Okay, let's get the facts straight; I don't own Spawn, I don't own Tenchi Muyo! or any of either animations' characters. I borrowed ideas, even if some aren't correct to the story in the animation. So please don't sue me for some simply creating a story with borrowed ideas. This is the first chapter of perhaps more to come, so enjoy.
When Hell Visits
He stood there, his merciless green eyes peering into Oscar Jackson's eyes. He had been judged, Oscar had, and he was chased literally to the ends of the world. Oscar had committed many felons, including desecrating the home of his attacker, the one with no alliance. Haskin, wrapped in his long red cape, looking deeply into Jackson for any sign of forgiveness, twisting his armor-covered head. He was an agent of evil, in his former life, twisted and manipulated to commit sins. He was selected himself to become an agent of the most extreme evil, Melbolgia, in other words, the real Devil. But, he had found himself, and forgiven all the people who's life he had crushed in his previous life. Still, he was forced to compromise with Melbolgia, and was converted into a pawn for him, to do his bidding and lead his legions on Earth. He refused to be someone's patsy after discovering the Burning Truth. He was just a pawn, and would never be anything else if he didn't change his ways. But, despite all the heroism he displayed as he destroyed countless numbers of Melbolgia's army of hellspawns, like himself, he was still committing evil. This was unacceptable, so he changed his life drastically by saving countless human lives from certain death, and dealing with those who wished to corrupt his city of Tokyo. He was bestowed freedom from Melbolgia by an agent of the most supreme good, Angel. She set his powers completely free from the devil once and for all. Now, his powers were his, and they were a force to reckon with, even without using barely any power, Gato Haskin, now the most powerful Spawn in the mortal realm, was still a formable opponent.
The police of this city had always come upon crime scenes in which a man was miraculously saved from death. That was his duty to this city; keep things safe, deal with the scum of the city, and show the most powerful good that you can make a difference. He was given this task by Angel, and he accepted without hesitation. Why, he alone knew, and would never tell anyone else.
Oscar stumbled into an alley, which had a dead end. He pounded and pounded on the wall, trying to escape with his life. Last he saw, the thing had stopped chasing after he turned the last block.
There was a small thump from behind him, and the thing stood there, its red cape surrounding him like it had a mind of its own. Wordlessly, the thing moved towards him, slowly, each step sending more and more fear into Oscar. It stopped ten feet away, well in the middle of the alley. His cape outstretched and surrounded Oscar. The only thing, besides darkness, that Oscar saw now was the thing. It moved ever closer, then chains all over its body grabbed Oscar with lightning-like speed. He hung in midair, awaiting his execution, his lesson.
And wordlessly, he got his education, as the chains started to moved faster and faster over his body, effectively tearing the small man into pieces. Oscar (the pieces) fell to the ground, with sick thumps of their own. The cape retracted to Spawn's body, and he walked away, then jumped into the sky, onto the roof of an abandoned apartment complex. His eyes burned, and jumped to his humble abode.
They were already there; the agents of evil gazed horridly at the collapsed church. He lived here, Lord Melbolgia had said, and it was their job to bring him back to the flames of Hell, or to exterminate him. Lord Melbolgia preferred the latter, so that was what is was going to be.
The two Spawns--trained in Hell for over a century, to master their powers---stood outside, in an alley, waiting for the rebel Spawn to appear. And he did, near the second they both started to enter the building. He stood in front of them, cape covering everything but head, and he stood fearless, before his two would-be assassins.
They, in respect, committed a ten second ceasefire, and gazed admiringly at the impressive site of Gato.
"Time to die, spawnjin," the one to the left said, smiling bitterly, his burnt lips creasing.
"Honto ni?" Gato asked, unmoving, gaze burning with green energy. It seeped out of his sockets, dispersing into the air around his eyes. The two agents looked at each other, and looked back at Spawn.
"But...you forgot something." Spawn took a step, powerful and earthshaking. "This is my arena," he said with a grin, and jumped upwards, faster than any eye could follow. But, they managed a glimpse of his enormous cape, and followed.
Feeling somehow left for dead, Ryoko lay in the grass, wishing she could have come along with the others. Like a fool, she had overreacted when Aeka made a comment, and refused to come with her to the movies. So, she was left behind, stargazing to pass the time. They went to Tokyo, and she had followed them halfway, but considered it childish, and stopped by the road. The stars caught her attention there, and she sat in the grass. That's what happened to poor ole Ryoko-chan.
