Chapter 21 - "The Awakening"

Scarlet was sitting in Alex's apartment, spinning in the computer chair at the desk where her computer was plugged in. Even though her dorm was home away from home, she spent a lot of time at Alex's, and that was where her setup was. It wouldn't be smart to just leave a lot of high-tech computer equipment lying around in the dormitory, now would it?

"Alex, where are you," she muttered, staring at the ceiling. She had been waiting for hours for a checkup from him, but nothing had come in. She was beginning to get worried. She thought about calling him up, but that wouldn't be smart. If he was in the middle of something, she'd feel like his mom, checking up to make sure everything was all right. But if something had gone—

"Scarlet!" Alex's voice blared through the computer's speakers. Scarlet nearly leapt from the chair before she brushed a loose strand of red hair out of her face, spinning to face the computer.

"Alex! Thank God you're all right. I was worried sick—"

"Scarlet, I do not have time to talk right now!"

Scarlet stopped and cocked her head, curious. "Alex . . . what did you do?"

"I didn't—ugh—do anything! I happened to be in the wrong—uh—place at the wrong—ack—time!"

"Alex, you don't sound all right. Talk to me."

"I'll have to make this quick," Alex said between breaths. "We, uh . . . we found the bat creature."

"That's good."

"Yeah, but I'm wrapped around its neck—whoa!"

"Alex!" Scarlet screamed. Her heart was pounding fast—he didn't sound too good.

"I'm still hanging on . . . literally. Listen—I need you to home in on my GPS. You gotta find out where I'm at and get me on some level ground. If this goes on any longer, I'm gonna wind up as a stain on the sidewalk."

"I don't need any images like that in my mind," Scarlet muttered as her fingers flew across the keyboard. Within moments, she had his GPS signal locked. "You're over King's Way," she murmured. "There's a construction zone next to bus stop on the next street over. Some sort of business—LexCorp, maybe?"

Alex grunted through the comm channel. "All right. I'll try and bring him down there. Get the GPS location to Gordon. I don't know how long I'll be able to tangle with him. I may be able to recover from injuries better than most, but that won't help me if I'm dead."

Scarlet nodded. "Again, cut it out with the mental images."

"Sorry."

Scarlet bit her lip and her hands froze over the keyboard. "Alex, please—just be careful."

"I will."

"And Alex—"

Her words were cut off by a scream from Alex and the sounds of a harsh impact with some surface. She stopped, waited for a moment, but heard nothing. With a sigh, she quickly got to work transmitting Alex's location to Gordon.

They moved in unison, as one but separate all the same. The shadows clung to the walls of the stone-walled fortress, keeping hidden. It would not do to give ourselves away, the Leader process mentally. We must keep hidden until all is clear.

The Leader moved ahead, followed by five others, all of them shrouded in shadow. They wore loose-fitting black robes, all bare of any symbols or markings of any kind. His was the only one that was not uniform, gold embroidery decorating it. They were runes, characters of a time long past.

The Leader glanced to the left, then to the right. "Kass," he muttered, and one of the figures behind stepped close, cocking his head to show he was listening. "Search the area and form a perimeter. If anyone comes nearby . . . stop them."

Kass bowed his hooded head. "Yes, sir," he whispered before gesturing to the others, and they all filed out of the shadows down the two paths that forked away from one lone, stone-paved road. A road the Leader needed to walk alone.

He continued on, moving slowly, as if time was on his side. He let his hand drag along the wall, feeling some mystic energy funneling through the skin of his fingertips. This place . . . it dripped of some powerful magic. Someone strong in the mystic arts was here—or had been here.

The Leader kept moving, picking up the pace. He couldn't spend all day here and consider the possibilities about the mysteries concerning this place. He would like to, but he couldn't. Time was not on his side.

He finally came to a stop at a chamber. It was mostly bare, all except for a pair of armored guards. They looked right out of a bygone era, like majestic knights tasked to guard a ward.

A smile licked at the Leader's lips as he saw the barred cell he had been searching for. Perhaps they were guarding a ward, he thought as he stepped into clear view.

First one guard saw him, then the other. They both reached for swords slung at their hips, drawing them as iron rang against the swords' scabbards. One man spoke, "Intruder—you are not welcome here."

The Leader's clipped, aristocratic tones came alive as he spoke in return. "You have something that I desire." He pointed towards the cell. "Your prisoner. He would prove a fine asset to my . . . cause."

The other guard sniggered. "You've got the wrong picture, friend. We've been given a mission, and we aim to fulfill it." He twirled the sword in his hand before adding, "If you want him, you're gonna have to go through us."

The Leader's smile only widened. He had wanted this. "So be it."

Within a flash, he leapt from the stairs, and a gleaming blade of some ancient design was suddenly in his hands. Before the first guard could react, the sword had already glinted in the light of the chamber as the blade sang, cleaving across the guard's throat. As his decapitated form collapsed with a clatter to the ground, the Leader ducked to avoid his companion's attack. He quickly parried one strike, then another, before he spun with both body and blade, driving the point through the man's stomach.

