NJDevil63

The Awakening, Part 3
By Mark Piggott (MidKnight’s Son, Protector Server)
His father killed by Hellions, Marcus Gates learns the secret of the Illuminati and the Sons of MidKnight.
“But the Illuminati are just a legend, a myth,” Marcus questions. “No they’re not,” Gregor interjects. “The Illuminati is a secret society of mystics who have been influencing everything from politics to monarchies since the Pharaohs ruled Egypt. Their mystical powers allowed them to see the future and move forces in the right direction for a more peaceful world.”
“So how do these Sons of MidKnight fit into all this?” he asks. “They were the protectors of the Illuminati,” Azuria explains. “Armed with magical powers and weapons, their job was to ensure the Illuminati – and their secrets – remain safe and secure.”
“It was during the Rikti Invasion that the last of the Illuminati were killed,” Azuria interjected, “but their secret treasure – years of mystical research, collections of artifacts and spells – were hidden away. The only one who knows its location was the last of the Sons of MidKnight… your father.”
“He came to M.A.G.I. for help,” Azuria continued. “The danger of the secret treasure of the Illuminati falling into the wrong hands was a chance we could not take. We offered him sanctuary – changed his name, gave him a home, a job in something besides magic.”
“Sort of a M.A.G.I. witness protection program,” Gregor added. Though the information has been helpful, Marcus is still confused. “I still don’t understand what that has to do with me,” Marcus asks.
“A member of the Circle of Thorns infiltrated M.A.G.I. and found out about your father and the secret treasure of the Illuminati,” Gregor explained. “They sent the Hellions to get your father to take them it. He refused and died protecting those secrets. He fulfilled his duty to the very end.”
“Now, that duty falls upon you,” Azuria interjects. “You must protect the secrets of the Illuminati as the last of the Sons of MidKnight.”
“But I don’t know where it is,” Marcus says. “My father didn’t tell me anything about any of this. I’m supposed to graduate in May and leave Paragon City.” Azuria steps up to Marcus and puts her hands on his shoulders. “Marcus, please understand, your father didn’t want you to take up the mantle as protector, but his death changes everything,” she explains. “I’ve spoken with the M.A.G.I. High Council. We’re working on a special storage vault to contain all of the Illuminati’s magical treasure, but it’s going to take time. The problem is that the Circle of Thorns, the Hellions and, by now, probably most of the villains within Paragon City know who you are. They will come after you – no matter where you go – and make you lead them to the location of the treasure.”
“I can’t show them what I don’t know,” Marcus shouts, frustrated and mad. Azuria touches his birthmark. It glows with a dark magical energy. “You won’t have to. Your birthmark will. You see, you’re both the compass and the key to the treasure. The only way to protect it is to protect yourself.”
“The power lies within you,” she explains. “The dark power of the Netherworld has been passed from generation to generation of the Sons of MidKnight. M.A.G.I. can teach you to use that power.”
Marcus thinks about what she’s asking of him. Years of his life, his dreams… Gone, to protect something his father – his family – has been protecting for thousands of years. How could he be selfish and refuse.
“What do I have to do?” he asks. Azuria smiles and hugs Marcus. For the first time since his father died, Marcus feels a sense of relief and understanding, as well as a ton of responsibility.
“Well, if you’re going to ward of evil, you’re going to need these,” Gregor says, handing Marcus two long swords. Marcus takes the swords in his hands. They feel like an extension of his body, as if he’s held them before. All those years of fencing, something his father insisted Marcus participate in, are about to come in handy.
“What are they?” he asks. “These were your fathers. He asked me to keep them safe, just in case he needed them again,” Gregor says. “They’re made of oricalcum, a metal with magical properties, forged in the fires of Atlantis.” Marcus looks shocked. “Atlantis? You’re kidding me right,” he asks. Both Azuria and Gregor get a dead serious look on their face. “We don’t kid in M.A.G.I.,” Azuria says.
