOR YOUR OTHER QUERY, MY CREATORS, KEVIN LEVIN AND BEN TENNYSON, THOUGHT IT WOULD BE A GOOD PRACTICAL JOKE TO USE YOUR VOICE FOR MY OWN."
"That's so creepy," the girl said with a shiver. She could feel her Inner self's disgust with the revelation as well. "Is that really what I sound like?"
"Those two will pay for this."
"IS THERE SOMETHING I CAN DO FOR YOU?" C.I.R.A continued.
"Um… yes… can you help me get out of here? Christian is in trouble," Outer Moka said, approaching the bike.
"AS THE VIDATRIX'S SECONDARY USER, YOU HAVE ACCESS TO ALL THE SYSTEMS OF THIS VEHICLE. PLEASE GET ON BOARD."
Quickly uncoupling the DV-8 from its stand, Outer Moka climbed on top of the bike and placed the helmet on top of her head. Instantly, a green light lit up from the monitor and washed over her. As the wave moved over her, her clothes changed, becoming a tight leather rider suit with pink highlights on the shoulders.
"This is different," Outer Moka remarked before looking towards the controls. "Um… I don't know how to drive."
"AUTOPILOT HAS BEEN ENGAGED. PLEASE HOLD ON TIGHT."
"What about the hanger? It's closed!" Outer Moka cried.
"NOT A PROBLEM."
The wheels of the DV-8 split into four, raising the chassis into the air. Two barrels ejected from the front, brimming with green energy. There was a high pitch whine before twin blasts shot forward, slamming into the sides of the wall, momentarily blinding the pinkette.
When she felt the sudden coldness of the outside air, she looked to see a scorched, gaping hole in the side of the Rustbucket, the smoke already being carried away by the harsh winds.
"Oh, Christian is not going to be happy."
"It doesn't matter right now. Get moving!"
"Right! Let's go!"
Reverting to its original configuration, the DV-8 sped out of the Rustbucket and began heading towards the abandoned Plumber Base.
"Ah!" Cannonbolt cried as he once again slammed into the side of the cave wall. While his impenetrable armour protected him from the jagged rocks, the force of the blow was still painful. Collapsing to the ground, he coughed up a small amount of purple blood to the ground.
"What…are you?" he gasped as he tried to get up.
"Someone with limited time who is tired with dealing with your interference," Icarus replied, walking towards him whilst cracking his neck.
"What do you mean? This… this is the first time we've met."
"Very true. But your interferences at Yokai Academy have proven to be troublesome to my plans." Standing directly in front of Cannonbolt, Icarus raised his fist. Just as he was about to strike, Cannonbolt was obscured by a flash of green light. The next moment, ice formed around Icarus's body, leaving only his head uncovered as Big Chill phased out of his body and hovered above him.
"What plans?" the Necrofriggian growled.
"Wouldn't you like to know?" Icarus chuckled, turning his head back towards the alien. "I must admit, you do have some skill. My previous attempt to kill you only failed due to the interference of your friend Orion."
"Previous attempt?"
"Yes. I'm sure you remember Khyber. His visit to Yokai was entirely orchestrated by yours truly."
"That was you?" Big Chill gasped. The memory of Khyber's visit to Yokai still haunted his dreams some nights. Khyber had used a converted Bioid from one of Vilgax's previous invasions as the user of the Nemetrix. A device that turned a non-sentient creature into various alien predators. In the two days, he'd been at the academy, Khyber had been responsible for the deaths of twelve academy students and had kidnapped Moka, Kurumu and Yukari. Christian would have died fighting the Bioid if it hadn't been for the intervention of Zack absorbing the powers of his Omnitrix and using the burst of power to destroy it. However, that action had briefly driven Zack mad, resulting in more problems. Khyber had managed to get away with the help of an unseen partner.
"Yes. I delivered that letter to you on that day. But I honestly thought you would have read it sooner. You must have been busy. In the end, I got bored and decided to give you some… incentive."
