Xavier | Xandor

Another hour, another minute, another second, in this darkness. I'm getting used to it, the loneliness, the painful silence, the nothingness of it all. However, in the peace I'm finally used to having around, red beams pierce through the darkness as they become brighter and Xandor's figure reveals itself.

"Seems this place has become quite comfortable for you. I thought you would surrender before it, beg me for freedom." He sits before me, as the darkness slowly adjusts itself, allowing my eyes to get used to the change.

"Here to tell me something? You haven't talked to me in eternity, Xandor. By coming in, you want me back, in some way."

"Indeed. It's about Ophelia and Michael."

"Another evil scheme for Eden?" I fold my arms in my seated position, and I attempt to move away from him.

"Hear me out, Xavier. It will all work out well if you cooperate." An evil scheme in the works. The next phase of Eden. I'm not letting him have it.

"No-" I say, but Xandor cuts me off, and a vision appears before us both.

"Well, in your quiet peace, Ophelia has discovered a devastating ability even I haven't seen yet. Michael has been chosen by a woman, and Ophelia isn't happy, Xavier." Scenes of Elise's nightmares, Michael being harassed by this woman that Xandor mentioned show up in the vision. I'm intrigued by the sight, but disgusted, because it's all part of his plan, one way or another.

"Look at your pathetic sworn brother. Powerless before my dear Ophelia. Soon, my plans for him shall be executed and he will be nothing other than the man who brought me Eden's success." Xandor laughs to himself as the next scene plays, Elise using her new ability and Michael about to get hit.

Michael? Getting hit by that... he's not going to live. He won't, not with what he has.

"Time has paused for us both, Xavier. If you want us... or me, to save Michael... you will help me with one thing." Xandor brings up a finger and looks at me with confidence.

"What, Xandor?"

"Michael's a successful experiment, and we both know that. You're going to help me to make more of his kind." The experiment...

"Look, Xavier. The ultimate power and regeneration. It's successful. We did it." Xandor, who split away from my body into his own soul, brings me to the lab where a limb regenerated for a Fallen...

"But... it's dead."

"That's the problem, Xavier. I need someone stronger. The ghouls... their leader cannot be weak. This is the test it gives to its host."

"I... think we both know who to give it."

"You know who it is. You know he's capable. Tell me."

"We... we both know him. He's not on our side. He... he..."

"Your sworn brother..." Xandor pauses, "Why did I not think of him? Such a stubborn, determined person like him - his character is strong. He's the perfect match."

"Michael... he will use this power against you, one way or another, even if the evil becomes part of him, and he is no longer a Protector. The children will always be in his heart - the future is what he will defend."

"Nothing to worry about... what matters is... the plan is proceeding. And I have factored every single risk, even what you mentioned, into my calculations, Xavier. Nothing will stop Eden from proceeding. I can foresee more chaos and development in Ophelia. She will be ours, as long as she knows the true power of Darkness, and what it brings."

"You're not going to..."

"Relax, Xavier. Since you want to give Michael a less painful transition, perhaps I should make the reason for him taking this vial something worthwhile - the need for power to stop me, to save Ophelia from me." He raises the shining red vial of what I assumed was the blood he concocted - the blood of a ghoul.

"Stay true to your word, Xandor. I have... helped you enough."

"You always help, Xavier. After all, since I'm you, I know you. You're hopeless to defend yourself against me. Now, take over. Pass the vial to my friend, Jason. He's another successful one, strong enough to defend against the likes of Michael in his awakening - although it would be sad for me to lose him if he ever dies."

"You don't shed a tear for the dead, Xandor. You just make more Fallen and give no shits about them."

"Perhaps, Xavier. But Eden takes priority."

Xandor will stop at nothing to complete Eden. However, if I save Michael, perhaps he will be satisfied, for once.

Because his creation will continue to help him... and I will see whether the Eden he is so confident about, is truly as glorious as it seems.

"Bring me my freedom, Xandor. I'm returning." My hand reaches out to his, and he takes mine.

"So you finally understand. It seems you still want to resist me again, but you're generally accepting. Fantastic."

Energy returns to me, and I feel my senses reaching new levels I haven't felt in the longest time. But most of all, I feel Xandor's evil returning to me. It feels so refreshing. It's like the old times, when I went on rampages, gaining power and strength.

