Deep along the hallways of calloused stone, a cackle rang out.
Kaos stood drinking in the noxious fumes of the cauldron before him within the metal-framed rotunda. The air echoed with the sinful wails of ultimate evil. Here he was in an evil floating fortress of his own floating between ominous thunderclouds, the crack of lightning just outside. What more proof did anyone need he was the top villain?
The tattered stone behind him glowed angrily by the cauldron's fiery glow. Red lights flashed along the web of pipes tracing the walls and ran into the darkness. The entrance was swallowed in his shadow, a sentence of doom for those who dared open the door. Splurging to get his own place was already worth it, but he had really got the evil décor down.
Sure enough, the door creaked open, and a green head with warts and a droopy nose popped in, bowed. "Sir, we're closing in on the city."
Kaos choked. "Glumshanks! How many times have I told you not to interrupt me as I cackle!?"
"Considering you're always cackling, sir, very seldom times…"
"Well, out with it! Or else I'll have you wash the castle floors again." He sneered. "I hoped you've hydrated, at the least."
His troll servant entered in full, droopily standing. "As I said, sir, we are closing in on the city."
"What!? Why didn't you say anything, you overgrown wart!?"
"I believe I did. Twice."
Sometimes he wondered why he let the obnoxious troll go around non-muzzled. Other times he wondered why he let him walk around with a shock collar. But compared to the hundreds of thousand goblin soldiers he had clawing and raking in his dungeons on standby, at least Glumshanks made for amusing idle conversation, or good torture bait.
Kaos had clawed and raked his own way out of the depths of humiliation after his defeat at the hands of those cadets years back. Since then, it was his ways of lying, cheating, and backstabbing that served as the tools helping him climb to the top. For all the efforts of the Skylanders in all their time searching, they had never managed to find his hiding place. It had given him the time needed to inch closer to his end goal and the power to achieve it.
The Dark Portal Master stepped and strode around the cauldron, with Glumshanks following a zombie's pace behind. They crossed through the other doorway and out onto the balcony. Kaos's rat-like pupils glinted with the new flash of lightning as he peered past the thick of thunderclouds.
Mabutropolis, the idiotic furballs called it.
The tips of its buildings peeked out, lit with specks of light out of every window. What the furballs called skyscrapers and marvels of Skylands architecture were glorified, modest-sized hovels. Apparently, the tales of the human world where Skylander Academy's now prized batch of Portal Masters inspired the Mabus to build their own little recreation. Structures with windows and bricks meant to show off nothing but height and deluded grandeur. He'd never get that.
"Glumshanks! Park the castle somewhere! I want to give these Mabus a good impression of the new and improved Kaaaoooosss!" The lightning flashed on his name. Perfect for dramatic effect.
"Thank you, introspection…" The troll obliged with a classic sigh.
Glumshanks returned the chamber and Kaos head the anguished heaving of the troll somewhere behind him. The castle drifted like a dandelion seed (of doom!) from its position on high. The buildings came closer into view, Kaos sneering at how they could look even more bland and tasteless up close.
There it perched, his mobile kingdom, upon the clock tower of their trite little City Hall, the clock at the top collapsing in rubble. Onlookers could swear it had the look of a greedy dragon upon a meagre horde. Its four towers curling and twisting like horns, and its main gate a blazing maw to toss Mabu morsels inside. The Dark Portal Master dared the furry simpletons to gaze up and see some horrid beast of destruction needing to feed and settling.
And yet… panic had long since made itself comfortable.
"Uh…" Glumshanks returned wheezing and on his knees. "I believe I can say I'm an expert on abject terror, thanks to you, sir. And my experience indicates that you usually have to LOOK at what you're shrieking in terror at."
"I do make an honest effort, Glummy."
"I am well aware, sir. Which brings me under the suspicion that places my health at risk: I don't think they're afraid of you…"
No sooner had the fool said that than he was caught in a shadowy aura, hovering dozens of feet in midair. The trolls body was squeezed in as Kaos clenched his fingers. "Are you trying to say that I am not terrifying enough? Give me a reason to see if troll guts are as horrid to look at as they say!"
"NO! NO! I can say with 100% certainty that you are absolutely terrifying me, sir!"
