Rein of Terror
By Mardrena
A heavy wooden door shook from multiple blows before bursting off its hinges. A hulking figure tromped through the lingering cloud of dust, flapping its wings briefly to clear the air. Heavy brass-shod hooves punched holes in the ornate black tile. The imposing Winged Overlord hefted its jagged halberd onto its shoulder and cast a lazy glance to the side as Verdant Sylvarch strode into the breached chamber, waving a hand infront of his face and blinking away dust. He tilted his antlered head up slightly and regarded Winged Overlord solemnly. Winged Overlord replied with a begrudging snort and a curt nod and the two strode into the chamber confidently.
Braziers burst to life along the carpet. A flowing cape hung from pauldrons studded with curved jet-black spikes. The tall ominous-armored warlock clenched a fist. Winged Overlord bellowed in defiance and smote the floor with its halberd. The floor burst open and soil spewed up from below as two skeletons crawled into the throne room. They raised rusted weapons and shambled forward. Verdant Sylvarch stooped down and grabbed a clump of soil, holding it infront of his mouth and blowing forcefully. Vines erupted from the exposed soil and shot towards Sinister Nightmage, who hastily erected a forcefield as the skeletons closed the distance and slashed at the shimmering bubble erratically. Sinister Nightmage reeled when a fireball struck the forcefield, sending embers everywhere.
In the hall behind the two challengers, a trio of goblins carrying an over-sized mortar tube pumped their fists and cackled with glee. Winged Overlord flashed them a thumbs-up. Sinister Nightmage kept one hand focused on maintaining the barrier and reached towards a pair of suits of armor with the other, curling the metallic claws on his gauntlet forcefully. The suits became animate and drew their weapons, striding forth to intercept another pair of skeletons. They paused and turned to the side as if alarmed when a burly warrior clad in white wolf-skins charged into the fray. A floating winged feline warrior clad in gold and silken cloth waved her arms before splaying her fingers, sending a soothing golden aura to bolster her companions. Verdant Sylvarch curled his fingers and thorns sprouted along the roots snaking over the energy barrier, piercing it and causing it to crack.
"No! I...I will not be defeated! I will not lose!" Sinister Nightmage growled as his barrier faltered.
"Dude, you just did."
"Huh?" Sinister Nightmage blinked and glanced at Winged Overlord.
"You lost your roll. Game's over."
"Wh-what? No it isn't!"
"Yes it is. Biting Vines took out two points of defense, skeleton minions hit you for four more, Goblin Siege Crew hammered you for ten, leaving you exposed to Bleeding Thorns, which get a one point damage bonus from Solar Aura, and your armor minions got blocked, so skeleton minions finished you off," Verdant Sylvarch explained and jerked a thumb at the goblin trio, which cheered.
"B-B-But. You two aren't even supposed to be on the same team! He's infernal affinity and you're nature!" Sinister Nightmage stabbed a claw at the two.
"Yeah, but in the Unlikely Allies expansion, we get a synergy bonus. I get Life from Loam which lets me convert chaos spellpower into extra magic reserves," Verdant Sylvarch stated.
"And I get to summon two skeletons per turn!" Winged Overlord jerked a thumb at its chest.
"Look, you still got your escape roll available. Give it a shot." A single die clattered across a table and landed on a two. A freckle-faced boy with black bowl-cut hair and round cheeks scowled irritably.
"Oh well, them's the breaks. Okay, let's start a new campaign," Conan Bauer shrugged.
"No fair, you guys! I can't afford to keep up with all the new rulebooks!" the black-haired boy whined. Conan reached over and picked up the figurine portraying Sinister Nightmage.
"Just like you can't afford custom-made die-cast figurines?" he drawled and raised and eyebrow before setting the figurine back down.
"Whoa! Those are die-cast! I thought they were pewter!" another boy remarked wide-eyed.
"Ehh…they were a gift from my aunt," the black-haired boy averted his gaze and tugged his collar.
"Must be a rich aunt…" someone else grumbled under their breath.
"I'm not sure I should even be playing in the next campaign. I hit like a wet noodle," a boy sitting next to Davie Osmond sulked. Davie leaned over to look at his game pieces.
"Borean Marauder's a pretty solid heavy-hitter. What kind of equipment card you got?" The boy in question sheepishly showed Davie. "Studded Club? Yeesh. No wonder you can't hit the broad side of a barn. Here, why don't you take this," Davie opened an ornate wooden box he used to store his collection and pulled out a glossy card. "Brass Axe! You can kick some serious brass with this? This'll make your guy a bad axe for sure! You'll be ready to kick brass and chew bubble gum..."
"Okay, we get it Davie…"
"I can't take something like that! That's a super rare!" the boy protested.
"No it isn't. You get a promotional copy with the latest rulebook edition...Who told you it was rare?" Davie asked and raised an eyebrow. The boy cast an accusing glare at the freckle-faced boy, who hastily averted his gaze and tugged at his collar. "I see…" Davie muttered, narrowing his eyes. He closed his card box and put it back in his backpack.
"Say Davie, you got any spare cards I can have?" the black-haired boy smirked.
"I think you're good," Davie scowled and zipped up his backpack. The boy frowned.
"Now, if everyone's ready, here, I bought a custom map I wanna try," Conan reached into his backpack and pulled out a roll of paper and unfurled it on the desk to reveal a patchwork of colors.
"Whoa! You made this yourself?"
"Yup! Mom has a ton of leftover scraps from work, so I just put stuff together. If you see numbers, that's not a map location its from an old work order…" Conan smoothed out the cobbled map on the table, with pieces of invoices, box labels, and shipping stickers forming the landscape. The boy with the bowl-cut sneered at the crude custom map derisively. A chair scraped against the floor as the boy playing Borean Marauder jumped out of his seat and slammed both hands on the table.
"I hereby nominate Conan to become the new game-master!" he declared loudly.
"What?!" the freckle-faced boy squawked in protest.
"He actually likes playing, he's good with mechanics, and he and Davie help out other players if they need advice or upgrades. Campaigns are actually fun again!"
"B-But, I started this group! No one else at school ever organized anything like this before! I've been leading this group for years!" the freckle-faced boy argued.
"Yeah, and games were never fun or challenging before! All we'd do is play along with whatever you wanted to do, and all you cared about is winning. That's why you keep playing with outdated rulebooks so you have an advantage over everyone else!" the other boy accused.
"That's not fair, you guys! I got a limited income, and they release new rulebooks every year!" the freckle-faced boy sputtered. Conan held up a cardboard piece with a skull drawn in silver marker.
"I use these to represent skeletal minions. You know what I made these out of? Mat board and gloss spray. I make do with what I got, and rulebooks don't cost more than a burger. Maybe if you played for the sake of playing instead of winning no matter what, you wouldn't have such a rotten attitude."
"I can't help it if I'm super competitive…"
"Ever since Conan and Davie joined we've actually expanded our play group. Heck, we even got a girl to join us!" the boy playing Goblin Siege Crew commented.
"Guys, I'm right here…" the girl playing Radiant Seraphinx grumbled irritably.
"Show of hands?" The boy standing up raised his hand proudly. Everyone else around the table except for the boy with the bowl cut and Conan, who abstained out of respect, raised hands in support.
"Welp, can't argue with the democratic process," Conan shrugged and folded his arms behind his head, leaning back in his seat and smiling. The other boy sat back down and Conan leaned forward and pulled out a binder and opened it, rolling his shoulders. "Now, let's get down to bouisness! Who's up for some trading and upgrading before we get the next campaign started?"
"I wish there were a way to turn some of these trashy cards into treasure. No one uses them, unless you're desperate that is…" the boy playing Borean Marauder pouted.
"They actually added a forging mechanic in the latest edition, but you gotta gather specific items first. If you look at your card you see these little checkboxes at the very bottom…" Davie explained and leaned over and pointed at the studded club card.
