With a thought, Zack commanded the suit to create a helmet. Soon, his head was covered in a black rubber-like substance. Blue metal plates covered his cheekbones, nose, and scalp. His hornet-like eyes turned fiendish white and glowed, enabling him to see farther than the average human.
In his demonic armor, the lad felt superior. The suit boosted his intelligence and focus. The augmented suit increased his strength and agility of his lean six foot three frame. He often wished he could use the suit back in college when he played running back. People would say he played like his hero, Emmitt Smith, and he would gloat to his friends when the opposite sex told him he was just as handsome as his hero.
With another thought, Zack commanded the suit to released its cape. The blue cape fluttered in the wind after it was liberated. He squatted, looked up to the dark sky, and launched toward it. A sonic boom echoed from his body as he rocketed up a few thousand feet.
Zack flew through the clouds and wished he could remove his helmet to feel the cool wind on his face. He stopped, hovering nine thousand feet in the sky, and looked down at the lights of New York City.
When he flew in airplanes as a child, he always wanted to sit by the window so he could look down at everything below. He told himself that one day he would buy his own airplane to fly above the earth. Now he was fortunate to be able to fly above the earth in a special suit.
He flew up four thousand more feet, and the temperature dropped as he left the earth’s atmosphere. His body became lighter as he got closer to outer space. He turned around and saw the earth rotating. He never grew tired of watching the white clouds spreading across the Blue Ocean and land. He looked at the bright sun and felt its warmth. He spent a few moments soaking in the tactile sense of the view before he rocketed back down through the earth’s atmosphere. The sonic boom echoed again, and his body was covered in a bright orange energy. He navigated toward his previous location. Zack’s armor became hot, and he knew he needed to cool down.
Boom! He sank to the bottom of the Brooklyn River as vapors and bubbles rose from his suit. He felt the temperature lowered instantly. He wondered if anyone had heard him collide with the river. Going supersonic and colliding with the ocean or a river was his natural activity whenever he got bored.
He swam toward the surface, enjoying the cool feeling from the antibiosis armor. As his head breached the surface, he looked toward the Brooklyn Bridge. He wanted to make sure he had not drawn any attention. He did not know how the public would react if they saw him. Slowly, he elevated and began to glide towards the hotel. He felt like he could get a good night’s sleep now that he had traveled to outer space.
As he flew above the Brooklyn Bridge, he felt a bit strange ‘Look out, Zack!’
Zack turned around and saw a flash of light heading toward him. Before he could react, the flash of light struck his face and sent him back into the East River.
Knowing that he was in deep trouble, Zack swam away from where he was attacked. He slowly raised his head above water and looked around. He wondered where the person had gone.
Leisurely, he ascended above the water, looking around. Before he retreated, Zack heard something from below the water moving swiftly. He saw bubbles and hot steam formed on the surface of the river. To his surprise, a man in the same armor as he was wearing shot out of the river. The antibiosis suit was black and had a silver breastplate and shoulder pads. The star-shaped silver plate on the forehead had the eyes and face of a demonic Salticidae spider. A black ninja mask left glowing white eyes and eyebrows exposed.
The person in the silver cape stabbed Zack in the stomach with a katana sword.
Zack did not have a chance to defend himself.
“Morris-chan, take the S-5 weapon off now,” the man commanded with a Japanese accent. “You are no longer a Naraka Knight.”
“Wong, is that you?” Zack coughed from the severe pain. “How are you able to fly?”
“I copied your abilities. I see you don’t know that each antibiosis suit can copy the others.”
“What?” Instantly, that knowledge was recorded in his memory of the antibiosis armor. “In that case …” Zack raised his right hand and aimed at Wong’s head. Out of thin air, a pistol formed in his grasp.
Wong let go of his katana to defend himself, but before he could Zack pulled the trigger. A loud bang echoed across the river as the bullet hit the side of Wong’s helmet sending him back into the river.
After he pulled the Kitana out and cast it in the water, Zack descended down to the bank of the river. His breathing was repetitive as he knelt down on one knee, and he rested his hand on the wound. He focused his willpower on the wound, and it healed.