But I have been Xandor's vessel for what feels like an eternity, I should be used to it by now - saving Michael takes precedence. I find myself in the palace, looking out the window where Michael, the woman, and Elise are in battle.

I ghost through the window and fly over to the empty space, and negate Elise's ability. The meteorite storm ends, the moonlight shining down on all of us. Elise sees me stopping her, and stares in disbelief.

"Why are you stopping me?"

"He is part of a bigger plan, Ophelia," I reply, in a way Xandor would - since he is obsessed with calling her that.

"Great. At least let me kill Destiny!" The woman - her name is Destiny.

"She will stay alive. For now." I command, and Elise reverts into her battle suit, her halfbreed form vanishing.

"I'm doing this for Xandor, Michael. You do another thing and I'll decimate you entirely. You almost died. I knew it." Elise wraps her arm around mine, and I welcome it. It's been long since I felt her touch me. I missed it all.

"Ophelia, return to your chamber. I'll meet you soon; I will speak to them personally." Elise nods, her anger somewhat faded from her face and she heads back. I hold Michael and Destiny by the neck, and I interrogate them - because I'm going to act a lil' dumb this time around.

"You have surely done something stupid enough to make my Ophelia want to kill you, considering the fact she did love you before."

"I didn't do anything. Destiny here - she wanted the power that I have, to awaken in her. I just simply gave her what she wanted." Michael gives a cue and Destiny shows the power she obtained - different from Michael's, but the same source. Michael, tired, manages a shrug.

"Destiny, you are dismissed. Return to your chamber at once." Michael cocks an eyebrow and stares at me oddly, as Destiny disappears from view, "You're not Xandor. You're Xavier."

I stood in place, my mind draws a blank. I can never really be Xandor - it's no wonder why I'm his vessel.

"Michael, stop looking through me for once. It's hard to finally return and yet get called out."

"No, it's just that... you and Xandor. Both of you act in utterly different ways."

Oh, he hasn't seen us in our truly merged form at all, has he?

Nope. And I don't intend to show him, Xandor. However, Eden will proceed as planned... for you.

With that small conversation ending, I reply to Michael's deduction, "It's just the little things of being host to a living God, Michael. Trust me. You don't want to know. By the way, that power of yours..."

"The more I use it, the more I feel myself give in to destruction. To evil. To Darkness."

"It's not destructive. You're in fact, going in the right direction. You need to continue making more ghouls." I put on a straight face, as Xandor's evil personality seems to pull me into a trance, helping me get into character - to help Eden.

"Xavier, I thought you would support me. It seems you've been brainwashed by Xandor too, after disappearing so long."

"You must see why I'm saying this." And based on what Xandor tells me to do thereafter, I place my hand on Michael's. What I am about to do might painfully change Michael's life, and it might even be irreversible.

But it must be done for Eden. Besides, Michael's life, as it is, is going nowhere. He needs a little more excitement.

"Michael - you need to be liberated from your previous life." I felt satisfied doing this to my sworn brother. I somehow felt so truly appeased by the fact Michael will finally stop having second thoughts about the phases of Eden, even though he has no idea about it. Xandor seems to be satisfied with the results as well, as he gives the nod.

The energy Xandor has passed on to Michael will make him more inclined to obey. He may find a way out of it, but he will stay by Xandor long enough to finish Eden.

"Xavier... what are you... doing to me?!" Michael kneels as his eyes blaze bright, his expression a mix of shock and anger.

"Well, Michael - you've been promoted. Gone are the days when you're a simple royal guard - now I'm giving you bigger things to do, ambitious things to accomplish. And you will carry them out, yes?" I rest my right arm on my left and stare into space as my hands do a little swirl.

"...Yes, Lord Xandor. For Eden." Xandor is simply laughing, as Michael struggles with himself, this many times already. This time, I'm so happy he is trying to fight, because that's the sworn brother I know.

As for Ophelia... you know what to do with her, don't you?

Oh, definitely...

"Well, Michael, bring the masses to us. Let the ignorant humans find that evolution is something they should have desired from the beginning. Meet me at the warehouse later. I'm sure you won't say no - oh wait, you can't. Go." Michael, under the influence of Xandor's dark energy, gingerly acknowledges his orders. The orders I gave. He leaves rather awkwardly as he staggers away, and I can't help but snicker at the fact he's trying so hard to stop himself from moving. Eventually, he gives up and he glares at me in a different way - a way that made me finally stop and think...

