Chad seemed unable to control himself anymore. It was almost as if some kind of powerful force was fuelling his anger. The professor’s words seemingly had no effect. Stacey had sunk to her knees in the corner of the room, sobbing uncontrollably.
Sergeant Cooper tried with all his might to fight Chad’s grip around his neck, but the younger man was far too strong for him. Chad held his left hand up and clenched his fist, preparing to strike. The sergeant knew that if Chad struck him with all his aggression, the blow would likely kill him. He struggled to speak but decided to say these final words to him. “I…never held you back…boy. I…know how…powerful you are.” The words struggled from his mouth as he chocked. “I need to…make sure you’re ready…before you can…save the world. But…if you have it within you…to kill without reason…well then kill!”
The voice in Chad’s head spoke once more. “He lies. He hates you. He will never let you be with his daughter. Kill him…” Chad posed to strike. Several of the fallen agents looked on in horror, they knew they were helpless to stop him.
“CHAD!” screamed Stacey has the top of her voice.
Her words somehow reached him. He turned to her for a moment, subsiding his anger slightly. The voice in his head intervened. “Don’t listen to her, do it now!” Chad returned his attention back to the sergeant. Torn between Stacey’s words and the words of the mysterious voice in his head, the latter of which seemed to have a great deal of power over him, Chad pondered for a moment. He wondered whether or not he should strike the killing blow on his foe here and now. It was as if two forces were fighting against each other in an attempt to make him act.
After a few moments, he reached a decision and unleashed the most fierce left-hand punch he could muster. However, instead of smashing the sergeant’s skull, his fist broke through the glass table on which he had placed his superior. The table shattered into pieces, showering many of the agent’s nearby with glass. Chad, who still had his hand around the sergeant’s neck, picked him up from the floor and released his grip.
Chad’s anger disappeared in an instant and he now found himself surprisingly calm. Stacey rushed over to her father to attend him. She then looked up at her boyfriend. A mixture of confusion and fear was edged on her face. Chad stood bewildered, he was totally at a loss as to why he had attacked the sergeant in the first place. Sure, he didn’t like the man, but he didn’t hate him either. He certainly had no desire to hurt his girlfriend’s father. He knew how much pain it was cause her, and the last thing he ever wanted to do was hurt Stacey.
It wasn’t only Chad who thought it peculiar that he had gone from uncontrollable anger to total tranquillity in a matter of seconds. Professor Milton watched him closely. Although the professor didn’t say anything, he simply pondered to himself, wondering if something, or someone, had triggered him off.
“What the hell is the matter with you?” asked Stacey, clearly not happy with Chad’s erratic behaviour. He looked at both Stacey and Sergeant Cooper almost in disbelief. “I’m sorry. I…” he didn’t know what to say. He had no idea why he had attacked the man.
The rest of the agents in the room had now composed themselves. They all stared at Chad like a sane man would look upon a crazy person. He picked up on them all looking at him, and Chad, who was by nature a very confident person, began to feel very uncomfortable.
An awkward silence filled the room for a few moments before being interrupted by a mobile phone ringing. It was Professor Milton’s phone. He picked the phone out of his jacket pocket and answered it. “This isn’t the best time right now,” he said to whoever it was on the other line. He felt that issues here needed to be resolved before he could bother with idle phone chat. His face began to change however as he listened to what the person on the end of the line was saying. Professor Milton then responded to what he had been told. “I understand. I’ll be along at once.” He then ended the call.
“What is it?” asked Sergeant Cooper.
“It’s James…” The Professor looked over to Chad. “…He’s awake.”
Chapter 11: A Memory Of Fire
“I’m fine, I’ve got to get out of here.” James was lying on a bed in the medical facility inside the headquarters. The medical room was small, one of the buildings more private rooms. James was hooked up to several pieces of machinery, which had aided in keeping him alive when he first arrived. To his left upon the wall, was a large mirror and behind it was a small viewing room where agents would usually view a patient inside the room without the person’s knowledge. A middle-aged female doctor, who wore a long white jacket and glasses, stood at the bedside. She moved the quilt slightly in an attempt to make him more comfortable inside the bed.
