Dark Earth: Guardians of Power - 1. Chapter 1

Much progress had been made since The White Knights and the Dugamonians usurped White Knight City from The Dark Knights and rogues led by Quake. Most of North America was firmly under their control. However, they still had to maintain four domed cities including Miami Nuevo and New Toronto. Los Diablos, ironically once called Los Angeles, and the only city not renamed, Mexico City, were both problematic, because the rogue groups had already killed The Protectors and many members of the local White Knight Army Divisions. The White Knight Council had suffered some personal losses, and some of the members were unhappy. Carculius, who had been a voice of reason when Oracle and Tempest had fought over plans, had been dead for six months and replaced by Colonel Mifa. She was well-trained in diplomatic matters and was always a team player, but Tempest was without his best friend, the man he could talk to whenever he needed a confidant.

Adriana had also lost a close friend in Cristobel, who was always ready to give her advice when she needed it. Julian had become distant from her as well because of Cristobel’s untimely departure as he was usually in his sleeping quarters or taking walks in various areas around Centropolis. Simon too had been distant from Adriana. Oracle and Tempest tried to keep meetings as short as possible, and the others usually agreed to their ideas. As much as Colonel Mifa tried to maintain a balance on the council she often failed.

Wandering through the wilderness around Centropolis, Julian maintained a slow trod across the once barren landscape. In the six months since he defeated Quake, he rarely ate or spoke unless he was forced to do so. The grass and trees, which normally are cherished, might as well have been nonexistent as they had once been. These lonely walks had become a daily ritual for the 18 year old as he rarely wanted the audience of human beings, or evoloids for that matter. The animals had also returned as one of his past missions had been to rescue some of them from Animalia Dome. One type of creature, in particular, fascinated Julian. Cougars were, in his mind, some of the most beautiful creatures on the planet. Just as he was starting to walk back to the eastern side of the once domed city, Julian spotted one of the desirable cats. Knowing how dangerous the cougar could be, Julian simply watched from afar.

Julian had become much more introspective and distant in the months after Cristobel disappeared. Nights were the worst of all even when Calista or Dennis would join him for a night-long spooning. Nature was something of ambivalence to Julian. While animals, plants, and sunlight were naturally enchanting, they were constant reminders of the past. The beautiful world was simultaneously revolting, even the magnificent cougar. Displaying dominance, the cougar slowly stalked Julian who was incredulous in regard to the advance of aggression. Wielding his trustworthy katana, Julian prepared for the worst. Charged with electricity, the katana, wielded with Julian’s superb skill, sliced as the cougar was in the air ready to pounce.

Knowing the cougar was actually an evoloid, Julian decided to heal him and extract the necessary information. Julian, thinking it had been some kind of set-up, knew how to torture prisoners for information. He also knew to immediately attack the mind and not to heal the assassin completely, for the risk of personal injury would be too high despite his powers.

The mind of the cougar feral was a barrage of emotional distress. Julian searched for clues to his foes motivations as if his mind were a computer screen, a plethora of data compiled into useful information. Julian caught a glimpse of a man with hair as black as a dungeon and eyes red as the blood on the earth beside him. “Hector, you know what you have to do. You have shamed yourself for the last time. You will go on this suicide mission and my son shall kill you.” Hector cowered as his master spoke the words so callously.

“But sir, I do not want to die,” Hector cried. “Sir, if I must die then why not by the hands of my master?”

Blackheart, astonished that a subordinate would dare question his word, bellowed indignantly, “You are unworthy of dying by hands! You are certainly not worthy of life, but I am above being the one to end your pathetic existence. Go to Julian and meet certain doom. This is your new mission in life. Now, be gone from my sight!” With the final word spoken, the memory faded, and Julian left Hector’s mind. Julian opened his eyes and studied the recently transformed feral before him. Instantly, he was reminded of another. The long, black hair and olive skin he so desired was resembled almost perfectly.

“You can’t do it can you?” Hector taunted. “I look like him. My master showed me the pictures, and I had surgery on Cabora.”

“You sick son of a bitch,” Julian shrieked. “I should destroy you, but you’re still unworthy. I want more information, and I’m going to get it.”

“Your brothers can torture me all they want,” Hector stated arrogantly. “There is no way they can break me.”

