Chapter 22 – Liquid chaos
Only a few days had passed since Chaos Man made his return to the public eye through The Debbie Dreamer Show, and already the new app he had introduced, Chaos Chord, had gotten over a billion downloads, and so many people had created an account in the hopes of interacting with the man himself. Though Michael was annoyed at Alex for announcing their app before he had a chance to test it, he was pleased to see that something he helped develop was beloved by so many people. And the best part, Alex’s new Chaos Phone – as he calls it – was completely invulnerable to hackers, trackers, or any form of cyber attack.
After meeting with Richard Magna himself at Alice’s funeral, Michael knew the mega corporation was no fan of the rainbow-coloured superhero. He cannot ignore the possibility that they may pose a threat to them in the future. Before Chaos Man, Magna Tech was seen as the greatest powerhouse in the world, only for Chaos Man to appear and knock them off their pedestal. The public sees Chaos Man as the best thing to ever happen to New London, almost as if they’d completely forgotten how Magna Tech restored England’s capital city when it was in ruins. In the end, the people will only see Magna Tech as greedy and obsessed with wealth and control, while Chaos Man is seen as an inspiration for freedom.
Once the Chaos Chord app was properly updated and tested, it was ready for download. The instant it was released, it had gotten more downloads than all the Magna Tech-related apps. When Alex logged on, he was bombarded with messages, requests and alerts of crimes for him to tackle. He was easily overwhelmed with requests. A lot of them were small, meagre tasks like getting a woman’s cat out of a tall tree, making a guest appearance at some kid’s birthday party, or something as simple as taking a selfie. Alex let out a deep sigh. He clearly told everyone on the live show that the request feature was for serious matters only, such as thwarting a bank robbery or preventing a murder. He felt people weren’t taking his new app seriously. The point was for people to reach out to him for help whenever the police, Aegis, or whatever were too busy to listen.
Still, he couldn’t just turn all of them down after just launching Chaos Chord. It would be bad for his image. Alex isn’t the kind of person who cares about the preservation of his reputation or making himself look good. Only the opinions of the people closest to him matter. But keeping in the public’s good side is important if he wants to continue this hero gig in the long run. So, for the sake of keeping them happy and safe, he’ll give in to their requests, at least for now.
He will hover a few feet off the ground to rescue cats in trees. He will make school appearances and inspire the children to do better and not do drugs. He will pose with as many fans as he can and make their day with a bright smile. As tedious as some of these pointless requests are, he did find some enjoyment in them. He felt warm inside when he visited the children’s hospital and made a sick child’s wishes come true by taking him on a little flight around the area the hospital was based in at a safe height, making him feel like he was as free as a bird, even if it was for a few minutes.
The major downside to all this noble charity is that there was always little time for him to do the things he wanted to do as Alex Laytham, like hang out with his friends, go on dates with Violet, read comics, watch Captain Cosmic, etc. Fortunately, once Michael installed a feature that would block or remove the accounts of people who abuse the request feature with pointless, non-serious matters, things have slowed down progressively, allowing the hero to breathe.
Right now, in the afternoon on Wednesday, at precisely 3:59 pm, Chaos Man was chilling on a rooftop of a tall skyscraper, his legs dangling over the edge as he was scrolling through his personal account on Chaos Chord, reading the comments on the many photos he’d taken of himself as he bobs his head along to the song playing in the background. Most of them were him flying over the city and giving his followers an impressive view of New London from a bird's eye view. Others were him standing atop London’s most iconic landmarks and doing all kinds of silly poses. He was surprised to see that almost every comment was positive. He’d expect at least one hater to type something hurtful in a desperate attempt to stir up drama. But so far, the community he created was full of genuine, kind people.
A whole minute passes as he reads in peace until Big Ben’s bells ring out the moment the big hand strikes 12. Chaos Man slowly glances up at the giant clock, seeing that the time is now 4:00 pm. The time wasn’t the reason he was suddenly feeling down; it was the clock tower itself. Big Ben served as the birthplace of Wilfre. It was where Jason hid when he ran away from his sins.
Thinking about Jason again stirred up the painful memory of seeing him being killed by Michael. He couldn’t save him in the end. He failed to keep his promise to Jackson. Maybe this was why Alex was so inclined to help as many people as he could, to make up for his failure.
Chaos Man: (He sighs deeply) So, they finally got that big ol’ clock working again. The same clock where Jason became Wilfre… I still can’t believe he’s gone. I promised Jackson I’d save him, but I failed. I hope you can forgive me, Jackson… At least I still have Omnius, Michael and Violet in my life. Thanks to Michael, my new app has become a huge success. I didn’t think doing little things for people would be so fun and fulfilling. Is that the right word? I don’t know… Who am I talking to?
Chaos Man chuckles to himself, only just realising that he was just voicing his thoughts aloud. He was lucky he wasn’t doing a livestream on Chaos Chord right now. He glances over at the Magna Tech headquarters in the centre of New London by the edge of the River Thames.
Chaos Man: Aegis haven’t been giving me any problems since they ambushed me in Reading. Such a relief that I don’t have to worry about them anymore. Magna Tech, however, aren’t as welcoming or cooperative. I mean, seriously, who sends robots to attack me when all I was doing was a grand opening for a new homeless shelter? For people who ended up homeless because they couldn’t afford one of their expensive apartments… What is it with big corporations and their greed? More importantly, what’s Richard’s problem with me? I never did anything to him… Hmm, I wonder how Michael’s training with Omnius is going. Wonder if he’s gotten better at using Frost Fang. Probably should’ve asked him when I saw him last… I should also try to spend more time with Violet. Almost losing her to Wilfre made me realise how lucky I am to have her in my life. Still surprised how well she took the revelation of me being Chaos Man.