Zack looked ahead and saw Wong walking from the river. He stood to his feet and was tempted to flee but the suit wasn’t finish rejuvenating.
“Not bad, Morris-chan. I am honored to fight a former army lieutenant. Let us see how you do against a master ninja swordsman.” Wong cast his cape on the riverbank, created two ninja swords, and threw one to Zack.
The young knight caught it and stood in a fighting stance. Zack was familiar with basic sword combat. When he was a part of the military, his captains taught him military-style combat and a little weaponry.
Zack knew he was crazy to challenge a ninja master. He had heard stories of Wong Kei Ling’s past. Wong was born to a Japanese mother and a Chinese father, but he grew up in Koga with his mother. His uncles and grandfather taught him to be an assassin at the age of eleven, and at fifteen, he was a ninja master. He got bored of living in Koga and fled to America to be an assassin-for-hire. Garrison recruited him to be a part of his Order of Darkness and promised him a life of paradise after Armageddon. Wong Kei Ling’s antibiosis was the Xano 3.
Though he was a little nervous, Zack made the first move. He jabbed at the ninja, but he deflected it with ease and counter-attacked. The two warriors’ swords clanked back and forth as they waited for the other to leave an opening.
Wong jumped and somersaulted above Zack to throw him off guard. Before he landed, Zack kicked Wong aside, but he rolled backwards to a kneeling position. When he was leveled he threw three shurikens at Zack. The young man managed to deflect two throwing stars with his sword, but one caught him in the chest and forced him to his back.
“Morris-chan, give me the S-5 and I will let you live.”
“I can’t. I need it. It’s been keeping me alive.”
Wong remained silent for a moment. He remembered hearing a rumor that Zack Morris was ill, but his order was to strip away the armor.
Wong walked closer to the fallen knight and raised his sword. He prepared to cut off the young knight’s head. “Morris-chan, I’m sorry. But an assassin shows no mercy.”
Swiftly, Zack pulled out the shuriken from his chest and threw it at Wong, hitting his helmet. Wong fell to his knees as the silver plate vibrated and a loud clang echoed.
Zack knew the forehead protector was where Wong activated the suit of armor; it was his weak spot.
Wong’s suit began to weaken and ripped away from his body. The shrieking sound from the antibiosis sent him to his knees.
When the armor was gone—leaving Wong in his white official uniform— Zack walked toward him. “I should kill you, but I swore I would not take another human life after I left the Order.” Zack threw the ninja sword to the ground.
Because Wong’s suit was depleted, the throwing stars and swords evaporated.
Zack slowly levitated above Wong.
“Come back here!” Wong screamed as he kneeled. “The battle is not over!” He pressed the activation switch on his forehead, and the antibiosis armor covered his body within seconds.
Sensing danger, Zack rocketed off into the sky.
Wong reached out to copy Zack suit’s power, but he was over a hundred feet away. The ninja assassin formed an AK-47 and fired at the fleeing knight. “Shimatta!” He did not know what excuse he was going to use with Garrison, but he knew he was going to be punished.
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Chapter 8
Enigma
Claudius sat on the floor of the sewer below the Brooklyn subway. The mucky water rushed below his feet as he moved his legs back and fro. He was swallowed in total darkness, but he could see everything around him. With his keen sense of hearing, Claudius could hear the spiders and cockroaches crawling on the wall behind him and the rats that were chirping as they looked for food on the floor.
Claudius held a faded photograph of a man with orange hair, a dark skinned beautiful young woman, and a four-year-old boy. He assumed he was the child and that was his parents but Claudius had no memory of them. He grew up at the orphanage before Dabney Garrison adopted him and he had no memory previous to that.
Claudius looked away from the picture, rested his head against the brick wall, and brushed the hair out of his face. He thought about his past and the people in the photograph. ‘Where am I from? Who am I?’