“You’re ok James, just rest a little, your friends are on their way.”
Although now awake, James was still not in the best physical condition. The building fall would have killed a normal man, yet here he was still in one piece. He had some internal bleeding and bruised ribs, and his legs hurt…a lot, however, he was still alive.
The nurse had a pen and small pad of paper in her hand. She noted down James’ vital signs and heart beat from the equipment the patient was hooked up to. She shook her head and smiled, almost in disbelief. When he first arrived four days ago, his body was broken; he had been very close to death. Yet somehow, a punctured lung had healed itself, and several of his broken ribs were now only bruised. “You must have eaten all of your spinach as a boy. You’re the fastest healer I’ve ever seen.”
A pager inside the nurse’s pocket began to beep. The nurse reached into her pocket and looked at whom the page was from. “Wait here, I’ll be back in a moment.” The nurse exited through a small door directly in front of the bed. James looked around the room, using only his head whilst lying on the bed. He tried for a few moments to sit up, raising his hands a few inches off the bed. He couldn’t manage to get up though for he was still far too weak. He let his head fall back onto the pillow and sighed.
On the opposite side of the mirror, Professor Milton stood in the small viewing room, watching James with interest. It was he who had paged the nurse, who now entered the room as well. “How is he?” asked the professor.
“His vital signs have stabilised at an incredible rate,” answered the nurse. “In four days, he’s healed from injuries that normally take a man six months to recover.”
“Curious,” said the professor, looking deep in thought. The professor’s casual response led the nurse to believe that the man knew more than he was letting on.
“This doesn’t surprise you?”
“Nothing surprises me when it comes to this boy,” he replied. “Ok, that will be all nurse. I’ll go in and see him now.” With that, Professor Milton made his way into the small medical room where James was stationed.
As the professor entered, James was making yet another attempt at leaving the bed. Professor Milton could see his attempts were in vain. “Save your strength, my boy, you will need it.”
James smiled; he was pleased to see the old man. It was a harsh fact of life that James rarely had the opportunity to meet up with him in person anymore. In fact, many agents could spend as much as six months at a time away from the headquarters building if they were not called into a mission that required them to be briefed at the building. The agents did, however, need to go to headquarters for their half yearly summon, in which they would give a progress report to Sergeant Cooper about the well-being of their city. James trusted the professor above almost anyone. He trusted him as much as he trusted Chad, whom he regarded as a brother.
“Looks like you had quite a fall out there my boy,” said the professor.
“Yeah…” replied James, sounding jaded. He had used up a lot of energy trying to get up out of the bed. “How are you doing?”
James managed to sit himself up in the bed. “I’m ok…” he said faintly.
“The nurse says you’re recovering well. You should be up and about in no time.”
James’
eyes felt heavy and he struggled to keep them open. His thoughts dwelt on Lucius, the man who had dished out the punishment to him. He remembered the white haired man’s words. Alexandria…“Where’s Chad? I need to speak to him…”
Professor Milton paused for a few moments before giving his answer.
#
Numerous holding cells were lined up parallel to each other in a dark and damp wing of the World Order’s headquarters. Chad sat inside a small ten by ten-foot cell. There were only minimal living requirements within the cell. A bed to sleep on and a washing basin with a small mirror just above it were the only things inside. Chad had been reprimanded to the holding cells after his attack on Sergeant Cooper a few hours earlier. The cell reminded him of his childhood when he would be locked up in solitary confinement at Bel Grave Orphanage by Mrs Garner. He hated those memories more than anything. I’m like a rat in a cage.
He began to contemplate whether or not to break out, which he was more than capable of doing. Like James, if he was to put in all of his efforts he would likely be able to slowly bend the cell bars such was his strength. He always held back around other agents, but Chad’s true strength was the equivalent to that of ten men.
