I never expected this moment to happen. The day I would be facing my own clan, my own task force, my own friends. Each of their glowing yellow eyes staring at the three of us, closing in to form a tight circle around us forcing the three of us to stand back to back against the oncoming force, with the enhanced focus shown by the Garroters that one comes to expect from an elite fighting force. Sweat streams down the side of my face, anxiety and adrenaline pump through my body with immense force making my heart compress with enough pressure to explode. Although Becca and I are Garroters as well, we are just beginning rank Garroters. Every other member, especially Davis, is far more skilled than the both of us and has extensive experience fighting remnants. Seeing these warrior surround me, knowing their abilities and prowess, I have honestly never really known what it means to be afraid until right now.
“Woah, hey guys chill!” Davis says stepping in, “stand down, dang this isn’t an assassination this is a rescue mission is it not?” None of the Garroters move an inch, still ready for the next move any of us make. Davis starts to laugh, “I’m sorry I don’t think you heard me,” he takes off his mask showing his messy brown hair, drooping down his face with a lot of sweat, “STAND DOWN.” At his forceful words the Garroters back off and start setting up a perimeter around the area. I give Becca a look and I can tell we are both on the same page.
“Battleborn, thank yo...” I begin to say but before I finish he wraps his arms around me in a hug bigger than I am use to, I struggle to figure out if I should put my arms around him or back away making my decision extremely confusing.
“Thank God you're ok,” he says pulling away from me, “We saw your plane on schedule to come back to base then it disappeared as you hit the coast of Brazil, what the hell happened?” Becca walks over towards me.
“The pilot, he turned against us.” She answers Davis, “When we entered the coast of Brazil he claimed he was taking us hostage, we dealt with him swiftly.”
“Both of you has been through a lot we are just here to...” Davis looks past me at Curtis, “Why are the two of you travelling with bald All-Might over there?” I laugh a little, excited to get to see him again and feel a little piece of normal in my life. Davis has always been good at making a joke out of the worst situations.
“That’s Curtis,” I say pointing over at him, he notices my hand pointing at him and takes the intense look off of his face and smiles waving at Davis, Becca, and I. Davis waves back in a childish manner, “He found us after our plane crashed in the ocean, he has been taking care of us.”
“Why is he in the middle of the Amazon?” Davis ask clearly examining the large sword on Curtis’s back.
“He’s a hermit,” Becca answers quickly, and I nod my head in agreement,“he has told us multiple times he can’t stand society so he prefered to live how the first people did, out in nature.” Davis nods his head clearly unsatisfied with that answer but he doesn’t press any further.
“Well I am glad to two of you are still alive even after everything that happened to you in Mozambique and now here, I’m glad Kotal Khan over there was able to find you two and bring you to safety.” Davis turns to look at Becca, “Kotal Khan is a character with a huge sword in mort...”
“I know who Kotal Khan is,” Becca interjects.
“Oh really? Well then when we get back maybe you show me how good you are with him.” Davis gives a sly smile and Becca’s cheeks have a slight red glow to them, there goes Davis again, always being the sweet talker. He pushes past us and I give Becca a look.
“What?” she says in protest but quickly directs herself away from my gaze. We follow Davis over to Curtis who is now laughing up a storm with two unresponsive Garroters. Davis extends a hand towards him.
“Hi I’m Battleborn, leader of the Garroters, and who might you be?” Curtis takes his hand with a huge smile shaking Davis’s hand a little too hard making Davis Wheeze.
“Cornell Curtis Nutter, resident of this fine Jungle, nice to meet you.” Davis pulls his hand away examining it to make sure it isn’t broken. Becca and I smile at Curtis’s answer while also being a little shocked he heard us.
“Thank you very much for watching over my two friends here, oh sorry one sec.” He turns to the Garroters next to Curtis, and points at Becca’s leg. The two men take Becca and sit her down on a stump and start examining her leg. “If it isn’t too much trouble would you mind telling me what happened here?”
“OH yeah of course!” Curtis says, “you see I was just passing through the jungle, trying to get some good fish from the ocean when I saw the plane start to dip down and eventually hit the water below. I knew I had to do something so I ran out into the water, I have always been a good swimmer and found these two floating on the water with some backpacks floating nearby, so I gathered them up and swam back to shore.”
