So I was doing my usual free writing and the basis of this pretty much appeared on my page. Was gonna just file it but then I thought I might as well write it out because I wasn’t doing anything else, soooooooo I wrote some stuff and now it’s here. It’s not anything super dedicated but hey, it’s something. You’re welcome.
Also just in case it comes up I don’t own any of the characters and am just using them etc
Also put it in a spoiler to avoid the world’s longest OP.
[spoiler]
The masked figure stood before the gates and looked up. The glimmering city towered above him, windows reflecting the evening sun in every direction until the buildings themselves seemed to shine. “Othlon.” He snorted. “How very tacky. Come on Z, we have work to do.” The mechanical dragon appeared at his side, it’s stealth generators powering down as it faded into existence piece by steely piece. The figure jumped on its back and with a zap and an odd warping sound, they faded out of view.
“Come on, you’re going to be late! You’re the champion, you can’t be setting a bad example after all!” Randolph bustled around the ranch, busily checking all the pens and making sure everything would be all right in his absence.
“You know you don’t have to be so worried about this old place. With the money we get off the leagues we could practically build this place twice over”
“Money doesn’t get you everything Finnegan. Sometimes you have to work hard to get what you deserve. You should know that better than most.” Finnegan looked up at the ceiling and sighed, remembering the past for a moment. Days when thought of trainers like Beritus as legends, gods even. Now they came over to dinner on Saturdays. “Yeah, I guess you’re right. I hate it when you’re right.”
“Then you probably hate me a lot. Now let’s get going already.” Finnegan smirked good-naturedly at the comment, but picked up his capture cards, placing them into the special pocket sown into his long coat. He ran a hand through his red hair upon opening the door: the air was brisk and cold, and the sun glared harshly down from a cloudless sky. Finnegan shivered, but began walking, taking some warmth from the sunlight. The ranch had been moved a few years back, so now it was within walking distance of the grand arena. Many champions chose to stay in the city, but Finnegan had never been able to let the ranch go, and so this had been the only alternative. It had needed upgrading anyway: some of the monsters he had found since then were…. a little on the large side.
“How’s the competition looking this month?” Randolph sighed.
“You’re too confident for your own good you know” he said. “One of these days you’re going to lose horribly because of it.” Finnegan snorted.
“How many challengers have I defeated so far?”
“It only takes one. You know that.”
“Haven’t even used my best monster for the past 4 months. Celsus spent all that time helping me find it and these past few challengers haven’t even come close.” They slowed down as the arena loomed above them. Already Finnegan could hear the crowds roaring inside as the announcers talked up the competitors. As usual it seemed he would have to watch a few battles before the title challenger came through. Lately the usual team battles had been limited to champion challenges: to increase the pace of the competition only 4 monsters were used in the tournament leading up to it. Finnegan entered the back entrance and walked up the stairs leading to his box. Randolph trailed behind him, shielding his eyes as the pair walked into the light.
“And there he is now, the current grand champion of Othlon! Closely followed by friend and legendary rancher Randolph! Looks like they’re ready for a fresh new challenger to try for the crown!” Finnegan smiled and waved. He did a lot of that at these events it seemed, but then he had nothing else to do after all.
The battles this month were fierce. Many of the trainers had decided that offence was the best defence, and the attacks clashing often created some spectacular light shows. Several times Finnegan was forced to duck behind the barrier as a wayward ultraflame blasted an inch too close, and Randolph was left to curse and put out the small fires in his already singed hair. One in particular seemed to stand out though. Finnegan had refined a knack of spotting strong trainers early, and this one didn’t disappoint. It came as no surprise when he was announced the winner and given the privilege of challenging the champion. Finnegan stepped out onto the field as the announcer stoked up the crowd.
“The moment we’ve all been waiting for folks! Champion Finnegan hasn’t seen a challenger this promising since Elliot Delgrade nearly 7 months ago! Will he be able to overturn a champion on the verge of breaking Beritus’ old record?” Finnegan remembered Beritus with a start, and while he refrained from looking around he scanned the crowd for him. The size of it prevented him from noticing Beritus anywhere, but he was sure that somewhere in the masses the former champion was watching closely. Finnegan didn’t plan to disappoint him. “I can’t wait for the match of the year to start! Champion Finnegan vs the mysterious masked trainer Corvin!
