My thanks to iron-mantis, milordo-z 2.0, warlord-xana and Data Seeker for reviewing and to those that read.
Here is the next chapter, so enjoy.
Chapter 5 - A Sinister Shadow
Ron dashed through the halls of Middleton High, but was trying to be as careful as not to attracted unwanted attention from anyone. Especially from the tough as nails Mr. Steve Barkin. Ron had wondered if Barkin ever left the Military, seeing of how the way he was.
Ron made it to his locker. After opening it, he grabbed his books. When he closed his locker, he was startled. Hayden was leaning against the neighboring locker. He didn't hear anything, seeing how the halls were empty, with the exception of Ron and Hayden.
Ron glanced down the hallways, then back at Hayden. "How did you do that?"
"I don't know, I just can." Hayden responded nonchalantly. "What are you doing? We have something important to do."
"If you mean finding this enchanter, we don't have the first idea of where to look. Besides, I have school right now, and you don't, so you can search." Ron reminded his friend.
Hayden head dropped, then made eye-contact. "I'm here to watch your back." Ron started to open his mouth, but Hayden stopped him. ". . . and I have no idea where to start."
"Of course you don't." Ron groaned, slapping his hand over his face, then dropped his hand to his side. "Besides, this person, whoever he is, can't get to me, or anyone else. He's sealed somewhere. Remember? I'll be alright." Ron tried to assure Hayden.
"We don't know what or if he can do anything, even while he's sealed."
Ron sighed in annoyance. "Alrig..."
"Stoppable. Front and Center, now." Came an order, but also sounded like a shout. Their conversion was interrupted by someone from behind Ron.
Ron turned and faced a man dressed in a brown suit, tie and with brown hair, he had demeanor of a military man. The most eerie thing about this man was the fact that he had a serious expression. No smile whatsoever.
"Yes, Mr. B?" Ron asked, slightly nervous.
"First of all, you're tardy. Second, you missed two months of school, which means two weeks in detention!" Ron jaw dropped at his punishment. Everything seems to go wrong for Ron. No matter how hard he tries. However, it seemed like Barkin's demeanor changed significantly, for whatever reason, Ron didn't know. "I will, however, let you off the hook just this once."
Ron was dumbfounded and his jaw dropped. Barkin never let anyone off the hook. Never. Not in a million years. Why would he do this? What made Ron so special to not have to suffer in detention? Ron was about to ask why, when he felt like he should forget the question.
"And if you don't mind me asking where you have been for the last two months?" Barkin asked, somewhat calm, but demanded as well.
"We can't say." Hayden said, speaking in Ron's place.
Barkin saw Hayden leaning against the locker. He didn't recognize Hayden. "I've never seen you before, and I'm sure that we don't have you in the school records."
Hayden stood straight and tall, then saluted the former military soldier. "Cadet Hawkins, reporting for duty, sir."
The salute nearly threw Barkin off and he almost returned it. But he realized that he was being mocked and instead, returned a scowl. "It looks like we have a joker. You think it'll make people like you, Hawkins?"
"I'm hoping so, otherwise I won't enjoy my stay here." Hayden jokingly responded.
Barkin thinned his eyes, but questioned Ron again. "As for my question," Barkin started. "Where were you for two months? We needed you for a game."
"I ... I .. can't say." Ron hesitantly replied.
"So it's confidential?" Barkin asked.
"No, it's not confidential. It's . . . just . . . none of your business." Hayden slowly and calmly replied.
The scowl grew larger. Barkin didn't like Hayden, and he didn't plan on it. He probably never really dealt with anyone like him. "Alright, fine. Just get to class." He ordered, then walked away, while Ron and Hayden went the opposite way.
Hayden waited until Barkin was out ear shot before he spoke. "That was just creepy, doesn't he ever smile?"
"I heard he did, but I didn't believe it."
"Well, why don't you go ahead, and I'll do some research. Meet me later."
"Ok, where should I . . ." Ron turned around, only to find himself alone. Hayden was nowhere to be seen. "Hayden, why do I get the feeling that you're going to be the death of me? Or close enough." Ron went off on his way.
Noon - Cafeteria
Ron entered the cafeteria, and just shivered. It felt like everyone was watching him. More specially, that something was watching him. Ron went on guard.
Ron looked around, trying to find some of his friends, hoping that they didn't think he abandoned them. After all, to them, Ron's been got two months, even though to him, he was gone only a week.