“I already found some of the information I needed,” Julian replied coldly. “Their methods will yield the results I want, and I will be right there to assist them. Blackheart does not know this, but my brothers have shared their powers with me, and I shared mind control with them. He really was foolish for sending the likes of you here. You are weak, yet you have insight into the enemy. You are not completely useless after all.”

“Do your worst,” Hector bellowed. “I won’t tell you a damn thing.”

“You don’t have to tell me anything,” Julian stated prosaically. “I have more weapons at my disposal than you can possibly imagine. You’ll be begging to give me the answers I seek. Now, we’re going back to headquarters.”

Julian used electronic restraints to keep his foe subdued and to make it difficult for him to fight. Hector knew not to fight back, for Julian’s reputation preceded him. After restraining Hector, he was ready to return to headquarters. Teleportation may not have been Julian’s preferred method of transport, but he quickly used it for the purposes he had in mind. Touching his prisoner with his hand, Julian concentrated on the interrogation room at headquarters. The unlikely duo vanished from the prairie at the edge of the wood and, moments later, re-appeared in Julian’s chosen destination.

Edgar had already been interrogating one of the few remaining rogues in Centropolis. While he and Elliot normally worked together, Edgar was preparing for a new assignment in Mexico City and would soon be leaving within the hour, a development in which Julian was unaware. Julian watched intently as the object of his brother’s ire cowered in fear as he thought maggots were eating his body. Julian’s smile was distinctly malevolent as he watched the torture session. While Hector did not understand why the rogue was screaming, he was mortified. Eying the olive-skinned young man to his left, Julian spoke, “This man thinks maggots are eating him alive. He can even feel the pain. I’m sure you’re delighted. You’re next, bitch!”

“Julian, shut up,” Edgar ordered, uncaring about rank and more concerned with his job. “I have to concentrate. Besides, you need to help me.”

Eying the assistant, Margaret, Julian motioned her to move closer to him. Speaking through his mind he said, ‘Watch the prisoner. If he moves, make him suffer.’ Nodding in conformity, Margaret stood beside Hector as Julian made his way over to the table. The rogue, Tiberius, was panicked and information would be gathered quickly. The name of the leader of the last remaining rogue group, one that was once part of Quake’s alliance, was the information Julian sought. First, he heard a name, Desert Flower. Tunneling further he searched for a face to accompany the name. Before him was a beautiful woman with black hair and hazel eyes that, while beautiful, were cold and determined. Her lips showed a burgundy lipstick and an agonizingly hateful scowl. “Do you have it, bro?”

“Yes, her name is Desert Flower,” Julian replied quickly. “I will search the database. I should be able to find her. Computer, access all available information about Desert Flower.”

Responding to Julian’s order, the computer’s charming female voice said, “Desert Flower is a dangerous rogue from the city of Los Diablos. She once lived in what once was the area east of Los Diablos. She is 22 years old, and she was born on the 18th of April, 2985. She is a powerful plant manipulator who loves wrapping her victims in roses and penetrating their bodies with thorns. She is not currently on The White Knight’s most wanted list, but she is considered one of the most dangerous. She was last seen in Centropolis on the 5th of June, 3007 near an abandoned robot factory once known as Lyndon Robotics before tunneling underground.” June 5th had been the previous day, and Julian wondered where her hideout was.

The computer had no more information to give, so Julian sought more answers from the mind of Tiberius. Delving back in to Tiberius’ psyche, Julian watched as the young rogue flew over the eastern side of Centropolis. Once satisfied that he knew the location, Julian released himself from Tiberius’ mind.

Edgar, rarely wanting to use his powers to kill, connected the IV cannula to the peripheral IV line he had previously inserted into the Tiberius’ arm. As Tiberius’ arms were restrained, he could not stop what Edgar was about to do. Edgar ensured that the mixture of 120 milliliters of saline and three grams of thiopental sodium was in place. Connecting another bag of fluid, one that contained 50 milliliters of saline and 100 milligrams of pancuronium bromide, to a second port, Edgar was ready for the third. The third bag of solution contained 70 milliliters of saline solution and 140 milliequivalents of potassium chloride. After connecting the three solutions to the intravenous ports, Edgar turned on the IV drip, thus ensuring Tiberius would be dead in approximately ten minutes. The thiopental sodium, also known as sodium pentothal, rendered Tiberius unconscious within a few seconds, and he would later die of asphyxiation, though he could easily have died from cardiac arrest due to the usage of potassium chloride.

