This is the start of canto 6, based on a story by Great X-scape. The original story is called Codenames: Shadow of Chaos and I think it is in the X-men Evolution section. Anyway, to prepare you for possible confusion, it's been a million years since Sephiroth was defeated and the world is now populated like an alternate X-Men universe, my own personal X-Men Evolution type since I like the idea. For those of you who have no idea what X-men Evolution is, it's X-Men as teenagers, you'll catch on quick. Anyway, here it goes, it shouldn't be too confusing, more focus on Vincent and Chaos than Starmore in this Canto.
The Song of Eternity
Canto 6 : Galactus
Verse 1
Future Shock
He awakes to a brave new world,
And finds his way.
A ray of light broke appeared in the long darkened room. The room was an anomaly, buried far below the surface of the Earth, hidden from human eyes for a million years. There were several decaying pieces of furniture littering the chamber. The walls of the chamber were wood long ago, but had become petrified, then replaced with rock. A section of the wall fell inward, throwing up a cloud of dust and revealing several figures.
"Damn dust," swore the first one who made his way into the room. He was a short man with a miner's helmet with a lamp on his head. He coughed for a bit, then looked around as the dust settled. "Some kind of a room, nothing moving though," he said with a gruff Canadian accent.
"Any sign of him or her?" asked a man in a wheelchair who was pushed in by a third man. The man in the wheelchair was totally bald, a great contrast to his companion. The man pushing him was over six feet tall, heavily muscled, and covered in blue fur.
"Just use your own powers. Can't you sense him?" the first man asked.
"No, I cannot Logan. But that is expected, he had eluded my detection this long, so I am interested in how he or she has done so," the man in the wheelchair said as the blue furred man pushed him into the room.
"Whatever Chuck," Logan replied as he pointed at the large dust covered object in the center of the room. "What do you suppose that is Hank?"
The blue furred man walked forward and started to wipe dust from the object. He turned his flashlight on and examined the structure for several minutes before turning to the others. "It appears to be some sort of a suspended animation chamber. I believe I can open it," Hank explained.
"Whoever is down here must be inside that thing," Charles stated. "Open it up, but be careful, it may be dangerous," he warned as Hank turned back to the machine and began to press buttons.
"Amazing, something so old, yet so advanced," Hank marveled as he worked the machine.
"Yeah, a real wonder o' the world," Logan replied sarcastically as he sniffed the air. "This place smells like death, Chuck. I don't like it."
"I understand, but this warrants our examination," Charles replied as Hank took a step back from the machine.
"Viola, I give you one opened suspended animation chamber," Hank said pleased with himself. The machine beeped several times, then hissed as it opened up like a coffin, revealing the figure inside. They crowded close to the still form, eager to see the mystery man. He was pale with long black hair. He was dressed in black with a red cape resting around his shoulders. "Oh my stars and garters," Hank marveled as he studied the figure's apparent prosthetic metal left arm.
"I don't like this, the smell's got stronger. Check out the guns," Logan said as he pointed at several guns lying beside the figure.
"I still can't even sense him," Charles said as he stared at the figure. "I'll check his pulse," he said as he wheeled next to the chamber and placed his fingers on the man's jugular.
"The question is, what is this place?" Hank said out loud as he examined where they broke through rock to enter the room.
Logan walked over and kicked at a chair which shattered. "He's been here a while, which doesn't make much sense, something this advanced being here for so long with nothing else like it around. Alien maybe?" he guessed.
"It is possible, but where is his ship?" Hank said.
"Gentlemen, if you would care to turn around slowly," Charles said. Hank and Logan turned to see the man pressing a gun to Charles's head. "I believe he is scared, but my powers do not seem to affect him, so it would be best to do what he wants," Charles said as the man studied them.
Vincent looked around the dark room wildly. He was confused. "What is going on, who are you people?" he asked as he looked over the three of them. He felt bad about threatening the cripple, but he was closest and the others seemed to respect him. The others were the real threats. The blue one looked to be part monster, but the shorter one had an air about him that deserved attention. "Who are you?"
They looked back at him blankly, not understanding what he said. They said something back to him, but he did not understand what they said. It sounds familiar, but I can't understand it.
"What the hell's he saying Chuck?" Logan asked.