“So you’ve made it this far. I’m afraid this is as far as you go.” Finnegan addressed the figure in front of him. Upon closer inspection he noticed it was not just a mask but a full helmet. He wondered what its purpose was for a moment before returning to the task at hand. Corvin looked at him.
“You are mistaken. If you have what I seek, then this is only the beginning.” Finnegan decided right then that he would not go easy on this trainer.
“We’ll see about that! Alright team, Formation 1!” The crowd gasped for a moment as the 4 monsters came out, for amongst them was Finnegan’s most powerful monster: the dragon of life itself, Aurodragon. It took the rear position behind Aegisdragon, hovering in a beam of light. Corvin did not react outwardly, but merely looked at Aurodragon curiously. The dragon in turn stared back, growling a little under it’s breath.
“Beautiful.” Corvin lined up his monsters. Drakozord Z was at the front, it’s body constantly shifting and bristling with technology. “Z? Stealth us. Rattlewyrm, target that Sanctallion. Take it down.” Drakozord’s body shifted again and began crackling with electricity. The arena shuddered as an odd warping sound filled it and Corvin’s whole team vanished. Finnegan looked around wildly for them.
“Dammit… Sanctallion! Blast them!” Sanctallion took in energy for a moment before flooding the opposing half of the arena with brilliant, blinding light. The audience were forced to shield their eyes as the intensity increased, Aurodragon pouring energy into it as well. Once it faded Corvin’s team was still nowhere to be seen.
“Sneak attack!”
Rattlewyrm collided with the large wing of Aegisdragon, and an explosion of darkness was split in two either side of the point of contact. Corvin frowned under the mask. “Hmm. Gearhound, take out that dragon. Z, stealth Wyrm and go in again.” Gearhound collided with Aegisdragon, and it was forced to one knee by the impact. Finnegan waited for a moment before countering. “Desperate bite!” Aegisdragon lunged at the Gearhound, but the path was blocked by Gearcroc, generating a shield to protect it’s ally. Rattlewyrm once again collided with Aegis, and the dragon was forced down again, allowing Gearhound to jump past the wing and bite it in the neck, taking it down. Finnegan cursed under his breath. “Auro, grab Aegis. Sanctallion, blast them again!” Aegisdragon was bathed in light whilst once again the arena was lit up by Sanctallion’s nova blast. The force was so strong that it scorched the floor of the arena, leaving a black mark around Sanctallion as it fired. The Corvin’s team, now fully revealed, were blasted against the opposite wall. Only Drakozord Z held it’s ground, digging in with piston-powered claws. Alarms were sounding throughout it’s body as it prepared it’s counter attack. Corvin laughed.
“So predictable Finnegan! You value power over everything else, and it’s got you far. But against me, it’s not good enough! Fire!” Drakozord released a blast that rivalled Sanctallion’s but a sickly yellow in colour. It collided with Sanctallion in a blast that filled the air with a smell of sulphur, and the monster’s eyes rolled up in it’s head, it’s body paralyzed as it fell to the floor.
“Auro! Grab Sanctallion and wait to regroup!”
“I don’t think so!”Corvin shouted with sudden enthusiasm “Mechaviathan, recharge Z and aim at Aurodragon!” The sickly yellow light hit Aurodragon dead centre in the chest, and it shuddered horribly before falling to the ground, wincing from the pain. Finnegan cried out in surprise, his capture cards falling to the floor. Corvin began walking towards him, holding out an odd looking capture card on the way. Aurodragon was dragged into it, clawing at the ground in an attempt to escape. Finnegan watched it dumbly.
“You know, my intent was never to win this fight.” Corvin put the now glowing card away in a metal container before putting it into a coat pocket. “I doubt I even could with that legendary dragon of yours. I simply needed to capture it to begin my plans. You, your ancestors, this whole city will feel the wrath of my vengeance. And remember.” The figure leaned in to look closely into Finnegan’s eyes. “This was your fault. You had the chance to stop me and you failed.” Finnegan was too stunned to respond as Corvin leant back. “Think about that if you consider following me.” With a crackle of electricity and a now familiar warping sound, he vanished. The crowd erupted into screams as they began to process what had happened, but for Finnegan they were muted. He could only stare at his discarded capture cards as they fluttered around him in the wind left by Corvin’s disappearance.
