Dark Genesis: Guardian Falling

Chapter Three:

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"Tobor! Tobor! He said something!" An excited voice suddenly rang through the house from the living room. "Where are you? Quick! Quick, he's saying my name!"

Quite slowly, Moritori Rex rubbed the water in his hand into his face, turned off the tap, then dried his face and hands with a towel.
"Really? He's talking to you now?" Rex called back skeptically, careful to leave a hint of teasing in his tone.

It had been a little over two months since the accident, and things were starting to settle back into what would be the normal routine.
He'd spent the first week in the hospital, as the doctors weren't to keen on letting him out until they were quite sure he wasn't about to drop dead any minute.
There had been no sign of the real Guardian Tobor, which was a great relief.
His own body had been repairing itself as well as he could have hoped for as his is sprained wrist was almost back to normal, and his broken arm was safely healing in a cast.

The family and friends didn't suspect anything, as any information he didn't know about them, any memories he missed, were easily chalked up to memory loss. Everyone Tobor knew was far too sympathetic to question it any further, and just accepted the new Tobor that needed reminding about things that happened to him.
Even with this excuse, Rex was eternally thankful for every minute he spent watching Tobor's life from the Twilight Zone.

The biggest challenge since being discharged from the hospital was not reacting to everything he saw with absolute awe.
Watching the pocket zone was one thing – living it was another. He had to be sure to treat quite foreign things to him with complete familiarity.
Things he never would have thought would be an issue had him completely bewildered. As simple as where the cutlery and crockery was kept or what Voni-Ca's favourite kind of perfume was.

The first time Moritori Rex had been taken into Haven had been a real test, trying to keep a straight face. It was painful how hypocritical the Brotherhood of Guardians was in regards to technology.
It was their ancestor that drove the Echidna population into renouncing technology, and yet Haven sported the most modern technology Echidnaopolis had to offer. Not bringing it up became to be a real challenge.

Old Steppenwolf proved to be every bit as cunning and shrewd as Rex could hope he wouldn't be. It was almost as if heknew something wasn't right, but didn't like to say anything at the risk of sounding rude. But frustratingly, he seemed to put Rex under constant supervision from one of the other older Brotherhood members, and never only with himself.
And the first chance I get will be the death of you, Steppenwolf. Rex decided darkly.

But due to this, Rex's first meetings with Moonwatcher and Harlan were up close and personal. Moonwatcher came across to Moritori as being a little loopy, and quite eager to please. He was energetic despite being so old, almost as though he'd never quite lost this childhood spirit.
Harlan was a little more serious, and certainly very down to earth. He had a very quick tongue coupled with a sarcastic, dry sense of humor, making him quite entertaining to spend time with, in Rex's opinion. It was almost a shame the circumstances meant that they weren't able to form a closer bond.

But all in all, the Brotherhood of Guardians was an infuriatingly dysfunctional family of which Rex was glad to know he wasn't really a part.
The main thing that wasn't going so well for Rex was that the Brotherhood had yet to take him to the Chaos Chamber – and with it the Master Emerald, and teach him how to harness its power. Unless Steppenwolf had something to do with this, it seemed to be more out of disorganization than suspicion.

Never mind.

Rex looked up into the mirror, and took a look at his face.
It was looking much better now than before. The first time he saw himself in a mirror after the accident, he had barely recognised himself, then almost died of shock the moment he did.
His face had been turned into a half-stirred mixture of bruises, swelling and stitches, but those were fast disappearing. He looked almost the same as he did before - except for his artificial optic sensors, which, unfortunately, were terribly bulky and awkward. They were also laughably out of date by Dark Legion standards, but he wasn't going to complain on either accounts.
The doctors at Echidnaopolis Mercy Hospital had ordered for some more modern, more attractive (but still not all that nice) Technicolor optics, which were due any day now. He was looking forward to seeing colour again, but the not implant surgery.

But the sun was almost down, and it would be worth it just to be able to fully appreciate the beauty of a sunset – something unheard of in the Twilight Zone.

