I had been posting this in the protector forums... but it seems to be that it is better served in these forums. If you are missing the rest of the story (since it was lost in the forum purge) you can read it at http://www.guildportal.com/Guild.asp...;TabID=2326475
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Mark stood over the now-headless body of the man he had once called father. Mark still felt unfulfilled. His blood lust to destroy the man he so long despised had been fulfilled, but his desire to kill would never cease. Marks senses were at an all time high the excitement of the kill sharpened his mind and every aspect of his power.
Suddenly without warning Mark felt the entire room begun to warm. Mark, with his now heightened senses, detected the change in air temperature immediately, but he still wasn't fast enough to dodge a blast of fire. The heat and pressure of the blast sent him flying towards the wall.
Mark wasn't dazed for even a second as he quickly shrouded his body in dark mist and took stock of his surroundings. Five heroes surrounded him all dressed in red and blues. Among them stood one whose entire body seemed to burn with fire and a young woman with a hood that covered most of her face. These two individuals seemed to surge with the most power. Mark instantly realized that these two would pose the greatest challenge. The other heroes were negligible to Marks eyes, and with his arrogance he mentally dismissed them.
Thinking he was invisible to all of the heroes, Mark slipped around the room but was caught short when a blade crossed his path. One of the other heroes, the ones he had decided to ignore, was not only able to see past Marks stealth, but was also hidden to the naked eye.
This new hero quickly moved to knock Mark unconscious with the broad side of his blade, but Marks speed was too fast. Instead of knocking Mark unconscious the blade barely nicked the side of Marks face. This was, however, enough to disturb Marks concentration, and as such he lost enough of his stealth for the heroes to once again see his position.
This time Mark wasn't going to overlook any of the heroes. He again took stock of the situation. Of the five heroes, there was the fire wielding maniac who threw him into the wall, the hooded woman who had yet to move, and the bladed one, who Mark wasn't too worried about, except that the [censored] of a hero was able to see through his stealth. The hooded one, although she hadnt moved, was staring at him, and her eyes seemed to pierce Marks soul and look into the very deepest fathoms of his mind.
What shocked Mark most was the identity of the two remaining heroes. One was raising her hands to the air and calling storm clouds to appear within the house. She was none other than the heroine Mark had believed he killed earlier that day. Almost there as proof of his act was the womans costume, torn in just the places that he had stabbed her. The flesh underneath was visibly unharmed.
The fifth hero, out of all of them, was the one who brought the most horror to his eyes. Mark knew instantly that it was this hero that brought life back into the girl and he watched now as this hero poured out green light into Marks father. Mark watched as sinew and flesh reattached bone and the disconnected head begun to move and shudder to life. As soon as Mark saw this mans face he recognized this hero. He was disgusted that he would bring life back into his prey, that he would heal his father.
This hero was the doctor from the Kings Row clinic, who had first patched up Mark after he tussled with the local gangs. It was the same doctor who was lying on the floor in the clinic when Mark first walked back from the gates of hell. This doctor was healing people, and not just any people. This so called hero was healing people that should have already died by Marks hand!
Mark was angry, and this made him lose focus on his own abilities. He was unable to focus, and he suddenly felt a stinging throbbing yet numbing sensation within his mind.
Before Mark knew it, several minutes had passed. He came back to consciousness to see the hooded woman standing right in front of him, her hands directly on his face. He could feel every moment of his life flowing into this womans mind. She was seeing everything. She knew everything that he knew, she felt all his pain.
This only continued to anger Mark more. She had been intruding into his mind for minutes her mind control had dazed him to a point of losing track of time. Marks anger boiled up and he begun to scream within his own mind as he slowly gained control. He was screaming gibberish at first but slowly he was able to make sense of his thoughts again and he screamed at the entity breaking into his mind a loud and powerful Get out of my head you crazy [censored]!
The force of Mark's mental determination and strength of will pushed back the hooded heroine. Mark took advantage of the opportunity and while she was still slightly stunned he submerged his blade into her chest. The sharp point of Mark's blade barely missed her heart but cut deep into the flesh of her lung. Mark removed the blade just as quickly as he plunged it in and instantly the heroine backed away stumbling to retain her footing, a slightly vacant and surprised look frozen on her face.
