Xavier -- (Christmas On Mars)[HOL2014]

originally posted by: Night Star
Gah! No new post in the story???

I had a busy day yesterday >.<

I'm going to be pretty busy this week, starting tomorrow, but I'll still make the time to write. I want this story finished before Christmas day.



ALSO, I just posted a story entry, its on the bottom of the last page. Don't miss it!

a reply to: XxNightAngelusxX

Oh thank God! I was having withdrawals. LOL Yay!!!!!! Getting exciting!!

~~~~~

"What?" Xavier said, staring at him worriedly.

"Tonight..." Arkus mumbled, his eyes sparkling intensely as he glared at the crowd. "Its tonight!"

Then, Arkus bolted away. He shoved his way through the crowd, dodging people and pushing a few of them out of his path. When he reached the center of the crowd, he climbed onto the table, staring over the ocean of people and making a serious face as he did.

Xavier watched him from outside of the crowd, her heart pounding nervously.

The people nearest to the table began to point at Arkus, muttering and gossiping to one another, and a few of them laughed.

"Listen--people--!" Arkus began to yell, but he was barely able to hear his own voice over the deafening music. "People, listen to me--for God's sake, turn that off!"

Arkus's left arm shone green for a moment, and he pointed to the jukebox. He sent a small surge of power into the musical machine; a few loose sparks flew out of the jukebox, and the music stopped, making the large speakers connected to it go silent.

Everyone began looking in every direction, trying to figure out how and why the music had stopped. A few people started "boooo-ing," and Xavier drew closer to the crowd, hoping to hear whatever Arkus had to say.

After the music died, the only noise occupying the giant room was the chattering and questioning noises of the party go-ers, and Arkus stood on the surface of the table, in between the two gigantic neon-purple lights, which were shining in his general direction, illuminating him like a spotlight on a stage.

"LISTEN!" Arkus bellowed, making everyone shift their attention onto him.

Hundreds of people were staring up at him expectantly, a few of them visibly irritated.

"You people..." Arkus began. "You're all in danger... ALL of you! You don't understand it... we made the mistake of choosing not to warn you--we believed the situation was under control--but its not. Its very, very much NOT in control. To make a long story short... there is an underground terrorist organization plotting an attack on this lodge tonight. We need to leave--we need a steady, calm evacuation--"

"Shut up!" Someone hollered.

"Put down the wine you drunk!" Another person yelled, making a small fraction of the crowd erupt in laughter. "Turn the music back on--!"

"I'm not joking!" Arkus shouted back, growing frustrated. "You're all in danger--these people--these things--they burn people alive! They'll give you no mercy, trust me, I've seen it first hand--"

"Bullsh!t!" Someone screamed from the back.

"Would you shut the hell up?!"

"Turn the music back on!"

"Get off the table you dumbass!"

"Go back to your basement you tin-foil-hat wearing conspiracy nut!"

"Yeah!"

As the crowd continued to shout insults at Arkus, he sighed, looking between them all, from face to face, wondering how he could possibly sway them. Xavier appeared just as hopelessly stymied, her eyes stuck on Arkus, and her expression grave.

"Its the green man!" One of the hecklers called out, making everyone else gasp in shock. The annoyed faces of the party go-ers shifted into stunned ones, all glaring at him as though they'd never seen anything quite like him before.

"Yes." Arkus admitted, holding up both of his hands in a surrender. "I am the green man. Yes... but--"

"Monster!"

"Go back to your mountain!"

"He's going on about Reptilians--he's ONE of them!"

"Terrorist!"

"Lying freak!"

"Somebody get him out of here!"

"Yeah--somebody get rid of him!"

"Kick him out!"

"Throw him out in the snow!"

"Yeah! And turn the music back on!"

"Yeah!"

"SHUT UP!" Xavier roared from the rear of the crowd, and everyone closest to her whipped around, all of them giving her nasty looks or muttering some insults that she wasn't able to hear. "He's trying to help you guys! Just listen!"

"Screw you bitch!"

"Daddy's little girl thinks she runs the roost!"

"Shut the hell up, you ain't nobody!"

"Yeah, seriously, who put you in charge?"

"I bet that green freak gave you that scar!"

"This ain't your lodge! Just shut up!"

"Yeah! Where's your daddy? Huh?"

"Probably abandoned her!"

"HA!"

They kept yelling vulgarities at Xavier, and Arkus, still having yet to formulate a convincing argument, was becoming livid. Standing atop the table, he gritted his teeth, glaring into the crowd, seething, his scars beginning to emit their greenish light, his eyes glowing a firey emerald. He balled his hands into fists, staring at the people in a quiet rage, his heart bashing against his ribs, his thoughts becoming a furious tornado once again, poisoned with rapidly rising feelings of anger and resentment that he'd almost forgotten he harbored.

"Monsters." Arkus snarled.

"What?!" The people nearest to him shrieked, all of them looking particularly offended and angry.

"You heard me. You're MONSTERS!" Arkus screamed back. "Monsters--humanity--no WONDER they hate you all so much. No WONDER I stopped caring. NO WONDER! Maybe it'd be BETTER if they killed you off--maybe you DO deserve to burn--to die in fire with the skin melting off your bones! But I'll tell you what, people--you're lucky. You're the luckiest monsters in the whole world tonight. Because there's still one person--just one person in this room that I'm willing to protect with my life. And because of that--not for ANY of you--but because of her--JUST her--I'm going to stop them."

Surprisingly, following Arkus's words was not an uproar, not an outrage, not a mob of angry people lashing out at someone who had insulted them. Instead, the crowd had fallen deathly silent, and the room became filled with a quiet tenseness that seemed to weigh on everyone.

Arkus stepped off the table, and everyone backed away from him, his scars and eyes glowing heatedly. He was the brightest thing in the room, and he continued walking through the crowd, wearing a stony, embittered expression. People moved away from him as quickly as they could as he marched through the room, and he approached Xavier, who took him gently by the hand and lead him out of the banquet hall.




---(Continued)---

