Apocalypse: The Rising

(I am still only 21, my hair is short, my teeth are straight, and my CP, shunt, tube, and scars are all still long-gone. Marc is still very powerful, but he now exists only in my nightmares, and no longer as a physical person, because that aspect of him God had helped me to destroy forever, although he does have the power to make the nightmares real, using the same power that Maury Parkman could, which was to manipulate a person's perceptions of reality, to create the nightmares, based on their deepest fears)







I could feel it coming, like cold hands on the back of my neck, and I was powerless to resist or stop it.

As I fell asleep, the feeling of falling seemed to take hold of me, as did the abject fear. Suddenly I could have sworn that I was feeling the cold air rushing around me!! I opened my eyes to find myself falling through the air toward a desert of cold, ash-grey sand.

The impact knocked the wind out of me, and the cold, coarse sand felt like tiny slivers of razor-sharp metal slicing into my back, arms, and shoulders! I gasped for breath, and sat up slowly, blinking hard to clear my eyes, and tried hard to ignore both the pain of impact, and of the coarse sand scratching my skin. As soon as I saw where I was, back in the lonely, endless desert with a fiery red-yellow sky, but more blood-red than yellow, I felt cold fear!! 'Oh God, no! Not here! Not this again!’ I thought desperately, but I knew it was as real as the pain I now felt, and I was no longer at home in my bed, simply dreaming of it, or was I?

I couldn't be sure, but I knew that now it was more terrible than I could ever imagine, and I knew that Marc had the power to bring me into a world somewhere between myth and reality, but for the aspects and purposes of evil.

I looked around, noticing I was sitting on a huge sand flat, with gigantic sand dunes far away in the distance, dark and ominous against the blood-red-yellow of the sky, almost like mountains, and far enough away that I could only just see them, and it was eerily silent all around. Looking down, I noticed I was wearing my black runners and jeans, and my plain dark blue t-shirt, which I thought wasn't enough to make an imposing figure of myself, certainly not to Marc, I knew.

I closed my eyes, trying to envision one of my friends, or anyone in my family, knowing that just having a memory of them would serve to comfort me, but nothing turned up, and the harder I tried, the more I got a headache, but I knew Marc had the ability to weaken my brain's functions, and hinder my ability to remember what I needed most. I tried with all my might, but instead of hearing a voice or seeing a mental image, I instead received painful feedback in the form of the same psychic static that Matt experienced whenever his telepathy was blocked by either the Haitian, or another telepath. However, the feedback that I myself experienced was a combination of when Matt tried reading Peter's mind in 'Fallout', and also of when Matt tried reading the Haitian's mind as both the Haitian and Noah Bennett were walking down the street(in the same episode).

I tried even harder, my face twisting in intense concentration, but the static only became stronger, the humming, whirring, and screeching echoing around me like a barrier, which was what it actually was, working to nullify the thoughts I sought. Suddenly I gasped, grunting in pain as I held my hands to my temples; a dizzy sensation washing over me!! Then I felt something ooze from my left nostril, as I reached up to wipe it away, finding it was blood!!

I slowly got up. Wiping the blood from my nose away once more, I looked around, finding I was all alone here.

I didn’t really know exactly where “here” was. I dismissed the possibility that I was in Gehenna(obviously from the lack of fire, lava, heat, etc), but it certainly was no paradise either. The only explanation I could come up with was that my enemy had trapped me in some kind of ‘limbo’.

There was no pain or suffering. Just…existence.

But I had the feeling that I was alone; Marc and his father Satan having created such a place to trap me and prevent me from returning to my home, family, or friends, leaving them vulnerable to attacks by both of my enemies.

Marc and his father had truly believed that by placing me in this netherworld, they could then follow through on their plan to wreak havoc on humanity, without me to stop them.

I swallowed my bitterness at this thought, and looked up at the dismal grey sky, which was as bland as the desert beneath it.

I stopped walking, and sat on the sand, crossing my legs.

As I silently prayed, begging God to free me of this prison and let me return with His strength, to crush Marc, I suddenly thought of something.

