The tower shuddered with an abnormal rumble which echoed along the halls and up the various stairwells which were there only for evacuation purposes. For some time now the Administration team had been on the back foot against Kelesk ever since the Tripod had fallen and now mere suburbs from the smouldering wreck which was once the Art District the fight had been dragged back to the Admin Tower which stood proudly at the centre of the Forumscant. No one except Skyrider had actually realised before now just how far the battle had been dragged and now people were attempting to right a quickly snowballing situation.
The bloodied body of Optimus lay silent before the immense compound armour-plated doors which slowly opened with the loud grinding of gears forced to pull a weight which was far beyond what they were able to pull. In the shadows within two softly glowing golden specks adorned a room of pitch black which gradually lit up as they opened wider. The energy of the creature hidden within the darkness made the room feel humid and claustrophobic, enough to make any man choke for air but everyone in the room stood silent, all except Chaos.
* * *
Skyrider seeing no alternative had left the room and fled to the safety of the observation deck which overlooked the city mashing on a keypad which was linked to the satellite defences which orbited the planet, Karrde and Maj stood next to him staring over his shoulder the whole while. All were beginning to converge on the city now which he himself was astonished was still standing; fortunately Kelesk had been more intent on killing his target than anything else and probably hadn’t even noticed where he was though something else was beginning to play on his senses. The moment Kelesk had come close to the tower the opened sky which sparkled brightly above had since closed. Bruised skies now loomed above threatening what looked like heavy rain but not a single drop had yet to fall. Lightning lit up the sky up in bright arrays though the clouds were anything but harmless and what few buildings did remain intact were instant targets of large bolts of unnatural lightning.
“You know those satellites will never make it here in time,” Maj stated in a matter-of-fact tone. “It will take then at least an hour before they will be anywhere near the city, you’ve completely rerouted their natural orbit.”
“We need to try something!” Skyrider snapped back. “Unless you would rather go down there and try to stop that monster.”
Both stood silently, neither wanted to make the situation any worse than it was.
Gazing out across the city he allowed himself a brief moment to think of what left the city in this state in the first place; the large burn hole which had pierced the thick protective glass of the observation room courtesy of Kelesk’s scythe as he battled with Pride was just one of many reminders. Nothing had changed since that day; in fact this one had turned out to be surprisingly similar. Perhaps, he thought, it was due to the fact that both Kelesk and Cucumba had been in close proximity with each other on that day too.
* * *
The snarl on Kelesk’s face twisted to a maniacal smile. From the darkness of the room the Old One stepped forth and into the light, his golden glowing eyes piercing the Spectre whom spun his scythe around and flicked it next to himself so one of the crimson blades sat behind his head.
“I’ve been searching for you. . .
Brother.”
Kelesk’s intentions remained crystal clear as he spoke, the animosity in his raspy voice emphasising the word he rarely spoke.
“I see you have discarded your old self,” The Admin replied in a far more casual tone than anyone had that day, though he only received a bigger grin in return. “Surely you’re aware that even the Oblivion Aura has its limits.”
Kelesk chuckled loudly, his rasp making the small act seem far more sinister than it was intended.
“You know as well as I that we are two sides of the same coin.”
“
It does not drain the life of the universe.” Retorted the Admin.
“Only your own. . .” Kelesk snarled like a rabid dog though the excitement on his face was clear as day.
The Old One stepped forward, his aura igniting in a furious emerald maelstrom which caused the marble floor beneath him to crack and spread outward like a cobweb.
Grega stood behind the Jade Behemoth staring angrily at Kelesk, his shoulders twitching with rage not even noticing the ground crack beneath his own feet. Waves of energy poured from the aura and thick marble pillars either side of him cracked, some shattering the finely detailed engravings etched into them.
From the observation room Karrde, Maj and Skyrider could feel the tower shake against its will. They each looked at each other and without words to say all knew the source but at the same time worried looks accompanied everyone’s face, they all knew what a fight inside the tower would do to it. The first earthshaking boom was heard and the sky lit up as an arc of lightning surged over it followed closely by a roar of thunder, all three hurriedly ran to the window only to see Kelesk launched from the side of the tower into a nearby derelict skyscraper disappearing into the dust and rubble.