Michael probably really hates me...

But I shrug away the thought as I was slipping so easily into being Xandor, just like before.

Just as I always did. Ophelia brought me back to life in the early days, but she can only do so much. I've been Xandor's vessel for so long, now that I'm finally back after leaving him, I actually never want to leave. Perhaps I will truly merge with Xandor, even. The bond feels too strong, even though it has been only less than a day that I've returned.

"Now, to find my dear Elise... or rather, Ophelia now, eh? How life has changed when I've been away, Xandor... perhaps I shouldn't have resisted you earlier. It's fun right now actually, after seeing what Eden would be, with an even clearer picture of what's to come, especially with the fact that life is all I want to have..."

"I'll do anything. Even sacrifice my comrades. The Fallen."

In fact, it's only the beginning.

***

"Xandor! You're back." Elise runs towards me and pulls me into her arms as she locks me tight in her embrace, "No, you... Xavier! Xandor has set you free... I'm so glad you're back."

I look away from her, with slight guilt pulling at my heartstrings, "Ophelia, it's... I am now helping Xandor with his Eden, and that means..."

"You're now swallowed by the darkness too..." Elise takes a few steps back and lies back on the bed.

Hm, it's still fun to see her so innocent even though she's a Fallen Queen, and most importantly, my wife. Don't you think it's amusing, Xavier? To see her so pure even though she's supposedly lost it? It feels like she's still a virgin, regardless of how many times you take her virginity away from her.

Oh, not that analogy, Xandor. Now's not the time to be sexual.

"Ophelia... things have changed. Michael now has a bigger part to play in Eden - and so are you. Both of you must learn to accept who you are. But you, that jealousy was irrational. Don't always believe what you see, Ophelia. What you see might mislead you to the wrong path, and I'm not compromising you and Eden."

"I don't know... I don't know what to believe now. The vision as true. It was so horrifyingly true. None of it was fake. My intuition could never fail me." Vision? Elise saw what Michael and Destiny were doing, because of a vision?

"What were you doing before this, Ophelia? Your new ability... and the vision... they're interconnected."

"I accepted the real Ophelia... sort of." She smiles and shyly places her hands together, trying to look decent when she probably went through another mental war just moments ago. I haven't probed into her mind yet, as Xandor calls it. I want to, but I'm unconsciously holding back. It seems that because of what we did before, there's virtually no privacy between us anymore, but with me...

I want to give her some space, seeing her like this.

"The real Ophelia? So, you've evolved again." I ask her, hoping to understand more about the halfbreeds - what Xandor and I used to call the Collides. Perhaps it's much easier to use the name again.

"Evolved? It's not evolving if I lose myself..." Elise's sheepy smile became nothing but a frown in seconds. She still hates change.

"Change is normal. That's what evolution is, Ophelia. You become different, but you're still you... no matter what happens. You won't lose yourself. And if you do, I'll be here to get you back on track." I attempt to comfort her and make her think less of it, but she always speaks the obvious.

"And become Xandor's perfect wife?" She sinks into a lying down position on the bed, and I move closer to her. I roll my eyes, and stroke through her hair.

"Not just Xandor's, Elise," I try to give her some positivity yet again. She's gone through too much of these difficult things, but I can't guarantee I won't stay this way forever.

"Well, at least you're here, Xavier... At the very least, you're back." Elise turns her body to face the other side of the bed, leaving her back facing me.

"You're still mad at Michael?" I try and take a peek, see if she's crying. I hope she isn't...

"...Should I even be mad at him, actually? I am not even his partner... I'm no one to him now. The visions are messing with what I should be doing, that is to be with you, Xavier..." Elise replies, sniffing with every few words. She's holding back tears...

That's good. Don't let her slip away.

Shut up. I'm in control. You don't even see that your bloody Queen is crying. Learn.

Oh, ego got a little boost, I see. Well, I'll not disturb you, my vessel.

Good. Now shut the fuck up, Xandor.

"If you're okay with it, I need some time alone, Xavier." Elise, now curled up into a fetal position on the bed, still did not turn to face me. Time to leave.

"Of course, Elise. Call me when you need me, alright?" I stand up from the bed, leaving her to rest. I close the door to her chamber slowly, trying to reduce the noise the hinges make.

And with the doors closed, I head to the warehouse... where the Protectors are.

Let's finally tie up the loose ends. Nothing to stop us now.