Another song begins to play on his phone, interrupting Alex’s train of thought for it was a good one, he couldn’t help but move his hips too. The song was “In My Dreams” by a band called Wig Wam. One from a long list of Chaos Man’s favourite 80’s rock bands. It was always his favourite genre of music.
Chaos Man: Oh my god, I LOVE this song! Man, the 80’s had the best songs ever written. Sometimes I wish I had grown up in that period. It would’ve been dope.
Chaos Man gets up from the ledge and moves into the middle of the roof so that he can have all the room he needs to rock out to one of his favourite songs. His suit glows as he manifests sparks of Chaos Energy from his fingertips to simulate him strumming an electric guitar. His phone was leaned up against an air conditioning unit with the screen facing him so he could see himself in the frame of the camera. He started filming himself before dancing, thinking it might please some of his followers when he posts it later.
Unbeknownst to him, one of Adrian’s wasp drones was hovering a good distance above and behind him, spying on him. Back at Magna Tech, in the building’s surveillance room, Matthew was broadcasting the live recordings from the drone’s cameras to the main computer screen. Richard and Doctor Wasp were watching him, expressing utter confusion and irritation at the screen.
Matthew: I have located Chaos Man, Sirs.
Dr Wasp: What is he doing? Is he… dancing?
Richard: Seriously? This is the idiot Aegis is entrusting to protect our city?! He’s nothing but a pompous, attention-seeking child who believes he’s invincible! He must be eliminated!
Matthew: If I may interrupt, Sir. I have been observing Chaos Man’s every move since he introduced the Chaos Chord app to the public.
Dr Wasp: I thought you said you couldn’t hack into it.
Matthew: Correct, Doctor Vespa. However, I have been gathering data on the requests he’s been carrying out and comparing it to the current crime rates throughout the United Kingdom. All crime has dropped 70% faster in a matter of three days than before his debut. Despite Mr Magna’s personal opinions on him, logically speaking, Chaos Man has become the greatest step towards progressive recovery since the end of the Monster War and the rebuilding of the New London… I fail to understand why his helping of others is a problem, Sir.
Richard: For an advanced AI system, you seriously can’t see the obvious problem, can you?
Matthew: Sir?
Richard: The Bubonic Plague. Back in the 14th century, that pandemic wiped out between 30 to 60% of Europe’s population. It could’ve been humanity’s extinction, but we fought back and worked hard to develop a cure and stop the disease. The War of the Seven Continents. Elementals threatened our existence, but we stood our ground and fought for our right to live on this planet. The Great Magical Purge, the Monster War… These are all just some examples of what mankind managed to overcome. Times were tough, many lives were lost, but we as a species always came out on top! But now all of that threatens to change with the arrival of Chaos Man… Why can’t everyone else see that he poses a massive issue to humanity’s progress? If we humans no longer had the ability to solve problems ourselves, we’d inevitably become a weaker race, becoming completely dependent on this god-like being with the personality of a Gen-Z TikToker!
Richard vented angrily. He was very tempted to smash his cybernetic fist against the screen showing Chaos Man, but he didn’t need the stress of paying to have it replaced on top of the tension he held over Alice’s revitalisation.
Matthew processes every word the CEO says and stores it in his database for future reference. Adrian doesn’t entirely share Richard’s hatred for Chaos Man, but he can see the logic behind his rant. He was absolutely right. What made humankind last as long as it did was its determination to get through whatever tough times occurred, both manmade and natural. Despite sharing Earth with the Elementals and Magic Users, what made humanity stand on top as the dominant species was its unique combination of high intelligence, complex communication and the ability to cooperate flexibly in large numbers. Since the Stone Age, humans have been figuring out ways to exist without the constant aid of their Elemental cousins. Figured out how to make fire on their own, how to defend themselves, and build whole civilisations.
If Chaos Man continued to protect the world, humans would grow too lazy to defend themselves and just think, “Eh, let's just have Chaos Man do it for us”. The result, the next generation of mankind will become too stupid and have no sense of urgency in a crisis, leading to their possible extinction. Humanity must maintain its strength, or else the Elementals and those with magic will sense their weakness and strike back.
Dr Wasp: My wasp drones have been observing him since he first appeared. I estimate we’re closer to completing Operation Chaos Breaker faster than we have before. Though its guaranteed success is still heavily dependent on the success of Project Leda.
Richard: You still haven’t made much progress?
Dr Wasp: I’m afraid not, Sir. But the Chaos Energy from the emerald powering our facilities are keeping her brain alive remarkably better than the life support systems themselves. Chaos Man may hold the key.
Richard: Wait! What are you saying?
Richard asked his colleague as he gave him a serious sideways glance. Was he suggesting that they need Chaos Man’s help to revive Alice? For his sake, that better not be what Adrian was implying.
Dr Wasp: The energy from the red emerald and the cyan one Chaos Man has shared the same energy signature, but their readings are vastly different. Matthew, show him a side-by-side comparison.
Matthew complies and splits the main computer screen in half. On the left was the live surveillance footage of Chaos Man, who was currently doing a livestream on the same rooftop he was dancing on. On the right side were two sets of wavelengths. The one at the top represented the red chaos emerald that the company somehow managed to acquire, and the bottom was the cyan emerald Chaos Man had stashed in his belt. The readings at the top appeared more unstable with very high and low diagonal lines, whilst the readings coming from Chaos Man were calmer and moving at a steady pace.
Dr Wasp: As you can see, the readings are off the charts for our emerald, while Chaos Man’s is more stable. These “Chaos Emeralds” are connected to Chaos Man himself. Only he can tame their powers and bring them under control. The untamed red emerald is producing more energy than we can siphon every day. At some point, it’ll be too much to contain.
Richard: And your solution is to ask Chaos Man for help?
Dr Wasp: Not necessarily. More so, force him into a situation where he has no choice but to help.