And as quick as it started, the troll was tossed back into the building to roll on the floor. "I was just pulling your tail, Glummy. I'm aware they don't notice me, and in all my magma-nama-niminity, I am letting it slide."
"How… 'magnanimous' of you, sir…" Glumshanks groaned clutching his head.
"Of course. It means that 'they' are here, after all."
Kaos turned back to the open square directly beneath his castle. Mabu screamed with arms raised, running along the brick like ants on a picnic. They did seem blind to the obvious evil overlord's castle perched on their city hall. But along the horizon line with the rooftops, he quickly spotted the reason.
A gleaming spot bounced and darted, in pursuit of or escaping something. Its sheen rivaled the moon, forcing him to squint. In the moment it took him to blink it came into the courtyard, with a black speck close behind. Now so close, their shapes became known.
The shining speak now stood as a shimmering figurine come to life, with a crystalline suit of armor that refracted every twinkle that came into view. He flashed a cape that was near infected with glitter and bellowed in the wind. The other was revealed to be some petty burglar. In shabby clothes as black as the night, it was a miracle anyone could have seen him at all. That wasn't to say his perception wasn't incredible, though.
The armored being raised his sun-shaped head. "Foul scion of dark Nightshade! You'll relinquish your treasure to the overlord of the light, Luminous!" This guy was certainly extra, Kaos thought.
Nightshade chuckled. The criminal hoisted a large-looking bag stuffed with jangling coins. "Afraid not, old boy. Number one rule of a thief is 'finders keepers.' And the town funds for this dingy rathole are mine."
Not that, you dim-bulb!" Luminous pointed a finger. "I mean that gem of yours!"
The thief snorted. "Oh, you mean this little bauble?"
He pulled a gem from a side pocket, some dinky little diamond-wannabe in Kaos's view. However, holding it up to the moon, the rock exploded in light, casting the trees and lampposts into a daylight-esque glow. It was some glorified light bulb, as if that was anything to throw a fit about. These two were lost without him.
"That's it! I would say I'm bright enough to put it to better use, don't you?"
Rather than wait for an answer, his hand was lost to a blinding glow. A blast of light shot out and struck Nightshade through, vaporizing him. But past the ashes of the thief was that same thief, smirking at the facsimile that took his place as dust in the wind.
"Actually, I'd say you're a bit too dim."
"Gah! Your darkness must blind you to my brilliance! I always shine bright!"
Red eyes glaring beneath his helmet, the villain flashed his cape. A shield emerged, the single spike on its body aimed at the ninja's throat. It fired a blast of light that burned at the eyes and left the air humming.
No Mabu dared to turn and look, for fear either villain would shave their heads clean of fur, and instead continued to run mindlessly. The beam punched through the wall of an adjacent building. Stray rocks and bricks had been melted into stone putty, but there was no sign of a thief that had suffered the same fate. Part of Kaos was hoping there would still be carnage to witness tonight.
The shadows of every object burst like swarms of flies. They rose from the ground, shadows of the ninja with no faces and no words, blending in the dark. A spotlight shone on them from an eyeball drone several feet above, jolting the clones to life. They dashed to Luminous and kicked at his shield, dissolving into smoke with a single strike each.
Luminous growled and snapped his fingers. Crystalline shards plummeted upon the remaining clones, crushing them in puffs of smoke. A second shield followed and the two fired searing beams at the drone. It flew behind trees and splashed their shadows out as backlash, blocking the blast. Nightshade emerged from the shadow of one with arms crossed and smirking.
"As much as I enjoy two people beating the snot out of each other, it's time we get down to business." Kaos said, watching the whole affair with a demented passion. "Dreamcatcher!"
The floating head Skylander-turned-villain emerged from the chamber. "Ugh, what?"
"Get these two yahoos under control!"
She huffed. "And why should I be taking orders from you?"
For the most obvious reason: because she owed him. If it weren't for him, she would still be rotting in Cloudcracker Prison learning how to hug as part of her rehabilitation. His fingers twitched in sadistic delight. That was the logical answer, however. Kaos preferred the one-sided reason which gave him clearance to torture.
Dreamcatcher jumped and began to tremble as black static curled and ran around her. "Because if you don't, I'll give you a whole new meaning for brain-dead!"
"Okay, okay! Can't you take a joke?"
