EDIT: I was prompted to rewrite the first couple of chapters by Digitaldreamer. She had some good ideas and since the majority of this plot actually wasn't formed until a lot later, she's helped me clean up a rather messy beginning. Thanks, Digi! PS, if you see "edt" at the top of the page, that's a chapter I redid.

I got this idea from a dream. No joke! In my dream, it looked just like a Chaotic episode with BGM and everything and I woke up and the first thing I did was grab my drawing pencil and white paper to sketch what I'd seen. The storyline behind the dream was cool too so I jotted it down and it eventually intrigued me so much that I turned it into a full length.

This fiction is going to be in three parts/books that are all going to be under the same title. Just letting you know.

So, welcome to the first part. I'm warning you know there's going to be lots of blood, trauma, angst, and character bashing. Especially on Kazzer's part. You have been aptly warned.

Disclaimer: I do not own Chaotic. If I did, there'd be DVD's and T-shirts, and all that awesome stuff.

The Files of Kazdan Kalinkas

Book One: Not By Choice

Chapter One: Capture

UnderWorld Rule #1: Take no prisoners. Prisoners may lose their freedom and have their souls bound but their madness can be unleashed by such things.

A roar of anger echoed down the hallway from the direction of the throne room, accompanied by the unmistakable sound of a Torrent of Flames attack ricocheting off the walls.

Chaor was in a temper.

I figured it would be best to avoid the UnderWorld ruler. Chaor usually let me walk relatively freely through the palace as long as I didn't wander where I wasn't supposed to. But that was Chaor in a good mood.

Today was not a good day to be sneaking around but I was determined to scan something new my upcoming Drome match. And now I was also curious as to why Chaor was in such a foul humor. I slunk down the hall and poked my head into the throne room.

"—completely blocked the Creature's powers! And that was just a prototype!" Ulmar; the only Creature in Perim whose voice was more annoying than he was, "If I test the real thing on a Creature, it could short their powers and destroy them!"

"Then find someone else to test it on!" The UnderWorld Lord snarled, leering over Ulmar who was shaking on his feet before Chaor.

"B-but Chaor!" The smaller Creature squeaked, "Th-the…i-it's not…I mean…it's n-not…th-the regen process isn't completely—!"

"Why not!?" Chaor bellowed.

"I…I haven't b-been able to test the f-final product a-and if something does go wr-wrong it could decimate your t-troops!" Chaor growled and took in a huge breath of air, nostrils flaring. Then he stopped and his red eyes flashed towards the doorway. I knew trouble when I saw it and reached for my Code Scanner, ready to port, but I was just a bit too slow. Chaor's guards pounced on me and dragged me into the throne room, throwing me to the floor beside Ulmar.

"What're you doing here, Kaz?" Chaor rumbled.

"I…I was…" I swallowed, getting the horrid feeling that I wasn't going to talk my way out of this, "I w-wanted to…scan…something." Well, it wasn't a lie.

But it was a weak excuse.

And Chaor didn't like it. His eyes glowed as they narrowed, focusing on me. I was glad I was already on my knees because that angry glare was enough to make me lose feeling in my legs.

"I've let you wander the UnderWorld to your leisure, Kaz." Chaor said in a cold, threatening tone, "But you've been nosing around into places you don't belong! So I'm giving you a choice: join the UnderWorlder Army or…I destroy you!"

I nearly fainted. Neither choice was appealing; fight with the UnderWorlds (no doubt that would rather be a rather gruesome display) or get Coded out of Chaotic forever.

"Now. Kaz." Chaor raised a great, clawed hand and a ball of flames burst into life there.

"I-I'll join the UnderWorlders!" I cringed, expecting to be Coded right there and then. When nothing happened, I looked up again and saw Chaor looking down at me with a satisfied expression.

"Wise choice." The UnderWorld lord closed his fist and the flames were snuffed out. Chaor turned to Ulmar, "There's your test subject, Ulmar. He's got no powers to ruin and besides, Kaz has been loyal to me for a long time." Chaor grinned at me and I shivered. That wasn't a friendly grin, "Get him ready and then bring him back for a demonstration."

"Wh-what!? Chaor! No, wait!" But the guards grabbed me again before I could do anything. Chaor reached into my pocket and snatched my Code Scanner.

"I'll hang onto this. Get him out of here."

The guards had me under my arms, holding me low enough to the floor so that my knees dragged painfully across the stone. I kicked and screamed and fought but they were much stronger than me and I soon sagged in their tight grips, feeling sorry for myself. I figured Ulmar would take me to his lab but the Creature led us into a small, cold room lined with electronic panels and hissing vials of liquid.

"Put him in that chamber and then wait outside." Ulmar commanded and turned towards the nearest control panel with a huff.

The guards threw me unceremoniously into a glass box reinforced on the top, bottom, and four corners with thick black steel before turning on their heels and marching smartly from the room. The heavy door slammed shut in their wake. Ulmar turned his wicked gaze on me.

"Everything off." He sneered.

"What?" I was almost in shock and couldn't process exactly what was going on.

