After bringing Crydius to the townhouse, Double-D brought everyone to the basement garage lab and drew blood from him and Ben before using inventions of his own design to scan the DNA signatures.
After some searching, Double-D's eyes widened in amazement when he found an anomaly that was shared in both boys' blood samples and that the DNA signatures matched each other near-perfectly. He gathered his research and turned to the others.
"Fellas, I don't know how to say this... but your DNA is not like anything I've seen before! It's human, but there is something... ANCIENT in it."
"Like something from H.P. Lovecraft?" Ed excitedly asked as Double-D rubbed his chin.
"I wouldn't go THAT far... can I see your symbols? I think I've seen them in a book before."
Ben and Crydius looked at each other and nodded as they held up their hands, revealing their symbols, which glowed brightly as Double-D reached into the pocket space of his hat and pulled out a large book called 'The Messages of Old Times' as he began skimming through it.
"Here they are!"
Everyone looked as Double-D placed the book on the table and saw the two symbols all marked together on a cave painting of some kind. They were also shown on an ancient stone tablet being held by two hooded figures who bore the same emblems on their hands.
"From what I can gather, these symbols are the Notae Primae Dualitas, that's Latin for 'Marks of Primordial Duality'. They both represent the balance between Order and Chaos and how one cannot properly function without the other needing each other to balance out or else ruin will come."
Ben and Crydius took another look at their symbols. Ben's symbol was the symbol of Order while Crydius's was Chaos.
"Damn, now that's something unreal!" Chris said with a whistle.
"Wait, what else is there about the marks?" Rina asked as Double-D read through it.
"Apparently, in ancient times there were two brothers, one born of light and the other of darkness, both born to combat a great evil that threatened all of existence. Before they passed, they foretold that their powers would return one day in two worthy brother bearers and that they would be the ones to put down this evil for good."
"So...we're brothers?" Ben asked, a slightly hopeful tone in his voice as Crydius frowned in contemplation.
"This is...rather sudden. But what the heck even is this great evil that was mentioned?"
Double-D skimmed through the pages of his book before finding a person of interest. It was only an ancient drawing of him, but it was a terrifying sight of what he looked like all the same. Rolf leaned over the sockheaded boy's shoulder, and his eyes widened when he recognized the drawing.
"The Baba Yaga?!" Rolf asked in shock and horror.
"You know him, Stretch?" Eddy asked worriedly.
"The great evil is Keanu Reeves?" Ben asked as Crydius facepalmed.
"Okay, no. That's just a moniker he got in the movies."
"Besides, the Baba Yaga also means Boogieman, right?" Rina asked. "So, you guys were basically born to fight the Boogieman."
"Rolf thought he was what Nana made up to make Papa behave...!"
Double-D nervously read more about the person in question. "I regret to report that this fellow was no mere Boogeyman or stealer of children... Rather, he was the feared lord of all malicious spirits."
Double-D showed pictures of the evil force that Ben and Crydius were destined to face. What they saw was not pleasing in the least, ranging from men and women being attacked and their bodies defiled by monsters and demons controlled by the force to the force's own physical body, sitting on a throne surrounded by his minions.
Ed's eyes widened when he recognized one picture. "EVIL TIM?!"
"Wait, you mean that weird dark god you tried invoking with your scam, Ed?" Eddy asked in shock as Ed nodded.
"If that's true then..." Double-D looked at Ed with exasperation. "DO YOU REALIZE WHAT YOU COULD HAVE UNLEASHED ON THE CUL-DE-SAC BACK THEN?!"
Junior frowned, her ears twitching. She swore she knew who this deity was but she couldn't put her finger on it. Still, this sense of familiarity left her with a great unease she had never felt before.
"What's this freak's actual name, DD?" Chris asked, prompting Double-D to look back into his book in worry.
"Says here that he went by many names. The harbinger of death, the catalyst of chaos, and more. But the most prominent name, his true name, is Velhallen Beo."
"Sounds like something a drug junkie would come up with. Either that or some really goofy death metal band that takes themselves too seriously. But, why the hell is that name so familiar to me for some reason?" Junior muttered.
"Ladies and gentlemen, don't you see? This Velhallen Beo is, for all intents and purposes, REAL!" Double-D said worriedly.
Ben and Crydius simply stared at the picture of Beo in the book, contemplating. Rina was the first to comfort Ben, putting a hand on his shoulder as she smiled warmly at him, wordlessly telling him that his friends will be there for him. No matter what. Crydius sighed as he turned to Ben.
"Well, guess it wouldn't hurt to call you my brother. Ever since you arrived I've theorized that you and I might have been connected in some way, especially considering the similarities that I noticed between us. Although at the time I had written those off as pure coincidence."
"But!" He held up a hand, sharply glaring at his long-lost brother. "Don't expect me to join in this whole 'new family' gig. I've got my own things to do that don't involve any of you."
So..what now?" Double-D asked.
"Does this mean we're friends now?" Ed asked with a hopeful smile.
"I dunno about 'friends'. I think more along the lines of 'mutual acquaintances' or something." Crydius said as he began taking his leave.