~~~~~

The further they ventured from the banquet hall, the louder the silence became, and Xavier and Arkus seemed to be thinking along the same lines. They simply couldn't believe the outlandish behavior of the convention's attendants, the people they'd been trying to protect all weekend--and Arkus, as Xavier knew, had dedicated his life to protecting them, despite their prejudice and intolerance of him. Still, as they both knew very well, anything outside of the ordinary should expect to be shunned by the average members of society; all people condemn the unknown, out of fear, misunderstanding, or simple ignorance and primal avoidance of anything they are unfamiliar with... be it an antisocial, temperamental girl with an ugly scar on her face, or an oddly colored man who had the unfortunate experience of being mutated by a countless amount of unnamed chemicals combined with radiation.

When they entered the empty lobby, Xavier turned and faced Arkus, who's stern, grave expression was beginning to fade into a soft, hurt one.

Xavier softly grasped his wrists, giving him a concerned face.

"I just wanted..." He said, his voice cracking. "They... I just wanted to..."

As if reading his thoughts, Xavier took him into her arms, embracing him. Arkus lie his head on her shoulder, returning the hug, and he found himself holding back tears.

Still, his eyes began to water, and a tear escaped him, rolling down his cheek and onto Xavier's shirt. He swallowed the urge to sob, squeezing her tightly, feeling more conflicted and rejected than he ever had before.

"Wanted to protect them..." He choked out as Xavier cradled his head, almost able to feel his pain bleed into her.

"We will." Xavier assured him, stroking the back of his neck tenderly. "Even if they don't deserve it. We will."

Arkus straightened up, staring into her face, his eyes shining and wet, and he let slip a smile.

"That should be my life motto." He said. "Quite right to... yeah.. yes.. we will protect them, won't we? Me and you."

"You and me." Xavier replied, smiling.

They squeezed one another again, then separated.

"Now what?" Xavier asked.

"Now... we plan." Arkus told her, glimpsing out the enormous glass windows and doors of the lobby, watching the snow fall outside in the starry Mars night. "I can fight. I'm resistant to fire... to some extent... but I'm not sure if i could take on an invasion force. That night be a bit much, even for me."

"What can I do?" Xavier asked.

Arkus paused for a moment.

"You can stay safe." He told her. "Go to Mt. Crumpet--to my place--stay there and you'll be--"

"No. I'm not leaving you." Xavier told him forwardly. "I want to help. Tell me what I need to do."

Arkus released a cloud of breath.

"Alright... guns." He said. "Any guns--any conventional firearms--Reptilians are like any other animal. You shoot 'em, and they fall down dead. Have you got any guns? Any?"

"My dad has a gun case in his room." Xavier said. "On the top floor."

Arkus smiled. "Off we go then!"

They both darted up the stairs, and Xavier lead Arkus to the elevator. They stood patiently until the elevator reached the top floor, floor number five.

It was much smaller than every other floor, and Xavier herself had only visited it a handful of times in her life. It was a single hallway, with a thick, extravagant rug leading to a pair of double doors. When Xavier attempted to turn the knob, it wouldn't budge.

"Damn, he locked it. I don't have a key." She mumbled.