“We already have,” Julian said with a smirk. “You have about ten minutes to live, and you’ll be unconscious for most of them. Enjoy your final moments, asshole.” Looking at his brother and sighing slightly, Julian said, “All you had to do was ask, and I would have killed him. It’s been so long since I’ve killed anyone.”

“Julian, why do you want to kill?” Edgar replied. “You’re my own brother, and I really don’t understand your fascination with using your powers to kill. It’s beyond anything I am able to do, because I hate killing. I only administer a lethal injection, because The Council tells me to kill them.”

“I like making the world a better place,” was Julian’s lame excuse. “Killing the bad guys is what we do. We eliminate the threat.”

“God damn it, Julian!” Edgar snapped. “They may be aligned with The Dark Knights, but they’re still human beings. I don’t understand why we cannot modify them.”

“We don’t do that because of the 5% rate of failure,” Julian said bitterly. “Therefore, they must die.”

“Julian, that is with the computer chip,” Edgar reasoned. “You have the power to control them with an even greater rate of success.”

“You’re not serious, are you?” Julian replied with a hint of incredulity. “Controlling that many people would be virtually impossible even for me. The limits have not actually been tested but why take the chance?”

“I hate having to kill people,” Edgar said compassionately.

“You torture people on a daily basis,”Julian sighed. “What’s the difference?”

“I wish I didn’t have to torture them either.” Edgar looked at the floor, thus avoiding looking into his younger half-brother’s eyes. “I´m tired of living like this.”

“None of us really want to be here,” Julian replied, his sense of compassion seemingly returning. “I do what I have to do to survive here. I’d rather be able to live my own life, but I was chosen for this. I would never have chosen this life for myself. The one person who made it worth while is gone.”

“I’m sure you will see him again,” Edgar said confidently. “You already seem to know where he is.”

“I still have six months before I can go there,” Julian replied glumly. “I have forgotten his voice.” Julian looked at Hector, who had a phaser pointed at his head. Hector’s resemblance to Cristobel was unsettling to say the least, for Julian coveted time with Cristobel. He also knew Blackheart had purposely found someone who looked like Cristobel in an attempt to break his spirit. Glancing back at his brother, Julian said, “I’m not sure if I can handle being here for this interrogation. Do you need me to find someone else?”

“I can handle it,” Edgar assured. “He will be singing like a canary as soon as I find his weakness.”

“I’m sure he will,” Julian replied stoically. “I will be in my office if you need me.”

********************

Adriana was walking down Cornwall Avenue to get away from headquarters. Trying to blend into the crowd, she had given her hair a golden blonde color, and her eyes were now blue. The street was buzzing with activity as vendors were selling the latest gadgetry and latest trends toys on every corner, along with any merchandise that was popular to tourists. Since some of the other megacities still had darkened skies, many people used oxygenated suits to travel to one of the two cites in which people could breathe naturally without a suit or dome. Centropolis had become an effective center of business in the months since The White Knights freed the city from the iron fist of Quake. Violence was unusual, and the bottom of Adriana’s jaw dropped as she saw the commotion across the street.

A fight was in progress, and five men were battling a young Asian woman. She kicked a tall man in the crown jewels, causing him to fall to his knees. Ensuring even more punishment, she kicked him in the back of the head. Two more men grabbed her by the arms, but it was a mistake as she kicked a third man in the jaw with both feet. Struggling to pull away from the two who held her captive, she stomped on the right foot on the man to her right, causing his grip to relinquish. With a free arm, she immediately punched the other in jaw. The final man had been standing and watching, but he was now ready to attack with an electro sword. Jumping into the air with ease, the young woman was soon behind him. With her left foot firmly secured, she kicked swiftly with a slightly rightward angle and struck the man’s neck.

Adriana had slowly crossed the street, one in which vehicles were only allowed to fly in the air above. Cautiously approaching the young woman she said, “That was amazing.”