The quiet sound of a metal door opening from the bottom of the hallway could be heard. A young girl walked through it, closing the door behind her. As the girl walked through the shadows towards the cell in which he was kept, Chad could make out the girl to be Stacey. He sat up from the bed and walked towards the bars of his cell. Stacey cautiously approached the cell. The girl had been scared by what she had seen earlier when her boyfriend had become enraged at her father. Still, she loved him and had to see him.
Chad got wind of the fact that she was nervous. He felt a deep sense of anger within himself for hurting her, something he’d sworn never to do. How could I? “Hey, are you ok?” he asked, with a mellow tone in his voice.
“Yeah, are you?” she replied. Her face was unmoved. Chad turned his head, looking around the four walls of the cell. “Yeah, never better!” he said, playing everything off as if it was fine in a foolish attempt to lighten the mood. Stacey however, wasn’t in the mood for games. She had a deadly serious look on her face.
“Chad, what happened back there?” she asked. The concern was edged in her words.
“Stacey, I honestly don’t know,” he answered. That was the truth too. He had no idea why he had attacked Sergeant Cooper, none at all.
“You don’t know? You could have killed him Chad.” She didn’t raise her voice. She wanted a heart to heart with him. A shouting match wouldn’t have benefitted either of them.
“I don’t know what happened. It’s hard to explain…”
“Try!” said Stacey. She wanted answers for his erratic behaviour.
Chad didn’t have any, though. He did his best to explain what he felt during that time. “I’m not entirely sure, all I know was one minute I was completely calm, and then the next I was raging. I couldn’t control or stop it. The more your dad spoke, the more it fuelled my anger. It was like something was driving me…”
“Like what?” asked Stacey, who was now confused as ever.
Chad bowed his head slightly and put his head in his hands. His eyes watered up. “Stacey, I just don’t know. I felt like something out there…was calling me.”
Stacey put her hands through the cell bars and hugged him. “It’s ok, we’ll get through this…together.” They both placed their heads against the bars and kissed.
#
Inside of Le Theatre Des Champs Elysees in Paris, the male theatre conductor was tidying up the stage after the latest performance. All seats in the auditorium were empty for the guests had long departed. The conductor began to hear the sound of footsteps as someone approached the stage. He thought this strange, as he had locked up the theatre some time ago. The footsteps began to get louder. The conductor turned around and behind him stood Lucius. The conductor was startled by the latter’s presence. Ever since he had become involved with Lucius the man had become more fearful of him with every encounter.
Lucius could almost smell the fear pouring off the man. He enjoyed this and gave a smirk of satisfaction. “What’s the matter, my friend? You seem displeased to see me,” said Lucius.
The conductor did a terrible job of hiding his nervousness, stuttering as he spoke. “No sir, erm…how was your trip?”
“A success. I obtained the artefact I desired,” Lucius pulled out the stone that he had acquired from Sydney. The white-haired man smiled as he looked at it. The conductor failed to see the value in such a thing, however, he kept his mouth firmly shut, not wishing to anger Lucius.
“I sense your lack of enthusiasm for this item,” said Lucius, reading the man’s body language like a book. “You’re a fool. You fail to realise the ancient knowledge and power possessed within it.”
“Knowledge?” asked the conductor, whose interest began to pick up.
“Never mind, I have a task for you.”
“A task? Of course! What is it you wish of me?” Asked the man. Lucius didn’t answer though. The pair stood in silence for a few moments. “Sir? Are you ok?”
Lucius looked dazed and put his right hand to his forehead. He began to wince in pain slightly. Then he suddenly exploded into rage. “Get out! Get out of here!” he yelled at the top of his voice.
The conductor began to run, falling as he did so. He picked himself to his feet and continued at speed until he was out of the auditorium.
