Chapter 7

12 years ago

A seven year old boy was playing tag with a young girl at a park. The girl who was “it” was catching up to the boy.

“I'm gonna get you, David!” the girl said playfully.

“Yeah right, Jill!” the boy called back.

He suddenly tripped over and began rolling down a hill, coming to a stop when his shin struck a tree. He cried out in pain, clutching his leg.

“Are you okay!?” Jill called to him.

He opened his eyes, which were now glowing red. Jill stepped back in alarm. He got up, his body now expanding. His shirt ripped as his muscles and bones grew rapidly. He turned and started attacking the tree, smashing it into splinters. He then turned back to Jill, and raised a fist, ready to attack her. A tall, bald man appeared between them, blocking his strike.

“David, calm down!” he said.

David didn't listen. He grabbed the man by the throat and threw him. The man got back up and tried to tackle David. It didn't seem tpo phase him at all. David turned and began punching the man. He fell to the ground, and David raised a foot, ready to stomp on his head. The man got up, and in an instant, he became a beast much like what David had turned into, only his eyes glowed white instead of red, and he was several feet taller. He knocked David out in a single blow. David shrank back to his normal form.

“This can't keep happening, Rage,” said a voice. Rage turned to see an orange haired woman watching them.

“I know, Omnipotence,” Rage said, returning to his human form.

“I would recommend moving someplace quieter,” said another voice. There was an old man wearing dark glasses sitting on a park bench not far off. “Some place where he can learn to control those emotions of his.”

“You're right,” Rage said. “I've been considering that for a while now. I should bring him somewhere where he can be at peace.”

“Please don't take him away!” Jill said. Rage turned to look her in the eyes. “He's my only friend. I don't want him to leaave.”

Omnipotence knelt to the ground before her.

“It's going to be okay,” she said. Her voice was soothing, and calmed Jill down. “Your destinies shall cross again.”

The old man got up, holding a dusty old book in his hand.

“Shall I erase her memory of this event?” he asked.

“Don't bother, Fade,” Omnipotence said. “She can be allowed to remember. As a matter of fact, it would be better if she does.”

Rage picked David up and began walking away with him. Omnipoetence followed him.

“Something is troubling you,” she said. It wasn't a question.

“I only have a few more years left,” he said. “I won't be around to restrain him forever.”

“That is why your brother hired me,” she said. “To protect him from those who would try to harm him, and himself.”

“Are you sure you're up to it?” he asked.

“Don't underestimate me,” she said. “Besides, I have Fade with me. We'll be more than enough to keep him safe once you're gone.”

“I really hope you're right, Omnipotence,” he said. “I really do.”

Present day

“David, calm down, man!” John said.

It was no use. Anger had completely overtaken David's mind. He charged at Krysix, who vanished and reappeared behind him. Krysix detached a device from his hip and switched it on. A bblade of energy extended from the device. It raised the blade, ready to bring it down on David. John drew his own sword and charged at Krysix, who turned and parried the strike before kicking John in the chest so hard he was sent flying across the room. David turned back to Krysix and attempted to smash it, but it vanished again, reappearing over John. John got up and swung his sword, clashing with Krysix. Krysix pressed a button on its blade's handle, causing the energy blade to glow brighter. It swung it again, slicing John's blade in two. It raised the blade again, but David grabbed its skull from behind and lifted it into the air. A pair of antenae sprouted from Krysix's shoulder blades, and shot volts of electricity into David. David roared in pain and released Krysix, who immediately spun round and slashed David across the chest with its energy blade, leaving a deep gash. Krysix then vanished.

“Are you okay, David?” John asked.

David roared loudly and punched John through the wall. Johning landed on his back in the front yard. He stuggled to get back up, and saw David coming straight at him. He let out a burst of thunder from his feet, propelling into the air above David and landing behind him. John had always been ridiculously strong for someone of his slim physique. Strong enough that he frequently broke his belongings without meaning to. It was another gift he kept secret. But his strngth was infantile against David's new form. He began running back to the house. He entered David's mom's room again. He saw his broken sword lying on the floor a few feet away, but it would help him now. He ran over ton David's morningstar and picked it up. As he was lifted it, he heard a moan coming from David's mom's body.