The next day, Ben was still processing what he had learned about him and Crydius being brothers meant to fight against a great evil. He tried to focus on other things, but the revelation was always at the forefront of his mind, which kept him from focusing on his classes. Alongside that, he thought back on the numerous people he met along his personal journey.
Right now he was in Lilith Clawthorne's English class, catching her attention thanks to this behavior. Once class was over, Lilith walked up to Ben's desk and lightly shook him to get his attention.
"Huh, what? Oh. Crap, guess I must have missed class or something. Sorry, Ms. Clawthorne."
"It's alright. Is something on your mind, Ben? The way you acted during class today made me think that."
"Was I really that obvious?"
Lilith nodded her head, causing Ben to sigh as he shared what was on his mind.
"I see. That must have been a lot to take in. Well, the best advice I can give is don't think about it too hard, just focus on who you are right now. This 'great evil' most likely won't be appearing any time soon, so just relax. Not doing so will only lead to stress. At least, that's what my sister Edalyn tells me."
Ben thought about her words for a bit, before smiling as he stood up from his desk.
"You're right. Thanks, Mom. I really needed that."
Silence befell the room as the two took a second to comprehend what Ben had just said.
"Oh, sorry, I just remembered! I have to chop my lips off!" Ben said, his face a scarlet flush as he blitzed down the halls.
Lilith watched Ben leave, a stunned expression on her face before smiling as she placed a hand on her chest.
"Huh...Edalyn always did tell me that I had a 'motherly' figure..."
"Fuck! Why the hell did I call Ms. Clawthorne 'Mom?' Hooo my God, I just want the Earth to split open and swallow me up right now."
As he walked, he ended up encountering Penny.
"Salutations, Friend Ben! How was class?"
"Ugh, not too good. I barely paid attention to it because I was more focused on something else."
Ben told Penny what he told Lilith, about how he was destined to face a great evil that threatened reality.
"Oh my, that must have been quite shocking for you and Crydius."
"Eh, I'd say he handled it better than I did. But still, this has done nothing but stress me out, although Lilith did tell me to focus more on the present since she said the great evil is most likely not going to appear any time soon."
Penny walked up to Ben and placed her hands on his shoulders, getting his attention as a light blush appeared on his face.
"Ben, I may not fully understand what you are going through right now, but I do know that Ms. Lilith is right. Focus on the you of now instead of the you soon-to-be. Is that understood?"
Ben nodded his head, prompting Penny to let go of him.
"Good. I am glad that we had this talk."
"Yeah...Me too..." Ben softly said, waving Penny goodbye before sighing as he turned and slowly walked away.
"You are not alone, young one. Thou weren't ever alone."
Hearing the strange voice that seemingly came from nowhere, Ben quickly looked around, getting on guard before relaxing when he saw nobody there.
"Alright, now I know I'm going insane..."
Chris was walking through the hallways of Union Academy when suddenly he heard someone telling another person to leave them alone.
He turned to see a woman getting harassed by quite possibly the ugliest motherfucker Chris had ever seen. Thinking quickly, he walked up to the bastard and tapped him on the shoulder, socking him in the jaw once the guy turned around.
Chris then blasted him back with his FaN, causing the guy to fall flat on his back after he went flying.
"The hell is your problem?!"
Chris then walked up and crouched down so that he could get a better look at the guy.
"Man, you are ugly. I overheard what you were saying to that girl behind me, and I guess it's true what they say about how one's appearance is a reflection of their true self because frankly, you make Two-Face look TWICE as handsome compared to how he looked before he got hit with acid." Chris then grabbed the bastard by his shirt and lifted him up so that he could glare directly into his eyes. "Now you listen well you son of a bitch… If I ever catch you trying to pull the same shit you tried to do to her, I'ma bring a whole new meaning to the term 'blowjob' by shoving this thing up your dick and firing."
"You wouldn't dare," the bastard said before Chris let go and quickly undid the guy's pants, planting his gun firmly against the bastard's crotch.
"Try me."
The guy immediately started to freak out as he promised to not act like a sleaze, even as he tripped and fell flat on his face due to his pants being down.
"Sheesh, what an asshole. You okay?" Chris said as he turned to the guy's would-be victim.
The first thing that Chris noticed was she looked to be about the same age as him, she was rather skinny with fair skin and long, thick mousy brown hair with a side fringe across her forehead, and her eyes were grayish-blue. She also had a red and white headband with a bow that resembled rabbit ears on her head. Further down, she had on a scarlet tank top with a black undershirt, short white shorts with black lycra mini-leggings underneath, yellow and black ankle boots with orange soles, and short red and white socks. She also had a yellow and green fanny pack with a white bracelet that looked like it had a rainbow-colored marble embedded into it.
"Yeah, I'm ok. Thank you."
. "Ah, it was nothing. Had to do SOMETHING, otherwise, that guy was going to defile a pretty little rose such as yourself." Chris said holstering his gun with a smile before whipping out a rose and handing it to her. "Also, may I ask, what's your name?"
The woman blushed as she took the rose. "My name's May. And you?"
