A/N: Well, I was able to get this chapter done rather quickly. Last time, we saw Ron Stoppable nearly lose his sanity after tapping into that evil power hinted at being known as "The Red Rage", but just what exactly is this power and how did it come to be? Read on to find out!
Disclaimer: My OC characters are all that I own
Chapter 7: Origins Of The Red Rage
Ron slowly awoke in a large hospital bed where he saw Kim, her mother Ann Possible, Wade, and Rufus standing near him. He was in a blue hospital gown and had a bunch of large bandages wrapped around his chest. Ron looked around and noticed that he was now back in the United States inside the Middleton Hospital.
"Ann, he's awake" Wade informed Kim's mother in a unusual tone that Ron assumed to be fear.
"You sure he won't lose control like he did back there in Japan?" Ann asked Wade in a worried tone.
"I think he's good for now, but we'll need to watch him carefully" Wade replied.
"I shouldn't have let him go," Kim said in a remorseful tone. "If had known this would happen..."
"Kim... what's going on? What happened?" Ron suddenly asked in a weak voice.
"You went berserk and nearly shot down my fighter back there in Japan with bolts of red lightning and jets of fire you shot out from your hands," Wade replied. "I had to knock you out with my fighters disruptor cannons to stop you".
Ron took a moment to process everything Wade just said, then he remembered the zombified corpses coming out of the burned houses and attempting to attack him. Ron remembered tapping into that evil source of energy and wiping out the hordes of zombies with red lightning and fire, then he also remembered that enormous flying zombified monsters trying to vaporize him with beams of red energy it shot from its snout. At no point during that time did Ron remember Wade being there.
"W-what are you talking about? Those burned zombies attacked me and Rufus, and then there was this massive flying monster that shot me in the chest with strange beams of energy from its mouth," Ron said frantically in disbelief. "How did you fight them off?"
"Zombies?! Wade, what the hell is he talking about?" Kim asked in shock.
"I'm telling the truth," Ron insisted. "I was walking through a burned up town in the remains of Yamanouchi when these burned corpses suddenly came out of a bunch of burned houses and tried to eat me and Rufus. Then a massive flying beast came and nearly killed us".
"Ron, there wasn't-" Wade began.
"I'M NOT CRAZY," Ron suddenly yelled. "I almost died!"
"RON!" Wade yelled back.
"Ron, let him explain" Kim pleaded.
After seeing how worried Kim looked, Ron calmed down and allowed Wade to speak.
"What is it?" he asked calmly.
"Ron, there were no zombies or any sort of flying monsters," Wade began. "I tried calling you on your Kimmunicator several times, but when you didn't respond, I decided to head over to the last area I dropped you off to. Once I got there, I saw flashes of red light in the distance and headed over to see what it was, and that's where I found you blasting random piles of rubble and houses with jets of red lightning and fire from your hands. What's worse, there was this sinister red glow surrounding your entire body, and your eyes were bright red. When I approached the area, you suddenly went crazy and started attacking me. I tried telling you to stand down through your suits radio, but you wouldn't listen. You just continued to attack me, and at one point, you hit my ship with one of your red lightning bolts. That's when I realized there'd be no talking you down, so I had to use my ships weapons to stun you".
Ron looked at Wade in complete disbelief and confusion. He had no idea how to explain something like this, but it was clear that Wade was implying that the zombies and the flying beast had all been an illusion. Ron couldn't understand what was going on at this point, but then he remembered that strange voice in his head telling him how weak he was and also remembered it referring to that evil power as the Red Rage. Ron wondered if maybe that had something to do with it.
"The Red Rage," Ron said softly. "That's what it is".
"Red Rage? What are you talking about?" Kim asked worriedly.
"Kim," Ron began, looking over at her with fear in his eyes. "When I entered Japan, I started hearing this weird voice in my head talking to me. It was mocking me and saying all sorts of horrible things to me, like calling me weak, foolish, and a failure. It happened almost the whole time I was there, and when I got to the burned town...".
