One-shot: Embrace the Shadows

The mantle of the Shadow Monarch was a heavy one. Each step of his, ten million soldiers followed. When the Cup of Reincarnation was used, reversing the World back to how it was before the Gates, he took up the mantle willingly, sparing countless of fates more tragic than death. Twenty seven years were his battle, against every beasts, every monsters, every Monarchs, and when Antares finally fall, he heaved a sigh of relief. He fought a battle no one knew, and would receive no compliments nor praise, yet he was willing all the same. Then, life was normal, for a while, maybe except for when some aliens thought they could invade Earth on his watch.

They came with a force of a hurricane. Twin worms, gigantic, multiversal, powerful, ready to devour the World. He noticed, and with a heartfelt goodbye to his family, he stepped into the dimensional rift. His soldiers, ever loyal, followed. The twin worms were powerful, with myriads of abilities to throw at him, but he persevered, killing The Thinker in the process, and gravely injured the other. The Warrior, however, was cunning, and dragged its partner's corpse through a dimensional portal. He gave chase, knowing that if one were to survived, it would find a way to revive its partner.

--

Chief Director Rebecca Costa – Brown frowned. The reports in her hand were inconclusive. The Slaughterhouse Nine, one of the worst parahuman criminal group, seemed to have ceased and died overnight. She read over the highlights.

"Jack Slash, deceased, decapitation.

Crawler, unknown, no traces found.

Shatterbird, deceased, rip to shreds.

Bonesaw, unknown, no traces found.

Mannequin, deceased, rip to shreds.

Burnscar, deceased, rip to shreds."

Her frown deepened. Six core members, four confirmed dead, two missing entirely, presumably dead. Survivors of the attack when she got there told her of a Korean man, strolling into town in the middle of the rampage, projecting hundreds of dark, shadowy soldiers, and killed the Nine effortlessly. She thought back to her conversation with one of the survivors.

Flashback*

She flew over as fast as she could. Another rampage, another town gone. The least she could do was to minimized casualties, if there were any left. Her strike team were rigid, tensed. Each member was powerful in their own, but the Nine were notorious in their killing of powerful capes. Phoenix's face was grim, her lips thinned.

"We will save as many as we could." She reassured.

Phoenix did not say a word, but she nodded. That was good.

The town came into view. A quaint little place, picturesque and peaceful, she would have thought, if it were not for the broken houses, shattered glass and blood splatters. She grimaced. Touching down, she signaled for her team to move, checking the houses, each in pairs. What they found was grim. Bodies strewn the ground, and so much blood. Charred corpses and mangled bodies. Broken tinkertech spider robots about. What happened here? Last she checked, there were no capes in this town.

"Boss, over here." Phoenix called. Abruptly, she flew. From her vision range, she saw them. A group of survivors, huddled together in makeshift tents. She touched down.

"How are you all feeling?"

"If you mean by losing our town and saw our friends murdered, we're good." A man sarcastically remarked. The elderly woman next to him elbowed him, earning a hiss and a mumbled sorry.

"What he meant to say is, we are fine physically. I don't know if we're ever gonna get over this trauma. But we're still alive, thanks to that good samatarian of a cape."

Cape? She was the first team they sent. The Protectorate did not notify her of anyone that came before her. She frowned.

"May I ask where have they went, ma'am?"

"Oh the kind boy saved us and built us this shelter. He left shortly after, saying he needs to find something."

"Can you give me a description, ma'am?"

"Hmmm… Oh yes. Asian, Korean I think. Chiseled face, broad shoulders. He has a kind smile and warm voice also."

That sounded… exceptionally generic.

"Oh yes, glowing blue eyes. Yes, most beautiful eyes I've ever seen."

That. She could work with that.

"Thanks for the information ma'am. Don't worry, the PRT will come soon. You will be transported to a Parahuman Victim Hospital. Now, if you'll excuse me."

Without another word, she flew up. Tapping an earpiece, she spoke.

"Notify Cauldron. The Slaughterhouse Nine is gone. Get me in touch with Eidolon."

Although, she could not shake the feeling of someone watching her. Her spine shivered.

Flashback ended*

She mused over the information. Glowing blue eyes. Conjuring soldiers up to the hundreds. Master 8, at least. Someone tapped her on her head. Has she been that distracted?

"Still mulling over our mysterious friend?" David asked, a playful smirk on his face.

"I can't help but think we are missing something here. A cape of that magnitude cannot stay hidden for long."

"Think it's a new trigger?"