Quickly turning with the back of her left hand reaching to strike Adriana’s face, the young woman was surprised by Adriana who grabbed her wrist before contact could be made. “I’m not here to fight. I simply want a chance to talk. However, this crowd may not be so kind.” The fight had drawn a group of onlookers, and Adriana knew many of them were human. While the humans in Centropolis were accustomed to evoloids, they still preferred for them, or any others with special powers, not to use the powers in their presence. “Will you come with me? I won’t hurt you.” Adriana produced an electronic card with a symbolic white Knight insignia upon it. Nodding, the woman followed Adriana in hopes of leaving the crowd behind.

The crowd followed the two women as they attempted to make their escape. “Wow! How did you learn to fight like that?” a preteen asked. They all asked questions. One boy even asked for her autograph. Adriana’s patience was never strong, and she was becoming angry. Her hair had taken a black hue, and the same could be said of her eyes. A thick cloud of black haze seemingly tumbled out of her body, and no one could see except Adriana. Luckily, the young woman did not fight Adriana as she was led out of the dark cloud. Making their way into a secluded alley, Adriana and the young woman were finally alone

“What’s your name?” Adriana asked.

“I am Marcy Chow,” she replied. “They call me Spitfire.”

“I’m Adriana. You’re an amazing fighter. What are your powers?”

“I have super agility, and I can use fire.”

“That’s interesting,” Adriana replied. “Do you shoot fireballs?”

“No, but I can surround my hands and feet with a small flame,” Marcy said confidently. “I don’t need fireballs. Hell, I rarely even use fire. I have had extensive training.”

“Who trained you?” Adriana inquired. “I know you haven’t been trained by The White Knights.”

“Well, I used to be a rogue,” Marcy replied shamefully. “I am reformed now. I was part of Quake’s group at one point in time, but they wanted me to torture innocent people, and I couldn’t do it. I barely escaped with my life. I have no idea who those men were, but they’re not from around here. Are you a White Knight?”

“Actually, I’m a permanent member of The White Knight Council,” Adriana said informingly. “My parents are two of the original Council Members.”

“Wow! You’re Purple Haze?” Marcy squealed with more than a hint of incredulity.

“The one and only,” Adriana boasted. “Did you enjoy the show?”

“I certainly did,” Marcy replied in a suggestive manner. “I’d like to see what other moves you know.”

“Ummmm… are you hitting on me?” Adriana asked redundantly.

“I think everyone knows you’ve had your trysts,” Marcy said with an evil grin. “You’re not the only one who likes the best of both worlds.”

“I’m trying to remain faithful to my husband,” Adriana said as a reminder. “You might have heard of him. He’s the mayor.”

“I’m well aware of who your husband is,” Marcy replied. “There were some spies in your organization, and you know that. I learned a lot about how you two operate.”

“Those days are over, Marcy,” Adriana barked indignantly. “There is nothing worse than someone talking like they know all about Simon and me when they know nothing about who we are and what we have. Were we open in the past? Of course we were, but it became a problem when I was sleeping with his brother. We eventually agreed that we would be monogamous. As for your former alliance, I do not know if you can really be trusted. For all I know, you still swear your allegiance to someone else.”

“I never said I wanted to be part of your organization,” Marcy grumbled. “However, I would like to assist you in any way I can to make amends for my past. Quake had a tendency to paint a picture of a world being better with The Dark Knights in power even though it was clearly not. He said it was in our best interest to stay on Blackheart’s good side even though he and Diabolico had essentially destroyed the world.”

“I’m not sure what we can do with you if you do not want to be part of the organization,” Adriana said in a subdued tone. “We do have some outside contacts, but they aren’t involved in combat. As for Quake, he was quite manipulative. He actually talked Caprican into joining his side.”

“I was in Empire City with him at the time,” Marcy said before taking a deep breath. “Caprican was already wavering in his support of The White Knights. Quake was just there to make the decision easier. Quake’s main objective was increasing support for his cause, and he knew how affective Caprican was with finding interested parties. That way Quake could mainly sit back and watch his organization grow into a juggernaut. It happened more quickly than even he was able to anticipate. Didn’t one of The Protectors defeat him?”

“Yes,” Adriana replied. “Julian barely escaped with his life. The shrapnel from Quake’s cybernetic components were lodged into Julian’s body.”

