Chapter Nine – Don’t Play With The Unknown…

While he had a head start, it didn’t take long for the gang to catch up to Zimmer. They followed the stretchy villain as he led them through the forest that surrounded the city. Iridessa and Umbra were in the lead of the pursuit, with everyone else following shortly behind. They came to a stop as the path opened up into a clearing… with the remains of an old town. This confused most of the heroes. Upon seeing the scene, Umbra’s whole body grew rigid and her eyes widened. Swallowing to regain her composure, she asked, “Why did you lead us here, Zimmer?” Smirking, he responded, “Well, I wanted to show you something.” Jumping on top of what seemed to have once been a chimney, he continued, “You see all of this? Ten years ago, a dark force ravaged this town, destroying everything and killing everyone. Sadly, the force was lost and hasn’t been around since. I plan on reviving this darkness, and will take over the city!” While everyone else gasped, Umbra barely heard his words. They weren’t anything she didn’t know. All she cared about was the feeling growing inside her. It was all too familiar, and she knew she had to get out of here, SOON. She sent a frightened glance to Iridessa, who knew exactly what was happening.

Slowly, Umbra began to edge her way towards the back of the group. She didn’t want to attract attention to herself, but that was kind of hard when the ground beneath her feet seemed to be spinning. She stopped briefly next to Rebel, trying to focus on the present time. Everything was flashing back to the past, and her mind was jumbled by the event currently taking place. Rebel tilted her head to her partner, yet the look on her face said something was terribly wrong. As soon as the feeling became stronger, Umbra knew it was time to go. She made a dash to leave. Noticing her sudden attempt to flee, Zimmer quickly went to block her path. “What’s wrong? You don’t want to see this energy?” the villain mocked. Ignoring his comment, she attempted to push past him. Not being at her fullest state of mind, he immediately was able to block her once more. “You’re going to stay, whether you like it or not.” Facing him with an almost feral look in her eyes, she yelled, “You will LET ME LEAVE!!!” Her eyes widened and a frantic look appeared in her eyes. As soon as the words left her mouth, Umbra knew that the breaking point had been crossed. Falling to the floor, she clutched her head as a headache struck her full force. “No, no, no, no, no, no, no…” she whispered desperately as she lost control. Silence filled the air as she layed in a crumpled heap on the floor. Then, after a few minutes, she stood up. Laughter began to rack her body. It wasn’t joyful laughter, the sound was that of a deranged sort. Raising her head tall, “Umbra” stated, “Oh, it’s good to be back!”

Destruction. It was EVERYWHERE. In the center of the madness, there stood a figure, evil smirk painted on her young face. All of this was her fault. Well, not necessarily hers. The force inside had taken control, and she was hopeless to do anything but watch all of the people she knew die by her own hands. She was nothing more than a prisoner to her own body. Piles of dead bodies laid in discarded heaps everywhere as she stood in the destruction of her home. Turning around, the dark seven year-old faced two adults. An evil grin grew upon seeing them. Sighing, the pair lowered their heads, knowing there was no negotiation with what had become of their daughter. The only sign of resistance from inside was the tear that came rolling down her cheek as she slaughtered them. Suddenly, the bringer of all this death turned around, seeing one young, remaining figure. “Well, well, well. Congratulations! It seems you are the last one. Any last words?” the dark one sneered, preparing a beam of demonic energy. Without a word the survivor launched a beam of light at the destructor. The shot hit home, forcing the girl to the floor in pain. This opening was just what was needed to take back control. Finally, the dark force had receded. Lying still, the freed soul tried to catch her breath. Upon feeling a slight nudge, she opened her eyes and looked up. Her savior had an arm extended, offering to help her up. The girl knew that the evil was gone. Instead of accepting the help, the fallen female backed up frantically. “Don’t touch me!” she yelled, before whispering, “I’m a monster…” Scrambling to her feet, the frightened girl ran off, knowing that she was a threat to the world. The survivor stared as she retreated away, sighing deeply.  She headed into the forest herself, deciding to visit the city. It’s not like she had anywhere else to go…

Zimmer widened his eyes in astonishment before grinning sadistically. “Of course! I should have known. It was you all along!” he yelled enthusiastically. Turning, the dark figure gave him a look of disgust. Oblivious of the stare, he continued, “With your help, the city will easily be mine!!!” Approaching him slowly, “Umbra” said, “Help you take over the city, huh? You’re a fool. But since you helped me gain what I needed, I’ll let you live. As for you,”  a glare was shot at Iridessa, “I’ll deal with you later.” The powerful being turned to leave. Just before the departure, however, Rebel called out, “You’re not Umbra! Who are you really?!” Stopping to think for a moment, the response was, “While I am technically part of Umbra, you may call me Nox.” With that, Nox continued to walk away. As the destroyed village left sight, he clutched his head, annoyed. “Enough. You know you can’t fight back, Umbra. MY turn now.” Nox said sinisterly. “Now, off to the city we go! It’s time we had some fun.”