"Excuse me, Sir. The parade's about to start and we need you away from the parade route," a man in a black shirt with rolled up sleeves, black pants, shoes and white badge said as he walked up to Sam. He wore a mic over his left ear.
"Oh, of course Sir. I apologise."
Sam stepped back to behind the clearly marked parade route. Sam noticed hundreds, if not thousands, of people swarming around the parade route. He was pushed and shoved by families trying to get their children to the front.
Everyone around Sam sat and watched as the parade floats went past. Sam sat down, trying to blend in with the crowds. He began to survey the crowd and everyone around him, trying to see if anyone knew he was here. He wore civilian clothes, some of which he'd bought when he arrived. In addition to wearing a grey Nightmare Before Christmas top, he also had on three quarter black, one quarter grey pants. He wore his Golden Gauntlet under his right sleeve, ready to defend himself if needed.
A black streak caught Sam's eyes. He turned to look at the top of the snowy mountain to his left but nothing was there. A scream came from within the crowd and Sam turned to see a woman screaming and pointing. Sam looked where she was pointing and saw a figure in black armour standing atop a nearby lamp post. It was clearly a Chaos Marine.
"I know you're here, marines. Come out, come out, wherever you are," the Chaos Marine said.
'Oh, crap. They've found me,' Sam thought to himself as the crowd began to panic and run in various directions. Sam stood from his position and moved his sleeve, ready to activate one of his armours.
"Civilian! Get down!" a voice said from behind Sam. When he turned to see who it was he was tackled to the ground by something brown and furry.
"Who are you?" Sam asked.
"I am a Space Marine and if you want to survive, civilian, you'll stay down," a man's voice came from whatever was on top of him.
When the man got up, Sam noticed that the man was wearing a reindeer costume - he must have been a performer in the parades.
"What are you doing here, Chaos Marine? You know this is a sanctioned zone. No-one with ties to the Chaos Marines or the Chaos Element is allowed anywhere near here. Not after what Nathan did on the Gold Coast. Leave now and we won't have to kill you," the man said.
"And you think I'm going to bide by your stupid laws? Since Lord Chaos killed one of the fabled S1 marines, all Chaos Marines have come out of hiding and are ready to help Lord Chaos take over of the Earth," the Chaos Marine said while atop the lamp post.
"Just because he killed one marine doesn't mean that there aren't more who will take up arms to defeat you, Chaos Marine. Your Lord Chaos wasn't the one who killed Cheyenne, it was the Destroyer. Why is Chaos taking all of the credit?" Sam asked.
"Stand down civilian. Let us marines handle this," the man said as more and more men and woman appeared in reindeer costumes.
"I am a marine. Golden Defender Armour activate!" Sam yelled. He activated Defender and switched to attack mode as his chakrams spin at his sides.
"Oh my lord, you're Sam - the legendary Sam from S1," the man said, seeing Sam in his glistening Golden Armour.
"Yep, and I wanna be the one to show this Chaos Marine noob what marines can really do."
"I want to help. Emily, you're with me. We'll help Sam take this Chaos Marine down."
"Yes Sir, Steven Sir," a girl's voice came from one of the seven other reindeer performers.
"Morph Armour activate!" they both yelled. Something changed in the both of them. The lifeless eyes of the costume became filled with determination and the stale mouth grinned. Brown and grey Armour began to form on the costume. They each carried a sword.
"Well, well, maybe I am out of my depth challenging a marine from S1. If it were just the Kingdom Defenders then I could've won but now I'm not so sure," the Chaos Marine said to himself.
"Too late, Chaos Marine, you've picked a fight and now you've got to follow through with it," Steven said as he and Emily stood next to Sam, the three of them in full armour.
"Very well then."
The Chaos Marine jumped from the lamp post and landed softly on the cobblestone pathway. He had no visible weapons but with a flick of his wrists two Chaos black and purple swords appeared in his hands.
"Why is it not working?" Steven asked to himself.
"Why is what not working?" Sam asked.
"If we survive this I'll tell you, but right now we have him to worry about."