Dreamcatcher spun and summoned a whirlwind of smoke. With a twist she cast it out onto the whole of the city. The Mabu, whose screams had raked on their eardrums the entire evening, settled all at once. The furry creatures collapsed face-first on the brick, snoring storms while oblivious.
Only the villains were awake now. The stunt had been enough to catch their attention, stopping their feud cold.
At that moment, a gust of wind blew and slapped his jaw. Streaks of light soon caught the Dark Portal Master's eye, and he looked up to see his view polluted by Mabus lifted by barrels spouting flames. The furballs sported uniforms, goggles, and caps to give themselves some sad idea of a Skylander's presence. Their paws were loaded with rotten fruit, and Kaos hadn't seen the need to even scoff.
Even that was too much effort for the Mabu Defense Force.
"Arms up, boys." The lead one of the squadron of ten that summoned the guts to show up spoke. "Let's take this cue-ball freak of nature down! We don't need those Skylanders to take care of business!"
Kaos snapped his fingers.
A shockwave of energy pulsed from the tips of his fingers outwards. With the crash of a lightning clap and force of wind, it sent the airborne Mabu's rolling like tumbleweeds in midair. The fruits they brought to pet him landed on their own heads and seeped into their fur.
"Never mind… retreat!" The 'defense force' was already flying for the next island in sight.
"Well… that killed a second. Now…"
Kaos floated down, chin raised to the moon and a saunter in his levitation. The threads of his ornate robes caught the moonlight and shimmered. If any Mabu was still awake they would have rightfully bowed in his presence. His feet made no sound as they touched the cracked and fissured tile of the courtyard. The overlord and ninja pair only stared at him questioningly, cocking eyebrows at his wide grin.
"Overlord of Light Luminous, Agent of Darkness Nightshade. Sorry to interrupt a good mauling, but I have business with you." He grinned. "I'm sure you're aware of who I am?"
"I don't believe there's anyone in Skylands who has the grand fortune to not know you." Nightshade answered.
They'd heard of him! Excellent.
"Indeed. I am Ka-"
"Kaos. We know, we're aware." Luminous held up a hand. His smile looked forced, like Glumshanks' when he threatened him to say he was growing chest hair. "I believe this will go much faster if we speak your name normally."
"To what do we owe the sudden migraine?"
The guy in pajamas was lucky he was so magna-nimous. "Glad you so politely asked. I've come here with the proposition of a lifetime. One that will put you peons a few ranks up on the evil-ometer. You can thank me afterwards."
"We're listening, old boy." Both of their gazes narrowed while their mouths inched towards scowls.
"I'm putting together a little club, or as I like to call it 'Ultimate Alliance of Super Evil and Doom'. I've got big plans for Skylands, you see, and I need a couple of top dogs who can keep my boys in line and pull some jobs. Consider yourselves honored, 'cause I'd say you two are uniquely qualified."
Nightshade hummed. "So, getting past flattery and all that, you want us to work for you?"
"It beats fighting over baubles like cats and dogs, doesn't it?"
"What, pray tell, is in it for us?" Luminous's face drew close, as good as an interrogation lamp.
Kaos's brow twitched. It was almost like they wanted to fight over gems like animals. If he was being perfectly frank, it was either these two or the bomb-happy turtle and the walking pinata. He'd already scraped the bottom of the barrel with Glumshanks and had the undetected bunions to show for it.
"Recognition across all of Skylands? Defeat of Master Eon and the Skylanders? Total and utter chaos and destruction?" The dark Portal Master shrugged. "I'm hitting all the villain hot spots here?"
"And you can ensure all that?"
"I have plenty of 'insurance', yes."
The two villainous adversaries turned to stare at each other for a long while. Kaos frowned at the overly long pause; his education in evil included knowledge on the art of the deal. Make a show of force, entice them, play to their wants. He was sure he'd checked all the boxes. That's why his jaw had to drop at their eventual response.
Laughter. Unadulterated, uncontrolled laughter.
Just like the old days.
"Oh, sorry, but that is just too much!" Luminous held his sides giggling. "Us, working with a glorified gremlin such as yourself? If you honestly think that's going to happen, then you're not too bright, it seems!"
Nightshade chortled and snorted. The gentlemen's way of showing derision. "Sad. Utterly sad."
The deal-maker's gloves were off now. "And what's so sad about it!?"