As I’d recalled in the Book of Revelation, Abbadon, or ‘the Destroyer’, was named as both an individual and as a realm.

The individual was an angel with the power to control an army of locusts, somewhat like the eighth plague that struck Egypt. The locusts devoured all plants, leaving the land as dry as dust.

The realm, also noted in Revelation, was one location in the depths of Gehenna, or Hell itself.

This realization sent a spear of ice down my spine, as I jolted up, and jumped to my feet.

I had been wrong. I WAS in Hell, but in a special area of it that was separate from the normal brimstone and fire; this place was meant as a trap, where a person could do nothing but simply...exist.

I frantically spun in all directions looking, but it seemed as though everything looked the same; dead, bleak, and empty!!

Marc had finally done it. While this wasn't Hell as normally imagined, the fact that it was utterly bleak and desolate was just as much a fearful realization as being cast into the fire itself!! While this part of Hell, called Abbadon, was not very well-known, it was still just as bad!!

I squeezed my eyes shut, forcing myself to calm down as I felt my racing heart slow.

Suddenly I heard a low buzz, and felt something smack into the back of my neck.

Hearing another, I spun and thrust my right hand out, catching the thing.

Slowly taking a deep breath, I opened my hand. My heart hammered as I stared, petrified, at a locust!!

”No…! Please, God, no…!!”

I fell to my knees on the sand, before throwing back my head to unleash an almost-inhuman howl at the sky. Then, utterly spent, I collapsed, rolling over onto my back to stare at the sky.

My mind was numb, and my body felt like lead. I couldn’t move as I watched the lone locust zip crazily through the air, far above. Then, the unmistakable sound of droning came to my ears, as I closed my eyes; the sky suddenly becoming almost black as a gargantuan cloud of the insects flooded it!!

Unable to stop myself, I began to sob.

Hearing approaching footsteps, I opened my eyes only a fraction, but the figure was unmistakable.

Marc laughed, grinning evilly as he kicked my side.

“How does it feel, Charlie, to be stuck here in Abbadon? My father just knew you’d be the one to imprison, so now my friends and I can be free of your cursed effort to bring peace! We shall show humanity true peace!!”

I opened my eyes slowly, looking up at my enemy with such vile hatred and rage, that he actually recoiled!

I slowly got up. Normally, Marc would have instantly retaliated in this instance, but I knew God Himself was keeping my enemy at bay for the moment!!

“You refer to the seven year Tribulation Period, am I right, Marc?” I asked; my calm tone concealing absolute rage and hatred. “You and your father Satan both believe that the coming seven year period will be one of peace?”

“As I know it will, Charlie! And you cannot stop me from letting it come!”

My expression suddenly turned to rage so pure, that my enemy actually recoiled in shock! Then, with newfound strength I knew could only come from God Himself, I suddenly grabbed Marc by the throat so forcefully that his gasp was more of a strangled choke!! My eyes burned with hatred as I effortlessly lifted my enemy right off the ground!!!

“Even if I cannot stop the advent of the Tribulation, Marc, I will NEVER let you rise to conquer humanity!!”

I then threw him easily almost twenty feet back, as he yelled in shock, slamming into the ground, and sliding!

Suddenly hearing a blood-chilling demonic howl in the distance, I looked up to see the ground far behind Marc starting to crack, as a rift spewing fire opened, out of which rose none other than Satan himself, the father of my enemy!!

Even though his appearance was exactly like the depiction in the film ‘End of Days’, I felt absolutely no fear toward him, only the deepest, darkest loathing!!

“Iehova, servatis a maleficum!” I muttered under my breath, not taking my eyes off of Satan.

Suddenly a blinding light illuminated the land behind me, before fading seconds later, and hearing approaching footsteps, turned to see the angel Gabriel, clothed in golden armour, with a sword of gold with a silver blade; the hilt inlaid with rubies, come striding up to stand beside me!!

I was also joined by the archangel Michael, who was clothed similarly!!

He wielded what I instantly recognized as Luciendar, the Sword of Light!!