"That's the only explanation we have."

The door to her office bursted suddenly. A Cauldron staff ran in.

"Miss Rebecca, Contessa… The Path… We need you… in the conference room."

Sparing a glance at David, they briskly set pace towards the meeting room. The first sight they saw was Contessa, slumped in a chair. Her fedora missing, her clothes ruffled, her hair a tangled mess. Doctor Mother sat at the head of the table, hands steepled together. Her face was blank, dark even.

"What happened?" Rebecca voiced her question.

Doctor Mother let out a sigh.

"It seems-"

Contessa stirred. She looked up, eyes glowing blue. She spoke, yet the words came out wrong.

"His steps, equals to ten millions

His authority, undeniable

His arrival, foretold

Kneel, the Monarch of Shadows comes."

Contessa slumped once again, unconcious.

Silence. Then David broke the silence.

"Shit."

--

What happened a few days ago.*

Jack lazily looked down at the family in front of him. Two kids, so young, so naieve, so... riped for taking. He idly twirled his razor.

"Come now, don't cry. We can be family. Bonesaw always need new play mates."

Besides him, Shatterbird chuckled as she lazily read a book. Burnscar snored from the sofa across the room. Bonesaw retreated to her new play house that was the school. He looked down.

"Well, time to introduce you to your new friend."

He stood up, and heaved the two crying children towards the door. Once outside, he breathed deeply. Ah, the smell of fresh air.

"Sibby, make sure no one enter or get out. Would not want any new family to run now, do we?"

The Siberian grinned at him and took off. He started walking, idly playing with his razor and pushing the children forward. He, however, stopped when he noticed a man walking down the road. Black hair, broad shoulders, and wearing no mask. He was dressed in a brown drench coat, with his hands in its pocket. He did not look like a hero, but his stance and confidence said otherwise. A new upcoming, perhaps? Well, more playmates for her then. He stopped the two children, hands on their heads to prevent them from bolting. The man stopped, his glowing blue gaze impassive and cold.

"Greetings friend, what brings you to this lovely town this fine morning?" His voice was loud, enough to alert the others.

The man was silent. He looked around, at the broken houses, at the blood splatters, and seemingly sastified with an answer.

"Did you do this?" The man asked, a slight accent to his English. Asian, perhaps.

"Mhmm hmmm, you like it? You heroes always love when a big bad villain appeared. Glory of taking down them and the sorts."

He could hear Shatterbird landed on a roof next to him, saw the Siberian flanked behind the man. He could see Burnscar sidling up next to him, although the girl really needed to wash her face before coming. He could pratically hear Crawler crawling through the streets.

"What do you say, friend, wanna join us? We Slaughterhouse Nine is a one stop for all capes."

The man closed his eyes, then exhaled. Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw The Siberian lunged. He grinned. Jack-

A dark, armored gauntlet grabbed Sibby's face and slammed down, cracking the asphalt below. Jack felt his smile wavered. From the man shadow, a dark, gigantic, winged being stepped out, one hand keeping The Siberian still. She struggled, clawed and bit at his hand, but to his suprised, caused no damage. The thing rumbled, horned helmet turned its attention to the striped woman.

"The King has not allowed you to move, rogue shadow."

He planted a foot on The Siberian, and even though she struggled, there were no escaping. Jack saw the man raised an eyebrow at the being.

He could hear Shatterbird took a breath, saw shards of glasses levitating up. Her song was uttered, and was cut off abruptly, glasses clattering uselessly to the ground. He turned towards her. Clasped over her mouth with its left claw, one dark, right claw pointed at her throat was a shadow, humanoid ant, as tall as Crawler.

"Shhh, no singing. My liege is not in the mood for music." It chittered, and from what he can hear, amused.

Out of the forest, Mannequin was flung out, a dark sword impaled in his chest. A dark Knight stepped out, red plume billowed in the wind. Mannequin tried to crawl away, only for the knight to casually strode up and plunge the sword further down, breaking the armor, the human inside and the ground at the same time. It spoke no words, yet its gaze sent shivers down his spine. Crawler finally made his appearance, roaring and barelling towards the cape. A hulking form met his charge, and Crawler was halt dead in his track. The giant shadow bear roared, rattling his bones. It charged, and Crawler was pushed back. Claws rended flesh, and Crawler laughed. He watched has the flesh regenerated, and he smirked. If they could not destroy the corona pollentia, Crawler will adapt.

