I actually managed to get this chapter up when I planned to. School lately has just finally lightened up right before winter break next week. Hopefully I'll get a lot of writing time then.
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Ethier left his house, locking the front door behind him. He walked the sidewalk slowly until he had passed that edge of town and then kept walking. These early morning walks gave him a great chance to think about everything going on lately. This morning would have been exactly the same, except that when he passed his favorite tree, a strange door opened in the open air and a man stepped out to face him.
Brittle Apocalypse
Chapter 9: Contact
The morning fog didn't impede on Ethier's sense of sight. He recognized this hollow eyed man that had tried to convince to join the Zodiac some years ago. Something was different about him. He seemed to have a much more oppressive aura than before. Then he turned to face him. Instead of the old colorless, hollow eyes, his eyes were a beautiful mix of green and ocean blue.
"Long time no see." Ethier greeted the man before he had the chance to say anything that would anger him.
"Indeed." He was silent yet again. Ethier looked at him for a second or two and then tried to probe for answers.
"Ever get that 'promotion' you were talking about last time you came to see me?" He watched the man for any signs that he could play off of.
"Yes. I did receive an increase in my rank. Although nothing changed except for my eye color. They now match the planet I represent."
"Ah. I can see that. So planets are a step up from constellations? Interesting organization, this Zodiac." Ethier smiled in an evil smirk. He tried to provoke the man.
"I'm no longer from the Zodiac. They now must follow my orders. Recently, they were all killed and now survivors are attempting a rebellion against us. I skipped out on the meeting that was supposed to take place today."
"So what planet is it that you are going by now?" Ethier seemed more and more interested as the man spoke.
"Earth." He looked directly into Ethier's eyes. "The others think my rank was achieved unfairly and don't 'privilege' me with that name. They have coined a derogatory nickname for me based solely on my abilities...Ghost."
Now Ethier was almost frightened by the way Ghost spoke to him. They seemed to be having some sort of mental confrontation as they stood in silence.
"So does that mean you are going to die first?" Ethier laughed at himself.
Ghost slowly removed a hand gun from his pants pocket. He raised it to his temple and cocked it. Ethier stumbled back surprised. He pulled the trigger. A large noise erupted from the gun and the tree to his left exploded from the impact of the bullet.
"If I was meant to die..." Ghost put the gun away again and looked to the tree. The bullet was stuck deep in the bark. "I would have died sometime ago. Now here is my advice to you, either join me and help squash the threat...or stay the hell out of our way."
Ghost stepped back through his strange portal and vanished from the cold morning forest. Ethier watched the portal close and stood in quiet reflection. The sun rose over the hills to the east and illuminated him and his path. He simply turned around and walked back home.
*****
Capricorn and Cancer were running together through an open countryside. They had been running for hours now and hadn't found anything. The clouds moved slowly through the sky. It was a beautiful day, but there was no time to appreciate the peace. Cancer stopped running and looked around confused. Capricorn turned around and walked to her side.
"Something wrong, Cancer?" He looked behind her to make sure they weren't being followed.
"I don't know. All of a sudden I feel a very strong aura. It's weird because it wasn't here just a second ago and it's almost choking me." She moved aside her pink hair to hear better. Nothing was making any noise except for the wind through the tall grasses.
"Let me scan the area." Capricorn placed his index and middle fingers on his temples and closed his eyes. A strange wave of energy shot out in a perfect circle from his head. Quickly followed by another. He scanned for a good two minutes. "I've got nothing."
"Wait..." Cancer grabbed his shoulder. "It's getting closer."
Capricorn looked around and then up towards the sky. One cloud seemed to much closer than the others. It's shape changed slightly as if it was budding off like a potato. One large piece of the cloud broke off and began falling rapidly at the ground. Its shape resembled a drop of water.
The piece of cloud kept falling. As its speed increased, small fragments broke away and revealed that a person was falling from the sky. Finally he landed heavily, feet first, and created a small crater with his landing. The man stood up straight revealing his massive body that seemed to be a wall of muscle.
"Holy shit..." Capricorn looked upon the man in fear. "He's got to be at least three times bigger than Taurus." The man caught what he said and smiled.
"HAHAHAHA!!" Jupiter pounded his right hand as a fist into the palm of his left hand. "Long time, guys. I hope you can old your own against a General, little kiddies."
*****
The trees were knit closely to each other in the forest. Taurus and Aquarius moved quickly among all of the low branches and tall bushes. They soon reached a clearing. It had to be at least 10 acres wide. For some strange reason, the trees seemed to not want to grow in this area.
Taurus looked at Aquarius and nodded. He reached into his back pocket and threw what looked like a grenade down into the grass behind them. It opened up and a small satellite dish began scanning the skies.
Roughly forty feet away, a portal opened and someone stepped out of it. Aquarius almost couldn't help but smile at the sight.
"Well, well. I knew that one of you would come to feel us out, but who would have thought it would have been you, Saturn." She put her hands in her back pockets almost casually.
Saturn turned and greeted the two with a big smile.
"Neither did I. I simply followed the biggest of the three power signals we detected. You all ought to learn how to hide your auras." He looked from Aquarius to Taurus and smirked in confidence. Taurus began to get angry at how nonchalantly he reacted to everything.
"Now, shall we begin?" Saturn raised his right hand and a quarter was balanced on the tip of his index finger. Without a single touch, it began spinning perfectly on the tip of his finger.
*****
Virgo walked confidently while being followed by a still reluctant Aries.
"I really don't like you." He had spent the entire time trying to insult and anger her.
"Oh believe me, I know." She giggled at his childish attempts to make her mad. "Just watch out for a power surge in the area okay?"
"Fine." He sighed and kept walking.
They got stuck taking the barren part of the search. The area around them was nothing but pseudo desert. Dirt covered in very patchy grass and cacti. Aries stopped walking to admire a lizard running through random ditches. Just as he knelt to pick it up, a foot stepped into view.
"Despite the lack of water, it's still beautiful out here isn't it?" Aries jumped back and his eyes met Neptune.
"Finally we get some action."
"What was that?" Virgo turned around. She saw Neptune and squinted in hatred.
Come on, she thought.
It had to be this tool?
"Hey baby. Miss me?" He smiled broadly.
"Not at all. I was fine without seeing you." She stood next to Aries in order to solidify her opposition.
"Aw that hurts. You're still ravishing as always. And those tits are in top form." Neptune smiled again just in time for his face to meet the palm of Virgo's hand. Her slap echoed through the empty wasteland. Neptune looked up, faced filled with rage.
"Fine. If that's how you want it, then your deaths will just have to teach you a lesson."
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To be continued in
B.A. Chapter 10