Ron paused upon remembering all the horrors he had seen in that place. The burned houses, the burned down store, and then the burned man crawling out of the burned building calling for his mother. That was the one thing that pushed Ron over the edge and drove him to the brink of near madness, and it caused him to tap into what he now dubbed "The Red Rage". However, there was one last detail Ron had almost forgotten until now. Right before the burned zombies showed up, Ron felt a wave of dizziness wash over him for a few seconds, then the horror had begun.
"Ron, what is it? What happened?" Kim asked in a nervous voice.
"I... I felt a wave of dizziness wash over me, then the zombies showed up," Ron replied, beginning to grow even more nervous. "And that's when I..."
Ron didn't even finish what he was saying as he began to realize that something much darker must have been at work when he nearly lost his mind. Wade, Kim, Ann, and even Rufus seemed to have similar ideas.
"You tapped into that evil power" Kim finished in a grim voice.
Ron simply nodded without responding.
"I don't think its any mystery as to what happened," Wade began in a grim voice. "Its only a theory, but from what you just described to me, I have no doubt that the Red Rage did something to your mind which caused you to see things that weren't really there".
"Kim, what's this Red Rage you both keep mentioning?" Ann asked in concern.
"We're still not fully sure, but all we know is that its an evil version of his mystical monkey powers that he unwillingly and unintentionally tapped into five days ago when we were fighting a mecha suited crook in an abandoned train yard in Lowerton" Kim replied.
"Five days? What do you mean five days?" Ron asked in confusion.
"Yeah, I forgot to tell you that you've been out for five days," Wade explained. "And your really lucky I found you when I did, because your radiation suit had several breaches from all that lightning and fire you were shooting off all over the place. Once I knocked you out with my ships disruptor cannons, I had to strip you down to nothing and scrub you down real good, and I had to do the same to Rufus. I then rushed you down to the hospital right after to have you treated for your injuries. My disruptor weapons sure did a number on you, but thankfully they didn't hurt you very badly since I had them set on heavy stun rather than lethal force".
Ron slightly parted his gown and saw several large bandages wrapped all around his chest. He gently placed his fingers on them and felt a sharp stinging sensation upon touching the bandages, making Ron cringe painfully.
"Careful there Ron, those wounds are gonna take a little time to heal" Ann warned him.
Ron wasn't paying attention though as he then placed his whole hand on his chest, feeling tons of stinging pain rush through him. His mind was on everything that he had seen and experienced in Japan, and all that despair and sorrow suddenly returned upon thinking of Yori.
She still lingers in your mind as your sorrowful emotions sink in yet again. You feel the pain of all you've seen and experienced in your useless attempts at finding your friend.
Ron suddenly grabbed his head as that horrible feeling returned. He knew what it was right there and then. The Red Rage was toying with his mind again.
"No... not again," Ron hissed under his voice. "Shut up!"
You dare deny the truth? You dare deny the Red Rage? You've already tasted its power, so why hold back now?
"Ron, what is it? What's going on?" Ann asked in concern.
"Mom, what's wrong with him?" Kim asked worriedly.
"Ron" Rufus squeaked, backing away from the front of the hospital bed.
"K-Kim," Ron stammered. "It... its happening again! It's in my head!".
Stop fighting your destiny and give into the Red Rage. Your weak and you know it.
"No," Kim exclaimed in horror upon realizing what Ron meant. "Don't let it out, Ron! Fight it!".
"Shit, not again" Wade exclaimed in fear, backing away.
Ron shook his head as he tried fighting the Red Rage, but it continued gripping at his mind until he remembered that it fed on his sorrow and despair, so Ron tried harder and harder to suppress his negative emotions. He shut his eyes and focused in on his inner chi, then the voices of Kim and the others became distant and more far away.
"Don't let it in! Focus... no bad thoughts... no bad thoughts" Ron thought, trying to calm his mind.
