Chapter 8: Toxic Love
The sharp metallic 'PING!' of rain striking metal was the only noise, as the Ronins and Warlords materialized in the middle of Toyama. Pulling off his helmet, maddened by the echo of the rain that struck his Armor, Cale scowled at the soggy city around him. "The logic of this escapes me, really. Why are we here in the first place?"
"Where better to search for a guy who's been reborn than the last place you left him?" Kento shrugged his heavy shoulders. "Especially if he's all zombiefied, like Sekhmet said he was."
"He was. He regenerated limbs before my very eyes." Venom couldn't help but shiver. Death and gore were one thing, the unnatural regrowth of arms was another. He changed the subject quickly. "Where is the grave?" Right then, he and the other Warlords were grateful they hadn't buried him in the Dynasty. Things would have been much more complicated.
Sage pointed east. "That way. At least 5 blocks or so."
"No use standin' around here, then..." Rown said sharply. It was beyond him, at this point in time. This whole ordeal was insane. Anubis being reborn, Kayura kidnapped... He stepped off the curb, and nearly lost his balance when his foot slid in something mushy. Knocking backwards into Cale, who thankfully caught him in time, Rowen couldn't help but swear. "So much for that 500 dollar fine for littering..." He kicked at the thing that had tripped him up. His anger turned to disgust when the thing that appeared to be paper stuck to his foot. "Erg!" Shaking his foot wildly, he managed to dislodge it, so that it landed with a wet 'plop!' in the small river that coursed along the curb. Rowen then got a good look at it. He blanched, staggering back. "Oh...god!"
The others, who were busy crossing the street, turned to look at him. "What?"
Rowen merely pointed. It was a long hunk of meat, torn and ragged at the edges, one side still covered in skin, the other side red and raw. It was a peice of human flesh. Cale knelt by the side of it, sniffing lightly. This made Rowen swallow, trying not to throw up. He could smell the rot on the thing, and he was standing up. Down there, it must be unbearable.
"It has the stench of the grave. And smells of Anubis. He was here, recently. Only a few hours ago." He straightened, and marched purposefully down the street. Now it would end. He'd kill the man who kidnapped Kayura, and make damn sure, that this time, he didn't come back. Inside he was icy cold, like a glacier in the form of a man.
Dais tried not to shake his head, ignoring the way the water dripped from his sodden white hair, working his way into his armor. He was already freezing thanks to the dampness from the blasted rain, and this was one Spider who hated any temperature below 60 degrees. Cale's resolve was admirable, but it seemed that the former Warlord was taking it personally, which could make the whole ordeal messy. Cale was one vindictive little mutt when he wanted to be. No one really knew how to respond to Corruption or his actions, so instead they followed behind him silently, listening to the sound of the rain on the pavement, and what they assumed would be the squelching sound of a rotten zombie skulking around.
Ryo, for once, was glad that Cale seemed to have assumed command without directly saying it. It wasn't that he was afraid, nor was he ready to give up his position as leader of the Ronins, but it seemed like, since the Warlords knew Anubis better, they had the upper hand. For a moment, Anubis appeared in Ryo's mind's eye. He had gone from the feared Warlord of Cruelty, to the Ancient's apprentice, and now to some creeptastic zombie fresh out of a video game. He could almost see Anubis' leering grin, a rictus that nearly split his decaying face, one eye bulging as the flesh that held it in place dropped away to reveal the muscle and bone beneath. He'd nearly been splattered on the sidewalk by a man who had, in the last few battles with the Dynasty, had saved his ass enough times to merit some sort of award. "This is insane.." He muttered quietly.