The fire hero moved quickly to catch the falling heroine as she slowly slumped to the ground. His voiced echoed though the room as he screamed the heroines name, AMUN!, all of this only served to bring a smile to Mark's face.
Mark knew that the heroine wasn't dead yet. That the one healing his father could certainly also heal the one called Amun, because Mark knew of this he wasn't going to waste anytime the doctor was next on his list.
Forward Mark lunged directly towards the healer, but as he begun to move forward a dense fog appeared clouding everything from view, no one could see even a foot in the fog. Damn [censored], with your storm powers I knew I should have stayed and watched your soul leave your body. Mark shouted into the clouds with no reply. Mark quickly became disoriented in the fog but decided to use it to his own advantage.
Mark quickly begun to regain his composure and regain his stealth. His assumption that since he could not see them meant they could not see him was deadly wrong however. The stealthy and bladed hero quickly appeared before Mark as he was attempting to reform his dark form. Mark quickly reacted and grabbed the hero's sword with his bare hand, knowing it was too weak to cause any real damage to him.
Mark pulled the sword close and the hero it belonged to even closer. Still enclosed in the mist no one not even the hero himself saw Marks blade as it impaled the bladed warriors heart. In an instant the hero screamed in pain and died as his heart was utterly destroyed.
Completely on instinct now Marks sensed the source of the fog. The Heroine who was causing him to flail around without sight. Quickly Mark acted tossing the now very limp and bloody body of the hero on his blade directly at the source.
The fog instantly dissipated as the corpse hit its intended target with high force. Mark heard the scream of someone yelling Tet! but he could not identify the voice. It didn't matter anyway Mark thought, he was on a killing spree his blood lust at maximum he was going to kill every last hero present.
What Mark saw or rather felt as the fog disappeared halted his blood lust instantly, as a stone fist engulfed in heavenly fire collided with his face. Mark screamed in agony at the feeling of the fire. This fire was different then the fire that threw him into the wall earlier. This fire felt like it very purpose was to burn the darkness from his soul.
Marks cheekbone was shattered the left side of his face dripping with blood his left eye completely unusable due to the blood covering it. His right eye showed him everything he needed to see however. He saw standing with the heroes a man made of stone with wings made of fire.
The man didn't speak but Mark knew him. He was his father, born again, and born stronger. Mark did not know how he gained these wings of fire or what other powers he had obtained but Mark did know for the first time since seeing hell that he was scared. Mark trembled and cowered on the ground at the sight of this monstrous rocky and fiery behemoth that stood before him.
The mountain that Marks father had become moved forward, and used his massive stone foot to kick Mark onto his back. Then using his fiery stone fists pounded Mark into the ground from all angles. Breaking nearly every bone Mark could use for movement. The breaking bones however were not the torturous part of the beating for the fire hurt far worse. Mark felt every flicker of flame pierce his power and burn it away. Till the only thing left was his black heart and the evil in his soul.
At this moment some semblance of the humanity that was still in mark appeared. With the dark power fading the life he left behind flew into his mind. The sanity that he had lost when he dropped into hell slowly returned.
Tears begin to flow as Mark looked around the room and discovered the chaos that had ensued in his fight. He saw the dead and bloody body of the stealth warrior being cradled by the young heroine as she slowly and quietly sobbed the name Tetsujin, Tetsujin, Tetsujin.
The fire hero cradled the hooded heroine known as Amun, and listened intently as she spoke her finals words to him.
The doctor Mark had recognized before was barely even able to sit up, his entire body drained by the healing of the monster that was Marks father, his mind and soul drained of all energy.
Marks humanity reigned in him for this one moment as he spoke, Father, I'm sorry., and then slowly slipped out of consciousness.
CH 12
Mark's unconscious and broken body was being tied to a stretcher, as a disciple of the MAGI institute stood beside him chanting spells that should bind his powers.
The only three heroes able to stand stood beside and discussed the events that had just occurred. The stone man named Clark did most of the talking. I must ask how your teammates are, will they be ok?
Overdose held his head low as he thought of the teammates that he had lost. Her name was Amuntukan, if it wasn't for her I would be a very useless hero. I wasn't able to heal her, because I was too weak. I tried but I couldn't do it. I had already used every ounce of my strength to heal your body. Something I wouldn't have even bothered to do if I hadn't still felt your soul within it. Tetsujin, was different. Even if I wasn't exhausted, I couldn't have healed him. His soul was long gone by the time I reached his body.