Rex had just pulled off his shirt and shoes and gloves, ready to slip into his bedclothes, when something in the mirror caught his attention.
He ran his fingers over the white crescent across his chest, looking at it closely in the mirror. It was identical to that of the Guardians, and in his opinion, it was the ugliest, most disfiguring scar the plan and accident had given him.
Just what it represented and who it tied him to, made him want to rip the skin off his chest - but he knew it was necessary in order to successfully play the role of Tobor, so he'd have to put up with it.

Footsteps pattered toward him, growing louder as they came towards the bathroom door.

"Tobor…" Voni-Ca said in a sing-song voice, poking her head around the doorway. "Our son is growing up. You want to see this!"

I do?

"But I was just about to go to bed!" Rex whined playfully turning to face Voni-Ca, and pulling her into his arms, fondling one of her front spines affectionately. "Can't this 'growing up' act of his wait until morning?"
Voni-Ca grinned, throwing her arms around Rex's neck, leaning in and nuzzling their noses together lovingly.

"He'll only speak his first words once. You can sleep any time you want. Now, get in here and be amazed."

"All right, all right. Give me a second, hun." Rex replied, letting go of Voni-Ca and pulling his pajama singlet over his head. "Good boy." Voni-Ca said, grabbing Rex by the wrist, and dragging him into the living room.

There, in the middle of the living room, was a little toddler sitting on a mat, looking rather pleased everyone had returned into the room.

"Say it again, Specs!" Voni-Ca said brightly, kneeling down to baby Spectre. "Say my name again! Say 'Mommy!'"

"He says 'Mommy' and he's saying your name?" Rex said with an amused snort. "That's not your name, Von."

"Of course it is!" Voni-Ca said, looking back up at Rex with a pout. "I'm your Voni-Ca, and I'm his Mommy. Say it again, darling. Say 'Mommy'!" she said, turning back to Spectre, her eyes wide with enthusiasm.

She's my Voni-Ca…

"Whatever you say." Rex said with a smirk, bending down onto the mat with Spectre and Voni-Ca.

"Sweetie, could you just keep an eye on him while I get his cot ready for bed? Wont be a sec."

"Keep and eye on him? Is that meant to be funny?" Rex asked mockingly, feigning offence and tapping his optics with his index finger as Voni-Ca stood up to walk into the nursery.
"Oh, I didn't mean it like that." She replied apologetically, although she knew Rex was only winding her up.
Voni-Ca left the room.

Moritori Rex crossed his legs to be more comfortable on the floor, and stared down at the baby Spectre silently, who gazed back up at him sleepily. Rex couldn't see the cute in him, only the dangerous Guardian he would eventually grow to be.

What is it? Rex thought impatiently. I suppose I'm going to have to get used to you, aren't I? How long until I'm supposed to train you to become a Guardian? I'm sure your Grandfather will say something soon enough.
How am I supposed to do that, when I don't know how to be a Guardian myself? My father taught me to lead the Dark Legion, to be a Grandmaster! I should be doing the same right now for Luger! This entire plan goes against all I stand for, but the ends must justify the means.
But all that Chaos channeling - will I be able to pick it up, or is it something exclusive to your side of the family? What am I supposed to do then, eh? I'll be booted back into the Twilight Zone just like my father before me!

Moritori Rex fought to suppress is frustration that boiled inside him. What was he supposed to do with the child? What if he couldn't channel the Chaos force? The injustice of it all!

"Da-" the baby began.

"Don't you dare call me 'Daddy', runt!" Rex hissed dangerously, in a dark, low voice, snatching the toddler's arm tightly and pulling him forward. He managed to stop himself before he did any real harm to the little one, as that would be difficult to explain to Voni-Ca.
He quickly let go of the baby's arm and took a deep, calming breath.

Despite Rex's self-restraint, little Spectre was petrified. He recoiled in fright. For a few seconds, he didn't appear to realise what had just happened. He just sat with a stunned look on his face, before his little face crumpled and he started wailing at the top of his lungs.

"Aw, no!" Rex moaned, quickly scooping the toddler up with his good arm, and pulling him in close, gently bouncing him up and down. "Stop crying, I didn't mean to, it's alright, you're not hurt for Aurora's sake, stop crying!"
But Spectre just wailed louder.

