Chapter 2 - Old Adversaries Collide
A Short Branch-Off Fic, by Smoke_Rulz
srssbm.cjb.net
(*music starts*)
Smoke Rulz and Infernu's blasts speed toward Embro. Embro levels himself and thrusts his hands forward, firing his own energy blast, neutralizing the other two. "How the hell?" Infernus says.
"Since when did you develop energy manipulation?" Smoke says.
Embro lands on solid ground, causing a small quake. "Let's say I learned a few tricks in the other world." Embro replies.
(*music picks up*)
Smoke and Infernus stare down Embro, posed for battle. Embro just grins evilly, the evilist of intentions running through his eyes. Infernus looks into the golem's eyes, and is overcome by a feeling of anger. Images flash before his own eyes. Images of his defeat at Death Mountain. Embro slamming into the volcano walls, eventually tossing him into the lava at the bottom. Infernus snaps out of his memory and charges Embro, furiousity at it's peak.
(I'm ethereal, my children are legion, serial
They stick to my skin like beloved cysts
I tear away with my nails and teeth and fists)
Infernus lashes a flaming fist at Embro, who moves his head to the side. He responds with a rock-hard knee to Infernus' ribs. He grabs Infernus out of air, ready to begin a beating, but fails to see SR's approaching flying kick. The kick sends Embro back a few feet, but he remains on his feet. Infernus jumps out of his arms and succeeds in a kick of his own. Embro takes a swing, but misses. He then thrusts his massive arms forward, hitting the two masked warriors with a blast of invisible energy and sending them back toward the trees.
(Touch the hands of inverted saints
Follow my heart through the threaded pain)
Smoke and Infernus quickly recover from the blast and see Embro coming toward them. They dash forward toward him instead. Smoke and Infernus phase out and reappear rapidly, attempting to confuse Embro. Embro stops advancing and closing watches the phasing warriors. The two reappear on opposite sides of Embro and attack, only to be blocked. Embro pushes the two warriors away. "I've extremely improved since last time. You cannot defeat me!" He yells, looking back and forth at the two.
"You don't know the meaning of improved!" Infernus yells, coming at Embro once again.
Embro blocks the attack. Smoke tries to take advantage and advance from behind, but Embro was expecting it. He strikes Smoke with a backhand before he can finish the attack. He then turns his attention back at Infernus, who he has by the throat. He squeezes tighter. "I will enjoy this..."
(Callow man is a sentinel screaming
I see the future, the future is bleeding)
Infernus grabs Embro's wrist, attempting to pull it away from his throat. Embro just grins. Infernus' hands become surrounded in fire as he fights harder. To Embro's surprise, Infernus is pulling his hand from his throat. Embro reaches around with his other fist and strikes Infernus in the jaw, nearly beheading him. He then grabs him by his vest and flings him into the forest. Smoke stands up and sees Infernus flying. Embro holds his palms forward and unleashes a massive ball of energy straight into the forest. The result is a huge explosion.
(Sores, every god damn minute I can feel 'em now
Like a virus, you will never kill me now
Goin' underground, comin' on like hepatitis )
SR covers his face with his arms as large chunks of trees fly past him. He looks up. "INFERNUS!" He yells, getting no answer.
Embro glances over at him whilst laughing. "And YOU'RE NEXT!" He yells.
Smoke, now furious, holds his hands out. "Sredan Jimrood, Neieolv Netsok, Ehc Sirtkele!" Smoke says.
An electric field passes over Smoke in a flash of yellow light. The symbol of Electric Magic appears on the back of his hands. Smoke then reaches behind his back and yanks out his massive broadsword. Small amounts of electricity pass over the blade as he holds it in front of him. Embro clearly sees this as a sword challenge. Molten lava begins flowing down from his shoulders and into his hands. The lava forms itself into a broadsword and hardens into lava rock. Smoke dashes forward, as does Embro.
(We're out, and you can't reshape us
Another bug in the construct
Tearin' up the main bus B
Zeros and ones are everything, execute me )
Their swords meet, creating a loud clanging sound. Smoke pulls backward and goes in from the right, but Embro blocks. Embro slashes upward at Smoke's face, but Smoke arches back and avoids the hit.
(Everywhere you look, it's like they know
Their fingerprints are hidden by CONTROL
This is where the line is drawn, see
YOU CAN'T TAKE MY SOUL AWAY FROM ME!)
