AN: Hey everyone Nobel Six here. This chapter will be a bit different as it introduces a bit of the backstory for a character who will play a huge role going forward in this book and series as a whole. Next chapter we'll return to space, but I wanted to write this one. This is the first chapter I've completely written on my own in a very long time so I might be a bit rusty. With that said I hope you all like this one.
Ash blocked out the sun, but perhaps it was for the better, since the sun couldn't illuminate the blood stained carnage that engulfed seemingly every inch of the once proud and mighty New York City.
Bodies lay spread out everywhere. Many laid dead with their mouths agape, courtesy of their dying screams as the overwhelming infinite power passed over them.
'How could I have allowed this to happen?' a lone man asked as he found himself traversing the darkest corners of his subconscious. As much as he tried to exercise these blood soaked memories from his mind, body and soul, he knew he could never escape the reality of what he had helped create on his world.
He kept walking slowly, he had seen this event too many times for it to truly phase him anymore. The once overwhelming guilt and despair had long been replaced with a feeling of redemption and a desire to bring justice to those he had inadvertently brought this fate upon.
'It's often said the worst things are done with the best intentions...' he thought as he looked up and saw in the distance the building where all of this had come to a head... the S.H.I.E.L.D. Academy. It was inside the once prestigious academy that the truth had been revealed, but at that point it was to late to turn back the tide.
'Did I truly have the best intentions? I guess that depends on how you analyze what lead me to that moment. A moment in time I would give anything to change, but I cannot undo such a great evil.' he continued to ponder as he found himself now standing inside the former academy.
On a large cracked wall that had somehow withstood the consequences of time and had not collapsed, hung portraits of all the academies graduating classes. He turned his head to the right and saw the class that had been just before his, tragically it was the last graduating class the academy ever his. To the right of that portrait stood an empty space, it was a space more symbolic than most would realize. The year stood there, but the portrait remained empty, and in many ways it was a memorial to all of his sins.
'This building once echoed with the sounds of rigorous training, S.H.I.E.L.D. officers and officials doing seemingly routine work, and the laughter and rivalries of the academy students as they worked towards their ultimate goal of becoming the best version of themselves. I have traversed these halls many times in my memories, but I have not physically walked them... and I doubt I ever will... not until my sins are atoned.
The man clinched a fist as the memories continued to play around him as he saw himself and all his former academy friends going to and from seemingly oblivious to the absolute carnage that the in the future would rain down on them like fires from above.
'What if' that saying has more power, good and bad than most people will realize.' he mused as he kept traversing the halls of his memories. 'Too many look into the past with that very question, and they wonder what could have been. But only looking to the past can blind you to the dangers of the present, and the ruin the future could hold. Ironically I was blinded by the potential of such a perfect future that I ignored the danger in the present, something I will never let happen again.' he thought angrily as he stood before the memory that would haunt him until his dying breath.
Inside the academy, a reddish portal opened and out from it walked the architect of this worlds ruin, and countless others: Imperious. Despite the mans past self warning the others not to engage the Dragon Emperor, his warnings fell on deaf ears as all his friends charged towards Imperious, and also towards their inevitable death.
With precision ease Imperious slaughtered them all, his friends, his teammates, while he stood there frozen in fear as the reality of what he had helped create had finally been fully understood and realized.
'I didn't mean to hurt anybody.' he whispered to himself as he watched the last of his friends loose the last of their life, including a girl who he had considered his sister at the academy, her body was flung back and laid there at his feet. Her eyes where open as the blood flowed from her open mouth as she gasped for air as her life seeped away with every drop of blood.
He watched his past self finally break free from the paralyzing fear and drop to his knees as he took her hand into his, muttering please he remembered, but couldn't dare to repeat even in this memory, since he didn't want to dishonor her.
But he heard his past self make a plea he could never forget.
"Don't leave me, please, don't die on me, I wont let you die." his past self cried as he watched his friends life seep away.
He continued to watch the memory unfold as friend looked up at his past self and tried to speak despite the blood choking her. She finally with a gasp was able to utter the last words of her life..
"I forgive you." she said in a pained expression as she laid her head back, and died in the arms of his past self.