“Quake was feared by all,” Marcy said with a shudder. “He had a temper too. If anyone failed, he made life a living hell. His cybernetic components were made of kessleran. The fact that Julian was able to use an attack powerful enough is just… scary.” Kessleran was a metal specifically designed to withstand a great deal of stress from the elements. It was developed in the year, 2504, and it was named after Dr. Joseph Kessler, the chemist who created it from bombarding atoms together. The metal was also fairly light weight, making it ideal for cybernetics.

“Julian is no ordinary evoloid,” Adriana proclaimed. “He is an absorber.”

“You mean like Blackheart?” Marcy gasped. Adriana nodded in response. “Aren’t you afraid of him?”

“No, I’m not afraid of Julian,” Adriana replied defensively. “Why would I be afraid of him. I know he wouldn’t hurt me. He is only a real danger to the enemy, though he would probably respond if someone used a power on him. Beyond that, I just stay out of his way in battle. He is intense, and I have no desire to be caught in the crossfire.”

“I really want to meet him!” Marcy beamed with a gleam in her eye. “I never actually met Blackheart. All I know is what I have been told about absorbers. Isn’t he responsible for allowing the sun to return to Centropolis?”

“Actually, it took four of us, but he and Cristobel were the keys,” Adriana replied. “Cristobel brought the creature to life, and it was from Julian’s dream. I helped them possess the knight, and Thornos helped us restore plant life. Julian rolled the clouds away, but he could not do it on his own. The knight magnifies the power.”

“That’s amazing,” Marcy replied. “They really are as powerful as Blackheart and Diabolico.”

“Maybe even more so,” Adriana replied. “I hate to cut this conversation short, but we should go back to headquarters. I will have to take you to the basement level, because I don’t want you to know where you are until they clear you. We can’t have people revealing our location.” Marcy seemed to take Adriana’s words in stride as she gave Adriana a quick nod. Using a purple haze for teleportation, Adriana transported herself and Marcy to headquarters. Upon arrival, Marcy was impressed. The lower level was actually well-lit and clean. The level had an array of supplies for emergencies and was rarely accessed by anyone other than the housekeeping robots who were scheduled to clean once a week. The munitions area was separate but on the southeast side of the level, and Natalia frequently restocked it. The lower level was made out of concrete walls which were coated with Kessleran, giving the walls a silvery shine.

Adriana pointed to a sofa, and Marcy sat down while Adriana climbed the staircase. Entering her retinal scan, Adriana was allowed to access the Level 1. Her first order of business was to call another meeting of The Council to discuss Marcy and what Adriana thought she could provide. This was important, because there were only two options. The first option was for Marcy to become one of The Protectors. The other was a fate similar to that of Tiberius. Adriana first decided to talk to Julian. After all, he would have to access Marcy’s mind. Though Adriana was capable, she usually did not, because it often made her feel weak and rendered her unable to use her powers for several hours.

Entering Julian’s office Adriana noticed the same emptiness she had witnessed all these months as Julian stared at a picture of Cristobel on the right side of his desk, a memento he treasured more than anything else in his office. “Julian, I need to talk to you about who I found in Centropolis.”

Julian raised his head and looked at Adriana with a scowl across his face. His eyes were reddened from the tears he had shed, a mark of great sorrow. “Okay,” he whispered.

“Her name is Marcy,” Adriana replied. “I think she would be a great addition to The Protectors. I need you to access her mind to make sure she does not have evil intentions.”

“I can do that,” Julian replied stoically. “Unless she is able to block it, I can find out anything I want to know. Where can I find her?”

“I can show you,” Adriana replied. Julian stood up from his desk and followed Adriana out of the office. Taking a right, Adriana made a gentle stride toward the second door on the left. Julian kept pace and had a good idea about where Adriana might be headed and waited patiently as Adriana confirmed his suspicion by accessing the door to the lower level.

********************

Blackheart had made his way to Cabora to meet with a man he simply knew as Count Saravo, a man with many names. Blackheart knew only of Count Macoo’s great influence and the fact that he was a close advisor to Prince Aguro and Princess Deshia. Through the years, he had met with Count Macoo on many occasions. While Blackheart and Diabolico operated as the heads of The Dark Knights, they were closely aligned with the Caborians. Blackheart had never met Prince Aguro or Princess Deshia as they preferred to delegate responsibilities to others even for public appearances.

