A Second Chance

The Conquerors Own Nothing

In honor of the new Ghost Rider movie coming out soon, I, Z of the Conquerors, present you with a new story featuring a familiar face.

Chapter One:

A New Beginning

A man may live his life normally, unaware of what really goes on around him. He may raise a family in peace and quiet before dying of old age. However, if a man discovers the truth about the world, he is often forced to lead a far different life. This is the tale of such a man.

At last, he had faded away. As he floated through the endless abyss, watching stars pass, he remembered his life, and the events leading up to his current location. From his days on his father's ranch to when he became a Texas Ranger. He remembered when he got greedy and was sent to the gallows.

He remembered when HE arrived. He remembered when the deal was made. He rode the Earth, collecting on deals. But finally, when he was ordered to hand over the Contract, he fled. Ever since that fateful day, he cursed HIM, he cursed the Contract, but most importantly he cursed himself. Every waking moment was spent in self-loathing. Finally, he had stumbled upon his successor. He had trained the poor soul as best he could, then faded away.

Which now leads to his current location. He had no power left, so he had faded away into the wind of Texas. He had believed that he was damned for his actions and that he would be dragged down to be tormented by HIM again. However, it seemed he was mistaken. He could finally rest now. He began to close his eyes.

Not yet.

His eyes opened in surprise. He was no longer floating in a sea of stars. He stood in a strange place. There were no features, no living creatures except himself, and nothing moved. Everything shone a bright white color.

He felt as if he were being watched by someone. Someone who had far more power than he could ever have. He realized what was happening: Judgment.

Finally, the voice spoke again.

You have your second chance, Rider. Make the best of it.

Suddenly, his mind was flooded with information. Information about a secret society living underneath the eyes of humans. Information about a school for them to learn how to blend in with Mankind. And most importantly, he knew what he needed to do and where to go.

It was going to be difficult. Scratch that, it would be almost impossible. He was not normal, even among their kind. His life would be in constant risk as long as he remained close to the boy.

On the plus side, he would still have his powers.

He grinned. This was going to be fun!

"Now class, we have a new student coming today, so make sure you are on your best behavior!" said Nekonome as she stood in front of the class. Most of her students just groaned.

Tsukune Aono sat at the window. He sighed. In his opinion, the new student would probably just be a girl that somehow ends up falling in love with him. A normal person would greatly desire this, but Tsukune had a problem. Simply put, he had too many girls after him. Four is quite enough, thank you very much.

The door to the classroom opened. A boy about Tsukune's age walked in. He had black hair and steely gray eyes. He wore the standard white shirt and tie, but those were the only aspects of the school uniform. He had leather boots, black leather pants, and a worn looking leather jacket. On his head he wore a wide-brimmed hat that also looked worn.

The new student stood in front of the class. Everyone gave him look-overs to see if he could be a threat.

"Would you mind introducing yourself to the class?" asked Nekonome.

"Sure thing, ma'am," said the boy in a deep Texan drawl. Looking at the assembled students, he said:

"My name is Carter Slade. It's a pleasure to meet y'all."