“You carried them by yourself?” Davis ask.
“Yeah,” Curtis makes a muscle, “I have been told I am very strong.” Davis steps back a bit laughing nervously at the muscle size.
“Anyway thats a nice sword you have got there, mind if I take a look at it?” Davis ask but not out of curiousity like I normally know from him, he isn’t asking friendly questions, he is interrogating Curtis.
“Actually this sword is very precious to me I don’t really let other people handle it.” Curtis says smiling. Davis narrows his eyes.
“Probably because you don’t get many people out here wanting to touch your sword am I right Cornell?” He smiles a little sly smile obviously finding himself clever. He grabs tightens his grip around his staff and for the first time I realize the Garroters may not seem to be, but they are in a loose attack formation around Curtis. “So Cornell what's the life of a hermit like?”
“Oh you know mainly just fishing and eating bugs, the usual stereotypes,” he says.
“Really?” Davis says, “That's extremely odd for someone holding the templar sword and all.” At these words Curtis’s face dawns a serious demeanor. I cut in.
“Um Davis why don’t we...” I say but am quickly interrupted by Curtis.
“It is alright Chanel,” He says slowly reaching his hands over his head, “Everyone will be fine in a minute.” He reaches back grabbing the hilt of his sword and smiling.
“GARROTERS FINAL FORMATION!” Davis screams as all the Garroters draw their weapons and rush towards Curtis. Davis pushes me out of the way and swings his staff to connect with Curtis’s jaw but just before it connects, Curtis vanishes. Davis and the other Garroters step back and get into a circle formation. Davis grabs Becca and I quickly dragging us into the jungle. We lay low as Davis scouts the area, looking carefully across the battlefield waiting for the true battle to begin.
“What is going on Davis!?” I asked trying to play off the victim role, “Why did you just attack the man who saved us?”
“If he had known who you were he wouldn’t have saved you, trust me,” he says in a very dire way, “that man is the single greatest enemy of our clan, only upper level leaders know of his existence, he is considered a priority level threat.” He pulls up his wristlet, “I need to call for backup.” Becca and I stare at each other while Davis is messing with his wristlet, trying to figure out what to do, if Davis calls reinforcements then we keep our cover safe and we can return to the Wuxing no problem, but Curtis could be captured...or even killed. However if we fight back then our cover would be blown, I will be betraying my best friend, and my powers almost positively will flare up and I have no control over what they will do...but that means I may never know the truth about my father or who I really am, I will truly be stuck with the man who killed my father. The thought of that is too much to handle.
I summon a knife to my hand getting ready to stab Davis just below his ribs, where the kink in his armor is that won’t do any major damage simultaneously missing his major organs, as I am about the thrust the knife forward, Becca grabs Davis’s arm. “Frost what are you doing,” he says trying to pull his arm away.
“I am truly sorry Davis,” ice starts to come over Davis’s body, encapsulating him in a cold cage. He tries to scream but his body is cooling to rapidly and soon he is completely frozen. I stare astonished at the popsicle in front of me that use to be my best friend. “He will be Alright,” Becca says as her Icy aura grows stronger, “His armor has internal heating, he just won’t be able to move for a while, we have to help Cornell.” Becca looks over the bushes we are hiding behind and her eyes grow wide at the sight before her. I turn away from Davis and look over the bushes and see a horrifying sight. Curtis...The Templar...covered in blood, with bodies littered all around him, holding the last remaining Garroter by his head as he squirms trying to be free of his grip. I try to scream out in protest but am forced to watch as he thrust his sword through the man's chest, my former comrades chest, in an instant he crumbles clearly lifeless. Dead, every single one of them, the most elite fighting force in the Wuxing order taken out by one man in a matter of seconds. How could one man hold so much power in his hands? How could such power exist in this world? The horror before me makes my vision start to turn crimson at the corners, I begin to feel as if I am being consumed by my own soul. Becca grabs my arm and looks deep into my eyes, my vision starts to return to normal at the sight of her. “Don’t freak out,” her words seem soothing somehow and I realize what she is saying, the ground around me is already starts to blacken under the tiny crimson bolts of lightning coming from my body. I feel the slight chill of frost, as gentle as a snake, traveling through my body causing my body to calm and my breath to even out. The crimson contains itself and Becca lets go of me.
