Retro's Thoughts: I just thought of something. I probably should have said this when I started from chapter 1 book 1. I don't any of the lord of the rings characters, items, or places. Those are all owned by Tolkein and company. With that settled let us commence chapter 3
Chapter 3
A horn sounded off in the distance as a mass of people poured out of their homes into the streets, arming themselves with swords, shields, spears, bows, and arrows. Many were starting to adorn their armor. The armor was beautiful in design, but deadly in efficiency. The armor was a solid steel gray with the exception of a golden dragon on it twisting its way around the torso. Ryouga found it odd that the armor took more of a medieval feel. It seemed to borrow the lightness and allowance of movement from the Mongols, but retained the hard impenetrability of European armor.
Men and even women were beginning to move atop the walkway that lined the wall and prepare their arrows. They all began aiming at the valley to the north. Ryouga could see Lord Kun, adorned in his own fine set of armor, take position at the front of the gate. He then began to see others take position behind him, and soon an entire army was waiting to pour out of the gate to meet the attackers.
Ryouga leapt into action running to the nearest stairs that would lead him to the top of the walkway. He ran past soldiers of all ages and sexes and was amazed to see no oppression or segregation. Apparently, in this village a fourteen-year-old girl was just as good a soldier as a twenty-six year old man was.
He ran past a small boy that couldn't have been any more than eleven years old. He stopped in front of the boy and looked him over. His gaze pierced the boy's armor and skin as he looked to the very core of his soul and feelings. Ryouga sensed the boys fear and pride. The boy would not let anything deter him, but still felt the reluctance of going into combat for the possibility of meeting his end. Kneeling down next to him and placing his hand on the boys shoulder, the boy realized Ryouga's presence for the first time.
"Are you afraid young one?" Ryouga asked creating a chain between the boys' and his eyes.
"...Yes," said the boy, knowing the fear was for the weak, but felt some form of peace in Ryouga.
"There is nothing to fear now," Ryouga said tearing his eyes from the boys' and looking at the gate. "The danger is still far from now." Ryouga got back up to his feet and ran away from the boy leaving him bewildered.
Ryouga reached the top of the platform and moved to the gate. He ran past more warriors armed with arrows until he reached his destination. His heart skipped a beat.
What looked like an enormous cloud of dust, moved closer and closer to the front gate through the valley. Ryouga was awed at the sheer numbers that this amount of men, and maybe even some women, amassed to. Either Tong must have been lying or very in the dark as to how many men encompassed the other villages, because what he saw must have been at least over one thousand troops. His mind swirled even more as he saw a large blob of brown break away from the main group and stop. The only thought that came to him was that the blob must have been cavalry hanging back to wait for a mop up.
Ryouga smiled to himself. He couldn't have wished for a better turn out. Everything was set in his mind. The army was drawing closer, and Kun's men were holding back until the right moment. Only one thing was holding him back right now. Only one thing could destroy his entire plan. He brought his hands together and began to rub the ring, a habbit he had been doing lately. Coming to a conclusion, he nodded his head, leaped over the palisade wall, and ran full bore to the valley and the army.
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Lord Kun waited at the front of his grand army, waiting to face an opponent who was even grander. Although the opposing towns' numbers numbered over five thousand combined, he had the great advantage due to his village's position. Though it wasn't the biggest of the four towns his was the one that was the best fortified. Not a soul could enter his kingdom without his permission.
He tightened his grip on his sword. He expected a good fight today, probably one of the best. Scouts had told him of an army two days away, but he didn't know it was so large or so quick. It had arrived earlier than he had expected and therefore his men were not entirely prepared. In his haste, he had put his helmet on crookedly and it had created a very irritating itch, but he couldn't remove his helmet now. Not when the enemy lie so near.
He heard the rumbling draw closer and closer. The echo of the marching feet reverberated off the surrounding mountains creating a sound that resembled thunder. There's the thunder, he thought, soon will come the jolt of the lightning. He was jolted himself out of his thoughts by the call of his son Sheng-Ji from the top of the catwalk. He ran to the nearest ladder and climbed to the top to find his son squinting at something off in the distance.
Kun turned to where his son was looking and squinted himself. He spied a small young man standing mere yards away from the imposing army.
"Who is that man?" He demanded fiercely spitting a little on the man he was speaking to.
His son stepped in and, with a smirk, said, "It is the Japanese father. I believe he thinks he can destroy that army all by himself." Sheng-Ji let out a loud guffaw.
Kun was about to order someone to get him on horse, when a great voice came down upon him. The voice sent chills down his spine and rocked his very being. After he heard it, he felt as if something had drained a little of his insides.
"SHI THRA DURBUL NAZG TUG GUUND-NA!" The voice said. He didn't recognize what was said, and something inside told him that he didn't want to know.
Kun looked around and saw that not only him, but everyone had experienced the same thing also. Sheng-ji gave him a confused look when both of them turned to look at the enemy army. They both gasped in awe as they saw something they never would have believed in one million years.
The enemy had dropped their weapons and was now kneeling. Kneeling in front of Ryouga.
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(Somewhere off the coast of China)
"Pirates!" The scream from above deck woke up the entire party along with the rest of the ship. The voice must have been talking into a microphone, because the call came through a comm. system. Silence ensued with the exception of gunfire and what sounded like a swarm of seagulls that had followed the boat from the coast.