"Aeka-san," she said with a smile, "is a witch." Ryoko laughed, because she could, out in the open, with no one around. What a night this was. It actually just wasn't the wanting to go to the movies with Tenchi-sama that lured her out here, but something else. Something she had felt before, when shopping in Tokyo. A power, unlike she had ever felt, that was conjured of the most ever concentrated evil was felt there, and out here. She admitted she was honest, but shrugged to the fact that it could be nothing. Could've been anything, really, let alone something to be afraid of---in the dark, alone, away from all civilization...
She shivered when an invisible, undetectable thing passed over her body. Some kind of energy, it may have been. Ryoko stood, and crooked her head to the left, as she heard many fast footsteps, coming down the road she was situated beside. Her enhanced hearing led her to believe three people were coming, hauling ass very quickly.
And she gasped when the first one appeared around fifteen feet away, shrouded in a red cape, torn everywhere, but constantly covered his body, even when he paced the rode, obviously waiting for the others to catch up.
And when the first did, chains from everywhere viciously attacked the poor man, and shredded him to bits and pieces of unrecognizable human being. She looked, jaw dropped, at the man who stood there, the chains returning beneath his massive cape.
The second man came running up, a long greenish energy sword swinging wildly at the man in the cape. He stepped slowly, quietly to the side each the other man attacked, evading the attack. Then, the cape raveled him, and a mere second later, the cape returned to its neutral position on the other man's body. The second man was no longer man, but a mere pile of torn flesh and bones.
Ryoko was so caught up in the scene, she didn't realize her presence had been noticed by the caped killer. And he turned her way, and she jumped back.
She met his burning stare, his eyes literally aflame with green energy, burning with lust to kill, it seemed. And there was a whoosh behind her suddenly---where did he go?--- She snapped backwards, and he was there, his huge person looking beyond her, out onto the city. Then, she stumbled to find something to say. "W---what are you?" she asked, backing away, remembering her own powers. "Why did you have to kill those two?!" And she activated a sword, not out of her words, but for the feeling of comfort behind it.
He stared on, looking at the city, his red cape twirling about on his body. "You should have gone, Ryoko-san," he said, his voice a mixture of pleasantness, and unpleasantness. Her mouth trembled, as did her body. "Don't let her discourage you." His cape covered his body completely, and it vanished into the sky.
Ryoko fell down panting, looking up at the sky, then at the two men who could be classified as 'mush' now. Who was that?--Why did he kill those two? And---why did he spare me? How--did he know about me? My name...?
She fell down, looking up into the skies above for answers. Unfortunately, they did not respond to her mental probing. She sighed, and closed her eyes, noticing perspiration all over her body. She needed a shower, and good rest.
"Until the next time, weirdo," she said between gasps. Ryoko faded from existence, on her way to the house.
Spawn stood on a large skyscraper, peering onto a loving family. He leaned closer to the family, noticing an old man. It was Yosho, a man he had met in his previous life, with his previous body, over a well thousand years ago. Yosho had saved Gato's life when he was a fool to trust the demons. For that, Gato had never forgotten Yosho's name. He could even smell the goodness on the old, wise man. Feeling the need to greet his older friend (if Yosho still knew him), he swooped off of the skyscraper.
Down, past all the windows of the office building, past the on looking workers, some of which would be committing suicide later---Gato could sense this type of thing, and now they would think twice by seeing his falling body. He landed, right behind the family, on his knee, and quickly, in less than a second, his cape enveloped them, and they were suddenly at the Masaki residence, standing in the living room.
Ryoko was here too. She had no idea why they were here, and sure as hell no idea whatsoever why he was here.
He was standing in front of them, his massive, slender frame surrounded by cape, standing in the kitchen doorway. Darkness seemed to surround him, never showing a clear sight of his face. He was truly mysterious.
"Yosho-dono," he said emotionlessly. His form kneeled lowly to the ground, and ran super fast up to the group, appearing much closer, very quickly.
"Gato-sama?" the old man replied back, peering into Spawn's burning eyes. His glasses glared with artificial light, blocking his eyes from view.
"How'd we get here?" Washu asked, looking around. "Must have been some kind of subspace technology..." She stopped, and everyone noticed the creature before them.
"Oh my God--" Ryoko said, stepping back. She had appeared with the group as well, which was strange. "It's the caped killer!"
"What?" asked a neutral Tenchi. "What do you mean, 'killer'---?"
"I decapitated several of Melbolgia's men outside the city," the thing replied, eyes burning more with the green flames. "Ryoko-san was there, watching the entire thing." He stood to full height, looking down on all the others. "I sensed her power before I left the city. And yours as well, Yosho-dono." He closed distance between the two groups, and was standing directly in front of Yosho, craning his neck, gazing into the old man's eyes. "I could never forget that time." Everyone finally realized that the creature had magically appeared by Yosho, and scattered across the room. His cape brushed several of their legs---and they didn't hesitate to yelp---as it crawled all over, getting larger and covering more area.