“Umm Hello?” Curtis yells, “Yeah I’ve got all of these dead bodies here and would love some help?” Becca and I arise from our hiding place carrying the ice sculpture that was once my best friend. Curtis walks over towards us smiling as wide as ever as if he didn’t just slaughter twelve people.
“You ok Cornell?” Becca asks.
“Yeah, they didn’t really have any weapons that could hurt me and the Templar sword made short work of them, they were better than most I will give them that, any how.” He lifts his sword over his head aiming it at Davis. “Thanks for the present Esdeath, I love my enemies on the rocks.” He swings his sword down ready to connect with Davis but I react even faster kicking the sword out of Curtis’s hands. Curtis gives me the first angry look I have seen from him in the short time I have know him.
“What the Hell do you think you are doing?!” I yell at Curtis, feeling what I believe to be rage.
“He’s the leader of that group of guys that just tried to kill me!” he says reaching out in front of me and grabbing the air, as soon as he does this a brilliant light appears and the sword appears in his hand and he is grasping the hilt. I look over towards the direction I kicked the sword in and don’t see it there anymore. If Davis didn’t have a cold right now he would totally have found that awesome.
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“He is also my best friend! I can’t have my best friend killed just because he doesn’t know the truth.” I say waving my hands frantically trying to get Curtis to back down with his crazy magic teleporting sword. “Would you let me kill your best friend if we found out he was the enemy!”
“That isn’t possible,” he says in a lighter tone than I expected.
“Why not!” I say amplifying my volume trying to gain dominance in the conversation. Curtis steps forward getting right in my face.
“BECAUSE ALL MY BEST FRIENDS ARE DEAD!” He screams right into my face, giving off the same prowess as a dragon, my body won’t move completely overcome with fear. Curtis lets out a tear and steps away from me facing the other side of the jungle letting the moonlight hit him in a gloomy glow. “They were killed...almost 100 years ago...by YOUR clans Garroters, those bastards slaughtered all of my comrades, and their families, they have killed...” Curtis loses his breath and can’t continue. The words don’t find there way out of my mouth, instead Becca slowly walks over to Curtis and says something I can’t make out. Curtis nods and turns back towards me. “Very well,” his glowing sword is sheathed on his back, “if he must live then I will not interfere, I understand.” Curtis walks away, traveling down the bank of the river, fading into the darkness around him.
“He just needs to walk it off,” Becca says returning to my side, “I’ll explain later.”
“Did he say 100 years ago?” the question slips out without containment from my lips, Becca laughs.
“That is an extremely long story, the gist of it is I’m not my father's only daughter and most of my sisters died as long as 500 years ago.” Shes wrapping her words in an enigma.
“Still completely lost,” I say trying to desperately grasp her words.
“My father is 862 years old,” my heart stops, “he use to be one of the knights of the round table, back when his name was Cornell. Basically he found the Holy Grail and now he can’t die, it's a very long story I don’t really want to get into.” She slyly walks forward to show disinterest in being asked further questions, I am honestly a little tired of people not answering my questions. Her hand reaches forward and touches Davis’s cold body, almost as soon as she lays her hand upon him the icy blue features that have overcome his face begin to disappear and flood down the rest of his body. His head slumps forward as the rest of his body stays in its frozen position, he is unconscious from the cold. Becca runs her hand down the rest of his body and he turns into the literal interpretation of a waterfall. His body shivers in his unconsciousness trying desperately to warm itself after the worst ice bath in history. Seeing him seizing on the ground like that after the experience he just had with Becca made me realize two things. 1. I should never mess with Becca because her powers honestly scare me, 2. Who is my best friend? I thought I knew Davis but maybe I don’t. I mean I want to believe that he is a good man like I alway revered him to be who always has wanted to help people but something he said made me think. The words made me realize if he knew who Curtis was who is to say he doesn’t know more? Who's to say he isn’t just as corrupt as every other leader in the Wuxing order? As I look down upon him trying to stop myself from judging his worth I feel a pit form in my stomach with a deep feeling of shame for even doubting my best friend for a second, but how can I not, I am stuck in a state of wanting to save him and interrogate him. Becca leans down and moves his hands behind his back, freezing his hands together.