I truly grieve for the loss of your teammates; I shall say a prayer for them. Its my fault this has all happened. I feel truly responsible. Clark's words were soft and full of sorrow.
Blazing Blue had kept his back to the conversation trying to ignore the talk. Blue was trying not to reflect on the fact that he had again lost people close to him. He maintained a straight face and spoke quickly, at all points attempting to hide his sorrow and be the strong leader he had always been for the group, What do you mean this is all your fault? I need some answers. I need to know what happened here tonight. Blue motioned to the young heroine sobbing to her friends and family via cell phone, She deserves some answers. Hell I deserve some answers, and now that Amun, is not hear to read peoples minds someone has to give us some answers and I think that person just might be you.
Clark sighed, Ok I will begin my story, although I only know what the higher powers have revealed to me and what I can piece together from my own life, I shall tell you everything. Clark took a deep breath as he begun to tell his story. The full story, yet summarized in the manor of which the angels had given him. I should start at the start and properly introduce and explain myself. My name is Clark, I have been working as a hero in Paragon City for close to thirty years now, until tonight I had no memory of my life before I started being a hero. Tonight when my son, Mark, killed me. I returned to heaven and many things were revealed to me. I was cast out of heaven 30 years ago and my body remade as stone so that I may never truly return to heaven as a angel. I do not as of now remember the transgression I committed to receive this penalty, and when I arrived on earth I had no knowledge of who I was or what my purpose was. I did however meet a girl who called herself Emma. I know now that she was truly named Lilith and she knew who I was all along. She had recently had a vision in which I would become father to her son, who would eventually rule Hell. Heaven has revealed she cast a spell on me and I never doubted her. As she predicted we did have a son and we named him Mark. Mark grew up normal, until his mother, Emma Clark hesitated to speak for a second thinking on that name, No until his mother, Lilith left mysteriously. I guess it drastically affected me, as well as him. It wasn't long after Mark turned sixteen that he ran away. I did not see him again until this day, and I do not know what transpired. I do know that he is no longer the son I remember.
Clark stopped talking. The pain of the story was hard for him to speak. He himself almost didn't believe it, but saying it aloud somehow helped it become real to him. He finally relaxed his body and his stone form faded away. Revealing the man under all the stone and all the fire.
Dr. Overdose stood, reflection on his own loss, and he knew that Blue was doing the same. He did not know what to speak of or how to calm Clark's pain. In truth they were all so distraught and tired that nothing made much sense to them and there was very little they could do to console each other. This didn't stop the Doctor that was Overdose from trying however, and not as the hero that he was, but as Stephen Blackheart. One human being speaking words to an angel, Stephen said the only thing he could think of Being human sucks.
Stunned both Blue and Clark just looked at the Doctor unsure where exactly his mind was.
I lost my fiancee, Blue lost his parents, but you have lost your angelic nature, you have been betrayed by a demon, and you have lost your own flesh and blood to that same demon. It sucks, and the scary part is it only gets worse. But thats why we Heroes exist. Too keep others from having to feel the loss that we have felt. Do not wallow in your pain live and help others, and maybe in time you can save your son from him self.
+Epilogue+
Mark awoke in a small cell in the zig. Mystic symbols covered the walls floor and door. He knew that he could not escape, at least not in his current state. His powers were all but gone. His body still bruised albeit healing, the darkness in his soul was all but gone. Yet he still felt the sliver of darkness that was left. Mark made the choice at this moment to embrace that sliver. He would grow its power and become powerful.
However Mark did not want to let go of his humanity again. He would use his humanity to pierce the darkness and find true power by combining the light within him and the darkness to make something truly new.
And with that decision, Mark began to meditate. Focusing on his powers as his mother taught him, all the while focusing on both the darkness in his life as well as the light.
He hoped that maybe someday in the future he would be able to escape more then just the cell.
Two months later Lord Recluse begun the Destined ones project and busted an unknown number of criminals out of the zig. Lilith made sure that Marks name was on the list.