Taking his first few steps out of the tower for the first time in so long the Old One had to pause. It was alike that day, nothing had changed at all.
They had done nothing in his absence.
Darkness covered the area both above and below, nothingness in a vast city of death and despair. Suffering and anarchy had covered all parts of the city and various bands of people formed together, some falling apart before they even became solid, treachery and dishonesty taking its toll against leaders and the weak minded or just generally shallow souls whom had survived that dark day in the Forumscant’s history.
The fires which once raged across the once beautiful city had been put out leaving black scars across it and the enormous skyscrapers which still managed to stand were targets to the evil that had swept the city and destroyed it or were at a point where a strong breeze would cause a total collapse. It was unknown to him how badly damaged the outer cities and towns were and deep down he didn’t feel the need to know at this stage. The bruised skies had stopped raining down on the city though ash still clotted up drainpipes and gaps in rubble forming shelters for the distressed and broken souls that huddled within the cold embrace of the returning darkness. Screams echoed throughout the wasteland at night time and through the day people scavenged around for what little they could.
Directing his attention back to the moving rubble through a hole in the side of a blackened skyscraper Cucumba continued his deliberate forward pace towards the deity and at the first sign of the vibrant crimson hair poking through the debris his deliberate stride turned to an intentional sprint. The second Kelesk had pulled himself from the rubble another large crack of lightning lit up the darkened skies and shook the city with a loud roar as the mighty Admin slammed his fist into the ribs of Kelesk which made a sickening crack, twisting his body counter clockwise and landing a savage roundhouse kick on the Spectre’s cheekbone which sent him reeling through the wall of the building and slamming into the burnt out shell of a transit bus knocking it to its side on the footpath and leaving his body to limply topple over it.
The Old One emerged slowly from the skyscraper he had sent the deity flying from standing tall and confident, returning himself to his same deliberate pace.
Crawling weakly atop the bus he’d just collided with Kelesk managed to find his feet, standing slightly hunched over still clutching the scythe with one hand and his chest with the other. Standing behind the one he despised the most was his supposed accomplice; Grega. He stood watching idly and it didn’t take long for Grega to realise the piercing red eyes of the Spectre were locked on him and not Cucumba.
Kelesk’s face showed little emotion aside a sliver of discomfort. It was apparent that the gears in his mind were turning and Grega knew that nothing good ever came of that. With a sudden shake of the earth beneath his feet he saw the maelstrom of emerald whip up again surrounding the Ancient Horror and leaving the asphalt beneath his feet cracked and slightly indented but still Kelesk stood still, his face not changing in the slightest almost as if he was trying to comprehend something.
“What are you searching for Chaos?” Bellowed the Admin from where he was approaching.
The look on Kelesk’s face slightly changed into a mixture of despair and anger as the sky above him lit up and thunder rolled over it.
“Go on,
brother. Unleash the Oblivion Aura again.” The notion was smug, confident.
Kelesk’s eyes closed slightly, his gaze turning to a sinister stare. His lips curled back over his teeth in a savage snarl and as his did the bus beneath him began to melt into an unseen force. Small chunks peeled away from the side at first then the rest lifting up into the air in small blobs of melted metal until Kelesk was once more standing atop the footpath. His gaze had now returned to the Admin, though it seemed as if he couldn’t have cared less.
A small line of crimson life ran from the side of the deity’s mouth to his chin where it was slowly gathering into a tiny droplet of blood but to Kelesk the broken ribs he had been dealt at the hands of his brother no longer seemed to bother him. His frame straightened and he stood up straight, the blades of the weapon he clutched reignited into fierce red teeth which once again continued to fight against the clips that restrained them.
“He was a fool to have given you such a diabolical power.” Muttered the Admin who was slowly closing the distance between the two.
Silence filled the area for a brief moment; all that could be heard was the unstable flaring of the Admin’s aura. Kelesk’s glare had once again turned maniacal.
“And you, Old One, are a fool to stand against it.”