"Well, you're trapped. I can get more answers out from you on my ship," Big Chill growled.
"This? You must be joking!" Icarus began to laugh, the deep, barrelling tones bouncing off the walls, filling Big Chill with dread. The armoured man tensed his body, and cracks began to spread across the surface of the ice. Before Big Chill could try to stop him, the icy shell burst. One of the shattered chunks shot out and struck the Necrofriggian in the head. Dazed, confused and in shock, Big Chill was helpless to defend as he was grabbed by the throat and hoisted into the air. Icarus held him up, his visor reflecting the struggling Necrofriggian's fearful face. "I'm stronger than you, boy. My experience in battle far outclasses yours and I've spent years researching extraterrestrial life in preparation for the day I'd have to fight them too. You are nothing compared to me!"
"Yeah, well, see if you think this is nothing!" Once again, the alien pressed the Vidatrix symbol. In a flash of light, the Necrofriggian was replaced with a small, white alien that had headphone-like protrusions on the sides of his head.
"Echo ECHOOOOOOOOOOO!" As he shouted out his name, the alien let out a devastating sonic scream point-blank in front of his opponent. The sudden surprise forced Icarus back a few feet, making him release his hold on the transformed teen.
"Clever," Icarus said. "Rather than use intangibility to free yourself, you changed into a form that could not only get free but also fight back. But it won't be enough."
"Then. I'll. Go. One. Better." Sliding the Vidatrix rim to the side, the alien tapped it once more and four prongs shot out. From the symbol, a wave of evolution energy washed over him. His body turned blue and became taller and more robotic. Small disks sat in the small crevices that were over his body.
"Ultimate Echo Echo!"
Flexing his hands, two disks ejected from his palms. Throwing them forward, the disks flew to either side of Icarus. Immediately, each disk duplicated until they surrounded the armoured man. "Sonic! DOOM!" All at once, the disks let loose a cavalcade of sonic blasts which eclipsed Icarus, making the villain drop to one knee. "I'm ending this. Now. I will avenge my family!" As he spoke, he increased the strength of his soundwaves. The force of the waves was now strong enough to crack the earth beneath Icarus and split the sides of the walls.
"Uh, how…cliché…" Icarus groaned, reaching for his gauntlet as small cracks appeared in his armour. "But as you can see," pressing his gauntlet, a small wave of clear energy spread over Icarus's armour, "I am prepared for all you can throw at me."
Ultimate Echo Echo looked on in shock as Icarus rose to his feet, undaunted by the force of the soundwaves barraging him. "Wha?"
"Alien tech and natural charm." He leapt forward, slamming his fist into the evolved alien's chest sending Ultimate Echo Echo flying back. The alien went crashing into the large pile of rubble against the far wall, smashing it apart.
"Ugh… That shouldn't have been possible…" The alien groaned as he pulled himself up, his hand grasping at his aching head. "Just how strong are you?"
"Strength is nothing," Icarus said, cracking his knuckles and giving a small sigh. "Strategy, intelligence and preparation. If you have all of these, you can win anything. I know everything about you, but you know nothing about me. The moment you read my letter, you rushed over here, like a rabid dog after its next meal. You could have contacted the Plumbers, brought your friends. But no. Here you are. Alone. Weak. Reeking of the scent of anger and revenge."
"You killed my parents!" Ultimate Echo Echo cried. "Why shouldn't I be angry!"
"Your parents?" This was the first time the black armoured man had raised his voice. His commanding tone silenced the evolved alien and left him shaking. "I've taken the lives of many on my quest. Do you have any idea the number of people who wish for my end? They must lay in the thousands. The number of voices crying out for my death. You are just the first to turn my head. Your parents were nothing more than ants in my way. You are the same. Now, it is time I stopped playing and just crush you underneath my boot."
"Like I'd let you!" Ultimate Echo Echo shot a small sonic blast from his feet, propelling himself forward. As he did, he pressed the Vidatrix symbol on his chest twice more.