"Clothes, moron, take them off!" When I made a face Ulmar reached behind him and keyed in a series of buttons. Almost immediately, shiny metal arm with pointed finger came through the top of the box through holes that opened with a mechanical hiss. I stared at them and then slid out of my vest with trembling fingers. I pulled my shirt over my head, undid my shoes, yanked off my socks, and, reluctantly, stepped out of my baggy cargos. The mechanical arms gathered up my clothes and withdrew, leaving me shivering in my boxers with goosebumps erupting across my skin in the cold.

Ulmar was muttering to himself outside the glass box, hopping from one panel of controls to the other. I watched him, feelings mixed; I was scared out of my mind, I felt betrayed, and I was completely and utterly alone. No one was coming to my rescue this time. I'd messed up.

Something clattered above me and I jumped. Ulmar looked around to sneer at me. There was a hissing noise and a thick, sweet scent made my head spin. A thin, pale blue mist was filling up the glass box. I stumbled and slumped against the wall.

"Ulmar!" I called weakly, crashing to the cold steel floor as my legs went numb and gave out, "Ulmar…you stinking pile of garbage…let me out!" My vision blurred, focused once more, and then blurred again, "Ulmar…I'll do anything! Whatever you want! Just…let me out, you…sick freak!"

"You're already doing what I want, human!" The Creature spat the word. It was no surprise seeing as he'd hated me since I'd first stepped foot in the UnderWorld, "Groveling! Begging for mercy!" And he laughed horribly.

It was the last sound I heard before everything went black.

Everything hurt. Even breathing hurt. I didn't think I'd hurt this much in my life. I felt like acid had eaten away at my skin and then someone had tried to replace it with hot iron that had cooled against me. My heart pounded in my ears, matching the pulsing rhythm that thrummed painfully across my body.

I groaned softly, coughed, and opened my eyes. A pair of large, bright blue eyes looked back at me.

I yelped in surprise and jumped backwards. Then I shouted in pain and fell off the soft bed I'd been laying in. I sprawled on the floor, twitching and gasping in agony. It felt as though fire had shot through my limbs.

"Easy, Kazzy!" H'earring's small, clawed hands wrapped around my arm and helped me sit up again, "Ulmar didn't treat you nicely!"

I tried to spit out a witty reply but my mouth and throat were dry and I only ended up coughing. H'earring handed me a stone bowl sloshing with water and I gulped it down, wiping my mouth with the back of my hand.

And that's when I noticed it.

The tight silver bands of armor that moved with me, winding up my arms, wrapping around my neck, and tightening around my legs. My fingers were free of the stuff but a chest plate covered my front and back, a swirling mix of colors that gleamed in an eerie, iridescent way, with the bright red UnderWorld symbol splashed across it. Silver shoulder guards with spikes rising from them arched down from the base of my neck and spiked silver boots that reached to my knees adorned my feet.

I ran his hand across the armor on my arm and went pale. I could feel my hand moving across the metal as though it was my very skin. Panic made my head spin and my stomach churn. I grabbed the bowl I'd just emptied of water and vomited into it, choking and gasping.

"H-H'earring…what is this!?" I choked on my words, fear lodging a lump in my throat as I leaned over the stinking mess I'd left in the bowl, "What did Ulmar do!?"

"I don't know the details," H'earring was wringing the end of one of his long ears in his hands, looking upset, "Just that Ulmar made that armor as a new Battle Gear but he didn't have anyone to test it one so—."

"So Chaor let him use me." I murmured. Then I tried to pull the silver band off my arms but it was like someone was giving me an Indian Burn so he stopped.

"It won't come off." H'earring said sadly, "I tried. I don't know what Chaor wants with you Kaz, but...I'm really sorry."

I was shaking so bad that H'earring had to take the bowl away from me, my mind was shot blank, I couldn't focus. This was wrong. This was all so wrong. And it wasn't fair. I'd been in the wrong place at the wrong time and now I was suffering for it.

The door slammed open and a couple of Chaor's guards loomed over us. They glared first at H'earring, who quickly backed away, and then at me. I tried swallowing past the giant lump in my throat.

"Chaor wants a demonstration." One of the snapped, "Get up."

I tried, I really did, but my legs wouldn't support me and the fiery pain crippled me again. The guards rolled their eyes at one another then reached down and hauled me upright. I swayed on my feet and stumbled into one of them. He battered me backwards and into his fellow who caught me and held on. I pushed away, reeled once again, and finally found my balance. My body ached. With one final glance at H'earring, I followed the two soldiers out of the tiny room and down the palace halls to the throne room.

Chaor was perched on his throne as though he ruled the world, ever faithful Takinom at his side. I trembled under his hard glare, "Alright, Ulmar, show me what this thing can do."

"With pleasure, Chaor." I glared at the little Creature but he just sneered at me, "There are two attachments to this Armor. The first," He nodded to a soldier who stepped forward, grabbed my arm, and jabbed my left hand into a steel gauntlet with pointed fingers, "Is the Destiny Claw. It can cut through any material, even the reinforced steel-alloy of the Viledrivers." Chaor grinned, "The second is a gun I don't have a name for yet." He beckoned and another guard came forward bearing a large black gun with red dials on the sides. He forced it into my hands,

"Shoot it." Chaor commanded me, "At that guard."