Kento glanced at him, Hardrock's large steel-blue eyes sympathetic and somewhat vengeful. He was most definetly feeling sorry for Anubis' predicament, having lost his final chance at peace, but as the bearer of Justice, he could only feel that the wrongs Anubis had committed earned him a major beating. "I know, man, I know. Who would have thought that this would ever happen?" His nagitana, resting against his left shoulder, shifted a bit as Kento adjusted his grip, as if he imagined that he would have to skewer a former ally with it, however reluctantly. "It's not right..." His stomach constricted with a growl, a low rumble that was barely muffled by the Armor he wore. He wasn't hungry, which was odd in and of itself, but with the knot that sat in his stomach like twenty pounds of rotten hamburger, it was giving him some fierce acid reflux. He swallowed back a rancid burp, ignoring the way it burned his sinuses. Usually the one to lighten a tense situation with humor, even Kento found it hard to find a shred of levity in the situation. There was a bit of twisted mockery in it, though. The past few nights he'd spent a mind-numbing amount of hours playing zombie-themed videogames with Rowen. And, honestly, Kento wasn't up for becoming a main character in Resident Evil or Silent Hill. He looked around at his friends. They all wore a variation of the same expression. It was like he was traveling with 8 other Sages.
They'd all borrowed Halo's 'grim determination' look, and even if their feelings inside didn't match their faces, every single man there, from Dais to Cye, looked like they were out to kick some ass and take names. In an effort to look original, Sage had doubled his patented glare, and the force of it made Sage appear to be able to bite off an end of a steel girder and spit bullets.
"For the love of..." Cye breathed suddenly, making them all stop. Cale was standing at the fence that bordered the cemetary, stock still, his head lifted to catch the faint breeze stirred up by all this blasted rain. Cye expected his nose to start quivering, like a wolfhound hot on the trail of a fox. But it was the sight before the Warlord that made Cye's throat catch. It was like someone had shoved a human through the flaking metal with inhuman strength. There were bits of tissue and skin clinging to the bars, a particularly long bloody strip swaying in grotesque silence. They gathered around Cale, trying to look past the gore, but having much difficulty in ignoring it. Cye actually turned his head away. He didn't have typical British sensitivities (war had that effect on a person), but the spectacle should have been enough to make even the most battle-hardened warrior get at least a little queasy.
Cale pulled the largest of the chunks free, the flesh sliming up his Armor-covered fingers, making a most unpleasant squish as he found himself clenching it as rage bubbled up, necrotic pulp oozing from his fist. "He's inside." Logic would have it that the best way to enter a fence would be through the gates, but Cale was never one for logic. Snapping his wrist, he sent the mashed skin flying. It splattered on the fence, clinging to the metal desperately, even as it dripped to the ground. Ignoring the gunk that was smeared on his left hand, he took hold of the fence posts, and pulled. The rusted metal protested with a squeal, but gave, the cotter pins that held the sections of fencing together snapping. Tossing away the bent metal, he didn't hesitate to use his home-made entrance. Behind him, they all filed into the semblance of a line. Somewhere, deep inside of him, Cale knew that he had to get ahold of himself. Still, he knew that he had a personal vendetta against Anubis, which gave him adequate reason to act like a prick. He'd show Anubis what it was like to face his wrath. No one kidnapped Cale's girlfriend and got away scott-free.
"Well... he shouldn't be hard to find..." Sekhmet murmured once they'd all assembled just inside the cemetary. The rain had tried in vain to erase the gouges in the mud where someone had sloshed through. There were no footprints, only long slashes, from someone who had no strength to lift his feet, and instead had pushed through the mire. They were shallow now, but Sekhmet could tell that they'd once been shin-deep. The ground was full of writhing earthworms that had come to the surface to escape from drowning in the sodden soil. Even now, he saw the feet of he and his companions slowly sinking, the added weight of their Armors making the quicksand-effect of the mud worse.
Cale was already trekking ahead, kicking spatters of mud in all directions as he kicked through. Dais, who didn't want Cale out of his sight, lest he do something insanely stupid (as he had a tendency to do when angered), followed.
"This is just disgusting," Sage growled lightly, using the fence as leverage, pulling himself along. Everyone's movements had become greatly exaggerated as they strove to push forward and keep their balance. It was a chorus of wet suction noises, as feet were pulled from the clinging mud. Soon, the various colors of Armor were decorated liberally with spots and smears of near-black.