Richard: That’s more like it.
Matthew: Sorry to interrupt, Sirs, but Chaos Man seemed to have noticed one of the wasp drones.
The two men quickly turn their attention back to the screen just as Matthew makes it whole again. Chaos Man was looking directly into the camera spying on him and gave them a wave before flying off north-east. While they were talking, one of Chaos Man’s followers alerted the hero to the camera drone that they managed to spot in the background as Chaos Man was streaming.
Richard: After him!
Soon, all the wasp drones were on the hero’s tail, managing to catch up with him at his lowest speed. Chaos Man glances back at the pursuing robots, somehow dodging around the obstructions in his path without looking forward.
Chaos Man: Giant robot wasps? Why are they so insistent on bugging me?
The two wasps up front arch their thoraxes downwards, pointing their stingers at Chaos Man. The tips glow bright blue for a split second before firing a laser beam at the hero. Chaos Man had only moments to react, spinning up and over the beam, successfully dodging it.
Chaos Man: Whoa! Guess that answers my question. I’m outta here!
The rest of the drones start to open fire on him once Chaos Man starts picking up speed, drawing attention from the people below their positions. They were moving so fast that nobody had enough time to pull out their phones and snap a picture.
As the drones pursued Chaos Man, their cameras continued to scan him, providing more data for Matthew to register and create a visual for Richard and Dr Wasp.
Dr Wasp: Amazing! His speed. His agility. It’s inhuman!
Richard: Keep on him.
Chaos Man attempts to lose the drones by descending lower towards the city, hoping to use the buildings to cover his escape. But instead of following him in a group, all the drones split off from the swarm and go down separate paths, trying to box him in. One drone managed to get in front of him and charged full speed with its stinger raised. It collides into Chaos Man’s chest, exploding on contact, causing the hero to lose altitude and crash into an alleyway between a series of tall apartment buildings. His body skids across the concrete ground until the wall in front of him halts his movement.
Chaos Man: Ow… These aren’t just laser-shooting robots, they’re flying micro-bombs! Gotta lose ‘em before they blow me, and this street, to bits!
Despite how hard he hit the ground; Chaos Man was almost completely unfazed by the crash. But there was no time to rest as more wasp drones were closing in on his location. He needed to get back into the sky and lure them away from any rural areas to ensure nobody got hurt. He quickly ascends back to the open sky, glancing downwards to see if the wasps were following him, which they were.
Now he was free to let loose and blast them out of the sky with a couple of precise chaos spears. One by one, the wasp drones explode midair, bringing an end to their annoyance. Through the smoke, Chaos Man can see bits and pieces of them falling to the ground below. The chances of any of them hitting a civilian or a moving vehicle aren’t very high, but that didn’t stop him from flying down and gathering all the pieces up before they could. Once gathered, he flies towards the city scrapyard and dumps the lot in the pile of rusty old cars, broken appliances, and much more.
He kept one broken drone in his hands so that he could examine it, trying to find out where it came from. On the side, he could see Magna Tech’s symbol imprinted on the underside of the thorax. He wasn’t surprised. What other company did he know that had highly advanced robots and a CEO who wasn’t his biggest fan?
Chaos Man: Magna Tech, I should’ve known. They’ve been spying on me ever since I defeated that giant monster Aegis struggled against. Now they’re trying to blow me up?! Michael wasn’t kidding. Just how much does this Richard Magna hate me? Speaking of which, I should probably check up on him. He should still be training with Omnius at the monastery. I'd better go before more drones show up.
With the broken drone securely tucked under his right arm, Chaos Man takes flight once more and blasts off in the direction of the monastery.
Back at Magna Tech, Richard and Adrian were left staring at a static screen. They’ve lost visual of Chaos Man, which they knew meant he managed to take out every drone they’ve sent after him. Richard was most displeased with the outcome. He hated seeing thousands of pounds worth of technology being destroyed by the likes of that arrogant superhero.
Richard: You blew it! You let that dancing clown make fools of us!
Dr Wasp: Relax, Richard, this was only a trial run. My wasp drones have proven that my targeting computers can find Chaos Man and any trace of his chaos energy.
Richard: They’re my targeting computers! I put up the money; you only invented them! What good are they if they can’t catch him?!
Dr Wasp: That’s not their job.
Richard: Then whose job is it?
Doctor Wasp snaps his fingers, signalling Matthew to switch off the computer screens and display a holographic projection in the centre of the room. A 3D blueprint for a new type of combat robot slowly rotates clockwise. It looked like something out of an anime with its sleek but edgy design. It was humanoid but had several guns on its body, rockets on its back, and wings on the side to keep it balanced. The hologram also shows an animation of the robot transforming into a jet form and back again on repeat. Richard gives him an “Are you serious?” look, not taking this new design seriously.
Dr Wasp: That’s whose job it is… What? I like anime.
Richard: This is no time for jokes, Adrian!
Dr Wasp: It’s no joke, Sir. I know it looks like something out of a Gundam ripoff, but it will hopefully serve as a means to deal with Chaos Man once I’ve built them. Even if they don’t, I can use the data they’ve collected to build a more advanced robot that can… Have I ever let you down before?
Richard sighs. As ridiculous as this design may look, it doesn’t really matter if it does what it's built to accomplish. And if not, at least he can brag about how his company has managed to build the world’s first realistic, fully functional Transformers robot.
Still, this plan to use Chaos Man to stabilise the chaos emerald cannot be the only one they’ve got. Richard would rather lose his other arm and both his legs to another monster attack than ask for help from the likes of him. Nothing and no one will ever change his opinion of the “hero”. He will see Chaos Man removed and his daughter restored to health. This he knew.
