Mystic: The Tablets of Gilgamesh

Chapter Nine
The Last Piece!

Back in Antarctica, Daniel sat, watching as Denshi appeared injured. “My lord, they took the piece,” he said trembling. He didn’t want to anger Daniel since he found his body amidst the ocean.

“I know,” Daniel said nonchalantly. “Do you know what happens to failures?”

Denshi’s eyes widened as he looked at Daniel, he bowed and got on one knee.

“No, please, give me another chance. I want them as dead as you. I just need time!”

“Time waits for no man, not even you,” Daniel said. “You’re weak, weaker than before.” Daniel stood up as he walked down the steps in front of the throne that was elevated.

In the room was Cyrstal and the other girl who attacked Adam. They watched as Daniel walked closer, using his hands to raise Denshi’s face.

“Another chance?” Daniel asked. “Why should I give you another chance at failing me?”

“Daniel, please, I know how to get stronger,” Denshi said, his voice breaking from fear. His eyes wide open and body trembling.

Daniel placed his hand on top of Denshi’s head and smiled. “It’s OK,” he said. Denshi’s composure calmed as he sighed.

“Thank you,” he said as suddenly a beam of light blasted through his skull, enveloping his body as he was completely destroyed.

The others watched on, knowing full well what would happen and how this was not the first time, either.

“Anyone else?” Daniel asked rhetorically before walking back to his throne to sit. He thought back once more to his time in Palestine and his betrayal. How he was left to die by his own comrades and how his father, upon learning the truth, never did anything to stop them. It angered him, but with all the pieces but one more, it was time to make his move, this time he would do it himself, no longer relying on the weak to do his bidding.

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The three appeared in Argentina as they looked around to find an empty city. A strange aura surrounded the place. The sky was dark, covered with clouds. Small droplets of rain fell from the sky. They stood there looking around, seeing the place destroyed, smoke and rubble everywhere. As they walked through the city, they began finding bodies littering the city.

“What happened here?” Sally asked as she looked around. Mako closed his eyes trying to sense for any sign of life but found nothing. This didn’t seem right, something was wrong.

They walked down the street when two people stood before them, a space for one person in between them. The rainwater formed between them as a human form took shape and solidified into the one causing the destruction: Daniel.

“Get ready guys, I think they’re the ones who did this,” Mako said getting into a battle stance, Sally and Alura doing the same.

“So, you must be my brothers ‘friends’,” Daniel said with a smirk. “Guess I’ll have to do you too.”
“Come again?” Alura asked.

“In a minute,” he turned towards Mako, “I don’t know if I like you hanging out with other boys, girls” Daniel smiled as he said this.

“I’m right here,” Mako responded, slightly irritated he was just being ignored.

“Well, prepare yourselves,” Daniel said, “because we’re coming.”

“Wait,” Sally asked, “Was that supposed to sound sexual because everything you’ve said sounds sexual.”

“Oh, get your mind out of the gutter, deary,” Daniel retorted, “of course it was.” He smiled as Crystal and the other girl flew at three. Mako smacked the girls out of the way and fired, blowing them up.
“Wow…” Daniel said in shock, “are all of my minions just fodder now?”
“It’s over, Daniel,” Mako blustered, “We’re stronger now. Not only do we possess the power stones, but we’ve had our potential unlocked. You’re no match for all of us. We’re not the same Mystics you faced before”

“Oh god, the heroic blustering,” Daniel remarked as he sighed. “Guess I’ll just have to break myself in!” He smiled as he vanished and reappeared behind Mako, his speed leaving an afterimage as he kneed Mako in the back and spin kicked him in the head, sending him flying into the buildings nearby.

“Mako!” Sally shouted. “You’re... You’re a monster.”

“Not like I haven’t heard that before,” Daniel retorted.

“You killed all of these people and attacked us,” Alura commented, pointing to the destruction of the town.

“What’s an ant to a God, Alura?” Daniel asked calling her by her name.

