At the Council of Death:
"As you wish,
my loyal servant. May evil embrace your world." With that, Hellspawn's
failed plans from the past were now completed. The sky turned red and planet
Earth slowly began to crumble apart. Rock and rubble drifted off into the
dark skies above. Tornadoes and natural disasters spread worldwide. Fire
burned grasslands in Satan's emblem. Circles also burned around the crosses
where Boo, Rado Goji and Afiag hung. Apocalypse could sense that Rado and
Boo were still barely alive.
"Fear nothing
for soon it'll all be over, my friends. All over."
"You're right,
it will be, Hellspawn!" He turned to face the familiar voice that called
out to him.
"Melkor..." Apocalypse
said coldly.
"And I've brought
a friend." Ubergeek walked out of the shadows.
"Why throw your
lives away when you could live and serve the Council of Death? And bow
before me as slaves? At least you'd have a chance at living. Look at poor
Super Jet Jaguar. He had a choice and he made the wrong one."
"If anyone is
making the wrong choice, Hellspawn, it's you!" Melkor shouted. Apocalypse
just smiled.
"Maybe the last
time we fought," Ubergeek said, "you were human. Your new powers and Melkor's
stories don't scare me."
"Words mean nothing."
The true battle between good and evil was ready to begin as the laughter
of sadistic maniacs drifted through the air. Melkor and Ubergeek stared
at the evil before them. All around them was like a living Hell as fire
blazed through the city. Apocalypse had disappeared.
"Where'd he go?"
asked Ubergeek.
"He hasn't left,
Uber. At least not yet..." Melkor walked over to where Super Jet Jaguar
had died.
"If only we had
gotten here sooner..."
"Melkor... Melkor..."
A faint voice was calling him.
"Mrs. Khandejifer?"
He ran after her.
"Melkor! No! It's
probably a trick!" Ubergeek called out. But he didn't listen and was soon
out of sight. Melkor saw Mrs. Khandejifer burning in the flames, screaming
in pain.
"NO!" he cried
out. He ran to help her but she also vanished.
Unbeknownst to
Melkor, Apocalypse was nearby and a hand reached up from beneath the ground
and grabbed his foot, knocking him to the ground. A second entity appeared,
the Shadow of Hellspawn, and looked down upon the Dark Lord. Apocalypse
then raised up and transformed into some sort of black energy and covered
Melkor's body, keeping him from escaping.
"This is it, dear
Melkor. Our destinies will be fulfilled this day of darkness and doom.
In a glorious manner, I will take what is rightfully mine and slay anyone
who gets in the way of the path to victory... Oh, I'm going to enjoy making
you bleed and making you enjoy it!" Melkor was too weak to respond or even
acknowledge Apocalypse holding him down, draining the very life from him.
"Kill! KILL! KILL!
KILL!" a demonic serpent voice called out from beyond the grave. Apocalypse
squeezed tighter and tighter, cutting off Melkor's air as the Shadow of
Hellspawn flew off. The black energy choking Melkor and holding him became
Apocalypse once again. Melkor could barely make out his shape and only
saw those gloomy, disheartening eyes that seemed to float before him.
"This is where
I will leave you... to rot. It was a delightful pleasure knowing you, Melkor."
Apocalypse disappeared into the flames and Melkor fell into unconsciousness,
his mind entering some dream world on a spiritual level.
"Am I dead?" Melkor
asked himself, unsure of the answer. "What is this place?" A much older
looking Ubergeek appeared before him. "Uber? That you?"
"I hate you, Melkor!"
Uber said. "How could you let us down? Your friends..."
"What? What are
you talking about, Uber?"
"Miyako's dead.
Gamingboy, Lord Jimi, Prince and Princess of Space. Mighty Morgoth... they
are all dead. Them and many others and it's all your fault because you
let us down. We believed in you, Melkor. We believed in a future. But we
got... manslaughter..." There was a look of horror in Ubergeek's eyes.
"What happened,
Uber?"
"They came and
slaughtered every single flesh creature. No one knows who they were or
where they came from... but they weren't human. It could have been prevented
if you hadn't let us down and defeated Apocalypse the Hellspawn..."
"Apocalypse...
What happened to him?" The expression on Ubergeek's face registered great
fear as he spoke.
"The world had
been torn apart by evil from the skies above... Those who remained stayed
in hiding. Others left Roostville and began villages when 'they' camel...
Apocalypse the Hellspawn was their leader... The rest of us hiding underneath
Roostville in Phish's old lair began a counter strike led by Morgoth who
knew the only way to defeat Hellspawn..."
"What happened
next?"
"There was a great
battle at Gamera Fields and Morgoth was killed trying to fight off Apocalypse..."
Melkor couldn't
believe what he was hearing. "Where's Apocalypse now?"
"Apocalypse was
destroyed by his overconfidence and arrogance, not by any of us... The
details of his demise are unknown but after he fell by his own hand, his...
minions... became corrupt. Only a few remain, hunting the last of the human
race..."
"I have to find
a way back," Melkor declared. "Before it's too late and I become stuck
in this possible future... forever."
"Blame this world
on yourself. You knew what you were up against... Why did you walk in,
not prepared for the task at hand?" Those were Ubergeek's final words before
disappearing from that plane of existence.
"Uber? Wait! Come
back! There is more I need to know! Come back!
"Hahaha! Welcome
to my future... Melkor. It's been a while." He could see no one but there
was a dark cloud in the sky.
"Who's there?
Who said that?!" A dark shadowy figure appeared before his eyes. "Hellspawn?!"
"Hahahaha! No!
But you're getting close..."
"Desutoroia?"
"Khandejifer."
"What's going
on?" he asked. "I thought you were dead long before Apocalypse ever came
into the picture?"
"Dead? I was resurrected
from Hell... and became one with Hellspawn and the Blue Devil, merging
with Apocalypse. When Apocalypse destroyed himself, I was able to escape.
Desutoroia was gone however. The good and the evil within him had separated.
I betrayed and murdered my good half, my weaker self."
"You... you requested
the annihilation of mankind after Apocalypse's demise?"
"Don't be absurd.
Those demons continued the slaughter in the name of Apocalypse... Not my
doing. This is my doing..."