Earlier in the day, at the monastery within the mountain range, Omnius had been spending the day training Michael on how to properly wield Frost Fang. By now, the former soldier had lost count of how many sessions he had with this man, but it felt like he hadn’t been through enough to improve in his eyes. Training under Omnius felt completely different compared to Aegis, with their advanced technology and strict training regimens.
With Omnius, it felt more like he was training in a more traditional, back-to-basics kind of way, without special equipment and instead using the environment to improve himself. The kind of training he often saw in movies and other forms of media. Swinging a sword is no problem for him. He’s had training with blade-based weaponry before. The issue he was having was the way Omnius was always speaking in riddles. It felt like he was intentionally messing with him, even if there were no signs of distrust from him.
Omnius: Concentrate, Michael. Do not treat Frost Fang as another tool to use. It is a living being just as you and I. Put your faith in the sword, and the sword will put its faith in you.
Michael exhales an annoyed sigh and maintains his firm swordsman stance, holding the icy blue blade up high, aiming the tip at the row of scarecrows set up a few feet in front of him. His goal was to willingly unleash a crescent symphony attack and take them all out at once. But he was having a hard time concentrating his aura into the sword to unleash it through the blade in a sideways swing.
Michael: Urgh! C’mon, Frost Fang, work with me here! Why aren’t you doing the crescent symphony?
Frost Fang: Because you’re not taking the training seriously. You’re seeing those scarecrows as targets. You can’t attack something you don’t see as an enemy.
Michael: You did it before with Wilfre!
Frost Fang: It was your first time, and the situation was dire. I was being generous and made an exception. Don’t expect any more freebies in the future.
Michael: Goddamnit, fine!
Omnius: Calm down, Michael. Don’t take out your frustrations on Frost Fang. She is right, life isn’t about shortcuts.
Michael: Hol’ up. You can hear her too?
Omnius: Of course, I’ve kept her here for many years. Our bond is strong, and yours will be as well, given time. Frost Fang allows anyone she wishes to hear her voice.
Michael: That explains why Alex can’t hear her. Heh, she doesn’t think he’s “worthy enough” …If you say so. But can we take a break now? We’ve been at this for hours and I need to rest.
Omnius: Evil never sleeps, and good never rests.
Michael groans, feeling annoyed as he lowers Frost Fang and places it on his back. Just what he needed, another riddle from the hermit.
Michael: What’s that supposed to mean?
Omnius: It means when danger arises – and it will – you cannot afford to stop training whenever you feel like it. Did you stop when you worked with Aegis?
Michael: Well, no but-
Omnius: Then, if you’re serious about training to become an Aura Wielder, you must put in the work to use Frost Fang’s power responsibly and properly.
It was around this time that Alex arrived on the scene, slowly descending from the air gently down to the courtyard, giving his friend and guardian a friendly wave as he touched down on the gravel. His mask retracts, revealing his true face to them. It’s strange that a small part of Michael still can’t get over the fact that his childhood friend is Chaos Man.
Alex: Hey guys, how’s it going?
The instant he landed, Michael proceeded to slap Alex right across the face, causing him to drop the broken drone piece. Omnius just stood there looking amused.
Alex: Ow! What was that for?!
Michael: That was for announcing Chaos Chord before giving me a chance to test it!
Alex: Sorry, man, I was just really excited at the time to showcase it, and there weren’t any other dates to rebook my appointment on The Debbie Dreamer Show… Still, I know I should’ve told you first, I’m sorry.
Michael: Eh, what’s done is done, no use crying about it now… Well, does it at least work?
Alex: Oh yeah! I’d gotten a lot of requests for help from a lot of people. It’s mostly tedious stuff, but it’s still kinda cool. Although I’m not sure if I like the social media part of it. I mean, posing for photos, doing livestreams, hashtags, that’s not really the kind of person I am, Michael.
Michael: Exactly! It’s not you, but as far as the world knows, it’s who Chaos Man is. It greatly increases the chances of keeping your identity hidden whilst at the same time boosting your popularity.
Alex: I know, but I still don’t really know if I like it. I want Chaos Man to be taken seriously. I really want to help people. I don’t care about what’s trending on social media or looking cool.
Michael: I know you don’t, Alex. But unfortunately, that’s the kind of world we live in now, and this is the only clear message people respond to.
Omnius: Technology is like a double-edged sword. It has its advantages, but if one becomes too immersed in it, it will lead to a decline in human progress instead of a rise.
Michael: Does he always have to talk philosophically?
Michael asked as he whispered into Alex’s ear.
Alex: Only when he makes a good point.
Alex whispered back. After that, Alex decided to change the topic of discussion and proceeded to show Michael the broken drone piece he brought back with him. Michael gently takes it from him and gives it a good look over, examining this pice of technology.
Michael: What’s this?
Alex: One of those wasp drones that Magna Tech sent to spy on me. Then they proceeded to come at me with their stingers and explode. I think it's safe to say that Richard doesn’t just hate me. He wants me dead.
Michael: That’s a big accusation. Are you sure you’re not exaggerating?
Alex: What part of the word “explode” is not getting through?!
Michael: Relax, I believe you. I just find it hard to believe that a small explosion from one tiny drone will be enough to seriously hurt you. Still, we should keep an eye on Magna Tech from now on.
With that out of the way, they get back to Michael’s progress with his aura blade training.
Alex: Anyway, Omnius, how’s Michael’s training going?
Omnius: It is going slowly. Michael still hasn’t been able to manifest a controllable Crescent Symphony. Though he is getting a better handle on Frost Fang's ice powers.
Alex: Really? That’s great, Michael!
Michael simply shrugs him off, not seeing any true progress for himself. Unfortunate for him, given his mindset to be better is what’s slowing his progress.
Michael: It’s fine, I guess. It's just… I should’ve been able to use Crescent Symphony by now.
Alex: Huh? I thought you already had it when you used it against Wilfre.