The Oblivion Aura flared upward like a gentle flame licking at the cloudy sky, the crimson reflection shimmering against the flashes of lightning hidden within its bruised veil. Taking a steady step forward Grega could finally feel the power expelling from the partially visible flame that surrounded Chaos. It was nowhere near as suffocating as Cucumba’s but the energy it gave of was nothing short of overwhelming, it had a dark and impulsive feeling about it which seemed to match his personality perfectly. The energy continued to grow until Grega could feel his mind begin to tip toward insanity though glancing at Cucumba as he clutched his head in his hands he could see that the Admin was neither concerned nor bothered by the energy the aura was expelling. He stood calm, almost peaceful - Or at least as peaceful as one could be when standing before your only sibling who wanted nothing more than to see you dead.
Black sparks surged in the air around Kelesk as if stuck to the edge of the Oblivion Aura unable to escape its confines no matter how hard it wished to. The aura remained around Kelesk for what seemed like an eternity and the gentle rumble which usually accompanied it gradually grew louder until the earth itself began to move around him. The earth beneath his feet cracked, crumbled and broke away in large chunks of concrete which were lifted into the aura and dissolved into glass-like shards until Chaos stood upon raw earth staring through his brother.
Clenching his fists against his temples Grega slowly forced his concentration away from the maddening energy source which had begun to plague him and lowered his hand to his sides. His arms shook as though he had been chilled to the bone and yet his face was marred with a strew of emotion, his gaze directed straight at his companion.
“You monster. . .” He muttered, his voice shaken as if instilled with fear. “You never told me you had this kind of sickening power.”
Kelesk’s head raised and tilted slightly to the side, his expression twisting to bemusement as he replied in his smug tone.
“It was never your place to know.”
Grega’s face tore with rage as blood seeped from his lip which he had been unintentionally biting into.
“He knew no one would accompany him, former apprentice or otherwise, had he been so blatantly obvious about the Oblivion Aura. It essentially syphons a substance called dark energy into the black matter in and around his body and uses it as a kind of reactor.”
Grega turned to Cucumba who hadn’t even turned to face him while explaining, only looking forward as his brother smirked proudly.
“It works under the same basic principle as a fusion reactor.”
Grega’s glare turned back to his companion who remained smirking proudly.
“Assuming the universe doesn’t collapse on itself it supplies him with an unlimited source of power.”
“Then how do you intend to beat him!” Grega anger had changed to frustration realising now that all he had done by awakening the Admin was ensure Kelesk’s maddened state would not subside until one or the other lay dead.
Kelesk’s head lowered, his smirk retracting to a simple glare knowing full well the Admin knew how to counter the aura’s effects.
“While it’s true that it does supply him with an unlimited amount of energy, he still needs time to focus it.”
Grega’s paused, almost bewildered.
“The aura does nothing to effect his physical ability. Physically he is no stronger now than he was before, yes his body is teeming with conserved energy but he still needs time to focus all of it should he desire to expel it all,” The Admin’s gentle gaze turned to a harsh stare as he continued. “And we both know he cannot keep gathering energy forever.”
“So then what are we waiting for?” Grega grinned despite his maddening state.
Kelesk turned his attention toward his partner and smirked. It was a look overflowing with confidence though Grega’s mind had regressed too far to realise it. Pushing himself forward he could feel his heartbeat pulsing through the veins in his head and adrenaline coursed through his veins with only one thought in his mind; to stop the madness his comrade had fallen into.
th-thud
“Time freeze!” Grega’s body crouched the instant he said the words.
th-thud
Pushing himself forward he lunged toward the Spectre in a hurried charge opening both of his hands and holding the palms upright.
th-thud
Opening his palms wide he conjured two hybrid spheres holding one in each hand and reared his arms back.
th-thud
Throwing his hands forward one after the other the two spheres rocketed forward and a slight smirk grew on the young warriors face.
th-thud
The orbs slammed into the aura of flame surrounding Kelesk one after another both sticking to it with an accompanying sound which mimicked a beach ball being palmed off.
And slowly but surely a sinister snarl grew on the Spectre’s face.
th-thud
A voice in the background echoed through his mind, a familiar voice he’d heard just recently;
You have already forgotten who gifted you with those newfound powers you wield so carelessly. . .
