Part Two.
Chapter Six.
The Sphere
The harsh road didn't favour Lock,as he stood alone,watching the sun go down. A cool breeze pushed past him. All his harsh, grey eyes could see were a set of small buildings in the distance.'Aerkeen's followers...I'm sure they are here...',he said to himself.
He walked on wearily, then entered the nearest one.It was a small yet busy place, with many people sitting,talking and engaging in merriment. Lock looked around and noticed a small,suspicious group.
Six suspicious men huddled around a table,and they were deep in conversation,just as one broke off,walking to the bathroom door. Two others walked outside,just as Lock sat at the bar and watched the remaining men and spoke. ''Okay,so we all know the plan...?'',said one.
''Yes, we find the ANTIweapon,then if he gets out of hand, we bring in the assassins. It shouldn't even get to that...'',another replied. But a certain man angrily piped up. ''What is the matter with you cowards? WE find him, we kill him and we find the War Father,then do the same!'',he exclaimed.
''...This is why you are not in charge, Hancrow. First, you mention probably the greatest mercenary that has ever lived...in a bar like this,then you come up with stupid plans like trying to find him...Do you not know what he can do?....What he did to Aerkeen...?',the second man said. But Hancrow grew hysterical.
''Listen,you fool.How can WE track one of the ANTIweapons? We outnumber him,but he will always have the upper hand..so HE needs to come to US...not the other way round,you idiot...'',he said desperately.
Suddenly, a waiter appeared at the table,bearing a plate full of glasses and an exquisite bottle. ''Gentlemen,this is for your group from the man at the bar.'' Within an instant, the group turned towards the bar,but it was crowded with people. ''What did he look like?!'',Hancrow barked. Then the waiter resumed.
''He also gave a message. It was,''Behind me--''. The rest of his speech was cut off as Lock suddenly appeared,kicking the waiter out of the way. Hancrow leapt at the ANTIweapon but Lock dodged easily. ''Gullan! Trevis!'',he cried.
Two more of the group tried to wrestle Lock as Hancrow kicked him in his stomach. The crowd behind them panicked,and the scuffle grew. Lock threw the two men far from him then Hancrow struck him hard across the face. Blood came from his mouth but the ANTIweapon wiped it clean.
''Where did you learn to do THAT....?'',he asked with interest. ''We are the Followers of Aerkeen. We know that He is back...we know H will come for us...! We honor him by learning of His ways and He will bring...'',Hancrow said passionately, but he was interrupted as Lock grabbed his head then slammed it into the ground.
He stooped and hurled the battered man harshly. Hancrow went flying,landing against the wall of the bar and he slumped to the floor.
Lock moved towards him but Gullan suddenly grabbed him by the waist. ''Quickly, Trevis!Shoot him!!'',he barked at his teammate.
Trevis suddenly came into view with his gun aimed at Lock,then the ANTIweapon's eyes flashed from grey to crimson. Everything went completely black...his ears drowned in a woman's screaming....then he came back to reality. Once again, a red tinge swept all around Lock,just as the bar emptied.
A split second later,Trevis fired and there was a shout. He stared at Lock,who groaned angrily then fell to the ground. ''Finally..! We did it! It's over for him...'',said the gunman,valiantly. Gullan froze as the ANTIweapon lay still,and the red tinge disappeared. ''He's...dead...we finally managed to do it...'',Trevis whispered.
He stood still,then a look of surprise entered his face.
The bar was empty but there was a rumbling coming from below. ''What the HELL is that?!'',Trevis shouted. The ground suddenly shone with a harsh red light,and the rumbling grew more violent. ''Go get Hancrow now!'',he shouted to Gullan; the terrified man ran to his comrade. A second later, Lock instantly stood and grabbed Trevis. The ANTIweapon's eyes were blank,as he held the man up.
Then they twitched; a scream filled the bar as Trevis was thrown high,his body flying through the ceiling,high above even the clouds. Gullan quickly picked up Hancrow,whispering,''I'm not looking...he's gone...he's gone...''. He bravely staggered with Hancrow towards the entrance.
Suddenly, Lock stumbled and he quickly held his leg.
A terrible singeing filled the air as the violent red energy gave a purple tinge. The ANTIweapon's arm grew a vicious purple and burned,as he made his way towards the other two men.
The bar itself was shaking and flame spread all around,burning the furniture and charring the wall pantings. The red energy grew,forming a small sphere. It hovered,with purple and red sparks being thrown out randomly,behind the two remaining men.
''Come on,wake up,Hancrow,you idiot...wake up...!'',he pleaded desperately as Lock mindlessly staggered after them.
They moved out into the cold breeze,then Gullan looked up quickly. He saw Trevis covered in a strange red energy,falling from the clouds towards him. Then Lock leapt over him, and caught Trevis' still body.''He's already dead...what more do you want?!'',Gullan called angrily.
The ANTIweapon ignored those pleas as he brutally kicked Trevis back into the bar.