"That can't be you, Gato-sama," Yosho said, his voice wavering only slightly. "You were the man with good intentions higher than anyone in the universe---"
"Don't give me that shit, old man." Spawn closed in a little closer, very close to Yosho now. "Melbolgia himself offered me immortality only if I commanded the Legions of Hell for him. He wanted me to accept so much, he killed me, Yosho, and sent me to the regions of Hell." Spawn paused allowing Yosho to absorb only some of the much information to come. And Tenchi suddenly spoke.
"Who's this Melbolgia guy, anyways---" he started, but was silenced quickly. Unfortunately, he stood by his grandfather when everyone ran. If he had ran away with the others, the large blade tips of the gleaming metal knuckles pointed at his throat would not have threatened him as much. But, since he was so close...
Spawn kept his knuckles still touching the boy's throat, threatening to hurt him if he dare interrupt. "I did, Yosho. 'The man with good intentions higher than anyone in the universe' excepted a deal from the devil, old man." He closed a little more, literally having his body centimeters from touching Yosho. His cape had completely covered the room, and everyone had to jump on it, fearing they would be swallowed like the man Ryoko had vividly described to them while running away. "But, I soon found myself, and chose to flout Melbolgia and ignore all his kind." He stepped back. "I thought the demon Ryoko-san had killed you surely, but you eluded death itself. I saw that, deep within her." He kneeled, and looked up at the old man. "Until when death finally catches up, Yosho-dono." And the cape folded into itself, and no one could run from it. It wasn't painful, just very disorienting.
The group, including Ryoko, appeared in the front yard, just outside the porch of the Masaki residence, in a shroud of darkness that vanished quickly. Finally, Mihoshi spoke.
"Was he saying 'hi' or something?" and everyone face faulted, as Mihoshi shrugged, asking "what???" Then, the real questions started to role in.
"What was that about, Yosho-sama?" Aeka asked. She was breathing deeply, and was horribly shocked by what had just happened, just like everyone else.
"What she means to say, Gramps, is, 'what the hell was that thing'?" Ryoko asked, floating in front of Yosho. He simply sighed, and sat on the ground. "Story time, eh?" Everybody sat in a circle, and listened to what Yosho had to say.
"He used to be a man of his word, literally an agent of God, unknowingly, of course." He paused. "A Knight of Jurai, he once was. Of the purest and noblest ancestors known, but forgotten in time." Aeka gasped, at least, as she would have known of this. "He was confronted with evil, and forced to serve, or was to be eternally damned." Yosho shrugged. "From what he told me, he must have found his inner 'good', which helped him rebel Melbolgia's control over him." Tenchi began to ask, but Yosho held up a hand. "He's truly the worst and most foulest creature in the Universe. He could be, and usually is, referred to as 'the devil'."
Everyone gasped, then twice, then thrice! during the entire speech. Yosho ended up explaining how the forces of 'good and evil' were at a constant war, fighting each other mainly on the mortal realm (Earth). He dismissed any other questions, and ordered everyone to get to bed. And everyone did, sighing all the way. Washu went to her lab, to input all this information, for it was older than she. Ryoko rested on her perch, trying to answer her earlier questions. Mihoshi, of course, fell asleep before entering the house, and had do be dragged to her shared bedroom by Sasami. Aeka followed closely, but exchanged a glance at Tenchi. He waved, assuring he was alright, and went to his own room.
He didn't sleep, and kept looking around his room. That man had created a scary feeling deep within Tenchi, and that caused him to stay awake all night. Eventually, of course, Ryoko entered and watched over him, tried to enter his bed----that's when he had to act---, and left with a wave. But she phased from underneath the bed, and gave him a hug, then she was gone.
At least someone was looking out for him, right? With Ryoko on guard, he was sure nothing would bother him---besides the guard herself. He closed his eyes, but felt an immediate sense of being watched. He looked outside, through his window, into the darkness.
Out on the tree line by the lake, a figure with swirling masses around him stood on top of a tree, how he was balanced was a mystery. He was staring at Tenchi, directly, and he could tell because of the---
--burning green eyes, that melted his calmness and safety in a matter seconds. Tenchi flailed in his bed, and then the creature jumped high, so quickly he couldn't follow him in the sky. It was strange that the creature had singled him out and watched. Creepy. Just too creepy..
His head fell, sweat pouring off of him. Maybe, at least, he would get some sleep.