The footpath outside the Oblivion aura cracked, tearing apart in massive fissures which spread across the street they stood within and even up the side of a building which was at Kelesk’s back. The aura had disappeared though the two hybrid spheres remained in place surging with black energy which was not their own.
Blinking his eyes attempting to shake off the illusion Kelesk had disappeared, though again the spheres remained held in place by an unseen force.
thud
A growing pain filled his body from his stomach slowly creeping across his entire body. His body slowly hunched over where it remained paused in the air.
I stopped moving. . . When did this happen. . .
His lungs collapsed and he gasped for air releasing his hold on time feeling one of his spheres rush past his face and detonated into the top of a building behind him, the other flinging upward into the air and detonating in the rumbling heavens. Opening his eyes he could see nothing but the scarred forearm of Kelesk, stained with blood which was not his own. Drops of blood fell from his own mouth and onto Chaos’ hand which ran to his fingertips and dripped to the broken asphalt road. Torn cargo pants which would be worn by no other clipped at the edge of Grega’s vision and he began to feel the knee which had halted his assault.
Reaching down with his bloodied hand he clamped his fingers around the young warrior’s throat and lifted him to eye level.
“You should know better.” Chaos tightened his grip on Grega’s neck watching his determined glare turn quickly to one of worry.
“Put him down Kelesk!”
Chaos’ gaze turned slowly toward his brother.
“Or what?” It was clear Kelesk had no intention of obliging the command. “You’re still weak from your battle with the Rider.”
The Admin’s aura ignited and his bulky figure disappeared, reappearing a mere metre from the Spectre. Without hesitation Kelesk threw the crippled body of his companion at the Admin who swatted it aside with his left arm and planted a heavy right hook on the Spectre’s chin. Reeling backward Chaos had but seconds to regain his bearings before another heavy blow battered his chin from below as the Emerald Titan swung his left arm upward and slammed a backhand into the bottom of his chin leaving Kelesk’s body to tumble backward into a street sign which rattled with a loud clang as he hit it, the scythe falling from his hands to the ground with a similar clang.
Regaining his footing Chaos raised his head from his hunched over position revealing the large amount of blood running from his mouth. Spitting a mouthful of blood to the ground he widened his stance and raised his arm standing motionless as a crimson spiral of energy surrounded it getting brighter as it focused closer to his palm.
“Do you understand now Grega?” Cucumba noted, staring at Kelesk. “The energy burns brighter as it’s compressed into a tiny area. That is what makes the dark energy appear crimson”
Grega pulled himself to his knees next to the Admin, speechless as how much he knew about the Oblivion aura’s capabilities.
“It’s me your after brother,” Cucumba shouted. “You fire that now you’ll kill him too.”
The shriek began to emit from the focal point of the energy, building up at the same rate as it had every other time though the spiral of energy that swirled around his arm was no longer barely visible at its end. The whole spiral was clearly visible and it even appeared to surround Kelesk’s body.
“You had best move.” Cucumba muttered to Grega, the scream growing louder.
Not replying Grega forced himself to his feet and limped off as quickly as he could hear behind him the scream that sent chills down his spine.
In his hurried state he felt the ground shake beneath him forcing him back to his knees attempting to catch his breath, the shriek had reached its pinnacle and in the wake of the tremor he heard the blast released from its confines. Turning to face where he’d left the Jade Behemoth he saw nothing but a wave of melted debris; earth, metal and concrete alike was torn apart and turned to nothing but a brightly glowing yellow liquid which peeled backward along the attack’s core. Buildings on either side of the road were slowly vaporized by the force of the blast. In the distance a loud explosion echoed toward the city and the attack ceased leaving nothing but smouldering ruins in its wake.
Shock instilled Grega the moment the attack had ceased though to his amazement in the middle of the attack stood the Emerald Titan. Cuts covered his body and blood seeped from various wounds. His leather duster had been torn from him revealing a large graze on his chest which oozed the green blood the Behemoth had running through his veins. Smoke rose from his scorched body which had no doubt been battered head on by the blast in attempt to save Grega from any explosions that may have detonated had he opposed the attack. Reaching behind him the giant unclipped his ban sabre from its holster and ignited the blade.