"Well, lives are at stake here... I'm sure your father will understand." Arkus said, winking at her.

Then, Arkus took a few steps back, exhaling a single, harsh breath, his eyes sparking with a momentary green light, and he darted towards the doors--

BANG--CRAAAAAK.

He planted his foot into the doors with all his might.

The lock broke into several pieces, and the doors flew open, sending a wave of loose wooden shards into the air.

They entered the room; it was the biggest bedroom in the lodge, with a few big windows, velvet red curtains, a large chandelier, a wall-sized flat screen television, and much more accessories. Xavier approached the king-sized bed on the opposite side of the room, and beside it was a large, wooden case with a glass window revealing the assortment of rifles and shotguns inside. When Xavier tried to open the guncase, she let out an annoyed scoff, realizing that it, too, was locked.

"Again... it's for the cause." Arkus said, holding up a fist.

Without any warning, he punched the glass as hard as he could, shattering it completely. Then, he reached inside and pulled out a few of the guns, examined them, and placed them on the bed.

"Pick your pleasure." Arkus told Xavier, gesturing to the firearms.

Xavier chose her favorite of her father's guns; a large, pump-action 12 gauge shotgun.

"I've never shot anyone before." She said.

"Me neither." Arkus replied. "I expect it'll be a little easier to do once our lives are on the line. There's about twenty guns here.. we'd have enough for the others, if any of them wanted to put up a fight. But they... they won't believe us."

"You're wrong!" A third voice shouted out.

Arkus and Xavier both turned, surprised to see a panting, exhausted old Nicholas standing in the doorway, leaning on the wall and attempting to catch his breath. After a moment, they realized that a few people were standing closely behind Nicholas.

"I talked to them... sigh... after you left... told them everything that had happened... over the weekend... cough... some of them... some of us... we want to be prepared. Just... just in case. We want to be ready... to fight."

Arkus and Xavier exchanged expressions.

Then, Arkus grinned at them, holding up one of the largest rifles of the bunch.

"Arm yourselves!"