Your still trying to resist? When will you learn just how weak you truly are? Your weakness is the cause of Japan's destruction!
"Get out of my head! I'm not weak! What happened in Japan wasn't my fault!" Ron yelled in his head.
You couldn't protect Yori, you couldn't save her. You couldn't save Master Sensei or the Yamanouchi Ninja Clan because you were weak. You wanted true power, now you've got it, yet you dare to refuse it?
"I don't know who the hell you are or what you want, but I'm NOT letting you control me again! I'm not weak!" Ron shot back to whoever or whatever it was speaking to him.
Then why couldn't you save them? Why did you hold back and spare that evil one in the metal suit? You held back because your weak! You should have killed him when you had the chance, then you could have saved Japan.
"No! It wouldn't have matter. Ridley would have done it anyway even if I killed his servant" Ron shot back to the invisible voice in his mind.
Not all is as it seems, human! You don't truly know who that man in the suit was, do you?
"What are you implying?" Ron demanded in his mind.
There was silence in Ron's mind for a few seconds, then that voice spoke again, only this time it sounded much deeper and more sinister. It was almost demonic in a way.
"Foolish human! I know things you couldn't possibly begin to understand! My power knows almost no bounds, yet even with your mystical monkey powers, you still couldn't figure it out by now? Its no wonder you've fallen so low"
Ron shuddered upon hearing how sinister and evil the voice now sounded. It sounded almost exactly the same way Ron's own voice did when he attempted to kill the mecha suited thug, only to be stopped by Kim.
"Who are you? What do you want with me?" Ron demanded in his mind, trying to hide the fear inside him.
"What do I want? To give you what you desire, and that's ultimate power, yet you still refuse to accept my power. You summoned me with your will power back in the train yards as that mad man mocked you, and I gave you a taste of my power. You did quite a number on that scumbag, yet you still refused to take his life. You held back because Kim Possible asked you to, and you accepted it without even a second thought. You hold back because of Kim Possible and those you love"
"No, I held back because I'm not a murderer. If I killed him, I'd be no better than the Black Shadow" Ron corrected the evil entity.
"That's where your wrong, human! You HAVE committed murder before. You did it two years ago during the Lowardian invasion when you killed Warhok and Warmonga by throwing them into their own ship and destroying it in the process. Remember Global Justice telling you that they discovered the burned, mutilated corpses of the two alien warlords in the remains of their ship once it crashed into the Earth?"
"That was different! Warhok and Warmonga were aliens, not humans. And I didn't intend to kill them, it was an accident" Ron protested.
"They were humanoid aliens, so it was close enough. And accident or not, you can't deny the fact that you took their lives with your abilities, so stop denying who you really are"
"And who am I?" Ron demanded.
"A killer. A slayer of evil, and you could become so much more if only you embraced your full potential, yet you still won't accept that some lives need to be taken for the greater good. After all, you and the woman you love are facing a criminal organization far more powerful than any villain you faced before, so its only a matter of time until you accept that I'm right"
"Just who are you?!" Ron snapped, ignoring everything the strange voice said.
"You've heard of Yono the Destroyer, haven't you? He was the one Monkey Fist unearthed from that ancient buried temple in the Simian Canyon several years ago, the one your sister Hana defeated. Well, haven't you ever wondered what happened to the original Destroyer after Monkey Fist was turned to stone?"
Ron felt his heart almost skip a beat when Yono the Destroyer was mentioned. Yono had been summoned by Monkey Fist several years ago in an attempt to locate the Monkey Mystic Weapon, which was actually Ron's sister Hana Stoppable. After Yono was defeated, Monkey Fist was turned to stone and Yono had vanished into the unknown. Ron remembered Wade examining the halves of an ancient scroll and later finding out that Hana and Yono were related. As for what happened to the original Yono after Monkey Fist took his place when turned to stone, no one knew, yet Ron couldn't exactly understand what this evil entity in his mind was implying.
