chapter 2:Old friends

A Chapter by Rayner Ramsay

Michael now knows that the fate of his son is not as it first seems.But now he must figure out what really happened

Michael returned home and for the next week he was researching the person he had encountered,but sadly nothing showed for his efforts.Instead he simply gave up.But upon the week later he received a piece of advice from Janice.

"Why not go and find them.A city burnt to the ground a few days ago."

"How did you find out about that?"

"I watch the news."

Michael got up and ran outside into the backyard.Memories rushed back of Thomas playing out there.But he braved it and carried on.He went to something that was being concealed by a blanket.Underneath it was a hover bike.It was a motor bike with no wheels,just two hover pads attached to the bottom.

"I think this still works."He got on it and turned the key.The motor roared to life within a couple of attempts to get it started.Once on,Michael sped off out through the gate leading out the side of the house.He sped off in his new destination. HeightenShire. It took a few hours but he eventually arrived at the smoldering site that once was HeightenShire.It was literally just a big ash covered mess.

"My god,what could have done this?" A footstep behind him startled him.He spun round with energy blasts in his hands.

"Hold yourself!I mean no harm." A man dressed like a cowboy was standing only a few meters away.

"Sam?You son of a b***h!" Michael stepped forward and punched him on the arm.

"It's been too long Michael.You don't seem to have changed a bit."

"Comes with the immortal side of my life."

"Sure would be glad to have some of that right about now."Sam turned to the city."That son of a b***h got to my city."

"I know.I came here to...Wait,you know who it was that did this?"

"No.But it was made out of dark matter crystal.I thought you got rid of that stuff."

"I did but somehow it managed to keep out of my reach.But now it has gotten personal.I thought Thomas was dead when he can't be because that old fortress,yeah,it had been rebuilt from top to toe."

"Holy smokes.I guess we need to find out what happened to the boy."

"The crystal creature came from there.I get the feeling it could be Mechanoid."

"No.He died."

"Maybe."

"So where are we off to?"

"New Brittania."

"Why there?"

"Because I have a friend that can help us track down this guy."

"Sounds good to me."Sam walked over to Michael's bike."This yours?"

"Yeah."

"Then check out this little beauty." Sam walked over to a bush and pulled out his own Hover bike.It had the head of a mechanical horse attached to the front of the bike and a tail at the back.All of it looked very very well designed.

"Holy s**t."

"Yeah." Sam hopped on it then revved the engine."I love that sound!"

Michael got on his."Race you there!"

As soon as Sam was ready to go,his bike coughed up some black smoke."Uh oh."The bike suddenly leaned to one side and fell apart."S**t."

"Looks like I'll be going alone!"

"See ya round!"

Michael sped off in the direction of New Britannia.He tapped his ear piece and activated it."Janice?!"

"Yes?"

"Can you go to the city library and look something up for me?"

"Like what?"

In his ear he could hear static."Janice?!Are you there?!" He slammed on the brakes,spun round,then headed straight for Zitopia.He went as fast as the bike could go.A horrific scene stood before him when he arrived.The entire city seemed to be burning."No!" He ran on foot through the city and saw people jumping out of buildings to escape the fires.

A man was trapped behind some rubble."Help!"

Michael rushed over to the rubble and removed a chunk of concrete.The rest of the rubble blew outwards throwing Michael against a nearby wall."God damn it." He looked up and saw a flying figure high above him."No."

"Hello Michael."

"How can this be?"

"Impossible right?"

"I saw you die."

"I did but I was resurrected to kill you."

"Who brought you back?"

"You already know them."

"Who are they?"

"He is more powerful than you could ever imagine."

"Tell me who it is Dragod!"

"You'll find out soon enough but for now you will have to settle for..."

"What have you done Dragod?!"

"This?It's beautiful right?All of the fire."

"What have you done with Janice?"

"We took care of her."

"We?"

"I didn't come alone if that's what you thought."

"Who else is with you?"

"An old friend."

Michael caught fire."Don't make me use these flames against you."

"It doesn't matter whether you kill us,his plans will carry on!"

Michael threw a fire ball at Dragod creating an explosion."Die!"

"It takes more than that to kill your past."A figure stepped out from some fire.It was Leahcim.

"You helped do this?"

"Yes."

"Then you're going to get the same treatment!" Another fire ball was thrown but this time at Leahcim.The explosion was big but did little to him.

"I told you,it takes more than that to kill your past.Just like your son."

"What do you know about Thomas?"

"Who do you think is helping your new foe?"

"But he wouldn't,he..."

"Your son saw that you had left him to die.He hated you for it.He then decided it was time for a little change."

"I thought he had died..."

"You thought we were dead as well but Thomas showed your foe the resurrection spell."

"Who is he?"

"I'm just going to kill you instead."Leahcim picked a broken piece of metal and hurled it at Michael,only to have it thrown back at him.The metal pierced his heart killing him.Michael had used his sticky grappling hook to throw it back.

Janice was hanging from a rope connected to a building."Hold on!"As the rope snapped,Michael ran over to her and caught her in mid fall.

"Michael,oh Michael."Janie hugged him fiercely."Thank you."

"Are you alright?"

"You need to stop the Doomsday drill."

"The what?"

"It is a machine capable of drilling to the center of the earth."

"You have heard of dark matter crystals?"

"Yes."

"There is also light.And one other."

"Which is?"

"In the center of the earth is a crystal of power.It has enough power to give a man my abilities and then the rest of the planet."

"Then you had better find it before they use it."