---(Continued)---

~~~~~

Old Nicholas and his six conventioner companions--two of whom were the blonde girls who'd set up the pinata in the diner, and two others being Nicholas's grandchildren--came forward and chose a gun. Xavier quickly dug out the boxes of ammunition from the bottom of the gun case and distributed it accordingly. As they all exchanged conversation and helped one another with the use of their firearms of choice, time passed, and nobody realized when the clock above the bed had struck 4:00 am.

"Er..." Nicholas grumbled, examining his rifle and holding a single bullet in his hand. "How do I...?"

Arkus took the gun from him and opened it, placing the bullet inside and showing Nicholas how to load it properly.

"Thank you." Nicholas told him.

"No problem. Thank you. For talking to them." Arkus responded. "At least some of them came around. That's more than ever before."

Nicholas nodded, grabbing a few more bullets from his box. He took a moment, glancing at Arkus and seeming to be in thought.

"You're the green man." Nicholas said.

"Yes, I am." Arkus agreed.

"But everyone's told me you're a monster. How can you be a monster and still want to save Christmas? I think I've been horribly misinformed." Nicholas told him, smirking and stoking his beard.

Arkus smiled appreciatively at him.

"But, uh... how do you know its going to be tonight?" Nicholas wondered. "Their attack, I mean... how do you...?"

Arkus opened his mouth to respond, then hesitated. Just when he was about to speak, a loud rumbling seemed to shake the floor beneath them, followed by the frantic screams of everyone on the bottom floor.

Arkus, Xavier, Nicholas, and the others all froze, staring at one another for a split second.

Then, Arkus darted passed everyone and out the door, Xavier following him close behind and everyone else tailing them, their firearms at hand. They didn't bother with the elevator this time; everyone followed Arkus down four stories of stairs, and after a lot of running, they all appeared in the hallway leading to the banquet hall.

People were flooding through every entrance of the gigantic room, and the music inside it had stopped following a large explosion. The jukebox erupted into a million plastic and wooden firey pieces, and a group of thirty armed Reptilians were lighting the room up with their fire pistols.

Many of the people had already been lit ablaze; some of them had crumbled to the floor, smoldering in a mess of ash that was once clothes, along with burnt skin that smelled absolutely putrid.

"This is it..." Arkus muttered, watching the scene excitedly, his eyes shining green and his heart hammering. "This is it!"

He, Xavier, Nicholas and the others entered the banquet hall, spotting the Reptilian army, who were still occupied with lighting their remaining human captives on fire.

"STOP!" Arkus hollered, his voice echoing terribly throughout the room. "Leave them alone--they've done NOTHING to you!"

When the Reptilian killers paid no mind to him, Nicholas and his followers raised their guns, and Arkus dashed towards the killers at full speed, his scars and eyes shining more brilliantly than ever before. He flew across the room in a streak of neon green, then tackled one of the Reptilians to the floor full force.

Arkus stomped on the disoriented Reptilian's gun, shattering it. The others rounded on him--aimed their pistols--

BANG.

A horrible, ear-splitting sound set off, and one of the Reptilians closest to Arkus exploded into a scaly mess of blood and bones.

Xavier pulled back the pump, then aimed at another--

BANG.

Her second shot hit one of the Reptilians in the arm, removing half of it from its body. Blood began to squirt uncontrollably from the creature as it let out an awful, screeching howl of pain.

Two Reptilians remained in close proximity, and they seemed to be trading glimpses between Arkus and Xavier. Both Reptilians had fire pistols pointed at Arkus, but Arkus responded to the threat only by piercing them with a paralyzing glare, holding up both of his hands, crackling his fingers as his glow grew even brighter.

They both pressed the triggers at once, sending two ginormous waves of fire through the air. The flames engulfed Arkus, who was beginning to glow like a green sun, and he pressed forward, his skin emitting what appeared to be a greenish fire.

Arkus grasped the closest Reptilian's head, then pushed it backwards with all his strength; the sound of the spinal cord snapping was the loudest thing in the room, despite the screaming and gunshots filling the banquet hall.

BANG.

Xavier fired off a third shot, hitting the second Reptilian squarely in the stomach. It collapsed onto the floor, bleeding and motionless.

She and Arkus glanced at one another, then continued onward.

Nicholas and his companions were firing shot after shot into the Reptiliam army, careful to keep their distance; the fire pistols used by the Reptilians had much less range than the conventional firearms used by the humans. And, by some Christmas miracle, none of them had been lit on fire so far.

But the Reptilians seemed to be focusing mostly on the remaining unarmed conventioners in the room, who were panicking and crying, unable to muster the strength to run for their lives. The Reptilian killers continued to light them ablaze by small groups, and the screams were unbearably horrific...

Arkus approached the attackers, and when Xavier followed him, he stopped.

"Stay back." Arkus told her, swatting his hand.

"What?" Xavier responded. "You can't take them all by yourself--!"

"Just stay back! Trust me!" Arkus yelled, then marched towards the remaining of the Reptilian invaders.

He stood before them, having yet to grasp their attention, holding out both of his arms as his glow became blindingly illuminating; transparent greenish flames arose from his body, and it looked as though he'd become a human conduit of pure, unrestrained energy.

Arkus's blood was on fire--he'd never been so overwhelmed with energy before, never handled such a ridiculous amount of it before. He couldn't see anything... no walls, no people, no Reptilians, no Xavier... everything was lost... except green... blinding green light... he knew what he was doing, even though he'd never done it before... focusing... concentrating... hold the power... hold the power... and then... then... then... all at once... then...

It was astonishing; Arkus's light exploded like a thunderclap, making a deafening rupturing noise fill the entire lodge. Everyone within ten feet of him was blown back... not just blown off their feet... burned... vaporized... their skin was ash before the lumpsum of their bodies hit the walls behind them...




---(Continued)---

a reply to: XxNightAngelusxX

Totally, utterly completely and fully badass!

This story rocks so hard!

This is the first time I've commented in years. I had to create a new account because my old email doesn't exist anymore.

Your story is great!!! I can't wait for the next chapter!!

~~~~~

"Augh..."

As the last of the Reptilians met their deaths instantly, Arkus hit his knees, his vision entirely obscured... all of his strength had abandoned him completely, his head light and spinning...

Just when Arkus was sure he'd hit the floor, Xavier landed just in front of him, sitting on her knees and embracing him. Those arms of hers caught him, and the sweet scent of Xavier met with him...

He lie tiredly on her, his cheek pressed against her collar bone as he tried to keep hold of his consciousness.

"Are you...?" Arkus mumbled into her chest.

"I'm fine." Xavier told him. "I stayed back."

Arkus forced himself to sit upright, gazing into Xavier in a daze...

Xavier's hands were placed firmly on his shoulders, hoping to hold him steady as she returned the stare.

"Are you okay?" Xavier asked worriedly, gazing into his face. He looked completely disoriented.

Arkus attempted a smile.

"Always okay." He said raspily, giving her a single, exhausted nod. "Xavier..."

He grasped both of her shoulders as well, leaning on her and pulling her closer, his eyes positively flaring despite his sudden depletion of energy.