Buzzing with life the blade shone vibrantly through the dust which had covered the city in the wake of Kelesk’s devastating attack who still remained motionless with his hand outstretched.
“Dear God what have I unleashed. . .” Grega muttered, crawling back to his feet watching Kelesk’s face turn to fury knowing full well the deity wanted to scream though his voice wouldn’t allow it.
From the confines of the Admin Tower Karrde, Maj and Skyrider stood motionless pressed against the glass wall of the observation room with consoles buzzing behind them. Each face in the room was stained with a look of utter awe and amazement looking down over the charred and torn apart section of earth where Kelesk’s blast had ripped it away and the fires which had once covered the city were beginning the spread in parts of the city which had been sprayed with molten rock that had been torn from the earth as the blast had engulfed the Admin.
The shriek emitted once more from the palm of Chaos this time the area glowed around him the small zone in where he stood shone brightly as if he had an aura of his own active. His hair lit up and his eyes glowed savagely as sparks of bright crimson energy surged around him lashing out at anything metallic which remained after the initial blast using them as grounding sources.
“Why. . .” He muttered below the screaming speck of energy in his hand. “Why won’t you die. . .”
The Jade Behemoth smiled wryly holding the sabre at his side through the vast wall of dust almost as though admitting his defeat.
“Because brother. . . This is the final decision we all must make.”
Kelesk snarled, growling fiercely as the scream of energy held at its highest pitch before the ground once more trembled in protest of the blast which was released in a brilliant spectrum of colour which surrounded the deity’s figure and slowly expanded outward in a wide arc. This time the Old One raised his arms, aiming his open palms towards the deity and awaited the blasts impact.
The earth shook violently in an unending sway as the blast refused to cease pressuring against whatever defence the Old One had managed to put forth as the shockwave from the impact pushed backward against the blast forming outward in an enormous dome shape from where it had impacted. The beam glistened in the light from the darkened skies above which roared in appeasement of the battle below and the first drops of rain began to fall, simmering into steam as they fell on and around the blast.
“You cannot win this fight Old One!”
Remnants of buildings, trees and other landscape features slowly peeled from their resting places and were blown away as gale force winds blasted outward from the impact point which lit up in flames behind and around the Ancient Horror.
Watching in horror Grega could only wonder how long Kelesk could keep the attack powered but then remembered what the Old One had mentioned.
Assuming the universe doesn’t collapse on itself it supplies him with an unlimited source of power.
Looking back toward the impact point Grega could see something which caught his attention. From behind the wall of flame he could see a vibrant emerald glow pouring outward almost as though Cucumba was fighting back against the blast but it was more than that. Streaks of emerald poured outward from the impact point and flew up into the air spiralling around and hovering around the blast.
“No. . .”
Grega turned back to Kelesk hearing him all but yell the word in frustration. His face had twisted in anger and he twisted his body, clasping the wrist which was firing the blast with his free hand.
“I will
not let you interfere Cucatoth!”
The swirl of energy surrounded Kelesk’s braced arm once more as the blast suddenly became savage ripping apart the very earth beneath it and the wave of energy became clearly visible. The blast thudded loudly as it hit its target causing the ground around the point of impact to fissure and break open as the typhoon blew away more debris and structures which were too close to the strengthened blast. The small pillar of flame which tore at the air around the Admin turned into an inferno which mirrored the original blast’s shockwave in size.
Grega watched Kelesk’s fury mix with determination as his eyes twitched as if something were speaking to him, tormenting him; trying to distract him from what he was attempting to achieve with this final attack.
Then he too could hear the words, as if someone were speaking in his ear. Feeling a tap on his shoulder he turned to see Optimus with his hand outstretched. Allowing himself the aid of Optimus he slowly managed to get to his feet.
“You can hear it too, can’t you?”
Grega only nodded in return.
“Stay out of this fight Cucatoth.” Kelesk’s voice neared a furious yell replying to the unseen voice.
“Who is this Cucatoth he keeps mentioning?” Grega quietly asked. “Is that another name for Cucumba or something?”
