by R. E. Graham
Eva began to blackout and her body went limp.
The Inquisitor felt a mixture of dread and anger consume him as he felt entirely helpless.
Just then the door in the hallway slid open and a new figure stepped into the doorframe. Varius couldn’t make out the man’s face because the harsh contrast of the dimness of the garage to the bright hallway. All he could tell was that he had a hood on.
“Hello Damien, I hear that you have been looking for me.”
It’s him…the Shadow Man!
Chapter 25
Cycle: 412 Month: 7 Rotation: 14
Prefecture: Siimon
Planet: Eden
Location: At the Nonin Lucem Shipments HQ in Jancen, Outside of Lucifer
Inquisitor Varius felt his chest compress from the crushing pressure from Thyrus’ muscular arms as he held him suspended in the air in the bear hug. He looked over to Eva who was unconscious at the feet of the older brother, Torvan. Despite being in such a precarious situation, the Inquisitor forced himself to breathe calmly and to focus his attention on the hooded man in the doorway.
"At long last, here you are!" the hooded man said as he stepped forward and the door slid shut behind him.
In the dim light of the transportation company's hangar it made it very difficult to see the newcomer’s face. The hood shrouded the other man's eyes leaving only his mouth clearly seen.
"You have no idea how many preparations I have had to make for you to be here on Eden, Damien."
"Who are you?" Varius asked with a growl.
"You know who I am" the hooded man said as he grinned.
"The Shadow Man..."
"Ha...that is my street name that thugs and the like know me as." The Shadow Man placed his arms behind his back and rocked on his heels.
Varius' eyebrow poked up. "What is your name then?"
The other man held up a finger. "In due time Damien. For now, the Shadow Man will suffice. But I didn't bring you all this way just so we could hash out names."
"I don't understand" the Inquisitor said as he tried to keep his voice neutral.
"My dear boy, you are different. So very different. There has been a plan for your life since you were born."
"What plan?"
"All will be revealed in proper time. But for right now, I was sent here to present you with a choice."
“Who sent you?” the Inquisitor asked.
“We all have a master. We simply get to choose whom we will obey.”
Varius looked over to Eva again and saw that Torvan was smirking at him with his black unblinking eyes.
"Can I ask, what is up with these two?"
"They are instruments of mine" the Shadow Man said as he slowly strolled over towards the shorter brother.
"They also were presented with a choice cycles ago."
"Similar to mine?" the Inquisitor asked as he followed the Shadow Man with his eyes.
"No, nothing like yours. Before they met me, these two men were weak. No real purpose in life. No direction. It's quite pathetic actually."
The Shadow Man walked up to Torvan while the brother kept glaring at the Inquisitor. He softly brushed the man's face as if he were admiring a work of art.
"Humans were created with so much potential. It truly is incredible what you are capable of. The travesty though is that you lack direction. While some of you may achieve incredible feats, most live poor abysmal lives. That is, unless you give yourselves over to something bigger than yourselves."
"You talk as though you aren't human yourself" Varius said as he watched carefully for the other man's reaction.
"I...am more. Much more" he turned back to the Inquisitor. "I started out like you, Damien. Long ago I was just an average man on some backwater world without purpose."
"So now you smuggle firearms?" Varius quipped back.
While the Shadow Man's eyes were covered, Varius did catch the edge of his lip curl in disgust from under his hood. "Sarcasm will not help you here." He motioned with his hand and with super human speed, Thyrus slammed the Inquisitor to the ground.
Varius was not expecting the incredible swiftness of the attack and took a moment to recover. Thyrus reached down and picked him up by the neck again with his right hand while he used his left to grab hold of Varius' right arm so he could not attack again with the assassin's blade.
The Inquisitor was now able to see that Thyrus was still bleeding profusely from his left eye socket and the multiple stab wounds to his torso. It didn't seem to be slowing him down at all though.
He started to gasp for oxygen, but the larger brother kept him in the air nonetheless. As his face started to turn blue the Shadow Man motioned again and Thyrus shoved the Inquisitor into a stack of plasti-crates.
Varius choked and tried to stumble to his feet. He saw Thyrus and struggled to bring his arms up ready to fight.
"Damien, I have spent a great deal of time and boundless resources to bring you here for this very moment. Wouldn't you like to at least hear why?" the Shadow Man asked as he crossed his arms.
"You know, I have a feeling that it isn't going to really be worth my time. Big boy..." Varius said as he made eye contact with Thyrus. "...before this is done, I'm going to make sure that I pay you back for throwing me."
The larger brother stood up straight and grinned sinisterly.
Varius looked over to Torvan while he kept his arms up. "And you. You are going to pay in a special way for hurting her."
The Shadow Man held up his hand. "You are still acting as though you can fight against us."
"There's only three of you, that's not so bad. Fought off more opponents before."
"I am very familiar with your history. You have done more as an inquisitor than my master ever thought possible."
Varius was kind of caught off guard by the comment and changed his gaze to the hooded man. "What do you mean?"