Alura was stunned that he even knew who she was. “H-How did…”

“You and your ilk saved the world from a psychopath a few years back, did you really think someone like me wouldn’t have noticed? Hell, the entire world governments and the U.N. know about you. Why do you think they never intervened?”

As if on point, an attack helicopter appeared as did a few tanks and soldiers, drawing their weapons to the four Mystics.

“Attention, you’re all subjects involved in crimes against humanity,” the voice said from an intercom. Alura noticed the symbol on the helicopter and recognized it as the United States.

“The U.S. military is here?” Daniel asked as he looked up and blocked the light from the helicopter shining down on him with his hand. “I guess I have no choice,” he said as the helicopter began firing down on Daniel. The smoke grew as Daniel took a stance, his knees bent as he placed his arms in front of him to block the bullets. The bullets themselves bouncing off of his skin.

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“Sir, they’re unaffected,” a soldier told his commander.
“Have the naval ships fire on their location, call in the A-10 Thunderbolt. I want these murderous monsters killed.”

“Yes, sir!” The soldier then began following his orders as he had the navy nearby begin firing and to call in the A-10 Thunderbolt, a single-seat, twin turbofan engine, straight wing jet aircraft.

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Daniel was having known of it as the shooting continued. He summoned the oceans water as pillars of water came crashing down on top of the soldiers, tanks and the helicopter. But the Navy was already on their attack as guided missiles began firing. Daniel opened his left hand and aimed his palm towards the coming attack as a wide beam of light fired out at the attack, vaporizing them. Then the Thunderbolts flew in as they began firing.

Alura and Sally took cover as the airforce jets teaming up with the Navy began to fire rapidly at Daniel, not even scratching him.

As the smoke cleared, he stood up straight and smiled. He threw his trident in the air and caught it in a backhand-style as he chucked it like a javelin, flying immensely fast as it hit one of the jets. Daniel himself appeared in front of the jet and landed on top of the hood as he eyed the pilot, who was scared behind comprehension as Daniel broke the glass and grabbed the man in one move, tossing him out and landing back on the ground.

As he smiled, Alura revealed herself, as did Sally. They attempted to surround him as they began to attack, sending a barrage of their own attacks at him. They did not affect him, so they both fired a beam of light and shadow energy at him, the resulting effect was a gray explosion.
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Adam stood before Zeus who looked down at him. “Who was my mother? Where is she? Is she alive?” He kept asking a thousand questions without Zeus so much as answering, let alone was he given the time to do so.

“Adam, your mother is long since dead, now,” he began, “we must awaken your Seeker powers. Look inside yourself, listen to the voice calling out to you.”

“The voice?” Adam asked. Did he hear voices, was that his soul partner? “But I don’t know their name!”

“You must try, Adam or your friends will die,” Zeus said sternly, his gaze staring deep into Adam's eyes.

He closed his eyes and focused until he found himself in a void, one of pure light energy. Tiny bright stars, brighter than the white voice, floated around as he eyed them.
Adam the voice called again.

“Focus, Adam, find your partner. Find them,” Zeus commanded. He made it sound super easy.
Adam focused his body and mind in this strange new world. It seems slightly familiar, like the feeling he gets when he teleports or flashes to a location, that point in between.

He saw a glowing star and walked to it, it was the size of a baseball. He brushed the others away as he picked it. “You’re my partner, aren’t you?”

“Yes, Adam, I’ve been calling out to you for years, and you never answered,” the voice said, flashing as it spoke.

“But, I don’t even know your name,” Adam replied.

“Listen and hear it,” the voice replied. “My name is…,” it stopped.

“What? Your name is what?”Adam asked, getting nervous he was doing something wrong.

“My name is…,” it said again, still in the same male voice as before.

“You’re not saying it!” Adam shouted, frustrated he was being toyed with.

“I have, you’re not listening,” the voice once more commented. “My name is…,”

Adam felt emptiness. Was he doing something wrong? Why was his name not heard to him? He continued to get frustrated as he held his head with his hands, eyes closed and screamed. Tears ran down his face. “I… I just want to save my friends… I want to protect everyone. Why can’t I hear your name?”