"No one knows what became of him. What are you getting at here?" Ron asked in confusion.
"With all your knowledge of Mystical Monkey Powers, I'm surprised you haven't figured it out yet. As you know, the original Yono vanished after turning Monkey Fist to stone and putting him in his place as the new Yono, but no one knew what became of the original Yono. I'm sure you already know that the Yono is the dark side version of the Mystical Monkey Weapon, but did you ever wonder where Yono's source of power originated from? Did you ever wonder how Yono came to be?"
"I've wondered about it a few times, but why does that matter?" Ron replied.
"Why does it matter? You really don't know anything, do you? Well then, allow me to shed some light on the subject that Master Sensei never told you, or rather, refused to tell you. You see, many centuries ago, the founders of the Yamanouchi Ninja School created the jade idols and imbued them with the ability to grant anyone who obtained them with mystical monkey powers like yourself. However, the founders didn't want the power of the mystical monkey to fall into the wrong hands, so they sealed the statues away in various temples which would later be found by Monkey Fist centuries later. As you already know, mystical monkey powers can be used for good or evil depending on who wields them, however, there is a much darker variant of mystical energy similar to the mystical monkey energy out there that can grant even greater strength, power, and super human speed only to one who possesses Mystical Monkey Powers".
"However, unlike the positive energy of Mystical Monkey Powers, this source of energy is known as the Red Rage. It's main source originates from an evil demon that was summoned almost a thousand years ago by a evil cult in Yamanouchi known as Krimson Skull that worshiped the devil himself. The cult leaders desired power and influence over Japan and believed that the weak should serve the strong, so they attempted to seek out the four jade idols to gain the powers of the mystical monkey, but the founders refused to give the cult the locations of the idols. The leaders of Krimson Skull brutally tortured the founders in an attempt to make them give the cult what they wanted, but they wouldn't break no matter what they tried, so Krimson Skull came up with a new plan. If they couldn't gain the powers of the mystical monkey, then they'd seek out true power another way, and that was by summoning a demon to grant them a power greater than that of the mystical monkey".
Ron already began to guess where this was going, and he had a feeling it wasn't going to end well.
"Krimson Skull kidnapped four virgin females and sacrificed them on the night of a full harvest moon to Satan himself and summoned a demon that would agree to grant their wishes in exchange for their undying loyalty, and the cult accepted it without a second thought. The demon in return created two dark entities that would serve the Krimson Skull at their command. One was a dark energy source known as the Red Rage, a power source that feeds off the negative energy of all living things. Emotions such as anger, hatred, fear, lust, sorrow, and greed is the Red Rages main source of energy, although anger is proved to be the strongest source of negative energy out of the other four negative emotions as the name implies. However, the energy of mystical monkey powers are fed by the positive light energy of all living things, such as happiness, love, kindness, and compassion. Now I'm sure you know by now that although mystical monkey powers are fed by positive energy, it can still be used for evil purposes if the wielder has an evil heart; even light can be corrupted".
"The second dark entity the demon created was the evil being known as Yono, and it was placed up the roof of the ancient temple that Monkey Fist would later unearth centuries later. With the Red Rage and Yono on their side, the Krimson Skull wreaked havoc upon Yamanouchi and began enslaving the other regions of Japan as well. No armies could stand against the power they now possessed, and the ancients members of the Yamanouchi Ninja School were forced into hiding to avoid being exterminated by the Krimson Skull. For many years the Krimson Skull, now a dominant empire, ruled all of Japan with an iron fist of tyranny, greed, and savagery like never seen before. Any who dared to resist the tyrannical laws set in place by their emperor would be exterminated along with their entire families. Desperate to try and end the Krimson Skulls reign of terror, the founders of Yamanouchi gathered as much light energy as they could and placed it inside the womb of a female ninja who would later give birth to a son that would be known as "The Han", a being born from the light itself".
"The Han? Wait, that's who my sister is!" Ron said suddenly in shock.