After two brief flashes of light, Ultimate Humungousaur threw his fist towards the armoured man. But, just before his fist connected with Icarus, he disappeared. The next thing the evolved Vaxasaurian felt was a sharp tug on his tail as he came to a sudden stop and then the world turned upside down as he was slung in an arc to the ground.
"Gah!" From the ground, the injured titan looked up to see Icarus grasping his tail under his arm.
"You are weak! Undisciplined!" Slowly, Icarus began to spin, dragging the green dinosaur-like alien around with him. Gaining momentum, Ultimate Humungousaur body rose into the air. "Everything you touch will be reduced to ash!" Releasing the titan, he sent Ultimate Humungousaur flying into the far wall, the stone collapsing down upon him and covering his body.
As dust fell, Icarus remained still. His face mask fixed upon the spot where Ultimate Humungousaur laid. In a series of two flashes, the powerful alien reverted into Christian. Without the evolved Vaxasaurian's body to support them, the rock that had been on him fell to the ground, just missing the injured teen's body.
"Just look at yourself," Icarus sighed, walking over to the teen. "I expected better from you. You faced all kinds of adversaries during your time at Yokai. I was hoping you'd put up more of a fight. Then again, you have been cut off from your greatest recourse."
"My greatest… recourse?" the teen gasped as he weakly struggled to get up unsuccessfully.
"Your friends. Do you think you would have made it this far without them? The number of times you would have died if not for their interference. They were your best weapons and look at how you squandered them."
"They're not… weapons!" Christian cried. His body was in agony. He could hear the beat of his heart in his ears.
"Of course they are," Icarus laughed. "If not for you, they probably would have lived normal lives. Let's face it, you came as an advocate for peace and instead fostered new soldiers! But the most hypocritical thing at all, you boast the power of your friendship, but when the chips come down, you push them aside in favour of acting alone. You're a joke." Christian could say nothing in reply. Deep down, he knew Icarus was right. As he looked up into the helmet of his worst enemy, all he could see was himself reflected. "It's a shame too. If you had brought them, they could have died with you. Instead, they've been left to be ripped apart."
"What?"
"Oh, did I forget to tell you? I was just a diversion to get you away from the academy. The moment you left; our mutual friend Khyber attacked. By now, I'm sure your school has become his own personal hunting grounds."
"You're lying!"
Icarus pressed a button on his gauntlet and a small holographic screen crackled into life. At first, the picture was a fuzzed red. However, as it came into focus, Christian came to see what the image showed.
Yokai Academy was engulfed in flame. Smoke flowed from one of the bell towers whilst the other had fallen to the ground below. In the distance, Christian could see hundreds of moving animals swarming around the school. While he didn't recognise some of them, there was no mistaking the red collar on each of them.
They were Nemetrix predators.
"No…"
"It's your fault," Icarus said. "You were so intent on finding me that you left your friends and your school unprotected." Christian felt Icarus's grip tighten as the air left his lungs. "You will die here. Knowing your friends suffered as a result of your incompetence."
Christian's legs spasmed as he felt the world around him begin to go spin. There was something he could hear in the distance. A shrill scream. As his eyes began to grow heavy, and the world turned dark, he was sure he saw a flash of pink above him.
Finally, as he succumbed to the darkness, he heard a voice that was not unlike his own.
"That was pitiful. Let me show you how it's done. Time for me to cut. My. STRINGS!"
Moka watched in horror as Christian choked in the grip of the black-garbed individual, she assumed to be his parents' killer. When she had been scaling down the broken elevator shaft, she had never expected something like this. She wished the DV-8 could have fit down the shaft so she could use its weapons.
"Christian! NO!" she cried out as the killer turned towards her.
"You?" the man growled, dropping Christian's limp body to the ground. "What an interesting development." Faster than she could react, the man jumped up to the lab and stood towering over her. Moka wanted to run, but as she saw her reflection in the stranger's mask, her body refused to budge.
"W-who are you?" she asked.
