Fall leaves fell from the trees as Cory walked through the wilderness outside of DC. He was heading to Canada, the last place on Earth he wanted to be, but he had to go in order to secure his place as the hero of the Earth. A cold wind blew through the trees, sending chills down Cory's spine.
"Hmm, I should have thought about this before I left, I didn't even bring food…" Cory stated as his stomach growled. It was true, he had forgotten food and even proper clothing in order to make his dramatic exit from the white house. At least he had his cape to put around him.
It was particularly peaceful around this area in the woods. The autumn leaves fell from the trees, sending a cascade of colors in front of the boys eyes. Flashbacks of the day he first learned to wield his sword came to mind, bearing a striking resemblance to this particular day. Nothing in the world could compare to the peace this euphoria brought to young Cory.
A narrow brook crossed the path, and Cory saw deer frolic away upstream. Even the satisfying crunch of dried leaves under his feet brought happiness to him. But this was soon to end as darkness approached.
Cory was much smarter now, so his instincts kicked in. He needed to find shelter from the oncoming darkness and the creatures that lived within it. Luckily, Cory's sword gave off some light, so he was able to successfully navigate to a cave where he set up camp. The cave was dark and seemed to go on for miles, but he only entered the entry part of it. Dew dropped from the ceiling, creating a sort of rhythm that echoed through the entire cave. Cory took this as a que to practice his rapping skills.
"Sepuku gang, yeah, yup, 'puku gang! 'puku gang 'puku gang 'puku gang 'puku gang! Spent 10 dollars on a 'tana. My light ain't no dark brain. I have… um… three souls in my chain. Where do you think you'll see me when I'm… uh… What rhymes with chain?" Cory began to think as distant footsteps echoed through the caves. Cory was too invested in his lyrics to notice.
Deep, heavy breathing approached him with the footsteps.
"Oh! I got it! Where do you think you'll see me when I'm in Maine!" Cory shouted, standing up. Just as he stood a large claw swiped at him, knocking the boy across the cave and disarming him. His katana slid to a halt at the edge of the cave, leaving Cory in near total darkness. Light reflected off of two eyes as they inched toward him. A mighty roar echoed through the cave as the boss name appears. Bear Matriarch, the hidden queen.
Cory shouts in dismay as he quickly fumbles for his katana, only to be swiped at again, knocking him back against the wall. He looks down at his hand holding his side to see a large slash through his shirt, the area around it slowly staining dark red. His breathing quickens as he begins to crawl slowly toward the katana, still holding his side. A quick swipe pushes him further into the cave and adds another scratch to his arm. The bear roars and charges, it's shiny teeth reflecting in the dim light.
Cory attempts to dodge the attack, but is snagged by his shoulder by the matriarchs mouth. The flesh on his shoulder is ripped and teared as the bear shakes its head. Cory screams and pushes the bear away using his other arm. Looking down, he realises that he still has the strength multiplier on his arm. He is reminded of a time, a simpler time.
The president took Cory down to the basement, the laboratory. Scientists gave Cory a glove that made him artificially stronger.
"Woah, neato president dude!" Cory said.
"Shut up, kid. This equipment is incredibly powerful, it will allow you to have your strength multiplied by 100. Though this sounds overpowered, your strength is incredibly small, so you'll have the strength of an average adult man," the president said, coaxing Cory to go away.
"Mr. President! One day, I won't need this because I'll be so strong that I won't even need this!"
"How redundant, not go away before I change my mind about giving you this."
Cory in the present looked back down at his glove. The bear roared once more as it reared up, ready to charge again. Cory looked determined at the bear and held his arm out as it neared. Cory groaned in pain as he held back the bear running into him. He slowly turned his hand, breaking the bears nose. She walked backwards, moaning in pain. Soon, though, this pain turned to anger.
The matriarch charged once more, this time jumping up and landing on the boy. Cory screamed as he held the bears head back, feeling his ribs break from the immense weight. This was it, his end. He couldn't even fight a simple bear. He was weak.
Suddenly, a flash of light and an explosion rang throughout the cave, and the bear went limp, falling on Cory. The pain from the bear landing on him proved to be too much to bear, and the boy succumbed to his injuries. The world faded around him.
A woman began to chant as Cory awoke within a void of nothingness. A spotlight surrounded him and his pure white robes. Far away, a light shone. He needed to reach it. A loud piano melody began to accompany the woman as Cory began to walk towards the light, desperately trying to reach it. As he neared, the light became a ball, a small round ball of light floating above the ground. He reached out to grab it, but it moved away.
The boy dove for the ball, but was met with thin air once more. He turned his head and saw the movement of the ball, doing a roll and unsheathing his katana, swiping at the ball, just trying to catch hold of it. Suddenly, his robes turned to black and the orb floated away quickly. Cory began chasing after it as the piano melody became louder and faster. As quickly as it started, though, it stopped, and with it Cory stopped as well.
Before him was Himiko, the goddess woman of the Xerath, the ancient cult of egypt who live on the moon. She closed her eyes, the light surrounding her. She smiled as she began to enchant again. Cory was suddenly in the darkness as the spotlight floated over to another figure, this one with a hood on. His robes were dark, but even next to Cory's pure white robes they seemed pure. He reached his hand up, surrounding the orb of light, and closed his fist around it. Everything went dark.
The last thing Cory saw was the hole that pierced through the hand of the man.
Cory awoke with a stir, still underneath the bear. It was a miracle he could even move after that brutal mauling. He crawls out from under the bear, grabbing his katana and using it to help him stand. He scoffed in pain as he stood, his leg was definitely broken from that fight. Turning around, he noticed the jagged rips around the bears corpse. It appeared to be blown apart. Who or what could have done this?