"What on Mobius did you do?" Voni-Ca yelled, rushing back into the living room, taking Spectre from Rex and hushing him quietly.
"Nothing!" Rex protested.

Two months into the infiltration, and all I've managed to do is cause baby Guardians to cry. Well done, Rex…
"He must be just tired and cranky." Voni-Ca said uncertainly, casting Moritori Rex a dark look, and whisked the now sobbing Spectre off into the nursery room to put him into bed.
"I didn't do anything!" Rex yelled after her hopelessly.

Rex stood in the living room, feeling his face burn with embarrassment from his own stupidity. What had been the point in getting mad at a toddler? What if Voni-Ca had walked in before he'd let go? Stupid, stupid mistakes. And they could cost him dearly.Stupid!

Feeling awkward standing in the middle of the living room, Rex collapsed into the sofa, sighing.
A few minutes passed, and Voni-Ca returned, looking flustered. She stood in the doorway, one hand combing through her hair.

"I- I just don't understand." She said finally, walking towards Rex, and collapsing on the sofa beside him.

"Don't understand what?" Rex asked, putting his arm around Voni-Ca's shoulders and squeezing warmly, trying to make up for his aggressiveness before. Voni-Ca shifted uncomfortably, and fidgeted with a loose thread on her sleeve. "What's bothering you, sweet?"

"…It's probably nothing." She began. "But it's just that – before the – you know, the accident – Spectre used to never cry, not for no reason." Voni-Ca said, looking down to her knees. "We all know you've been a little different since the accident." She went on, her voice starting to wobble. Rex didn't like where this was going, he didn't dare speak. Or even blink.
"But I feel so confused!" Voni-Ca burst out, looking back up into Rex's eyes. "I love you, Tobor, really I do! I'd be a wreck without you – I almost was. B-but since the accident… it just hasn't felt the same between us. And - and I think Spectre feels it too."

Rex felt like a spear had just impaled his stomach. The blood drained from his face, and his palms broke out in sweat. His arms grew weak and heavy. His throat dried up as a sick, twisted weight boiled in his gut. He felt as if he was about to throw up.

"W-what are you saying?" he said, his voice having gone up an octave in panic. "What do you mean by – WHAT ARE YOU SAYING?"
By now, Rex was on his feet, his knees shaking beneath him.

"I – I don't know! Please don't jump to conclusions!" Voni-Ca said in alarm, understandably extremely upset.
"You're not leaving me!"
"I never said that!"
"You were thinking it!"
"Tobor, calm, please, you'll wake the baby-"
"I DON'T CARE ABOUT THAT DAMN PUP!" Rex replied, losing control of his words.

Part of his mind was only two aware of what a serious security breach this was, and the other part of his brain didn't care. This wasn't about the plan. It wasn't about staying undercover, it wasn't about being Tobor. It was deeper than that, much deeper.
It struck him like a sledgehammer.

"Tobor, you're scaring me!"

He actually cared about Voni-Ca. She wasn't just a pawn in his plans. She wasn't the enemy. He'd taken Tobor's persona too far. He'd gotten attached to someone he should never have. But it had been too hard, she was such a nice, sweet little girl, always helping him, looking after him as he recovered.
And he deserved her more than Tobor ever did. "You aren't acting yourself! What's wrong with you?"

But what right did she have, denying him something that he so rightly earned? She couldn't leave him! He wouldn't let her! But when he looked down into her fearful eyes, it tore him up how terrified she was. How terrified he had caused her to be. Why did it have to be his fault?

"Tobor, why won't you answer me?"

Moritori Rex snapped.

"N-no.. no!" He stammered. "Tobor isn't the one scaring you. There's nothing – there's nothing wrong with me."
"You- you're not making any sense! Honey, come here, I take back what I said, I-"
"YOU CAN'T JUST TAKE IT BACK!"

Moritori Rex batted away Voni-Ca's arm that reached up to comfort him, when quite suddenly, Rex felt an incredibly painful burning sensation spread across his torso.

Of course. It was bound to happen sooner or later.

His piercing scream woke Spectre, who began screaming along with him. Rex doubled over in pain, clutching his chest as if it was in danger of being blown apart. He staggered backwards blindly then collapsed onto his knees.