Marcus continues to look over the swords in amazement. “You are the last Son of MidKnight,” Azuria says. “No!” Marcus immediately corrects her. Azuria and Gregor are stunned.
“My father was last of the Sons of MidKnight,” he says. “I am MidKnight’s Son.”

The Awakening, Part 2
By Mark Piggott (MidKnight’s Son, Protector Server)
Attacked by Hellions looking for the secrets of the Illuminati, Marcus Gates rushes home to see if his father is dead or alive.
Marcus and his father lived in a condominium in Galaxy City. Once the train pulled into the Galaxy City station, Marcus pushes his way out of the train, past some other superheroes riding between the protected areas of Paragon City, and runs towards home.
As he turns the street corner and approaches his building, he is greeted by police, fire and emergency vehicles. He slowly walks up to the police line, taped off to hold back the growing crowd. Once he reaches the line, Marcus sees what he feared the most – his father on an ambulance gurney.
“Dad!” he shouts, ducking under the police tape and pushing past the officers to his father. The police grab hold of his arms, but Marcus struggles. “Let go of me, that’s my father.”
The officers release their grip as Marcus rushes to his father’s side. The EMT’s continue to work on saving his life. “He has burns on over 90 percent of his body, including his throat and lungs,” the EMT tells Marcus. “I’m sorry, son, but there’s not much more we can do for him. We’re trying our best to ease his pain.”
Marcus nods his head as his father opens his eyes. A feeling of relief washes over him. His son was safe and alive. “Marcus…” he groans, his throat burned by the Hellion’s fire. “Marcus, listen to me.”
“Sh-h-h, Dad, don’t try to talk,” Marcus tells him, tears beginning to well in his eyes. “You’re going to be fine.” He knows he was lying to him, but what else could he do.
“No, listen to me, you must find Azuria,” he whispers. “Find Azuria, she will explain everything to you.”
His heartrate becomes erratic. The EMTs try to get him into the ambulance, but Paul stops them and pulls Marcus closer to him. “I’m sorry, my son,” he says, his voice cracking under the strain. “I didn’t want this life for you. I only wanted to protect you.” His voice trails off as Paul Gates’ life slowly fades away.
Marcus begins to sob uncontrollably. His father was gone. He steps back from his father and the EMTs pull the sheet over his head and load him into the ambulance.
A hand touches his shoulder. He spins around, ready to strike, thinking it was another Hellion attack. Instead, he sees a beautiful woman in blue. “Marcus Gates, I am Azuria,” she says to him, calmly and coolly. “I am sorry for your loss, but you must come with me, now. It is a matter of life and death.”
Azuria turns and walks away. Marcus, though confused by her sudden appearance, begins to follow her. The police clear a path for them, as if they know Azuria. She leads Marcus to Freedom Court and the Freedom Corps Building. Once inside, she leads him to the offices of the Modern Arcane Guild of Investigation or M.A.G.I.
Once inside, Azuria is confronted by Gregor Richardson, the head of the M.A.G.I. offices in Galaxy City. “Azuria, what are you doing here?” he demands, before turning his attention to Marcus Gates. “And why is he here?”
“Paul Gates is dead Gregor,” she says. “It is time for Marcus to assume the mantle.” Gregor starts shaking his head. “No, no, that’s not what Paul wanted, and you know it,” he says, pointing his finger at her.
“His powers have emerged, Gregor,” she shouts back at him, not backing down. “He has to be able to control them.”
Before Gregor can say another word, Marcus finally speak up. “Excuse me,” he interrupts. Both Gregor and Azuria give him their undivided attention. “My father just died, I was attacked by a group of Hellions who thought I have something to do with the Illuminati,” he says, Gregor and Azuria looking shocked at the notion of the Hellions mentioning the Illuminati. “And, I seem to be glowing with some dark, negative energy which, according to you, I can’t control. Now will someone tell me what the hell is happening to me?”
Gregor and Azuria look at each other. Gregor nods his head in agreement with Azuria. “Marcus, you are the last living descendant of a group known as the Sons of MidKnight, a warrior caste dedicated to protecting the Illuminati.”