As the guard gasped, blood dribbling from the wound, the Leader withdrew his blade and let the dying man sink to the floor. He sheathed his weapon and moved towards the cell, calling the keys from one of the guards' belts into his hand. He slowly reached down and inserted the key, unlocking the door.

It swung open on old hinges, squeaking not with rust but with age. Despite its years, the fortress still had certain youthful qualities, much like its guardians. It was ancient but well-kept. Unfortunately for the guards, their skills were no match for mine.

From within, he saw a sight that he had beheld only in visions, those that had led him here for this very purpose. A figure was standing—no, lying—in a pocket of mystic power, floating as if entranced. The man inside looked asleep and at peace.

The Leader stepped close and inspected the bubble that the man was trapped within. "A time pocket," he mused, smiling. "Well-made, and powerful. But not powerful enough." Slowly, he snapped his fingers, and with it some mystical energy transferred from his body into the living realm, creating some metamorphosis to occur within the time pocket. It began to swirl and shift until, finally, it began to fade away into nothing, leaving the man to buckle to his knees. He would have fallen to the ground had the Leader not caught him.

Slowly and carefully, he laid the unconscious figure on the stone surface. He was unmoving; years of sleep and peace had that effect. The Leader mumbled some words—an incantation of the magical arts—and placed his opened palm on the man's forehead. The Leader closed his eyes and funneled his energy through his palm into the unconscious, sleeping figure.

His life energy seemed to flip a switch within as the man kicked to life, shaking and convulsing as the Leader withdrew his hand from the man's head. After a few moments of twitching, he stopped, and his eyelids snapped open, revealing eyes the dark green of a forest, encircled in a ring of yellow. He slowly sat up and began to breathe heavily. "Where . . . where am I?" he asked, glancing to the Leader.

The Leader took in the young man's appearance. He looked to be in his early twenties, but it was just an illusion. He was much older than that, it was clear to anyone of the capabilities the Leader possessed. His orange hair, a mess from years of being untouched, ran across his shoulders, framing a handsome and freckled face. He rubbed it, clearing his eyes.

"Iceland," the Leader murmured. "Do you not remember? You have been imprisoned here, for hundreds of years."

"Iceland," the man repeated. His eyes glazed over with a sudden rush of rage. "Yes. Yes. My . . . sister." The eyes suddenly returned to their normal appearance, and he whispered, "Annalise."

The Leader nodded, a grim smile adorning his lips. "Yes. Your sister—Annalise Blackwood. Do you remember your name?"

The man slowly nodded. "Hendrick. Hendrick Blackwood."

"Very good," the Leader remarked with an air of confidence. "You remember why she locked you away, don't you?"

Hendrick nodded again. "Moras Abolon . . . his spirit . . . it lives within me."

"That it does. And it will forever. When you killed him, you welcomed him into your soul. He is a part of you and will be for all eternity—unless one of you dies before then."

Hendrick glanced up, his expression quizzical. "How do you know this?"

"I am a student of the magical arts, you might see. A scholar, mystic, whatever you prefer. I have studied the histories of the world and know a great deal about . . . well, about everything." He stood up and seemed to stare off into the distance. "I have lived through a great deal of it."

Slowly, cautiously, Hendrick got up. He gripped onto the wall for aid as he strengthened his footing. "My sister . . . where is she?"

The Leader pondered his question and almost answered before he decided not to. "That is not important at the moment. What is important is getting you back to full health, so that you might be of aid to me."

"Aid you? I don't even know you."

"That is true, but it is I who has given you a second chance at life. Your sister—she abandoned you, locked you away for all eternity." He could see Hendrick's eyes glossing over. The boy is confused, afraid, and alone. "She left you alone. But it is I who came and freed you. I heard the tales of how you and she defeated Abolon. It was a heroic act; you sacrificed your very soul to defeat such a villain as him. And how does she repay you? She locks you away because you tried to survive.

"I will not treat you this way." The Leader stepped from the cell into the adjoining chamber. "In fact, I welcome the opportunity for you to further your power. You have a special gift: embrace it." He gestured towards the mass of the fortress. "There is an entire garrison waiting out there. You can take them all, use their energy to strengthen yourself. They are the ones your sister appointed to keep you here. She gave them power when she gave you no help. They have her magic protecting them, keeping them fit and able to fight.

"If you join me, you will have powers beyond measure. You will be unstoppable, and you will have all that you have ever wanted. Freedom to live and be who you are." The Leader grinned. "What say you?"

Hendrick continued to breathe, trying to regain a sense of life in an era where he had been asleep for so long. It was then that he heard the wheezing of the dying guard on the floor. His eyes turned to him, his hand clutching at the hole that the Leader had drilled through him.

Hendrick glanced to the Leader before kneeling down beside the wounded man. He rolled the body over, and the warrior looked into his eyes. His own were filled with fear and worry, a dread of the approaching death that awaited him. "Please . . . please, help me," he murmured, and Hendrick swallowed hard as the dark shadow clouded his eyes again.