"Tobor?" Voni-Ca said quietly with a gasp, leaning down, attempting to lift Rex to his feet, but Rex stayed firmly on his knees.
"Foolish girl." Rex snarled in a completely different voice. He darted his eyes up to Voni-Ca without moving his head. "So naïve. So blind…"

In a flash, Rex snapped his body around, so that he was now on his feet, facing Voni-Ca and gripping her by the shoulders. He ran forward with her, and slammed her against the nearest wall. Voni-Ca screamed in terror and pain.

"What's going on?" Voni-Ca said, her voice shaky. "Let me go, Tobor! LET ME GO!" She began squirming desperately to escape Rex's powerful grip. Even with a healing broken arm, it was still easy to overpower the petite little Voni-Ca.

Rex obliged. But instead he leant his body in so close that he was almost touching her. Voni-Ca was still pinned against the wall, and unable to escape.
With his now free hands, he reached for the collar of his singlet.
He grimaced, then pulled.
His singlet ripped open at the front, showing his bare chest underneath. He gingerly tapped his chest, which was swollen and inflamed along a band that was now red where once was white.

"…Must have been triggered by my anger… strange thing, the Chaos force…" Rex murmured to himself.
Voni-Ca cowered beneath Rex when she saw what she was being shown.

"Oh my god…" Voni-Ca said in barely more than a whisper, looking repulsed and disbelieving. "You don't have your… how can this be, you always had – OH MY GOD!"
A look of horrified realization shuddered across her face.

"Now you see…" Rex said, staring straight into her eyes expressionlessly. "Foolish girl."

Voni-Ca screwed her eyes shut, and turned her head to one side. She whimpered for a moment, her body cold and quivering in terror.
"Who are you?" She asked, barely able to get out the words. "Where's my Tobor? Who are you!?" She looked back into Rex's cold metal eyes, her own ones sparkling with tears.

Rex considered her question for a moment. What would be the quickest, most efficient way to let her know just how dire her situation was?

"My name is Moritori Rex, Grandson of the Great Dimitri, and I am the one who killed your Tobor."

Voni-Ca's legs collapsed underneath her. She sat on the floor, her eyes wide and staring.
"No. no no no no no…." said so quietly she could have been only mouthing the word.

For a few seconds, there was a sour, contemplative silence between them.

With a quick draw of breath, Voni-Ca looked up to Rex.
"I should have known it." She said, her voice cracking. "The soultouch Tobor and I shared… it's not here anymore." She rounded her shoulders and drew her hands in closer to her heart. "I thought it was just stress – that I couldn't feel it because I was so scared I'd lose him."

Rex stared down at her, his arms limply by his side, and his face showing the slightest hint of pity. All the while, Spectre still screamed from the nursery.

"I'm sorry." He began, as he kneeled down to Voni-Ca's level. Tenderly, he put his hand under her chin, and pulled her closer and closer until they could only see each other's eyes. "I hate to do this to you, my dear. I didn't foresee this happening, but honestly - this hurts me too."

"This is a bad dream…" Voni-Ca said desperately, closing her eyes as if waking up was her last hope.

"I assure you, it isn't." Rex said. "Would I lie to you?"
Voni-Ca whimpered again, trying to pull herself away from Rex, but not having the energy to do so.

"I thought I knew the soultouch." Rex said. "Jesi-Je is her name. She is gorgeous. She's my wife. She bore me a son." Rex put his other hand on Voni-Ca's cheek. "But she is nothing compared to you. Perhaps in another lifetime, things could have been different. Luger and Spectre could be brothers. Tobor would still be here, but you would be mine…"

Moritori Rex brushed his lips against the now bawling Voni-Ca, and kissed her gently until Voni-Ca pushed him away.

"No! No no no!" Voni-Ca sobbed. "My heart – my soul - will always belong to Tobor!"
"NO!" Rex snarled. "I killed Guardian Tobor! His life became mine! His possessions became mine! Your soul became mine!"
"We can't be soulmates, M-Moritori Rex!" Voni-Ca said defiantly. "We can't be, because I don't love you. And after what you did to my Tobor, I never could. And now I'll tell the Brotherhood – the Security Team – Everyone – who you really are. You won't get away with what you did to us!"