"I'd suggest using the markers as steppin' stones... but for the sake of desecratin' the graves and tickin' off any more folks..." Rowen mused, before he got an idea. A light blue film covered him, the power of his Armor manifesting itself and making him airborne. Skimming lightly over the surface of the ground, the bottom half of the sphere flattened the mud like a sort of snowplow. Strata grinned, somewhat sheepishly, at the angered glares of those who had to keep walking. "I kin make us all fly..."
"No." Cale said firmly before Rowen even finished speaking. "Your Armor will put off too much power. And we don't want to give away our position. Especially if Anubis has any...friends."
Dais glowered at the back of Cale's head. He'd just ripped a part of the fence off, and now he wanted to be covert? "Save your energy, Rowen." Nearly tripping, he went down on his hands and knees in the mud when his foot tangled in a submerged root. Swearing loudly, no longer caring who he angered, be they dead or undead, Illusion tried to lever himself up with the nearest tombstone, leaving handprints and gobs of mud on the weathered stone. Thankfully everyone was in a bad mood, or else they'd all be laughing their fool heads off. He felt a hand secure under his right armpit, and he looked over his shoulder. Kento had sunk the blunt end of his nagitana into the ground, and braced himself on it as he hauled Dais to a standing position. There wasn't even a trace of humor on his face. "Thanks."
Kento's response was monotone. "No problem." Ahead of him, Cale, Ryo, and Rowen had come to the place where Anubis had been laid to rest. Once he was sure that Dais was steady, Kento brought up the rear as Sekhmet, Cye, Rowen, Dais and himself caught up. They clustered around the open grave, searching for any sign of their enemy.
"It looks like something out of a horror movie..." Ryo mused, and he was right. The dirt that had covered the coffin was lying around in great heaps, like a mine had gone off below it. The coffin itself was ruined, the lid splintered, jutting up from the hole, lodged into a diagonal position by bent and jammed hinges. The capper was the headstone. It was nearly pulled over, Anubis probably using that as a handhold to pull himself out. The writing was nearly illegible, handprints and mud decorating it. All of them knew the inscription by rote, though.
'Anubis - Valiant Warrior, Ally and Mentor. May His Memory Never Fade or Spoil'
It was bitter irony, now.
"He's hiding around here somewhere." Cale hissed, kneeling by the grave, his eyes cold and hard. Across the gap from him, Sage crossed his arms. With the way his green Armor was covered in brown and black gunk, he looked like he was wearing a weird sort of camoflage, which made his pale blondness all the more stark. Sage was perceptive of the moods of his allies, and it had changed from a rage-driven tenacity, to a somber, sullen one. I suppose the fact that Anubis is the enemy has finally sunk in. ...even Cale looks somewhat remorseful. It won't last, though. Or, even worse, it will add to his hatred. He'll be driven by sadness and fury, which is a dangerous and explosive combination. It could make him even more treacherous than Anubis. Dais knows that. Dais, to Halo, felt like he was pulled taut as a bowstring, the state of affairs making him nervous. He was concerned about Cale, above all things. His feelings for Kayura would be more of a hindrance than a help.
Nine bodies stiffened, Cale nearly leaping to his feet, as the clink of chains and raucous, mad laughter echoed in the humid air. "I'm glad you're all here. ...it saves me the time and effort of hunting you down one by one." They all turned to face the voice, and saw him, the one they were hunting, staring them down defiantly. Shock painted the faces of the Ronin Warriors and ex-Warlords. Anubis was in the Ogre Armor.
"By the gods... what has happened to him?" Sekhmet's jaw dropped open. The Ogre Armor had changed. It was no longer formed in the style that mirrored the design of the original 9. The helmet was still markedly the same, with the long curving horns that crowned its forehead, with the faceplate worked to look like the face of an Ogre. The colors were still the original earth-tones, and the weapon, Anubis' kusari-gama, was still the same, but that was where the similarity ended. The armor was immense and heavy, marked with spikes that looked like the teeth of a dragon or large reptile. Skulls of humans and monsters decorated the belt and legs, and the feet of the Armor were massive, looking like the feet of a giant lizard. The Ogre armor had been warped, and turned into something that Anubis could use to exact his revenge.