"I just realized, this'll be our second campaign today…"
"Yeah, usually we'd spend the entire evening on one campaign…"
"I like the shorter campaigns. You gotta think on the fly. *He* just likes to waste time…"
"You ever notice how he'd sit around flicking his cards and bragging about what he's going to do next turn?" The boy with the bowl cut scowled when he heard the other players talking about him as if he weren't even in the room. "Or when he mutters under his breath for a minute straight?" "Yeah, I can't stand it, it's like he thinks he's the only one playing sometimes…" The black-haired boy's face twisted in rage and he bared his teeth while the other players discussed character bonuses and equipment without his participation or permission. They smiled and chatted happily.
"GrrrrrrrRRRR! HOW DARE YOU!" The freckle-faced boy with the bowl cut slammed his hands on the table and knocked his chair over bolting up from his seat. The other players stared at him, confused. "I built this group out of nothing by myself, and this is how you thank me!? I'll make you rue the day you betrayed me! I'll make you all pay, ABANDONERS!" the boy snatched up his things and stormed out of the library they'd been using to host their game session, ignoring scolding hisses from the librarian and other readers nearby. Conan's face wrinkled in an awkward grimace.
"...geek…" he grumbled aloud and scowled.
Far on the opposite side of town, passersby jumped out of the way of the white tigress padding along the sidewalk. "Take it easy. There's always a few people who've never seen you before," Colby Taylor whispered gently to Snow as they headed to the grocery store. She wore her walking harness and a vest that read I AM A CERTIFIED SERVICE ANIMAL: PLEASE DO NOT PET ME! Colby heard the whoosh of the sliding doors and stepped through and to the side. "Basket," he said, and Snow stepped away from him and stood up, placing her paws on the edge of a cart and pulling it out of the line towards Colby. He watched her move through their shared sight and reached out to grab the handle when it got close enough. Snow dropped back to all fours and remained at his side as they shopped.
Most of the employees had become quite familiar with their new customer by now, but there was always that dopey-faced moron who'd complain to management. Colby rolled his eyes behind his sunglasses when heard some hysterical woman ranting about Snow being a 'blood-thirsty beast'. Snow always conducted herself elegantly, and she hadn't had any unfortunate "accidents" like Reagan had once… Colby frowned sadly, remembering his former companion. He reached out and rubbed those round ears as they continued walking towards the meat department.
"Why hello there, Mr. Taylor! Could I interest you in a sample? It's shrimp glazed with orange sauce! We're offering a sale on frozen entrees today!" an employee at a kiosk offered.
"Yes, thank you," Colby accepted the sample graciously.
"And would Miss Snow like some too?" the employee held out a laden toothpick towards Snow.
"She doesn't eat while she's on duty."
"Oh pish posh! No cat can resist the smell of shrimp!" the employee presented the tidbit to Snow, but much to her amazement, Snow kept averting her face, turning her head from side to side. "Wow, I can't believe how disciplined she is!" the employee marveled.
"She's very intelligent. Here, watch: Snow, you think we should take some home for dinner?" Colby asked and let the leash hang slack. Snow walked over to the freezer bunker and rose up, placing her quite-clean paws on the edge and leaning forward. She carefully grabbed a bag, hooking her tooth through the hole on the top edge, and picked it up out of the bunker then carried it over to the shopping cart, placing it in gently. Colby gathered up the leash and rubbed her between the ears.
"Ooh ho ho ho! If she ever needs a job she's welcome to apply here! She's got a better work ethic than some of these slacks around here! You take care, Mr. Taylor and see you next week!"
"You too, and thank you!" Colby waved and the two went on their way.
At the checkout lane, the sacker tied bags together in knots and placed them over Snow's shoulders as she waited at the end of the counter. "This isn't overloading her, is this?"
"Of course not. She's very strong," Colby assured. Snow flicked her tail at the compliment. Colby finished paying for the groceries and they headed out back home. Snow remained standing in the elevator so bags would not fall off her back until they reached the apartment. Once inside, Colby set to putting away things while Snow drank from her water fountain. He noticed she got very picky about her water, so he'd bought a custom refrigerated fountain. If the water ever got below a certain level she'd make a peculiar growl, so he made sure to refill it promptly.
Colby paused and listened to the slurp slurp of Snow drinking. He could see down her broad nose at the fountain stream. He put the last of the frozen foods away and walked over, stooping down and hugging Snow's shoulders. Snow leaned up and rubbed her head against his arm, returning his affection. She'd really started to fill out as she got older despite being the runt of Whiteblaze and Kiasha's litter, but she still had those little quirks that made her seem like a very big housecat.
"Grr! Stupid lousy traitors! All of them! I'll get them, just wait!" the black-haired boy fumed and slammed the door behind him as he arrived home. He tromped towards his room.
"That you, son?" a wizened voice called from the living room. The boy flinched and huffed, backtracking towards the living room where a frail woman in a bathrobe sat watching TV.
"Yes, Ma!"
"There's leftovers in the fridge if you're hungry," she said, and nothing else. The boy snarled and continued on to his room, throwing his backpack onto his bed.
"I'm sick of being the butt of everyone's joke! I'm sick of people talking behind my back pretending to be my friend! It's time to make everyone pay! Good thing I bought this real book of spells!" The boy pulled out a yellowed leather-bound tome from a bookcase filled with game manuals and manga volumes. He flipped through pages aimlessly, trying to make sense of glyphs and ciphers. "C'mon! Didn't they think to add a table of contents in this thing? How do you even pronounce some of these words? Grrr, this is what I get for buying off the internet!" The boy turned the tome this way and that, not noticing the spot of shadow that formed on his nightstand. A small ring of seething darkness rose from the spot and solidified before the shadows receded entirely, leaving behind a ring of pure gold studded with emeralds and inscriptions on the inside. The boy muttered to himself absently attempting to cast a garbled curse, unable to hear the faint tingle of laughter as if from a little girl.
"Blah, I'll try again tomorrow!" the boy tossed the tome onto his desk and plopped himself on his bed, burying his face in his arms. He tilted his head up and raised an eyebrow when he noticed the gold ring on his nightstand. "Huh? Where'd this come from?" He scooted over and picked up the ring, turning it about and studying the detail. He thought he could hear faint whispering and a high pitched child-like giggle. The boy glanced from his finger to the ring as the gold gleamed enticingly. All apprehension evaporated and the boy grinned broadly he inserted his fingertip into the ring.
The lamp flickered and loose objects in the room flew about violently. The boy's shadow cast against the wall distorted and swelled, sharp protrusions curling up or furling outward. "AH HAH HAAA HAA HAAA! HAAA HAAA HAAA! NOW THIS IS MORE LIKE IT!"
The woman didn't stir from her seat when she heard thumping and rattling coming from the room down the hall. She heard heavy crashing footsteps stalk behind her and towards the door and then the door slamming shut violently. "Make sure you're in bed before dark!" she hollered feebly.
"Okay kids, time to move out. Now, these rooms will still be available for use if you need like if your parents are out of town, so don't hesitate to drop by if there's an emergency," Ryo stated as some of the Neo Ronin finished packing up their things from their temporary lodgings in the residential hall.
"No ant left behind," Davie muttered and finished inserting the last of his precious ant farms into a special carrier to keep them from jostling about.
"I'm so glad White Towers is back. Not that I didn't like it here. Dad's always wanted to stay in a cave hotel, but he needs to be in the city for business, and he was able to negotiate a discount to rent because of the unexpected disaster," Emma Coburn commented as she gathered her things.
"Yeah, it's pretty swanky here, don't get me wrong, but you just feel better sleeping in your own bed," Brainpan added and shouldered his backpack.
"You sure you'll be okay by yourself in the city, Colby?" Ryo asked as Colby passed by. Colby paused and waved for Snow to go on ahead of him since she carried things for the other Neo Ronin.
"I have Snow with me, and I need to be in the city for therapy anyway. I'll be fine. Um...Ryo...can I ask you something?" Colby frowned and fidgeted in place. He didn't have Snow in the immediate vicinity so he couldn't see Ryo, but he'd seen him enough times before to form a mental image of him. He always pictured things in grayscale, assembling figures from memory. He could picture Ryo standing infront of him, arms folded across his chest, all smiles.