“You have bigger things to worry about. That madman said he had plans, and if it involves Aurodragon then it can’t be good.” Randolph tried to console the champion, who was still stunned after the events of the tournament. “You can’t afford to sit here skulking and whining. You have to be better than that!”
“But I’m not. You heard that guy, I couldn’t beat him then and I certainly can’t beat him now.”
“And when has that ever been a reason to give up? You get up and move on from it.” Finnegan sighed again.
“I’m gonna go visit Celsus. Maybe we can track this guy down and stop him before he does anything serious. But I’m telling you know Randolph, I can’t battle like this. I’ve got to get Aurodragon back, I’ve got to help him, I….” Finnegan choked for a moment before regaining his composure. “I’ll be back later. Make sure to take care of Sanctallion for me. Finnegan left the ranch. Randolph looked at him for a moment before returning to the feeding pens.
The walk to Celsus’ Observatory was short, but for Finnegan every step was an eternity. What once was a brisk summer air had turned into a cold wasteland for him, the wind sinking icy fangs into his exposed neck with every step. The door to the observatory was made of dull bronze and had a knocker set into it, which Finnegan rang. “Celsus? I need to talk to you!” There was no answer, but Finnegan knew that he was in because his horse and cart was parked outside still. Curious, he opened the door, and then started hearing noise in the distance. Walking towards it he came to a door leading to the main observatory, and heard some very odd noises coming from within. He slowly, gently, turned the handle and opened the door.
“You can’t keep me at bay forever old man. You’re the last obstacle in my way and I will be rid of you!” Celsus adjusted his goggles gently whilst behind him the massive Chronotitan pulsed and distorted at times.
“I beg you, end this folly. Besides, you’re in my field now. Chronotitan’s stasis field slows our own time relative to reality. We can experience a century inside a single second if we so wished. It also allows me to do this: Chronozeros! Timestrike all!” The dragon roared as time warped around it, and the monsters opposing it simply fell to the ground as their past versions were damaged by the attack, altering their timelines. Corvin laughed.
“Clever, very clever. Maintaining the stasis field allows you access to two times by moving in and out of it, letting chronozeros utilise it’s timestrike to almost infinite capability. But it’s not going to be good enough.”
“Please, stop this. You don’t have to go through with this insane plan of yours. There are alternatives that we-“
“You know NOTHING about me. NOTHING AT ALL! Z! Bring down Chronotitan! End this fight!” Drakozord fired it’s lasers at Chronotitan, and the air around them seemed to warp and then shatter as the behemoth slowly, ponderously, fell to the ground unconscious. Celsus fell to his knees as the stasis field shattered, his goggles falling off and breaking. Suddenly the door opened and Finnegan walked in casually. Seeing the disaster within he froze. Corvin froze as well, and just in that moment Chronozeros jumped up and slashed at his helmet, breaking it. Corvin was thrown against the wall, and as the mask fell in pieces on the floor he covered his face with a hand. But he couldn’t cover the long hair that spilled out. Red hair. Finnegan gasped.
“But…you’re not…” Corvin gave up trying to hide his face and stood up. She flicked shoulder length red hair back from a round, battle scarred face.
“No, I’m not. But the resemblance is not a coincidence. But then again, like I’m telling you anything. I have a city to destroy.” A zap and a warp and she vanished again. Finnegan ran to Celsus, who was still groaning on the ground.
“Celsus, are you okay? Who is she?”
“Urgh, she’s a Finnegan. Madam Corvenius Finnegan. Gilgam found her in the far future and brought her here. Founder of the black empire, supposedly beginning with the fall of Othlon. Something changed though when she was brought back. Gilgam must be helping her bring about her own – agh - future again.” There were some loud explosions from outside. Celsus coughed painfully. “She’s – argh – she’s going to revive…to…urgh” He collapsed, and Finnegan placed him down gently before rushing outside. Monsters were everywhere, rampaging throughout the city. But more alarmingly, the sky was swirling with clouds punctuated by thunder, and the wind was howling. They seemed to centre over a building in the centre of the city. Finnegan hurried towards it.
