This is a long, long chapter. I'm sorry if there's any mistakes. If there are any, please let me know.
Don't own CC
Chrono Crusade: Horns of Time
Chapter Twenty: Logan's Move
"We can't allow the world's worst leaders to blackmail, threaten, hold freedom-loving nations hostage with the world's worst weapons." –George W. Bush
Darkness and lighting filled the sky. As the group made their way to the carnival grounds, they were met with people running and screaming. Police officers were evacuating the people in an orderly fashion. The group ran through the crowds, the crowds unable to see them. However when a person ran into one of the group members, he or she would past right through, them…like ghosts.
"This is surreal," Ebony commented on this. "People walking right past us. That's freaky!"
"You think?" Abigail smirked.
"I wonder what's going on?" asked Joshua.
"I think I know," Wolf replied to his question, "follow me."
The group indeed followed him and eventually they arrived at police tape covering the perimeter of an area. Inside there were several police officers, some people and a body of an elderly man.
"Looks like a butler," commented Caitlyn, who looked at the body with such sorrow.
"It is," Wolf replied. "His name is Steiner, server to the Harvenheit family. The family is a bunch of jewel summoners however there was a massacre where there was only one surviving member. Her name: Statella."
"How do you know that?" Caitlyn asked.
"I have my sources."
"Let's get a move on," Viscount said impatiently. "Only five minutes remains."
The group hurried on, with Caitlyn whispering, "rest in peace." They made their way to what seemed like a cement plateau. Up the stairs they went until Joshua spotted something.
"Up there!" Joshua yelled and the group looked. There, floating in the sky, was Logan with his army of watchers. They seemed like they were waiting for the up tune moment to strike.
"We'll use the element of surprise," Wolf suggested to the group. "He has a time aura, just as we do." Wolf pulled out a hand held and held it up to where Logan's position was. He took in some readings.
"I've set our watches to have our time aura repelling his. We'll be invisible to him. He won't be bothering us."
"Good," Joshua said as he made his way up the stairs, "because something is going on up there and I want to find out!"
Wolf warned Joshua, "Don't go up there! You won't like what you'll see!" It was too late, however. Joshua made his way to the top and immediately he gasped on what he saw. The group made their way to Joshua who was as shocked as he was. The group looked at another Joshua with horns sticking out from his head, a man dressed in a white overcoat, a tan and glasses, what seemed like a black and white demon carrying a body of a little white-haired girl and some sort of a cat-lady person. A woman who had dark brown short hair and who was wearing a maid's outfit was also at the scene. They were all around a purple haired boy dressed in red and a girl with golden hair, blue eyes, wearing standard militia armour and who had the look of sheer fear. These was also a woman with long red-hair with green and yellow clothing who was coming up the other set of stairs from afar.
"Two minutes," Viscount murmured.
"What…what the hell is this!" Joshua yelled.
"A standard Mexican standoff," a voice replied. The group turned around to see a man with black hair, brown eyes and dressed in black. He came up to Joshua.
"Who are you!" Joshua demanded his name, "And how can you see us?"
"My name is not important. How I can see you is also not important. What is important is that what's going to happen now. Take a good look at the girl."
Joshua looked closely and what he found was a watch hanging around her neck.
"A watch… then that means…"
"Shhh…"the man said to him, "let's take a listen, see."
"3…2…1…" Viscount counted. "Zero…"
The group watched attentively while the man in white grabbed a sword from the sky and swung it to reveal purple mist coming out from the ground. The mist surrved into a circle.
"Miasma," the purple headed boy yelled.
Then the group witnessed the other Joshua yelling at the man in white, "Aion! Aion, why are you hurting me! This is my power, I won't let you take it away from me!"
The white haired man spoke calmly, "Then what are you going to do about it?"
The other Joshua talked to the woman in the maid's suit, "Sis…stay back…I don't want you get hurt…"
"Sis?" Joshua questioned, "what is he…what am I…"
"This time," he said, "This time…I'll protect you…" The other Joshua held up a gun pointing to the girl. Seeing the girl in danger, the purple headed boy blocked the shot made by the gun. His arm, ripped out from me and he dropped lifeless onto the ground.
Seeing enough, Joshua tried to make his way to the girl, however he was held back by Viscount and Wolf.
"Let me go!" he yelled, "let me go, I have to help her."
"It's too late for her," Viscount yelled back. "She's finished, don't you understand that? Have you forgotten our mission? What we've been sent to do here?"
The girl, looking horrified on what had transpired ran over to the boy. She called out the name "Chrono!"
Then the miasma started to circle again and people started to appear. The people, including the other Joshua, screamed in pain. Green and white lights started to appear in the sky. They looked like the Aurora borealis only with two colours. The white haired man took out a head in a shape of a demon.
"What in the name of God is that thing?" Ebony asked.
"The head of Pandemonium," replied Viscount who was trying to hold Joshua back. "Her head was cut off by that demon and he had extracted countless information from her memories. He also have been getting info about his enemies from that head. That's why he's been one step headed of everyone."
A sphere of light came from above and shone with great brightness. The girl, who was angered by the latter actions took a sharp object and ran over to the sphere. With a piercing scream, she slashed the sphere in two. A white light had engulfed all and when it subsided a pillar of light landed on her, ripping and tearing her clothing. The red-headed woman yelled something but it was too loud to listen. The maid blocked her path.
The cat-lady, all excited shouted, "We did it! Ascension!"