"Sure thing. What is it?"
"What's the 'Rising Effect'?" He swore he could hear Ryo frown. To anyone else, Ryo would've appeared perfectly calm, but Colby could hear that subtle hitch in breath, that skipped heartbeat.
"It's a feature of the Neo Armors. Tar thinks it's meant to compensate for your lack of a full battle armor like ours. It gives you that extra oomph in a tight situation. Instead of expending all your energy into one super-powerful surekill, you guys can wear out opponents with smaller attacks."
"Oh...okay, I was just curious, that's all…"
"Here, I'll walk with you outside," Ryo offered and stepped ahead of Colby, giving him a quick pat on the shoulder. Colby lingered behind a moment and narrowed his eyes.
He's lying…
"I wonder if that kid's still sore about yesterday…" one of the boys from the game group commented as they walked through the hall.
"Why would he still be sore? It's just a game," Conan shrugged.
"You don't get it, though: It's his life it's all he cares about."
"Yeah, he takes things way too seriously."
"If he's that bad, I'm surprised you all put up with him so long," Conan remarked.
"You almost feel guilted into being his friend. He always has a sadsap story to tell, and you never see him out with anyone from his family. No mom, no sisters, no dad, nothing."
"'That's a nice card there. I've always wanted one.'" Conan glanced up when another boy started talking, and for a second he thought he was talking to him until he realized the boy recounted a prior experience. "'I haven't been able to find one anywhere. You're very lucky. Hey. I got a birthday coming up. Could I please have it? It's just perfect for my collection. Please'?" The boy glanced at Conan and made a crooked smirk. "We found out the hard way he seems to have an awful lot of 'birthdays' every year. You're the first one I've seen shrug him off before." Conan remembered how when he first joined the local tabletop group along with Davie how he'd shown off his personal collection, something he'd spent many years assembling, and none too cheaply too given his mother Jessica's limited allowance. He'd heard that exact same line from the boy with the black bowl cut and freckles his first session, and Conan smoothly ignored him and continued flipping pages in his binder.
"Sounds like a real piece of work, that's for sure…" Conan muttered. "Talk about a sore winner."
"Oh, believe me, we could go on for hours. He's almost worse than a bully. A bully will at least beat you up front and take your lunch money. He'll claim he's on his last dime and starving then after you give him a few bucks to help him buy a snack, he'll go and spend it on a booster pack."
"Hey...somethings going on outside…"
Out in the parking lot, a shadowy figure stomped towards the building. A long black cape billowed from spiked jet-black pauldrons and wing-like blades protruded from the sides of the helmet. Black metal armor clanked noisily as the figure strode up the steps. Metal claws tipped the fingers of the heavy black gauntlets and lips curled back in a cruel grin from behind the helmet's face mask.
"Is that who I think it is? He seriously showed up to school cosplaying as Sinister Nightmage?"
"What a joke. Now I've seen everything!" the boys snickered amongst themselves. Conan frowned, sensing something wrong and discreetly slipped away from the group, pulling his uniform cuff back over his wrist-com. Delinquents from an older class lounged atop the steps and looked up at the figure.
"Hey, check out the convention reject. What a nerd! Go LARP somewhere else!"
"Fools, I've come to exact revenge on those who wronged me, and since you're in my way, I'll start with you!" The figure spoke with the freckle-faced boy's voice and raised a clawed hand, brandishing a gold ring studded with emeralds and symbols. Inside the school halls, Conan ducked down a hall.
"Davie! That kid from yesterday's here, and he's rockin' some sort of real magic! He's-" Conan spoke into his wrist-com. The shadowy armored figure raised his hand high.
"REIN OF TERROR!" Golden ropes of light shot out from the ring and snaked out in all directions, snaring the delinquents by their throats and pulling them to their knees. More beams snaked inside the school building, catching other students unawares. Screams and shrieks echoed through the halls. Conan gasped when a beam sought him out all the way down the hall and snagged his neck. "Now, we'll see who's the real game-master! HAH HAH HAAAA!"
Archibald Archer sat in class by himself in the corner finishing up an assignment. The clock ticked away quietly a few minutes before end of the school day. Some students had finished already and sat reading or working on assignments from other classes. He noticed four empty seats that usually belonged to the JJDS and wondered if they all requested to go to the bathroom at the same time…
Archie blinked when he thought he heard a familiar tune coming from outside. Other students heard it too and looked to the window. Some rose from their seats and peered outside against the instructor's protests. Archie leaned to the side and recognized the American National Anthem playing from the external loudspeakers. He peered down into the courtyard and laughed through his nose when he spotted the four members of the JJDS standing together, hands raised in salute, except Harlann used the wrong hand. Far above them on the highest flagpole furled a pair of underpants big enough to fit two children in each leg. Harlann puffed his chest out exaggeratedly as the anthem reached its crescendo.
All of a sudden a piercing crackle and shrieking feedback interrupted the finale. Students cringed from the noise until it abated and garbled cursing could be heard through the loudspeaker. "YOU KIDS! YOU'RE IN FOR IT NOW!" the principal bellowed over the loudspeaker.
"You can't prove it was us!" "Too late, schools out!" "Nyah nyah!" Harry Holmes, Crystal Hacker, and Harlann Wallhanger taunted and fled the premises. Just then the bell rang and kids rose out of their seats. Archie chuckled and shook his head.
"We'll see about that! I invested half the school budget into state-of-the-art security cameras. Nothing escapes me!" a rather obese man growled gleefully and pressed buttons on a console with his sausage-like fingers. Instead of video feed, an image of a cartoon cow munching grass and raising its tail came up on the screen. The cow mooed and a brown pile dropped onto the ground from its tail. "BULLSH-!" Crystal Hacker clapped her trusty laptop FLEA shut and giggled triumphantly.
"Davie! That kid from yesterday's here, and he's rockin' some sort of real magic! He's-" The JJDS skidded to a halt when they heard the frantic message over Davie's wrist-com.
"Whoa...that sounded serious...How far away is Conan's school?" Harry asked.
"Few blocks from here. I think Archie's still inside. We'll wait for him and go check it out."
"Shouldn't we get some backup or somethin?" Harlann asked.
"From who, boo? Ya know Emma's clear on the other side of town, she don't do schoolin' with the rest of us, and Polly's way out in the country. We ain't got fast travel," Crystal argued.
"Put out a call to Archie, tell him to go round up Brainpan and Colby. They're pretty close in town. The rest of us will go check this out. If things get dicey we'll call up Ryo," Harry stated and fished his armor yo-yo out of his pocket. "No one messes with the JJDS!" The four Neo Ronin armored up and prepared to head out. They paused when they saw a large group of children and teenagers approaching the school apparently led by a tall menacing figure clad in spiky black armor.
"Well well well, I never would've thought you had real powers too, 'Davie 'the Wizard' Osmond! Or you want me to call you Verdant Sylvarch?" Davie spotted Conan in the crowd, apparently walking against his will while the rest of the group moved robotically, entranced by a spell.
"This that weirdo you were talking about last night?" Harry asked, discreetly turning on his wrist-com's open channel. Archie could hear the conversation going on as he gathered up his backpack and headed for a back entrance from the school grounds. He waited until he moved out of sight to activate his armor yo-yo and climbed up a fire escape.
"I'll make you regret that kind of back-talk! Thanks to this ring, I've become the most powerful wizard in the world! I can do anything!" The dark figure raised its hand and splayed metal claws.
"Ooookay, I've heard enough. SPIRIT CORROSION!" Harry pointed two fingers at the boy.
"HOWLING TWISTER!" Crystal held out her hand.
"BLEEDING SILK!" Davie held his arms out and splayed his fingers.
"RAZOR CAGE!" Harlann sprang into the air and swept his arms down. All four attacks cascaded towards the deranged boy who erected a shield that effortlessly deflected the onslaught.