Michael: Frost Fang said she was giving me a free pass since it was my first time using her. I feel humiliated, being let off easy by my own sword. This is my first day of training at Aegis all over again.
Alex: Don’t let it get you down, dude. You’ve stepped into a world of super-powered beings and are forced to relearn everything you knew. I get that it can be tough, but you’ll get the hang of it, I know it.
Michael: Easy for you to say. I doubt Omnius made you sit through two-hour lectures on the history of Aura Blades and their purpose as I did.
Omnius: To become a true Aura Wielder, you must learn to understand what makes one an Aura Wielder. Frost Fang is not just another weapon for you to use; it is a weapon of great power.
Michael: I know.
Omnius: You do not know!
He blurted out, emphasising the word “not” with a slightly strict tone of voice, startling Michael and Alex. Omnius is usually a very kind and gentle man, but when he gets serious, it's very unsettling to the eye and ear.
Omnius: …You can only guess. You have not seen what I have seen. If you had, perhaps you would not wish the responsibility of becoming an Aura Wielder.
Michael: What do you mean?
Omnius: In the wrong hands, an Aura Blade can do great evil, especially if they know how to use it. Frost Fang chose you for a reason, which is why I’m determined to teach you to use it properly. But to reach the destination, you and Frost Fang must learn to walk it together. Just as you chose to walk the path of Earth’s saviour alongside Alex.
Michael: I… think I understand.
Omnius: You must do more than understand. You must promise.
Michael pauses for a moment instead of answering now as he tries to ponder whether it’s a promise he can keep. Though it’s been some time since he stepped into this new world of superheroes, he was still having a hard time coming to terms with possessing powers himself. He’s forced to learn how to hold back his newfound strength so that he doesn’t accidentally get himself or others hurt. He’d never forgive himself if he got someone killed due to his carelessness again.
Alex noticed the hesitation in his voice and attempted to assure his friend that he would master Frost Fang and become a great partner in this alliance between Chaos Man and Aegis’s former Wolf Squad lieutenant. Placing his arm on his shoulder and giving him a few comforting pats.
Alex: Don’t worry, Michael. I’m sure you’ll master your new abilities in time. I mean, it took me a while to master all my powers, but I’d say it was worth the wait.
Omnius lightly chuckles in response to Alex’s words, not in an insulting way, more out of irony for believing he’d mastered everything.
Omnius: Oh, Alex, you’ve barely scratched the surface of your full potential. There are still many secrets you have yet to uncover. You haven’t even begun to tap into what powers the rest of the chaos emeralds hold. Remember, you and that one emerald you have now are but two pieces of a puzzle.
Alex glances down at the cyan emerald filling up one of the seven slots on his belt, then he looks over the remaining six empty slots. He hadn’t been thinking about the other emeralds in a while. He was preoccupied with getting over the loss of his old friend, Jason, whilst trying to balance both his lives as Alex Laytham and as Chaos Man. He couldn’t even think of where to begin searching for the other chaos emeralds. After Wilfre, there haven’t been any major threats. A few monsters appear every now and then, but Aegis often dealt with them while he was stuck completing requests on Chaos Chord.
From the invisible pockets of his suit, Alex pulls out both his regular phone and his modified chaos phone, checking both for notifications. As expected, his chaos phone was flooded with requests, all of which weren’t crime-related, forcing him to sigh. His regular phone, however, showed a text message from Violet that had been sent six minutes ago. The message read “I’m at the café waiting for you, Honey xx”. Alex’s eyes widen, and he starts to panic as he puts both phones back in his pockets.
Alex: Oh no! I almost forgot that I was supposed to meet Violet in town. I’d better move it! Good luck with the training, Michael! See ya later!
He spoke in a quickened pace before blasting off the ground and summoning his mask back onto his face. The momentum from his takeoff knocked Michael off balance, causing him to fall onto his ass. Omnius chuckles again as he helps him back onto his feet. His break with Alex is over; it was time for him to pick Frost Fang up again and get back to training. Michael sighs and takes up his swordsman stance once more.
Near the centre of New London, a very chilled and calm Violet was sitting patiently in a small café shop, waiting for the arrival of her date. Why was she feeling so nervous all of a sudden? She’d been on dates with Alex before, and she was fine. If anything, he acted shy most of the time. Perhaps it was because she knew she was dating the incredibly famous Chaos Man that was rattling her nerves. Before she found out who he is, she didn’t really show much romantic interest in the superhero, not even so much as a crush. Unlike her mother.
She was happy being with an ordinary guy like Alex if he was honest, kind and confident. That night at Hillside House had changed everything for her. She’d been roped into this new world that felt like fiction, like how Michael did, all because of Alex being Chaos Man. But she doesn’t regret it, not one bit. Being a hero with the power of cosmic chaos energy won’t be enough to persuade her to leave him. She truly loves Alex. There, she admitted it.
Still, she’s impressed that someone who can fly at the speed of a jet can still be late for meetings. But she was never the kind of girl to berate a guy for being late as long as he lets her know ahead of time, which Alex has. She can pass the time by reading the book she grabbed off the shelf while kicking back in the soft, brown armchair. “Brewed by Amber” was the name of the shop. It was run by a Greek woman who’d just opened a couple of months before Wilfre’s attack. Her brother next door was running a restaurant that specialised in Greek cuisine. It was a nice, homely spot for customers to enjoy a nice hot cup of joe whilst reading a book like her or writing a novel like the guy in the back left corner.
Unlike her father’s pub, this coffee shop also allowed customers to bring their pets in and leave them in a cosy room in the back where they can rest and enjoy some food. It’s become one of her favourite spots to hang out at and one she looks forward to showing Alex once he gets here.
Violet: What’s taking him so long?
Waitress: Excuse me, Miss. Are you ready to order yet?