It crept its head to the side devilishly, shaking excess 'goo' off its skin. It was a creature of old legend, of Hell legend, that is, and was truly dangerous. To mortals, definitely; to spawns, that's what it was created for. The creature, called 'Spawn Hunter' from its usual name (Helbolgea), was freakishly thin, but massively tall, complemented by a grinning face full of sharp teeth. It was a merciless beast, even to its own master. To Melbolgia himself, sometimes.
Helbolgea moved forward, gentle knocking on the door of the house it stalked. Suddenly, it shifted to that of a human man, brown hair, brown eyes, brown skin--very plain, but it still passed as human. He wore a brown business suit, and carried a brown brief case. He grinned as he saw the door opening.
"Hello?" asked an aged voice, "Who's there?" An old man stepped onto the front porch, easily five and a half feet.
"Hello, sir," said the Helbolgea, "I'm Mark, with the insurance agency. Can I come in?" he asked with a grin.
At nine o'clock in the morning, someone had come to visit the Tenchi gang. Ryoko was excited if it were the scary caped killer (she seemed to have him on her mind a lot), but it just turned out to be some guy with the insurance agency. Really, Nobiyuki should have been consulting with him, but he was at work.
The Tenchi gang, even to little Ryo-Ohki, had moved to the living room, to listen to the discussion. Yosho was currently talking to the man.
"So, Mr.---?" started the insurance man, Mark. Yosho raised a hand.
"Masaki, will do."
"Ah, yes, Mr. Masaki," said Mark, "we have currently received reports of bizarre incidents occurring near this property. We, as an agency helping you, the consumer of our protection, need to know if you would like any excess insurance to cover these events." Mark reached into his brief case, which he always kept level with his waist, and pulled some papers out. "These papers here state that you only have fire and dental insurance, can I recommend you advancing your coverage, sir?"
Yosho sighed and looked around. "I really should discuss this with my son-in-law," Mr. Masaki said kindly. "Would you mind waiting here until lunch? He comes here occasionally to eat lunch with us."
Friendly Mark looked at his watch underneath his sleeve---the band was brown, just like everything else. "Oh, sure. I can mind waiting an hour, sir. This is, of course, for your own safety, and safety is our goal--"
"Oh, can't you stop it with the company gimmicks?" Ryoko interrupted, obviously annoyed. Mark looked at her very angrily, for his humble self, and then calmed himself, putting a 'hurt' face on.
"I--they said--" Mark stuttered, waving his arms, 'accidentally' dropping his brief case. The papers flew in all sorts of directions.
"Sorry, Mark-san," apologized Aeka, on Ryoko's behalf. "Ryoko should just go somewhere else if she doesn't want to hear---"
"No, Miss Aeka, is it?" He sighed and kneeled to pick his papers up. Aeka got off the couch----where almost everyone else sat seated---and helped him pick up the many papers. "The company said I should act to the benefit of our clients..." He shrugged, and accidentally bumped his head trying to pick up the same paper as Aeka. "Sorry, Aeka-san!" he said, blushing. Ryoko sighed and turned away from it all, and started a discussion about the caped killer with the others.
"It's quite alright, Mark-san," she said, also blushing. It could have been pushed aside as a little 'accident', but Mark pushed it a tad further.
"I---" he stuttered, still blushing. "No, it's not. I didn't mean to hurt you!" He sighed heavily, his voice changing slightly, like someone inside him sighed, someone different... "I come here with best intentions and I end up hurting someone...it always happens..."
"But I'm fine, Mark-san," Aeka said, not picking up anymore of the numerous papers. "If you hurt someone, actually hurt them, Mark, you wouldn't be as nice as you are now." She smiled. "Hurting people actually gives you feeling of anger deep in yourself, that is happy when you hurt someone." She smiled even more, and he stopped with the papers as well, looking into her eyes. "You don't have that, I can see it in your eyes." There was a silence, just total silence between them, as they looked into each others eyes.
"But I'm really---" he started to say sweetly, when there was a thump on the roof. Another thump, very loud this time, and everyone looked up. "What's that? Oh, no---"
And a single chain ripped through the roof, headed for Mark and Aeka, ripping through the ground as well, on a course to kill. Mark threw a shocked Aeka out of the way of the killer chain, and jumped himself. When it was past Mark, he looked up, to see it retract into the roof. Everyone else was on alert now.
"This is no gimmick, Ryoko-san," Mark said, smiling. "This an example of how insurance saves in the long run." He ran off outside of the house, forgetting his brief case.
Well, there's the end of it. I don't want any flames because I berate myself enough as it is, but a good review would go appreciated. I have a boat load of more stories to come, so beware :-\
Childe Derek