"Come on, you have to do better than that! Oh wait, you don't have your little 'synergy bonus' since I've got your pal under my control! Now it's my turn! REIN OF TERROR!" The four Neo Ronin yelped as golden ropes shot out and snared them by the neck. "Now, you'll serve me forever as my loyal minions!" More and more ropes shot out, capturing other students trying to flee the school.
"I'm not an onion!" Harlann gurgled in protest and fought against the spell forcing him to his knees. A final rope shot out far into the distance towards a rooftop with a fire escape.
"Waugh!" Archie hastily summoned his air bow and took aim at the golden beam. "CELESTIAL CONCUSSION!" His attack successfully disrupted the beam before it could reach him. The black-armored boy grunted and glanced in the direction of the one rope that had failed to snare its target.
Colby sat on the sofa reading a book in Braille. Snow lounged beside him, her head in his lap. He stroked her fur idly as he turned the pages. Snow raised her head suddenly and turned to face the door. Colby raised an eyebrow and got out of his seat when he felt Snow leave the sofa. He heard a knock and set aside the book and strode over, patting Snow on the shoulder as she kneaded her paws.
"Colby, armor up! There's a situation at one of the schools close by," Edward Connolly stated.
"Yeah, some kid is going completely ballistic. He's got Conan, Harry, Crystal, Harlann, and Davie under his control somehow. They need backup. Emma's on her way and Polly's too far out," Archie explained. Colby nodded awkwardly and pulled his armor yo-yo out of his pocket. The three headed out of the apartment and onto the street wearing Neo Armor. Colby hopped atop Snow's back while Archie and Edward ran alongside him, keeping pace.
"I'm surprised she can carry you so easily," Edward commented.
"I'm not that heavy," Colby grumbled. While the Neo Armors enabled them to move faster, they lacked the teleport abilities of the older Ronin Warriors. Archie led them to the building overlooking the school grounds and they hunkered down peering over the edge.
"There they are...look, that's him." Archie pointed a fingertip at what looked like a pile of desks and cabinets arranged like an imposing throne. The shadowy-clad boy currently lounged on his throne.
"We've got the element of surprise. You can snipe him from range and I can strike him with lightning to keep him off-balance. You can use your shadows to take him out," Edward strategized. Colby's jaw dropped when he heard those terms: 'snipe', 'strike', 'take out'.
"What are you talking about! We don't even know what's going on down there!"
"Does it matter?" Colby flinched upon hearing the cold tone from Edward. "He's obviously got a beef with Conan and Davie and he's hurting anyone in his way for no other reason than he can. Those kids need help, but they're too densely packed. We need to take out the head of the snake."
"Do-do you not hear what you sound like!? 'Head of the snake'? That's a kid you're talking about down there! Oh no...I see it now...I get it! That's what he meant about the 'Rising Effect'!" Colby stammered and staggered to his feet, backing away from the roof. Snow looked at him, worried.
Far below on the school grounds, the shadow-clad boy leisurely flipped through Conan's prize game binder. "What a splendid collection you have here. These will do quite nicely with me." Conan could only kneel on the ground and watch helplessly as the boy pulled cards out of their protective sleeves one by one. "Ohh, this one looks very rare. Very valuable. Would be a shame if I did this!" Conan hissed through his teeth as the boy pinched the card between his claws and prepared to rip it in half. He stopped when he thought he saw movement on a rooftop across the street and frowned.
"'Rising Effect'? What are you talking about?" Archie asked, perplexed.
"I overheard Ryo talking about it after we rescued Adam. Think about it: why didn't Emma try running away from Adam when he tried to kill her? She stood her ground when she really didn't have to! It's something about our armors! I've felt it before, the first time when Reagan was killed, and again in those caves! It's forcing us to fight! It makes us think irrationally! We're being used, and I won't be a part of this anymore! I WON'T!" Colby turned and ran towards the opposite edge of the roof. Before Archie and Brainpan could stop him, he vaulted over the edge, ignoring a cry from Snow.
"What do we have here? A trio of troublemakers?" Archie and Edward spun around and gasped when they saw the shadowy figure floating in the air close to the rooftop. "Did you really think you could get the drop on me?" He held a wrist-com he'd confiscated from Conan in one hand. Three ArmSig signals blinked on the screen before he crushed it in his claws. Archie took aim with his air bow and Edward summoned a lightning mallet in one hand. Snow tensed and unsheathed her claws. "If the rest of your 'friends' couldn't stop me, what makes you think you'll succeed! REIN OF TERROR!" Archie and Edward unleashed their attacks at the same time the gold beams shot out from the ring, and Snow pounced at the boy only to bounce off his shield and back onto the rooftop. Beams of light coiled around their throats and forced Archie and Edward to drop their weapons. Snow shrieked in protest and struggled against the gold snare.
In the alley below, Colby paused when he heard Snow's frantic cry. His eyes widened in dawning dread. "Snow?….Snow? SNOW!" He shouted. No reply. He could only hear loose trash flitting about the alley. "…what...what have I done! SNOW!" He'd left her behind and without her sight he stood utterly alone. He'd been so consumed by his own anger and frustration he'd left precious Snow behind. He sank to his knees and braced his hands against the wall, tears rolling down his cheeks. He sat there several moments, weeping in despair. He gulped down his sobs and slowly pushed himself to stand. The villain hadn't made an effort to seek him out. He probably assumed only Edward, Archie, and Snow had come to attack. Colby set his jaw and pushed away from the wall, keeping his fingertips on the surface to guide his movement. He took a step forward, his footstep echoing through the alley.
He'd relied on Snow so much lately he'd stopped using the little tricks he'd had to adapt to using before Reagan had been fully trained. Conan had once joked about him having real superpowers, and now Colby put them to use. He listened to the sound of his footsteps reverberating down the alley, the closeness of the walls, and his mind created an image of the path ahead of him. He quickened his stride, being careful to stay far enough away from the wall to avoid hitting anything. He remembered feeling the sun against his face, so he followed the wall around the corner and again until he felt warmth. He could hear cars honking and emergency sirens in the distance, but the antics of this amateur villain had brought nearby traffic to a standstill. He could hear engines idling, feel heat from exhaust. He pulled his hand away from the wall and walked forward across the street.
Was this the "Rising Effect" that steeled his resolve? If Edward and Archie had fallen so easily, how would he fare any better? Could the Ronin Warriors face this threat or would they succumb to the same spell? He could hear voices ahead of him coming from those under thrall. He still hadn't received any images from Snow. He inhaled through his nose and squared his shoulders as he advanced, refreshing his mental image with each additional piece of auditory and olfactory data he received.
"Now that you're under my complete control," the boy smirked from atop his throne. He'd singled out Conan from the rest of the thralls. "I want you...to apologize!"
"Apologize? For what? No one likes you but no one had the courage to stand up and say anything before. You want an apology, apologize to yourself for being such a big baby!" Conan snarled.
"You WILL apologize, because I command it!" The boy had taken Snow to his side and stroked her head. A villain needed an obedient pet and Snow had no choice but to hunker beside him, head bowed and eyes squeezed shut. She could only growl in frustration.
"That you're a sad-sack sorry excuse for life? Fine, how's that!" Conan shot back.
"You're still able to resist my magic even without using your own special powers? Impressive. But for how long? Say you're sorry. Say it! SAY IT!" the boy held out his hand to Conan and curled his fingers. Conan grit his teeth, fighting to keep his jaws shut. "SAY YOU'RE SORRY!"
"I-I-I'm….I'm….I-I'm s-s-s...sss-sssssoooo," Conan heard himself stammer despite his efforts. The boy grinned in gleeful anticipation behind his mask and curled his claws tighter. "S-s-sooooorrr-"
"CONAN, DON'T!" Both boys paused when they heard the shout. Conan looked over his shoulder jerkily. "DON'T APOLOGIZE! NEVER APOLOGIZE ESPECIALLY WHEN IT ISN'T DESERVED!" Colby boomed as he wove his way through the crowd.