Khandejifer pointed
to his right, nothing but dry bare land, rock and mountain. On the far
side of one of the mountains was a large building with a Sphinx (think
of the outside of the Morlock's lair from THE TIME MACHINE [1960], only
much larger and in a vast desert).
"What madness
is this?"
"This, Melkor,
is where I plan to recreate civilization and play God! This world will
be mine.. Forever!" Melkor was filled with disbelief.
"Will you join
me, Melkor? You're going to be staying here for a long time!"
"You think I'd
join you and betray my friends?"
"What friends
have you left? Uber hates you and every one of your fellow Roostafarians
are gone. The world is bare. Black and empty."
"I... I can change
all of that!" Melkor said with resolve.
"How can you change
all of this? Hahahahaha!"
"If I could just
find a way to return to my own time," Melkor figured. "I could save Desutoroia,
Ubergeek, Morgoth and the rest of the world from Apocalypse's evil clutches."
"To your time
where you belong?"
"Yes. I wasn't
meant to see this place..."
"Maybe you were
meant to see what the world would be like if you fail! Hahaha! Have you
been laying unconscious for the past one hundred and fifty-four years?"
"No. I was near
death... my mind traveled far into the future of my world... What did you
mean by I'll be staying here for a long time? I thought..."
"You're mad, Melkor.
You'll be staying at my... Dome if you don't join me. Not that you'll be
stuck in the future."
"If I'm not from
the past then why haven't I aged a single day?"
"Suspended animation
perhaps? You arrogant fool. Do you expect me to believe such a childish
tale that you come from the past?"
"Well..."
"Silence!" Khandejifer
interrupted. "I have had enough of this foolish talk of changing the future.
This world is the way it is and nothing you can do shall change that. This
world is bare and broken and I need an assistant to help me rebuild it
into my own empire. The few resistors are all old and weak. So what do
you say?" He didn't know what to say. Had he really traveled to the future
or had he been placed in stasis and remained alive, cryogenically frozen
until now? Melkor was unsure.
"I'm sorry, Khandejifer,
but the answer's no!"
"You were nothing
but a psychotic maniac from the start..." Khandejifer and his dark cloud
vanished. Melkor looked around and besides the sphinx, all he saw was mountains,
rock and desert.
"I might be able
to find someone willing to talk to me." For miles he walked but the scenery
remained the same. He tripped over something in the ground and looked at
it, covered in dirt and dust. It was a sign pointing in the direction of
Rodan 2000's Jalepino Club. The sign was probably miles from where it originally
belonged. Melkor resumed his search for any signs of life.
"I hope this place
isn't like Planet X 'cause I sure don't feel like searching underground
for any survivors." Melkor stopped and in the distance, he saw an
old and decimated city or town. Buildings were practically destroyed and
there were no signs of life anywhere. It was a ghost town.
"So this is the
fate mankind and demon alike will suffer if Apocalypse gets his way. Khandejifer
said it's been one hundred and fifty-four years. By the next hundred, humans
should no longer exist... But what did he say, recreate civilization? Could
Khandejifer be waiting 'til everyone is dead to produce... clones and repopulate
the Earth? That would explain what he meant by playing God... The people
of this place would begin their own religion with Khandejifer being the
all powerful creator."
Melkor knew this
was not the fate he wanted for his world and his friends, to be killed
and forgotten while someone got away with pretending to be God to subjects
who didn't know any better.
"There has to
be a way to get me home where I belong. I have to fix this! I will not
be denied my destiny, Hellspawn..."
Melkor explored
the old ghost town where he found signs of a great battle. He realized
its people must have been slaughtered like wild animals by Apocalypse's
minions.
"Hellspawn...
You bastard! How could you commit genocide and try to exterminate an entire
species?! You monster!"
After a few hours
of searching, he came across a secret room in one of the destroyed buildings.
A metallic door was hidden under a wooden floor. He went down the passageway
to a room with a large screen and a holographic device. Dust was everywhere.
Melkor activated the hologram which gave him instructions on how to use
the screen. He took what looked like a small compact disc and inserted
it into a drive under the screen. It was a message from its creator and
he watched as Dr. Sandworm Phish documented everything that had happened
after Ubergeek failed to unleash the Guardians and was defeated by Apocalypse.
He told of the tragedies going on at the time and said he hoped humankind
would still exist in one thousand years and this room be found so the sad
history of Earth would not be forgotten.
After watching
it three times, Melkor realized how real the threat of Apocalypse was and
how horrible people felt of this demon.
"Apocalypse must
be stopped, no matter the cost... Who ever thought the world could have
changed so much?"
Melkor constructed
his own timeline, beginning with Hellspawn and the Blood Mass, also known
as the Black Mass ritual. When that failed, his body was destroyed and
his soul trapped in the Evil Realm, supposedly for all eternity. Somehow,
he managed to return in the body of an Elf creature and searched for a
mythical Black Fire Rodan.
Hellspawn, posing
as Garland, met Ubergeek and Super Jet Jaguar and pretended to be their
guide to get to the lair of the Black Rodan. He was thought to have been
killed but waited for the moment to reveal his true identity. Once his
presence was known to Melkor, his most hated enemy, Hellspawn merged with
the Blue Devil to become Apocalypse who began his takeover attack in Roostville,
aided by Desutoroia who he also merged with to kill Super Jet Jaguar. After
killing the Count, his wish of eternal darkness enslaving the world was
granted and the world began to destroy itself. The survivors of Armageddon
went into hiding.
Many of the humans
who were laid to rest under the surface were frozen cryogenically. Apocalypse
had already built an Empire and summoned his own armies of dead legions
to command. The rode to the villages and towns and slaughtered the humans.
Mankind was on
the verge of extinction when Morgoth was awakened from his sleep deep to
lead the human race to victory. At Gamera Fields, he commanded a great
counterattack to take back his precious Earth. He was also the only one
to have knowledge of how to defeat Apocalypse but he was killed in battle.
The slaughtering of the human race continued.
Phish constructed
a secret vault where he documented the history of Man after the rise of
Apocalypse. who was responsible for his own death. Desutoroia who had merged
with him many decades ago, was free and split into two separate beings,
one good and one evil. The evil one betrayed and murdered his good half
and rose to greatness. Apocalypse's army became corrupt and weak without
a leader but they continued their master's order of completely eradicating
the human race.