"While the events that lead you to become an inquisitor was well orchestrated, we never could have imagined that you would have achieved all that you have. You have risen to incredible heights within your order and was the shining example for what an inquisitor was. " The Shadow Man chuckled to himself. "For example, you single handedly took on the entire town of cannibals and still came up on top. That is very impressive. It is unfortunate that little child died though."
"What do you mean died? I brought her back to her mother."
"Oh, that wasn't her real mother. She was an operative of mine."
"Why should I believe you?" Varius asked as his stance softened slightly.
The Shadow Man opened his arms. "Simply because I have no reason to lie to you Damien. I can't tell you everything right now as it isn't time. However, I will promise that I will never lie to you."
The Inquisitor stayed quiet as he stared back at Thyrus.
"Since you were a child, your life has been positioned for you to be here at this very moment. From your early cycles as a young teen to your manhood. Even your family's death."
That got Varius' full attention.
What?!
"What do you mean? Are you telling me that my family's death was part of some plan?" Varius asked coldly.
"Yes."
The Inquisitor lowered his head as flashbacks of his wife and daughter played through his mind.
"You are the type of person that when everything is stripped away that you would never fragment into a broken person. Instead you would change your passion and focus it into something else, such as the inquisitor order."
What does all of this mean? That my family was just some ploy?!
The Shadow Man took a couple of steps forward and held out a hand towards Varius as he spoke. "Damien, I have watched you very closely all your life and am here to tell you that you are chosen for something amazing."
Varius looked up at the extended hand and then at the hooded man's face. Tears built up in his eyes at the memory of his family while a deep and intense anger burned in his chest.
"You know that there is more to lif
e than what can be seen with your natural eyes. You have always felt that pull on your spirit that there is just so much more out there just out of sight."
"Not anymore I don't" the Inquisitor said bitterly. "If there was some kind of higher power, then they never would have let my child die like that. No. I don't believe in anything except for the Republic."
The Shadow Man lowered his hand. "I understand your pain."
"Don't show pity on me!" Varius shouted as he raised his arms to fight again. Thyrus started to rush forward but the Shadow Man held up his left hand to halt his minion's attack.
Varius continued. "It is impossible for someone like you to compare yourself to my loss."
"That is not true. Back before I accepted my fate, I had my own family back on my homeworld. One day we took a visit to an orbiting space station for my two boys to see outer space. In an instant they were taken from me after a terrible mechanical accident ruptured the frame of the hull and were sucked into the emptiness of space. In my intense grief a being of light came to me in my pain and gave me an opportunity to serve something much bigger than myself."
Varius shook his head in disgust. "A being of light? Ridiculous! You act as though you are on some kind of holy mission. I know that your actions have resulted in the deaths of Alachua, and a group of Eden's citizens. Those are the only confirmed accounts, and I am sure the true count is much higher. That is not a noble mission."
"I no longer am a mere man. I am more. Do you want to know the real truth? You were selected from the billions upon billions of other humans in this time frame for a special role. I can show you a purpose so much more significant than that of a lowly inquisitor. I can give you freedom to seek judgement on men like the one who took your family from you. To make a real difference in the galaxy."
"But you said that you orchestrated their deaths."
"Not I, but the one that I am forced to serve."
Varius was again confused by the back and forth conversation.
"After I gave myself to the being of light and pledged my allegiance, I discovered that it was not a holy guardian like I thought" the Shadow Man said as he again placed his hands behind his back. He stood up to his fullest height as he looked up to the ceiling. The hood still kept his eyes hidden.
"What was it then?" the Inquisitor asked.
"It was a daemon from the void."
Varius shook his head in confusion. "You mean to tell me that guardians and daemons are real?"
The Shadow Man gracefully looked to Varius and nodded.
"Then if you serve a true daemon, then again I have to ask why I would listen to anything you have to say?"
"Because my dear Damien, I want to see the daemon that tricked me into sacrificing my inner soul for these dark powers to pay with its life."
Chapter 26
Cycle: 412 Month: 7 Rotation: 14
Prefecture: Siimon
Planet: Eden
Location: At the Nonin Lucem Shipments HQ in Jancen, Outside of Lucifer
"What you are saying is crazy" Varius said boldly.
The Shadow Man held his arms open. "Why? I was tricked into serving a being of real darkness. And I don't want to see you do the same."
"Oh, I can tell you that I am not about to serve a daemon or any other supernatural being, real or not."
"I can assure you Damien, they are very real."
The Inquisitor looked to the Shadow Man then at each of the brothers, focusing intently on their eyes. "If what you say is true, are they possessed then?"
The Shadow Man nodded once. "Both of the brothers desired more than they were given at birth. Torvan lusted after knowledge and power, while Thyrus craved strength. They were given what they desired most for a time, but then were called on to serve when I needed them."
"So, there is a price to pay for whatever someone asks for?"
"Yes. As in all things in this life. To have anything, something must be exchanged" the Shadow Man said as he looked to Thyrus. "They traded their spirits for what they desired most. Like me they were tricked into service."
"Then why in the void would I even possibly listen to anything you say? I may not believe in all of this spiritual stuff, but I won't be signing away my soul just in case it is real" Varius said he rubbed his forearm that ached from one of the times he had been tossed into the air.