Shampoo grumbled at the call and rested her head back on the pillow. Waking up Amazons this early in the morning could be hazardous to a person's health, and this time of the month was not particularly rewarding for a woman.
Mousse confirmed her feelings, with the lack of the monthly pain, by shooting out of bed and shooting a chain across the room as he did so. The morning reflex did not bode well with Ukyou whose bunk was dangerously close to where the tip on the chain landed.
Radagast leapt out of bed with a bright eagerness to find out what was going on topside. He adorned his hat and his cloak, transforming into his larger self. Moving over to the small circular window, he groaned as his eyes made contact with several small and fast motorboats.
He roused everyone out of his or her bed and headed for the top deck. As he neared the top deck, he realized that more and more people were rushing about adorning rifles, life vests, and clothes. Radagast took the hint and hurried back to the room to see everyone dressed and waiting.
"We have work to do," he said leaving the room with the other three following suit. They walked through the corridors quickly and without questions as they removed their selected weapons from their selected hiding places. Shampoo withdrew her two bombori and Ukyou began placing small spatulas into the notches of the belt that situated itself across her chest. Mousse's preparation consisted of pulling out a pair of goggles which he attached to his head and tied his hair back into a ponytail. He removed his glasses and asserted the prescription battle goggles on his face.
He had exited the lower decks through a door that took him to the left side of the ship. His entrance to the outside of the ship did not go unnoticed as he witnessed two rifles pointed at him. The two men were both Chinese and dressed with an odd assortment of knick-knacks adorning their clothes.
Radagast smiled and raised his hands slowly. With the speed of light and the sound of a sonic boom, Radagast shot his staff forward sending the two men sliding across the deck the opposite way. The two hit the railing hard, and with the flick of the wrist, Radagast sent them up and over the railing into the water below.
"You three must go that way," he said pointing to the bow of the ship. "You must help the sailors keep this ship in their hands." Radagast started heading to the stern when Ukyou stopped him.
"Wait, what about you?" She asked brandishing her spatula for battle.
"I must help the sailors at the back, but I will be back now go! Hurry!"
The three didn't need anymore convincing as they left him and began to head to the front of the ship. The closer they approached, the more they heard gunfire and the screams of sailors. They reached the front and found it engulfed in a small war.
The deck was comprised of two large anchor holders and several metal boxes placed in such a way that it was anticipated for a battle. The sailors were hiding behind the left anchor holder and the pirates on the right. Gunfire was being exchanged between the two groups, but it was obvious that the pirates were far more equipped for the occasion, and the bright colored clothing of the sailors made easy targets. A lone pirate stood up and threw a grenade over their anchor and into the large mass of sailors, or at least it almost did.
Ukyou saw the grenade mid air and, taking a hold on her spatula like it was a bat, heaved the grenade into the air making for a solid homerun. She couldn't celebrate however as the pirates turned their threat from the sailors to the three new participants of the battle.
Shampoo leapt into action, jumping twenty feet into the air and, using the metal boxes as hopping stones, bounced from crate to crate making her way to the pirate side. The pirates adjusted their aim and made Shampoo an easy target for themselves as they began to open fire on the jumping girl.
Their fingers fell short of the trigger however for the knives and mini-spatulas that had inserted themselves into the pirates' arms. They howled in pain as a small purple haired girl fell down on them, taking them out one by one with her two bombori. Shampoo wielded her weapons well as she dropped opponent after opponent. She was relieved to see Ukyou and Mousse join the fight and begin their own assault on the invaders.
Mousse removed a Bo* from his many pockets and began to use it against the enemies making it his weapon of choice. He dropped one after another twirling the stick through the crowd of invaders. He smashed one in the face, and used the back of his stick to nail another in the stomach. His techniques however allowed him to be slowed down and surrounded quickly. He noticed this and sped his pace up. Finally, seeing no other way out, he fell to a crouch and twirled his stick through the mass of attackers tripping many of them, and buying him some time to continue the attack.
Ukyou saw one pirate begin to flee down the corridor and made haste after him. She slid past the commotion of Shampoo and Mousse's battle and into a corridor similar to the one Radagast and everyone had exited onto. She saw the man running down the corridor and began to run after him. Withdrawing a small spatula, she threw it at the enemy's legs taking out one of his calves and immobilizing him.
She made a small victory gesture with her hand, but was stopped short when the door in front of her opened right into her face. She hit the floor hard and blackness came, as she heard an explosion from the front of the ship.
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Radagast arrived at the front and dispatched a pirate quickly over the railing with his staff, and took down another as the other screamed until the loud splash was heard. He moved forward and witnessed the pile of dead charred corpses at his feet. The sailors had died a most painful death.
"Well look who's come to stop us boys," a man with more junk on his shirt than the others, said. He obviously looked important and was undoubtedly their leader. "I guess we have to turn around now, because their finally unleashing their senior citizens on us." The group of pirates started laughing loudly, and the captain, still laughing from his own joke, lowered his hand. The group of pirates began to open fire on the wizard and soon realized that wizards are not the easiest to kill.