One hundred and
fifty four years had passed since Apocalypse's first appearance and only
a few humans, including Desutoroia (Khandejifer) and Ubergeek remained.
The entire population of the world outside of Roostville, in Asia, Europe
and Australia were extinct long ago and mankind had entered the Dark Ages.
"The past is the
greatest teacher but it couldn't teach my people enough to overcome that
monstrosity. Now I know what the consequences of my actions will be if
I fail to destroy Apocalypse in the past. The downfall of my race."
"Times have changed
indeed, my old friend. And I have changed greatly with it."
"Phish? How is
it that you are here?"
"In order for
me to escape mortality and live on through the ages, I was able to transfer,
or program, my mind in the neural processor of this super computer using
Xian, Nebulan and Simian technology." Melkor tried to touch Phish but his
hand passed through the great genius. The area just became distorted for
a second or two.
"My body was destroyed
long ago. I am now no more than a hologram with the mind and memories of
a flesh-made creature.
"This is really
you? Not a computer program with Phish's memories... It's really you, Doctor?"
"That is correct."
"Phish..."
"What is it, Mel?"
He looked nervous.
"Am I dead? Is
this my Hell? A chance to live in the future I created by failing and letting
the world down? Or is my theory correct and my subconscious has somehow
traveled through the schisms of time to allow me to see what my mistakes
will cost?"
"I can assure
you, Mel, I'm very real so this is no Hell. And definitely no limbo of
some sort. My team back in the glory days of Roostville actually experimented
with time travel and the subconscious/unconscious mind. One of my partners,
while unconscious, did manage to travel to some weird world much like this
one now is. So, anything is possible. But do you really think fate has
sent you here because of your lack of self confidence against that... thing?"
Melkor hesitated for a moment.
"Yes... That's
what I'd like to believe but..." He didn't know how to finish what he was
saying. A map appeared on the screen and a red light started blinking in
a sector not too far from the vault.
"Could you pass
me that Mobile-Emitter? I based it on the Star Trek design. It will enable
me to leave this place and walk freely."
"Why? Where are
we going?"
"You see that
blinking light on the map? It's a human life sign. Someone is walking about
and we're going to find that person. Most humans wouldn't go out up there
as it's too dangerous. I'm assuming it's Uber since he's a were-Goji and
they can survive in these terrains." Melkor passed the device to Phish.
"Well, in that
case... I'd really like to hear Ubergeek's story on how he managed to live
to be over one hundred and sixty." They embarked on their journey to the
surface to meet up with Ubergeek, even if a deadly sandstorm was raging.
"Damnit, Phish.
I'll never make it through this... I can't see..."
"Don't worry...
I'll guide you. My sensors can see through the sand molecules. Time to
track down that were-Goji and get back to my secret vault." Phish's infra-red
sensors began scanning the area for any signs of life but the device was
failing. "Too much sand has gotten into my optics. It's making it harder
to make out anything..."
"Wait, Phish!
I think I see someone or something over there."
"Thought you couldn't
see...?"
"Barely, Phish.
The sandstorm is making it much more of a challenge but I saw something
move." Phish, using his Mobile-Emitter gadget, decided to investigate.
"Stay here, Mel.
You could get lost out there."
"What about you?"
"I'm a holographic
image, a computer program... Things are different for me..." Phish disappeared
as sand and dust blazed like flames, which reminded Melkor of his moments
before going into the future. He could hear Hellspawn's voice as if he
were right in front of him.
"I shall not be
denied my destiny." The voice echoed and Melkor could hear him repeating
the same maniacal nonsense over and over again.
"Temptation is
only bittersweet... You are not worthy enough to fight with me... I shalln't
be denied my destiny... You cannot destroy my destiny... One day, Melkor...
I shall return!"
"Ahhhhhh! Shut
up!" Melkor screamed. The voices inside his head seemed to stop.
"You underestimate
me, Melkor..." It was the sound of Hellspawn's voice that began to drive
the Dark Lord insane. Hellspawn and Apocalypse laughed at him. What he
didn't realize is that it was all in his head and none of it was real.
A pistol appeared in his hand which he recognized as the weapon used by
Sheriff Varan to kill the mother and child at the playground. The same
gun he used to end his life. Melkor aimed it at his temple.
"Good bye," he
muttered as a faint yell came from the distance.
"Melkor!" It was
Ubergeek and Dr. Phish.
"Melkor! It's
been ages! Where have you been? How have you been?" Ubergeek hugged him
and was acting much different than earlier, as if their last encounter
had never occurred.
"Ubergeek... I
thought you hated me..."
"Hate you? How
absurd is that? Where'd you get that silly idea?"
"When I first
arrived here..."
"He's traveled
from the distant past, Geekspawn. He wasn't killed one hundred fifty-four
years ago like we thought," Phish explained.
"Aw... As you
were saying, Melkor..?"
"Right. When I
first came to this future... I was greeted by you and you blamed me for
all this. Said it was my fault the world was the way it is. That I was
responsible for Apocalypse annihilating the human race."
"Well, my old
friend. You can't trust what you see in this place... Demons do walk amongst
us. They can possess you and take on almost any form..." Ubergeek informed
him.
"So, who exactly
was behind Apocalypse? He used to talk with a voice that didn't have a
true body or form on many occasions." Ubergeek seemed to hesitate for a
moment as though he knew something that Phish and Melkor didn't.
"Hmm... Kronos
of the Wises, perhaps? I heard stories about him and the Council of Death,
a demonic group of beings who lurked in limbo. They can't enter our world
physically and need to possess bodies to do so. Throughout the ages of
man from the dawn of time... stories of this evil Council and Kronos and
Matthias have been told. Most people consider it nothing more than fairy
tales told to scare bad kids but I don't know..."
"What makes you
think this Kronos is Hellspawn's master?" Melkor asked.
"After Apocalypse
killed Morgoth he quoted, 'You shall die in vain in the name of Kronos!'
Kronos was also written in an ancient text on the walls of Apocalypse's
castle. Could be just a coincidence but my gut tells me otherwise."
"What about Matthias?"
"Legends say he
and Kronos were best friends long ago who sought to conquer the ancient
world long before modern day science... The Black Fire Rodan and the Guardians
were all once human. The legends said that their destinies were to protect
our world from ever being invaded again by these two."