He grunted as he began to waddle out of the cave and into the morning light. This journey was going to be harder than he had anticipated. But he pressed on, slowly making his way through the woods. His clothing was in tatters, none of his cape and most of his shirt was gone. A large claw slash was visible on his side, dried blood coating the skin around it. Any clothing that was once white was now dark brown from the blood. Cory's vision faded in and out, probably a concussion.
He wandered through the forest for what felt like hours, until he found the first sign of human interference. A net lay upon the ground with apples scattered around it. Cory was starving, and would even eat apples if he needed to. Apples were of the devil, as were all fruits. Cory's stomach, however, disagreed. He fell upon the apples, just before he could realize that this was a trap. The ropes below him gave way and he was soon hauled into the air by the net. Cory screamed in pain as his body was twisted around within the trap, and he once again blacked out.
Cory awoke again within the past, sitting next to the lazy son of James Madison, Payne.
"Cory, this world is full of pain. Once you realize that, you can see clearly what causes pain."
Cory tried to speak, but was silent. It was as if he was mute.
"True pain, though, comes through sacrifices. That, I feel, is the most noble of pain."
Cory turned to Payne, though didn't expect to see what he saw. Scars littered his face, each one different. His eyes were closed, and he seemed to be at peace. They were sitting in a field, no trees in sight.
"Cory, in this limited time we have together, I would like to tell you more about this pain… but I feel there is more to discuss."
Payne pulled himself up and stood before the boy. His robes flowed within the wind passing through the fields.
"Good, evil. Black, white. Sweet, sour. Opposite, yet the same. There is always some good in evil, some sweet within sour, and even some black within white. Tell me, ideals or truths, what do you honor the most?"
Cory tried to move, tried to talk, tried to scream at this traitor, this… terrorist, but he could not.
Payne smiled and laughed at the boy, "perhaps another day you'll be able to answer, goodbye old friend."
He extended his arm towards Cory, his scar covered hand reaching out towards the boy. The sun silhouetted the man, and soon blinded the boy.
Cory woke with a cold sweat. He was within a log cabin sort of house on a bed. Bandages covered his body, every inch of him rang out with pain.
"So you're finally awake."
Cory's eyes darted around until they landed on a man wearing obviously hand made clothing.
Cory coughed, "Wh-who are you?"
"I guess I should have introduced myself when we first met, but I wasn't exactly sure you were alive, so I decided to leave, guess I was wrong, hm."
Cory tried to sit up.
"I wouldn't try that. It is interesting you were even able to walk 10 feet out of that cave, you have significant internal damage as well as external."
"Ye-yeah I'm used to that, miracles and stuff," Cory muttered.
"Hm not a miracle, simply a burst of adrenaline, our brains truly are capable of incredible feats. On the other hand, you seem to be healing rather fast, possibly a result of experimental medications? I see you are from the capital."
"Yeah, I-I am… you still ha-haven't told me who y-you are."
"Indeed, I am simply known as Ted, and you are?"
"Cory Baxter."
"Hm, so 'Cory Baxter' what's with the Japanese sword? Nearly burned a hole in my hand just grabbing the hilt," He said, holding his bandaged hand up.
"It's a magical Japanese sword forged only for me and my ancestors."
Ted laughed, "sure, that makes sense. Did you set up a detection trap on it that pours acid on hands that touch it other than yours?"
"No it's just magic."
Ted rolled his eyes, "Well anyway, I loaned you some clothes as you probably noticed. Your's were totally destroyed, except for your fedora and necklace." He gestured towards the black fedora that lay next to his katana.
"Now we'll get down to business. Are you a government spy sent to assimilate me?"
"W-what? No, I'm on a mission for the king though, want to help?"
"You think I would help this worthless corrupt state? I think not. Why else do you think I live in this cabin in the middle of the old state known as Michigan?"
"Wait? We're in Michigan? Good, I'm almost to Canada then."
"Canada? Hm so you're going to destroy CIanada?"
"What the h*ck did you just say?"
"Do I need to sound it out for you? See Eye Anah dah"
"CIanada? Very clever of them." Cory said, thinking.
"They're pretty powerful, and stand for democracy. Too bad even democracy is against the freedom of the people. You think we are meant to stay within bustling cities? No. We are primitive creatures, meant to explore, gather, and hunt. Government isn't necessary for any of these tasks. Cory, I WILL help you take out the city. Do you know why? Because then we will have liberated Canada. We will have freed the people. Then you'll help me take over this miserable country and abolish the government. Everyone will be free."
"Um yeah sure so you'll help me?"
"I just said I would."
"Let me tell you the plan, then," Cory said, getting up much to the astonishment of Ted, "We will need to take out CIanada and then track down the chaos emeralds in order to destroy a satellite which is protecting China and their masked leader."
"Ah, that is why you are destroying CIanada, because the government thinks they have those shiny stones the lowlifes believe are magical. Interesting."
"Well anyway," Cory got up and put his katana on his back and his katana on his head, "We need to hurry, the akatsuki are after it as well."
Ted rolled his eyes, believing the akatsuki to purely be propaganda, but got up as well, putting on his backpack.
"Hm, a nearly brainwashed patriot paired with an anarchist? What could go wrong?" Caesar's ghost said to the ghosts of Michael Jackson and John Locke.
"I'm just glad Cory is ok once again," Michael said, exhausted.
"He owes us his life a million times over, that's for sure," Locke muttered.
"Do you think we can trust his judgement, I mean, he does see the changes to DC are not… well… good right?" Caesar asked.
"We all knew Cory for such little time, but we all saw it didn't we? That spark within him, that spark of life, it was inspirational. That's why we are here, is it not?" Locke said.
"I suppose, but if he starts murdering children, I'm out," Caesar said as the three disappeared.