I stared at him, then at the gun in my hands, and then back at him. Then I shook my head. I wasn't going to blast away and UnderWorlder who could do nothing to defend himself. The Creature in question looked horrified but did not move from his spot; he knew better than to disobey the Lord of the UnderWorld.

I did too but that didn't stop me from lowering the weapon so it was pointed at the floor.

Chaor's eyes narrowed.

"There are ways of obedience." Ulmar chuckled darkly and I swung around to look at him. He held a flat rectangle of metal in his hand. He grinned wickedly and brushed his thumb over its surface.

Agony coursed through me as thousands of volts of electricity rocketed around my body. I fell to the floor, twitching and screaming, tears streaking down my face. My glasses cracked on the stone. Then it stopped and I lay gasping, curled in a ball, choking and sobbing.

"If you don't shoot that soldier," Chaor snarled, "Then I'll have Ulmar do it again."

I got shakily to my feet. If I closed my eyes, maybe it wouldn't be as bad. I raised the gun and it felt light despite its size. My arms shook. I pointed it at the unfortunate soldier, closed my eyes, and pulled the trigger.

I felt a series of slight jerks as the gun went off.

And the screams.

I couldn't stop my eyes from flying open.

The guard was writhing in pain as the liquid flames that had fired from the weapon consumed him.

I dropped the gun and it clattered to the stone floor.

"Excellent." Chaor grinned, "And only the one wearing this armor can use it?"

"Yes, indeed." Ulmar confirmed, "And…there's one more thing. Why don't you shoot the brat with a Torrent of Flames."

That snapped me back to reality. I gasped and looked around at the UnderWorld ruler in shook. An attack like that would Code me for sure! I backed away, eyes wide, as Chaor stood up and held up a hand.

"Chaor! No—!"

"Torrent of Flames!"

The fire hit me and I shrieked as I was blasted apart into darkness.

… …

A ripple.

I raised my hand, trembling, and felt stone beneath my finger tips.

I pushed upwards…

…And rose.

I stumbled and stared at my hands and almost screamed again. They looked like water. Then they were solid and I realized what had happen.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Instant regen!" I cried before I could stop myself.

"Instant Regeneration Armor." Ulmar stated proudly, "And the best part is that he can't take it off. It's fused with his nerves. That armor is him."

The world spun around me, the floor tilted under my feet, and I fainted.

I knew I wasn't in the palace anymore because the air smelled different.

To this day, I don't know why that was the first thought to enter my head when I came to. Whatever the reason for it, it woke me up.

A brown-stone ceiling braced with wooden beams swam into focus above my head. I lay there for a while, half out of fear, half out of something like sleep paralysis. Then I sat up slowly and carefully but there was no fiery pain to strike me down this time.

My shadow flickered across the wall from the dying candle sitting on the low table towards the center of the room. I was on the floor near a corner covered with a thin blanket and a small pillow.

A very familiar corner.

A corner I had sat in on many occasion when making deals with a certain Creature for scans of anything I could get my hands on.

"H'earring?" I looked around but the little UnderWorlder was nowhere in sight, "H'earring?" I struggled upright, resting my hand on the wall to find my balance. I felt sick; I may not have hurt but I was ready to hurl again at any second. I staggered across the room and through an open archway. The candlelight didn't reach into this room very well so I couldn't see and tripped over a rug. I hit the floor with a resounding clang of armor and a yelp of pain.

There was scuffling from upstairs and then a light bounced down the stairs. H'earring was holding a candle and it lit the room as he came down the last step. I remained sprawled on the floor, feeling pathetic and sorry for myself.

"Kaz! You're awake!" The UnderWorlder skipped down the remaining stairs and set the candle down beside him, "What're you doing on the floor?"

I pushed myself upright, "H'earring, where's my Code Scanner?"

"Chaor has it, remember…"

"Can you get it back?" I looked at him with hope. He was the UnderWorlder spy; he could do and get anything, "Please, H'earring, can you find it so I can port home? I just…I wanna…go home…"

"I could get it for you," H'earring swallowed, looking upset again, "But…it wouldn't do you any good." He turned away from me, "I don't know how he did it but Ulmar's said he got your "real self," Kaz."

I fell back in shock.

Ulmar had managed to yank me out of Earth?

Then that meant…

That meant…

"I'm never getting home…"

I was never leaving Perim again.

I'd fantasized about things like this but never to the extent that I was Chaor's little pet project.

And not just a pet project.

I was a walking weapon.

How's that for an opening chapter? I warned you there was going to be plenty of bashing. Then again, most of my fictions pertain to bashing so this isn't much of a stretch. Well, actually, this might be the meanest thing I've ever done to someone. Aside from killing Iparu in Nice To Be Loved.

And this is just the beginning.

(grins wickedly)