"I cannot say. It seems to be some form of an ancient Native American language," Charles said as the man fastened his other guns to his person and got out of the sleep chamber. "Move away from the entrance, maybe it will make him less nervous."
As they stepped away from the entrance, Vincent felt Chaos's mind awakening and tying to take over his body. He grimaced and held his claw to his head. "Not now," he muttered as he looked at the exit. Let me out Valentine! Do not resist! He stepped away to the far wall of the chamber, away from the three who had awakened him. "Get out of here!" he shouted at them as they rushed forward and grabbed the man in the wheelchair. He waved his hands for them to leave, but they stayed as he backed up against the wall of rock.
He cried out in pain as he dropped to his knees and began to transform into Chaos. His face contorted and changed colors as the demonic wings sprouted from his back. "I am free!" Chaos roared as he uneasily stood up, eyeing up the three in front of him.
"Chuck, any ideas?" Logan said as his adamantium claws slid out from his forearms.
"If he attacks, subdue him," Charles said as Logan and Hank stayed between him and Chaos.
"Foolish humans! You are nothing!" the demon shouted as it leapt and struck Hank and Logan, sending them slamming into the rock walls. Chaos reached back to strike Charles, but stopped as he felt something in his mind. You are not as protected from me now. We do not want to hurt you, but you must reassert control over this demon. Chaos stumbled back as he felt Vincent reacting to the bald man's words, trying to take over their body again. "Noooo!" Chaos screamed as his demonic flesh turned back to human and the wings disappeared into his back.
Vincent looked around the room, glad to see that the three that woke him were still alive. He felt the bald man trying to get into his mind, but knew that he would not be able to. He shook his head as he felt the man stop trying to enter his mind. He looked down at the ground ashamed that he could not control the demon.
"Vincent Valentine," Charles said, causing Vincent to look up in surprise. "You can't understand me, but we want you to come with us," he said as he gestured for Vincent to leave the room with them.
Vincent nodded and helped by pushing the wheelchair up the long mineshaft as Logan and Hank went ahead at Charles's insistence. "Chaos?" Charles asked as he recalled the demon's name from their encounter.
"Yes, my demon," Vincent replied, even though he knew Charles could not understand.
As they emerged from the hole in the ground Vincent was surrounded by trees and a small dirt road. He looked up at the stars, smiling at their familiarity. He looked over to where Logan and Hank were waiting in a vehicle reminiscent of the buggy he and the others had a million years ago. He and the others climbed into the jeep, placing Charles in the front and stowing the foldable wheelchair in the back.
Vincent examined the countryside as they drove away. He couldn't understand their words, but felt a nagging in his mind that he should. Instead he remembered what he and Starmore had done before he went under again. He closed his eyes tightly and willed the images of death to retreat to the rear of his mind. He realized that he must have been out a long time again, the world had recovered from whatever Starmore had done after they killed all the Jenova humans.
They turned onto a highway and drove a bit longer until they came to a metal gate that opened as Logan pushed a button. They drove up the driveway and stopped in front of a large mansion. "They must be rich, this is a mansion," Vincent said as he and the others got out of the jeep.
Charles looked at him and spoke. "What did you say? I could have sworn you said mansion," he said causing Vincent to be surprised.
"Mansion," Vincent said as he pointed at the building.
"Strange, he appears to know some English. This is an intriguing development," Hank stated as Vincent scratched his chin puzzled.
"We both know what a mansion is… What am I missing here?" he asked himself as he tried to unlock the secret to their language. Moron. Chaos spoke to Vincent in the back of his head. "What?" Vincent asked out loud, talking to the demon. You forgot so many things you learned as a Turk. It is ridiculous. Chaos taunted him before falling silent. "As a Turk?" Vincent said to himself as he thought back to his training. "All I learned was to kill and blend in…" he muttered to himself. Mansion, why mansion, he thought to himself. "Mansion is from religious Wutainese," he said as he finally realized what was going on.
"Why the hell can he understand what a mansion is, but can't talk any more English?" Logan swore as they entered the house.
"Because you are speaking an obscure language spoken by only a small religious sect where I come from," Vincent replied, shocking all three of them. "I did not realize it until you understood mansion, it was taken in my native tongue from religious Wutainese," he explained.
"Whatever bub, here we call it English," Logan replied as Hank stifled a laugh.