"Colby…" Conan whispered in disbelief.
"Anyone who demands an apology for no real reason never deserved it in the first place. If you apologize just because someone wants it, all you do is give them power over you. Those are the worst kind of bullies in the world. NEVER bow down to someone just because they make demands. If this kid feels like he's been wronged, NOTHING you could've done justifies what he's done. Stand your ground, never back down, and never say you're sorry for anything."
"He will say he's sorry to me, but after I make him beat up his 'friend'!" the boy raised his hand and clenched his fist. Conan rose to his feet like a marionette and unfurled his armor yo-yo, summoning Neo Hardrock. He raised his hands jerkily and took a step towards Colby. Others nearby stood robotically and staggered towards Colby. Harlann held his arms out like a B-movie zombie.
"Colby, I'm sorry, this isn't me doing this!" Conan pleaded.
Colby calmly swept out his arms and thick tendrils of shadow whipped out and slapped away anyone nearby, leaving him alone to face the boy. Harlann looked dizzy from tumbling so many times. The boy frowned and rose from his throne. "I see...you're a cut above the rest, are you? Let's see how you fare against this! REIN OF TERROR!" The boy lifted his palm and a rope of gold light shot out towards Colby. The light reached the front of his chest before dissolving abruptly. The boy blinked in confusion then scowled. "It's said it takes all senses to be affected by mind-control spells. You can't see, can you? That protects you from my control. Very well then! A wizard's duel! A contest of skill to see who is the strongest!" the boy swished his cape dramatically and splayed his claws.
"You're not a wizard! I don't know what's possessed you, but you need to put a stop to this right now! You're hurting innocent people!" Colby pleaded. He still couldn't see through Snow since she'd been bowled away by his shadows as well, but he could form an image in his mind of the boy and how he perceived himself as an archetypal dark lord, tall and ominous.
"Nothing's 'controlling' me: I like having special powers! I'll have the entire city doing my bidding eventually. Not even the legendary Ronin Warriors will be able to stop me!" The boy walked towards Colby, and it seemed with each step he became bigger and more menacing.
"This isn't a game! Wake up! You're turning reality into a nightmare for these people!"
"So what? It's only fair after all that I've suffered!"
"'Suffer'?" Colby muttered, his upper lip tighten slightly. He remembered the snippets he'd overheard as he approached the school. "'Suffer?'" Colby's eyebrow began twitching and his lips curled back over his teeth. "'Suffer?!' YOU DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT SUFFERING! DARKNESS DEVOUR!" Colby splayed his fingers and swept his arms to the side then pressed his palms towards the boy, who erected his shield quickly to stave off the attack. Instead of abating, the shadows seethed and surged, darkness flowing from the air behind Colby and furling like wings. "STOOOOOOOOP! STOOOOOOOOP! STOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOP!" Swelling black tendrils snaked about the shield, clutching it like talons.
Conan slowly came too and pushed himself up on his elbow in time to see Colby channeling a terrific amount of energy against the boy. While the boy's shield remained intact, Colby showed no sign of exhaustion and in fact seemed to grow stronger. Darkness whipped around Colby's legs, creating an almost deafening low crackle. Colby held his fists clenched at his sides and shifted his stance slightly, the shadowy wings fluttering and pressing against the shield forcefully.
"NO! NEVER! I'm having too much fun! Besides, this is better than having to put up with people laughing about you when they think you're not looking. No more putting up with pea-brain bullies shaking you down for change! No more coming home to a mother who barely notices you're even there! No more getting one phone call a month from your dad who always forgets about your birthday!" Colby frowned, briefly pitying this boy who seemed to have far more deeply rooted grievances than just a simple game. "No more getting talked down to by teachers that don't have two brain cells to rub together! No more getting pushed around in class or turned down for dates!" The boy grinned toothily. "NO MORE WEDGIES!"
Colby's eyes widened before his brow furrowed in an enraged scowl and his lips peeled back over his gums. He let out such a shriek that hours afterward he'd have trouble believing such a sound had come from his throat. He felt his neck grow hot and blood roared through his arteries as he screamed and screamed, and the shadowy wings completely enveloped the shield. The shield did not vanish but began contracting, shrinking and wrapping around the boy's limbs.
"NO! NO! I-I-I will not be defeated! I am the master! I AM THE MASTER!" The darkness closed in tighter and tighter. "No! NO! I am the master! I am the master! I-I-'m…ma…ma…" The darkness began swallowing his limbs and boiling towards his neck and face. The boy's confident smirk melted into a panicked grimace as darkness crept along his cheeks and around his eyes. "Ma...ma…MAMA!" The darkness flowed into his open mouth, suffocating his final feeble cry.
Colby gasped and lowered his arms, but not in time to stop the darkness from completely consuming the boy. A human-shaped blob of shadow hung in the air briefly before dissolving. The gold emerald-studded ring clattered to the ground, leaving nothing else behind. Colby couldn't see what looked like a small shadowy hand reach up from below the ground and grasp the ring, pulling it into darkness with a faint child-like giggle. Colby stood there several moments, eyes wide in shock, mouth hanging wide open, struggling to process what had just happened. His legs went limp and he dropped to the ground, rocking back on his heels and letting his arms hang at his sides. He felt revulsion welling up inside, wanting to vomit but unable to summon anything to expel the sickness he now felt. A strangled sob came from the back of his throat as he barely registered voices behind him.
He heard Ryo Sanada asking what was going on, Emma asking if everyone was okay, Pauline Yama helping the other Neo Ronin to their feet, some of the other Ronin Warriors arriving on the scene. All of the civilian students remained unconscious or too far away to see the Neo Ronin. Colby remained sitting on his heels, body convulsing with sobs.
"Hey, Colby! You did it! You went all out!" He heard Conan and felt a firm pat on the back.
"Why are you crying? Colby...you won," Davie assured gently.
"Yeah! You took out the bad guy!" Harlann beamed. Hearing that sent a jolt through Colby and he pitched forward, wailing in despair. He could feel Snow nuzzling his cheek, himself curled forward in a heap through her eyes, but nothing anyone said or did could console him just then and there.
He heard voices through the main cavern of the Roost and it took a few seconds to filter out which voices belonged to who and where. He identified Cale when he heard the older Ronin Warrior grumbling aloud: "You know it's a slow day when the Neo Ronin take down the big bad…"
"CALE! Cale! Cale!" Colby ran towards his voice.
"Hmm? Yeah, what up, kid?" Cale asked calmly. Colby heard the faint clank of armor and could picture him standing infront of him in full armor while cradling his helmet in one arm.
"Listen: I know I have limits to my banishing abilities. I can't banish powerful beings like Kylyra permanently, but I've banished peons and objects before and they never seem to come back…"
"Uh huh, and?" Cale's nonchalant reply sent a shock through Colby and he ended up blurting out what he wanted to ask much louder than he intended to.
"WHERE DO PEOPLE GO WHEN I BANISH THEM!" Colby shrieked. He could hear activity in the main cavern come to a standstill, feel startled, sympathetic gazes upon him, hear Cale tapping his finger against his helmet as he regarded Colby patiently. The silence became maddening and Colby shuddered where he stood. He waited and waited for a reply. He heard Cale inhale.
"Well, I'm certain it's not to the cornfield." Cale replied curtly and walked off, leaving Colby standing there in disbelief. Tears streamed from the corners of his eyes.
"I've been where he is before. Can't blame the kid…" he heard Cye mutter across the cavern as he made his way to the conference room and sat atop the table, resting his arms across his knees and burying his forehead. In between sobs he heard footsteps come into the room and tilted his head up as the figure approached. His mind pictured a blank humanoid shape as it came to a stop beside him. It said nothing at first, waiting patiently for Colby to compose himself as well as composing its own words. Colby heard a deep sigh and the rasp of arms being folded.