“Help me out here Chanel,” I help her pick up the body trying to give the impression my thoughts haven’t absorbed me. We walk him over putting him down next to the fire to try and warm his body a bit. “I’ll search the Garroters bodies for anything useful, watch over Battleborn make sure he warms up. He probably is going to be out for a while but if he wakes up make sure he doesn’t try and run.” She walks away without waiting for answer, becoming consumed with the task at hand. The atmosphere of this night has changed from a curious mood of realization to a solemn mood of slight depression. Becca and I clearly feel for the deaths of the other Garroters, bring me almost to the verge of tears which is a new feeling as I have never had a remorse for death, even the people I have killed, and yet here I am wanting to cry for men just following orders when I have killed men like them before. Even Curtis feels the pain of it all, I can tell, despite his actions he doesn’t seem to love the idea of killing another human being. He seems to almost be an aura of light, focused on the health of others but the light can’t completely eliminate the dark. Speaking of dark what exactly am I? Who am I? What did my mother become and how does that affect me. That woman, with the bleeding hands and the glowing crimson eyes I feel her inside of me now. She is like a spirit I can’t control, like she might come out at any moment and consume me. She is the ghost I possess in my genes that I never had a chance to know yet I am haunted. I want so badly to know, I want to remember, I want these barriers gone and for live to take some form of normal. More than any other emotion I have gained the one I feel the most is this never ending thirst for the knowledge, I guess it has always been there but now my filter is non-existent. I find myself wanting more than anything now, longing and wanting more than anything. Right now I want rest, for the crazy moment to crazy moment to just stop so I can catch my breath and stop myself from drowning in my feelings, or my powers which ever kills me first. A flash of blinding light appears beside me and I find Curtis sitting next to me. I jump a little but conceal it well, Curtis doesn’t speak he just stares at the fire with me looking forward into the fire and every once in awhile staring at Becca.
“I truly am sorry Chanel,” Curtis says, “I understand what it is like to care for someone even if you shouldn’t. My bloodlust sometimes gets in the way, in fact it has caused most of the problems between Rebecca and I.” He stares forward into the fire and I can tell he is trying to quench my thirst by letting me in on what's going on between the two of them.
“What happened between you two?” I try to ask sincerely.
“I think Rebecca said something about it but I have lived on this Earth for a really long time, long enough to see greater love and loss than any man deserves. The fall of my home, the death of my friends, countless wives and children that grow old and die while I look the same. Over time it took a lot out of me.” He says creating a mood of sadness drawing me into what he has to say, “by the time I had Rebecca I had it in my mind that kids didn’t matter so for many years I neglected her. She deserved a father and it wasn’t me at the time. If I had the power now I would go back and be her father but time isn’t under my control.” He smiles a little, but not the smile that conveys happiness. “She never gave up though, she often tracked me down, sent me emails, I even once got a carrier pigeon from her, but as time went on and I continued to show disinterest in her she eventually just...gave up. At one point I was really backed against the wall, almost died in fact, and in that moment I realize that my life didn’t matter, what mattered was how I affected those around me, I didn’t live this long to worry about my own life I was suppose to worry about others. That was when I started trying to be apart of her life again, but she doesn’t want anything to do with me anymore. She found a family with the Andors and I am happy for her in that, I just hope she will someday accept me but I honestly don’t know if she will.” He turns looking me deep in the eyes, I scoot back a little afraid, “I didn’t appreciate how beautiful a short life is until I lived a long one, I know life is rocky right now and things are hard to understand but I promise there is a purpose behind this, and I will do everything in my power to make sure your life is beautiful and important as long as you do the same for Rebecca.” I look over at Becca and watch as she examines the wristlets of the fallen men, with that extremely focused face I have only seen from her a few times, I smile a little.
“I will do my best,” I can tell I honestly mean that. He smiles and pats me harder than I would have liked on the back.
“Your father was a good man, and I can see that same man in you. I am sure you and I will be great friends just as he and I were.” He says, “also I know you have many more questions about your mother and your past and I promise I will answer them but I need you to come with me first.”
“Actually,” Becca says walking up. “The Andors need him too, he still has information we need.” She says still focusing on her pull up display from the wristlets.
“Rebecca I understand your loyalty to the Andors but Chanel is safer with me,” Curtis says trying to protest against his daughter. “Chanel’s father named me Chanel’s godfather and told me to protect him when it was time to get him out of the Wuxing order.”