***

Michael

Create more ghouls? What in the actual fuck is Xavier's - or Xandor's problem? And this... this ominous presence in me... it's making me obey them.

I am not going down like this. Marking Destiny was not what I wanted to do, I had to do it by circumstance -

It wasn't the circumstances, Michael. Or perhaps you want to eat her instead? Erase the guilt? But she'll stay in you, haunt you as we all do.

God... stop! Stop... not you guys again. Leave!

I was heading for the city on my own, without any idea what my own body will do next. It's as if I'm on the sidelines again, but I'm still in control.

This feels so oddly wrong... I think as I head through the portal. Jaden and Leon, who were guarding the portal, did not lift a finger at me this time.

I inhaled deeply as I stepped onto the grass of the meadow the portal brought me to.

The exact same place as before. And here...

This scent... this aroma of...

Food... food...

I was walking to the source of it, my senses leading the way. Everything else was forgotten. Buildings and pavements seemed to pass me by at breakneck speed.

Food...

Flesh...

It's here!

I turn a corner and realise I'm in a graveyard, except that there was a person actually alive, standing in front of a grave.

At this hour? No matter...

Licking my lips, the monster in me seems to take over as I close in on my target.

My predatory senses take over as I unzip my mask's mouth restraints, my left eye's vision starting to remove colours from the spectrum, leaving nothing but red, white and grey.

The red belonging to my food.

I tackle and pin my unsuspecting target down, as I bite into his shoulder, ripping off his flesh and reveling in its taste.

Human flesh... mmm...

A delicacy stratospheres away compared to the dead Fallen I've finished... months ago.

Starting to let my hunger for the whole package consume me, I felt overcome by insanity as my vision continued to stay what it is, more power coming to me as I welcome it all.

Delicious... oh, Lord... more, more, more...

Give me more!

***

Xavier | Xandor

I've been waiting at the warehouse, but something's off with Michael...

And I feel it.

I have not felt this amount of energy in our experiments, Xavier... Michael seems to have broken a barrier we never seen.

A barrier? There's more to being a ghoul? Michael's got more power than we know of?

But he seems out of control. We need to bring him back. Restrain him, for now. Don't let Ophelia know. We'll keep him here, with the rest.

We'll study him when we bring him back then. Bring me where he is, Xandor.

***

We arrive in an alley where nothing but a dim streetlamp lit the way.

Fresh, bright red bloodstains form a trail, as the smell of corpses seem to fill the air.

Do I even want to clean up after him? Perhaps we can leave it, and let the humans continue speculating... fear us.

Michael has already killed two people in front of the humans. They already know how powerful we are.

I turn a corner, and Michael, bent over with his back facing me, rips out flesh from a corpse, on top of a heap.

The bloodstains don't end here. Further down the alley, another route... the bloodstain trail is also there.

But what shocks me is...

The tentacles that Michael has. They're different. They're entirely different.

Suddenly, Michael's head twists itself to face us, locking it at an awkward angle that I usually wouldn't even try with.

And that's when I see his face. Something has grown on Michael's face, on top of his mask.

It's something monstrous that Xandor seems to take so much interest in.

Oh, my... if this is true... hurry, Xavier. Bring him back to the warehouse. I must study him immediately.

"We're going home, Michael," I get ready to transport us back, but Michael turns and faces me.

"More... more..." Michael?

Michael starts to dash towards me as his tentacles in their new form point towards me, poised to strike.

"More... more..." He's pushed me against a wall. I've got teleportation, but he's got my scent now. He will find me, and take others in the process. I actually fear him. My powers might finally have a match. Xandor's powers will stop him, but I'm not merged with him. I'm not ready.

Most of all, my objective is to take him back, not fight him.

"Michael, stop!" I cry, as I finally fight back for the first time. Michael's tentacles strike through my palms and pin them to the wall, and a searing pain goes through my limbs. Michael closes in, and licks his lips, showing me how insane he has become.

"More......"

Author's Note

FINALLY!!! The chapter is complete and I'm actually glad it is, because I can share it with all of you!

Another high word count on this chapter, because I thought I shouldn't scrimp on the details in this one. Not much of descriptive writing still since dialogue pushes this chapter (or my story in fact) so much it just flows like this.

HOPE YOU ENJOYED :) I'll be finding a way to get the next chapter up - no working title at the moment, oops

Till then!