The church was not something that Finnegan had visited often, and he was struck by how quiet it was inside. At the end, underneath a stained glass window, was Madam Corvenius. She was flanked by Atrahasis on the left, it’s malevolent aura noticeable even from the other side of the room, and Aurodragon on the right, bound in chains and in noticeable pain. Behind her a massive monster loomed, seemingly composed of gears and ticking away ominously, the sound echoing insistently inside the cavernous space.
“So you’ve come. I thought you’d be too scared to show up. You never did read up on your history did you? A long time ago there were certain…aspects. Two aspects of time, to be precise. They were revered as gods back then, as you can see.” She gestured to the window above her, which depicted two monsters surrounding an earth. One of them was identical to the monster behind her. “Behold, the dark ruler of time itself, Geartyrant!” She gestured to the monster behind her. “Many years ago it was defeated by it’s brother Chronotitan and sealed away in the underworld, forever lost. Now with the power of the dual aspects of life I can bring it back from the grave, and with it’s brother vanquished none is left to challenge it! With it’s stasis field I will bring about an era of unchanging time that I shall rule for a thousand years to come! Every second ticks away the end of this wretched town and the beginning of my empire, starting here and now! Z! Dispose of this wretch!” Drakozord materialised behind Finnegan, firing a beam of light at him. Aegisdragon appeared seemingly out of nowhere to block it, wincing from the force. Behind it’s wing Finnegan looked up into it’s face. It was determined, one eye open even through the pain. As the assault faded away it looked around nervously as Drakozord vanished again. Suddenly there was a shout from behind.
“Now Banedragon!” A toxic mist filled the air, and Drakozord fizzled into existence. It’s stealth generators crackled with energy but the poison stopped them engaging fully. Madam Corvenius snarled in annoyance. Finnegan took the chance.
“Desperate bite!” Drakozord Z struggled as Aegisdragon bit down hard on it, emitting a horrible screeching noise. Once again the alarms began to sound on it’s body, but this time they faltered and failed as the poison took effect. Drakozord thrashed weakly before finally falling to the ground. Finnegan looked round to see Beritus smiling confidently, slightly out of breath.
“What, you think I was gonna just stand here and let you have all the fun? Hah no!” Finnegan stared at him.
“You don’t understand, I can’t beat –”
“Nobody said you had to do it alone. Now let’s finish this.” Finnegan nodded. Madam Corvenius screamed angrily.
“Useless, useless pile of scrap! Aurodragon! Atrahasis! Kill these fools!” But Aurodragon was struggling hard against the chains, and one by one they were breaking, the capture card behind it slowly losing its glow. It finally broke free of the last chain and turned around on Atrahasis, who smote it with a dark wing. As the two beings fought, Geartyrant began to collapse, no longer sustained by Aurodragon’s healing light, the individual gears making up it’s body falling to the ground with thuds that made the whole building shake. The church rumbled ominously as Madam Corvenius screamed variations of “This can’t be happening!” at the back.
“I dunno about you Finnegan but I think it’s time we beat a hasty retreat!” Finnegan nodded, and they ran towards the door, Aegisdragon shielding the pair from falling rubble. A piece fell over the door in front of them blocking it, and Beritus brought out a glowing red dragon from a capture card. “Deodragon! Blast through!” The energy blast melted through the wall but also through the final few support beams keeping the building up. The church collapsed as the two champions burst through the door, the two dragons close behind them. Above them the clouds wobbled and then suddenly dispersed, leaving a clear sky and a sun shining down on them. Beritus got to his feet slowly.
“I think it’s over my friend.”
“Yeah, I…I think so.” Finnegan took out Aurodragon’s capture card and let it out, where it promptly turned around and hugged Finnegan. “That’s….very….tight….” He managed between breaths as the golden dragon hugged him tighter. Beritus laughed.
“Trust me my friend, you get used to it. You want to hang around with dragons, you can’t take things gently! Ah ha ha!” Beritus motioned for Deodragon to follow and walked off, as Aurodragon finally put Finnegan down and let itself be returned to it’s capture card. Finnegan looked at Aegisdragon for a moment, but it merely raised an eyebrow and walked off after Beritus. Finnegan laughed and hurried after him too.
Gilgam laughed. “So he does have it. Excellent. Go fetch Madam Corvenius for me will you?” Lodar nodded and hurried off. “Don’t forget a shovel!” Gilgam shouted after him. [/spoiler]