"What I am here to give you though does not require your soul. I am here to give you a choice in becoming more than you are. To avenge your family. To prevent more families from being torn apart by evil men."
"No."
"No?" the Shadow Man asked bewildered. "What do you mean no?"
"No. I'm not interested. You saw to my family being killed. I will never join you." The Inquisitor flicked his assassin's blade back out. "And as for you big guy, we have unfinished business."
"If you will not listen to me standing, then maybe you will on the ground" the Shadow Man said before he turned to Thyrus. "Break his legs but keep him alive."
The larger brother's face twisted wickedly as he took several steps forward just before a tremendously bright orange beam burned through Thyrus' heart and out the front of his chest. Smoke swirled into the air from the wound as the big man halted and looked down with his one good eye at his torso.
The Shadow Man snarled as he spun about and waved his hand creating an energy shield around him just as a purple blast was stopped in front of him. The explosion sent crates and tools blowing away from the blast.
"Find them and kill them!" the hooded man hissed at his two minions.
Before either men could run off into the darkness, Liberty bolted forward with a bronze war-hammer in her arms. She swung it wide and caught Torvan in the chest sending him careening into depths of the hangar.
As Knowledge stepped into the light holding his dual laser pistols he fired twice more into Thyrus' chest. The man growled as he dashed at the Keeper. The dark blue colored Knowledge discarded his pistols which evaporated into orange dust as he formed his hands into fists. Two short swords formed out of more orange dust appeared in his hands just as the larger brother came within striking range.
Knowledge slashed with his right sword across the man's chest and followed that with a jab with his left sword into Thyrus' abdomen. Thyrus responded by punching the Keeper in the helmet which appeared to daze him.
The large man kicked with his right boot sending Knowledge into a metal desk with such force that the sudden impact warped the desk into a twisted mess.
"Wow, that hurt" Knowledge said as he stood back up.
Watching Torvan be knocked away so easily, the Shadow Man turned his attention to Liberty. She charged at the hooded man and swung her war-hammer downwards. The Shadow Man held up his hand and a dark black ripple caught the hammer in the air. The bronze keeper grunted as she fought to bring the hammer down on her foe, but could not move it even with her suit's enhanced strength.
The Shadow Man stood up and raised his right hand. He suddenly thrust it open which blasted Liberty backwards tumbling along the stonecrete floor.
Varius rushed up and slammed into the Shadow Man's back with his shoulder. He tried to use his blade to stab into the Shadow Man's side but was also blasted away by a wave of dark energy with the flip of his enemy's hand.
Liberty dropped her hammer which disappeared in a cloud of purple mist. She brought her arms up and a plasma rifle formed in her arms. A neon purple plasma bolt shot out but was brushed aside by the Shadow Man's arm just before it hit his face. He reached his hand out and yanked his whole arm back which ripped the rifle from the Keeper's grip. It vanished into purple dust but still greatly surprised Liberty.
Thyrus stomped up to Knowledge but the Keeper flipped over the remains of the desk just as the man smashed down on him. His fists dented the metal desk further angering him by his failed attack. Knowledge backed away as he again formed his laser pistols. He fired again and again into the large man, each laser burning straight through his body and out the other sid
e.
"Why won't you die?" the blue Keeper asked as he backed up into a large shipping container.
With expert precision he fired a laser bolt into Thyrus' left knee. He howled loudly. Not in pain though, just in sheer frustration.
"Let's see if this works better!" Knowledge said as he released his pistols and held his arms up as a very large weapon formed. He hefted it over his right shoulder as the brother's one good eye opened widely at the sight of the weapon.
"Raaaaaah" he roared at the Keeper as his head and upper torso exploded in a huge orange blast.
Upon hearing the explosion, the Shadow Man extended his left hand and Liberty grabbed at her throat. She gasped for air as Varius regained his footing and made a mad dash for Eva. He slid across the ground stopping beside her. In one smooth motion he scooped her up off the ground and ran to the door that led out of the hangar and back into the hallway.
"You were not supposed to be here. You are ruining my plans!" the Shadow Man hissed.
"Yeah, we have been known to do that" Knowledge said as he aimed his cannon.
Just before he could fire he was tackled by Torvan. In a puff of orange particles the weapon vanished as it fell to the ground. The remaining brother wailed as hard as he could on the Keeper with punch after punch. His hands hitting so hard that they began to bleed and break his knuckles. But it didn't stop him, that is until Knowledge blinded him with a bright flash from his hand.
Torvan stumbled backwards unable to see. The Keeper rolled away and up to his feet. He formed his short swords and spun them in a swirling attack that sliced Torvan's right hand from his body.
Seeing his last minion being defeated, the Shadow Man whirled Liberty through the air and into Knowledge before he could finish the brother.
Torvan quickly grabbed his hand and rushed over the Shadow Man as he formed a black ball of energy in his hand. The two keepers got to their feet in time to watch their adversaries vanish in a cloud of black mist as the Shadow Man flicked the ball into the floor.
Now outside the facility, Varius carried Eva along the sidewalk as fast as his feet would carry him. Citizens called out to him to slow down as he bumped people out of his way.