END ORIGINS: A Doctors Story
END ORIGINS: A Stalkers Rage
NEXT ORIGINS: A Womans Love
I had been posting this in the protector forums... but it seems to be that it is better served in these forums. If you are missing the rest of the story (since it was lost in the forum purge) you can read it at http://www.guildportal.com/Guild.asp...;TabID=2326475
-------------------
Mark stood over the now-headless body of the man he had once called father. Mark still felt unfulfilled. His blood lust to destroy the man he so long despised had been fulfilled, but his desire to kill would never cease. Marks senses were at an all time high the excitement of the kill sharpened his mind and every aspect of his power.
Suddenly without warning Mark felt the entire room begun to warm. Mark, with his now heightened senses, detected the change in air temperature immediately, but he still wasn't fast enough to dodge a blast of fire. The heat and pressure of the blast sent him flying towards the wall.
Mark wasn't dazed for even a second as he quickly shrouded his body in dark mist and took stock of his surroundings. Five heroes surrounded him all dressed in red and blues. Among them stood one whose entire body seemed to burn with fire and a young woman with a hood that covered most of her face. These two individuals seemed to surge with the most power. Mark instantly realized that these two would pose the greatest challenge. The other heroes were negligible to Marks eyes, and with his arrogance he mentally dismissed them.
Thinking he was invisible to all of the heroes, Mark slipped around the room but was caught short when a blade crossed his path. One of the other heroes, the ones he had decided to ignore, was not only able to see past Marks stealth, but was also hidden to the naked eye.
This new hero quickly moved to knock Mark unconscious with the broad side of his blade, but Marks speed was too fast. Instead of knocking Mark unconscious the blade barely nicked the side of Marks face. This was, however, enough to disturb Marks concentration, and as such he lost enough of his stealth for the heroes to once again see his position.
This time Mark wasn't going to overlook any of the heroes. He again took stock of the situation. Of the five heroes, there was the fire wielding maniac who threw him into the wall, the hooded woman who had yet to move, and the bladed one, who Mark wasn't too worried about, except that the [censored] of a hero was able to see through his stealth. The hooded one, although she hadnt moved, was staring at him, and her eyes seemed to pierce Marks soul and look into the very deepest fathoms of his mind.
What shocked Mark most was the identity of the two remaining heroes. One was raising her hands to the air and calling storm clouds to appear within the house. She was none other than the heroine Mark had believed he killed earlier that day. Almost there as proof of his act was the womans costume, torn in just the places that he had stabbed her. The flesh underneath was visibly unharmed.
The fifth hero, out of all of them, was the one who brought the most horror to his eyes. Mark knew instantly that it was this hero that brought life back into the girl and he watched now as this hero poured out green light into Marks father. Mark watched as sinew and flesh reattached bone and the disconnected head begun to move and shudder to life. As soon as Mark saw this mans face he recognized this hero. He was disgusted that he would bring life back into his prey, that he would heal his father.
This hero was the doctor from the Kings Row clinic, who had first patched up Mark after he tussled with the local gangs. It was the same doctor who was lying on the floor in the clinic when Mark first walked back from the gates of hell. This doctor was healing people, and not just any people. This so called hero was healing people that should have already died by Marks hand!
Mark was angry, and this made him lose focus on his own abilities. He was unable to focus, and he suddenly felt a stinging throbbing yet numbing sensation within his mind.
Before Mark knew it, several minutes had passed. He came back to consciousness to see the hooded woman standing right in front of him, her hands directly on his face. He could feel every moment of his life flowing into this womans mind. She was seeing everything. She knew everything that he knew, she felt all his pain.
This only continued to anger Mark more. She had been intruding into his mind for minutes her mind control had dazed him to a point of losing track of time. Marks anger boiled up and he begun to scream within his own mind as he slowly gained control. He was screaming gibberish at first but slowly he was able to make sense of his thoughts again and he screamed at the entity breaking into his mind a loud and powerful Get out of my head you crazy [censored]!
The force of Mark's mental determination and strength of will pushed back the hooded heroine. Mark took advantage of the opportunity and while she was still slightly stunned he submerged his blade into her chest. The sharp point of Mark's blade barely missed her heart but cut deep into the flesh of her lung. Mark removed the blade just as quickly as he plunged it in and instantly the heroine backed away stumbling to retain her footing, a slightly vacant and surprised look frozen on her face.