Every bullet that sailed towards Radagast on a direct course for his body would seem to branch off at the last second and shoot some somewhere else. The group of pirates stopped after they saw that their weapons weren't doing anything. The captain grew angry at this and took a gun from one of the men standing next to him. He opened fire as well and grew even angrier when no shots hit Radagast.
The pirates began to grow uneasy and started to move backwards towards the ladder that would lead down to their own ships. Radagast began to take step after careful step towards the group.
"One should not anger a man so in tuned with nature," he said raising his hands above his head. "For I command the sea, the trees..."
The call from a seagull could be heard overhead, and then another one. Another sounded and soon the sky was full of birds.
"...and the birds."
The pirates began to scream as seagulls swooped down from overhead and began to pluck the heads, eyes, and body parts of the invaders. Total chaos ensued when pirates leapt overboard, shot into the air, or dropped to the ground beggin for mercy. The captain screamed in rage and launched himself towards the wizard.
Radagast responded with a motion of his staff, sending the pirate overboard and out to the ocean. What he didn't see was the grenade, devoid of a pin, that the pirate captain had left in his stead. Without so much as a second passing by, a seagull swooped down grabbed the grenade in his beak and heaved it overboard to where the captain had probably landed in the ocean.
Radagast sighed with victory as he saw the pirates retreat into their boats and zoom away at top speed.
"Radagast! Radagast!" The call came from behind him, so he turned around to find Mousse and Shampoo panting heavily. From the look in their eyes, he knew it was trouble, and from the lack of Ukyou knew what happened. He sighed in defeat and watched the boats of the pirates sail off into the sunrise.
"They've taken Ukyou, Radagast."
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(Back in Northern China)
Ryouga had really dug himself in deep this time. Before him stood an army of more than he could count, he probably looked like a deserter to his own side, and now he was stuck in the middle of the two. He had improvised hoping that the ring would come through and help him, but he saw no signs of that happening.
The army was marching ever closer, and he saw the soldiers begin to prepare their weapons for the small Japanese boy that stood in their way. Ryouga began to stroke the ring praying for it to work. Realizing that nothing was happening he pulled his hand out of his pocket and began to shake it at the army.
"Work! WORK! God damnit WORK!" Ryouga was shaking it violently in the air throwing his fist at the army that approached. He could now make out their eyes and the hatred that existed there. This wasn't such a hot idea, he thought, I guess my plan wasn't going to work after all. I wish someone would help.
And like a whisper in his ear, he heard the words. He couldn't understand them, but instead felt them, like they weren't just words, but diagrams revealing themselves to him, and piercing his body. He could also feel the language. It was not one that he cared too much for, and it sounded dark and disturbing. Hearing it sent chills down his spine. He was unsure of his plan now. His plan to govern and rule.
However, something inside of him changed his mind. Taking a firm stance, he drew in a fresh breath of air and clearly.
"SHI THRA DURBUL NAZG TUG GUUND-NA*," he shouted at the army, and to his disbelief the army continued to march. He had lost hope until he saw the eyes in the soldiers had changed. The once passionate people who had come here for battle now surrendered themselves to a greater power. Their eyes drooped and the color in them faded several notches leaving a dull brown or green.
Ryouga was surprised at what he had said. The speech was magnificent and terrifying, but he liked it altogether. He felt sure of himself afterwards, when the army laid down their weapons and knelt before him. Even the cavalry dismounted and knelt on the ground. The flag carriers dropped their flags in the dirt kneeling before their ruler.
Ryouga smiled to himself when a group of soldiers from the town came and began to bring him back inside the town wall. Ryouga's plan was now in full swing and nothing could stop it, but it was far from over. Ryouga turned once more to the army that knelt.
"Go back to your village and tell your townsmen that their king will come, and the Devil will come with him."
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(Unknown)
Darkness. I've always hated the darkness. Always? Have I? The rattled man awoke in a room full of padding. Strange. He stood up and tried to remember the events from before. A chapel. A statue. A trap door. A name. What was that name?
Jonathon S. Basser II had been that man's name. The man who had lied at his feet when he spoke to the statue hoping to gleam some information from her. The man chuckled at his own stupidity of the matter. The room had no doors and no other means of exit that he could see so he sat against the padded wall. He was hungry, hurt, and he had broken his glasses on the way down.
Opening his pocket, he removed the glasses only to find that they were indeed broken, as he had thought. He examined the edges closely to find something very odd. The fact that he could examine the glasses and not require any at all was marvelous. His far-sightedness had always caused him to wear glasses and now he didn't need them!
Bewildered, but still a little happy he set the glasses on the ground and began thinking about his current situation. Why had he come here? Because I'm changing. He knew it since a while ago. With the power surging in his body and his rash decisions in council, he had become increasingly odd among his peers, and this place felt like it held the answer.
He was startled out of his reverie as a door made out of the room itself opened to reveal a dark path lighted with weak, dim lights that were spaced out in the hall. He got to his feet, brushed himself off, and was on his way.
He had walked for what felt like a mile when finally he came to an electronically sliding door labeled only with the words "Basser Cryo-storage." Inquisitive and left with no other option, he walked forward and the door hissed open to reveal a room lighted with bright green canisters. He walked up to one and felt the glass. His hand shot away quickly from the cold that was coming from the fogged glass. Realizing for the first time just how cold it was in this room, he rubbed his hands against his shoulders and headed for the nearest exit.