"What happened,
Uber? What do the legends say?!"
"Kronos and Matthias
were once humans who lusted after power and conquest. A small group of
humans were chosen by a king to stop them and seal them away forever. After
sealing Kronos and Matthias in the Evil Realm, the spirits of the humans
who saved the world were turned into Guardian Protectors of the Earth for
all time, the Black Fire Rodan being the leader of the Guardians... "
"Uber, what exactly
are the Guardians' connection to Utopia, er, Seatopia?"
"Another time,"
Phish interrupted. "Looks like the sandstorms are getting worse and we're
going to have to get back to my hidden vault. Once we're inside, Uber can
explain what he was doing on the surface and finish his fairy tales of
demons..."
*****
In a dark room,
Khandejifer sat on his throne with a helmet over his head, long wires plugged
into his body. He saw through Melkor's eyes and the moments on Mt. Rodan
where Hellspawn and the Blue Devil first appeared to his last moments in
his own time as Apocalypse left him to die.
"What madness
is this? Melkor was not lying after all... Nor was he crazed..." Khandejifer
floated into the air.
"If he goes back
to his own time, he could ruin my chance to be a God among many. I must
keep him trapped in this world forever!"
*****
At Phish's secret
vault, Ubergeek, Melkor and the holographic Phish entered cautiously.
"We made it."
Melkor said with relief.
"I knew I was
going to make it no matter what. Wasn't too sure about you, old friend,"
Ubergeek replied.
"I am going to
deactivate myself. It's pretty much like going to sleep. I'll be reactivated
in about eight hours, maybe less if there's an emergency or you two need
anything." He did so and Melkor's face turned grim.
"Ubergeek... What
are the Guardians' connection to Seatopia?" Now he was grim.
"Where do I begin...
It must have been going on forever... Kronos, that madman... and Matthias.
They nearly wiped us all out... The world was almost conquered when Easter
Island decided to fight back..."
"Easter Island?"
"Yes. That's the
connection. The Guardians weren't surface dwellers but descended from the
ancestors of the Seatopian Empire. I'm descended from the Seatopians. Their
blood runs through my veins."
"How long have
you known this...?"
"Since the day
that voice transformed me into Gamera-Geek. Sadly, after you were thought
to have been killed, I couldn't awaken the other Guardians. Ancalagon,
the Dragon Guardian was the only one who showed up. The Phoenix never answered
my call... Later on, I felt her die... I could sense the evil of Apocalypse
slaying the poor gal. She was young. This was long after Anc died... And
the Dark God Rodan..."
"Never shown either...
Without my help, the Guardians couldn't all be summoned at once, could
they?"
"You're right,
Mel."
"Uber... Does
this mean I myself have origins which not only lie with Middle Earth but
with Seatopia and the Guardians as well?"
"I... do not know.."
*****
Rado Goji looked
around and saw that he wasn't on the cross. He realized this was only his
subconsious and in the physical "world", he still remained. He walked into
the nothingness and saw a familiar figure in the distance. It was Minsc
who he had seen die some time ago. Someone else was standing next to him,
an old man in a grey cloak.
"Ah, hello, my
son. It is good to see you again," he said. Rado was puzzled. "I'm not
surprised you don't remember me," he continued. "What do you call yourself
in this life?"
"Rado Goji," Minsc
said. "Or Rado for short."
"What's going
on?" asked Rado. "Where am I?"
"Still on the
cross, technically," the old man said. "Allow me to re-introduce myself.
I am Gorion. I was your foster father in your past life."
"Past life?"
"Yes. Then, you
were called Abdel. You were a great paladin, one of the many spawns of
Bhaal, the Lord of Murder. They were not all evil and you were one of the
good ones. You defeated your half-brother, the evil Sarevok, who tried
to fill the world of Faerun with murder and blood. You risked your life
to defeat the evil wizard, Jon Irenicus, and save your friend, Imoen. You
discovered your true potential by stopping the evil of Melissan who tried
to capture the very essence of Bhaal."
"And I was with
you every step of the way," added Minsc. "That's why I knew you in this
reality. I needed to guide you to regaining your true power and stop being
a baby." Rado was flabbergasted and didn't know how to handle this.
"But I'm just
a burger guy!" he protested. "What do I have to do to help Afiag and Morgoth
and whoever else stop Apocalypse and Desutoroia?"
"You must become
Abdel again," said Gorion. "Only then will you be able to help defeat the
evil that surrounds you now. The Z-Saber you wield is the sign of your
courage and honor. Minsc's sword is the sign of your loyalty and trust.
Combine the two and your true power will be revealed." Gorion and Minsc
faded away as Rado woke up on the cross, seeing a dead Afiag and an unconscious
Boo to his left. He knew what he had to do.
*****
All night Melkor
was taunted by Hellspawn the Apocalypse in his never ending dreams. He
woke up around 4:40 AM and Phish was still deactivated and Uber was asleep.
"Ahhhh!" he cried
out as visions of horribly deformed and tortured demons filled his mind.
"We're waiting
for you, Melkor!" One of the creatures said as the images seemed to disappear
from his mind.
Later that day,
he and Uber had gone into the ghost town.
"So where exactly
are we going again?" Melkor pulled out a map given to him by Dr. Phish.
"Here. To the
Roostville Dome site. Khandejifer mentioned that those who do not join
him would be trapped there for all eternity. I have to see this place for
myself. I have to know what goes on there!" Ubergeek turned and glanced
in the direction of Khandejifer's Sphinx and noticed something awkward
about it.
"Mel, look at
that." He turned toward it.
"What is it?"
"The Sphinx isn't
in the same location it was yesterday and the previous years. It's moved."
Melkor got a sick feeling about the place.
"Once we've checked
out the Dome, Khandejifer's Sphinx will be our next stop." Visions of LORD
KILOKHAN came to Melkor's mind. He saw the former Lord of Hell fusing Hellspawn
and the Blue Devil into one and remembered seeing Kilokhan in the background
at the battle, watching.
"Someone else
was there."
"Huh? What do
you mean?"
"At the battle
with Apocalypse. Someone else was there I hadn't noticed... Lord Kilokhan...