"My dear, you may call me Icarus. There is no need to introduce yourself, Moka Akashiya."
"You know who I am?" she asked. As she spoke, the Rosario began to glow a dark crimson. Darker than it had ever shone before.
"Oh yes," Icarus said as he reached out towards the glowing cross on her neck. "And you are so beautiful."
Moka was about to turn to run when a chill overcame the computer room. It felt like something was drawing in the energy from everything around it. Suddenly, an overwhelming sense of unease flooded over her as she felt her inner self come to the forefront of her mind. She could even sense her emotions. The most overwhelming of which was fear.
"Get out! Now!"
'Why?'
"It's coming."
Before Moka could ask what her inner self meant, there was an explosion of monster energy within the ruins of the training room behind them. Icarus and the vampire girl turned to see a great geyser of red light flowing high into the air, breaking through the ceiling above. At the centre of the beam was a figure cloaked in shadow. Once more, Moka felt a shiver run down her spine. She had felt this pressure before. Back during the battle with Mido. Back when it had all gone wrong.
Finally, the energy geyser began to disperse. As it faded, Moka began to see the recognisable figure of Bloodstalker. However, there were a few differences. The green that used to be in the lining of his coat was crimson and his silver hair has taken a darker shade.
Down below, red electricity crackled across the transformed vampire's body, originating from the crimson Omnitrix symbol on his chest. As the last of the geyser faded Bloodstalker let out a single breath. His glowing red eyes watched in interest as the light mist rose.
"Christian?" Moka said quietly, unsure if the teen was still in control. To her side, Icarus said nothing. He seemed almost in a trance as he looked down upon the transformed teen.
"How…intriguing… This is something I did not predict…" she heard him whisper.
Suddenly, Bloodstalker's eyes snapped towards the two and bared his fangs. Faster than Moka's eyes could track, the teen leapt at them. He burst through the broken window and tackled Icarus into the far wall. With the same ferocity that he had shown when fighting Mido, Bloodstalker gripped the back of Icarus's helmet and smashed his head into the steel wall three times. With each impact, Moka felt the reverberations shake the entire base. Small scraps of rock and metal fell from the ceiling as the blows dislodged old and damaged debris.
Before Icarus could counter, the enraged vampire threw him over his shoulder, back into the training room. The black-clad man was sent flying into the far wall, shattering it. He remained there for a minute before peeling off and falling to the ground, the large rocks and debris of the collapsing on top of him, burying the armoured adversary underneath.
Moka watched as Bloodstalker walked past her, seemingly ignoring her existence, and leapt back out into the training room. Diving upon the fallen rocks, Bloodstalker began furiously flinging away the stone until he came across the stunned Icarus. Wasting no time, the Bloodstalker unleashed a flurry of powerful punches on the armoured villain's body, striking the armour repeatedly. Despite its seemingly powerful durability, small cracks began to spread over the armour.
"Something is wrong," Inner Moka said.
"I know," Outer Moka said.
"No, you don't. Can't you feel it? The vampire blood inside of Hawke has once again taken control, and yet, his actions are not erratic. He is in perfect control of Bloodstalker's power despite not having displayed such an ability previously. There is ferocity but also intelligence behind his moves. And, there is something else. Even from within the Rosario, I can feel it. There is something darker at work here. Look! Where the rocks fell!"
Outer Moka's eyes darted upwards, where her inner self had pointed to. And there, suspended in the rocks by decaying black tendrils was a white orb. It was split down the middle, the inside black and rotting.
"That…That looks like…" Outer Moka began. But, before could finish her thought, there was a sizable thwack as Icarus went flying past her vision. He collided with the far wall before falling to the hard ground beneath.
Moka snapped round to see Bloodstalker, his eyes burning bright red with his fist outstretched. Letting out a low growl the transformed teen began walking towards the fallen warrior once more.
"Christian, no!" Moka cried, jumping down from the ledge and falling into the ruined cave.