Seeing that they were shocked at his appearance, Anubis couldn't help but laugh again. "You all look as if you've seen a ghost." Tightening the length of chain between his hands, he swung the heavy clawed weight back and forth slowly, as if he were debating whether or not to use it. With the Hell-warped Ogre Armor, he felt rejuvenated, almost alive. Had his prey not convieniently shown up, he would have enjoyed a romp through the city. The humans would have been helpless to defend, as he tore down their buildings of concrete and steel, just as he had done under Talpa's rule. Only there was more satisfaction in destroying a modern city, in ruining the massive monuments to progress. Straw and wood hovels were like tinder, easily toppled with little effort. Although, despite that, he could do the same to these buildings, the chains and sharpened steel of his kusari-gama ripping through the supposedly indestructible skyscrapers. With this new strength he could do it with his bare hands, he was sure. But now that the Ronins and the reformed Warlords were here, he could test his strength against the mystical Armor, to see how well the disseminated body of Emperor Talpa could protect the tender mortal flesh within. It would be a refreshing change, facing them in his own Armor, not having to rely solely on his own incredible strength and the undead power he'd recieved. He barked out an evil laugh, feeling the skin stretch, relishing the feel of being whole. When he'd been granted the use of the Ogre Armor his body had reformed, the rot subsiding, the power transforming his flesh into the supple stuff of his life. "...aren't you happy to see me alive? ...well.. alive in a manner of speaking..." From behind the faceplate, his eyes changed shape, one wide and staring, the other narrowed, his pupils wide black holes, nearly consuming the sea-green of his eyes. "I suppose it was a bit cocky of me to expect a warm welcome from all of you. ...especially after our first meeting, Sanada. I see that Halo has healed your injuries. How lovely of him." Emotions swinging the other way, Anubis went from a manic glee to an insane jealous rage, focusing it on Halo. "Could you not have done the same to me?! Couldn't you have saved MY life? Instead you let me die without a second thought! After all I'd done for you! Without me, the lot of you would be hollow statues in Talpa's castle!"
Halo remained undaunted by Anubis' accusations. "Is that was this is about, Anubis? That you died that day? Is that why you cannot rest-" His counterpart, the darkness to his light, cut him off mid-sentence by stepping between he and Anubis. Cale crept closer to Anubis, like a wolf waiting to strike. The rain had darkened the crimson cape of the Corruption Armor, giving it the color of dried blood, and it whipped like a banner about him as the winds began to blow, directing another storm their way. His helmet hadn't yet materialized, giving Anubis an unconcealed view of the terrible expression on Cale's face, winter-white teeth bared as his lips contorted into a snarl, his eyes a mixture of rage and pain. Betrayal and hatred seemed to pour off of him like the water that dripped from between chinks in his Armor.
His tone was made harsh, accented by the growl that rumbled in his throat. "Enough of your childish nonsense, Anubis...!" Anubis remained unaffected, looking rather amused at Corruption's canine display. "Where is she?!" Anubis feigned ignorance, knowing it would infuriate Cale further. It worked wonders. "...WHERE IS KAYURA, ANUBIS?!" Sadly, Cale was walking straight into Anubis' little plot like a sheep to slaughter.
"...who?" Anubis took a deep breath, as if he were thinking, his mood swinging back. "...hmm... Kayura... where have I heard that name..." He snapped his fingers, 'remembering'. "Ah yes! That insufferable witch. I recall her." Cale couldn't see it, but Anubis raised a brow, his look condescending. "Does she mean something to you, Cale?" Lips curled into a devilish smile as he baited his hook. Cale fumed, nearly frothing at the mouth. Just one more push, and it would be over. "Ohh... I see. Has the dog finally found himself an owner? How touching. It seems as if she's got you by the 'leash', as it were." He cackled, swinging the claw weight idly again.
