“Anvil stepped forward, “A message!”
Anvil ordered everyone into the living room. He stood Chris in the centre of the room and asked what the message was. Chris suddenly felt he was on trial and didn’t like it.
Chris explained how he’d bumped into Edge and had shared a drink with him. Heartless was impressed.
“You’ve got balls of steel kid. You actually sat down with that evil murdering bastard. Boy that’s like cradling a rattlesnake in your lap.”
Priest was more interested in one thing, “Patch tells us you spoke in Judgements voice again and said Blood of blood should not fight each other. What did you mean by that?”
‘I shall let you see’ The voice spoke inside his head.
Chris listened then nodded towards Anvil, “Ask him.”
Priest looked forwards Anvil as well, “Yes?”
Anvil remained silent as he stood there with clenched fists.
So Chris explained, “Don’t ask me how I know, but Edge is Anvils son.”
The room exploded with gasps, cursing and unbelievable words of derision.
Priest shouted everyone down and turned to Anvil, Is this true?”
Anvil said nothing. He stared hard at Chris before turning on his heals and stormed from the room, slamming his bedroom door so hard, dust floated down from the warehouse ceiling.
Priest again called for silence and demanded Chris explain himself. Chris however just shrugged his shoulders, “I don’t know. This other person inside me told me the basics only. ”
Speed flashed around the room several times before coming to a halt in front of Chris, “You gave Edge a bloody drink?”
Slash ignored Speed, wanting to know more about Edge being Anvils son. “Priest what the hell is going on?”
Priest just turned and walked off towards his room, “I don’t know.”
Slash shouted after him, “What?”
Priest sounded tired and full of sorrow, “I said I don’t bloody well know!”
Slash wasn’t finished,” Edge wants Anvil to kill the kid. He won’t do it will he?”
Priest slammed his door so hard, it cracked down the middle.
The next morning, everyone gave Chris a wide birth, everyone but Patch. Of Anvil there was no sign. Chris made toast and a strong cup of coffee.
“Make me one please.” Patch asked as she joined him at the kitchen counter.
Chris took down another cup for her, “Why is everyone avoiding me?”
“Well you treated Edge like a friend, gave him your drink. Any of the others would have tried to kill him on the spot.”
Chris turned towards her, “Yer and then must likely everyone in McDonalds would have been killed to.”
“Is that why you didn’t attack him then?” Patch asked hopefully.
Chris sighed, “No it wasn’t. I want to find another way besides killing.”
“But…”
The kettle boiled and Chris made her a coffee, “I know why they’re avoiding me.”
Patch took the offered coffee and waited.
Chris finished, “They’re waiting to see if Anvil kills me or not. If I die then the Status quoi is restored. No war and you go on for ever killing Shades and fighting other un-earthly monsters. If he doesn’t kill me then we face this bloody war. ”
Patch sipped her coffee, “How do you know this?”
A voice coughed politely from behind her,”Because I had a prophesy during the night and told Chris. This will be a pivotal moment that will decide whether we succeed or not.” Priest helped himself to a turkey leg from the fridge.
Patch just stared at Priest for ages, finally she managed to ask, “So you’re saying that Anvils seriously considering killing Chris?”
“Yes. The alternative is seeing his son die.” was the simple response.
Patch shook her head, “Priest you’ve missed two important facts.”
Priest sat down opposite to them, the kitchen stool creaked dangerously, so he quickly stood, “And that is?”
“Chris might be too powerful for Anvil to kill.”
Priest adjusted his huge frame and crossed his hands over his belly, “I know. It would take the combined effect of us all.”
“What but that’s forbidden!” she exclaimed.
“I said….”
“Fuck that and ‘no excuse me’ for swearing Priest. The second fact is, I’ll not see Chris harmed, or die again trying.”
Chris glanced at Patch, “Don’t I get a say in this?”
Priest and Patch said, “No.” at the same time.
Chris rubbed a hand over his eyes and then across the lower half of his face, wondering for the umpteenth time what the Charles Dickens he was doing here. It had only seemed like yesterday when he was living day to day and sleeping in that old damp. Smelly, cardboard box, but it had been his cardboard box, his home. Now what? A group of weirdo’s where considering killing him!
A light bulb suddenly snapped on inside his head. A deep voice that he knew, whispered certain facts to him and at that moment in time, Chris knew the answer he had always wanted to know. Slapping his hand against his forehead, Chris jumped to his feet, startling both Patch and Priest.
“Summon Anvil.” A deeper older voice ordered from out of his mouth, Priest felt the overwhelming urge to obey.
Chapter Six
Anvil stood in the centre of the vast living area inside the warehouse floor space. The rest of the Twelve fanned out behind him. With the exception of Patch, she stood near to Chris, who was pacing back and forth in front of them all deep in though, thoughts that were a mixture of his own and whatever else inhabited his re-born body.