Violet: Oh yeah. Um, I think I’ll have an espresso, please.
Waitress: Right away, Miss.
The waitress gives her a small smile and nods before tucking the empty tray she was holding under her arm and walking back to the counter. Violet went back to her book as she continued waiting. The book she was reading was a self-help book, helping people cope with all they’ve suffered during the Monster War and learn to move past it, written coincidentally by a man who, Violet learned from Michael, is not Chaos Man’s biggest fan.
One of the patrons asked Amber, the owner and main barista, to turn up the volume on the TV. The news was talking about the wreckage of the cargo container ship that seemed to have been attacked by an unidentified monster, whilst showing some stable footage of the reporter, occasionally shifting the camera view towards the damaged ship as Magna Tech robots moved any cargo that was salvaged from the wreck.
Eventually, the program changed the topic of news from the recent ship attack to the Wilfre’s shadow invasion. Not a lot of footage was shown regarding that event since everyone was under the effects of his forced despair. None of the news crew felt the motivation to report on anything, feeling just as depressed and hollow inside as Wilfre himself. All they could show were drawn illustrations of a thick black smoke spreading across New London like a void. Within it were rough sketches of some of the shadow demons that served under Wilfre, and of course, the dark villain himself holding the golden scepter in his hand with the wide toothy grin that Violet still can’t get out of her head.
Some conspiracy theories were going around that maybe Wilfre and the Monster War were only the beginning, and the world is expected to be attacked by something worse soon. Because of these theories, some people started seeing the logic in Richard Magna’s thoughts on Chaos Man and even began to agree with him.
Alex: “The Doomsday Prophecy”, that’s what they’re calling it? What is this, a cult following?
Just when she thought he’d let her down, here is the man of the hour, arriving only fifteen minutes late. Violet greets him with a kiss on the cheek as he enters the shop and approaches her table. Taking his seat opposite her, expressing his sincere apologies for his tardiness.
Alex: Hey, Vi, sorry I’m late.
Violet: It’s fine, I haven’t been waiting too long… You know, for someone who claims he can travel faster than a speeding bullet, I’m surprised you still can arrive late.
Alex: Hehehe, sorry again bout that. I’ve been pretty backed up on requests since I announced my app to the public. Michael’s pretty pissed about it, but if it works, he says he’ll get over it… That and I kinda got distracted checking out the sights of the city. It still amazes me to see how grand it looks from above.
Violet: Hehe, I can imagine.
The waitress soon returns with the cup of hot coffee she ordered. She didn’t hear any of their conversation, thankfully, since all her focus was on the tray full of other drinks she needed to serve, trying to keep a steady hand as she carried them over to their table. She gently sets Violet’s cup down on a saucer in front of her. The sweet aroma of her coffee fills her nostrils, giving off a sense of calmness.
Waitress: Here’s your coffee. Oh, I see your boyfriend has arrived. What can I get you, Sir?
Alex: I’ll just have a cup of black tea with milk and sugar, please.
The waitress nods and takes her leave, walking over to the other occupied table to deliver their orders. As Alex waited for his tea, he and Violet proceeded to catch up, asking each other how they’re doing and what they’ve been up to. Violet starts by assuring him that what happened with Wilfre wasn’t his fault, and she didn’t blame him for her life and the kids being in danger.
Other than that horrible night, she was mostly doing fine. Life went back to normal for her and her family. Running the same good old pub with her good old Irish dad and Chaos Man fangirl mum. The therapy group she attended was working on getting back together now that Jason had gone. Of course, none of them knew that it was that same white-haired kid who called them a bunch of mindless sheep that wound up becoming the king of shadows. Violet didn’t want to paint Jason in an even worse light than he already was. She knew Alex wouldn’t like it. That, despite all he’s done, Jason will always be his closest friend.
A while later, the waitress returns with his cup of tea and leaves. Alex was scrolling through all the backed-up requests he’d been receiving on his chaos phone. Violet casually glances around the shop, making sure nobody is paying attention to Alex’s second phone. It seemed that nobody cared. To them, it must look like he’d gotten a cool Chaos Man-themed case for it, nothing worth gossiping about.
Violet: Oh, hey, I was gonna tell you earlier that I checked out that new app of yours.
Alex: Yeah? And what did you think?
Violet: Um, no offence, but I don’t know if this thing you're doing is really… you. Know what I mean?
Alex: Heh, funny you say that, as I was just thinking the same thing when I met up with Michael and Omnius earlier. I’m not really a social media person, but according to Michael, that’s the point. He says if people believe that Chaos Man is then it makes it less likely anyone can deduce that he and I are one and the same.
Violet: I-I guess that makes sense. Still, I don’t want people getting the wrong idea about you.
Alex: They won’t. I made it clear to everyone that the main purpose of this app is to help people. To do things for them that the police and Aegis won’t ever do… It has its ups and downs, but it makes me happy, getting to help an individual person as well as a whole city of them.
As he takes a sip of his tea, Alex notices the TV in the corner of his eye and sees the news channel still talking about Wilfre and how much his influence has affected so many people in the UK. Apparently, there were quite a lot of people who surprisingly praised Wilfre for exposing the whole of New London to his despair, saying that the “ordinary people” who live their normal lives got a taste of what it means to be an outcast. People with similar disabilities to Jason. People who felt like they didn’t have a place in the modern world. Wilfre unexpectedly gave them the courage to step into the light and voice their honest thoughts on him. Saying that he’s an inspiration for those who suffer in society, wishing that there were more people like him.
Customer 1: Can you believe this shit?
Customer 2: I know, right? That Wilfre freak was trying to kill us all, and there are people out there who look up to him? That's like praising Hitler for being a Nazi. Fuckin’ freaks, that’s what they are.