He passed by more and more green canisters until he finally found a door similar to the first only without the words. He took several steps and again it slid open like the first. He walked into a new room, which was now pulsing with heat. Removing his jacket, he walked up to the only thing worthy of his attention, and possibly the attention of anyone who could ever see it.
A gigantic jar two meters tall and filled with water was situated in the center of the room. It was surrounded by a ton of electrical equipment including a life support monitor, a mini backup generator, a normal generator, a cooling system, and a control computer. However, what grabbed his eyes the most was the sight of a human existing in the tank, or what would be the bare necessity of what a human would need to live.
The tank carried inside it a spinal column, and attached to it was the mendula oblongata and the brain. Connected to the brain existed two eyes, deep gray in coloring, that peered down at him. A constant stream of bubbles swarmed inside the tank, which was probably filled with nutrient enriched fluids.
The man who, several days earlier, had been considered the most powerful man in the world now had trembling knees. The sight before him was monstrous and went against the laws of humanity itself, and judging from all the equipment it was probably still alive in there.
"Why do you cower like a weakling?" It spoke to him breaking the thick silence like the crack of a whip. The man dared not speak back for his fear was now overwhelming him. He turned to run but found the door hiss shut behind him and a metal bolt could be heard from the outside locking the door in place. He realized that he had nowhere to go, and that maybe this... thing could answer some of his questions.
"I cower because I am afraid. Fear is a feeling of the soul, something I do not think you posses anymore," he said stinging back. He would not give him the satisfaction and look weak in front of this scientific abomination.
"You are mistaken. I feel fear much as I do pain, suffering, and loneliness. You feel these as well. That is unnecessary. You do not need these emotions." The monotone of the voice disturbed the man. It seems that whoever this person, or whatever it is, does indeed lack a soul and does not miss it.
"I know what you think. In your mind, you believe I do not have a soul, but you are mistaken. I do indeed have a soul. You are the one lacking a soul."
The comment struck the man like a truck. He felt weak all of a sudden, but held his ground showing no change. The remark was absurd. Everyone has a soul. Then why does it affect me so much, he asked himself.
"You're wrong. I have a soul that burns brighter than a star," he said it more to himself than the tank, reassuring him that the statement was true. He felt no comfort afterwards however.
"You still don't know do you. You are ignorant and I can see why you are here so early. I will explain even though it does not matter anymore. You are not a human. You are nothing. You are the product of science, genius minds, and several billion strands of DNA. I was the founder of the Illuminati. I am the Illuminated one. Unfortunately, science could not catch up with the times so I was forced into this. We were very advanced back then. More advanced than you could possibly imagine. I was kept like this until the technology was made available for a new body. My predicament had grown too large however, and when the time was right, I could not be moved. I therefore cloned myself. You are a product of me, Jonathon S. Basser II. The others passed away, but I remained the same."
A clone. Below even the lowest form of life. He couldn't believe it. He wouldn't believe it, but he somehow knew it was true. I was born without a soul. Without parents, a home, or a childhood. America, taken aback by the speech, fell to the floor and held his head in his hands. Impossible.
"But these powers. The powers that I have. They've been bothering me recently, attacking my psyche. You don't have these. YOU CAN'T HAVE THESE." America was screaming at the top of his lungs, tears flowing freely from his eyes. To wake up to a world that you had no part of. To live a life that was not yours. To be the offspring of a test tube was a horrible feeling that he could not bare.
"Yes that is intriguing. I program all of my clones to carry a life threatening disease and put into their mind the notion to come here. My fail-safe makes sure none betray me. You unfortunately have no fail safe yet you came here anyway. Now it is time for for someone else to take your place. You have outlived your usefulness. Goodbye." A small hiss emanated from the vents in the room.
Outlived your usefulness. So that's all I am, one of my many father's hands. No. I must be more. The power I posses is unique, and unique to me alone. I will show you father.
Jonathon S. Basser II stood from his position on the floor and drew in a deep breath. He began walking towards the glass tank. He brought his hands up and drew upon them. He felt the blood flowing in them, the muscles twitching inside them. He was real, and he was human.
He raised his hands higher and like a god, lightning poured forth from his fingertips and began to assault the arsenal of electronics in the room. Pain arched through his body, but he didn't care. He would show his make believe father that he was real. A stray lightning bolt hit the generator making it explode sending metal shards across the room, one slicing open Basser's shirt. He recoiled from the sting, but continued to do damage, the tears still flowing. The brain began screaming in agony, but ceased after the tank split open sending water pouring across the floor. The venting of the gas also ceased and the lightning stopped. The room was littered with debris from the explosions, and the cause of it all stood menacingly over the limp remains of his creator.
Jonathon bent down and picked up the brain moving it in his hands. With one quick movement, he snapped the spinal column in half, and dropped it to the floor.
After an hour of dismantling each clone cylinder Jonathon found his way out through a small tunnel in the command room. He reached the top and stepped out into the bright harsh sunlight. He dusted himself off and held his wound tightly. After sitting down for a bit, thinking about what to do, he sat up and started on his way. For it was the dawning of a new day.