"The people... find them.... they're not safe..." He croaked.

"But the Reptilians are dead." Xavier said. "You killed them all."

"No... no... I haven't..." Arkus argued, pausing for breath, then continuing. "Too many... I've seen too many caravans... far too many... traveling the wrong way... all these years... this wasn't all of them... there's another army somewhere... a second wave... we're not done fighting yet."


---------------------


"Why are we going home early?" Carlos moaned from the passenger seat, making his father scowl again.

"Because its Christmas day." James replied sternly, trying to hide his annoyance as he kept his eyes on the road. "We're almost home now. We're not going back. End of story."

Carlos sighed, staring out the window and watching the dawn at its peak. The sun was barely beginning to rise in the sky, and snow was falling once again.

As James turned the last corner on the road leading back to his lodge, he had no way of knowing what awaited him there.


"Be careful..." Xavier said, keeping a strong hold of Arkus's arm as he made himself stand.

"Outside." Arkus said, his eyes trading from body to body throughout the banquet hall, dead Reptilians and humans lying everywhere as the large windows along the top half of the enormous room began to shine, indicating that the sun was rising. "Its now... its going to be now... they know the authorities are coming... they want their victory before the authorities can snatch it away... they're... we have to get to the fight...!"

"You can't!" Xavier said. "You can't even walk!"

Arkus's eyes lit up, his scars glowing once again, and he stiffened his stance, cracked his neck, and gave Xavier a powerful, fearless look.

"Watch me!"




---(Continued)---

----Time out-----


I just want you guys to know how flattered I am to have so many people following my story. Merry Christmas!

I won't be writing again until I get to North Carolina later today. I'm currently getting ready for a roadtrip to visit some family this weekend, and its going to be a tired day since I was up all night writing, but it was more than worth it! It always is. I'll be writing up the climax to this story every spare moment I get, so don't worry, I'm not going to be absent all weekend.

Arkus and Xavier will have their ending before Christmas, that's a promise!

Peace!

a reply to: XxNightAngelusxX

OMFG This is Fantastic!!!
I agree with TrueBrit too of this being very very Bad Ass!!!
Amazingly Totally so!!!!!!
1000 Thumbs up, and then more!!!!!! Syx.

a reply to: XxNightAngelusxX

A time out Very well deserved too!!! Have a safe fun trip!!!

Merry Christmas!!! CatchYa later, Syx.

a reply to: XxNightAngelusxX

Have a wonderful time with your family!



We will be here waiting anxiously for the next chapter.

a reply to: XxNightAngelusxX

Have a good time in NorCar Angelus. Gods I miss that place!

My grandpaw just bought me my first ham radio... I'm excited. Christmas shopping...

I'm a bit more occupied than I thought I'd be, and this is my fiance's first time meeting my grandpaw, so I'm trying to alleviate his nervousness as well. Sorry I haven't found much time to write yet, but I'll try, I promise!!

Thanks for all the compliments and well wishes guys, and I reflect 'em back at you ten fold. Merry Christmas~

a reply to: XxNightAngelusxX

Fiance? Congratulations!!!!!!!!!