“Miss Dragen!” John said, leaning over her. “Are you okay?”

She didn't answer, but she still had a pulse. John looked up to see David stepping through the hole in the wall.

“David, it'sokay, she's still alive!” John said.

David grabbed the wall next to him and ripped a chunk out, throwing it at John. John swung the morningstar, breaking the chunk of wall.

“Damn it, Dacid!” John yelled. “I don't wanna have to figth you!”

David ripped out another chunk of wall, and threw it. John smashed through it again.

“Alright, you're asking for it!” he yelled, charging.

He swung the mornigstar, but David simply caught the spiked ball in his hand and turn sharply, throwing John back outside again. John stood up, raising the mornigstar into the air. A bolt of lightning struck it, filling John's body with power. He'd need all the strength he could muster to defeat David.

Meanwhile, in the living room

Kaiser was backed into a corner, surrounded by the attackers. Kestrel had returned to his bird form. Krysix appeared across the room.

“That's an interesting Avatar you have there,” it said. “I've never seen one shaped like a bird before.”

“Kestrel and I are connected,” Kaiser said. “He takes the form that reflects what I desire most.”

“You desire a bird?” Krysix asked.

“No,” Kaiser chuckled. “What I desire most is freedom. The frredom possessed by the birds that soar across the sky.”

“I see,” Krysix said, dropping a machine on the floor.

“What's that?” Kaiser said.

“It's a time bomb I built from a weed eater,” Krysix said. “It'll destroy this entire block in about five minutes.””Kestrel, go!” Kaiser ordered.

Kestrel flew across the room, expanded, and swallowed the bomb, before taking off into the sky.

“Detonate!” Krysix said.

The bomb exploded inside of Kestrel,. Bits of darkness fell to the ground. They then flew together, reshaping into an almost bird-like shape.

“It'll take more than that to kill Kestrel,” Kaiser said. “As a Terrorspawn, you should know that.”

“Yes, but look at it,” Krysix said. “It's been damaged. It can barely keep its form.”

“Shut up!” Kaiser said. “Kestrel identifies as a male! He is not an 'it'!”

“Like that matters now,” Krysix said. “You're both about to be killed by my Towerborn.”

“Kestrel, let's do this!” Kaiser said.

Kestrel melted into blackness and flowed into Kaisers body. The wind surrounding Kaiser's body began swirling rapidly, keeping the Towerborn at bay. Black feathers materialized within the wind, slicing all the Towerborn that they touched. A pair of black wings sprouted from Kaiser's back, and a katana made of pure darkness formed in his hand. He opened his eyes, revealing a pair of bird shaped marks that had appeared in the center of his pupil-less eyes.

“What's this?” Krysix asked.

“It's like I said,” Kaiser said. “Kestrel and I are connected. This is our true form, the Kestrel Feather Storm!”

Outside

John charged at David, lifting the morningstar. David stomped on the ground, creating a miniature earthquake that caused John to lose his balance. David ran over to him and smashed his fist down. John barely dodged the attack. Another earthquake was created when David's fist hit the ground. John was almost knocked off balance again, but he managed to remain standing. He swung the morningstar, which colided with David's fist. Lightning shot through David's body, causing him to cry out in pain. He resisted it, and grabbed John by the throat and threw him across the field. He landing on the ground several yards away. He got up weakly, barely able to move. He saw redness out of the corner of his eye, and turned. He was face to face with the largest stallion he had ever seen, with red fur that wasn't natural for a horse. The feeling he had had since coming to the town, the feeling that he was close to what his father left for him, was stronger than ever. This was it. The second Horseman's steed.

“Hey,” he said, reaching up and petting the horse's nose.

It knelt down, offering him to ride it. He nervously got on, and it stood back up. He felt different. He was stronger. His wounds felt like nothing. They turned to face David, who was now charging at them.

“Let's ride!” John shouted, raising the morningstar.