Fall Foretold

Dark Joe

"Morning, dad", Joe greeted, drifting towards the door.

"Morning, son", his dad replied. "Good luck at school and with Laura"

"I'm over that", he said, indifferently, and stopped, as a thought hit him. "Dad?"

"Yes? Any problem?"

"No", he walked closer to his dad. "At Cyrus Martinez's den, we met a black man. He happens to be in search of his father, who has been kept somewhere in Sterling City. The diviner's are unable to give him hints but, yesterday, we met with Mario-"

"Mario, the game master?"

"Mario, the diviner. The sweet vendor. You know him from somewhere?"

"Not really but he's definitely cunning. Be careful with him. What did he say?"

"He said we've been trying to find the wrong thing. He said we should find the building with an incense mask. He wouldn't help us check it out"

" I only know one building with an incense mask. The hospital"

"Are you sure of that?"

"Yes", Mr. Ryan replied. "Chris built the hospital with an incense mask to ward off evil and prevent the Devil's daughter from finding anything attractive in the place"

"If it's the hospital, then-"

"-the devil's daughter has used Chris' plan against him."

★

The murmurings almost blocked everyone's ears. It's funny how silent mutterings from a large number of people seemed to amplify themselves. Joe joined Laura on her seat, to make sure she doesn't suspect his jealousy. He acted normal and his heart wasn't beating as fast as he had imagined.

"Hi, Laura, you got a problem?"

"No", she looked dull. "Why do you ask?"

"Your face looks like something I could throw up on", Joe replied,. jokingly.

"Did you like me?", Laura asked. "When you said you wanted to dance with me, were you serious?"

He had to fight the urge. "I was drunk, that day."

"Ok. How about your nightmares? Do you still see the Shadowmask?"

"No, I got over those dreams. I'm okay and totally not depressed, anymore"

"Ok", she replied, relaxed her back and stared at her wallpaper.

"Joe?", Felix called him.

"See you later, Laura", Joe said, as he stood up. "My regards to Davis".

★

"Where is John?", the Shadowmask asked.

"He's having fun with his girlfriend", Cedric replied. "These chances may only come, few times in a lifetime. Why did you call me?"

"Mario taught me how to destroy the key. I need to do it before the devil's daughter comes for it"

"Do you trust him?"

"I don't know but there is no harm in giving it a try", the Shadowmask replied.

"Ok. It's right here", Cedric handed the key to him. "How's it going to work?"

"He asked me to do it, somewhere far from the city. It might explode. I have to conjure the fire and electricity in my veins and direct it at the key"

"Well, that sounds like something. Let's do it"

"I need you to stay. While I'm gone, if you need extra hands, I have two friends in school who know about this?"

"Are you planning to stay long?"

"I don't know how long it'll take to get this done or how destructive the explosion will be"

"Names?"

"Felix and Jackson. Get to them and give them an order. They'll do it"

"Won't we be putting them in danger?"

"Then, protect them"

***********

He jumped into the sky, shooting through the wind, as fast as a kicked ball. He didn't stop till he was far from the city; till he was far from where people reside.

He pulled out the key from his pocket. There was a negative feeling he was getting from the key, like if he wasted time, he would fail.

He closed his eyes and the globes in his veins, lightened up. Sparks of electricity appeared, sporadically, on his body. He made a ball of fire and electricity in his hands, adding more power to the ball and making it stronger. The key only kept glowing, within the fireball.

The fireball blew up on his face and the key disappeared.

"It worked?", Joe muttered, feeling dizzy. "It worked? It worked!"

Then, he felt something in his stomach. The fire and electricity from his veins showed up again, rapidly moving over his body. His eyes glowed. Joe fell to the ground and lost his consciousness.

However, the fall was in his head, his body remained standing. The Shadowmask transformed, completely, growing a second head, wings with thorns, fiery horns, and a tail with a sharp edge. The key wasn't destroyed. The key was in him.