Merry Christmas Night!

~~~~~

"What in the Sam Hill--?!"

James stopped his car just at the curb, leaning over the steering wheel and squinting at the parking lot of his lodge.

Just outside of the lodge were about twenty strangers wearing hoods, standing in the snow and surrounding the entrances to the lodge's lobby. Some of the hooded Reptilians were carrying fire pistols, and the rest were carrying blades. They all seemed to be carrying themselves as though they were ready for battle at any given moment.

James reached between Carlos's legs and popped his glove compartment open. He then pulled out a small, gleaming silver revolver and held it by his side.

"Stay here." He told his son, who gave him an aghast look.

When James opened the driver door as quietly as possible, he slipped out of the car and began inching towards the mob of disguised Reptilians. Moments later, Carlos decided to disobey his father and exit the car. He followed his father slowly, their feet easefully crunching the snow as both of them stared intensely at the Reptilians, and as they made their way closer to the lodge's entrance, they realized that the hooded attackers were not alone.

Old Nicholas, the Christmas convention leader, was standing at the front of a slightly smaller mob; a group of convention go-ers standing their ground in front of the lodge, each of them carrying one of James's guns, aiming at the Reptilians and waiting for someone to make a move.

Thankfully, none of the Reptilians had spotted James just yet, so he was able to maneuver along the side of the building and join the crowd of humans without being noticed, and Carlos stuck close to him. James approached Nicholas from behind and gave him a light tap on the shoulder.

"What the hell's going on here?!" James asked in a harsh whisper, a few of his slicked-back hairs dangling over his face now.

"Reptilians." Nicholas answered in a quiet voice, without taking his eyes off the hooded terrorists. "They've infiltrated the lodge--killed people--and we're trying to stop them from killing any more. Your daughter can explain."

"My--where is my daughter?"

"Still inside, I think. Oh good--you have a gun!" Nicholas whispered once he laid eyes on the revolver in James's hand. "That's one more man on our side! By jingle, this is gonna be one hell of a Christmas showdown!"

James glimpsed back at the building, then at Carlos, then at the small militia members standing with him, holding their guns at the ready and eyeing the Reptilians.

Then, James stepped in front of Nicholas, now at the front of the crowd.

"Listen here." He called to all the Reptilians, who all focused on him. "I don't know who you are--any of you--and I don't know why you're here, but you're going to leave my lodge in peace. I'll not have any more of this today. You've killed my guests, attacked my business, my home--and I'll not have it!"

The Reptilian leading the invasion, standing closest to James, lifted its pistol--

"Dad?!" Xavier's voice exclaimed from the back of the crowd as she and Arkus departed the lodge, joining their Christmas militia.

James lifted his gun, but Nicholas had already--

BANG.

A shot tore through the Reptilian leader's stomach, the noise echoing throughout the miles surrounding the lodge and Mt. Crumpet horribly. The Reptilian leader hardly managed to squeeze the trigger, if only for a split second before hitting the ground on its knees... the fire from its pistol was small and brief, and the flames barely grazed James's arm, burning his fingers slightly, but he paid no mind to it...

It began; the humans began to fire off shots, including James, and the Reptilians were sending waves of fire into the Christmas militia, burning some of the people. Some of them let out screams of pain, but none of them wavered in their efforts. Some of the Reptilians charged in full, swinging their blades and making slicing motions towards the humans--some of them made contact, but while the Reptilians had the humans outnumbered, the humans were better equipped. One of Nicholas's grandchildren began ordering everyone to "watch for the blades" and prioritize the targeting of any Reptilian bold enough to charge the crowd with their steel knives. Carlos was the only human in the crowd using his fists, and he was doing surprisingly well; James took down three Reptilians before his gun became empty.

Xavier attempted to join the fight, but Arkus stood in front of her, blocking her path with his arm. They both watched as the Reptilians and humans slaughtered one another in the large, snowy driveway of the lodge, the sound of shouting, gasoline-powered fire and gunshots now absolutely overwhelming, and the snow on the battleground becoming stained with blotches of crimson as the terrible fight dragged on.

Arkus and Xavier stood board stiff, just outside of the lodge's lobby doors, both of them looking particularly stricken as they observed the war. Arkus had a firm hold of Xavier's wrist, securing her behind him so that she couldn't break away and join the bloodbath. It was a positively abhorrent sight to behold; he'd seen many things like it... his father vaporized, his home city destroyed... Reptilians attacking caravans, killing a couple of people before Arkus could stop them... but this... this was, quite possibly, the worst... and as he watched the killing commence, his breath heavy and fast, his big emerald eyes shifting from person to person as soldiers on either side continued to fight, holler, and fall... Arkus couldn't help but feel a vast, unexplainable sensation overcome him... something familiar... something terribly, horribly familiar... perhaps a memory... or de-ja-vu... he couldn't know... but it was all consuming, this feeling... war, killing, stabbing, shooting... hate, anger, mine, yours, divide hurt conquer relish--bombs guns missiles--my land, your land--my god, your god--my money, your money--my people, your people--you're wrong--you're enemy--war war war, never changes--blood spills--people fall--Earth destroyed--always succumb to this--always resort to this--always--this--this--why this? Why why why why why?!

It was bizarre... as this feeling grew, filling his blood with a quiet anxiousness he'd never felt before, something began to play through his mind... something real... real, rapid and intense... a memory... not a memory of his... bombs... nuclear bombs... troops on foreign soil, where they didn't belong... revolt from rebellious groups... countries stealing from one another, hating one another, killing one another... people in black armor, people with bandannas, burning flags... the sounds... ear-splitting gunshots, the screaming of the victims, the cheering of the killers--the anger of the protesters--the people, crying children, sobbing mothers, butchered and violated--men destroyed--a flag with stars, red white and blue--looting, riots, fires--hate for every color--hate for every gender--hate for every religion--hate for every country--and here it results--it results in Earth. Earth now, ruined, empty and destroyed, a radioactive wasteland--they did it--they did it to themselves--just as we are now.

"We can't..." Arkus muttered aloud.

Then, he faced Xavier, grasping her gently by the shoulders, his luminous green eyes seeming to gaze into her soul in a profound, indescribable way.





---(Continued)---

~~~~~

"You trust me.." Arkus said to her in a halfway questioning tone.