"You're not being forced to fight," Ryo spoke, and Colby put his face and armor to the blank figure. "We call it the Rising Effect because it seems to activate when you find yourself in great need. It allows you to overcome what would normally be insurmountable odds. We first noticed it in Conan and Edward, and we've seen Edward go into 'overload' before, but so far you're the only one able to control that much power precisely and for an extended period of time. We suspect it's an extension of your subconsciousness compensating for your being blind.
"The reason we didn't tell you about it at first is because we worried that if you knew what gave you your powers, that it'd either weaken you in combat or make you unintentionally reckless; if you knew you couldn't lose, you'd rush into fights stacked against you. That you wouldn't back down even when common sense said otherwise. That was a bad call on my part, and for that, I'm sorry." Colby listened patiently as Ryo spoke. He could hear the burden in his voice, the genuine guilt. "If you want to walk away, no one will stop you. You're the only one of the Neo Ronin without immediate family. You don't have a horse in this race. You don't have to fight if you don't want to."
"…but I've got friends...don't I?…that's a reason to keep fighting, isn't it?" Colby asked and tilted his head up at Ryo. Ryo said nothing in response: no pat on the shoulder, no hearty slap upside the back, no "That's the spirit!" or "Atta boy!" He remained silent, knowing all too well the burden of being a Ronin Warrior, a protector of Humanity and the Mortal Realm. Where do I go off thinking I've got it so bad...at his age, Ryo should be hanging out with friends smashing beer cans against his head... Colby's eyes widened as he remembered the festivities on Planet Thanged, the glimpses through Snow's eyes he'd caught of the Sanadas walking in the procession. Or spending time with his family! Ryo, along with all the other Ronin, faced the very real possibility that each time they battled, they might not come back to their families. Such a thing had very nearly happened to Sage.
"Kayura calls the Neo Armors 'artificial armors' because they weren't created by the same process ours were. We're actually still not sure who created them. That's the part we can't quite figure out: does the Armor give you the strength to fight, or is the Armor itself a manifestation of your inner strength. Were you chosen as Neo Ronin randomly, or because each of you have lost someone important in your past, so important that you wouldn't want to see that trauma repeated ever again. Is your 'rage mode' because of you being blind specifically...or is because you've lost so much, more than any other Neo Ronin, that even the possibility of losing a friend...or companion," Snow came to mind. "Kindles such an incredible response and power. Those the sort of questions we haven't been able to answer yet. Feel free to spend the night. Whenever you're ready to return home, just let us know." With that, Ryo walked out of the room, leaving Colby sitting on the table contemplating everything.
Colby sat alone on the edge of the dock with Snow snoozing beside him, exhausted from the day's activities. Colby could feel the warmth of the setting sun, hear the gentle lap of the lake and caw of birds. He frowned and raised an eyebrow when he heard footsteps thumping over the dock towards him and imaged a figure striding energetically over the planks. "I's figured I'd find yas sittin' out here." Colby put Crystal's face to the figure as she plopped herself beside him opposite of Snow.
"I've never been angry like that before...not even when...when I lost Reagan. Before the end, I could hear him cry out for his mother, and I wonder...will she notice him missing?" He pictured in his mind a woman sobbing to the police, asking why her son had yet to return. "What if he he really does have people that cared about him. What if all of his lashing out was just his way of escaping a troubled life? I ask myself often...when I consume something evil...does it simply cease to exist? Or do I draw that darkness into myself? Will that darkness consume me from within...or will I come to embrace it?"
"Boy, you know you be thinkin' too deeply into all this. Folks like you an' me, we answer the call of a higher power," Crystal scolded and shook her head, her beads clacking. Colby scowled.
"Why would God want me to hurt anyone?"
"You know ain't nuthin' in this world goes on without the Big Guy signin' off on it. That boy wadn't gonna stop unless someone made him stop. Don't let it drag ya down, boo." Crystal's remarks only left Colby flustered and he thought a myriad of what ifs and maybes that wouldn't have ended with what happened that day. "I know you still beatin' yo'self up, but here's somethin' you should think about. You might resent being a Neo Ronin, but if you weren't…would you have met Snow?"
Colby ran his hand over Snow's neck and wove his fingers through her thick fur. She flexed her fingers slightly and let out a contented sigh upon hearing her name, flicking her ears and twitching her tail. Beautiful, precious, wonderful Snow, so intelligent, so strong and courageous! He used to think nothing could replace Reagan, and now he couldn't imagine a day without Snow. He heard Crystal shifting about in her seat as she drew her knees up to her chin.
"Hey Colby, can I ask ya somethin?" Colby tilted his head up at her and raised an eyebrow. "Was you born blind or did your eyes stop workin' at some point?"
"Um...born this way," Colby twirled a fingertip infront of his face.
"So you ain't ever seen color, have ya?"
"Nope…"
"You think of ever gettin' your eyes fixed? Like on that other planet. I hear they fixed up Dais."
"I could...but...well...it's difficult to explain...I'd almost feel like I'm cheating. Taking the easy way out. The students of the doctor who originally handled my case have been making great progress with trial surgeries, restoring sight in animals. I hear they'll be getting ready to test their procedures out on humans next year. I've been patient this long...I can afford to wait a bit longer.
"You know...one of the reasons my parents wanted to move me to Japan, aside from medical treatment, was because the community started to get hostile in the States. Some people almost resent you for being independent and making progress. Even something as simple as having Reagan around made others hate me. Some people just aren't happy unless everyone around them are as miserable."
"Now don't you be payin' them no mind, child. Let them crabs stay in their bucket." Colby let out a snorting laugh and shook his head. Despite her coarse advice, he appreciated her company.
"So….how would you describe color?"
"How would I describe color...lesse…" Crystal lowered her legs and rest her elbows on her knees, tenting her index fingers infront of her chin. "Red? Red is an oven, either inside or the burners. Orange is the sunset and sunrise. Yellow is a candle, or the noon sun. Green is the grass under your feet. Blue is the wide sky, or the deep ocean, or a clean, crisp breeze. Violet is dusk or dawn. Brown is dead grass, when it gets all crunchy in heat, or the dirt you kick around, or mud that gets stuck on your shoes. Black is quiet, complete silence. White…white is the color of Snow…"
"Here, it took some work, but I made a character just for you!" Conan held out the figurine he'd cobbled together from existing figurines for Colby to feel. "Cold-Bear, the Blind Mage! What he lacks in sight and strength he makes up for with cunning and a kickin' bear steed! I didn't have a tiger figure to use. Sorry." Colby took the figurine in his hand and rubbed his index finger over it. He held onto Snow's leash with his other hand. He could make out a man astride a sturdy four-legged form with a rugged fur cape furling behind him, one arm raised holding a scepter aloft.
"Um…thanks? I appreciate the thought, but I'm-" Colby wanted to say he wasn't into gaming, but paused when he could see Conan smiling at him in earnest from Snow's perspective. He'd invited him to a special session among only Neo Ronin they'd be hosting in the conference room at the Roost. Colby smiled awkwardly and closed his fingers about the figurine. "I'm flattered."
"Great! Now we can get started! The Harbor's too much of a grown-up place, and this new place called the Mana Tap won't be open for another few months, so this'll have to do for now," Conan explained as he took his seat and began setting up items on the table. Harry Holmes, Harlann Wallhanger, Davie Osmond, Crystal Hacker, and Edward Connolly had chosen to join them that evening. "This'll be a story campaign, so I won't be actively playing."
"I've heard about that place, they're supposed to have both a bar for adults and a separate area for kids to play in booths," Brainpan commented.
"They're gonna have snacks and drinks too!" Harlann remarked.
"Well Ryo sprang for pizza so we got all the snacks we need down here," Crystal stated and placed a heat bag on the table and extracted the first of several pizza boxes. Colby seated himself on a bench and Snow leapt up beside him, glancing from him to a the pizza entreatingly. Crystal pulled out a couple slices and pushed the plate towards Colby, who smiled graciously.