The Leviathan. He'd... It had taken on Desutoroia's form... He was guiding
Apocalypse like his apprentice and feeding on the negative energy and fear
from the battle." Melkor seemed to be going crazy the way he rambled on.
"Lord of the Cenobites..."
"Snap out of it,
Mel! That was a long time ago..."
"You're right,
Uber. I've just been having a lot of visions lately." Before Hellspawn's
return, things never used to be like this!
"I remember a
time before I ever met or heard of Hellspawn, when things were peaceful.
The only evil was EGM, EDCOLE, George Lucas, the Simians, Xians, etc. All
minor threats compared to Hellspawn the Apocalypse."
"Yah. That Spawn
from Hell was one bad Mayor candidate. Blackmailed more than half the town
into voting for him. There was also all that crazy shit he was into. The
attacks on Monsterzeroville. And the Blood Mass..."
"Black Mass, Uber.
Black Mass was the ritual's... is the ritual's proper name."
"Right. You're
the expert on old Medieval, Middle Earth times magic. Not me."
"Any ways. I say
it's time we got moving and find out what Khandejifer might be up to besides
playing God." They went in search of the Roostville Dome, unaware of the
dangerous fate awaiting them there.
"Alright," Melkor
said. "The Sphinx is over there so the Dome must be... in this direction."
He pointed opposite to the Sphinx.
"Hopefully, no
sandstorms'll gobble you up."
"Hopefully." They
set off, following Phish's map.
*****
Boo was still
unconscious. He saw himself in a field and Minsc appeared.
"Rado knows the
truth now, Boo. You must help him. Quickly! Wake up!"
Back at the battlefield,
Rado Goji looked at his hands and feet and saw them nailed to the cross.
The pain swept over him when he realized the existence of the nails. He
knew he had to become Abdel again but only knew stuff about combining swords.
He tried to pull himself loose but the pain returned. Rado tried not to
scream when he saw the bad guys fighting someone else and didn't want to
alert them to his awakening. Boo was disturbed, as if trying to wake up
but unable to. He knew he had to help save Roostville from this unholy
menace but didn't know how to escape the cross without feeling immense
pain. He looked to the left and saw that Afiag was down and out. He felt
even more helpless as these guys could take out Afiag who was more powerful
than the three RMBs put together.
The pain worsened
as he became more helpless. Rado realized he needed to stop being pessimistic
and start thinking up an escape plan. A voice filled his head. Gorion's
voice.
"Abdel, I will
lend you power to start your revival..." Rado pulled his hands over the
nails and the holes reconstituted themselves with no scars. He did the
same with his feet. Running to Boo's cross, he pulled the hamster off and
laid his hands on his wounds which healed quickly.
Rado knew that
as a level 34 paladin, his Lay on Hands ability would have to be as powerful.
He cast a Protection from Evil spell on himself and located the Z-Saber
and Two-Handed Sword +3. Using his newly rediscovered holy powers, he fused
the swords into one, the Carsomyr +6, the most holy of swords in Faerun.
Intaking the its power, Abdel was reborn and Rado felt something he hadn't
felt before without stupidity: Courage. He was in the armor and accessories
that Abdel was equipped with in his last adventure and realized who he
was. With the Carsomyr +6 in hand, Abdel went to face the unholy ones.
*****
Ubergeek and Melkor
had been traveling for some time in the barren desert, often going in circles.
The long and exhausting journey had left them rather tired.
"I was never any
good at reading a map," the Geekspawn explained.
"Uber," Melkor
said, "I don't think that's the problem. This map was made fifty years
ago. Much erosion has occurred and the different land marks are making
it hard to follow. I just hope I make it back in time for Christmas..."
"Christmas?!"
Uber shouted. "Why, if I remember correctly, that night we fought ol' Apocalypse
was around Halloween..." They sat down on a rock.
"We should start
looking for the Dome site again so we can find a way to send me back to
the past so I can help you summon the Guardians, defeat Apocalypse, vanquish
Lord Kilokhan and save the Earth from complete annihilation."
"Spoken like a
true Dark Lord would have, Mr. Mel." Ubergeek pulled out a water bottle
from his backpack.
"The good stuff
in life."
"Amen to that!
"Hey. Got any beer?"
"Nah, man. Pepsi
Cola?"
"No, thanks. Water
would be nice." Ubergeek got another bottle and handed it to him. The expression
on Melkor's face became more depressed and pessimistic. "When this is all
over, Hellspawn better be gone for good. And the Earth safe from disaster.
I hope that nothing like this ever happens again. Things were never like
this."
"You just got
to go with the flow. Times change. People change. Society changes. Hellspawn
caused much change in Roostville society. And once he is defeated, Mel,
society will be very different. Many will be wiser but others will always
be the same."
"Your society
will be changed too, Uber. And this place will be nothing more than a forgotten
memory."
"It's becoming
dark. Let's set up camp for the night and start the search for the Dome
Site in the morning." After setting up camp, they soon drifted off to sleep.
Melkor dreamed about the very things he had discussed with Ubergeek, mostly
made up of the memories of all who had associated with Hellspawn in one
way or another. The town in his dream was peaceful and pretty much the
regular weird town in the center of a very serious world until the sky
went dark and he saw the murder of a young woman at the hands of a merciless
evil. But no, it wasn't Hellspawn. It was someone else...
Hellspawn was
crying over the dead body in a dark alley in Maser City where the merciless
evil loomed and talked with Hellspawn like the best of friends. But this
evil wasn't Desutoroia either. Melkor saw how the beast that Hellspawn
had become was born through a terrible tragedy. But the evil was hidden
from his sight. Melkor watched as Roostville was peaceful. The only crimes
committed weren't evil or sadistic in any way. ROBBERY
IN ROOSTVILLE became a huge hit. Desutoroia became famous on television
and popular with the ladies.
Mitchell Laurence
eludied the Mods. Rodan2000 built one of the best clubs in town and ROOSTVILLE
SURVIVOR became one of the most popular reality shows around. But Melkor
saw it all ending too soon and corruption setting in.
It all began when
Gamingboy fired off the Ignore Cannon and Mayor Morgoth was blamed for
the incident which led to GAMZILLA (under the influence of Hellspawn) arriving
at Desutoroia's house with a little gift: Death. Hellspawn had his friend
killed and inherited everything. He had plans for Roostville. Soon came
the destruction of Monsterzeroville, Maser City and the Godzilla Tower.
