(I am so sorry about the late update everyone. I'm back at college now so updates will not be in surety when they'll be updated…though…summer didn't fare so well…sorry about that.)
Noble Six: Thanks.
Gemm1mt: You'll soon see.
Chapter 20: It Begins
(Adirondack Park, a few years later)
The night was dark and the moon was full. Connell stood and waited. It had been many moons since he had started his training. Each day he trained vigorously in every form of combat the spirits instructed him on. The process had been grueling, agonizing experience. He was tested to his limits: physically, mentally, and spiritually. Unarmed combat, armed combat, marksmanship, strategic planning, studying fighting in foes, spiritual development, and other means of bettering oneself were the lessons Connell learned as time went on. He had undergone many tests that the spirits designed. He tested the swiftness of sword attack and defense, precision of archery both with full sight and blind, extensive adaptive reaction in unarmed combat, animal bonding, etc. He now sat before the spirits in a meditative position.
"You have trained hard and long, persevering with heart and determination. Your progress took some time, but we believe you've more than proven yourself." Musashi stated.
"But, you all had to have trained for far longer than I have. Years upon years." Connell said.
"True, but we did not always spend every day training. You have had little rest, but have fought through that." Musashi responded.
"Through each trial you have shown spirit within yourself, the resolve to fight on whilst enduring pain and hardship." Master Long added.
"Still, the true fight is ahead of you, boy." Adalbern grunted.
"I know." Connell replied.
"Your future is not certain, for the war to come will be filled with hardship. Yet you must persevere, your heart must brave the storms that come." Mainard stated.
Connell mind and heart were ravaged by the memory of what had happened to Humphrey, how bigotry had led to his death at the hands of tyrants and their henchmen. A war with such powers would likely lead to more pain…and Connell dreaded…possible lives lost.
"I learned that the day S.H.I.E.L.D. murdered my friend and when the poacher who claimed to be a hunter wished to slaughter the pack." Connell snarled.
His right hand went to his scar. The wolves had licked at the wound, leaving a scar that ran above and beneath his eyes with both parts being over an inch or so long whilst being less than half an inch wide. However, the eye itself was unharmed. After that day, She-Wolf had counseled him on spiritual enlightenment and change. He had spent much time with the wolves, sometimes even running with them in the forest.
"Aye, lad. You will be challenged by those bastards. You are but one against a storm. But with the courage we have seen…you will at least give'em one helluva fight." William Wallace added.
"With time your skills have sharpened and your spirit will never stop hunting the tyrants." Robin Hood stated.
Every day, for the past few years, Connell had drilled vigorously with every weapon for hours. She-Wolf's instruction on dual wielding of a tomahawk and dagger traded out sometimes with his animal empathy sessions.
"But just a few years of training against an army? I…I fear…" Connell grunted in doubt.
"Do not show fear, that will be the end of your war against these foes." Spartacus grunted.
"I didn't mean…hrr…I know…I just fear that I'm still not up to the task." Connell sighed.
"Your training was bloody difficult, but you showed guts, lad." Mary Read said.
"Ye did us proud, even if ye don't realize it." Anne Bonny added.
"…Thank you." Connell said, a bit surprised.
"Your spirit has been shaped by what you have experienced, what you believe, and what you will soon fight for. Let that conviction guide you." Mari proclaimed.
Connell thought for a moment, thinking to things he had done and said in the past…things he was wrong about, things he regretted…he hoped…he hoped that what he was soon about to do…would not only avenge those who had fallen, free those under the reign of bigotry and tyranny, but also…to redeem himself for such things…failing to save Humphrey, misinterpreting the past of the country's state of the rights of people and their fights for what was believed to be right, his inactivity to fight against bigotry before he gained the amulet, etc.
"Go, Connell…go and do what you have trained for…go and fulfill your destiny." She-Wolf said.
Connell bowed his head to the spirits. He then stood up. He started to feel something.
"Wh-What the…?" Connell grunted in surprise.
"Every warrior must be set in armor and garb that befits them. The magic of the amulet manifests it from your spirit." Musashi stated.
"When you return, you will have your armor, your training, and your weapons…your rebellion will begin." Mari added.
(New York City, a week or so later)
The city is covered in a light frost, a light snow fall spreads across the city. But currently the people weren't concerned with the weather. They are transfixed on the event before them: Quite a few S.H.I.E.L.D. agents accompanied by a dozen or so of red & gold colored, man sized Sentinels surrounded a group of chained up people, all of them targets of the Superhuman Registration Act. The crowd bellowed for the nonhuman beings to be dealt with in a number of different ways. The agents had gathered the people as a spectacle as the news has camera teams there.
"As you all can see, the new Legion Sentinels are more than sufficient at hunting mutants, inhumans, and the other freaks that plague our country. Thanks to the designs of the treacherous Tony Stark and the ingenious Bolivar Trask." The lead agent stated.
"Alright! 'Bout time those freaks got what was comin' to them." One man chuckled, a gruff yet sinister smile across his face.
"We haven't done anything! We're just trying to survive!" One of the prisoners cried out.
"You break the law with every moment you don't register with S.H.I.E.L.D. and the government." The lead agent scoffed.
"Why? Just because we're not human?!" Another prisoner asked.
The agent glared at him with a hateful gaze.
"Register in accordance to the law, or your sentences will be met out instantly." The lead agent grunted.
"What sentence?" Another prisoner gasped.