*With this ring I command all
*A bo is a long stick (Think Donatello from Ninja Turtles ;)
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Retro's thoughts: Wow. That's all I have to say. Wow.
Chapter 3
A horn sounded off in the distance as a mass of people poured out of their homes into the streets, arming themselves with swords, shields, spears, bows, and arrows. Many were starting to adorn their armor. The armor was beautiful in design, but deadly in efficiency. The armor was a solid steel gray with the exception of a golden dragon on it twisting its way around the torso. Ryouga found it odd that the armor took more of a medieval feel. It seemed to borrow the lightness and allowance of movement from the Mongols, but retained the hard impenetrability of European armor.
Men and even women were beginning to move atop the walkway that lined the wall and prepare their arrows. They all began aiming at the valley to the north. Ryouga could see Lord Kun, adorned in his own fine set of armor, take position at the front of the gate. He then began to see others take position behind him, and soon an entire army was waiting to pour out of the gate to meet the attackers.
Ryouga leapt into action running to the nearest stairs that would lead him to the top of the walkway. He ran past soldiers of all ages and sexes and was amazed to see no oppression or segregation. Apparently, in this village a fourteen-year-old girl was just as good a soldier as a twenty-six year old man was.
He ran past a small boy that couldn't have been any more than eleven years old. He stopped in front of the boy and looked him over. His gaze pierced the boy's armor and skin as he looked to the very core of his soul and feelings. Ryouga sensed the boys fear and pride. The boy would not let anything deter him, but still felt the reluctance of going into combat for the possibility of meeting his end. Kneeling down next to him and placing his hand on the boys shoulder, the boy realized Ryouga's presence for the first time.
"Are you afraid young one?" Ryouga asked creating a chain between the boys' and his eyes.
"...Yes," said the boy, knowing the fear was for the weak, but felt some form of peace in Ryouga.
"There is nothing to fear now," Ryouga said tearing his eyes from the boys' and looking at the gate. "The danger is still far from now." Ryouga got back up to his feet and ran away from the boy leaving him bewildered.
Ryouga reached the top of the platform and moved to the gate. He ran past more warriors armed with arrows until he reached his destination. His heart skipped a beat.
What looked like an enormous cloud of dust, moved closer and closer to the front gate through the valley. Ryouga was awed at the sheer numbers that this amount of men, and maybe even some women, amassed to. Either Tong must have been lying or very in the dark as to how many men encompassed the other villages, because what he saw must have been at least over one thousand troops. His mind swirled even more as he saw a large blob of brown break away from the main group and stop. The only thought that came to him was that the blob must have been cavalry hanging back to wait for a mop up.
Ryouga smiled to himself. He couldn't have wished for a better turn out. Everything was set in his mind. The army was drawing closer, and Kun's men were holding back until the right moment. Only one thing was holding him back right now. Only one thing could destroy his entire plan. He brought his hands together and began to rub the ring, a habbit he had been doing lately. Coming to a conclusion, he nodded his head, leaped over the palisade wall, and ran full bore to the valley and the army.
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Lord Kun waited at the front of his grand army, waiting to face an opponent who was even grander. Although the opposing towns' numbers numbered over five thousand combined, he had the great advantage due to his village's position. Though it wasn't the biggest of the four towns his was the one that was the best fortified. Not a soul could enter his kingdom without his permission.
He tightened his grip on his sword. He expected a good fight today, probably one of the best. Scouts had told him of an army two days away, but he didn't know it was so large or so quick. It had arrived earlier than he had expected and therefore his men were not entirely prepared. In his haste, he had put his helmet on crookedly and it had created a very irritating itch, but he couldn't remove his helmet now. Not when the enemy lie so near.
He heard the rumbling draw closer and closer. The echo of the marching feet reverberated off the surrounding mountains creating a sound that resembled thunder. There's the thunder, he thought, soon will come the jolt of the lightning. He was jolted himself out of his thoughts by the call of his son Sheng-Ji from the top of the catwalk. He ran to the nearest ladder and climbed to the top to find his son squinting at something off in the distance.
Kun turned to where his son was looking and squinted himself. He spied a small young man standing mere yards away from the imposing army.
"Who is that man?" He demanded fiercely spitting a little on the man he was speaking to.
His son stepped in and, with a smirk, said, "It is the Japanese father. I believe he thinks he can destroy that army all by himself." Sheng-Ji let out a loud guffaw.
Kun was about to order someone to get him on horse, when a great voice came down upon him. The voice sent chills down his spine and rocked his very being. After he heard it, he felt as if something had drained a little of his insides.
"SHI THRA DURBUL NAZG TUG GUUND-NA!" The voice said. He didn't recognize what was said, and something inside told him that he didn't want to know.
Kun looked around and saw that not only him, but everyone had experienced the same thing also. Sheng-ji gave him a confused look when both of them turned to look at the enemy army. They both gasped in awe as they saw something they never would have believed in one million years.
The enemy had dropped their weapons and was now kneeling. Kneeling in front of Ryouga.
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(Somewhere off the coast of China)
"Pirates!" The scream from above deck woke up the entire party along with the rest of the ship. The voice must have been talking into a microphone, because the call came through a comm. system. Silence ensued with the exception of gunfire and what sounded like a swarm of seagulls that had followed the boat from the coast.