The Awakening, Part 1
By Mark Piggott (MidKnight’s Son, Protector Server)
The bell rang, taking Marcus Gates’ attention away from his notebook and up to the clock. 2:55 p.m. … Class was over. He quickly finished copying the assignment on the board and started getting all his books together.
“Remember class,” the teacher yelled out as students began shuffling out the door, “Your thesis’ are due to me by Friday. If you can’t make that deadline, I need to know by Wednesday.”
Marcus smiled. He finished his thesis days ago. He walked out of the classroom, slinging his backpack over his shoulder. As he walked through the halls of Paragon City University, past the other students, his mind begins to wander.
For 21-year-old Marcus Gates, this was the first step towards a new beginning. He would graduate with a degree in ancient history and travel the world, exploring ancient ruins for clues to the past… Anything to get out of Paragon City.
As much as he liked his hometown, he also hated it. The constant battles between superheroes and the super-villains, gangs and other assorted criminals made his home a hard place to live. He was looking forward to his graduation and then – boom – it’s off to adventure, far away from here.
As he exits Atlas Hall, Marcus’ wandering mind leaves him unaware of the danger he’s in. He doesn’t realize he’s being watched. Around the corner of the building, a group of Hellions watches his every move. A gang of devil-worshipers, the Hellions have tapped into supernatural powers, making them one of the most feared street gangs in Paragon City.
“Is that him?” a Blood Brother asks. “Yeah, that’s him,” his leader known as Scorch says. “And he’s going to give us the secrets of immortality.”
Scorch signals another group near the street. The Blood Brothers nod and move in towards their target. “Let’s go,” he says to his Blood Brothers as they move in behind Marcus.
As Marcus walks towards the Yellow Line train station, he gets a sense of danger around him, kind of a funny feeling deep in his gut. He looks around to see a group of Hellions moving towards him. He turns to pick up the pace, but bumps into another group of Hellions.
Fear grips him, forming a knot in his stomach. Scorch, wearing a devil mask to hide his face, stares down at Marcus. “You have something we want, little man,” he growls.
Now Marcus is even more confused. “Me? What could I have that you want?” he asks. “Don’t lie to me, boy. We want the secrets of the Illuminati,” he snaps back. The Illuminati? This confuses Marcus even more. He knows about them through his studies of history, but they were just a myth, a legend, nothing more.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he answers back. Scorch smacks Marcus across the face, sending him flying backwards. Two of the Hellion Blood Brothers catch him and hold him tight.
“Don’t lie to me,” he snarls. Scorch grabs Marcus’ left sleeve and rips it off. On his arm, a birth mark in the shape of an eye rests on his upper arm. “You bear the mark of the Illuminati,” he says. His eyes begin to glow and his hands burn with an unnatural fire. “You better start talking, boy, or you’re gonna burn, just like your old man.”
Marcus’ fear now turns to anger. His father, Paul Gates, was all the family he had left. His mother died at childbirth. His father raised him all by himself, and now he may be dead.
As the anger swells inside Marcus, he feels something building inside him. His birthmark turns black and begins to glow with a dark energy. That energy begins to build and form around Marcus. The Hellions let go of him and step back, except for Scorch
“I knew it, you’re one of them… the Sons of MidKnight,” he says. Marcus doesn’t understand what he’s saying, but the dark energy emanating from his body engulfs him, and then suddenly ignites with an explosive fury, sending Scorch flying through the air. He lands hard on the sidewalk.
The Hellions look at Marcus. His body is now shrouded in the dark energy. “Don’t just stand there gawking, you idiots, kill him!” Scorch orders. The Hellions come to their senses and draw knives and guns, ready to attack.
Suddenly, a high-pitched sonic shrill fills the air around them. The Hellions grab their ears and reel in pain. From above, a small armored figure drops from the sky between the Hellions and Marcus.