Xavier nodded without a second's thought.

A thousand feelings were swarming around inside of Arkus now, his blood hot like a boiling pot filled with a ridiculous amount of emotions. He opened his mouth slightly, hoping to verbalize his feelings, but couldn't entirely figure out how to construct them into words. He gazed infinitely into Xavier, her radiant blue eyes beginning to calm the storm of his mind once again.

"Then... I.." He started, wondering how on Mars he could possibly properly express his feelings now. "The Red Lake--the lake across from your lodge--its still there, right?"

Xavier blinked, looking defused, then nodded again.

"Good, good... Xavier." Arkus said, releasing a breath and continuing to stare right through her. "Xavier... I..."

He exhaled again, feeling entirely bombarded with his own feelings and thoughts. He didn't have the slightest clue how to say it--or even what to say. The feeling--this limitless, pure feeling--didn't seem to have any words which could fully carry the weight of the feeling itself. It was beyond words... beyond thought... beyond a species-based war for a planet, or a nuclear bomb, or a powerfully strange radioactive mutation... beyond everything...

At a loss, Arkus shook his head, glancing upwards. He then laid eyes upon something small, something that seemed to sum up his whirlpool of emotions in a simple, beautiful way.

Just above them, hanging from the edge of the lodge's roof, only about a foot above their heads, was a single, dangling mistletoe.

Xavier, noticing the same thing, flushed.

They met eyes again, and Arkus, looking absolutely emphatic, gulped. He leaned forward, and Xavier could have sworn Mars stopped turning, and the war occurring was a million miles away...

His lips brushed against hers, and they shared a long, tender kiss. Arkus embraced her, holding her as closely as he could, and Xavier let her shotgun fall beside her feet, returning the hug lovingly.

When Arkus separated his mouth from hers, he appeared softened as he gave her a deep, longing expression. Xavier was returning the stare, her cheeks fading scarlet.

"I love you." Arkus told her, releasing her.

Then, Arkus turned and bolted towards the battleground--Xavier reached out to stop him, but narrowly missed.

"THE GREEN MAN!" Arkus bellowed, standing dangerously close to the action, his arms open spread-eagle as he attempted to draw the attackers's attention. "RIGHT HERE!"

Some of the humans were dragging a couple of their fallen companions away from the danger, while a few others were still partaking in the fight. But, the Reptilians's attention seemed to avert to Arkus.

"HUMANITY is superior, you get that? HUMANITY IS SUPERIOR! Humanity found this planet first! Humanity will inherit the world! Ohhh, and doesn't that just BURN YOU UP INSIDE?!" Arkus shouted.

The Reptilians had all stopped fighting, their snake-like eyes all fixed on Arkus now as the humans withdrew, tending to their injured.

"EXACTLY MY POINT!" Arkus yelled, holding up his arms and trading glances between all of the Reptilians. "EXACTLY! You mention humans, or human superiority, and there I've got you!" He said, snapping his fingers. "Gotcha! You're so blinded--so controlled by hate, that I can say a trigger phrase like that and have your attention with no effort whatsoever! Now honestly--don't you see something wrong with that?! Your reaction right there--all of you giving me deathglares, ready to kill me on the spot--that's the reaction I was going for. You're all controlled by your anger and hate--even by your enemies! Don't believe me? Well listen to this--I'M THE GREEN MAN! I've killed so many of you, I lost count around a hundred. I'm sixteen years old, and I'm stronger than ten of you combined! All those terrorists you've sent to these parts to orchestrate your little attacks--haven't you ever wondered why they vanished from your radars? Why you never heard from them again? BECAUSE I KILLED THEM! I KILLED THEM ALL, AND GUESS WHAT?--THEY BLOODY DESERVED IT! HA!"

The Reptilians didn't waste a second; they all charged at Arkus, who darted away from them full speed.

Arkus dodged their shots of fire and stab attempts, weaving his way around all of them as he dashed to the other side of the lodge's parking lot. After he got to the other side, the Reptilians chased him off the lodge's grounds, across the street and towards the location of the Red Lake, leaving the humans alone in front of the lodge.

Xavier gasped, staring after Arkus frightfully; she ran as quickly as her feet would carry her after the Reptilian mob. She disappeared from the battleground as quickly as they had.

James, narrowing his eyes in the general direction of the fleeing Reptilians, released a groan and his his knees.