When it was all over, her battered body laid down on the ground.
"No!" Joshua yelled and he jabbed his arm into Viscount's body. He ran frantically to the girl. At the same time, however, Logan smiled.
"What's he smiling about?" Wolf wondered. He took in some readings. "No…it can't be…"
"What is it?" Caitlyn asked.
"According to this. Logan's time aura is dissipating. He's making his move!"
Hearing this, Joshua stopped in his tracks. "What!" He shouted, "What did you say!"
The aura around Logan indeed faded and soon became visible to the people on the ground.
The white and black demon looked up and shouted, "what the hell are those!"
Everyone looked up while the purple haired boy and the girl laid unconscious. The man in the overcoat looked with unhappy surprise. "More nuisances. Fiore, Wid, take care of these beings."
The maid and the white and black demon took to the sky. She conjured up a halberd and took down some watchers. The white and black demon took a huge number however it was a matter of time before they were all swarmed with watchers. They feel straight to the ground. All of them were restrained by the watchers.
"Shit," Wolf said out loud. "We have to help them."
"No yet…" Viscount said calmly, "not just yet…."
The group watched the watchers move in. Joshua, although it pained him to see what was going on, closely obeyed his comrade. Then Joshua heard the girl speaking quietly and saw her clutching on her watch.
"Logan…he's here…but…no, he couldn't be…I must tell Chrono…while I still can…"
Logan moved quickly to her, grabbed the watch from her neck and looked at it. He then said mockingly, "I have a slight problem you contacting Chrono. He'd realize what I'm trying to do."
The girl coughed, "Logan…you…you deceived me. There was all a set up, wasn't it."
"Hehehehe. Gathering all the vial Order information for me...attempting to elimiate Aion for me...you've been quite useful."
He then took the gun that was on the ground and pointed at her. "Farewell. I hope you enjoy the afterlife!"
At that moment, Joshua had enough of the situation. He took his golden watch and pushed the knob in. The time aura around him dissipated and he was immediately seen. Logan turned around to see him.
"Oh look, there's two of you," Logan said happily looking at the other Joshua. But then the smile faded. "A real annoyance. I'll just have to integrate you two."
"Integrate?" Joshua asked him. "What do you plan to do?"
"This," Logan smiled and then with his left hand shot a beam of light at the other Joshua. He screamed with pain and suffering. It looked like Logan was sucking the other Joshua right into himself. He disappeared leaving only two sticks on the ground. Logan shot the same beam of light at Joshua who also screamed in pain. He knelt to the ground.
"Joshu…Joshu…" the girl coughed.
Joshua regained his strength. "Dammit, what did you do to me!"
"I only helped you. There were two of you and one of you is enough. We don't want to confuse the two of you. Isn't that right, Aion?"
The man in the white overcoat grinned his teeth. "Logan! I knew that you would betray me. I didn't know how…but you would. And I was right…"
"I'm just here to realize my dream. Just like you are. This guy…" Logan pointed to Joshua, "has no idea who you guys are…"
"What do you mean by that?" he asked.
"He's from the future. Just like me. There…a repercussion of the horns he wore has taken his memories. I'm afraid the only reason why he's here is to take me back to his time. Now he can die as with the rest of you."
"I may not know what's going on. But I can tell you that what you're doing is completely wrong." Joshua turned the latches vertical and opened them. He transformed into his other form.
"Oh, so you have devil's fusion do you? What happens if I told you that I could do that."
"Think again. Devil's fusion can only happen on my watch. And last I checked, I'm in possession."
"Really…" Logan looked at the girl smiling.
The rest of the group dispersed their auras. They were in full view.
"So much for a surprise attack," Ebony said.
"Don't start with that," Caitlyn warned.
Logan took the horns from before. Everyone was in shock.
The man in the overcoat, whose name was Aion, looked at him. "Where did you get those?" he questioned.
"You'd be surprised. After a few years, everyone forget about events that have no relevance. Merely tools in achieving my dream."
Logan gave a hard laugh. He started to turn the latches vertically. The cat-woman mumbled, "Whoops…"
Aion looked at her. "Whoops? Whoops? What do you mean, whoops!"
The girl grabbed Logan's leg, "Don't…" she whispered.
"You pretinentious little bug," Logan mumbled and he kicked her in the ribs. She groaned with pain.
Ebony shouted, "Sweet Jesus, Logan, why?"
Joshua took to his sword stance. "Come on, devil, I want to see you try that shit on someone who's not down!"
Logan took the horns and held them in front of the watch. The horns disappeared within the watch. He wore it around his neck.
"Ahahaha...Now, now, settle down," he said calmly, "you maintain that kind of an attitude and you and the purple headed boy won't be the only corpses here." He pointed the gun at the girl again. "The Christ bitch will join you."
Everyone gasped and Joshua looked pissed. While all of this was happening, the mysterious black haired man talked to himself.
"So here do we stand. On one side, Logan and his watcher army hold the Saint as with the others who are involved in this timeline hostage and in the other Joshua and his group are trying desperately to keep the situation under their control. Such a problem...I wonder how will everything turn out?"
Okay, a few things. There are a few characters introduced but the major characters only have brief appearances. Why? Because it is all part of the plot. This is the climax, people! It's really hard to paste it all together. Don't worry. Everything will be revealed, I assure you.Anyway, please R&R.
P.S: So sorry for the sudden appearance by the mysterious man. Part of the plot, remember?