“Alright boys, Emcee Boom Box is in the house!” the diminutive hero shouts at the Hellions, taunting them. Emcee Boom Box lets loose another sonic blast, scattering the Blood Brothers across the ground.
“Go on, get out of here, I’ll take care of these jokers,” he tells Marcus. Marcus nods his head. “Thank you,” he says and then takes off for the train platform. As his anger turns to worry, the dark energy surrounding him begins to fade. He knows he has to get home as quickly as possible.

The Last Goodbye, Part 3
By Mark Piggott (Bone the Head-Hunter, Liberty Server)
Bone slowly lowers his bow. He realizes the truth in the Eidolon’s words, but refuses to believe it. “No, that’s not possible,” he says.
The Eidolon peels back the leather bindings that encase its body, removing its mask, exposing its face to Bone. Though bald, Bone recognizes the eyes and lips – even the little mole on her cheek – of his wife.
“Val?” Bone asks. “Can it really be you?” The Eidolon smiles, as if she is enjoying tormenting Bone. “It’s me, Teddy, the wife you abandoned and left for dead.”
“I didn’t abandon you,” he explains, peeling his mask back to look at his wife, eye to eye. “I searched for you for days with Positron. We found no trace of you or Daniel.” Bone’s voice trails off at the mention of his son’s name.
“Don’t you dare say his name,” the Eidolon screams. “You have no right to speak his name. You have no idea what they did to him.”
“Yet here you are, one of them,” Bone rips back at her. “How could you do that? How could you join the Vahzilok?”
“I did what I had to survive,” she yells at Bone. “They were going to kill me, just like they did Daniel. I offered myself to them – to Dr. Vahzilok himself – to become one of his Eidolon. I did it to save my life.”
Bone can’t believe what he’s hearing. She willingly gave herself to the Vahzilok, after what they did to their son.
“The Valerie I know would never have done that. She would have died before joining these monsters,” Bone argues. “What do you know about life and death,” she snaps back. “You have your precious medical transporters to protect you. I was on my own. I had a choice to make and I chose to live, no matter what I had to do.”
“You’re right about one thing,” she says as she pulls the mask back over her face. “Valerie Johnson is dead. I am Black Mary.”
Bone realizes the truth in her words. “Then this is good-bye for the last time,” he tells her as he puts his mask back on. “But know this, Black Mary. The next time we meet, I won’t hesitate to kill you.”
Black Mary just stares at him. “Neither will I, Bone the Head-Hunter,” she says. “Neither will I.” Without hesitating, Bone pulls back his bow and fires a flaming arrow at the body bags, making the body parts unusable to the Vahzilok. Black Mary doesn’t flinch. She just stares at Bone. He just turns away and leaps into the air, heading towards the Faultline exit back to Steel Canyon.
Suddenly, the sewer grate opens up and a group of Vahzilok step out. The Mortificator walks over to Black Mary. “Black Mary, what happened here?” he asks her. She continues to stare off into the distance. “We were ambushed by Bone the Head-Hunter,” she explains. “He destroyed the body bags, but I got him… I got him right through the heart.”
The Mortificator smiles, knowing that the Eidolon hurt the Vahzilok’s feared enemy. As they gather up the remains of their fallen, they are too busy to see a tear rolling down Black Mary’s cheek. It is the last tear she will ever shed for her husband.
Across town, as Bone leaps through the air, he also sheds a tear. He hasn’t cried since he lost his family the first time. He’ll never cry for them again.

The Last Goodbye, Part 2
By Mark Piggott (Bone the Head-Hunter, Liberty Server)
Bone the Head-Hunter's patience has finally paid off as a group of Vahzilok heads towards the sewer entrance.
A touch on his glove de-activates his cloaking device. “No use wasting energy on the cloak in a face-on battle,” Bone thinks to himself. He reaches into his belt for his targeting drone, activating it and tossing it into the air. The drone buzzes around his head like an angry bee. Its laser sites will help him in the coming battle.