The fire hero moved quickly to catch the falling heroine as she slowly slumped to the ground. His voiced echoed though the room as he screamed the heroines name, AMUN!, all of this only served to bring a smile to Mark's face.
Mark knew that the heroine wasn't dead yet. That the one healing his father could certainly also heal the one called Amun, because Mark knew of this he wasn't going to waste anytime the doctor was next on his list.
Forward Mark lunged directly towards the healer, but as he begun to move forward a dense fog appeared clouding everything from view, no one could see even a foot in the fog. Damn [censored], with your storm powers I knew I should have stayed and watched your soul leave your body. Mark shouted into the clouds with no reply. Mark quickly became disoriented in the fog but decided to use it to his own advantage.
Mark quickly begun to regain his composure and regain his stealth. His assumption that since he could not see them meant they could not see him was deadly wrong however. The stealthy and bladed hero quickly appeared before Mark as he was attempting to reform his dark form. Mark quickly reacted and grabbed the hero's sword with his bare hand, knowing it was too weak to cause any real damage to him.
Mark pulled the sword close and the hero it belonged to even closer. Still enclosed in the mist no one not even the hero himself saw Marks blade as it impaled the bladed warriors heart. In an instant the hero screamed in pain and died as his heart was utterly destroyed.
Completely on instinct now Marks sensed the source of the fog. The Heroine who was causing him to flail around without sight. Quickly Mark acted tossing the now very limp and bloody body of the hero on his blade directly at the source.
The fog instantly dissipated as the corpse hit its intended target with high force. Mark heard the scream of someone yelling Tet! but he could not identify the voice. It didn't matter anyway Mark thought, he was on a killing spree his blood lust at maximum he was going to kill every last hero present.
What Mark saw or rather felt as the fog disappeared halted his blood lust instantly, as a stone fist engulfed in heavenly fire collided with his face. Mark screamed in agony at the feeling of the fire. This fire was different then the fire that threw him into the wall earlier. This fire felt like it very purpose was to burn the darkness from his soul.
Marks cheekbone was shattered the left side of his face dripping with blood his left eye completely unusable due to the blood covering it. His right eye showed him everything he needed to see however. He saw standing with the heroes a man made of stone with wings made of fire.
The man didn't speak but Mark knew him. He was his father, born again, and born stronger. Mark did not know how he gained these wings of fire or what other powers he had obtained but Mark did know for the first time since seeing hell that he was scared. Mark trembled and cowered on the ground at the sight of this monstrous rocky and fiery behemoth that stood before him.
The mountain that Marks father had become moved forward, and used his massive stone foot to kick Mark onto his back. Then using his fiery stone fists pounded Mark into the ground from all angles. Breaking nearly every bone Mark could use for movement. The breaking bones however were not the torturous part of the beating for the fire hurt far worse. Mark felt every flicker of flame pierce his power and burn it away. Till the only thing left was his black heart and the evil in his soul.
At this moment some semblance of the humanity that was still in mark appeared. With the dark power fading the life he left behind flew into his mind. The sanity that he had lost when he dropped into hell slowly returned.
Tears begin to flow as Mark looked around the room and discovered the chaos that had ensued in his fight. He saw the dead and bloody body of the stealth warrior being cradled by the young heroine as she slowly and quietly sobbed the name Tetsujin, Tetsujin, Tetsujin.
The fire hero cradled the hooded heroine known as Amun, and listened intently as she spoke her finals words to him.
The doctor Mark had recognized before was barely even able to sit up, his entire body drained by the healing of the monster that was Marks father, his mind and soul drained of all energy.
Marks humanity reigned in him for this one moment as he spoke, Father, I'm sorry., and then slowly slipped out of consciousness.
CH 12
Mark's unconscious and broken body was being tied to a stretcher, as a disciple of the MAGI institute stood beside him chanting spells that should bind his powers.
The only three heroes able to stand stood beside and discussed the events that had just occurred. The stone man named Clark did most of the talking. I must ask how your teammates are, will they be ok?
Overdose held his head low as he thought of the teammates that he had lost. Her name was Amuntukan, if it wasn't for her I would be a very useless hero. I wasn't able to heal her, because I was too weak. I tried but I couldn't do it. I had already used every ounce of my strength to heal your body. Something I wouldn't have even bothered to do if I hadn't still felt your soul within it. Tetsujin, was different. Even if I wasn't exhausted, I couldn't have healed him. His soul was long gone by the time I reached his body.