"Christian. Christian Wright, but my friends tend to call me Caw or Chris."
Chris and May stood there for a few moments before Chris cleared his throat.
"So, you uh, what you up to?"
"Oh, I was just about to meet up with my friends before that creep showed up. Wanna come?"
"Sure."
In the courtyard, May and Chris approached a group of six girls, these girls being May's friends that she mentioned.
"This here's my squad."
The first girl to be introduced was Hilda. She was rather tall and quite slender with long dark brown hair in a ponytail, white skin, and blue eyes. She had a white and pink hat with a picture of a pink Poké Ball on it, as well as a white tank shirt that reached her waist underneath a black waistcoat and a pair of denim shorts with white tear details on them. She also wore black wristbands with one small pink stripe on each of them, as well as matching black ankle boots with pink laces and soles, and a black pair of socks underneath. She also had a pink messenger bag on her.
"Hey there."
The second girl was Rosa, who much like Hilda, was tall and slim, only difference though was she had very long dark brown hair tied in two large sock buns above her ears, with two long locks that hung down to her waist, and shorter locks on either side of her face, pale peach skin and dark blue eyes. She wore a pink and white visor on her head, as well as a salmon pink tank top tied with a bow around her neck like a bikini top under a white quarter-length slim fit top with ice blue sleeves and a fully salmon pink semi-Poké Ball printed on the chest area. For the bottom half, she had frilly flared mustard yellow shorts over black lycra leggings with salmon pink socks. On her feet were ice blue and white hi-top shoes with mustard yellow laces. She also had a large salmon pink and white handbag with a black strap over her shoulder.
"Nice to meet you."
The third was Akari, a young girl with long, black/dark grey hair, grey eyes, and fair skin. The most intriguing part about her though was her clothes, which consisted of a white bandana on her head with a design on the right side. She also had a navy uniform with some kind of emblem on the left sleeve along with a red scarf around her neck. This all resulted in her looking like she was from the ancient past.
"If you're wondering about my clothes, I'm a big fan of old things. This uniform is from Sinnoh's past, back when it was known as the Hisui Region."
Coming in fourth was Mina, who had ash-blonde hair with pink paint splattered on the sides, gray eyes, and white skin. Her face was marked with pink paint, and speaking of paint, her beige shirt had a camouflage pattern of pastel green and pink paint. She also wore gray jeans and sneakers, the former being a bit ripped. She had a gray bag that looked to be filled with painting supplies and paintbrushes, as well as a charm ring on her right index finger. She also looked rather spaced out, like there was elevator music playing in her head 24/7.
"Hallo."
The fifth member of May's friend group was Valerie, who apparently was a "Hex Maniac", whatever the heck that is. She was a young woman with pale skin and a purple headband on her black hair, and her clothing consisted of a black cobweb dress, white tights, and black Mary Jane shoes. She also had a rather creepy grin plastered on her face.
"Why, hello there."
Yeesh, freaky. Anyways, aside from… her, the sixth and final girl was Gloria.
She was a rather short and slim girl with fair skin, chin-length brown hair with a long strand on the left side, and brown eyes. She wore a gray hoodie with brown triangular buttons over a magenta pink button-up dress, tartan green socks, brown boots with lighter brown laces, black modesty shorts, and donned a dark green and white tam o' shanter on top of her head. She also carried on her person a brown backpack with golden buckles.
"'G'day, Laddie."
Oh, fuck she's Scottish. Um, anyways, they all started talking and, y'know, just generally shooting the shit for the most part, like Mina being at Union because she wanted to expand her artistic horizons, Valerie wanting to learn more about the occult and the macabre, as well as May and Chris doing some light flirting with each other.
"Hold on a sec. I'm just now realizing this, but aren't you one of the new kids that showed up a few weeks back, Chris?" Hilda asked.
Chris nodded his head yes.
"Yep, that's me. And if you're wondering, yes, I'm friends with the other guys who came here along with me, like Ed, Rina, Junior, and Ben."
Speak of the devil and he shall appear, Ben showed up.
"Oh, was wondering where you went, Chris. Come on, school's almost over and we should start heading back to our townhouse soon."
Silence followed as May's friends all stared at Ben, with Valerie leaning towards Chris to whisper into his ear.
"Hey, you think he's single or something?"
Chris sweatdropped as he gave his answer.
"I...uh...you probably should ask him yourself."
Ben tilted his head in confusion upon hearing that, wondering why he said that as he and Chris took their leave.
Devil Dragon Stand Knight A/N:
I don't know what Crydius (The original writer of EQG Crossover) would think about this but when I asked if he could use his OCs with his permission, he told me to do it like how I would do it. This is just me using those creative liberties given to me.
Caw-zrs6 A/N:
And here we are, the big reveal as to the connection that Ben has with Crydius. Now, not to spoil too much on what lies ahead, but we've got some VERY special plans for him and the others, especially in regards to a certain homunculus and a certain robot. Again, not gonna say anything regarding any of that, so stay tuned. Anyways, that's enough out of me, so see you all and have a good day.