In the end, justice
was served when Hellspawn was thrown in prison but not even bars could
hold him. Mysteriously, he escaped while Roostafarians made plans for rebuilding.
Hellspawn stole Necromancer and kidnapped Morgoth and the Princess
of Space. Where Kong Town, Monsterzeroville, Roostville, Maser City, Neo
Monster Island, etc. all met, he had an ancient ritual performed which
should have caused the end of the world but resulted in a change to his
physical form. No longer was Hellspawn just a nickname that fit his personality;
he was a true Hellspawn, a demon with great power. The mighty monstrosity
continued the devastation he started, demolishing everything in his path.
The ghosts of
Desutoroia and GAMZILLA joined the fight against the fiend but without
Morgoth, there would have been no hope. The combined strength of Good was
enough to cast Hellspawn into the Evil Realm where he should have remained
for all eternity, where the seal should have lasted forever.
The next two months
were very different from the usual. Hellspawn in a way, had never left
as his presence seemed to haunt the place. His legacy led to the departure
of a good man and one of Roostville's most liked, Sheriff Varan, who committed
suicide because he couldn't handle the stress and tension. Varan knew many
lives had been lost and there was nothing he could have done to help. But
that was his job, to serve the public and actually do something about crime.
But it was too late... there was nothing he could do anymore.
Through Melkor's
dream he could see it all and understood better than at the time of his
suicide. He wondered if Varan was being haunted by the ghost of Hellspawn.
Melkor also saw how sad the Sheriff really was; he was strong on the outside
but crying to escape it all on the inside. Varan had seen the future and
knew how grave and somber and sorrowful the world would become. His social
life became a tragedy. Of all the Roostafarians, even Desutoroia and his
wife, Princess, the Sheriff had lived the most tragic life. His suicide
spawned the schemes of Mitchell Laurence, his arch rival and the only criminal
to elude him and never get caught. With Varan out of the picture, Laurence
returned to his career of crime. The leader of the Guardians, the Black
Fire Rodan, had been revived to protect Utopia from Laurence and his greed.
The Black Mass
was the grand finale. His demise came shortly and once again Hellspawn
had been reborn, the Blue Devil awakened after hundreds, maybe even thousands
of years and Desutoroia was resurrected and turned to the side of evil
by the forces of Hell. Melkor's dream ended as he knew how the rest of
the story went. He got out of his tent and approached Ubergeek.
"Well, it's certainly
a nice day. No sandstorms, Khandejifer or nothing... What's the matter,
Mel? Didn't sleep well?"
"No... Not at
all. Slept fine."
"Well, great news.
While you were still sleepin', I got up extra early and scouted this area
and found the Roostville Dome Site. I didn't go near it but was 350 feet
away, approximately. It's just behind those huge hills over there. Go look
for yourself."
"Could.. could
you see anybody?"
"No. It seemed
to be deserted. But I did figure out it was built in the same spot as the
Godzilla Tower, as originally planned by the government, one hundred and
fifty-four years ago."
"But the government
only planned to build it. It was never actually built... Khandejifer took
the original design and built it for his own maniacal purposes, perhaps?"
"Whatever his
reasons, we should go check it out and let curiosity be satisfied. At least
we'll know why those who oppose him are sent there... Any visions about
this place that might help?"
"Nope. Sorry,
Uber. All my visions concentrate on Hellspawn and..."
"And..?"
"Never mind. She's
not important right now. That Dome is what's important."
"Well, let's go!"
They set out, leaving their camp set up.
"So what do you
think we'll find when we get there?"
"I don't know
but it can't be good, whatever it is... "
After traveling
over rough rock and the hills, the Roostville Dome was within throwing
distance. It wouldn't be much longer until they discovered the hideous
truth that Khandejifer had been hiding about the long since forgotten place.
Melkor began to
get an eerie, almost creepy feeling about the area. Visions of death and
destruction plagued his mind but none of it was very clear. Ubergeek had
approached the main entrance but he was standing back a few feet, hesitant
to go inside for fear of what terrible sights weren't meant for his eyes.
"Well, what are
you waiting for? This is it, eh? We've been traveling days to find this
place at your request. You better not back down and decide to just go home
and forget about it."
"Silence, Uber!
I have no intention of leaving. I was just a little hesitant to go inside.
Something just isn't right here. There is no evil present but there was
at one time. Some secrets should be left forgotten."
"Fine. I'll go
on without you!" Ubergeek then busted through the main entrance.
"Man. He's changed
a lot more than I had realized in one hundred fifty-four years." Melkor
ran in after him. From the inside, the place seemed much different. There
was little light except for a few holes in the wall and roof where daylight
shined through. Melkor looked around and called out Uber's name but he
could not be found. He resumed his search for Khandejifer's dreadful secrets
hidden amongst the souls that had been lost here. The place become very
cold and he began to shiver, as if a ghost was present.
"Boy! I'm really
starting not ta like this place very much." Melkor saw a door which bore
the skull and crossbones and the radiation hazard symbol. He could sense
the room was safe to enter but he knew that whatever was in there would
be a terrible sight. Melkor wasn't going to give in to a fear bestowed
on him by Hellspawn. He was much more courageous than that fiend ever thought
him to be. He entered cautiously.
"Oh my God! Mother
of..." He saw Ubergeek, dead. Brutally, he was killed by an accident of
fate. Melkor saw in his mind how he had rushed into the Dome moments before.
As Melkor was calling to him, Uber had already reached the door where he
met his demise.
Melkor looked
around and saw hundreds of thousands of rotting skeletons. Humans dead,
scattered all over the room.
"... Christ!"
Visions of their vile deaths plagued his mind. The sights were as horrible
as he had predicted.
"So... Khandejifer
took command of Apocalypse's army and used the Dome as a slaughterhouse..."
Melkor stared at the body of Ubergeek which lay on top.
"Don't worry,
my friend. I'm going home to stop all of this and save you and everyone
else! The Guardians will awaken!" Melkor ran out of the Dome, back toward
the ghost town where Phish was hiding and into the desert. He walked through
the deserted streets and stared overhead where he could see Khandejifer's
Sphinx. Just the thought of the place sickened him.