"What are you doing? He'll slaughter you!" Her inner self screamed at her, but she wouldn't listen. Bloodstalker glared down at her, his fangs bared, and fists clenched.
"Christian, I know you're in there," she said. "I know you want to fight, but you can't do it alone." While Bloodstalker did move, his red eyes continued to bear down upon the pinkette. "Let me fight with you." She reached out and took the transformed teen's hand, placing it on top of the Rosario. "I beg you, please come back to me."
For a moment, Bloodstalker's eyes softened, and his left eye returned to its normal green. Just as Moka was about to let out a sigh of relief, she found herself hoisted in the air, Bloodstalker's hand around her throat.
"Chris…tian…" the girl gasped, struggling for breath. "Please…"
Bloodstalker's eyes narrowed, his eyes burning with rage. Raising his right hand, he flexed it into a claw. "No more strings," he growled. Moka's eyes widened in fear as the transformed teen prepared to strike. However, just as the claw was about to come down, she heard a series of familiar beeps.
Instantly, Bloodstalker released his grip on the teen, throwing back his head and howling in pain as the Vidatrix symbol on his chest continued to flash. "NO!" he screamed. "Not now!"
Moka had no idea what the transformed teen was talking about, but she was more than relieved when the vampire teen disappeared in a flash of crimson light. The moment it cleared; a reverted Christian collapsed to his knees, the Vidatrix now red and recharging. "That… felt different…" she heard him murmur.
"Christian!" Moka cried happily, rushing over to the teen. "Are you alright?"
"Just a little woozy. The last few minutes… they're a blur. I remember fighting, but…" Before he finished, his headshot round towards the pinkette. "Wait. Moka? How did you get out of the Rust Bucket? No, that doesn't matter right now. You need to get out of here! Icarus is way too powerful! You were right, I shouldn't have come alone! We need to run."
"Oh, I'm afraid it's too late for that now."
Both teens spun round to see Icarus once again standing tall. The force of Bloodstalker's blows had left his armour cracked and coat torn beyond repair. While his helmet was still wearable, the visor now possessed several spider-web cracks across its reflective surface. "There's been a change of plans. You two are going nowhere." As he took a step forward, Christian moved to stand in front of Moka. However, Icarus only laughed. "You're a brave kid but that fancy watch of yours is out of power. Nothing is stopping me from taking you both out now."
Despite Icarus's words, Christian stood his ground. But Moka could see what was going on. He was tense, the little movements of his head told her he was desperately looking for a way out. Even now; powerless, trapped and facing his worst enemy, he was still trying to protect her. But this time, she refused to be the one needing saving. Grabbing his hand, she brought it up to the Rosario.
Christian looked surprised for a moment, but he quickly realised what she wanted. Even Icarus had stopped, perhaps anticipating what was to come. The two gave each other a nod before Christian pulled away the silver cross. All at once, there was an explosion of monster energy as Moka's body changed. Her body filled out and her long locks turned platinum silver. The atmosphere of the cave instantly became warmer as it was bathed in crimson red.
Christian watched the transformation came to an end and Inner Moka opened her glowing red eyes, glaring out at the other people in the room.
"Moka?" the teen said, a shiver running down his spine.
"I'll deal with you later. I've got to clean up your mess," she growled, pushing past the teen and staring down the stationary Icarus. "What are you looking at?"
"You…" the man replied. "You are so beautiful. So much more than the imitation."
"That's kind, but I'm not interested." In a flash, Inner Moka dashed forward, swinging around her leg at the armoured man's head. However, much to both teens' shock, Icarus grabbed hold of the appendage inches away from his head.
"Pretty, but so very rash." With a simple swipe of his arm, the black-garbed man sent the girl flying back, colliding with Vidatrix teen as the two of them went rolling across the hard-stone floor. "It would seem you are just like that boy. Rash, undisciplined and full of anger. If you had any sense, you would have played it safe; waited for his watch to recharge and come at me together. Instead, you will two be coming with me. I have such plans for you both. It's a shame I couldn't get that Doppelganger too. He would have been good to experiment on. All that DNA in one flesh package. Oh Moka, you didn't know did you? Our friend Khyber is at your academy now. His predators are hunting down your friends as we speak."