Shampoo grumbled at the call and rested her head back on the pillow. Waking up Amazons this early in the morning could be hazardous to a person's health, and this time of the month was not particularly rewarding for a woman.
Mousse confirmed her feelings, with the lack of the monthly pain, by shooting out of bed and shooting a chain across the room as he did so. The morning reflex did not bode well with Ukyou whose bunk was dangerously close to where the tip on the chain landed.
Radagast leapt out of bed with a bright eagerness to find out what was going on topside. He adorned his hat and his cloak, transforming into his larger self. Moving over to the small circular window, he groaned as his eyes made contact with several small and fast motorboats.
He roused everyone out of his or her bed and headed for the top deck. As he neared the top deck, he realized that more and more people were rushing about adorning rifles, life vests, and clothes. Radagast took the hint and hurried back to the room to see everyone dressed and waiting.
"We have work to do," he said leaving the room with the other three following suit. They walked through the corridors quickly and without questions as they removed their selected weapons from their selected hiding places. Shampoo withdrew her two bombori and Ukyou began placing small spatulas into the notches of the belt that situated itself across her chest. Mousse's preparation consisted of pulling out a pair of goggles which he attached to his head and tied his hair back into a ponytail. He removed his glasses and asserted the prescription battle goggles on his face.
He had exited the lower decks through a door that took him to the left side of the ship. His entrance to the outside of the ship did not go unnoticed as he witnessed two rifles pointed at him. The two men were both Chinese and dressed with an odd assortment of knick-knacks adorning their clothes.
Radagast smiled and raised his hands slowly. With the speed of light and the sound of a sonic boom, Radagast shot his staff forward sending the two men sliding across the deck the opposite way. The two hit the railing hard, and with the flick of the wrist, Radagast sent them up and over the railing into the water below.
"You three must go that way," he said pointing to the bow of the ship. "You must help the sailors keep this ship in their hands." Radagast started heading to the stern when Ukyou stopped him.
"Wait, what about you?" She asked brandishing her spatula for battle.
"I must help the sailors at the back, but I will be back now go! Hurry!"
The three didn't need anymore convincing as they left him and began to head to the front of the ship. The closer they approached, the more they heard gunfire and the screams of sailors. They reached the front and found it engulfed in a small war.
The deck was comprised of two large anchor holders and several metal boxes placed in such a way that it was anticipated for a battle. The sailors were hiding behind the left anchor holder and the pirates on the right. Gunfire was being exchanged between the two groups, but it was obvious that the pirates were far more equipped for the occasion, and the bright colored clothing of the sailors made easy targets. A lone pirate stood up and threw a grenade over their anchor and into the large mass of sailors, or at least it almost did.
Ukyou saw the grenade mid air and, taking a hold on her spatula like it was a bat, heaved the grenade into the air making for a solid homerun. She couldn't celebrate however as the pirates turned their threat from the sailors to the three new participants of the battle.
Shampoo leapt into action, jumping twenty feet into the air and, using the metal boxes as hopping stones, bounced from crate to crate making her way to the pirate side. The pirates adjusted their aim and made Shampoo an easy target for themselves as they began to open fire on the jumping girl.
Their fingers fell short of the trigger however for the knives and mini-spatulas that had inserted themselves into the pirates' arms. They howled in pain as a small purple haired girl fell down on them, taking them out one by one with her two bombori. Shampoo wielded her weapons well as she dropped opponent after opponent. She was relieved to see Ukyou and Mousse join the fight and begin their own assault on the invaders.
Mousse removed a Bo* from his many pockets and began to use it against the enemies making it his weapon of choice. He dropped one after another twirling the stick through the crowd of invaders. He smashed one in the face, and used the back of his stick to nail another in the stomach. His techniques however allowed him to be slowed down and surrounded quickly. He noticed this and sped his pace up. Finally, seeing no other way out, he fell to a crouch and twirled his stick through the mass of attackers tripping many of them, and buying him some time to continue the attack.
Ukyou saw one pirate begin to flee down the corridor and made haste after him. She slid past the commotion of Shampoo and Mousse's battle and into a corridor similar to the one Radagast and everyone had exited onto. She saw the man running down the corridor and began to run after him. Withdrawing a small spatula, she threw it at the enemy's legs taking out one of his calves and immobilizing him.
She made a small victory gesture with her hand, but was stopped short when the door in front of her opened right into her face. She hit the floor hard and blackness came, as she heard an explosion from the front of the ship.
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Radagast arrived at the front and dispatched a pirate quickly over the railing with his staff, and took down another as the other screamed until the loud splash was heard. He moved forward and witnessed the pile of dead charred corpses at his feet. The sailors had died a most painful death.
"Well look who's come to stop us boys," a man with more junk on his shirt than the others, said. He obviously looked important and was undoubtedly their leader. "I guess we have to turn around now, because their finally unleashing their senior citizens on us." The group of pirates started laughing loudly, and the captain, still laughing from his own joke, lowered his hand. The group of pirates began to open fire on the wizard and soon realized that wizards are not the easiest to kill.
Every bullet that sailed towards Radagast on a direct course for his body would seem to branch off at the last second and shoot some somewhere else. The group of pirates stopped after they saw that their weapons weren't doing anything. The captain grew angry at this and took a gun from one of the men standing next to him. He opened fire as well and grew even angrier when no shots hit Radagast.