"Too many lives
have been lost in a terrible war. It's time to end this once and for all."
Melkor stepped outside the town and into the desert, open for an attack
from the skies but all remained quiet.
"Show yourself,
you monster! I DARE IT!" Melkor shouted at the Sphinx.
"Very well," a
cold voice called back. "I shall show myself to the likes of you, arrogant
flesh creature. But I can almost guarantee that you'll regret this... Melkor!"
He then heard people, coming from the distance and saw it, a vast army
of demonic forces on horseback. Floating above and commanding their every
move was Khandejifer. He was going to make sure Melkor suffered for not
joining his great cause.
"Now, Melkor.
You shall burn in the flames of Hell like all the others before you who
tried to defy my leadership! That's something no one, and I mean no one,
gets away with!"
"Don't be such
a fool, Khandejifer," he muttered under his breath. "I'll be the first
to show you a thing or two about leadership skills."
Two horsemen rode
towards Melkor with swords drawn. He was ready and prepared to dodge the
attack when one of them stabbed him from behind. The other then struck
the Dark Lord in the chest. Melkor appeared to be dead and as they pulled
their swords from his lifeless body, he fell to the ground.
"No..." Melkor
said as he could feel himself dying again.
"Now... Let me
take the final strike! Hahahaha... Huh? What's this?" Khandejifer was almost
frightened as Melkor began to disappear, piece by piece before his very
eyes.
"You have seen
enough of this treacherous world which may or may not be. That will be
decided by you, young warrior. You shall now return to our own time, to
your home where you belong," a voice spoke to Melkor. He was traveling
through time, ready to fight Apocalypse when he reached the other side.
*****
The evil that
was known as Apocalypse the Hellspawn continued his endless reign of terror,
destroying peace, love, happiness and prosperity. Compassion was a word
that had little, if any meaning to him and the more his rage continued,
the more the world became filled with hate and most of all, fear which
meant more power for both Apocalypse and the wicked Lord Kilokhan to feed
off of.
"For thousands
of years this world that once belonged to me has reigned in peace. The
corruption of man that once was is at hand. Nothing... shall... deny me...
or stand... in the way... of my... DESTINY!" Apocalypse said. His voice
sounded stranger than usual. Perhaps the Blue Devil was speaking. Apocalypse
looked at the crucifix where he had killed the Super Vampire, Afiag, and
floated over to the dead and lifeless body.
"My dear, dear
friend. First Elizabeth, now you," his voice sounding even more strange.
It was an inhumane and demonic sound, yet high pitched and squeaky. "Why
did you resist me? Love for your friends, you call it? I'm sorry to admit
that I never have and never shall know what love is." Something in Apocalypse's
voice made it appear as though he was hurt emotionally. "After killing
you, who were once my right hand man, it is probably for the better." There
was a little bit of sympathy.
"Hahahaha!" Apocalypse
laughed, sounding more like Hellspawn, deep and cold. "Foolish Afiag! To
think you could dare challenge me? And come out still alive with no scratches?
What were you thinking, you dirty rat?!" His voice began to change again;
Hellspawn and the Blue Devil speaking simultaneously.
"I killed you
and felt great pleasure in doing so. Great pleasure in watching you die!"
Apocalypse's voice began to undergo yet another change, now sounding very
deep, as if his vocal cords had been scratched but still the sound was
inhuman. "Everything you ever fought for was pointless. You claimed it
to serve a purpose of good, yet deep within the complicated mind, you enjoyed
the endless fights so very much. We weren't so different, you and I...
We could have been great, you know?" Apocalypse looked up into the sky
with his arms and mouth wide open.
"No one's sins
are ever forgiven, let alone forgotten in Hell. You killed Elizabeth, you
monster, Afiag. Now I hope your miserable soul rots in Hell where it belongs,
tortured by the Cenobites for all eternity! Hahahaha!" Apocalypse was enjoying
his mindless taunting, even though Afiag was long since dead.
"Now, where's
that wretched creature, Ubergeek... Where's he hiding?" Apocalypse wasn't
aware Uber had met up with Rado Goji and they were spying on him from one
of the nearby buildings. Some strange force of good seemed to shield them
from being sensed by the Hellspawn.
"So, Rado. Got
any plans, ideas?"
"No. And my name
is Abdel."
"Right." Abdel
held in his right hand the Z-Saber, ready to strike the evil obstacle in
his way. But he didn't. He knew to wait...
Back on the battlefield,
a large three dimensional gateway opened up. Apocalypse was not amused
for it brought back memories of Hellspawn's final fight with Melkor back
in early August. Melkor stepped out, back in his own time. A grin appeared
on Apocalypse's face.
"So, you return
from Hell? Did the Devil spit you out?"
"Hellspawn! Listen
to me and listen well. I know what you went through working for the Maser
City mob. I know what happened. You lost a loved one at the hands of someone
full of malice and hate. Someone... evil... This is your one and only chance.
Although many years may have passed since the incident, I can help you.
I can show you that she is at peace and in your heart. I can help society
accept you. Just give it a chance..." Apocalypse was puzzled at first but
his mind was quickly made up.
"I... have no
heart. I... AHHHHH! NO!" Apocalypse's face changed to Hellspawn's when
he was still human, before the Black Mass ritual. "Help me, Melkor, but
it's too late and he takes over... AHHHH! NO! Puny human! You can't stand
in the way of my... DESTINY! AHHHH!" Melkor watched as Apocalypse's face
changed from Hellspawn to Blue Devil to human Hellspawn to Desutoroia.
They were fighting for control. Human Hellspawn fought the most to be free
but Demon Hellspawn suppressed him and melded the rest into one consciousness
again.
"You came close,
Melkor. I'll give you that much but not even you can stop me now..."
"Oh, really."
And that's when Ubergeek and Abdel leaped from the window above and landed
at Melkor's side.
"So. You've brought
friends? No matter. I'll crush you all!" Melkor blasted Apocalypse like
something out of Dragon Ball Z and sent him flying backwards.
"Now, Uber. Quickly!