"It would seem your wiser and more intelligent than I thought. Yes, you are correct, and this Han happened to be the great ancestor of your sister, Hana Stoppable. I'm surprised that Master Sensei never knew about this, but I know more than he could have ever known. You see, Master Sensei had many flaws, and that was not fully studying every aspects of the darkness. He was more of a man who valued the light rather than the dark, so he didn't fully grasp the truth that I know, but I'm pretty sure he studied some of the history on this cult since I know for a fact he knows of the Red Rages existence"
"Oh really? And what happened to this Krimson Skull cult?" Ron demanded, sounding greatly offended by this entity mocking Master Sensei.
"Eager and impatient as always I see. Well, since your so greatly intrigued by my little history lesson, I might as well continue my long story. After your sisters great ancestor was born, the founders of Yamanouchi named him "Hiroshi", and he would later go on to fight the leaders of Krimson Skull and finally their emperor. In order to combat these powerful cultists, Hiroshi would be given an army of soldiers gifted with Mystical Monkey Powers like himself to give them a better chance at fighting the Krimson Skull Empire. With permission from the founders of the ninja school, they allowed Hiroshi to become the new head of the Yamanouchi Ninja School and would also allow him to grant ninjas he saw worthy of being a true follower with mystical monkey powers. After a long period of time, Master Hiroshi formed an army of over 14'000 ninja warriors gifted with mystical monkey powers, then began working to take back Yamanouchi and the rest of Japan from the clutches of Krimson Skull, and so began the longest war in the history of Yamanouchi. This war would last over five years, and in that time, thousands of soldiers from both sides would perish in battle. Other citizens who longed for freedom from the tyranny of the Krimson Skull Empire also join Hiroshi's armies to assist them in battle. Many of them wouldn't fare well however since most of the imperial soldiers possessed the Red Rage, making them far superior to any normal soldier not baring mystical monkey powers".
"After five long years, Hiroshi and his armies had managed to take back most of Japan from control of the Krimson Skull Empire, but most of his armies had been greatly reduced to only a few hundred soldiers. Thousands had perished in battle, and very few were left, but Hiroshi eventually managed to take down the high ranking imperial generals and then finally fought the emperor himself. This was the fight that would determine the fate and future of Japan, and it would be one that neither side would win. Both Hiroshi and the Emperor fought hard, and eventually, the evil Emperor fell at the blade of Hiroshi's sword. However, the Emperor landed a fatal blow on Hiroshi as well, and he would eventually die from his injuries. With the Emperor now dead, Japan had finally been freed from several long years of tyranny, but Japan had also lost one of their greatest heroes as well. The people of Japan and everyone in Yamanouchi mourned the loss of Hiroshi for many days, but as fate would have it, Hiroshi had married a beautiful female ninja named Kasumi a month before fighting the Emperor. The two lovers would eventually make love on the night of the harvest moon, causing Kasumi to become pregnant with Hiroshi's child, and this child would later become the next leader of the Yamanouchi Ninja School. His Childs dissentients would also take their places across history as well. In order to ensure that this horrible event in history could never be repeated, the founders of the Yamanouchi Ninja School sealed the dark energy away into another dimension so that no one could ever attempt to use its powers ever again, but there was one flaw that they missed".
"A flaw?" Ron asked in confusion.
"The founders discovered that although no normal person could use the Red Rage any longer since it was now sealed away into another dimension along with the demon who created it, those who possessed Mystical Monkey Powers could access the Red Rage if they so desired. They found this out after the family members of a former Yamanouchi ninja named Kiro were murdered by a rival clan of evil devil worshiping ninjas. Kiro was so desperate for revenge that he tapped into the Red Rage with his hatred and anger, then brutally slaughter the entire rival ninja clan. This greatly angered the founders, so as punishment, Kiro was banished from the Yamanouchi Ninja School for his actions. What became of Kiro afterword's is unknown, but I know the truth. Like with you, I guided Kiro down the path to unlocking his full potential, and that was by teaching him to do what Yamanouchi would never allow any of their kin to do. And that was by never sparing his enemies. Kiro longed to protect the weak from the strong, so he became something of a vigilante, hiding and operating in the shadows. He showed absolutely no mercy to any evil doers who attacked, enslaved, or harassed the innocent people of Japan. Kiro would strike them down where they stood, even going so far as to wipe out entire criminal gangs or syndicates that dared to hurt the innocent, and this earned him the title of "The Merciless Slayer".