Hearing those barely audible words triggered a negative response from Alex, who tightly clenched his fists on the table. How could they just say that out loud like that? He agreed that people shouldn’t praise Wilfre for what he did, but that didn’t give anyone the right to look down on people like Jason, calling them freaks and choosing not to accept them into their society. It’s because of people like them that Jason became a villain in the first place. It annoyed him that there would always be people like that who are too simple-minded to see the ramifications of their words and actions.
Alex’s attention was quickly drawn back to Violet who gently set her hand atop his, trying to calm him down with her soft, warm touch. Alex’s grip lets up, and he takes a deep, calming breath to relax as he faces his girlfriend.
Violet: Don’t listen to them, Alex. They don’t know any better.
Alex: It’s just that… Jason was my best friend. Closest thing I had to a little brother. What happened to him, it wasn’t… fair! Even now, I feel like I’m to blame for the path he’d taken. If I’d been a better friend to him, been there for him more, he’d still be alive.
Violet: I already told you, you’re not to blame, Alex. Jason chose his path all on his own. I know he’s been through so much pain, but that doesn’t excuse his actions, nor does it make it your responsibility to fix. He had the power to turn his life around and get the help he needed, but he took the easy and more seductive way forward instead... Just like another person I once knew.
Alex: I know. Still, I wish I could’ve saved him.
Violet: Alex, sweetie, if there’s one thing nobody can do, it's save everyone. Not even Chaos Man can pull that off.
Alex: But I don’t want anyone else I love to get hurt because of me. Wilfre knew that hurting you would make me know how he suffered. And if he knew, then my other enemies would eventually know too. And if something happened to you, I could never forgive myself. I-
Violet: For God's sake- stop!
Violet says with a raise of her voice and hand, silencing him.
Alex: Violet?
Violet: I don’t wanna hear the whole “my life’s too dangerous so we can’t be together” speech. I’m sick of that trope in movies and such, and I’m sick of it now! I am aware that being Chaos Man’s girlfriend will be dangerous, and I get that you just want to protect me. But I’m not afraid of the evils you will face. In fact, I want to face them with you, no matter what.
Alex was left speechless by Violet’s declaration. She really meant it. He can tell by looking into her eyes.
Alex: Violet, I-
Violet: Before you say anything, know that whatever threats you face, I can handle myself… There are many things about me that I haven’t told you yet.
Alex had no idea what she meant by that. The way she worded that last sentence sounded ominous to him. But before he could ask for clarification, both he and Violet’s attention was drawn back to the TV on the wall. A major breaking news just came on, interrupting whatever programs were being broadcast at the time. The news reported that a new kind of monster had just emerged from the River Thames outside Magna Tech and was wreaking havoc on the streets and the people nearby.
Customer 1: Shit! That’s close to where we are!
Customer 2: Don’t worry, dude. Magna Tech’s robots will distract it until Chaos Man shows up.
Customer 3: Urgh, just what we need right now, another monster attack. Can’t we have at least a year of peace before we get more chaos?
Alex sighs as he checks Chaos Chord. As expected, there were several requests about the new monster. The people are counting on him to deal with it effective immediately before it causes some serious damage. The people living in that area can’t be asked to evacuate their homes yet again, not after all the pain they went through to pay Magna Tech’s ridiculous bills.
He quickly finishes his cup of tea and leaves the money for it on the table, plus an extra fiver for Violet’s coffee, even though she never asked him to do that.
Alex: Here, coffees on me. My way of making it up to you for having to leave so abruptly. Expect a lot of that for many more dates to come.
Violet: It’s alright, Alex. I know what I’m in for. I’ll get used to it. Now get going, you’ve got a monster to defeat and people to save.
Alex smiles and gives Violet a quick peck on the lips before rushing out of the coffee shop, leaving Violet alone with nothing to do but keep track of his progress through the news and the Chaos Chord app she downloaded on her phone. She’s also got her book to read in case any of those aren’t doing it for her. Still, their saying that there’s a new species of monster in New London that somehow managed to slip right under Aegis and Magna Tech’s radar has piqued her interest. Is this just another monster attack that Alex and Michael will easily be able to handle, or is it something more than that?
About an hour ago, it was just another ordinary day in New London, if one would define normal as just going about your business without the fear of suddenly being attacked by a monster. Many people are afraid that might be the case, given all the events mankind went through in what felt like not too long in between years. Not just Wilfre’s invasion and the Monster War, but the various non-human incursions in the past.
Their world is changing. Many groups of people to this day are still too stubborn and stupid to see it yet, but those who aren’t can see it as clear as day. Monsters, superheroes, supervillains, they’re all real. Anything could happen when they least expect it. Such as now, when a young mother and her little boy were strolling down the street hand in hand, looking out at the River Thames, admiring the lovely sights on a partly cloudy day. Sights like small boats sailing across the water and seagulls flying over their heads, crying out to each other.
The child turned out to be none other than Nigel, the boy Jason befriended in Stratford. He and his mother were on their own now that Wilfre had murdered his stepfather, the corrupt and obese police chief. Though they will never admit it to each other verbally, both mother and son quietly agree that their lives are so much better without him. Of course, they couldn’t stay in Stratford anymore. The memories of seeing Arnold’s bloodied and mangled body staining their living room carpet left a lasting impact on their psyche. They needed to get out of that house and find some other place to live.
Fortunately, Nigel’s mother was still in touch with one of her childhood friends who owned one of the few remaining apartment buildings in New London left untouched after the war and put them up in a flat big enough for the both of them. Nigel was annoyed that he had to change schools under the circumstances, but this at least gave him an opportunity to make some real friends since he had none at his old school. The only friend he made in Stratford was… Jason.
Just like that, his mood worsened. He was one of the few people in the world who knew that Jason and Wilfre were the same person. His mother noticed his glum face and offered to comfort him by pulling him closer to her.