We must summon the Guardians of the Old World before it's too late." He
nodded. Melkor began to mutter an ancient spell as did Ubergeek. Abdel
watched, amazed but wishing they could hurry it up as Apocalypse was flying
straight for them. Just as he was an inch or two away, he stopped in mid-air,
frozen in time as Ancalagon rose up from the ground. A young girl, the
Phoenix Guardian, came down from the sky above. Ubergeek was filled with
great power as from the far off mountain, the Dark God Rodan came swooping
down. It became two Black Fire Rodans who transformed into humans wearing
ancient Seatopian armor made from the strongest metal in the world.
"The Guardians
have been awakened once again to fulfill the prophecy and bring peace to
a chaotic land," a God-like voice intoned from the heavens. They lined
up with Melkor and Abdel by their sides as Apocalypse was freed from the
time freeze.
"So you've summoned
more friends to take me down? Maybe your team of three was able to defeat
Hellspawn but I have Hellspawn, the Blue Devil and Lord Desutoroia Khandejifer
within my soul. Together, we can defeat anything that tries to prevent
evil from obtaining its goal!"
"Love always triumphs
over hate. Seek and ye shall see, warrior of the Dark Two," the male Black
Fire Rodan spoke. "Oh Kronos. Oh Matthias, why hide like ye cowards thou
be and not face us in a real duel? Why send thou inferno in thee place?"
"Enough of your
pathetic talk. It's time... to play!" Apocalypse lunged full speed at the
male BFR and bashed his head, hard. The Guardian Leader pulled out his
sword and swung it upon Apocalypse. A green ooze poured from the cut.
"His blood is
the negative energy that was on Mount Rodan," Melkor said. The battle continued
as the other Guardians moved in to help their leader.
"No!" he called
back. "I shall fight thy creature alone. Instead, lend me thou powers you
all possess!" And with that, the Leader of the Guardians used telepathy
to link the others with him and borrow their powers to use against Apocalypse.
His sword and Abdel's Z-Saber became one as Apocalypse's rough skin clashed
against it but Apocalypse managed to grab it and stab the Guardian.
"No!" the others
cried out. The Leader's body rolled over, his sword stuck in his left lung.
He was able to pull it out and handed it to Abdel, now known as Rado Goji.
"To you I pass
this weapon of peace. Do not fail me, my son..." As the Leader of the Guardians
fell into a coma, Rado promised to not let him down. Ubergeek and the Leader's
lover aided their wounded friend as the Guardians' powers were transferred
into Abdel to fight the devil.
"You? I killed
you before and I'll kill you again!" Apocalypse laughed and leaped at Abdel,
grabbing him. Melkor jumped onto the demon's back but was thrown off. The
monster soon had Abdel on the ground and his face changed to that of a
hungry, savage, wild, monstrous animal. His teeth were huge and sharp as
he got ready to take a bite. "Pain is the better way!"
"That's... what...
you think... demon..." Abdel was able to grab the sword while Apocalypse
was getting closer for the kill. Just as he was going to take a chomp at
Abdel's head, Apocalypse was stabbed in the chest and fell on his back,
hitting the ground very hard. Abdel was breathing heavily from the effort.
"Please... somebody
tell me that... this is over."
"Hahahahaha! Not
quite yet, Rado!" Apocalypse's hands came from beneath the ground and grabbed
his feet but Rado escaped his clutches.
"This child's
play is making me tired. You pathetic Guardians cease to amuse me. Give
up now or be destroyed. What shall it be?" Abdel just stared at the beast.
"I'd rather be
destroyed than join you," he said.
"Very well. Proceed
on the path to oblivion." Apocalypse was about to kill Abdel when a voice
called out.
"STOP!" Apocalypse,
the Guardians, Melkor and Abdel turned to see Mrs. Khandejifer with Morgoth,
walking onto the battlefield.
"PRINCESS," an
evil voice said in a cold whisper.
"I know of everything,
Hellspawn. Morgoth has informed me of what's going on and what you're capable
of doing," she said. "The lives of everyone... even my Desu are at stake...
And this is your doing."
"Hahahaha! Foolish
lady, 'tis Apocalypse you speak with, not Hellspawn. We are the melded
minds of many!"
"I'm afraid this
will be the last I see of Roostville, Desu and all my friends." The others
couldn't figure out what she was trying to say. Princess looked at Apocalypse
and stared into his eyes where she saw Desutoroia, trapped inside the demon.
"Desu," she said.
"Promise me that when this is over that you'll move on and find love elsewhere.
And promise me that you'll never forget me and the time we shared together.
I love you, good..."
"Shut up!" Apocalypse
interrupted her. "I have death to attend to! Arghhh!" He fired a ball of
Hellfire at Abdel but Mrs. Khandejifer pushed him aside and sacrificed
herself. White energy of innocence seemed to fly through the air as she
died. Now everyone knew what her final words had meant.
"Ah! My head...
head aches... ahhhh! Pain! Body aches...!" Apocalypse crumbled and fell
to the ground as Desutoroia appeared, free from evil. He was no longer
a Cenobite but human again. Apocalypse stood up.
"Must kill Desu
and the others!" the Blue Devil said.
"No, Desu is our
friend and his wife has been lost to him. He needs us," Hellspawn replied.
"Desu shall burn.
No! AHHHHHHHHH!" Apocalypse was having a multiple personality conflict
as Hellspawn and the Blue Devil battled within him. Hellspawn, who hated
Desutoroia, had learned to accept and appreciate him when they fought side
by side. He now felt sad for his friend. However, the Blue Devil didn't
care either way. The two split back to their normal selves. Hellspawn flew
up to the sky, his body turning to a pile of dust from which came a swarm
of bats who flew off. He would be back. The light of innocence from Mrs.
Khandejifer had resurrected Afiag who flew from the crucifix and grabbed
the Blue Devil.
"No escape today!
You're coming with me!"
"Wrong, Afiag!
You're coming with my soul!" The Blue Devil opened a portal to Hell where
he tried to send Afiag but the vampire pulled the Blue Devil in with him.
At long last,
it seemed to be over. Desutoroia mourned the death of his wife, the Princess
of Space. As the Guardian Leader revived, he and his wife reverted back
to their Black Fire Rodan forms and took to the sky.
When the Guardians
had departed, an earthquake shook the area and a dense fog rolled in. Within
minutes, Roostville was gone. Ubergeek knew that wherever the Guardians
were, they would be at peace once again. As for Roostville, it just disappeared.
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