"Many people feared him, but many also loved him for protecting them from the strong. But as the old saying goes, enough is never enough. Kiro's connection to the Red Rage had manipulated his mind to the point where he believed that the only way to stop all crime was to find a way to take over the current government in place. Although Krimson Skull had been defeated and a new government was formed, crime was still quite rampant in all of Japan, and Kiro longed to rid it of that. But he knew as well as I did that only a person with Mystical Monkey Powers could access the Red Rage, and Kiro knew full well that the ninjas of Yamanouchi would never allow themselves to be corrupted by such dark power, so this meant Kiro would be on his own... or so he thought. As it turned out, a few ninjas within the Yamanouchi Ninja School who were gifted with mystical monkey powers had secretly begun trying to tap into the Red Rage in hopes of trying and use it for good rather than evil due to all the crime and corruption brewing in Japan, but they were nothing short of being absolutely foolish. These rogue ninjas were eventually caught and banished from the school as punishment for breaking the founders greatest law, and that was to never tap into the Red Rage. The ninjas tried explaining that they intended to use its powers for good rather than evil, but the founders said that such a thing was impossible given the fact that the Red Rage is powered by pure evil energy itself which would easily corrupt the user the second they tapped into it".
"That's the thing about the darkness; once you tap into it and taste it for the first time, you will desire it more and more until you eventually fall to the point of no return, and that's exactly what happened to Kiro and the banished ninjas. Kiro had recently heard about the ninjas being banished for their actions and tracked them down. After gaining their trust, the rogue ninjas joined Kiro and they began forming a new ninja clan they named "The Night Blades". They began tapping into the Red Rage and training themselves in the ways of its power, eventually becoming the most powerful vigilante clan in all of Japan. They exterminated any criminal gang, corrupt high ranking officials, and even corrupt governors whom they deemed as a threat to society, eventually attracting the attention of the Yamanouchi Ninja School. The founders deemed Kiro and his clan a threat to all of Japan and sent the entire ninja clan after them, but they had no idea just how powerful Kiro and his ninjas had become. They easily overpowered and slaughtered the entire ninja clan, then set their eyes on the founders. Upon learning of the danger they were now in, they orders Kasumi and her son to flee into hiding while they themselves took on the Night Blades. Shortly after Kasumi and her son fled the school, Kiro and his ninjas arrived to see the founders waiting for them. They demanded to know why Kiro and his clan had resorted to killing without remorse or boundaries, and he replied by telling them that he was doing it for the family he had lost years ago. He explained that crime and corruption had taken his family, and he wanted to prevent the same fate that befell his family from happening to anyone else, so Kiro resorted to using the darkness to achieve these horrifying goals.