Slowly, he reached out and placed a hand on the man's chest and closed his eyes. The man began to stare in wonder before he began to grunt and groan, before the grunts swelled into screams. He began to shriek horridly in agony and pain, and his lungs emptied into the once-still air.

Finally, his screams subsided and he fell limp. Hendrick stood, leaving the dead man alone. He glanced up, and the Leader saw his eyes were now fully alive, restored with a thirst for vengeance. "I am with you."

The Leader's grin only widened. "Good." He reached down and took up the warrior's sword and held it out. Hendrick took it, turned, and strode up the stairs.

Everything is going according to plan.

Annalise was exiting the GCPD complex with Dante and Mia. "I guess we can each drive separate, in case something comes up," Annalise suggested, and the others nodded their agreement.

"Sounds good. What's that address again?" Mia asked, lifting up her phone.

"1119 Mile's Way. Family's name is Jennings," Dante supplied, and Mia nodded as she tapped the info into her phone's GPS.

"Got it." She offered a slight smile before ducking into her car. "See you guys there."

As Mia started up her car and drove off, Annalise stepped towards her motorcycle. "You go on. I'll follow behind."

Dante nodded and got into his VW, the conglomeration of colors humming to life before it began its movement down the street. Annalise gripped her helmet in her hands, reaching up to latch it onto her head. But just as she did so, a cold feeling entered her chest.

"What the—" she started before the cold, tingling feeling turned into one of burning pain. She brushed a hand against her chest, but the feeling was not soothed. Annalise pressed a hand against her bike as she began to feel woozy and dizzy, her head spinning and sloshing through a muddy bank as her mind turned over on itself.

Her head began to throb in pain and she let out a slight whimper of pain, clutching her head tightly with both hands. Then, suddenly, it all faded, and an image passed into Annalise's mind. The face was one she knew all too well and hoped she'd never have to see again—not because she didn't, but because she knew what it would mean if she did.

"Hendrick," she said in almost a whisper before her knees buckled, she lost balance, and collapsed to the cement. She was unconscious before she hit the ground.

Alex grunted as he rolled onto his side, gripping his sore shoulder tightly. The Bat was on its feet, staring at him and flaring its nostrils angrily.

"Okay, ugly. Wanna play? I'm ready for you."

Slowly, Alex got to his feet and reached for his bo-staff. Immediately as his hand, the Bat let out a roar and charged ahead.

Alex dodged the charging beast as he whipped the bo-staff free, twirling it and letting it crash into the monster's backside. The Bat screeched and leapt into the other, practically somersaulting as its leathery wings carried it up and onto its feet. The creature opened its mouth wide and roared, phlegm flying from its lips.

Shaking his head in disgust, Alex reached for his gunbelt and realized he had only one sidearm left. Must've lost my other one. Without wasting a moment, he drew his lone pistol and squeezed the trigger, several rounds flying at the Bat. One rubber bullet collided with the Bat's chest, while another clipped a wing. Alex fired another and this one actually tore through the wing, eliciting a scream of anguish from the Bat as it glanced to the wound, a small hole bore through the leathery flesh.

Whoops, Alex thought. He had meant to stop the creature, not actually shoot a hole in it. In response, the Bat roared loudly and lunged forward, swiping a clawed hand at Alex. He batted it away with his staff, swinging again and crashing the end into the Bat's head.

It roared and lunged forward, slamming Alex into the ground. He grunted and groaned as his head collided with the cement. A throbbing pain rattled through his skull as the Bat leapt over him. It bared its fangs before a light illuminated the construction site.

Both Alex and the Bat glanced up to see a GCPD helicopter hovering in the air. Gordon's voice sounded over a megaphone—"This is the GCPD! Hold it right there!"

The Bat, its eyes transfixed, didn't see Alex reach for his belt. He withdrew a pair of R-rangs and hurled them both. The Bat's reflexes kicked in quickly as it sharply deflected one, but the other buried itself in its skin. The Bat shrieked out as the electric volts zapped its body, sending terrible pain throughout it.

With a final scream, the Bat turned and dove off the rooftop, gliding away into the night.

Alex began to huff, out of breath, as his adrenaline cooled off. He heard the helicopter draw nearer before footsteps sounded on the rooftop. He glanced up to see Gordon, Matt, and Sean standing around him. Matt extended a hand, helping him to his feet.

"You all right?" Matt asked as Alex nodded, brushing off his clothes.

"Yeah." He grinned. "Mostly." He glanced to Gordon. "The cop that he attacked—how is he?"

Gordon shook his head. "Dead. Didn't even have time to call EMS."

Alex looked to the ground, clenching his fist.

Another person dead because I didn't act well enough. How many more before this is all said and done?

A/N: Hello everyone! Here's chapter 21. We get to see a bit more light being shed on the main plot and our main villain. Don't worry, more will come soon - and we'll get to see some more downtime between our heroes next chapter. As always, leave your thoughts in the reviews! I always love to hear them. Until next time.