As planned, the devil's daughter showed up, where the mutated Shadowmask stood. "I can see you have destroyed the key.. now, all that's left is to figure out a way to kill you"

The Shadowmask remained on a spot, breathing out fumes. He roared, suddenly, startling the devil's daughter. "Stay back, cousin. I'm not the enemy", she pointed at the city. "That is where our enemies reside. We'll bring the city down to dust, with every inhabitant of the city"

"Grr!", he scowled. "I work solo"

"No, you don't... I am your mistress"

The Shadowmask opened it's widened mouth, pouring dragon breath all over Melissa. She screamed in pains, as the tail of the Shadowmask pierced her deeply, lifting her off the ground. She burned to ashes and the Shadowmask flew back into the city, putting his new wings to use.

★

"Lucifer, the fallen beast", Melissa called, standing far off. She hadn't visited him in years. Now, she came with a determined heart. "Come out, you coward!"

Lucifer wheeled himself out of the house. "I will never run from a mortal being. The day I do, I lose my dignity. What have you come for?"

"You will lose that dignity you believe in, today. I came to end the only one standing in the way of the Unchaining"

"Don't say it that way. Be careful what you wish for", Lucifer replied. "If the Unchaining happens now, we are all doomed, and you will be included. Your wish is to control the beast.... so who is the 'one' you speak of?"

Melissa pushed out her chest, making serpents of steel to come out from her cleavage. The serpents crawled in the air, towards Lucifer. Lucifer lifted a finger, making the serpents stop in the air.

"Never threaten me with the powers I gave to you", he said, and with his finger, he made the serpents turn back at the devil's daughter.

The serpents moved around her, tying her up. "Don't struggle", Lucifer said. "They might bite... You didn't know that?"

The serpents lifted her off the ground and brought her before Lucifer, while he was still controlling them with the finger. He stood up from his wheelchair.

"What?!", she exclaimed. "You've been lying to the world, all this while?"

"No, I've been making an excuse to be matured... an excuse to think straight and do the right thing... You'll never do that, will you, Melissa?"

"You want to kill your own daughter?", Melissa tried to get in his head, as his fingers changed into a blade. "You are going to become a monster again"

"Bullshit! I know my daughter. She'll return", he replied and slashed her throat, with his silver claws.

★

Mr. Pitybull was Lecturing, again. Everyone expected it to be another boring repetition of 'history that never makes history', but it was as boring as expected. Forget the but!

'He should be sacked!', Charles was yelling in his mind.

Felix and Jackson stared at Joe, multiple times during the lectures. He hadn't spoken to anyone, since he got to school. He looked bigger than usual and his face was rough. His eyes were literally glowing. No one noticed but it was more than enough for Felix to suspect a change.

"Jack? Did Joe greet you, this morning?", Felix called.

"He's literally had fire in his eyes since I saw him. Check those eyes"

"I've seen it. If it has to do with him being the man in the mask, the secret may get out, soon"

"That's something to worry about but have you thought of him being possessed? I mean, he's never full of himself and he'll do anything to keep his secret. What if something is controlling him?"

"Damn!", Felix exclaimed. "Now that we're learning new important topics, he might not even be hearing the lectures"

"Really, Felix? Reall-"

"Felix and Jackson should report to the Principal's office, immediately. Important news on security!", a voice came out, through the speakers connected to the class. "Immediately!"

They got up, immediately, and headed to the principal's office, wondering what offence they had committed. "What did we do this time?", Felix whispered to Jackson, as they were about to walk into the office"

"I warned you. You shouldn't have peed in his office"

"Are you kidding?", he pulled Jackson back. "If you lie against me, I'll chop your head off".

They ended the chat, abruptly, as they stepped in. Cedric Vladimir and John Cage had been waiting for them.

"These gentlemen have asked to see.you", the principal said.

"Sorry, it's private. Can we talk outside?"

"I'm sorry but it has to be under my supervision", the principal replied. "You can just talk, quietly."