Finally he stopped pacing and squared off in front of Anvil, his voice was strangely changed, now a mixture of the two voices, “You.” He said pointing at Anvil.
“You, don’t get the choice of deciding whether I live or die. That choice has already been made by a much higher authority. “
Anvil flustered, “Chris, Judgement I never thought of killing…”
Chris continued, “Judgements told me he’s centuries old, older than any of you. Judgement was created at the beginning of the world. Judgement is the weapon of the Creator.. I haven’t just been re named like the rest of you. I’ve got this entity called Judgement here inside me. He was just waiting until he was needed” Chris tapped his head for emphasis.
Heartless barked out a short laugh, “I can think of hundreds of times when we needed Judgment!”
Chris’s face grew serious; his voice took on that deep commanding tone, Judgement coming to the front,”You are the Twelve, you where re-born to fight super natural evil wherever it appears. The Creator realised early on that his nemesis was running free, creating evil here on Earth. Your main function is to fight evil spawned from hell. But you already know that.”
Priest nodded appearing slightly agitated, “Then tell us something we don’t know.”
There was much muttering from the others, with the exception of Anvil, “What about you?” He asked quietly.
Judgment stared back, “For Judgement to appear. A certain host must be made available to me. This youth is that host and you are responsible Anvil.”
Judgement looked at him, “The truce that Edge called all those years ago. It was to tell you he was your son.”
Anvil could only nod, whilst the others just gaped in shock.
Judgment continued in Judgements voice, “You lied to Huntress. You’re horse didn’t go lame. You met a girl and bedded her at an Inn.”
Anvil walked over to an armchair, he threw his weapon to the floor, which cracked the concrete and collapsed onto the seat. For several minutes he said nothing as everyone waited for him to answer. Finally he looked across towards Chris and the others.
“A long time ago, I met this woman. She was ill, dying really. It happened when I had only recruited Priest, Speed and Slash. Thanks to a vision from Priest, I was out on my own looking for a poacher who was to be hung.”
Anvil co
uldn’t meet Huntresses eyes and stared at the floor, “My horse didn’t go lame Huntress. I was busy helping this woman. She was starving, I found her collapsed in the middle of the road. It was impossible for me to ignore her. I took her to an inn and rented a room. I fed her and cared for her until she had sufficiently recovered to be left on her own. That took three days out of my search for you. On the day I left, she rewarded me in the way that men like. I was weak and found I couldn’t help myself and took advantage of her. It wasn’t until a century later that I found out from Edge, I was his father.”
Huntress moved over to sit down on the arm rest next to him, “I don’t blame you Anvil. You saved the woman’s life and my death was foretold but how did Edge know?”
“His mother gave him a description of me when he was full grown. Edge stayed with his mother until she dies at the age of forty, which wasn’t a bad age in those days. I’d left her money, so he wasn’t short of a penny or two and went in search of his father. It was more like a quest, he told me years later.”
Heartless added sarcastically, “This son of yours? He’s the same shit faced evil monster that we’ve all come to love and respect?”
Anvil gave him a hard look that said many things, one was he’d overstepped the mark, “All said and done he is my son.”
Priest asked, “How did he go over to The Dark?”
Anvil looked crestfallen, “Although he’s their Leader. He wasn’t the first. Shadow found him first. He was an intended target, ready for killing but at the last minute as he sank his fangs into Edges neck, he suddenly realised from the blood, just who he was, blood of my blood. How he knew I have no idea but instead of killing him, he showed him the power of The Dark. Remember Edge was a bitter young man and hated me for abandoning him and his mother. It was easy for Shadow to bring him over to The Dark. Shadow finished the job and Edge was re-born. Over the years his power and strength grew until he challenged Shadow for leadership and won.”
Bulls Eye whistled, “How did he beat Shadow?”
Anvil took a deep breath, “Shadow had a human form in those days. Edge almost killed him in a duel but at the last second Shadow begged for his life. Edge made him swear allegiance to him as leader, which Shadow did and on a whim, Edge removed his earthly body and made him what he is today.”
Patch looked confused, “Chris you said Anvil is the reason you’ve arrived. Is it to kill Edge?”
Chris, who had been speaking as Judgement, changed back to Chris, “I was born sixteen years ago and abandoned. I was adopted by my step father and you all know how that turned out.”
Chris turned to look directly at Anvil, “What I’ve just been told by Judgement is that I am your son as well.”
Anvil had gone ashen, “It can’t be!” He exclaimed.
Priests eyes suddenly went very wide, “That’s what it meant.”