"Okay, let's begin…the party enters a ruined castle. Spiders skitter away from the flickering of your torches. You spot a chest ahead of you. Will you open it?" Conan asked. A few moments passed before Harry elbowed Harlann in the side, who rolled his dice. "The tumblers rattle and click under your skilled fingers. The party gains five experience and a hundred gold divided evenly. Colby finds a silver scepter, Harry finds an acid-laced dagger," Harry pumped his fist. "Edward finds a silver coif, Crystal finds a pouch of explosive stars, Davie finds a yew staff, and Harlann receives a point in Calculating." Harlann reached into his back pack and pulled out an empty eyeglass frame and put it on his face then pulled out a calculator and began pressing buttons randomly.
"...Not...that kind of calculating…" Edward said with an awkward grimace. "He means like…"
"Like a super-villain!" Davie exclaimed. Harlann nodded and put away the calculator and frame and leaned back in his seat slightly with his hands infront of his chest, wiggling an eyebrow and tapping his fingertips together. Harlann frowned and glanced to the side then reached out and pulled Snow's neck towards him, stroking the top of her head slowly. Snow had no idea what was going on but she didn't object to head rubs. The others chuckled at his antics.
"However, your party finds itself beset by a pack of kobolds. Their god Greed demands they steal treasure, and they can smell the gold you've just found. Will the party fight or run away?"
"I'm up for a fight! This should be a piece of cake," Harry smirked.
"I wanna cast Magic Missile!" Harlann piped up.
"There is no Magic Missile in this game…" Conan made a face and his shoulders drooped.
"Well I wanna cast Magic Missile!" Harlann insisted.
"The closest thing for your Spellblade would be 'Albrecht's Aether-Enchanted Arrow'."
"Yeah, that! I wanna cast that!"
"At the kobolds?"
"No, at Harry's dumb face!" Harlann pointed at his brother.
"What?!" Harry squawked in protest.
"So you wanna conduct a party attack?" Conan inquired.
"Wait, that's a thing?!"
"Sure. It's in the rules. A party attack can be declared if a member has gone insane or afflicted, either from mind-control or an illness."
"I'm not!" Harry protested.
"Sure he is! He's a buttface and his face is a butt!"
"Works for me," Conan said with a shrug. "Harlann hits Harry for ten points of damage and stuns him for the remainder of the combat round, excluding him from battle spoils."
"Why you little-" Harry snarled and grabbed Harlann in an armlock and retaliated with a fierce noogie. Harlann took it in stride and grinned impishly. Crystal squealed with laughter and Colby felt his body shudder with mirth. He smiled heartily: a night that would've otherwise been spent in gloomy reflection and self-pity he spent now with friends, enjoying pizza and soda and Conan's story.
I do have friends worth fighting for. I do have loved ones to protect... Crystal noticed Colby's expression and smiled warmly. Everyone at the table remained so engrossed in the game that no one noticed a dark shape trying to push out from the shadows behind Colby. It looked like hands grasping desperately, and a face crying out in anguish before being pulled back into darkness.
AOD Soundtrack
1. Sinister Nightmage-Beethoven-Trans-Siberian Orchestra
2. A Very Big Housecat-Lullaby Night-Trans-Siberian Orchestra
3. Salute the Pants-School's Out-Immediate Music
4. Darkness Like Wings-Dangerous-Two Steps From Hell
5. Lakeside Wisdom-I'll Keep Your Secrets-Trans-Siberian Orchestra
6. Story and Snacks-Adventure of a Lifetime-Two Steps From Hell
Author's Notes
I've noticed these days there's a tendency to give villains a super-saccharine tragic sympathetic backstory, like it's somehow taboo to make someone a straight-up jerk. Instead of a bad guy being a bad guy for the sake of being the bad guy, they have to have a "get-out-of-evil-free" card. Villains are no longer allowed to be villains by the virtue of them wanting power or property, of being cunning and strong. All villains are redeemable and all villains are sympathetic. I've seen one of my favorite franchises get ruined because they turned a long-time staple villain into a complete wuss: instead of him being incredibly powerful and ancient, and wanting to keep that power at all costs, they made it to where he wanted power because he was "scared as a child". That's like saying it's okay for Talpa to steal souls because someone called him fat. There's no excuse for bad behavior.
Heroes aren't supposed help villains through mid-life crises, the hero is supposed to punch their teeth in, punch some more, and don't stop punching their stupid face until they've learned their lesson not to be a jerk ever again. I've seen 'modern' villains get such a convoluted backstory they either skate and skate over and over again or they're evil one day and good the next. There's no development arc, no conflict or resolution. Well-written villains are far and few between.
To that end, here is my personal top-ten list of douchiest villains. Bad guys who brush their teeth with EVIL go to sleep on a bed of EVIL and wake up in the morning to a smooth steaming hot cup of EVIL to get the day started. This is based of of shows I myself have seen in my lifetime.
10. Sneak Peek/Ian Peek-Batman Beyond
One of the shortest-lived foes Terry's faced, he stands out for being such a complete DICK. Aside from being a sleazy tabloid host, he came off as kind of psychotic, quite literally turning himself inside out to justify his crimes. When his power starts consuming him, he pleads with Bruce Wayne for help, and you almost feel sorry at least until it's revealed that he murdered the inventor of the device that caused his affliction in the first place. He actually tries to rationalize this by commenting; "to him, it was just another science experiment, but to me it was power." When Bruce turns his back, Ian tries to murder him by throwing him off the building only to be thwarted by Terry's timely arrival. Unwilling to let either of them escape, Peek draws on them only for his body to become completely incorporeal. He plummets through the building with Terry racing desperately trying to save him. Terry can only watch helplessly as Ian sinks into the ground, cackling in mad glee at his immediate fate before shrieking in raw horror. What follows next is one of the best zingers in animation: when a distraught Terry asks what will happen to him, Bruce calmly remarks "I imagine he'll continue falling until he reaches the center of the Earth. That's about as 'inside' as you can get." Ian's haunting laughter and the conclusion of the episode makes him stand out from standard villains.
9. Cameron Winter-Godzilla: The Animated Series
I liked the '98 Zilla. I have a soft spot for iguanas. I had one when I was little and characters such as Raurgoth, Iguadalupen, and Trakar are my lasting tribute to her. You almost wanted Zilla to eat this guy, though he did almost eat one of his flunkies. A morally-bankrupt, intellectually corrupt prick, a polar opposite of Nick, hideously apathetic and borderline cruel, this guy earns a spot because despite having few appearances, he remained relatively solid and nuanced. He presents a facade of being cultured and sophisticated in order to conceal a staggering level of narcissism and petulance. He could've been a recurring nemesis, a Dr. Robotnik or King Koopa, but considering how much story got squeezed into 'monster-of-the-week' episodes, his few appearances are always satisfying, because no matter how smart he thinks he is, how much money he has or how vast his tech empire, he never can get his hand on the shiny toy he covets so much: Zilla's bond with Nick. I've heard there were a number of un-produced episodes for a third season that got canceled, and I imagine a partially-penciled storyboard where Cameron is flying away in his private chopper giggling about his next plot for profit. Meanwhile Zilla is engaged in a heated battle against the MOTW and in the process accidentally topples backwards into the flight path, and we get a shot of Cameron's incredulous face before his chopper goes up in flames. Nick and team would watch aghast while we as the audience secretly go "yes!" It's like the scene in Twister where the corporate sellout gets the ultimate comeuppance, and while the protagonist feels guilty, it feels almost cathartic to the audience.