"Life in prison without possibility for parole." The agent replied.
The crowd cheered, clapping at the agents and cursing at the prisoners.
"Tell us your answer…NOW." The lead agent ordered.
The wind began howling and the snow fall became a blizzard.
"HERE IS THE ANSWER: NO. THE SUPERHUMAN REGISTRATION ACT IS DISHONORABLE AND DISGARCES THESE PEOPLE!" An unknown voice howled.
"Who's there?! You dare to openly break the law?!" The lead agent yelled.
"YOUR BIGOTRY CANNOT BE STOOD FOR ANY LONGER! THAT ALL ENDS BY STARTING HERE!" The voice howled back.
"Legion Sentinels! Activate!" The lead agent ordered.
The Sentinels powered up, the energy running through their mechanical bodies.
"The target hides in the blizzard, find him and bring him down." The agent grunted.
The Sentinels began to hover in the air. Their 'eyes' began humming a peculiar sound and sets of lights surged from them. They scanned through the blizzard then retreated back into the eyes.
"No nonhumans detected." The Sentinels said in unison, their mechanical voices as emotionless as ever.
"What?!" The agent snarled in disbelief and annoyance.
The crowd gasped and screamed, drawing the agent's attention. Everyone stares in confusion and surprise at what they see: in the blizzard the figure of a man is walking towards them. He appears to be wearing some kind of hood along with a trench coat, as the ends of one appear to be seen behind halfway down his legs. But the thing that drew the most attention are his eyes: two ghastly green eyes glow within the whiteness of the blizzard. Suddenly two glowing swords of the same green somehow appear in his hands. The blades are pointed out to either side of him.
"I thought you said no nonhumans?! That's not human!" The lead agent screamed.
"Scanning of specimen repeated once appeared in the blizzard, no nonhumans detected." The sentinels stated.
"How is that possible?" The lead agent gasped.
The figure was a few dozen yards from them.
"Sentinels! Bring him down!" The lead agent bellowed.
"Command confirmed, proceeding to eliminate threat." The sentinels stated as they hovered towards the figure.
The sentinels flew forward swiftly, firing off lasers from the palms of their hands. The figure disappeared into the mist. The agents and crowd smiled for a second. The sound of metal being cut was heard. One of the sentinels was cut in half, the figure suddenly reappearing. The figure spun around, his swords spinning in deadly arcs. Another Sentinel was cut in half by the waist. The Sentinels continued to fire off several blasts. The figure was running from the blasts, his swords disappearing and seemingly a bow appears in his left hand. He pulled an invisible string, but an arrow and string appeared. The figure released the arrow, which was sent flying into one Sentinel's head and causing it to explode.
"What?" The lead agent scoffed.
Two more of the sentinels flew forward, firing off their blasts in quick succession. The figure moved like a shadow through the blizzard, firing off more arrows that found their marks with the same results as the first shot. The arrow disappeared like the katanas and in its place appeared an apparently long stick. More sentinels rushed forward. The figure twirled the staff in his hands around, slamming repeatedly into the sentinels. The sounds of smashed metal resonated from the blizzard. The crowd grunted in confusion and shock. Despite the blizzard, they wished to see the action, hoping to see the sentinel take out the attacker. Then the sounds of metal being cut were heard and an apparent longsword is in the hands of the figure. The blade cut through the sentinels left and right.
"No…" The lead agent gasped.
The figure slashed his blade, cutting a sentinel in half as it rushed at him. Another sentinel flew from behind him, arms open. The sword swirled in the figure's hands then jabbed the blade backwards and through the sentinel. He ripped the blade out then twirled in a quick arc with the blade extended out from himself. The crowd watched in horror as the blade cut through several of the machines in one swift slash. The sword disappeared from the figure's hands as a sentinel rushed him from behind. The rest of the sentinels rushed in after circling him. In the figure's hands a huge axe appeared. The figure swung it in a complete circle around him, cutting down every last sentinel that attacked him. The weapon disappeared. The figure walks through the blizzard towards the agents.
"Oh God." One of the agents gasped.
The figure walked up to the platform where the prisoners are held. The agents rush at him. But the figure leaps into the air, striking out with a foot and knocking them down to the ground. The crowd shakes in shock and fear as the figure approaches the lead agent.
"B-Back you, f-fre-" The lead agent stammers, trying to mask his fear while reaching for the gun in the holster at his hip.
The figure smacks the man with the back of his hand, knocking him to the ground. The gun is grabbed and tossed away by the figure. He then shifts to look at the crowd, the cameras aiming at him. The blizzard howled as it still hid some of the figure's look, except for the darkness of the clothes and the green of his eyes.
"Once there was a resistance to bring down the law that thrives off bigotry and hatred, but were crushed by the powers they sought to vanquish. Years have gone by since then, countless people being tortured, branded, executed, and enslaved by that same tyrannical power. But now, let there be a new resistance that comes to stand against such evil…if no one else chooses to fight so be it…but know this: the rebellion begins now." The figure proclaimed.
The figure freed the prisoners from their shackles, who then fled away from the scene. The crowd turned from them back to the figure, who walked backwards and deeper into the blizzard then disappeared.
To be continued…
(Again, I'm so sorry for the late update. I haven't been able to work on any of my stories lately and it's made me feel really shitty it's taken this long. I'm so sorry y'all. With it now being Fall Break, maybe I'll be able to do a little more before college classes return. Again, I'm sorry for how long it's taken.)