The pirates began to grow uneasy and started to move backwards towards the ladder that would lead down to their own ships. Radagast began to take step after careful step towards the group.
"One should not anger a man so in tuned with nature," he said raising his hands above his head. "For I command the sea, the trees..."
The call from a seagull could be heard overhead, and then another one. Another sounded and soon the sky was full of birds.
"...and the birds."
The pirates began to scream as seagulls swooped down from overhead and began to pluck the heads, eyes, and body parts of the invaders. Total chaos ensued when pirates leapt overboard, shot into the air, or dropped to the ground beggin for mercy. The captain screamed in rage and launched himself towards the wizard.
Radagast responded with a motion of his staff, sending the pirate overboard and out to the ocean. What he didn't see was the grenade, devoid of a pin, that the pirate captain had left in his stead. Without so much as a second passing by, a seagull swooped down grabbed the grenade in his beak and heaved it overboard to where the captain had probably landed in the ocean.
Radagast sighed with victory as he saw the pirates retreat into their boats and zoom away at top speed.
"Radagast! Radagast!" The call came from behind him, so he turned around to find Mousse and Shampoo panting heavily. From the look in their eyes, he knew it was trouble, and from the lack of Ukyou knew what happened. He sighed in defeat and watched the boats of the pirates sail off into the sunrise.
"They've taken Ukyou, Radagast."
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(Back in Northern China)
Ryouga had really dug himself in deep this time. Before him stood an army of more than he could count, he probably looked like a deserter to his own side, and now he was stuck in the middle of the two. He had improvised hoping that the ring would come through and help him, but he saw no signs of that happening.
The army was marching ever closer, and he saw the soldiers begin to prepare their weapons for the small Japanese boy that stood in their way. Ryouga began to stroke the ring praying for it to work. Realizing that nothing was happening he pulled his hand out of his pocket and began to shake it at the army.
"Work! WORK! God damnit WORK!" Ryouga was shaking it violently in the air throwing his fist at the army that approached. He could now make out their eyes and the hatred that existed there. This wasn't such a hot idea, he thought, I guess my plan wasn't going to work after all. I wish someone would help.
And like a whisper in his ear, he heard the words. He couldn't understand them, but instead felt them, like they weren't just words, but diagrams revealing themselves to him, and piercing his body. He could also feel the language. It was not one that he cared too much for, and it sounded dark and disturbing. Hearing it sent chills down his spine. He was unsure of his plan now. His plan to govern and rule.
However, something inside of him changed his mind. Taking a firm stance, he drew in a fresh breath of air and clearly.
"SHI THRA DURBUL NAZG TUG GUUND-NA*," he shouted at the army, and to his disbelief the army continued to march. He had lost hope until he saw the eyes in the soldiers had changed. The once passionate people who had come here for battle now surrendered themselves to a greater power. Their eyes drooped and the color in them faded several notches leaving a dull brown or green.
Ryouga was surprised at what he had said. The speech was magnificent and terrifying, but he liked it altogether. He felt sure of himself afterwards, when the army laid down their weapons and knelt before him. Even the cavalry dismounted and knelt on the ground. The flag carriers dropped their flags in the dirt kneeling before their ruler.
Ryouga smiled to himself when a group of soldiers from the town came and began to bring him back inside the town wall. Ryouga's plan was now in full swing and nothing could stop it, but it was far from over. Ryouga turned once more to the army that knelt.
"Go back to your village and tell your townsmen that their king will come, and the Devil will come with him."
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(Unknown)
Darkness. I've always hated the darkness. Always? Have I? The rattled man awoke in a room full of padding. Strange. He stood up and tried to remember the events from before. A chapel. A statue. A trap door. A name. What was that name?
Jonathon S. Basser II had been that man's name. The man who had lied at his feet when he spoke to the statue hoping to gleam some information from her. The man chuckled at his own stupidity of the matter. The room had no doors and no other means of exit that he could see so he sat against the padded wall. He was hungry, hurt, and he had broken his glasses on the way down.
Opening his pocket, he removed the glasses only to find that they were indeed broken, as he had thought. He examined the edges closely to find something very odd. The fact that he could examine the glasses and not require any at all was marvelous. His far-sightedness had always caused him to wear glasses and now he didn't need them!
Bewildered, but still a little happy he set the glasses on the ground and began thinking about his current situation. Why had he come here? Because I'm changing. He knew it since a while ago. With the power surging in his body and his rash decisions in council, he had become increasingly odd among his peers, and this place felt like it held the answer.
He was startled out of his reverie as a door made out of the room itself opened to reveal a dark path lighted with weak, dim lights that were spaced out in the hall. He got to his feet, brushed himself off, and was on his way.
He had walked for what felt like a mile when finally he came to an electronically sliding door labeled only with the words "Basser Cryo-storage." Inquisitive and left with no other option, he walked forward and the door hissed open to reveal a room lighted with bright green canisters. He walked up to one and felt the glass. His hand shot away quickly from the cold that was coming from the fogged glass. Realizing for the first time just how cold it was in this room, he rubbed his hands against his shoulders and headed for the nearest exit.