Ron never saw Kim, which may have been a good sign. It also meant that Bonnie wasn't there, but he did continued to look until he saw Tara, who was sitting with Felix.
"At least everything seems alright." Ron shrugged, then went and stood in line, getting his food, until he came to the end of the line. The Cafeteria Lady held up a ladle, which was dripping with a gray ooze. Ron looked at it in disgust. "Mystery meat? Oh come on! Can't we have something different for a change?"
Ron never got a reply. Next thing he knew, he was lying in the midst of a table, which was broken in many pieces from being slammed into it by an unknown force.
Ron was dazed, but everything became clear as he was being lifted up by a big brawny football player, who didn't like Ron at all, and was always down Ron's throat, sometimes for no reason at all.
"Look at what you did, Stoppable. My jacket is ruined!" He pulled back a fist, and lunched it, but it never made contact. The football player was struck by an electric shock, and flew across the room.
Ron fell to the ground. He looked up and saw a man in a black cloak and hood, materialized from out of nowhere. The stranger gestured with his hand, lifting Ron into the air.
Ron couldn't see his face, for it was enshrouded in his hood. The one thing that concerned Ron was the evil he sense coming off this man.
Students started screaming and running out of the room. He looked around, annoyed by the screaming, then gestured with his other hand, sealing every single door in the entire room.
"No one shall leave, until my task it completed."
Ron was struggling with the invisible force that held him. "Who are you?"
He turns his attention to Ron. "You can call me, Morgan the Luster, and I'm here to finish one thing: End Merlin's bloodline." In his free hand, red tendrils form in it.
Ron looked at Morgan with shock as he realized what he was talking about. "You're responsible for the death of my parents, aren't you?"
Morgan didn't seem phased, almost as if he knew what Ron was going to say. "You could say that." He replied.
Ron couldn't believe it. Standing before him was the source for all the pain and torment Ron was forced to undergo. Everything that went wrong. He started breathing hard, and slowly, Ron's fear turned into anger.
Without thinking, Ron lifted his hands and fired white energy at the man, full force. The force of the blast threw Morgan to the wall. Ron dropped to the ground in the process. When Morgan hit the wall, he seemed to have disintegrated, but appeared right in front of Ron, and threw him through the air.
Ron smashed through a window, and crashed to the ground, hard. Morgan came out of the school. "Hmph. All too easy."
In a second, Morgan missed Ron jumping to his feet, and motioned with his hand, raising the ground around his enemy. However, that didn't stop him. The raised ground exploded, and dirt was thrown everywhere. Ron projected his shield, which kept him from being struck, but it didn't last long.
Fighting Morgan seemed to be draining Ron more then when he was fighting Shego. He hasn't been fighting him long, but it seems like his strength was being draining. Either that, or he used too much energy against Shego.
"A young enchanter, how quaint." He held his hand out and a dagger materialized, floating in thin air, about the palm of his hand. "But I expected you to be more . . . more . . . well, more." He commanded the dagger at Ron, and it went flying.
The dagger nearly hit Ron, but it disintegrated, rather quickly, before impact. Nothing of it remained. Morgan looked around, and was annoyed to see Kim, standing off to the side.
"I have a major bone to pick with Ron. So if you leave now, I promise to be merciful to you." When Kim finished speaking, Ron groaned in annoyance, he was the one that had any idea what Morgan was capable of.
Morgan, however, seemed amused that someone believed that they held more power. He gestured with one hand, lifting Kim off the ground. "Do you know who you're dealing with?"
He didn't wait for an answer. He threw Kim to the side, turning his attention to Ron. Kim jumped to her feet. "You don't consider me a theat?"
"You're just more of a nuisance." He turned and Kim saw his hand, orange sparks formed at his finger tips, then came together in the palm of his hand to form a fireball.
Morgan threw it at Kim, which she dodged it, but the fireball exploded on contact with the ground, not only sending flames everywhere, but dirt and debris as well. The blast threw Kim several feet away.
Once again, Morgan turned back to Ron, who was on his feet. "I shall ask you once: Where is that pathetic relic?"
Ron shook his head in confusion. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"You know what I'm talking about. The one that the foolish king and his knights went on a quest for. The one you took from that foolish wizard's library."
Ron was confused for a second, then it hit him. "He wants the Holy Grail, so he could destroy it! It must be the only thing that can stop him. It must have been in that box I found. I have to get home before he gets to it."
Ron tried to think of something to keep Morgan where he was. If he could just get home, then he might have a chance. Ron saw a twisted smile, one that sent shivers down his spine, and stopped in his tracks.