I truly grieve for the loss of your teammates; I shall say a prayer for them. Its my fault this has all happened. I feel truly responsible. Clark's words were soft and full of sorrow.
Blazing Blue had kept his back to the conversation trying to ignore the talk. Blue was trying not to reflect on the fact that he had again lost people close to him. He maintained a straight face and spoke quickly, at all points attempting to hide his sorrow and be the strong leader he had always been for the group, What do you mean this is all your fault? I need some answers. I need to know what happened here tonight. Blue motioned to the young heroine sobbing to her friends and family via cell phone, She deserves some answers. Hell I deserve some answers, and now that Amun, is not hear to read peoples minds someone has to give us some answers and I think that person just might be you.
Clark sighed, Ok I will begin my story, although I only know what the higher powers have revealed to me and what I can piece together from my own life, I shall tell you everything. Clark took a deep breath as he begun to tell his story. The full story, yet summarized in the manor of which the angels had given him. I should start at the start and properly introduce and explain myself. My name is Clark, I have been working as a hero in Paragon City for close to thirty years now, until tonight I had no memory of my life before I started being a hero. Tonight when my son, Mark, killed me. I returned to heaven and many things were revealed to me. I was cast out of heaven 30 years ago and my body remade as stone so that I may never truly return to heaven as a angel. I do not as of now remember the transgression I committed to receive this penalty, and when I arrived on earth I had no knowledge of who I was or what my purpose was. I did however meet a girl who called herself Emma. I know now that she was truly named Lilith and she knew who I was all along. She had recently had a vision in which I would become father to her son, who would eventually rule Hell. Heaven has revealed she cast a spell on me and I never doubted her. As she predicted we did have a son and we named him Mark. Mark grew up normal, until his mother, Emma Clark hesitated to speak for a second thinking on that name, No until his mother, Lilith left mysteriously. I guess it drastically affected me, as well as him. It wasn't long after Mark turned sixteen that he ran away. I did not see him again until this day, and I do not know what transpired. I do know that he is no longer the son I remember.
Clark stopped talking. The pain of the story was hard for him to speak. He himself almost didn't believe it, but saying it aloud somehow helped it become real to him. He finally relaxed his body and his stone form faded away. Revealing the man under all the stone and all the fire.
Dr. Overdose stood, reflection on his own loss, and he knew that Blue was doing the same. He did not know what to speak of or how to calm Clark's pain. In truth they were all so distraught and tired that nothing made much sense to them and there was very little they could do to console each other. This didn't stop the Doctor that was Overdose from trying however, and not as the hero that he was, but as Stephen Blackheart. One human being speaking words to an angel, Stephen said the only thing he could think of Being human sucks.
Stunned both Blue and Clark just looked at the Doctor unsure where exactly his mind was.
I lost my fiancee, Blue lost his parents, but you have lost your angelic nature, you have been betrayed by a demon, and you have lost your own flesh and blood to that same demon. It sucks, and the scary part is it only gets worse. But thats why we Heroes exist. Too keep others from having to feel the loss that we have felt. Do not wallow in your pain live and help others, and maybe in time you can save your son from him self.
+Epilogue+
Mark awoke in a small cell in the zig. Mystic symbols covered the walls floor and door. He knew that he could not escape, at least not in his current state. His powers were all but gone. His body still bruised albeit healing, the darkness in his soul was all but gone. Yet he still felt the sliver of darkness that was left. Mark made the choice at this moment to embrace that sliver. He would grow its power and become powerful.
However Mark did not want to let go of his humanity again. He would use his humanity to pierce the darkness and find true power by combining the light within him and the darkness to make something truly new.
And with that decision, Mark began to meditate. Focusing on his powers as his mother taught him, all the while focusing on both the darkness in his life as well as the light.
He hoped that maybe someday in the future he would be able to escape more then just the cell.
Two months later Lord Recluse begun the Destined ones project and busted an unknown number of criminals out of the zig. Lilith made sure that Marks name was on the list.
END ORIGINS: A Doctors Story
END ORIGINS: A Stalkers Rage
NEXT ORIGINS: A Womans Love