He passed by more and more green canisters until he finally found a door similar to the first only without the words. He took several steps and again it slid open like the first. He walked into a new room, which was now pulsing with heat. Removing his jacket, he walked up to the only thing worthy of his attention, and possibly the attention of anyone who could ever see it.
A gigantic jar two meters tall and filled with water was situated in the center of the room. It was surrounded by a ton of electrical equipment including a life support monitor, a mini backup generator, a normal generator, a cooling system, and a control computer. However, what grabbed his eyes the most was the sight of a human existing in the tank, or what would be the bare necessity of what a human would need to live.
The tank carried inside it a spinal column, and attached to it was the mendula oblongata and the brain. Connected to the brain existed two eyes, deep gray in coloring, that peered down at him. A constant stream of bubbles swarmed inside the tank, which was probably filled with nutrient enriched fluids.
The man who, several days earlier, had been considered the most powerful man in the world now had trembling knees. The sight before him was monstrous and went against the laws of humanity itself, and judging from all the equipment it was probably still alive in there.
"Why do you cower like a weakling?" It spoke to him breaking the thick silence like the crack of a whip. The man dared not speak back for his fear was now overwhelming him. He turned to run but found the door hiss shut behind him and a metal bolt could be heard from the outside locking the door in place. He realized that he had nowhere to go, and that maybe this... thing could answer some of his questions.
"I cower because I am afraid. Fear is a feeling of the soul, something I do not think you posses anymore," he said stinging back. He would not give him the satisfaction and look weak in front of this scientific abomination.
"You are mistaken. I feel fear much as I do pain, suffering, and loneliness. You feel these as well. That is unnecessary. You do not need these emotions." The monotone of the voice disturbed the man. It seems that whoever this person, or whatever it is, does indeed lack a soul and does not miss it.
"I know what you think. In your mind, you believe I do not have a soul, but you are mistaken. I do indeed have a soul. You are the one lacking a soul."
The comment struck the man like a truck. He felt weak all of a sudden, but held his ground showing no change. The remark was absurd. Everyone has a soul. Then why does it affect me so much, he asked himself.
"You're wrong. I have a soul that burns brighter than a star," he said it more to himself than the tank, reassuring him that the statement was true. He felt no comfort afterwards however.
"You still don't know do you. You are ignorant and I can see why you are here so early. I will explain even though it does not matter anymore. You are not a human. You are nothing. You are the product of science, genius minds, and several billion strands of DNA. I was the founder of the Illuminati. I am the Illuminated one. Unfortunately, science could not catch up with the times so I was forced into this. We were very advanced back then. More advanced than you could possibly imagine. I was kept like this until the technology was made available for a new body. My predicament had grown too large however, and when the time was right, I could not be moved. I therefore cloned myself. You are a product of me, Jonathon S. Basser II. The others passed away, but I remained the same."
A clone. Below even the lowest form of life. He couldn't believe it. He wouldn't believe it, but he somehow knew it was true. I was born without a soul. Without parents, a home, or a childhood. America, taken aback by the speech, fell to the floor and held his head in his hands. Impossible.
"But these powers. The powers that I have. They've been bothering me recently, attacking my psyche. You don't have these. YOU CAN'T HAVE THESE." America was screaming at the top of his lungs, tears flowing freely from his eyes. To wake up to a world that you had no part of. To live a life that was not yours. To be the offspring of a test tube was a horrible feeling that he could not bare.
"Yes that is intriguing. I program all of my clones to carry a life threatening disease and put into their mind the notion to come here. My fail-safe makes sure none betray me. You unfortunately have no fail safe yet you came here anyway. Now it is time for for someone else to take your place. You have outlived your usefulness. Goodbye." A small hiss emanated from the vents in the room.
Outlived your usefulness. So that's all I am, one of my many father's hands. No. I must be more. The power I posses is unique, and unique to me alone. I will show you father.
Jonathon S. Basser II stood from his position on the floor and drew in a deep breath. He began walking towards the glass tank. He brought his hands up and drew upon them. He felt the blood flowing in them, the muscles twitching inside them. He was real, and he was human.
He raised his hands higher and like a god, lightning poured forth from his fingertips and began to assault the arsenal of electronics in the room. Pain arched through his body, but he didn't care. He would show his make believe father that he was real. A stray lightning bolt hit the generator making it explode sending metal shards across the room, one slicing open Basser's shirt. He recoiled from the sting, but continued to do damage, the tears still flowing. The brain began screaming in agony, but ceased after the tank split open sending water pouring across the floor. The venting of the gas also ceased and the lightning stopped. The room was littered with debris from the explosions, and the cause of it all stood menacingly over the limp remains of his creator.
Jonathon bent down and picked up the brain moving it in his hands. With one quick movement, he snapped the spinal column in half, and dropped it to the floor.
After an hour of dismantling each clone cylinder Jonathon found his way out through a small tunnel in the command room. He reached the top and stepped out into the bright harsh sunlight. He dusted himself off and held his wound tightly. After sitting down for a bit, thinking about what to do, he sat up and started on his way. For it was the dawning of a new day.
*With this ring I command all
*A bo is a long stick (Think Donatello from Ninja Turtles ;)
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Retro's thoughts: Wow. That's all I have to say. Wow.