The Chaos Marine ran for the three of them. Sam flew above him and threw his chakrams at him. The Chaos Marine dodged both chakrams and Steven's swipe at his head. He blocked Emily's swing at his stomach and while holding her off he blocked another attack from Steven with his other sword.
While the Chaos Marine was distracted by Steven and Emily, Sam ignited his chakrams and flew straight at the Chaos Marine. Steven and Emily jumped out of the way as Sam slammed into the Chaos Marine. Sam used his chakrams as melee weapons, swinging them around and throwing them small distances at the Chaos Marine, but nothing was working.
The Chaos Marine back-flipped away from Sam and planted his two swords in the ground. He bowed before dispersing his swords, creating a Chaos Portal and stepping through it. The Chaos Portal closed behind him, leaving Sam, Steven and Emily baffled.
"What was that all about?" Sam asked, turning to face Steven and Emily. Their armours had deactivated and they were back in their costumes. Steven walked over to Sam and took off his costume's head, revealing spiky brown hair and matching brown eyes. He held out his hand.
"Hi, I'm Steven."
"I'm Sam."
"Come with us. We have a lot to talk about."
Sam followed Steven and Emily to where the rest of the reindeer performers were.
"So what's up with you guys?" Sam asked.
"We are the Kingdom Defenders - an elite group of marines tasked with defending these theme around the world. Me and my group defend this park from the forces of Chaos but there is a group of us defending each park, both on Earth and other worlds. Each of the Kingdom Defenders is a cast member of their respective park and we all wield a Morph Armour. Not all cast members are Kingdom Defenders, but all Kingdom Defenders are cast members," Steven explained.
"Okay, a few questions. What are the Morph Armours and where can I get one? I have more but I'll let you answer those ones first."
"Yes, Disney is not just Earth bound. Walt Disney wasn't human either, although he had the appearance of one. I shouldn't be telling you any of this because you don't work for Mr Disney but I trust you. His company spans hundreds of galaxies, all of which are filled with Disney Parks and other Disney related attractions. And before you ask, yes, Mr Disney is still alive, he's actually still in his infancy.
"Anyway, the Morph Armour is another one of Mr Disney's creations. It is an amazing piece of technology designed for the cast members, as it turns whatever costume they're wearing into an armour. For example with me and my team, who are all reindeer performers, the Morph Armour turns us into Reindeer Marines. It's a weird concept but you get used to it. The coolest morph I've seen is with the Stitch costumes. That morph actually gives you four arms, each with the cannons Stitch carries, as well as his abilities such as super strength and the ability able to climb walls. And, no, you can't have one," Steven explained.
"So who are you guys underneath the reindeer exterior?" Sam asked.
"Emily is my second in command," Steven said, gesturing to her. She took off her costume's head and black hair flowed over her face. She pulled her hair back, unveiling her emerald eyes.
"Em?" Sam exclaimed.
"You two know each other?" Steven asked, looking confused.
"Yeah, Sam's team helped me escape the Chaos Prison not too long ago," Emily explained.
"Oh, well, thank you Sam. I am in your debt," Steven said, bowing. Sam was going to say something but just then the ground began to shake and a loud bang came from the front gates.
"Introductions will have to wait. We ha
ve to see what's going on," Steven said, putting his head back on.
2: Horus
As Sam, Steven and Emily approached the front gates of the park, Sam began to feel the ground shake.
"I know what's making that sound and causing the ground to shake," Sam said.
They rounded a corner and saw a Destroyer charging its cannon.
"Get down!" Sam yelled, pushing Steven and Emily to the ground.
The Destroyer fired its golden beam. Sam looked up and saw that the beam had been stopped by a shield right at the front gates.
"What is that?" Sam asked as they stood up.
"It's what I was talking about earlier. Disneyland is encased in a shield that stops the Chaos Element from being used within it and it also stops anything from destroying Disneyland. We put a lot of effort in upgrading the defences after what Nathan did," Steven explained.
The Destroyer pointed its several missile racks at the park and fired its hundred or so missiles. They all exploded on contact with the invisible shield.
"Now's our chance. Let's go and take this thing down," Sam said.