“Well the Andors said that they need me to take him to Tenochtitlan by any means necessary so I’ll make this simple,” the temperature around us drops a few degrees in an instant and Becca’s icy blue hands contrast against the deep night. “Let me take him with me or I am going to turn you into a really old ice cube.” Surprisingly Curtis draws his sword and the air almost instantly feels warmer.
“You really think you can freeze me?” He says using his best disciplinary dad voice, “Rebecca Nutter I love you but I have a promise to a dear friend and I am not going to break that. If we must fight then I am excited to spar again, I hope I don’t humiliate you like last time” A thick tension fills the air as they both wait for the other to make the first move. Only now do I truly see the resemblance between the two of them, they have the same focused tone, the same piercing eyes, they can both make your soul feel cold and warm. The apple really doesn’t fall far from the tree with these two. I try to butt out but after a long and exhausting day I find myself tired of this dramatic shit,
“Oh my gosh both of you chill,” they both look at me with disgust from the unintentional pun I made. “Guys, this has been the most confusing and weird day ever, I was in a plane crash, had to kill androids, met a super old knight, and watch him kill a bunch of my old comrades and friends. To top it off my best friend was turned into the world's largest ice cube and is now unconscious and may not be the man I knew him to be.” We all look at Davis silently snoring clearly asleep next to the flame. “I have the right to decide where I go and right now Curtis can give me more answers so I am going to where ever he is taking us. After I get the answers I need Becca I’ll allow you to take me to the Andors, fair?” They both remain silent, their thoughts are focused on trying to accept my decision. “If you don’t agree, I am not going with either of you willingly and we both know how it goes when I don’t co-operate.” They both look at each other then me and sign putting away their weapons and auras.
“Fine,” Becca says, “As you wish.” I smile a little at the both of them.
“By the way why does everyone want me so bad?” I ask.
“Well that's kinda hard to explain,” he says back in his normal jovial tone, “basically the best way to explain it is you are the only one who has seen the the actually leader of the Wuxing order, a man shrouded in mystery every other organization is trying to figure out who he is.”
“I haven’t met the guy?” I say.
“Yes you have,” Curtis says, “you just don’t remember.” The world around the three of us glows brightly illuminating like the sun has come out early. Becca and I try to shield our eyes from the new found sun a Curtis pulls his sword off his back. I can barely make out his smile through the blinding light around me. “It’s time,” He says raising the holy light into the air and the two of us stare in astonishment as the light recedes into the sword and concentrates into a single beam, slicing the darkness like a hot knife. Curtis’s eyes glow and his aura pressurizes the air around us making our bodies feel increasingly heavier. Curtis flips his sword in the air aiming its point towards the ground yelling as he does. “CAMELOT!” At the cue of his word he thrust the sword down into the ground causing my ear drums to pop from the force. The air gets so thick and dense my body crumbles under its weight. Everything goes white then almost instantly black, voices fill the void of darkness, the bottom doesn’t exist, it is like I am living in a shadow seeing images move through the dark all around me but it is hard to tell if they exist when the only thing that exist here is the black all around us. Without cause or expectation I feel the ground beneath me suddenly, and a cool breeze on my back. I open my eyes and see all around me quarried stone, done in a cathedral style room. Though it is hard for my eyes to focus I can make out the paintings of knights and conquest, crusades era art with paintings of the Christ and on the ceiling above a giant cup with I believe to be the holy grail. I try to stand and gain my balance and feel a hand grab my shoulder and help me up. I turn and find myself staring into Curtis’s eyes as he is radiating pure joy, I thought he was joyful before but it is nothing compared to now.
“What the...” I try to speak but find my speech slurred, it feels like someone put my brain in a blender then said . Curtis carries me off the podium, my feet drag across the stone floor. We pass through a large passageway of brilliant stone arches leading through the cavern before us. People constantly come up to Curtis looking urgent and wearing in my opinion very silly clothes. Becca, who I just noticed standing normally next to me, tells all the people to back off to keep my space clear while I try and recover from the worst trip possibly ever. Finally after what seemed in my jumbled mind like an hour Curtis picks me up in his arms, carrying me like a bride on her wedding night and ascends the stairs towards the light. We step out into the day as the new found light burns into my skin.
“Welcome,” Curtis exclaims, “To Camelot.”