"Your little 'Ultimate Alliance of Super Evil and Doom,' was it? What was on the agenda: sending prank letters? Putting hot sauce in the Skylanders' chili supply?" The thief bowed down to his eye level. "A bit of advice for you, lad. A good record goes a long way in making deals."
"What is that supposed to mean?"
"I don't know what silly little internal monologue you've given to yourself, but everyone knows you, Kaos." The thief leaned down and sneered in his face. "Such a pitiful story yours is, to have been left to crawl into a hovel following his defeat at the hands of cadets and kicked out of his home."
"He has a very valid point, sir." Glumshanks chimed in.
"Quiet."
"And on the subject, let us not forget your deal with the Doom Raiders. Aspiring for great heights only to be knocked down by your precious queen's golden boot?"
Oh, that was the last straw.
He'd heard many things of them both. That Nightshade was a cunning thief who inflicted pain, suffering, and mayhem for the sake of it. That Luminous was a madman in pursuit of light so searing it could erase any shadow and would ruthlessly destroy to get it. He'd heard their stories and the scope of their abilities. He'd seen them as tough guys who could give him the muscle he needed to accomplish goals that went well beyond anyone's scope. None of that mattered now.
All he saw before him right now… were two idiots who crossed a very fickle line.
Kaos, heaving beyond his own control, snapped his head. Nightshade's eyes shot open and his own head dropped to the ground to taste the dirt. Crushed by an unseen force tinging with black lightning, his body was now a plump, glorified rug. Luminous quickly followed suit as the Dark Portal Master clenched his fingers.
His foot revealed itself from beneath his robe and was quick to plant itself on Nightshade's head. As the thief peeled his face from the pavement, fear carved into it, he caught a glimpse of a book in Kaos's hand.
"I believe you two pinheads are misinterpreting something." Kaos said with a grin that was near manic.
"What… may I ask… is that?" Luminous quivered.
"I wasn't asking for your assistance, I'm demanding it! Seriously, did you hear a 'pretty please' anywhere in that pitch!?" He clenched his fist and their bodies made indents in the pavement. "So let me rephrase the offer in case you're still not clueing in…"
He bowed down and grabbed the thief by the scruff of his mask.
"Work for me or you'll end up like the last sap who got in my way…"
Kaos snapped his fingers. Whatever powerful hand that pressed down on the two was released and they breathed the sweet air in desperation. Dreamcatcher and Glumshanks behind him looked to each other with grimaces hard.
Nightshade was the first to rise. "Right. I believe you've made your point well, lad. But fair deals still demand equal shares. You'll have to give more than threats."
"You mean like physical injuries?" Kaos's fist crackled once more.
"Try again, sir." Glumshanks muttered.
Kaos only scoffed as he turned to the two villains scraping themselves off the dirt. "Fine. How do you two feel about the destruction of all of Skylands?"
I am very sorry about the long pause for this update. My writer's burnout phase didn't seem to be done. I also could attribute it to my not watching Skylanders Academy in a while. Motivation affects speed, you see.
Anyway, it was about time we saw what Kaos has been up to. He has moved out and gotten his own place and is recruiting for the big one. Mabutropolis is a location I made up to sort of thrust the Mabu out into the spotlight in a way, since their presence is usually overshadowed by the Skylanders.
I guess one of the other factors that went into this chapter was the inclusion of Luminous and Nightshade, two villains that didn't appear in the show, which meant I had to do a little research on them. They are supposed to be polite and gentlemanly on the surface but diabolical in nature overall. I hope I conveyed that well enough.
For now, let's go to the reviews:
stephanieeiche10: I am fine, I've been hanging in there for the whole year. I've actually been fully vaccinated at this point.
MYTHICBOY: The Ring of Heroes look has been phased into their attire. They had pretty normal earth clothes whereas in Skylanders their outfits are more hero-like. There is still civilization in Skylands so naturally tailors are around. And yes, I saw your request. I will post the list of classes and teachers at some point.
Bmarr: Yeah, tackling OCs is tough, but it's worth it when they are done right. In terms of their ages, they were about in fifth grade or so in the first story. Their ages were ranged around 10-11, but now with the four year time skip they are ranged around 14-15.
Bookwriter94: Good to have you back. You were a big supported of the first story. Looking forward to your comments.
As always, review, favorite, follow!
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