“Cucumba never told us exactly, though we assume it’s the being that created the two of them and the voice you can hear in your head. Though don’t ask me what its saying. They seem to be the only ones who can understand it.”
Grega could only look back as more of the emerald trails streaked upward from the attack.
“You see now Grega. This is why we continue to hide him from you two. At his full strength Cucumba is his equal, but as he is right now, Kelesk has the upper hand.”
The blast continued to press against the Jade Behemoth, the shockwave slowly vanishing into the wall of dust and flame.
“On any normal day we are enemies but today, with these two locked in combat as they are, we are nothing more than hapless spectators for if Cucumba cannot hold Kelesk at bay this world will burn. . .”
Ignoring the latter part of Optimus' sentence, lost in both thought and overwhelmed by what he was witnessing Grega continued to question the immediate.
“What Cucumba said earlier;
’This is the final decision we all must make.’ What did it mean?”
“It’s a prophecy of sorts.” Optimus managed a smile his eyes reflecting the battle before him.
“In the end the final decision we all must take, make or break,
will decide what will be and our destiny.
If we lose the fight Armageddon will finally tell,
burn in hell, there will be no after, be no other day.”
Grega could only listen and attempt to comprehend what it meant before noting a flaw in what Optimus had said.
“But wait on both occasions both you and Cucumba have said
’we’.”
Optimus only nodded, not giving a verbal response.
When Grega returned his attention to the fight before him he noticed the sky full of emerald orbs floating high up in the sky almost tinting the bruised, raining sky green.
In an instant the world turned emerald and the attack detonated around the Ancient Horror and that was all Grega could remember.
The next he knew he was standing where he had been, neither Optimus nor Cucumba were in sight though Kelesk stood where he had been. He was breathing heavily and his body was hunched over. His clothes were more torn up than usual and blood ran from freshly opened wounds in a growing pool at his feet.
The sky had cleared up and sunlight streamed over the city which was surprisingly mostly intact apart from the section Kelesk’s attack had destroyed. Grega stared over at his companion who remained motionless looking down at the pool of his own blood at his feet which glistened in the sunlight.
Gathering up the scythe and the rest of the deity’s belongings Grega limped slowly over to Kelesk and held it in front of him. Slowly Kelesk raised his head revealing all his scars which had been reopened, one eye bloodshot and dripping tears of crimson as it watered. His crimson hair drowned with rain and draped over parts of his face.
“I think it is time we found a place to rest, partner.”
Kelesk stared at the familiar face and failed to respond, staring aimlessly his eyes glazed over and finally he began to sway lifelessly until he collapsed into the puddle of blood.
Picking the body up and slinging an arm over his shoulder Grega began to head away from the city, glancing only once back toward the Admin Tower. At the very top in the observation room he could see Skyrider, Karrde and Maj looking down at them. Grega knew they didn’t like the idea of letting the two of them leave but they no longer had the means to stop either of them even though they knew full well Kelesk would one day return to finish what he had started.
Karrde looked to Skyrider who remained starting at the small specks which wandered away from the tower.
“Is it really okay to let him leave?” He questioned.
Maj rested his hand on Karrde’s shoulder and nodded once as Karrde’s attention turned toward him.
“Cucumba was expecting Kelesk to act as he did. He was concerned Kelesk would unleash Armageddon had he not been able to enrage him into a power struggle.”
“Armageddon?”
Maj nodded once more in reply leaving Skyrider to reply in his stead.
“As weakened as he was he was doubtful that once Kelesk showed up he would be able to survive and so he acted as though he wanted to challenge him directly since if he had died the remaining six would be released and Armageddon would befall us. All of our prior interference was only an attempt to weaken Kelesk and hopefully discourage him from venturing to the tower.”
"Hell of a sacrifice to try and weaken him though." Karrde murmured, turning away and heading toward one of the various consoles in the room.
“I guess now we need to find him a new resting place.”
Maj chuckled and nodded.
“Indeed, though I doubt either will be returning any time soon after that little confrontation.”
Maj walked over to the console across from Karrde and sat down leaving Skyrider staring out across what remained of the city until he could no longer see the two tiny specks which wandered toward the horizon wondering only how something like this could be considered a victory.