"No, Sam. Only Disneyland and Disney's California Adventure are protected by the shield, not the area between them," Steven yelled but Sam had already run out of the park.
He activated Defender in attack mode and threw his chakrams at the Destroyer's legs but they bounced harmlessly off its armoured plates. Steven and Emily tried to use their swords against the walker but they didn't work either.
A whistling sound came from behind the Destroyer and a sliver pod fell out of the sky and landed behind it. Sam left Steven and Emily to fight the Destroyer while he went to investigate the pod. It was silvery with clearly marked lines in which it could unfold. It did unfold. The metal began to expand and form legs, a body and then arms.
Once it had unfurled, the silver thing looked humanoid. Two silver legs ended in talon-like claws, as did its two arms. Two large metal wings formed crescents on its back, nearly touching at their apex above its head. A falcon head perched between its shoulders.
Its lifeless eye sockets began to glow red and the thing began to look around. Its eyes locked onto Sam and the thing held its glance for a few seconds before bowing.
"Master Samuel, I have arrived to help you defeat the Chaos Marines," it said in a metallic voice.
"Who … what … are you? And where did you come from?" Sam asked.
"My name is Horus, and I am much like Athena, Apollo and Hades. I am my own sentient being. I am able to fuse with my host, which in my case is you, and I am able to be used by you as an armour. You will discover the powers my creator has given me when we fuse and over the duration of our fusion. I cannot tell you where I am from, not yet anyway," Horus said.
"Uhuh," Sam said, slightly confused.
"Where is the rest of S1, Master Samuel?" Horus asked.
"I'm not a part of S1 anymore."
"My creator warned me about these slight changes in time. Is Defender Jonty a part of your team yet?"
"Who?"
"Never mind. More has changed then my creator anticipated. No matter. I will carry out my duties to help you rid this universe of the Chaos Marines."
"Okay … you're weird but you look cool so I'll go along with whatever you're talking about," Sam said, giving in.
"We must fuse. Only then will my knowledge become yours," Horus explained. "Hold out your arms like a cross and keep your back straight. The slightest of movements could cause your bones to turn to dust."
"I'm sorry … what?" Sam asked as he held his arms out to his sides. Suddenly he became engulfed in Horus, whose body had split down the front. Sam opened his eyes and realised that he was wearing Horus as an armour. Something pricked his neck and his mind became filled with everything Horus had. New powers became available to him, new fusion armours, Horus' origins … everything. But as quickly as it came it all faded into nothingness, the memories were gone and Sam remembered nothing.
"Master, we must take down the Destroyer before it can kill Steven or Emily. They are both vital parts of my creator's plans. I have unlocked a new power that you may use whenever we are not fused," Horus said in Sam's mind.
Sam began to feel a new power within him. He felt the earth beneath his feet, the cool air circulating around him and through his respiratory system, the intense light that lit the Earth and the dark spots which made up the shadows. He felt like he could control all of the elements.
"What have you done to me, Horus?"
"I have made you an Unbound Elemental. You now have the power to wield any and all elements."
Horus was right. Sam could feel the elements shifting with his each breath. Sam held his hand out towards the Destroyer. Ice began to form on its legs.
"Is that you, Sam?" Steven asked.
"Uhhh, no, that's not me. I don't know what's going on," Sam replied.
"There are other elementals surrounding us," Horus said through Sam's mind.
"Arctic Spear!" A spear made of ice flew from behind Sam and embedded itself into the Destroyer's main cannon.
"Earthen Horn Smash!"
"Thunder Wing Slam!"
Two beast forms flew in from either side and smashed into the Destroyer. The Destroyer exploded and the Beasts landed. It was Earthen Rhynos and Thunder Garuda.
"You're a hard person to find, Sam," a beast said from behind Sam.
"Especially when I don't want to be found, Lachlan."
"This is how you don't want to be found?" Lachlan asked.
"Well, no. I let you find me," Sam said, putting his hands up. Horus had deactivated and Sam saw his armour on his gauntlets screen.
"Oh, yep. Sure, sure. We found you all by ourselves," Matthew said, appearing next to Lachlan.
"You can keep believing that, Matthew."