“Good afternoon, Count Saravo,” Blackheart said as he bowed in respect to his ally.

“Good afternoon, Blackheart,” Count Saravo replied in a raspy voice. Count Saravo spoke English well, and it was almost as natural to him as Caborian. Count Saravo was seated at the right end of the table, a place he always sat when having diplomatic meetings. Blackheart was always fascinated by the man with long grey hair and light blue eyes. He was a mentor, a guide to gaining dominion of two planets and slowly weakening yet another. Blackheart had met Count Saravo just before his mother’s death.

“The plan is now in action,” Blackheart boasted. “He took the bait just as I knew he would.”

“Excellent!” Count Saravo replied demonically. “I had a feeling it would work. There’s little to stop you now.”

“Once again you have been most helpful,” Blackheart noted. “I am confident in our new plan. Can I count on you for some extra troops?”

“I will see what I can do,” Count Saravo replied. “All I ask is that you leave your son unharmed for now. I think he might be useful if driven to a point of no longer caring about the welfare of others.”

“He is not like me,” Blackheart replied. “The only way would be for him to think that Cristobel is dead. Cristobel is just missing.”

“I believe he is somewhere here on Cabora,” Count Saravo replied. “However, there are only two people who can find him, and one of them is Julian.”

“I suspected as much,” Blackheart grumbled. “I am quite sure Julian has the same suspicion already. By now he has had visions, and he will eventually come to Cabora. When he does, you’ll need to be ready for him. I don’t want to risk battling him on Earth even though I would probably win.”

“He is powerful,” Count Saravo replied. “He is well-trained. Tempest wouldn’t have it any other way. Also, the Dugamonians are there with a powerful force. There is no need for you to risk exposure there.”

“I wouldn’t dream of it,” Blackheart replied. “We have to regain our losses before I can return to Earth. Diabolico will remain on Nerongia as well.”

“When the time is right, Julian will make his appearance here,” Count Saravo replied. “He will be much more vulnerable here.”

“You’re right,” Blackheart replied.

********************  

Adriana and Julian joined Marcy. Adriana noticed her beauty and wondered if that was part of what made her so deadly. “What happens next,” Marcy asked.

“I am here to read your mind,” Julian stated matter-of-factly. “We have to know where your true allegiance lies.”

“This is standard protocol,” Adriana added. “You were once associated with Quake.”

“I am trying to make amends for past mistakes,” Marcy replied. “I was misguided. Quake made me believe it was all the humans who were to blame.”

“That’s interesting,” Julian mumbled. “Blackheart made sure all the humans thought that evoloids were to blame. It has taken months to undo the damage he has caused. Humans were skeptical of us at first, but we have treated them quite well. Restoring relations with humans was our first priority.”

“They still don’t know how to react to our powers,” Marcy recalled.

“No, they don’t,” Adriana said emphatically. “We avoid using our powers in public, because humans tend to want to think of us as rock stars. Either that, or they are afraid of us…”

“We can talk about relations with humans later,” Julian said in an attempt to divert attention to the task at hand. “Are you ready?”

“I’m as ready as I’ll ever be,” Marcy sighed. “Let’s get this over with.”

Julian, while not at full capacity, was still able to enter Marcy’s mind. He wanted to see her last memory of Quake. From Marcy’s point of view, he could clear his former foe just as if he were still alive.

“You have failed me again,” Quake yelled. “You were supposed to kill them all. One of them escaped. They owed me money and were supposed to pay with their lives. Now you will be the one to pay the price.” Aiming his robotic arm at Marcy, Quake fired a small projectile. Marcy quickly dodged the projectile and ran toward the window. Jumping into the air, Marcy kicked the window and was somehow able to escape without anymore than a few scrapes from the glass. Julian could read Marcy’s thoughts. She wanted to make amends for what she had done, and she had been waiting for an opportunity to meet with The White Knights. Satisfied, Julian drifted away from Marcy’s mind and opened his eyes.

“I have some good news,” Julian said flatly. “You’re not going to die yet. You may be useful after all.”

“That’s a relief,” Marcy said with a sigh.