“Take up our strength as your own, Charlie, for we, together as one, will conquer this ultimate evil!! Marc and his friends, and humanity’s woes, shall be no more!!”

I smiled. Suddenly, with a bright flash, my plain clothes changed instantly to the armour I recognized as Thorin Oakenshield’s, and I now wielded his sword, Orcrist, the Goblin Cleaver!!

And, upon my right middle finger, was Thorin’s Seal Ring; the silver gleaming as the sodalite stone shone with startling brilliance!!

Suddenly Marc roared in rage as he rushed me, swinging Kilgorin, the Sword of Darkness, but I almost effortlessly blocked it!

As Marc and I battled, both Gabriel and Michael proceeded to confront Satan, but the battle intensified when the horizon behind him was suddenly blackened by a horde of locusts!!

Although, as they advanced, I could see that these were no ordinary insects!!

For one, they were brown with black wings, and twice the size of a normal locust!! Their casings and wings appeared to be solid metal!!

Their eyes were glowing embers, and the legs were tipped with venomous barbs!! They even had a scorpion’s stinger for a tail, and jaws like a lion’s!!

My expression darkened as I confronted a swarm of about twenty, almost effortlessly slashing through the beasts; each shattering like glass and becoming nothing but blackened powder as it was killed!!

”So we shall rise against the spawn of Hell? So be it!!” I thought as I leapt and spun in the air to send a cloud of the demonic locusts flying in clouds of black ash!!

Landing, I skilfully spun Orcrist in my hand before spinning and swinging the sword to slash Marc across the chest, and kick him hard, sending him stumbling back!

But suddenly he jolted up, and blasted toward me with a roar like a lion; his human features suddenly blurring into a demon’s!!

But I was fearless.

I stood my ground, sword at the ready, waiting until just before he reached me, then, so fast that it could barely be seen, I threw Orcrist down, grabbed Marc by the collar, and effortlessly lifted him, spinning him upside down and driving him headfirst into the ground!!! 

Marc's head plunged into the earth until he tasted dirt. "I may only be one man, Marc, but trying to conquer a son of the Lord shows that you're just too dull to know how to acknowledge the lunacy of engaging in a fight that you cannot, and will never win!!"

Then, the thundering of hooves caught the attention of all, even Satan. Turning, we all watched four massive steeds come thundering over the flats toward us.

Each horse was twice the size of any known horse, and they had manes of smokeless fire, with massive bodies, and tails like those of a dragon, each tipped with a lethal-looking spike!! Each horse’s eyes were flames, and the riders themselves were a sight to behold! Each must have been at least ten feet tall and strapped with rippling muscles that would’ve put even the Hulk to shame!!

Surprisingly, they wore armour similar to my own, but fashioned from pure gold, silver, and diamond!!

I felt a chill run down my spine as I realized I was looking upon the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse!!!

And, try as he might, Satan was powerless at this moment to react.

I glared defiantly at him as I stood unmoving between two of the Horsemen!

“You may have power over your own, Satan, but you are still weaker than the Lord God Almighty!!” I said coldly. “As you were once part of His league of angels, even IF you tried to rise to level yourself to Him, you will NEVER be equal to God!!”

Suddenly Satan roared as Marc, having gotten over our little brawl, thrust his sword at me; the horde of the demonic locusts blazing forth, but just as it seemed they would attack, they seemed to hit an invisible barrier, as I rushed forward with a roar, swinging my sword and slashing, leaping, spinning and kicking at the brutes with all my strength!!

But then, a multitude of them were swiftly incinerated, as I whirled to gaze upon one of the Four Horsemen, who’d come to my aid!!

“Let us end this, together!!” I declared, as the rider nodded wordlessly.

Then he swung his own sword down, crossing the blade with Orcrist’s, before the runes in my sword flashed; the blade bursting into flame!!

Touching it, I found it was cold, but the fire nonetheless was lethal to the locusts!! Spinning, I charged into the swarm, hacking, slashing, and dicing like a mad butcher!!!

Suddenly hearing a scream of rage, I spun just in time to see Marc come leaping through the swarm, swinging Kilgorin, but I slashed his blade, and we began fighting once more, heedless of the swarming monstrosities around us!!

