/ Duel Universe
/ Author: The Cowboy of Oklahoma
/ Ch 27: Evil Rises
/ word count: 1932
Underworld Alliance:
"Master! What are we going to do!?" A small winged fiend said as he followed an unseen presence into a vast, seemingly empty, chamber. "One of the god cards has emerged, and the Darkworld fiends have been disposed of before the plan intended!"
"I know, you little cretin!! Don't remind me of things I'm well aware of!!" The presence bellowed, shaking the little fiend to its core. "I am getting the next clan ready for their assault. The Alliance will not be denied!" It said.
"But master, what will we do to counter the god cards!? We have nothing that even comes close to their might." The little fiend pointed out.
"We have something, though they do require a large sacrifice of energy to call upon, and a fool to wield them." It explained.
"Who master? Who could possibly be able to wield their power?" The little fiend asked.
"A corrupt human." It responded, laughing devilishly.
Human Encampment:
There was a medium-sized building dead center of the encampment. It was the holding cells of any human individual that thought they could break rules or injure another without consequences. One such individual has pretty much been inside this building since it was erected. Former Major Bensen, now just Steve, sat alone in his cell, staring up at the simple thatched ceiling. It was enchanted so no human could escape on their own, and duel disks weren't able to be activated here. He was in here because he still refused to allow any woman the right to speak their mind. He had beaten one woman for trying to do something she wanted, and then beat another that tried to come to the first aid. He was tackled from behind by several men, cuffed, tried in a court-martial, stripped of his rank and position, then placed in temporary holdings until the building was finished. He was a model of ignorance and stupidity for the human race. He flexed his muscles, did routine exercises in his cell, push-ups, sit-ups, grabbing the bars over and behind his head to do leg ups. He would stay in shape, he would be ready for the day of retribution. His hatred of all those fools around him made him reek of evil intent. However, he was stuck behind bars and couldn't make anyone see the truth, his truth! The only truth and that was for women to know their place! If a woman was allowed to think on her own, the world would crumble! His father and his father's father before him had taught him this truth! He will make them all pay for their ignorance! He was relaxing now, taking some time to think, he would resume training in a moment, but he needed to come up with a plan to get back at his enemies. All of them at once! He would need…, the floor of his cell suddenly vanished. He found himself flailing at the darkness before him. He almost screamed out in terror but caught himself. He wasn't afraid, he was a true man, "and true men are never afraid!" His father's words echoed in his mind.
"Correct human." A voice suddenly sounded out in the darkness.
"Who's there!?" Steve tensed and looked all around himself, seeing nothing but darkness.
"Who I am is of little importance. But, those words in your mind, 'true men are never afraid', I couldn't agree more." It said with an undertone of evil intent.
"Where am I?" He asked.
"You're still in your holding cell, resting upon that cot of yours. We are conversing inside your mind." It explained.
"So what do you want of me?" He asked.
"Much human. But first, I wish to grant you power! Power, unlike anything you've experienced before!" It cackled.
"What power could you grant to me? You're probably just some monster of this realm." He stated.
"Why yes I am, but see, I can do things you can only dream of. Such as granting you freedom from this holding cell, and granting you power, more powerful than even the god cards that some of you humans have been granted. I believe his name is Ka'an." It said mirthfully.
Steve tensed up again, this time with hatred of the man that took his position away onboard the Washington! The man that was the beginning of his spiral downward from power! The man that had dared to punch a superior and get away with it!
"Give it to me." He almost whispered.
"What did you say human?" It asked, unsure of what it just heard.
"I said, give it to me, monster! Give me the power to make them all pay for what they've done to me! Give me the power that outmatches the gods!" He declared.
It laughed. "Hahahahahahaha! Very well human. I will grant you this power but be warned, it requires a large sacrifice of energy to wield, more than what you can provide for by yourself." It explained.
"I know where I can get more." He stated, an evil grin crossing his features. "I know where I can get a lot more."
The darkness seemed to seep into Steve's very being, he felt empowered beyond imagining, but he also felt changed from who he once was. His eyes opened and he shot out of the bed with a jolt. He looked at his hands and felt the power still filling him up. He looked around, elated at this new power when he noticed the door to his cell was open. He stepped forth and embraced this new freedom. He was now the most powerful human being to have ever existed! He could not be stopped!