" Ok", they said and turned to the kids. "You know the Shadowmask?

"Are we supposed to?", Jackson said, feigning ignorance, as he stylishly made Felix do the same. "Why would you think of asking us?"

"It's a simple answer for me", Felix added. "I don't.... but I wish I did. A real life superhero could be a once in a lifetime thing"

Cedric and John looked at each other, astonished at how they'd keep his secret. Cedric bent his head closer. "This is important-"

"We don't know!", Felix said, intentionally loud, to make the principal hear them.

"Any problem, there?", the principal asked. "I don't want you harassing and of my students, ok?"

"It's ok, sir. There's no problem", Cedric replied and turned back to the kids. "Stop shouting. We know who the Shadowmask is and we know he knows you. He is in trouble."

"How do you mean?", Jackson asked.

Felix retorted. "Are you kidding? He is in the-", Jackson put a hand on his mouth.

"He's in school?", John asked.

Jackson put a hand on his forehead, expressing disappointment. "Yes, he is... because some coward can't shut his trap!"

"He is ok?.. Like a normal person?", John asked again.

"Yes.. but not really. He has been acting weird since he got here. His eyes are glowing and he looks super violent", Felix told them.

"Keep watch on him. Make sure he attacks no one and nobody stare him up"

"I'm the only one who dares that", Jackson said. "I will take caution"

"Bring your phones", John ordered and they did, stylishly, preventing the principal from seeing them. John saved his numbers on their phones. "If anything happens, call me... John Cage"

★

As if everyone felt his heat, they looked up and saw a being with two heads, a horn on each, and large wings, flying above them and leaving a trail of fire and smoke behind it. The Shadowmask landed on Melissa's hall. Stamping his feet, he fell into the hall.

The devil’s daughter had seen him coming. He flew at her, trying to cut her in two, with his sharp-edged wings. She bent her head, backwards, preventing it. The Shadowmask didn’t look or turn back. He flew through the hall, smashing into the walls, and into a tunnel.

As he flew towards the beast lock, something pulled his tail back. The devil’s daughter hadn’t stopped chasing after him. From her back, huge long hands, gaseous as thick smokes, emerged holding the hands of the Shadowmask apart. She shot thorns from her chest, at him. The fire from his veins covered him, burning up the thorns before he could be touched. His tail grew longer, jumping like a serpent, and Melissa who defended with the steel serpents from her cleavage. The steel serpents curled around the tail of the Shadowmask, almost cutting it off. He extended the electricity and fire from his veins to his tail, making the steel serpents screech in pain. Being connected to the serpents, Melissa fell to the ground, releasing the hands of the Shadowmask from the grip of her smoking hands. Immediately the Shadowmask drops to the ground, he slammed the floor of the tunnel, dispersing electricity and fire, which threw Melissa off the ground, making her unconscious. The Shadowmask walked to the beast lock and pulled out the key from his chest. He put the key in the lock and twisted it open. He pushed the door and a dragon with seven heads woke up.

“Good morning, dear”, the Shadowmask said. “I am your master now”

The dragon bent it’s head closer and the Shadowmask rubbed. “Set me free, master. Let’s make the world know our gospel”

As the Shadowmask walked out, the environment changed and his father appeared, with a gun in hand.

“This is not the prophecy, Joe”, Mr. Ryan said. “Regain your control or I’ll shoot”

“Stop disturbing yourself, old man”, the Shadowmask said. “He has accepted salvation. Come to me and I’ll make you fishers of men”

“Shut up!”, he yelled. “Don’t you dare quote the Bible in your evil”

“I have no time to discuss. There’s a large crowd, waiting for eternal life”, the Shadowmask said, as his long tail jumped at Mr. Ryan’s face.

Mr. Ryan woke up in a river of sweat. He had had a dream but dreams don't just come to Mr. Ryan; especially daytime dreams. Turning evil had always been his fear since he heard of his grandfather's feats. Reflecting on his son’s look and reactions, that morning, he got scared.

..