Above us, the sky had darkened to black, but now, blazing fireballs the size of baseballs came shooting down, hitting the ground and exploding, sending a wall of fire that incinerated hundreds of the swarming locusts in seconds!!

Suddenly Marc grinned maliciously, then whispered something I couldn’t understand, as the locusts abruptly swarmed me, so much that I was forced to drop Orcrist; the flaming blade returning to normal as I collapsed, shielding myself, but then, a roar split the air as I looked up to see Marc come flying down toward me with Kilgorin’s blade aimed at my chest!!

I squeezed my eyes shut tight, waiting to die…

BOOM!!

With a sound like a firing cannon, a whirling tornado of light and fire suddenly blasted up out of the ground about a hundred feet to my left, crossing the ground in seconds and sending the locusts scattering like chaff, as Marc was thrown off of me, screaming as he hurtled into the air!!

I rolled over, then saw a hand being held out to me!! Looking up, I saw the Lord Himself, clothed in shining armour as brilliant as the sun!!

Helping me up, Jesus smiled, telekinetically retrieving Orcrist and giving it back to me!! I got up, into a kneel before Christ. “Please, Lord, forgive me of my past transgressions, and help me to live for You, and to win against my enemies!”

He smiled. “And I shall, Charlie!” After helping me to my feet, I turned to Marc and Satan.

Gabriel, Michael, Christ, and I all faced Satan, Marc, and his army of demons.

“Let this end!!” Jesus spoke in a voice like thunder.

Marc rushed toward me, but I spun for a high side kick, connecting to his jaw as he was thrown; blood spraying from his mouth!!

Satan roared and dived at me, but I spun, thrusting my right hand at him and telekinetically stopping him dead before me in the air!!

“This day shall never end in your favour, Satan, nor your son’s!!” I snarled, raising my blade.

Suddenly I spun, and running so fast that I was almost invisible, leapt for a high flying split kick to Marc’s head, flipping him over before he fell, slamming into the ground!!

I spun, slashing a horde of one hundred of the demonic locusts, shattering them like glass, before the Lord, alongside the Four Horsemen, charged Satan and his army of demons.

Satan was overwhelmed, and no matter how many of his demonic locusts he sent, Jesus, Gabriel, Michael, and the Four Horsemen matched him with equal and then superior might!!

Marc and I fought madly, but I knew that even if the battle at first seemed protracted, I would eventually rise and conquer Marc forever.

My enemy went for a slash straight down onto my skull, but I swiftly kneeled, then rolled aside, before rising, spinning, and slashing Orcrist’s blade straight down onto Kilgorin’s, slicing it clean in half; the severed half falling to the ground and immediately disintegrating into ashes!!

But then Marc grinned, and before I could react, he drove the broken blade into my chest!!

I screamed as Jesus came galloping up, throwing Marc back toward the Horsemen, who cornered him. Having borrowed Luciendar from Michael, Jesus spoke to me.

“You shall live by My power, Charlie!” he said softly. “I will let you conquer your enemy for all time!”

He then pointed Luciendar down toward me, placing the blade tip gently on my heart.

Suddenly there was a brilliant white flash that surged down the blade, and passed into my body, disappearing.

Almost instantly, my armour vanished in a flash, as my human flesh was replaced by scales harder than diamond!!

The power continued coursing over me as I was lifted off the ground; brilliant flames wreathing me, looking similar to the power that Aslan used to change Eustace back into a boy from a dragon!!

But I was turning so I could use the strength against my greatest enemy.

Soon, in a matter of seconds, the flames flashed out to reveal the dragon recognizable as Draco, from ‘Dragonheart’, only I was anthropomorphic!!

Dropping to the ground, I used my spiked tail to grab and flip my sword, catching it in my right hand!!

Slowly standing as I spread my wings, I turned to face Marc, who glared at me in rage and hatred.

“You are no match for a demon such as me, Draco!” Marc boasted. “You have no power here!!”