Without warning, Claudius felt the ground trembled and it startled him. He wondered if it was an earthquake or if it was the knights sparring again. But he knew he was not close to Order’s domain. The strong tremor caused the foundation of the sewer to sprinkle dust and he shielded his eyes from it. He stood to his feet momentarily and tried desperately to keep his balance. He then realized the shock was coming from below him and he wondered what was going on down there.
Just then, the foundation surrounding Claudius began to crumble and so did the ground he stood on. He awkwardly jumped to avoid falling down. He prowled on the falling rocks and ricochet to safety. He found a leveled area and stood his ground, breathing heftily. He felt safe but still he wondered where was the uproar coming from. He analyzed the opening on the floor.
When the lad was about to make his leave, a huge ball of magma shot from below him and shattered the floor he stood on. He screamed in horror as he fell down into the darkness. He descended at least four-story bellow, landing in the sewage water. He held his breath from not swallowing the grimy water.
Claudius swam up and looked around the darkness. When he came out of the sewage water he saw that he was in an old abandoned subway station with old trains piled up on one side. The area was the size of a large gymnasium, three stories high. He took off his coat and cast it to the side. He swore under his breath about his clothes getting filthy and wet. Eventually, Claudius calmed himself down and looked around to notice a fire hydrant to his left. Claudius walked over to it, broke it open and washed himself.
Claudius felt tremor and he turned around. He sensed a large power coming from behind a brick wall. Suddenly, the wall shattered and another large ball of magma shot toward him. It crushed everything in its path, forcing Claudius to jump to the side. It disappeared in the dark end of the subway station.
A monstrous growl echoed through the station, and the lad tried not to panic. He saw a flash of white light and heard another roar. The ground trembled again, and a huge creature shot through the brick foundation, demolishing the wall. Claudius shielded his eyes from the dust but still held his sight on what was occurring.
Claudius gulped after he saw a giant centaur. The creature’s upper body resembled a muscular humanoid and was covered in blazing scales. It lay still on the ground for a moment then it shook its head from dizziness.
It looked back at Claudius with its glowing eyes and growled like an angry bear. Fire sat on its curled horns as he glared from his beastly-looking face at the lad.
The centaur stood, and it was a story and a half tall. It picked up its ten-foot magma sword and leveled the pillars surrounding it. Old trains smashed against the wall and exploded from its swing.
“Show yourself, child of Sephirot!” the centaur growled. The foundation of the station trembled from its monstrous snarl.
At the creature’s command, a seven-foot man with spiky orange hair and a gentle smile walked forward. He wore a blue and white leather coat, an Italian-designed white silk shirt, and a colossal double-bladed battle-axe graced his back.
Claudius gasped from the man’s assertive appearance. He admired the designs on the magnificent axe and he knew it was not only for show by the way the man walked with confidence.
“Oh, come on.” The man looked down at the dust on his black leather pants and boots. “Hey, do you know that this is my favorite attire?” He brushed the dust off and looked up at the creature.
“Silence, boy. You speak with insolence as always.” The creature spoke with franked words.
“So, Bolverk, still want some more?” He folded his arms across his chest and smiled.
“I will not accept your sneers, boy.” The creature was uneasy when it raised its magma-sword over its head to chop the man down. The sword was surged with flames when it headed toward him.
A loud explosion made Claudius tremble and he shielded his face from it. He looked back at the orange-haired man to see his fate. To his surprise, the man caught the flaming sword in his right hand.
“I just told you that this was my favorite attire. Now I got dirt all over me again.” The man looked at Claudius and yelled, “Hey, kid! You might want to get to a safer area! The real show is about to start!” The man pulled the sword from the demon’s grasp, flipped it around, and threw it at its chest. The tip of the sword impaled the centaur, and it flew back a hundred feet.
Claudius saw the flaming demon flying in his direction and ran for cover. He wondered if he would make it before the giant centaur flattened him.
Kaboom! Bolverk collided into a number of old trains, and they exploded.
Claudius kneeled and covered his head with his hands.
“Why are the Hellbounds coming through the Hellgates in New York?” The mystery man walked closer to the demon.