"Stop where you are!" Someone shouted to his left.
He looked and saw a human guard rushing towards him.
"Get back into your cell, prisoner!" The guard said.
"My cell? Do you not grasp just what I've become?" Steve asked.
The guard looked at him with a stupid expression. "I don't care what you think you've become prisoner! Now get back into your cell!" He yelled.
"Come and make me." He said calmly.
The guard lunged at him, trying to force him back, but was stopped when Steve simply touched him. The look of horror and pain filling his face, he groaned in pain and dropped his nightstick to the floor. The guard's face began to shrink and appear sunken in. It took a moment, but then his body flopped to the ground dead, devoid of all energy and substance.
"Hm, interesting. But I need more, lots more." He noted. "But I can't go around touching every person I see, someone is bound to notice that. I need to sneak my way onboard the Oceanica, there is an abundance of life there I could use." He stated to himself. Then left the holding cells in a disguise of clothes he found. He was careful not to touch anyone he came across, hiding as best he could in the shadows. He was almost to the Oceanicas outer wall when he noticed someone he very much wanted to teach a lesson to. He grabbed his previous woman from behind and clasped his hand over her mouth to keep her from screaming.
"Hello dear. So nice to see you again, Sergeant." He whispered in her ear.
Brier struggled against his grip, but it was like iron shackles and didn't budge.
"I've recently been given new powers and abilities. And I wanted to share some of it with you." He offered.
She stopped struggling for a moment, since she couldn't escape, she waited to see what he was talking about.
"So, in the spirit of letting you know I forgive you for being so rude to me before, and letting me rot away in that cell, I thought I'd be kind and return the favor!" His voice had an edge of ice to it, and Brier renewed her struggles to get away.
Then she felt pain, searing throughout her body, she screamed but it was muffled by his hand still covering her mouth. She struggled in vain to get loose but found she was growing weaker by the second. Her body began to twitch from lack of control and the pain racking her entire being. Then suddenly her body was dropped to the ground gasping for air.
A struggle could be heard but she no longer has the strength to look around herself. Several footfalls grew distant and all was quiet for just a moment. Then there were footsteps coming closer quickly and getting louder. She couldn't even panic due to the lack of any form of energy in her.
"Hey! Hey! Can you hear me!?" A male voice said just before she lost consciousness.
Steve ran from the attacker, he wasn't ready to be noticed by anyone and she wouldn't be alive long enough to tell anyone, anything. He made his way to another side of the Oceanica's wall, he needed to get inside unnoticed, but first, he needed to get past this wall unseen. Touching it, he could feel the power and energy that went into constructing it by the monsters. Maybe he could absorb some of it, make the wall weaker. Touching it, nothing happened.
"Of course it couldn't be that simple." He muttered to himself.
He looked around for a passage that would allow someone to enter because they were allowed the occasional individuals to enter and swim in Earth's ocean water. He found a passage and guard tower overlooking it. He waited and watched the guard for a moment, getting an idea of how he moved, then got closer with each passing moment, until he was right beneath the tower. He made his way into the passage and noticed no one was currently here to allow anyone in or out. A magical barrier was erected to keep anyone from entering unannounced, but he felt compelled to go forward. He placed his hands against the barrier and found it to bend to his will, allowing him to pass. Once beyond it, he looked around for anyone to notice him enter the vessel. He was clear, and he could use the creatures and animals within to power himself up.
"Now I will have my revenge." He stated as he took a step inside the vessel.
Once inside, he noticed that parts of the upper hulls had been removed. He could see clear skies and stars overhead. A faint shimmer was visible if one looked close enough, a magical barrier to protect what was inside the ship.
"Oh how cute. I guess they needed some of the ship's hulls to complete that eyesore in the sky. Oh well. When I'm done with this place, they can just use all of the ship's hull!" He declared.
He stepped over the water's edge, a few seals were resting on the makeshift shoreline, but when they felt his presence, they all dived for the water and swam away. A few dolphins were also close enough to be seen, but they too swam away from him while he stood there. He then gathered up some scuba gear to wear and several air tanks, flinging them into the interior ocean before him. He got set in the gear and then dived deep into the water, absorbing energy as he went down, crustaceans and smaller sea life died off little by little until he reached the bottom. Then he unleashed all his intent, all his will to dominate his enemies and anything within a kilometer of his reach began to die off.