Like a dam pushed to bursting, Cale snapped, his resentment pouring from him in a chilling howl, his datchi a silvery arc as it was unsheathed. Kicking up a spray of mud and rainwater, Corruption went in for the strike, unable to restrain himself. Seven voices behind him called out to stop him, but he paid them no mind. They may have felt responsible for Kayura's abduction, felt the urge to rescue her, but none could compare to what he felt. She was the one who'd soothed his wounds, helped him cope with the life of freedom he'd had before him. When his entire foundation had crumbled like dust, she had somehow managed to support him. When they'd buried Anubis, she'd listened with a sympathetic ear while he mourned. He'd cried until there was nothing wet left in him. He and Anubis had been closest in age, and despite the cruelty they'd inflicted on him during his time as the Warlord leader, Anubis had earned Cale's begrudging respect. Anubis was always an annoying little upstart, and it had infuriated he and the others to no end that the red-haired whelp had been promoted to leader the moment he put his foot in the door. He'd managed to prove himself, though, and with the arrival of the Ronins and Anubis' first resounding defeat, Cale had leapt on the opportunity to rub it in his face. Yet they'd all fail, blaming one another for their shortcomings in battle. It seemed ironic that it was Anubis who was the first to defect, when Anubis took his 'work' as seriously as one could and remain sane. Even when they'd beaten him and thrown him in the Pit, he still tried to save them, to convince them that Talpa would share none of his power. When the time came for the final battle, and Talpa's true intentions were made, Anubis didn't throw their mistakes in their faces. He instead quietly went to battle, with a fervor that made his days as a Warlord seem effortless. He'd given his life so that they'd all survive, and here he was, tarnishing that unbelievable sacrifice with this unforgivable act? How dare he?!
Cale couldn't stop himself, the tears that suddenly poured from his eyes washed away by the fresh rains. A shower of droplets was flung from the blade as he swung viciously at Anubis, the gap between them closed. "WHY?!?!?!"
Without hesitation, Anubis swung, Cale's desperate question hanging in the air, cut off by the clink of chains. Effortlessly he ensared Corruption in miles of chain, tightening them mercilessly, Cale's strangled cry sounding like the sweetest of music. Stepping to the side, he pulled, the impetus of Cale's charge adding to the ferocity of the swing, as Cale flew through the air on the end of the chains that bound him, the tombstone he struck obliterated, exploding in a shower of stone. He passed through three more in that fashion as Anubis twisted, sending Cale flying in a circle, crashing headfirst into obstacle after obstacle. The wind was knocked from him, the force of the chains crushing his Armor inward, constricting tightly around him, threatening to break bone. His datchi lay useless in the mud where he'd dropped it, leaving him defenseless as Anubis reeled him in like a fish, dragging him through the slop. His vision was obscured by mud and grime, the sticky slop burning the lacerations on his face. Still though, he focused on the eyes of Anubis behind the Ogre-worked faceplate, as he was dangled like a cat by the scruff of its neck. Anubis was laughing quietly, the zeal of it all written plainly on his face. "Why, you fool? Why? Because I can." Turning Cale around, holding him on display for the horrified Ronins, Anubis lifted the blade of his kusari-gama, pressing the point against the bronze skin of his throat, just below his ear, ready to carve open the neck of Corruption on a whim. He noticed with a certain enjoyment that Wildfire released the grip he had on his katana, the drawn weapons of the others drooping slightly. So they didn't want to risk Cale's life, did they? Touching. "Your display brings a tear to my eye. It truely does." He leaned close to Cale, whispering in his ear. "You should be honored, see? They don't want to risk your life. Why don't you tell them to fight? Let me end your life, Cale. You'll get to see your beloved Kayura." The strangled gasp from Cale was satisfying, Anubis' brows lifting in surprise. "Oh... did they neglect to tell you? Pity. Eh well, it's more fun for me. ...I killed her, Cale. Gutted her like a fish, slowly, until she was begging for me to kill her, begging for me to end her suffering. If you like, I can kill you on the spot, and you can be with her in the afterlife... a pair of sweet ghostly lovers."