“That is where you are wrong, Marc!” I snarled. “I have all the power I need to finish this!!”

He roared, but I took off, flying high, then spun and dropped straight down toward Marc, readying Orcrist.

”Let this end, NOW!!” I prayed silently.

”It shall, Draco! Just trust in our strength!!” I heard Jesus’ voice in my mind.

Then, about twenty feet from Marc, I flipped upright, slamming into him as he roared, and driving him down onto the ground, just as I drove Orcrist’s blade straight through his skull!!!

”MARC, SON…!!” Satan’s anguished roar resounded, then he dove at me, but I spun, and with every last ounce of strength I could muster, unleashed a mighty, full-blooded draconic roar that actually sent ripples reverberating in the air and across the ground!!

The force was strong enough to send Satan careening through the air with a howl, but as he came falling back down, the swords of Michael, Gabriel and the weapons of the Four Horsemen all pierced him; his scream unlike any sound known to mankind, but it was nothing to any of us!!

And, with a sound like a thousand firing cannons, Satan was torn apart and disintegrated, turning to black ash that was blown away!!

With only strength from his father, Marc managed to get back up; his head rent by a terrible wound that blazed light and fire, before he screamed in both agony and rage, running blindly toward me.

"DIE, DRACO!! BY THE POWER GIVEN THROUGH MY FATHER, DIE!!!"

But I snarled, before rearing up as I inhaled sharply, then, with all my might, blasted a single fireball from my right nostril straight at him.

Marc only saw it coming at the last second, and as it collided with him, he unleashed an earth-shattering demonic shriek, before exploding in a massive pillar of fire; revealing his soul in a form just like his father Satan!!

I raced toward the demon with a bestial roar, then leapt into the air and shot toward him while spinning Orcrist in my right hand, before driving it up to the hilt in his heart!!

The demon threw back his head and howled in sheer agony; his form beginning to crack like glass as black shadow leeched out like smoke, but by Jesus' power, and my faith, I was fully protected from such evil power!

"YOU are the remnant of evil that must be vanquished, Marc, just as your father was!" I roared. "Now die and burn with him in Gehenna!!"

I then swung my feet forward, slamming them into his chest, before back-flipping off the demon's chest while ripping Orcrist's blade from him; the wound blazing with light and fire, making Marc scream even louder than I'd have thought possible, but I was fully immune to the effects!!

I flew back through the air about twenty feet, before falling and landing, sliding back to stop in between Jesus and Michael; kneeling with my wings fully spread and my right hand holding Orcrist!

I then looked up to see the demon, Satan's son Marc de Manthaeus, my one sworn enemy, get thrown into the air as he continuing howling in unfathomable agony; the power continuing to tear him apart, until he finally exploded into a blazing fireball that shot skyward in an infernal tornado, before it disappeared for all eternity!!

As I slowly rose, the sound of my heartbeat was heard as I glanced down, watching my wounds instantly heal!!

Jesus turned to me, as I smiled, bowing, aware of His gentle hand on my head between my horns.

“Where was parched shall be a pool, arid zones shall be springs, and the lands where your kind can rest, shall be grass with reeds and rushes!”

I looked up at the Lord.

“As it is Your will, my Lord!” Jesus smiled, taking my sword.

“You have fought courageously, Draco, and we are very proud of you. Your sword shall be placed forever in the Treasury at Petra as a reminder to all faithful that you have trusted Me to aid you to the end against evil! Go now and live in peace!!”

I smiled, before rising and glancing back at both Gabriel and Michael, who smiled, exchanging nods with me.

Turning, I walked away, before slowly spreading my magnificent wings, running, and taking off, soaring high as I roared triumphantly, blasting twin jets of flame across the sky, and disappeared over the horizon, beyond which was a wall of clouds that I flew over!

Glancing down, I smiled at the endless, rolling white expanse of cloud below, and after travelling about ten miles, dived.

Passing through the clouds, I found myself back on Earth, flying over the place I recognized as Avalon, in Shropshire, Wales!!

I smiled, knowing I was going home, and could live in peace for all time, as could humanity!!


             The End!