Nigel’s Mum: Nigel? Is everything alright?
There was no immediate response from the child. He didn’t even bother to glance up at her. His eyes remained fixed on the ground as they walked. He waited until he felt ready to voice his current thoughts, feeling a little anxious about how his mother would respond.
Nigel: I… I don’t know, Mum.
Nigel’s Mum: What’s wrong? Are you not settling in at our new home or at school?
Nigel: No, it’s not that. It’s just that… I can’t stop thinking about our old house… and what happened there.
Nigel’s mother closes her eyes and lets out an exhausted sigh. She wasn’t annoyed at her son for bringing up the past; it’s natural for a child to be curious about things. Still, just when she thought she could finally move on from that horrible day, it came back to haunt her once again.
Nigel’s Mum: Nigel, we’ve talked about this.
Nigel: I know, I know. It's just that… I can’t stop thinking about what Jason said to me.
Wilfre’s final words to him echoed through his mind on the day that happened.
Wilfre: Nigel… I-I just wanted to let you know, you were the only one around whom I felt like myself… I’m not sorry for what I’ve done here today.
Nigel: If… if I had never met Jason, none of this would’ve happened. Now I get why people say you should never talk to strangers… But at the same time, I… kinda miss him.
He missed him? Did Nigel’s mum hear him right? Part of him actually liked that monster. She wishes she could just tell him he shouldn’t think this way and to just forget all about Jason, but it can never be as simple as that. She was aware her son didn’t have the best upbringing due to her foolish decision to marry that bastard of a police chief. He was also an outcast at school because of his weird interests and hobbies. All the more reason why they needed to move and have a fresh start.
Jason to him was something akin to a kindred spirit, and she assumed it was the same for Jason too. She knew he wasn’t excusing Wilfre’s actions and was aware that he was in the wrong, but he was the only friend he had at the time.
Nigel’s Mum: (sighs) I will never forgive that creature for what it did to us, but… I know he provided you the consolation you needed that I couldn’t give you. Still, what he did-
Just before she was going to plead her case, a Magna Tech police robot suddenly blocked their path, forcing the mother and son to stop just a few steps in front of it. The robot just stood there, blankly staring at them while its red and blue shoulder lights were blinking.
Nigel’s Mum: Umm, can we help you, uhm, Officer?
To their surprise, the robot raises its automatic, high-tech rifle and points it at the family. Nigel and his mother quickly put their hands up in surrender, begging it not to shoot. Why is it even threatening them in the first place? Isn’t it supposed to protect the innocent? Did it have a malfunction in its design?
Nigel’s Mum: No, no! Please don’t shoot!
Nigel: Wh-what did we do?!
MT Robot: Please stand aside and clear the area immediately.
It took a second for them to register that it wasn’t them the robot was aiming for. The frightened mother instinctively picked up her child and moved out of the way, getting behind the robot. With them out of the way, the robot proceeded to open fire on a new, unexpected threat that appeared to be climbing out of the River Thames. From the clear water came a long arm with three scaly, sharp fingers spread outwards as it reached for the railing.
The robot opened fire on the creature, but its bullets simply passed through its liquid body, having no effect on it at all, as the holes instantly sealed themselves up. The arm retreats back into the river. The robot temporarily ceases fire, trying to calculate what its next move will be. But it failed to predict that a geyser would shoot upwards into the air, curve around and then plummet back down in the middle of a busy road, causing several cars to swerve out of control as the drivers tried to get around it.
Gallons of water splashed into the tarmac so hard that it cracked the road beneath it. Everyone and everything within the radius of the bridge is getting soaked by the hydro explosion, like a wave smashing against the side of a cliff.
The splashdown attracted the attention of more people, and more MT robots moved in and joined the lone one, forming a perimeter around the large puddle of water that filled up the crater in the road.
Nigel: What’s happening?!
The water then starts to shift and pulse within the crater, like something was trying to shape and mould itself within the gelatinous mass. All the nearby water that sprayed outwards was being magnetically drawn back to the bigger body of water, increasing its size. The puddle slowly morphs back into an arm as the monster reformed. Within a matter of seconds, it stood tall on its webbed feet at 7 to 8 feet tall. Its glowing green reptilian eyes look all around, checking its surroundings. The sun shone through its liquid body, creating a rippling shadow effect on the ground, showing the people that it's unlike any other monster they’ve seen.
This was the first time in who knows how long since it set foot on dry land. Everything around it looked so alien to it. The only reason it came here was that it was following a signal that only it can sense. It led straight to Magna Tech headquarters. Whatever it desired was inside, and it’ll do whatever it takes to get its liquid fingers on it.
However, the squad of police robots all open fire on it, attempting to annihilate the unknown creature, seeing it as nothing more than a threat. The data collected from the first robot was wirelessly transferred to the others, informing them that regular ammo was useless against it. The robots all switch their rifles to their secondary firing setting and start blasting bolts of plasma at the monster, which seemed to have more of an effect on it, the superheated matter immediately evaporating parts of its watery body.
The creature screeched in agony as the plasma blasted off part of its body faster than it could reform. Anger took hold of the beast as its mouth formed and bore rows of shark-like teeth that were as green as its eyes, unleashing a loud roar.
It stretches its right arm forward and shoots out a powerful and concentrated jet stream of high-pressure water at the robot directly in front of it, blasting a hole through its chest. From there, it proceeded to spin itself around, using the hydro blast to cut cleanly through the rest of them, slicing them in half.
People started to panic and run for their lives once the monster started picking up and throwing cars in its straight path towards Magna Tech. Nigel and his mother quickly flee the scene with the rest of the crowd. So much for trying to get away from it all and have a fresh start somewhere else. Nowhere in the UK is safe anymore, or anywhere in the world for that matter. Maybe they should’ve stayed in Stratford.
To Be Continued