The man hit the sphere and a split second later, it exploded. Hancrow's eyes fluttered open as flame spread all over the bar.A harsh smell of smoke wafted into the air. ''Damn, what was that...?'',he said. ''Well,did we win?It looks like we won---'' But Lock had already grasped him around his neck.
The crimson in the ANTIweapon's eyes changed back to silver,and he spoke to Hancrow. ''For years...you hunted me. Like a dog. But now,you...and your little group...they will learn something that their precious Aerkeen cannot teach. I killed your God,and he will be nothing more than your memory...and you had the audacity to pull a gun on me..'',he finished.
But Hancrow squirmed in pain. ''I saw Aerkeen...with my own eyes...he lives!He's stronger...he's ready for you...even the GUARDs cannot fight him....!....need to be...you need to...''
Lock was confused,and he stared into Hancrow's scared eyes.
''What do I need...?'',he questioned. ''You need...to be...ready...!'',he said,and he laughed in Lock's face.'There's a knot inside me that's getting tighter...it's like my anger is being channelled...through my leg...and...it feels like a vice is trapping it...crushing it even...',he mused painfully as he held the man.
A cracking came from Lock's arm,and he suddenly grew angrier. The purple and red tinge appeared again,and its light filled Hancrow's eyes. His scream died away,and Lock viciously flung him into the destroyed bar. His last comrade, Gullan, watched as Hancrow met with fire and death.
''Now...the last weasel...will he escape...?'',Lock said cruelly, as he watched Gullan. The last man of his group,Gullan watched the ANTIweapon with contempt. ''So what will you do? Kill a man who can't fight back?',Gullan said bravely. ''I won't kill you. Not today...but I----'',Lock replied, then his head suddenly surged in pain.
'What is this...?! Is WRATH really...taking its debt on me..now...?!?',he thought painfully. Gullan stood,confused,at what was happening to his foe. Then a feeling in him spoke to him and he ran away from Lock,desperate to find Aerkeen.
The ANTIweapon saw a scene that was completely black...then the scene changed to him standing at the entrance of an underground cavern...a strange old man appeared...they walked deeper and were surrounded by gigantic bookcases...then the old man showed him a strange book...quickly the scene changed again...Lock saw himself in agony,cradling someone but the face was unclear... then it changed once more...he could see his own leg...it was being crushed by something purple and red...but the pain felt real...then he emerged from the sequence,realising that the road was completely deserted and Gullan had disappeared. 'That coward...I know what he's going to do...but Felnid,it is governed by the GUARDs....Aerkeen won't dare to attack me there...damn it,it took 10 years to recover from the last time I answered to my WRATH...this was foolish but I was desperate...they intended to kill me...because I killed their ''God''....',he thought. Then he limped in pain and made his way to the inviting valleys of Felnid.
The man struggled for hours,but it didn't matter to him. He walked through the quiet of Felnid's Juko Ground. Weathered buildings stood on both sides of the road,reluctantly inviting those who wanted refuge. Newspapers lay torn in the heavily beaten street,and the homeless littered the area.
The ANTIweapon limped on through the ghetto,ignoring the poor who watched him. 'I can lay low here...Aerkeen won't strike now..but even then,I'm in no condition to battle...I am still enduring my own WRATH...',he thought to himself. He kept limping on until he saw a large space ahead, packed with the buzzing of people. Everyday workers walked back and forth,their heads buried in their phones.
Then Lock saw a sign ahead, that read, 'Juko Ground One Hotel.' He entered and banged on the dirty front desk in front of him. ''Get out here...!'',he said with a strain. A kindly woman emerged and addressed him.
She stared at his grey, unfaltering eyes for a split second,but he remained angry. 'Um,please,keep your voice down...! There are other tenants here...!'',she said sharply. But Lock's rage grew. ''I'm not interested in anyone else...just get me a room...now...!'',he demanded. But he concentrated on her eyes.
They were a blue,similar to that of the ocean near Felnid. 'Why...does she remind me of...',he thought to himself. ''Please,your voice is too much,people are sleeping,come on...!'',she said strongly. ''Just meet my demands...I have to get to a room..!'',the ANTIweapon insisted.
''Okay,okay, let me find one for you...'',she said. The young woman waved her and, and an interface appeared in front of her. Her fingers moved quickly,as she pressed buttons. Lock leant on the desk,as he felt pain in his arm.
''This is taking too long...!'',he raged, and he walked around, trying doors with whatever energy he had left. He struggled up a set of creaky stairs with no regard to the woman's protests behind him. Then he reached the next floor and tugged on any door handle he saw. Finally, one opened.
The room was a little large but not much light entered. 'Perfect...finally,I can see her again...',he thought to himself,and he tapped the door.It slammed shut,then the door handle twitched and loosened. He walked forwards, then sat,surrounded by complete darkness.
Unbeknownst to him, a determined man,dressed in a blue costume with red spots of different sizes, walked out from amongst the horde of workers outside. The wind howled as he watched the Juko hotel, and the long,blond hair of Aerkeen blew furiously.