“Why do you want to protect your friends?”

“I-I don’t have a family,” he said as he had flashbacks with Mako, Alura, and Sally. He felt something for Sally, too. She was pretty, nice, comforting. He thought back to her resting by the bedside as he recovered after his trip to Egypt. “I think… I think I love her.”
“Love who?”

“Sally. I love them all, they don’t deserve to die.” Adam sat down as he talked to the star, explaining how he felt and why he wanted to avenge Jellal’s death.

“Listen, and hear my name. My name is…” he said as Adam gave up, nothing he did was working, and he did not have time to spar.

“I’m sorry, I don’t think I’m worthy of you. I have to save my friends, if I can’t get your help, I’ll do it alone.” As he said this, he opened his eyes and saw Zeus before him. “Thanks, old man, but I don’t have time to waste, take me to my friend, please!”

Zeus nodded as he raised his hand. “I understand, you remind me of my son, Heracles. Of course, you know him as Hercules.”

“Hercules is real? Then why can’t he help!?” Adam shouted, “Why can’t you step in?!”
“Because, it’s not my place to intervene with human affairs, it would destroy the very world and laws we created. Meddling too many causes too many issues, Adam, this is why we get a bad reputation. This is why the Titans were locked up. But I can help you in one way.”

“How?” Adam asked. Soon his body glowed brightly as he felt a surge of energy flow through him. “What was that?”

“You’ll learn in time, now, go save your friends,” Zeus said as Adam flashed away before he could ask any more questions.

Adam felt the light engulfed him as it soon faded away as fast as it came and he found himself in Argentina. He looked around and found the bodies of soldiers everywhere, destroyed buildings and dead bodies littering the city. He walked over to a nearby soldier and flipped him over, he was checking for a pulse when the soldier coughed up blood.

“What happened?” Adam asked.

“Those… meta-humans… They attacked us… You have to… run…” he said before Adam placed his head back down and used a blessing to heal as many as he could.

“That will help you,” he said.

The soldier began feeling a bit better as he looked up at Adam. “You’re one of them…” he said with fear.

“Yes, we’re called Mystics, but I’m on your side. Don’t worry, you’ll be fine, I come back for you guys, but first, I have to stop that monster,” Adam said standing up and looking out into the distance as lightning flashed in the sky.

He ran through the street trying to sense where they were, but he couldn’t sense anything until he came across Mako. He was out cold and piled next to Alura and Sally.

“Guys!” He tried to run there when a voice beckoned for him.

“Well, if it isn’t my dearest brother, Adam,” the voice said. Adam looked over to find Daniel, the man from his dream, standing there with a trident in hand and a smirk on his face. His bright sky-blue eyes and blonde hair, he was without a doubt his brother.

“Daniel…” he said. “Why are you doing this?!”

“You may think I’m evil, little brother, but you’re delusional. I know you went to the Gods for a power-up. I made your friends tell me everything. You see, the world is wrought with sin, evil, carelessness, and selfishness. Bigotry rules the land and people have suffered long enough. Our people. The Gods incompetence has led to this.”

Daniel eyed his brother as he raised his free hand up to Adam. “Brother, we don’t have to do this. No more blood has to be spilled, join me and help me make the world a better place for all humans and Mystics alike,” Daniel offered.

“You kill my best friend!”

“You think Zeus is innocent? What do you think he did to Kronos? He overthrew him, waged war, killed Titans. What did he win? He tricked Hades into ruling the underworld and shackled Prometheus to a stone to be devoured and healed by a bird for all eternity, Atlas to hold the sky for all eternity. He is not without sin, he must be stopped and the Titans freed. They suffered long enough,” Daniel told his brother.

“You attack me, you tried to have me killed, you attacked my friends and you killed Jellal! That’s not going to work,” he shouted at Daniel.

Daniel spun his trident in his hands and got into a battle stance, “then so be it. I offered you a chance at peace.”