The two teens groaned as they struggled to get to their feet. Their legs felt like jelly. They shared a glance, knowing they were both thinking the same thing. "He's too strong," Christian wheezed.
"His reflexes are far superior to any foe we've faced before," Inner Moka said. Christian looked between the vampire and the Vidatrix, still in the red. His brow furrowed. He knew that as he was now, there was nothing he could do. However, before he could do anything, Inner Moka once again rose to her feet. "Christian, you have to run," she said, looking away from him.
"What?"
"I'll hold him off for as long as I can, but you need to run. Out of the two of us, you can help our friends. You can get there faster, and you have the knowledge to take on those creatures."
"But…"
"Don't mistake this. I am furious with you. But… I can understand why you did it. If I had been in the same situation… I would have done the same." She cocked her head back so that Christian could see her eyes. They were soft, regretful, but most of all sad. Why did she look so sad?
"Moka, there's another way!" he cried, finally managing to get to his feet. "We can stall, we can run, we can…"
"We could die and then there will be no one left to help our friends!" Inner Moka snapped. "Don't make this harder than it has to be! For once, listen to an order I give you! Live!"
"Moka… I don't want you to die…" Christian said, his eyes beginning to wet with tears.
Inner Moka's head lowered. Her voice barely a whisper, she said, "I could lose you if I don't." Before the teen could react, the girl spun around and grabbed him by his coat. In a fluid motion, she spun around and threw him back up to the lab overlooking the training room.
Landing roughly on one of the desks, Christian groaned as his arms throbbed with pain from having landed on them. But there was no time for that. As quickly as he could, the teen rushed back over to the window just in time to see Icarus leap towards the silver-haired vampire with his right arm outstretched. Fortunately, Inner Moka was just able to duck underneath the attack and threw a punch of her own which Icarus blocked with his forearm.
Inner Moka then began to throw a furious and quick series of attack at a speed that almost made the girl a blur to Christian's human eyes. Each kick and punch was aimed at a critical part of Icarus's body and for a brief, hopeful moment, the Vidatrix teen thought that she may be pushing Icarus back. That was when he noticed it. Icarus was matching Inner Moka's speed. He was blocking every single one of her attacks with his forearms. Blocking one last kick, he slammed his elbow into the girl's midriff.
Christian watched in horror as Inner Moka spat blood, collapsing to ground clutching her stomach. He knew she wanted him to run but he couldn't. He would not allow this man to take anyone else he loved away from him. Icarus was too strong for him at this point. There was only one thing left to do. Escape.
Looking to the Vidatrix, he felt a wave of relief to find the faceplate now green. Immediately, he activated the device. Finding the form he wanted, he slapped down on the core.
Below, the two combatants shielded their eyes from the light before a large, rock covered creature fell from the lab. He only wore a pair of black and green shorts whilst the Vidatrix was on his head.
"Another form?" Icarus asked. "That's a new one. What's he called?"
"Gravattack!" the alien replied, thrusting forward his arm, the hand glowing with almost transparent aura. Instantly, the now weightless Icarus rose several feet into the air before being propelled away, smashing into the wall on the far side of the cave. "Are you alright?" the rocky alien asked Inner Moka, keeping his powers focused on his struggling enemy.
"You were supposed to leave," Inner Moka gasped, struggling back to her feet.
"Not without you," Gravattack replied. "Get on my back and don't let go. Things are about to get crazy." He didn't know how the girl felt but a moment later he felt something climb onto him.
Across the room, Icarus growled as he tried to push himself away to from the stone walls. "This won't hold me for long," he said. "I told you, I'm prepared for everything you do."