"The founders said that what Kiro was doing was nothing more than completely evil. He and his clan had exterminated the entire Yamanouchi Ninja Clan who were once family to him, but Kiro coldly said that they were the traitors for holding back and not accepting that some lives needed to be taken for the greater good. Seeing as how Kiro and his ninjas were beyond salvation at this point, the founders gave them two alternatives; surrender and atone for their crimes, or face extermination. Kiro and his ninjas of course chose to fight, but this ended in disaster. As powerful as the Red Rage made them, the founders were much more powerful and eventually overpowered Kiro and his ninjas, forcing them to surrender. Before the founders could arrest them however, Kiro resorted to one last trick, and that was by using a Red Rage technique known as "Rage Eruption". This was an ability that worked by allowing the user to absorb the rage and every other negative emotion of every other living thing on the planet and then detonate it within themselves which would result in a destructive explosion very similar to that of an atomic bomb. Upon realizing this, the founders made the ultimate sacrifice to save not only the Yamanouchi Ninja School, but also the rest of Japan from complete destruction. They used the light energy within themselves to create an energy shield around the whole school which absorbed the blast from the Rage Eruption. Kiro and his clan were killed instantly along with the founders, thus finally ending the age of terror once and for all. The spirits of the founders communicated with Kasumi and informed her that Kiro and his clan were finally dead, but that they had also died in their battle again them, then they ordered her to return to the Yamanouchi Ninja School to slowly rebuild their clan. This is where my story of the Red Rages origin officially ends, the story Master Sensei never told you".
Ron took at least a minute to take in everything this unknown entity had just told him. The history of the Red Rage, the corruption and manipulation it spread, it was all so much for him to take in. Ron was intrigued, but also horrified at just how dark and sinister the Red Rage truly was, yet there was still one thing he wanted an answer to.
"There's also one thing you haven't told me yet" Ron finally said.
"I presume your wanting to know who I am?"
"Yes, that's what I asked earlier" Ron snapped.
"My dear Ron, after hearing my history lesson, you still haven't figured it out?"
"That's why I asked" Ron replied impatiently.
There was silence for a moment, then a horrifying image formed in Ron's mind, and it was the most terrifying thing he had ever seen. It was a humanoid creature with dark red skin that resembled a gargoyle, a bat, and a locust all mixed together. The creatures bat like face sneered at Ron, then it spoke.
"I am the demon who created the Red Rage AND Yono, the same one the Krimson Skull summoned centuries ago. I was banished into the other dimension with the Red Rage after Hiroshi slayed the evil Emperor that conquered Japan. I go by many different names, but there is one name that the Greeks once called me, and that name is Apollyon. However, I also go by the name Abaddon as well".
Ron was instantly gripped with fear like he had never known before in his whole life, and it was nothing like his old fear of monkeys had once been. This was not just any demon, this was one of the great fallen angels that Ron had once read about in various ancient Biblical scriptures, and it happened to be none other than the great destroyer himself that was said to command an army of demonic locusts that resembled horses with crowned human faces, women's hair, lions' teeth, wings, iron breast-plates, and a tail with a scorpion's stinger on the end. Ron also knew that the name Abaddon was also the Hebrew word for "Destruction". Ron suddenly realized that if this truly was the same Abaddon the scriptures mentioned, he was dealing with quite possibly the most powerful, dangerous force he had ever encountered. If Apollyon was powerful enough to create two dark entities, one of which could corrupt a person possessing mystical monkey powers, Ron knew he'd never stand a chance against him.
"I can see that you are terrified, but I am not your enemy, Ron Stoppable" the demon known as Apollyon said in a calm voice.
"SHUT UP! GET OUT OF MY HEAD, YOU FOUL DEMON!" Ron yelled in his mind.
"You have tapped into the Red Rage, so that's not possible. Once someone taps into the Red Rage, me and that user are bound by fate, yet there are still limits to my abilities. I can't harm the user, but I can still make them go mad if they resist my influence enough" Apollyon hissed.
"I'd rather go mad than ever serve you," Ron snapped defiantly. "I'll NEVER follow the same path as Kiro or the Krimson Skull. All they wanted was power and control over others, and that's not what I want! I just want to protect those that I love!".
"You've already shown how feeble your abilities really are, and as for Kiro and the Krimson Skull, they lacked the proper discipline to use my power. That's why they were defeated, but you have a far wiser and more intelligent mind than they did. Master Sensei only taught you half of what you know, but I can complete your training and forge you into a weapon that could destroy Black Shadow for good if only you will allow me to" Apollyon explained coldly.