"You've served your usefulness, it's time you joined your family; in the Land of the Dead!" Morgan rose Ron in the air and start to choke him. Ron tried to do something, but it was as if he had no strength at all. He couldn't breathe, and his eyes started to go blank.
Ron was about to pass out when he dropped to the ground. Someone had snuck up from behind Morgan and struck him, but only succeed in saving Ron, and angering the villain. He turned around and sent out a wave of telekinetic energy behind him. Hayden was knocked to the ground by the blast. He tried to get to his feet, but Morgan raised his hand and Hayden was knocked flat, grunting in pain.
Morgan crooks his arm back and Hayden slides across the ground on his back. He tries to control his body enough to throw a large stone at his attacker, but Morgan twists his arm again and Hayden is lifted several feet up into the air, somersaulting, and losing his weapon while being held in place mid- air. He frantically feels for another weapon while looking at the ground in disbelief.
"It was unwise of you to challenge me." Morgan said to Hayden as he held him in the air.
"Yeah, well, I wouldn't mind another crack at it." Hayden said more serious then joking.
Morgan frowns at Hayden as his face contorts in pain. "What did you hope to achieve by attacking me? Did you actually believe it was possible to defeat me?"
"Well, that kind of was the plan." Hayden spoke with extreme difficulty.
"And what purpose would that have served?" Morgan inquired.
Hayden shrugs. Morgan closed his eyes, and seemed to be concentrating, Hayden was confused as to what was going on. "What are you doing? I half expected . . . actually I completely expected you to have killed by now."
"I never expected you to amuse me." Morgan said.
"And I never expected you to have spared my life this long." Hayden spoke with much effort." I mean, you're not the kind to take prisoners. I mean, it's, uh, kinda kill first and . . . " He trails off and thinks through what he was about to say. "No, that's generally just about it -- just the killing."
It wasn't until a few moments later, when Morgan opened his eyes. "I know you."
"Well, that's great." Hayden sarcastically replied. "How significant is that?"
"Perhaps, you'd like to see something, before you die."
Hayden was confused, wondering what he was talking about. "Alright, I'll bite. What are you talking about?"
Just then, Hayden raveled in pain as images flooded his mind. Some things he saw, made him mad, people being killed for no reason, others sickened him, the way many people were kill, but the last thing he saw, made his blood boil more then it ever did his entire life.
Morgan stopped closes his fist, and Hayden begins to choke. Morgan nearly succeeded, but then realized what was going on. Hayden was just trying to distract him. He tossed Hayden aside, and came about face with Kim, who was trying to create a purple orb of pure energy.
"You think that it's possible to destroy a god?" Morgan inquired, his tone sounded even more amused.
"A god . . . you are . . . not." Hayden shot at him. "A crazy man . . . on the other . . . " He was silenced as he fell into unconsciousness.
"One down." Morgan said. "Now it's your turn to leave this mortal coil, Morgan Le Fay." Morgan said, looking directly at Kim.
"Excuse me? What makes you think..." Kim stopped when she realized what Hayden was taking about, when they were on Avalon."So I guess Hayden was telling the truth. That's a shock. Only one thing to do, now." She clenched her teeth, and concentrated on powering up for an attack, only her opponent was powered up before her and she didn't get a chance to be ready when Morgan attacked first, with a black ball of pure energy.
In an attempt to strike back, Kim fired off with a purple energy orb, she had charged up, but her attack was cut through like tissue paper. Kim braced for impact, but was shocked to see Ron throwing himself in the direct line of Morgan's attack, taking the entire blast.
"But, why?" Kim mouthed in shock, not expecting an answer.
After the light faded, Ron was laying on his back. Kim was unsure if he was alive or not. Morgan walked until he stood before her. Lifting Kim up into the air, he snared. "Everything has been changed." Was all he saw, as he shot a beam of energy at Kim, sending her flying. She slammed on the ground and was out.
Morgan turned his attention to Ron. Looking down upon the unconscious form, he brought his hands together, and folded two fingers over each other, and the last three, he alined next to each other.
"Both of you will suffer the same fate." Morgan then started to slowly disappear. "Annihilate by the darkness within your hearts."
Looks like Morgan lost his sanity . . . if he had it to begin with. And they lost to him, but you can't always win the first time around. Ron took the attack for Kim. What does that mean for Kim? And what's going to happen next? Just wait and see.
Please review and let me know what you think.