"I know…" Gravattack said regretfully before slapping the symbol on his head. A moment later, in his place was a 10-foot-tall, yellow-armoured, bipedal armadillo alien. His large, rounded forearms possessed jackhammers on his elbows. The Vidatrix was on his chest.
"Armodrillo!"
Now free from the gravity effects afflicting him, Icarus fell to the ground. Wasting no time, he leapt towards the yellow alien, but it was already too late. Plunging his fists into the ground, the jackhammers on his arms began pumping, causing the entire base to shake as the force of an earthquake powered through it.
"What are you doing?" Icarus demanded as he stumbled and struggled to keep his footing. "You'll bury us!"
"That's the idea," Armodrillo growled as he increased the intensity of the vibrations. Around them, sections of the cave began falling. Great metal wires collapsed and rocks tumbled to the ground, the very foundations of the base shook, bringing everything down upon them.
Armodrillo watched happily as a large chunk of metal collapsed on top of Icarus, pinning him underneath. Pressing the Vidatrix symbol one last time, the teen turned into XLR8 and dashed over to the down man.
"I bet you'll survive this, so I won't help you," he said. "I'll find you again. When I do things will be different."
"Keep telling yourself that, kid," Icarus replied. "The headmaster and the Plumbers, they can't protect you. Hold one eye open from now on. I'll be coming for you both," he said, looking towards the two teens. They couldn't see his face, but it was clear he was glaring at them.
Another rock fell inches from XLR8 and Moka. It was time to go. Giving one last look to his parents' killer before turning and speeding away, Inner Moka hanging around his shoulders. Running up the wall and elevator shaft, the two came to a stop at the DV-8. "Get on!" XLR8 cried as the two of them jumped on top of the bike. Reverting to his human form, Christian revved the engine and spun around, driving towards the base entrance as everything came down around them.
Just as the falling debris was about to catch them, Christian flicked a switch on the handlebars, unleashing an afterburner that shot the bike forward. Feeling the cold air against his cheeks, the DV-8 burst out of the base on to the cold snow of the Finnish Archipelago.
Turning back, Christian and Inner Moka watched as the remains of icy mountain collapsed on top of the base, falling into a pit of ice, metal and rubble. This place had never brought good memories for Christian but now that it was gone, he felt a sense of relief. Closing his eyes, he said a silent prayer for his parents. Even so, he still held a sense of dread. Inner Moka must have sensed this as she squeezed his shoulder.
"Are you alright?" she asked.
"He's still alive," Christian said simply. "That won't have been enough." Inner Moka didn't say anything but Christian knew she agreed with him. As much as he wanted to dig through the rubble and finish the job, there was no time. "Let's go," he said, turning the bike around. "We need to get back to the academy."
"Just one thing first." Before Christian could ask what, Inner Moka punched him in the shoulder, making him let out a cry of pain. "That's for locking me in a cell."
"Ow, but I guess I deserve it. I'm sorry."
"I know you are. You still need to apologise to the others though."
"Yeah, I suppose saving them will be a good start." With that, he revved the engine once more and drove back in the direction of the Rustbucket 3. At which point, Inner Moka dropped one more bombshell on him.
"By the way, there's a massive hole in the side of the ship."
"There's a what?"
A few minutes later, as the Rustbucket 3 took to the skies, a black armoured hand burst from the snow. With difficulty, Icarus pulled himself back out into the snow. His armour was ruined was chipped and cracked. The gauntlet computers sparked, and his robes lay in tatters. His once reflective helmet now possessed a split in the glass on the right side, revealing one slit, glowing red eye.
Looking towards the retreating figure of the green jet, Icarus let out a small laugh as he anticipated what was to come.
And that's that. I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter and will leave your thoughts in the reviews. I worked hard on this whenever I could. Icarus was fun to write and if seemed a little OP, that was by design. He will be appearing a lot more in future so expect to see more of him.
With my uni schedule and my dissertation, I can't say when the next chapter will be but I promise to keep working on it whenever I can.
Until then, I wish you all the best and hopefully, I'll see you soon.