'How could you after what I helped cause?' his present self wondered as he continued to watch the memory play out before him.
As his past self hugged his friends lifeless body, he looked up at Imperious with eyes filled with burning rage and hatred. Imperious met his glare not with malice or bloodlust, but with understanding and perhaps a hint of regret.
"You!" his past self screamed as he raised and pointed a damning finger at Imperious.
Imperious sighed as he took a step towards him shaking his head slowly.
"No." Imperious said in his usual deep voice as instead he pointed one clawed finger at the man before him. "You..." Imperious refuted which a serious yet regretful tone on his deep voice.
Before his past self could retort, Imperious prepared to speak again.
"I warned you there would be those who would refuse to see the perfect future I am sculpting." Imperious began as he took a few more steps forward. "I thought you of all people would understand some life must be taken in order to create new life–"
"You didn't have to kill her, or any of them!" his past self roared as he now stood up and took a combat stance.
"You are not guiltless yourself, in fact all of this bloodshed today, and for countless years to come will partially be on your hands. I warned you, but you didn't listen." he now said coldly as he opened up a hand and raised it in the air. His past self flew forward and into the hand of Imperious. Imperious had a seemingly rare sad expression on his face.
"As your friends trusted you, so did I. I freed you from your prison, I showed and gave you wonders beyond your human comprehension, I revealed the truth to you and what must be done to achieve it, yet you rejected me, as you also rejected your friends, when they, and I needed you most." Imperious said calmly but with hints of sadness and bitterness.
"Kill me." his past self said in a defeated tone.
Imperious while keeping his past self within his iron grip frowned before lowering him to eye level.
"Kill me!" the man screamed in rage as he begged for Imperious to kill him.
Imperious sighed before answering.
"I will not take your life. Despite betraying me, you did many things for me that have lead to this moment, I could not have easily done them without you. You reward is your life. But take comfort you always wanted to be the hero everyone looked up to, but you are now going to wander alone, as the only hero... or rather an aimless wanderer." Imperious then let out a roar of pure cosmic energy that unleashed the power of the Infinity Stones.
The roar swept across the four corners of the earth and reached into the skies and the infinite vastness of space, leaving chaos in their wake, chaos used for the pursuit of perfection. Imperious then dropped the man who had helped beckon in this new reality, and ascended into the skies above and vanished from site.
'How long did I wander aimlessly?' the mans present self wondered as the events of the past continue to play out before him.
He did not know for how long he wandered alone, the sole survivor of the human race. Countless hours he wished for death the claim him, yet something always prevented him from taking his own life. He never understood why, until he received something unexpected.
The mans past self saw someone of something walking towards him. As he got closer he saw what the being before him looked like, he looked similar to the comic book character 'Spawn' but he had a golden cross emboldened on his chest, with golden eyes that could seemingly stare into your soul.
His past self whimpered with fear as he threw himself at this beings feet begging to be killed.
But the being refused and the harshness of those golden eyes lessened be it just a little.
"I will not take your life. But rather sentence you to life. I feel your genuine remorse and your desire to absolve yourself of all the sins you have committed." the being said in a firm yet comforting voice.
"However harsh you judge me, it wont be harsh enough." his past self said in a defeated tone.
"Perhaps, but I'm giving you what you need, not want... redemption over death. Walk the path of redemption and help defeat Imperious. As you where once the Dragon Emperors apprentice, you shall now be my apprentice. If you join me, I will take you somewhere where you can heal, physically, mentally and spiritually. I promise I will help you redeem yourself, of that you have my word, and my word is a bond I cannot break." the being offered as he offered the mans pasty self standing before him a hand.
'I still don't know why he offered me a second chance after all I had done, but looking back, I can see now what he saw in me...'
The mans past self with a shaky hand reached out and took the beings hand. The path to redemption had officially begun.
The man now exited the memories and returned to the waking world and looked around him upon waking up. With a determined expression he quickly picked up his sword and began preparing his next move.
'Crusader I owe you my life for offering me redemption years ago. And with my blade I will damn well make sure to take out as many of my old masters forces, including my personal old enemy before he infects another and turns them into what I almost became... a monster...
AN: I know its a different kind of chapter, but it's one that has much importance going forward. Please let me know what you think.