8. Christopher Pelant-Bones
Nothing did more to forever and for all time destroy any joy I once held in the forensic crime-drama genre than this smug smirky little prick. This along with that one "gamer" episode of Law and Order that made New York's Finest look like the censored Keystone Cops. Seriously, shave this guy bald, give him a cat, and call him Dr. Evil because he's somehow able to outsmart everyone, survive getting SHOT in the FACE by Booth, overpower a special ops member, command an army of drones, and conceal a million-dollar nerd man-cave in plain sight. I feel like he was written for no other purpose than to make Temperance look inept. She's supposed to be socially awkward but incredibly brilliant, and yet she gets fooled by a "toy laser-grenade"? Don't get me started on the magic bullcensored lip-reading software. Getting shot in the chest was too kind a death. He needed to be dunked in a vat of acid, drawn and quartered, rolled over with a steamroller, and fed to coconut crabs. And the dumbest part, his sinister motivation? Was he abused as a child? Was he bullied in school? No. He got mad because a girl teased him for being fat. That's it. That's his "tragic sympathetic backstory". Instead of targeting Bones for being his equal and opposite, turns out he's got a crush on her. Awww…
7. Mr. Morden-Babylon 5
Morden stands out because of his subtlety. From enabling the murder of Kosh to manipulating Londo against Lord Refa to his confrontation with Sheridan, the way he'd orchestrate things from behind the scenes made him not only formidable but satisfying to watch. I've heard there are novels that try to paint him in a sympathetic light, that he only agreed to serve the Shadows because they promised to bring his dead wife back to life, but I don't buy that one bit. When Londo started to rebel, the Shadows wanted to straight up ice him, but Morden devised the plan to assassinate Adira, bringing his precious pawn back into line. When Londo calls Morden's bluff and nukes the island housing all the Shadow vessels, you'd think he'd be grateful being freed from servitude. Instead, he screams bloody vengeance, because he knew right then and there the gravy train was over, and the audience is ultimately rewarded with one of the greatest comeuppances ever.
6. Naraku-Inu-Yasha
I only ever saw the first thirty or so episodes before I left the nest and had to wait for many years to watch the series in its entirety online, and honestly I had to force myself to watch to the very end. It just seemed to drag on and on and the filler, oogh, the filler… Naraku likes to present himself as a super-cunning demon lord, aping off of Sesshomaru, but to me he comes off as something of a petulant boob, like that one spoiled kid you couldn't stand playing with in school because they'd keep making up new powers to keep from losing. Yeah, that kid, everyone knows that kid… Seriously, take a shot every time Naraku reveals a new power and boasts about his new (hot) body. You'll be past the Texas legal blood-alcohol limit in no time. Throughout the entire series he'd been portrayed as the big bad, the author of everything the core cast suffered because of his desire to achieve greater power. Then in the end, in the final episode, we're told the big bad is someone else we'd never heard about before in the entire series, and that Naraku is somehow a tragic figure. Bull. censored. censored. I'd heard the anime deviated heavily from the manga and prolonged certain arcs way longer than intended.
5. Angelica Pickles-Rugrats
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4. Khyron-Robotech
Even among other Zentraedi this guy has a reputation of being an absolute DICK. Nicknamed "The Backstabber" for a reason, he nearly crashes into Breetai's command ship in his debut. Never missing an opportunity to engage the SDF-1 and cause as much death and destruction possible, this guy has absolutely no redeeming qualities, and he actually could care less. The novels explored his character further, stating that he'd ingest dried Flower of Life petals to increase his battle prowess. In episode 32 "Broken Heart" he kidnaps Minmei and Kyle in an attempt to ransom her for the SDF-1. Khyron invites Minmei to sing and he seemingly falls under her sway only to reveal he'd been screwing with her all along. This line stuck with me: "You think that just because you're the 'magnificent' Minmei, that you are better than we are? Well I despise your puny music, do you hear me? DESPISE IT, I SAY!" Keep in mind how big an average Zentraedi is, he very well could've easily crushed her. Later on, because Kyle is a douche who can't keep his yap shut, he antagonizes Khyron, who in response proceeds to make out with the nearby Azonia, spiting Minmei's ideals of love with their drunken lust. Some good did come of Khyron's machinations, however. Early on in the series he taunts Miriya Parina that there is "one aboard that ship whom you cannot best", inadvertently setting her up on a blind date with Max Sterling and putting into motion one of the most iconic romances in Anime history.
3. Wrath-Amon -Conan the Adventurer
Here's a character without the baggage of a 'tragic backstory', literally created to be evil, empowered with 'great cunning' by his predecessor Ram-Amon, who he immediately usurped. He could have used his intellect in other ways, but what did he do with his newfound power? He used it to become a DICK. From tricking the Cimmerians and Vanirmen into war to kidnapping and corrupting the avatar of a beast god, he's got a rap sheet of villainy a mile long. In episode 47 "The Star-Metal Monster", a young girl with the innate power to animate objects brings life to a statue forged out of pure star-metal, dubbing him Titainius, and the two become the best of friends and go off to have many adventures. Until Wrath-Amon learns of this statue and ruthlessly hunts the two. Despite intervention from Conan, Wrath-Amon is able to get the upper hand and subject Titainius to an overwhelming wave of corruption from his Black Ring. In his last act of valor, Titainius entrusts the girl to Conan before melting completely. This gave Wrath-Amon all the star-metal he needed to bring Set fully into the world, all it took was potentially traumatizing a little girl for life. DICK.
2. Demona-Gargoyles
Where to begin where to begin…She enabled the Castle Wyvern Massacre, betrayed Macbeth, caused the rise of the Hunters and Quarrymen, and even planned to commit pangenocide. She's a pretty messed up cookie. Even towards her own daughter, she can't help but be manipulative. The Gargoyles Saga fanverse has her go through an extensive redemption arc, but old habits die hard. She gives Angela a tour of her facilities and Angela comments she treats her employees like hamsters, to which Demona/Dominique sees no problem. There is one chapter where a disfigured Thailog attempts to steal Zafiro's obsidian amulet, and up until then Demona resented her transformations into a human at sunrise, but when she learns that turning to stone causes unbearable pain for Thailog, she vows to embrace her human form to spite him. An incredibly complex character, I've heard it said by the series creator that if Demona were to ever fully admit her fault in everything she's done, the realization would utterly crush her psychologically, and thus she has to remain in complete denial. Deep.
1. Ken Ichijouji/Digimon Emperor-Digimon Adventure 02
Yes I know he's technically a DigiDestined, but I put this kid at the top of the list because he goes through one of the best-written character and redemption arcs I've ever seen in a TV show. It's mentioned that when some people travel to the Digital World, their clothes change to match their personalities, which is why Davis looks like a super rad biker or Yolei a fighter pilot. Ken saw himself as an archetypal dark lord, and appeared as such. He enslaved vast swathes of the Digital World, tortured countless Digimon, kidnapped Augumon and corrupted him, and created the terrible Kimeramon. He even kicked a puppy! Well, he didn't just kick it: Apparently in the uncensored original sub he basically sent it into orbit. Seriously, this kid makes Anubis look tame. I've read the "Dark Spore" was used as a sort of cop-out, but the spore didn't force him to be evil. It fed off of deep-seated resentment towards his older brother and dialed it up to 11. He even wished his brother would "go away" and the subsequent trauma only drove him deeper into darkness.
With Demona we see a character remain in full-time denial, but with Ken we see what happens when a character owns up to what they've done. When Ken is defeated he insists he will just "reboot the system" until he is told the Digital World isn't a game, it's a real plane with real creatures and all along Ken has been inflicting incalculable atrocities. Devastated, he sheds his outfit, shambling over to Wormmon, cradling him one last time. Despite entreaties from Davis, Ken staggers off consumed with guilt. He returns home and spends a long time in an almost comatose state before returning to the Digital World. After wandering aimlessly he arrives in the Primary Village and is called out by baby Digimon for his crimes. Screaming his sorrow, he finally comes across a newly reborn Leafmon, Wormmon's baby form. Reunited with his friend, Ken vows to atone for his sins. He isn't immediately welcomed into the team with open arms. The other Digidestined remain wary of him, except for Davis because Davis is Davis… Even Cody dislikes him, which is striking considering Cody's supposed to be the calm one. All is not merely forgiven, and Ken struggles for several episodes, not just before the other kids accept him, but before he accepts himself. His Spanish needs work though...