Rex cast his artificial eyes downward.
"I can't let you do that, Voni-Ca." Moritori Rex said quietly, getting to his feet, his shoulders were hunched and tense. "I really hoped it wouldn't come to this. It seems such a waste…"

Moritori Rex turned away from Voni-Ca, who crouched rigidly still on the floor, tears streaming down her face, and looking up at Rex in complete horror.
"W-where are you going?" She asked, as Rex began to take slow steps towards the hallway. "Don't you touch Spectre! If you hurt my son, I swear to the Ancient Walkers themselves I will-"
"Relax, I'm not going to the nursery." Rex said simply, without stopping or turning around.

Voni-Ca was too terrified to stop Rex from walking down the hall and into the master bedroom, then emerging with a small device in his hand.
"What is that?" Voni-Ca said, getting to her feet, struggling to stand under her trembling legs. "Wha – what are you going to do? Don't hurt me!"
Rex didn't reply, he simply raised the device above his head. Voni-Ca stared at it dreadfully and cringed in horrified anticipation.

Rex pressed the button.

Voni-Ca screeched, as for a second they were engulfed by what looked like an explosive tomb of flames.

And a soon as it came, it was gone.
Voni-Ca found herself not in her warm, cozy living room, but in a place dominated by an empty black sky and cold, hard metal.
She was on the balcony of a building, approximately ten levels high, looking out over what looked like one great big factory.
There were no trees, no grass, no wind. It gave Voni-Ca the nervous shivers.
Anxiety and apprehension gnawed at her stomach and throat.

".. What is this place?" Voni-Ca said, her mouth slightly open and her eyes wide. "Where are we? Moritori Rex?"
Rex stood beside Voni-Ca, also looking over the building, but with an air of pride and deep connection.

"This - is the Twilight Zone. Isn't it stunning?"

Voni-Ca couldn't think of a place more hideous and depressing.

"Look up, love. You see there's a glass dome, which traps the power of the generators, which provides us with the gravity that keeps us stuck to the ground. And you see, down below, the machines we designed to draw moisture out of the atmosphere for our water. This place is filled with mechanical marvels that have ensured out survival in this barren void. All of this was built from scratch from next to nothing in approximately 50 years our time. Stunning."

"Your time? What does that mean? This - This is where you live?"

"…Yes, this is my home. This is where my father Menniker and his followers were banished by his cousin Steppenwolf after the falling of the Great Dimitri. Due to the way our time-stream flows, I am only the second generation to live here, the first generation that never knew the luxury- the comfort – the fertility - of the Floating Island. But it won't be that way forever. Soon we will reclaim what we lost! I need more time to weaken the Brotherhood and launch a successful invasion. Then we will have our victory day!"

Voni-Ca seemed to be too overwhelmed to reply. She seemed only capable of asking more questions.
"Why did you bring me here? Why are you showing me all this?" Voni-Ca asked, taking a step away from the balcony, and the bleak sights beyond.

"I wanted you to understand what my kind had to endure – what they suffer - before the end."

Voni-Ca froze.

"The end?"
"Yes. Your end."
"You-you're going to kill me!"
"No."
"No?"
"No, I could never do that."
Rex didn't look at Voni-Ca, only out over his factory. His fortress. His kingdom.

I have to do this to protect us. He thought. No – to save us. From this. No matter what horrific things I must do, I have to see this through to the end. For all of us.

"Gallock! Dorvik! Moknur!" Rex barked suddenly, supporting his body with his hands against the railing on the balcony and still staring intently over his city, without even blinking. Voni-Ca spun around as three hooded and masked Legionnaire soldiers came up from behind, brandishing long metal rods tipped with a charge of crackling blue electricity.

"Sir!" Gallock, the leading echidna said, saluting.

"What's going on?" Voni-Ca cried, backing away from the soldiers, waves of terror washing over the fine features of her face. "You said you couldn't do this! Rex, you said you couldn't!"

"I can't." Rex said quietly, still not turning. "But they can…. Silence her, soldiers!"