Claudius stood up and noticed that the sinister explosion did not harm the man.
“I will tell you nothing, Gedulah. I will not betray my lord!” Bolverk pulled his sword from his wound and its panting was heavy. Lava-like blood bled through the fatal blow.
‘Gedulah…’ Claudius knew the centaur could not survive such a deathly piercing. He was blown away at the orange-haired man’s strength.
“Claude, are you okay?” Nathan Rasputin called from the opening Claudius had fell through earlier.
Gedulah, Bolverk, and Claudius looked up.
On his chest, Nathan activated his antibiosis weapon as he fell down from the three-story opening. He landed before them and dust splattered and filled the area.
Everyone waited patiently after they heard a fizzled sound as the dust consumed Nathan. He emerged and he was covered in black dragon scales and a red fiendish armor. His head was hidden in a red and black skull-like helmet with glowing white eyes. The mouth of the helmet had sharp teeth from cheek to cheek. Also, the headwear had two three-inch horns on that curled up. The red metal covered his chest, forearms, and shin. Nathan slowly walked forward toward Gedulah.
Gedulah asked, “And who is he supposed to be?”
“He’s a member of the hellish army my lord created,” Bolverk answered. “The warriors are fueled by Vipoplasm. Child of Sephirot, meet our greatest creation: the Naraka Knight.”
Gedulah grinned and said, “So, this was what Gabilon was working on? From where I’m standing, this anti-angel doesn’t seem to be tough.”
“Knight, show him your power. Show the power of the antibiosis, Naraka Knights.” Bolverk roared.
“In that case, I guess I have to use Redemption. Haven’t used it in a while.” Gedulah pulled his huge axe from his back. He admired it, twirled it in his palm, and rested it on his shoulder.
“Claude, stand back. This was who the knights were created to fight,” Nathan instructed.
Claudius did not mind to do what he was told. Consumed with fear, he backed away from the coming battle.
Nathan darted forward to deliver the first blow. He jumped toward Gedulah and threw his fist at him. The man stepped to the side and pushed the back of Nathan’s head playfully. Nathan almost lost his footing, but he threw his
leg to kick Gedulah in the chest. Gedulah jumped over his leg and shifted himself to the knight’s head.
Everyone gasped at how gracefully he moved from one position to the next.
Nathan grabbed one of Gedulah’s legs, and tried to shake him off, but he could not move him.
Gedulah jumped around on his head with his axe still resting on his shoulder and eventually jumped off and kicked him in the face.
The knight rolled a few feet and landed on his knees. After he recovered, like an arrow fired from a bow, Nathan shot toward Gedulah’s back with his hands charged in glowing white energy.
When the knight was close, Gedulah swung his axe and struck Nathan in his face. “Home run!”
Nathan sailed twenty feet and collided with the brick wall.
Claudius gasped.
“Come on,” Gedulah said. “I thought you guys were supposed to be stronger than us. Show me what you got.”
Nathan picked himself up slowly and walked toward Gedulah. He focused, and the wound on the side of his helmet healed. With a thought, he created two replicas of himself.
Gedulah smiled and said, “Now, that’s a neat trick.”
The young knight charged at the orange-haired man with his clones. They formed a vertical line to confuse Gedulah, each clone hiding the real knight. All three jumped and scattered horizontally. They charged balls of white energy in their palms and shot them at the child of Sephirot.
Energy exploded around Gedulah, and he danced around to avoid them.
Nathan and his clones rushed in to attack, throwing punches and kicks at Gedulah.
The man avoided them without much effort and turned the helve of his axe to face one of his attackers. The helve extended and struck Nathan on the chest. Then, the clones disappeared.
“I seem to have gotten the real one,” Gedulah said cheekily.
Nathan landed harshly, and his armor disappeared from around him. He held his chest and walked slowly toward the orange-haired man.
“You still got a little spark left?” Gedulah teased.
Nathan fell to his knees with his index finger pointing at the warrior angel. “It’s not over yet…” He sounded like a drunken person. Then he fell to his face.
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