He draws his bow and nocks an explosive arrow in. “This should get their attention,” he says as Bone lets his arrow fly. Before the Vahzilok can react, the arrow strikes within their midst and explodes. The Vahzilok are sent flying to the ground.
Before they can react, Bone tosses a smoke grenade to blind their vision. He leaps down from the steel building, his hydraulic leg enhancements cushioning his landing. Once down, he nocks his next arrow.
He fires at the Reaper. The arrowhead bursts into flame and, upon impact, explodes, covering the Reaper and Abominations in burning embers. He reaches into his quiver and lays three arrows across his bow. The multiple arrows are fired, striking the Reaper and both Abominations, bringing all three to the ground.
Bone turns to face the Eidolon, drawing his next arrow. But before he can strike, black tendrils erupt from the ground and wrap around Bone. He is frozen in place, unable to attack. The Eidolon wields dark powers… a gift from Dr. Vahzilok for becoming his perfect creations.
He braces for the next attack from the Eidolon, but it doesn’t come. The Eidolon is just standing there, staring at him. “What’s it waiting for?” Bone wonders. The thought passes quickly as Bone prepares to take advantage of its lapse and prepares to attack.
“I was hoping this day would never come,” the Eidolon says to Bone. “Still, it had to happen sooner or later, didn’t it ‘Teddy.’” Bone is shocked to his senses. That name… only his wife called him Teddy. How does this Eidolon know his name?
“What kind of game are playing with me Eidolon?” Bone demands. He gets an inspiration and breaks free from the tendrils, raising his bow and aiming at the Eidolon. “How do you know that name?”
“Come now ‘Teddy,’ surely you can see past this mask as I easily as I can see past yours,” the Eidolon says mockingly. “Or maybe you’re just in denial.”
Bone slowly lowers his bow. He realizes the truth in the Eidolon’s words, but refuses to believe it. “No, that’s not possible,” he says.

The Last Goodbye, Part 1
By Mark Piggott (Bone the Head-Hunter, Liberty Server)
JOURNAL ENTRY – Sunday, March 30, 3:45 a.m. – I’ve been waiting for three hours and still no sign of the Vahzilok. My contact assured me that they routinely take this route through Faultine, bringing fresh body parts to Dr. Vahzilok himself. Faultline has plenty of places to hide the bodies of their victims. It’s a ruined city trying desperately to rebuild itself. Hopefully, this will bring me closer to finding that monster and exacting my revenge.
He closes his journal and slides it into his armor. His grim demeanor is hidden beneath his mask – a faceless skull with eyes as black as night. He waits patiently, watching the construction site from the top of the steel structure. His cloaking device is working perfectly, bending light around him to avoid detection.
As he scans the surroundings, his mind begins to wander. They call him a hero, but Bone the Head-Hunter doesn’t feel like one. All the technology he’s put into his armor and weapons may have made him stronger, but it hasn’t filled the void inside him.
He wasn’t a hero when his wife and son were captured by the Vahzilok. Those demented zombies would have taken him too if it wasn’t for Positron. He saved his life, but it was too late for his family. One of the Reapers was able to slip away during the fight, taking their bodies with him. They searched for days, but no sign of his wife and son. They were presumed dead… Another victim of the Vahzilok.
People call him driven… Possessed by an unforgiving rage and hatred for the Vahzilok. That may be, but tragedy usually does that to a man. At one time, he was Ted Johnson, an Olympic archery champion and successful businessman. Since the death of his family, he turned that talent into something useful… hunting down the villains of Paragon City. The gangs call him a head-hunter, attacking without regard to his own personal safety, trying to bring down as many of them as possible.
Bone is snapped back into reality when he hears a low groaning noise. He looks down and sees couple of Abominations – giant animated cadavers – dragging two heavy body bags. The mindless zombies are doing the bidding of a Reaper and an Eidolon, one of Dr. Vahzilok’s “perfect” creations. They are heading towards the sewer grate, the route Bone’s informant told him about.
“4-to-1,” Bone thinks to himself. “Not bad odds… for me.”