A million thoughts tumbled through his head, Cale's eyes widening. Kayura... dead...? It wasn't possible. Despite the agony of his body, every movement torture, he began to thrash, striving to break his bonds. "No... no... NO!!" His head jerked skyward, as he screamed his pain to the blackened sky. A halo of red light surrounded him, springing from the character that appeared on his forehead. All of his emotions, his physical pain, all were funnelled into his Armor. His trait was Piety, but now was not the time to be pious. His trait was for humility and respect, but he would have nothing of it. His Armor had been dipped in its element. The darkness.
The Corruption Armor screamed for slaughter. It felt the destruction, the despair radiating from its owner. The scar that marked Cale's face burned, despite the terrible chill coming from his Armor. In giving up, he had earned the wound. A wound that reminded him daily of why he had become a Warlord.
Revenge. Death. Destruction. The annihilation of all that was living.
His conciousness faded, driven away by the pains of his body and the overwhelming emotions. Betrayal, rage, anger, sorrow, anguish. His subconcious took over, his demons released. The Corruption Armor came to life through him, the thirst for blood and revenge overpowering the failsafes Cale had devised. The rain that covered him froze slowly, covering his body in delicate frost patterns, growing and multiplying, until the browns and reds of Corruption were an icy-blue. The effect multiplied, as his power surged, with nothing to hold it back, despair egging it on. Around him the grass froze, the mud, the chains.
Sage's jaw dropped. He was Cale's polar opposite, and through his Halo Armor, he could feel the outpouring of power, a flow of tremendous darkness, so cold it burned. If this madness didn't subside soon... Sage found himself screaming. "Cale! NO! STOP, CALE!"
Anubis was dumbfounded. This was not the reaction he had been planning for. Both he and Cale were covered in large lumps of ice, but Cale was not through yet. A ragged scream tore from his throat, a desperate howl, as the ice was torn apart by an explosion, bands of jagged darkness ripping it apart, consuming everything in Cale's explosion of power. The battered Warlord screamed once more, driven to this final moment, where nothing mattered more than ending it all. Something inside him tore, hurling him into the abyss, as the Corruption Armor exploded in a roar, ice and darkness consuming all, a single horriffic cry carrying above it all.
"KAAYYUUUUUURRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!"
When the effects of Cale's last act subsided, Anubis was gone. All that remained was the lifeless figure of Cale, lying face-first on a sheet of ice. Above him a large chunk still stood, looking like the remnant of a massive glacier. Sage was the first to react, wanting to howl with sorrow when he felt nothing from Cale, only a frayed end where the connection between his Armor and Cale's had been. Surely the others felt it, but none so strongly as Sage. They ran to the fallen Warlord, clustering around Sage, who was wrestling the heavy form over onto his back, the ice cracking as Cale was separated from it.
Disbelief painted the faces of those left standing, eyes wide in alarm, as Halo poured healing energies into the unmoving form, again and again, until Kento finally pulled him off, the blonde heaving with unshed tears and the strain of trying to heal him.
"What... happened?" Cye was on the verge of tears, shaken to his core. Where the bond had been there was only emptiness. "...is he..?"
"He gave it all. He used all of his power..." Sage managed somehow. "Cale..." The ice that covered Corruption was cracking, breaking away from his body, until Cale lay in the clothes he had worn when he'd left the Dynasty, surrounded by the icy shards that had been his Armor. Melting slowly, they pooled together, forming into the Armor orb, where the character for Piety flickered like a flame that was dying. It lay beside the body of Cale, who still stared skyward, his face frozen in a mask of torment, his bitter blue eyes lifeless, filled with frozen tears that somehow sparkled like diamonds in the poor light.
((A/N: ::GASP!:: What's happened to poor Cale? Has this cruel and demented writer killed off her second-favorite character? Say it ain't so! ...well... I ain't. You'll just have to wait for me to crank out the next chapter. I know I've neglected this fic, but well, inspriation comes and it goes, and now that it's come again, I'm gonna hold onto it for as long as possible so I can finish off this deluded and bizarre fic. BWARHAR!))