Gallock, Dorvik and Moknur glanced at each other quickly, then advanced on Voni-Ca, pointing their thunder-rods towards her.

"Wait!" Voni-Ca pleaded, finding herself trapped between the soldiers and ten stories of nothing. "Please, please I've had the worst night of my life. I don't want to be involved in your feud. I just want to go home - I have a young son I have to look after!"
Her eyes flooded again, as she found herself sitting up on the railing to avoid the soldiers.

"So do I, Von." Rex said simply, still refusing to look at her.

There was a second of silence. No one made a move. Even the soldiers seemed reluctant to follow their orders.

"I said silence her, soldiers!"

Quite abruptly, Voni-Ca stopped crying.
There were still streams down her face, but no more tears came. Instead the colour in Voni-Ca's face reduced to a pastel-pink. Her expression fell to into being determined and defiant. She took one sweeping look of her situation. She closed her eyes and frowned.

"I won't let it end this way." She said boldly. "I choose this moment – of all moments - for myself. I will leave this world in my own way, not your way!"

The three Legionnaire soldiers looked at each other, unsure what to do, as Voni-Ca bravely hoisted herself up onto the railing, trying to keep steady with her knocking knees upsetting her balance.

"Dear Hawking and Sonja-Ra will make sure you don't do anything to harm my son." She said, with a wobble. Rex's expression hardened, as he forced himself not to look at Voni-Ca's precarious position.
The soldiers faced their young Grandmaster, as if expecting orders to stand down. None came.

"Do it then." Rex said with a heartless snarl. Voni-Ca gasped, as if she had not expected it to come to this. Then her face softened. She even smiled.

"I'll see my Tobor again…" She said in a whisper.

Quite gracefully, Voni-Ca peacefully leant back, like she might have been leaning back into a mattress. She spread her arms out as her feet left the rail.

The soldiers took a step forward, as if about to try and stop her.
Too late, Rex snapped his head around to where Voni-Ca was standing. But she was gone. He dared himself to lean over of the rail, but found he couldn't do it. Instead, he turned at the heel, and briskly walked towards the inside of the building.

He stopped and cringed as he heard a terrible, gut-wrenching, sickening crunch!

"…Soldiers." Rex said.
"… S-sir?" The shell-shocked Gallock asked, saluting again.
"You and Moknur go down, clean up what you can. Cast her body out into the void where no one will find her. Dorvik, fetch me a reserve Power Ring."
The soldiers gulped. "You must not tell anyone what happened here tonight. I will return to the Floating Island before my absence is noticed. Do not tell Jesi-Je I was here."

"… Understood, Sir." Gallock replied, then signaled to his comrades to move out and carry out their tasks.

Moritori Rex was left alone on the balcony, facing away from his kingdom.
"Such a waste." Moritori whispered to himself. "So much potential…"

Dorvik returned several minutes later with a golden ring in his hands, and held it out to his leader. Moritori pulled off what was left of his singlet, slipped the ring over his head, took a deep breath, then absorbed the ring. There was a blinding flash, a grunt of pain, and his artificial Guardian Ring was back.
He was ready to return to the Floating Island.

"Remember, tonight never happened, Dorvik." He said with a grimace, as he pressed the button on his zone-hopping device.

He experienced the false explosion that transported him from the Twilight Zone back to Echidnaopolis.

He found himself back in the living room in the house of Tobor and Voni-Ca. Hardly any time had passed since he left but it had felt like decades. Spectre was still screaming from the nursery, but Rex couldn't summon the will to go sooth him.

That was ok, the walls were soundproofed. The neighbors wouldn't hear him, nor the argument from before. There was no body, no blood, no proof. He was clean.

He collapsed into the sofa again, physically and emotionally exhausted. It would be hours before Hawking and Sonja-Ra returned. He had plenty of time to come up with a reason for Voni-Ca's disappearance. He couldn't even remember where they had gone for the night. He couldn't remember anything.

He'd indirectly taken another life. An innocent life. Another tragedy.

But it didn't matter.
Not in the grand scheme of things.

Because once again,
Moritori Rex had won.

And that's all that mattered.

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