He strode forward to stand in front of Anvil, the ground shook as he moved.” Years ago during a Zeppelin attack on London, I was buried under rubble for twelve hours until Anvil and some of you dug me out. During that time I had one of my prophecies. I dreamt whilst unconscious that two sons would meet and the fate of our lives would rest on the outcome. I had no idea what it meant because I’d already had a prophecy hundreds of years prior to that one when I was told that Judgement shall be the one to decide our fate. I felt compelled to tell you of the first prophecy but not the second. Not until now that is.”
Anvil was looking frantic, “Why didn’t you tell me this?”
Priest stepped away to face Chris, “You’re here to balance things aren’t you, with Edge on one side and you on the other. The Chosen One isn’t your target, it’s Edge.”
Chris spoke in that deep booming god like voice again, “Correct! I have arrived to destroy the evil in Edge and bring him over to our side.”
That bought dozens of expletives from the others as well as numerous questions. Chris ignored them all and approached his father. His voice mellowed, “Anvil, what do you know about my brother and my mother?”
Anvil was remembering something long ago, “Let me go back awhile first. I found Slash in the heat of battle in Egypt during the reign of Amenhotep III”
Slash cut in, “That was one hell of a battle. You where there for me remember? I’d just lost my arm and was dying.”
Anvil nodded, “I found you underneath a chariot. And...”
It was Speed’s turn to cut in, “Hang on who the heck’s this Amen hoppy fellow?”
Anvil was getting visibly agitated, “Amenhotep III. He was the grandfather of Tutankhamen, did a better job than the boy king. Anyhow I digress. I had just found Slash who was on his last breath before his re-birth, when a young man actually managed to stab me in the upper right arm with a spear. I should have heard him coming but didn’t. I recovered and struck him a blow with that.”
He indicated his Hammer, “The youth like Slash, was a mercenary heathen. With his dying breath he managed to sink his teeth into my shoulder and neck, tearing away a chunk of flesh. I was bleeding badly from a wound inflicted by a vicious young man I’d just killed, but I still managed to help Slash to be re-born. I wasn’t to know that my blood caused a side effect that day.”
Slash slapped his head remembering something, “That’s where I’ve seen Shadow before! He was the young warrior you killed that day. I wasn’t the only one re-born!”
Anvil nodded, “I saw both of you die and your re-birth. I was only there for you and didn’t know about Shadow. He was my enemy in life and my enemy in death. He must have fled the field of battle. He was the Devils creation to equal me and my own. Up until that time I had fought many evil creatures but never a Shade. They only started to appear a year later and that’s when we came to know of the existence of The Dark.”
Priest snapped his fingers, “So when he bit Edge, he recognised the taste of your blood as his and that’s how he knew he was the flesh of your flesh.”
Priest looked confused, “But once re-born none of us can have children. We’re sterile.”
Chris didn’t now, “Then how come….”
Anvil answered his unfinished question, “I have no damn idea!”
“What happened to Shadow?” Patch had to ask.
Judgement answered that question, “Just like the Elders took Anvil in and have him his new name so did the Ellish find and train Shadow. Like for like.”
Electrical sparks flashed between Hot Cross’s fingers in excitement, “What a story!”
Priest looked sad, “So Edge wasn’t to be one of the Twelve?”
Anvil looked crestfallen, “No. Unknown to me he was re-born with hatred and pure evil within his heart by a man I’d killed in battle. He not only went on to be the Leader of The Dark, but I had a hand in creating him.”
No one spoke, they where to shocked with this revelation. Finally it was Judgement who broke the silence.
“Then you fathered Chris.”
Anvil looked totally confused, “But I didn’t know!”
Judgement stood and walked away a short distance, his back to Anvil. It was Chris who spoke, “Judgement let me see by way of a small glimpse into the past. Sixteen years ago, you met once again with Edge in secret, wanting to try one last time to bring him over from the Dark. But he was having none of it. He hurt you with words that dripped with poison and instead of returning to your people you got drunk.”
Anvil remembered, “Edge found me actually. I was making my way back to the house on my own when he’d surprised me with a visitation. After I realised he wasn’t going to attack, I tried to explain. I tried, no I begged him to see the truth. But he wouldn’t listen. He told me one day he was going to kill me and my son. I was hurt and confused. Hurt that my own son wanted to kill me and confused that Edge sounded like he was then going to commit suicide. Nothing made any sense and after Edge had left me alone in the dark. I found the nearest pub and got drunk. So drunk I don’t remember anything else until Patch and Huntress found me slumped in a doorway of a cl
osed shop.
Huntress nodded, “I remember that night! I was surprised to find you unconscious. We thought you’d been attacked until we realised you where just rotten drunk. I think that’s the only time I’ve seen you drunk.”
Huntress continued, “We helped you get back to safety and out of politeness said nothing the next day. “
Chris turned to face him, “You met a young woman in that pub, a single woman who was out having a good time. You had a one night stand and nine months later I was born. But my mother died in childbirth and I was adopted. The rest is history as they say.”
Judgement (The Twelve) Page 11