Lucius closed his eyes. The room disintegrated around him, turning into darkness. He opened his eyes and now found himself on top of a large mountain. The tree’s had worn away, the grass had died, leaving only ash and rock. The sky was dark, and a wonderfully strange star constellation filled it in all corners. In the background was the dark palace of Underworld.
“It has been a long time since I have had word from you,” said a chilling voice from behind Lucius. He turned around and behind him stood Kanto, the king of the Underworld realm. He was a man of middle age and cut a dominating figure. Big broad shoulders were covered by dark royal armour, which had graved upon it, the emblem of Underworld, a four-sided sword, edged in the shape of a cross. He held in his right hand a golden spear, which contained a small stone at the top of it. The stone omitted a small red glow and looked similar to that of the stone that Lucius had recently gained possession of. The man’s face was that which Chad had also seen in his dreams, although Chad was not aware of the man’s identity.
Lucius bowed down immediately. “I’m sorry my king, I have been carrying out your commands.” “And?” asked Kanto, who seemed impatient. The king was a man who was known for his lack of patience, and Lucius’ lack of updates had angered him.
“Everything goes according to plan. The people of this realm are weak and easily manipulated. Their will shall soon be broken.”
Kanto remained silent, circling around Lucius as the latter spoke, almost in a stalking fashion.
Lucius got the impression that his king was not satisfied with what he had heard so far, so he continued on. “I have the second stone, my king,” he said, holding out the object as proof of his success.
Kanto continued to circle Lucius slowly, not even caring to glance at the stone, even for a moment.
“What of the Alexandrian exile?”
Lucius took a deep breath before responding. “He still lives…”
Kanto stopped in his tracks. The spear, which he had held upright at his side up until this point, now came downward, with it’s spiked tip pointed in the direction of Lucius. The white haired man knew he could not be harmed here and now. Their conversation was taking place in the minds of both men. Kanto had used his ancient power of telepathy, to communicate with the leader of the Underworld armies across the different realms. His power was so great he could communicate or manipulate anybody susceptible to his will from any world, no matter how far away they might be. As the ruler of the Underworld realm, all those from that world were suscept
ible to his will. He could control all of them if he desired with mere thought alone. This is why he was able to communicate with Lucius from such a great distance, and although he could not hurt the white haired man from here, Lucius knew the consequences of the king’s wrath.
“You were defeated?” asked Kanto. The tone in the king’s voice showed his displeasure.
“No, my king…” replied Lucius, sounding a little anxious.
“Yet he still lives?”
“We were interrupted, an unexpected thing has occurred. The other one, the exile from our own realm, the two of them have become allies.”
“Allies?” Kanto said. There was no hint of surprise or concern in his words.
“Yes, my king. The other one arrived and came to the Alexandrian’s aid. It’s sickening to think that one of our own is helping the Alexandrian vermin. He too must be eradicated.”
Kanto seemed enraged by this suggestion. “No!” he shouted. “The banished son of Underworld is susceptible to my will. He will prove useful. He will remain alive…for now.”
Lucius was not happy with the king’s response. “My king, he could prove troublesome and may interfere with our goals. I am superior to him. I shall kill him.”
“You are not superior boy,” said Kanto bluntly.
Lucius gave Kanto a look of astonishment at his judgment of him. He immediately leapt to his own defence. “I am the General of the armies of Underworld, undefeated in battle. All in our realm recognise my name and know to fear it. How am I not superior?” There was a hint of defiance in his voice.
Kanto began to laugh, almost in a mocking fashion. “Your motives are pathetic and predictable, and full of childish need. You are so desperate to prove yourself, but your efforts are in vain, for the banished son of Underworld is the superior one.”
“I will prove my worth,” said Lucius, who seemed to have been slightly hurt by the king’s words. Lucius carried on. “I will continue on with my mission. The people of this world shall have their spirits shattered and their will shall bend to yours. Soon, all in this realm shall be under your influence and you will rule them all.”
Clash Of Worlds Page 24