"Sam, who are these guys?" Steven asked as he and Emily put their hands up.
"This is the rest of S1 - my old team."
"Yeah, and now we're your captors. Sam, you're under arrest for high treason against the marines. You have the right to remain silent, anything you say can and will be used against you…" Lachlan said, handcuffing Sam.
3: Arrest
Sam sat silently in his cell. Unlike at the Chaos Prison, his powers weren't cancelled out. He could blink out of the cell at any time. He chose not to.
He heard footsteps come from down the hallway and Brin appeared in front of his cell. Sam stood and walked over to him.
"What do you want, Brin?" Sam asked harshly.
"I want to know why you've done all of this."
"I haven't done anything!"
"That's not what the General's been saying. You're all over the news. Great Marine Gone Bad."
"Pfft, whatever," Sam said, walking to the back of his cell and leaning against the back wall. "I'm done with this shitty Marine Corps and its shitty rules and regulations. I'm not to blame for what Jareth has done, okay? He chose to go rogue and attack several bases, not me. I hate being labelled a bad guy just because of my brother's stupid mistakes. Fuck the Marine Corps! Fuck the Marines and fuck you and the S1 Marines for not having my back!"
"We've had your back since the very beginning! Ever since Jareth left and General put out a Kill Order on you we've done nothing but try to convince him to drop the charges. And what do you do to thank us? You go and run away, completely abandoning your team and your friends. We're not the ones you're angry at Sam. You're angry at Jareth and Chaos," Brin retaliated.
"Well, maybe you should let me out of this prison so I can go and tear Chaos' heart out by myself. Maybe that will show the Marine Corps how useless they really are," Sam said, gritting his teeth.
"Up yours!" Brin said, flipping the bird to Sam and walking off. Sam sat on the floor and closed his eyes to think. Minutes passed.
"You're a real jerk, you know that?" Lachlan's voice came from where Brin had stood minutes ago. Sam looked up and saw Lachlan's smug face staring at him.
"You know I could blink out of
here, right?" Sam asked.
"Yep. Why haven't you?"
"Because..." Sam rubbed his eyes as he thought about the question. "I don't know. Probably the same reason I let you guys catch me. So I could see you guys again."
"Well, maybe we didn't want to see you, Sam. Especially if you're gonna talk to us like you did to Brin."
"I'm done here," Sam said, standing and getting ready to blink away. He blinked to where he knew his gauntlet was being held and found Matthew waiting for him.
"Is this what you came here for?" Matthew asked, throwing Sam's gauntlet up into the air and catching it.
"Give me the gauntlet, Matthew!"
"On one condition - we fight."
"Really?"
"Yep. That's it. You win and you go free to do whatever you want. You lose and your charges go back to the Kill Order and you'll have all of S1 after you. And believe me when I say we won't hold back against you."
"Those are acceptable terms. Jeez, how you've changed over the years, Matthew," Sam said as Matthew threw his gauntlet to him.
"Blink us to the plains north of here," Matthew said. Sam grabbed his shoulder and blinked them to a plain of red sand north of the base.
"Cerberus Armour Activate," Matthew said calmly as he walked away from Sam.
"Horus, I want to see what you can do," Sam said as he became engulfed in Horus.
Matthew faced Sam with a blade extending from one Cerberus head and a cannon from the other. Sam stood facing him in the silver armour without weapons.
Matthew charged for Sam without saying a word. Sam concentrated and found the trigger he needed to use to swap elements. They weren't visible under Horus' helmet but Sam's eyes had turned pitch black. With one flick of Sam's wrist the world around them became cloaked in darkness. When Matthew dispersed, the darkness Sam was gone.
Sam blinked to the only place he knew the marines wouldn't find him. Chaon.
4: Betrayal
Sam blinked to a barren wasteland covered in dark brown sand. A bright red sun hovered in the cloud filled sky. Several mountains jutted from the landscape surrounding the wasteland. He had blinked to the only place on Chaon he knew. It was where Zac, Davies and the Space Wolves had betrayed the rest of the Marine Corps. It was also where Matt had been killed.
The Chaos Saga Page 21