"I have no desire to do any of that, and I won't allow you to mess with my head anymore. I'll find a way to fight your influence over me! I never wanted this power in the first place" Ron shot back.
"Is that so? Then answer me this. Why did you tap into the Red Rage in the first place if you never desired it?" Apollyon asked in a demanding manner.
"I honestly don't know for sure, but either way, it was an accident that I don't intend to repeat again" Ron replied.
"DON'T MOCK ME, BOY! NO ONE USES THE RED RAGE BY MISTAKE," Apollyon suddenly roared in anger. "YOU TAPPED INTO MY POWER WITH YOUR OWN FREE WILL! YOU DESIRED THE DESTRUCTION OF THAT CRIMINAL WHO THREATENED TO TAKE YOUR GIRLFRIENDS LIFE, AND SO YOU TAPPED INTO YOUR MIND AND FELT THE PULL OF THE RED RAGE. YOU THEN TAPPED INTO IT WITHOUT A SECOND THOUGHT, SO DON'T YOU DARE TRY AND MOCK ME, YOU WEAK MINDED HUMAN!".
"I'M NOT WEAK, YOU FOUL DEMON! I'M NOTHING LIKE YOU OR THOSE YOU INFLUENCED, YOU HEAR ME?!" Ron shouted back, feeling his rage beginning to boil again.
"You say your not weak, yet I feel the rage boiling within you. Is that truly what you believe?" Apollyon questioned with a low growl.
"Your damn right I believe that! I may have lost my temper back there five days ago, but that's a mistake I don't intend to make again. And yes, I may have killed Warhok and Warmonga, but that wasn't my intention. If you are indeed who you say you are, then surely you should know that, am I right?" Ron retorted.
Apollyon let out a low hiss and a growl in response.
"I'll take that as a yes" Ron replied, feeling a small sense of pride return to him.
"Mark my words, boy! You may resist me and my power now, but should something tragic happen to the ones you love, I can guarantee that you will come back begging me to train you," Apollyon growled in defeat. "One day you'll see that the only way to defeat evil is to fight evil with evil".
"Yeah, I don't think so. I'm not gonna resort to that," Ron said defiantly. "Don't toy with my mind any further Apollyon. I'm much stronger than you think".
"You will regret turning me down one day, Ron Stoppable" Apollyon said, then slowly vanished into the darkness.
"Try me" Ron said before finally breaking his state of mediation.
He suddenly heard the voices of Kim, Ron, Ann, and Rufus speaking to him as he opened his eyes, which were now brown again.
"Looks like Ron came out of it, and rather quickly as well" Ann exclaimed in relief.
"Ron, you alright there buddy?" Wade asked.
"What happened?" Kim added.
Ron looked around and then saw that the clock on the wall showed that only about ten seconds had gone by, and this baffled Ron. That whole interaction between him and Apollyon seemed like it had gone on for over an hour, but it reality, it was only ten seconds. Ron looked over at Kim and the others with a serious expression.
"Guys, I know what this power is and where it originated from, and its far worse than I could have ever imagined" Ron said in a serious tone.
"What? What are you talking about?" Kim asked in confusion.
"What I'm about to tell you all is gonna sound crazy, but I promise you that every single word of it is the truth" Ron began, then he began telling the exact same story that Apollyon had told him just moments ago.
As for Apollyon, Ron no longer sensed him in his mind, but he knew for sure that he was in there somewhere, watching his every move. Ron vowed to do what he promised to that evil demon and prove that his mind and heart were stronger than his rage, and he would do it, no matter what the cost. Yet Ron also wanted to finish what he and Kim set out to do, and that was to hunt down and eliminate Black Shadow once and for all.
A/N: Wow, who would have thought that Apollyon, the great destroyer would be the one to create the dark energy force known as the Red Rage. However, will Ron be able to prove that he's strong enough to resist the Red Rages power, or will he lose himself to the darkness? And what became of Yori? You'll find out later on in the upcoming chapters yet to come!