Smoke swings his sword upward, knocking Embro's sword into upward. He comes back down, striking Embro hard in the shoulder. Embro yells in pain, and is now quite angry. He thrusts his sword forward, almost impaling Smoke. Smoke attempts another shoulder strike, but Embro knocks the sword away. Embro swings his sword upward and then down, aiming for SR's head. SR swings his sword around and grabs the end of blade. He moves it in front of his face, blocking Embro's sword.
(What do you need to see? Ya feel the impact?
Gotta retract, everybody get back
What is this? It's like a big conspiracy
Fields of dejected morbid progeny )
Embro pushes down on Smoke's sword. Smoke sees his own blade get fatally close to his throat. Embro smiles and continues to push down. Smoke begins to charge his blade with electricity. The electricity moves across Embro's sword, but seems to do nothing. Embro then notices his sword is beginning to disintigrate. Smoke pushes his sword forward, breaking Embro's in half, and striking him square in the face.
(They always say that it's always our fault
But everything we say is taken with a grain of salt
Man, it's always the same, if we talk or complain)
Embro jumps backward, grasping his jaw. Smoke reaches behind him and puts his sword away. Embro glares at him, but is then distracted by an explosion in the forest. The two look over, and are surprised to see Infernus standing amongst the fallen trees, his body surrounded in a firey aura. A mass of flame gathers in his right hand, as he comes charging toward Embro. Embro is too dumbfounded to move. "FLAME STRIKE!" Infernus yells out.
The mass of flame extends into a large sword-like mass. He hits Embro with it. The fire expands and spans out on contact, sending Embro flying into the sky.
(We only wanna upset the balance
How's it feel to be the New Abortion?
The only generation to suffer extortion)
Smoke concentrates his own power. A small portion of the sky becomes blanketed in dark clouds. He lifts his hand into the air, as thunder begins to crackle. He then swipes his hand downward. A large lightning bolt crashes down from the clouds, striking the still airborne Embro. Embro is impaled by the bolt, and comes crashing down onto the cave island out in the water. Smoke's lightning cloud dissipates.
(Everywhere you look, it's like they know
Their fingerprints are hidden by CONTROL
This is where the line is drawn, see
NO!)
Smoke walks over to Infernus, who is gripping his left arm, and staring over at Embro, who is barely moving. "You alright?" Smoke asks.
"Fuck no," Infernus replies, "my arm's broken."
Smoke just looks over at Embro. "Think he's dying?"
"Probably, but we better go over and make sure he dies." Infernus says.
The two get ready to head over, but stop in their tracks, as they see none other than the mighty demon Mazada. He has appeared on the island. He looks down at the fallen Embro, and releases a black mist from his hand. The mist absorbs into Embro, healing his wounds. He stands up, and they talk for a second, but Smoke can't hear them. Mazada walks into the cave where Bogey Man and the others are. Embro follows behind him, and destroys the top of the formation, caving in rocks to block the cave entrance.
(*music slower*
You can't take my soul away from me)
Smoke and Infernus dash out over the water, heading straight for the island. Embro sees them, and stands ready.
(You can't take my soul away from me
*music picking up again*
YOU CAN'T TAKE MY SOUL AWAY FROM ME!)
The two strike at Embro with massive strikes, and then begin to throw barrages of punches and kicks. Embro takes all the shots, showing virtually no signs of weakness.
(YOU CAN'T TAKE MY SOUL AWAY FROM ME!)
Smoke pulls out his wakazashi and charges it with electrical energy. Embro grabs a hold of Infernus' broken arm, attempting to worsen the injury. Smoke stabs his electrifyed blade into one of the crevice's of Embro's rock exteriors. Embro yells out, and pushes SR away from. He reaches over and yanks out the sword, hitting Infernus in the process. Infernu's head slams against the hard rock of the nearby cave formation.
(YOU CAN'T TAKE MY SOUL AWAY FROM ME!)
Embro flings the blade at Infernus, who moves. Smoke quickly jumps up and continues his assault on the rock beast.
(YOU CAN'T TAKE MY SOUL AWAY FROM ME!
YOU!)
Infernus gets up, wearily. He sees his comrade fighting in the rematch of their lives. He grips his broken arm. It feels as if it's being impaled by knifes. He summons his Fire Magic to his right hand, ready for another Flame Strike.