"MORE. HURT ME MORE." The beast roared. The bear looked annoyed, and increased its fervor. Two beasts clashed, tentacles and claws teared at each other, and the bear always came out on top, although, it coukd not kill Crawler.

The cape, however, seemed unbothered.

"Tusk."

Out of his shadow, a great being draped in a great cloak manifested. "Tusk", he realized, was a fantasy orc. An honest to god orc. Jutted teeth, clawed hand, bones decoration. A great draconic skull instead of a hood.

"My liege."

With no more words, he heard its chant.

[Hymn of the Dragon]

The draconic maw pointed forward, aiming for Crawler. He smirked. Crawler could withstand a nuke in his current mutations, and if he thought-

The world erupted in a bright light as a beam of searing hot fire seared through the ground, carving a deep, dark drench in the ground below, disintergrating the area in from of it, the forest in its path, and Crawler was reduced to ash.

"Annoying creature." The orc harumphed.

Jack kept his face neutral, though inside, he was looking for a way out. Burnscar roared her own warcry, fire already building. Before she could use it however, a half-snake, half-man beast threw its trident, bisecting her in half. Her lifeless torso fell, shock and fear still splattered on her face. All of this happened within a span of two minutes. He did not even register until everything was already finished.

"Spread out, look for survivors." He heard the man ordered, and from everywhere, shadow medieval soldiers, orcs, elves, and other beasts spilled forth, numering in the hundreds. They scattered, searching, scanning through houses. A shadow soldier took the two chidlren away from him, and he could not be bother to make a remark, too shocked to say a word. The cape turned his attention towards The Siberian. Shatterbird was still in hostage of the ant. He really needed to look for a way out. He sent a slash towards the cape, hoping to kill the Master. Huh, when did he can see his feet from below? Sleepy... Ah, the knight took the hit, no... damage...stained... sword.

--

He took one glance at the headless body and turned back to Bellion. Beru had tore the glass woman to shreds the moment the man's head fell. Igris had took the slash the man sent out and decapitated the man in retaliation.

"Rogue shadow?"

"Yes, my liege. She has the same presence as a shadow, Knight rank at least, Elite Knight rank at most. It seems the creature has try to mimic your authority." He spat out the words with disgust.

The boot pressed down harder. The woman struggled harder.

He exhaled. The worm had tried and created a shadow of at least Knight rank. That was concerning. Although, if the thing beneath Bellion was really a shadow...

He flared his mana, Shadow Domain expanded.

"Submit!" He ordered.

The woman screeched. Jumbled words came out of her mouth.

[ERROR] [ERROR] [ERROR]

[CONNECTION TO HOST'S CORONA POLLENTIA JEOPARDIZED]

[ATTEMPT RECONNECTION]

...

[FAILURE]

...

[ATTEMPT RECONNECTION]

...

[FAILURE]

...

[ATTEMPT RECONNECTION]

[CONNECTION SEVERED]

[ATTEMPT TO CONNECT TO THE WARRIOR]

...

[FAILURE]

...

[ATTEMPT TO CONNECT TO THE WARRIOR]

...

[FAILURE]

[DENIAL] [DENIAL] [DENIAL] [DENIAL]

[CORONA POLLENTIA WITHERED] [WARRIOR ENTITY UNABLED TO CONNECT] [HOST DECEASED]

"This shadow served the Shadow Monarch."

Bellion lifted his boot. The Siberian, as the man called her, kneeled. He checked her status. When he recruited her, she had jumped from Elite Knight to General. Her striped skin now bore the signature dark wisps of his shadows.

"Please designate a name for this shadow, my King." She asked, still bowling.

They called her The Siberian, did they. Siberian, Siberian...

"Saber. Your name will be Saber."

He swore he saw Bellion deadpanned, Beru snickered and Igris sighed explosively.

... He was never good at naming in the first place...

Sung Jin-Woo sighed. He wished Jin-Ho was here. Kid was leagues better at naming than him. An ant shadow alerted him to the school, where they have found the rest of the survivors. They have swarmed the girl playing surgeon and tore her apart, and, to his exasperation and mild disgust, ate her to disabled her machines. They were now carrying survivors back.

"Build the survivors a shelter. We will leave in the morning."

Bellion and Saber bowled, the others followed. Soon they dispersed to gather materials. Sung looked to the skies above, his eyes narrowed.

Hide all you can creature, I will find you.

A/N: This plot bunny has been in my head since I read Worm. Yeah, for now it's a one shot. If I have enough inspiration to continue, I might. If any of you guys interested in adopting it, just pm me. Anyway, have fun reading.