(Everywhere you look, it's like they know
Their fingerprints are hidden by CONTROL
This is where the line is drawn, see
You can't take my SOUL AWAY FROM ME!)
Embro hits Smoke with a blast of lava, and turns around to see Infernus coming at him with a Flame Strike. He moves to the side, Infernus' attack hitting the dirt. He swings his mighty fist, knocking Infernus to the ground. He then attempts to stomp on him, but Infernus rolls away toward where Smoke is standing. They charge Embro once more, only to be pushed back into the outer cave wall. "This is insane. We can't win this way!" Infernus says.
Smoke nods, and then gets an epiphany. He notices the yellow pillars in the water, and remembers: It's the Cursed Springs. "We need a different approach! Let's turn him into something else."
Infernus, puzzled at first, notices the Cursed Springs. He smiles. The two get up. "CHARGE!" They both yell.
(*music picking up more*
Everywhere you look, it's like they know
Their fingerprints are hidden by CONTROL
This is where the line is drawn, see
YOU CAN'T TAKE MY SOUL AWAY FROM ME!)
The two speed as fast they can straight at Embro, colliding against him with their shoulder blades. Embro slides back a bit, to the edge of the land. "My shoulder blade is gone!" Infernus says.
Embro maintains his balance, half of his foot off the edge already. "Ha! You can't defeat me, you IDIOTS!" He yells, "I'll kill you now!"
Embro gets ready to push off and charge. But, the push-off causes the dirt under his foot to cave in. He falls backward and lands in the cursed water with a large splash. Smoke and Infernus walk closer, and watch as a being who used to be Embro jumps out and lands in front of him. Infernus laughs. Embro looks at himself, and realizes the truth. He was turned into a human, roughly teenage. "What have you done to me?!? I'm a weak human now!"
"That was the whole point!" Smoke says, laughing away himself.
Infernus moves in and begins his assault on the new Embro.
(YOU CAN'T TAKE MY SOUL AWAY FROM ME!
FUCK YOU!)
Infernus slams Embro against the rocks. Embro falls to the ground, bleeding profusely. Smoke stands nearby, electric energy surging around his body, causing objects around him to move and float around erratically. Infernus tosses Embro out on the land's edge, near the water. Embro fights to stand up. Smoke holds out his hands. "Time to rejoin Slifer in death, Embro! THUNDER... FORCE!"
(YOU!)
Embro screams in horror as the incredibly massive blast, made up of all of Smoke's Electric energy, disintigrates him to dust.
(NO!
*end song*)
Smoke falls to his knees, drained of Electric energy. He quickly resites his dispel Spell. "Nabrev Nethcam!"
The magic symbols disappear from his hands. He stands up and dusts himself off. Infernus walks up. "It's all over now." He says.
Smoke nods, and glances around at the surroundings. Then, out in the water, he notices Ace. Ace is holding Colleen and attempting to swim back to the island. "Ace! Don't move! The Cursed Springs are still out here!" Smoke yells.
Ace stops swimming, afraid to death of the Cursed Springs. "You go get them, and I'll clear the cave opening." Infernus says.
Smoke flies out to the water. Infernus gathers ki energy in his right hand. After a few seconds, he fires off a straight blast, disintigrating the rocks blocking the entrance. Smoke lands back on land and sets down Ace, who is carrying the unconscious Colleen. "Let's go on in and see if anyone still exists." Smoke says.
The three walk toward the cave. Infernus and Ace enter, but Smoke stops. He looks back, and stares at the sky for a moment, lost in thought. Then, he turns back, and continues into the cave.
THE END.
And that wraps up this 26 Days branch-off. And boy did I enjoy writing it.
The song you see in this song fic, also one of the main inspirations for this story, is the song "New Abortion" by one of the greatest bands whoever lived: Slipknot, off their CD Iowa. (Track 12) If you're a hard rock or heavy metal fan and don't mind songs around death, torture, anti-society, satanism, and other "taboo" stuff, then you'll probably really like Slipknot. (BTW... in case you didn't already know, I do not own this song. I do however own my own copy of Iowa. And I treasure it.)
Anyway, I'm off to write Chronicles.
Stay (sic), fuckers.
~ Smoke_Rulz