Two of Nicholas's companions grabbed James and lie him gently in the snow, examining his injuries, but he wasn't giving them any thought.

"Holy--Dad, you okay?" Carlos said, leaning over his father. "Your hand is all... and you... you got stabbed!"

"Go find your sister." James ordered his son, his vision beginning to blur as he laid his head on the snow. "Now."

"No." Carlos replied. "No, Dad, I can't--"

SMACK.

With all his remaining strength, James delivered a single, powerful slap to Carlos's face, making him do a full 40 degree head turn.

"Go find your sister NOW!" James hollered.

Carlos, holding his cheek and looking completely shocked, reached his feet and headed off into the same direction as Arkus, the Reptilians, and Xavier. Nicholas and his friends continued to mend the wounded as James allowed himself to drift into an unwitting, uncomfortable sleep, his blood covering his nicest suit, staining the snow beneath him...





---(Continued)---

~~~~~

Arkus slid down the snowy hill, still able to hear the shouting and hissing of the Reptilians, who were hot on his tail. When he hit the bottom of the hill, his feet met with a hard, rock-solid layer of ice.

He was standing on top of the Red Lake, which was frozen, covered in a foot-thick layer of ice. He couldn't imagine how cold the water underneath must have been, but it was far too cold for any cold blooded creature to survive in. He knew that much for sure.

Arkus threw the gloves off his hands, then pressed his fingers and palms against the ice around his feet. His scars and eyes were glowing magnificently now, and his hands felt as hot as lava. As the ice around his hands began to melt, a long, underlying craaaaackle occurred under his feet, indicating that his plan was working.

He ran further onto the surface of the lake, then placed his hands on the ice again, heating it and weakening it in another spot. Craaaaackle.

The Reptilians appeared atop the hill, spotting him. They all slid down the hill on their stomachs, like a group of large scaly penguins, then they stepped onto the frozen lake and began towards him.

Arkus dashed even further, using his hands to heat the ice for a third time. The Reptilians were not moving towards him as quickly as before; they were trying very hard not to slip on the ice.

Craaaaaack.

When the Reptilians were within a rock's throw of him, Arkus moved onward, placed his hands on the ice a fourth time, and...

Craaaaackle.

Arkus stood upright, giving the Reptilians an unyielding glare.

They all stopped before him, raising their fire pistols.

"Go ahead." Arkus said in a dark, raspy voice, holding out his arms. "Light me up. Burn me, for the sake of your stupid, senseless hate! GO ON! DO IT!"

It was seconds... no, perhaps not even seconds before the creatures pulled their triggers, when Arkus noticed a lone figure standing in front of the lake, on top of the hill, watching... Xaiver... staring out at the scene, looking frightened, watching Arkus nervously... no... Xavier... don't look... I don't want you to see...

The Reptilians unleashed their fire, and the flames engulfed Arkus completely. Arkus felt the fire bleed into him, his body absorbing the relentless energy like a sponge... his greenish glow became blazingly bright and almost impossible to look at directly, and the Reptilians did not show mercy. Within seconds, Arkus had absorbed so much energy he wasn't sure how much more he could handle; it was hot, hotter than hell itself, burning him inside and out, his skin enduring a torturous amount of flames, his blood feeling like a rapid flow of magma inside his veins... it kept coming, kept coming... he couldn't stand it...

Then, Arkus lashed out--held out his arms, hands balled into tight fists, and he screamed, all the firey energy bursting out of him at once, yet again. The thunderclap of green was the final straw; the ice gave away, crackling and shifting, and finally, the long cracks burst open, and the ice shattered.

It was like watching a tiny bomb detonate from underneath the ice; all of the Reptilians fell into the freezing water, and so did Arkus. Everyone was entirely submerged, and would likely freeze to death any second.

Xavier gasped, her heart jolting. Arkus--you idiot!

She didn't remember when she'd started running... she whizzed through the snowy air, running alongside the lake at a breakneck speed she thought was impossible for her.

Xavier stepped onto the most stable chunk of ice in her sight, praying dearly that it would not break. She moved as quickly as possible over the icy surface, careful to avoid the cracks, until she found the spot where Arkus had fallen...

Her breath quick, her hands shaking, and her stomach lurching, she fell to her knees beside the open ice, then reached her arm into the blisteringly cold water... please... please, Arkus, please please please... please be alive... please...

Thankfully, somehow, her fingers intertwined with another set of fingers--Arkus.

Without restraint, she clamped her hand around Arkus's and pulled with every bit of strength her body could possibly muster. She felt a couple of her muscles pull themselves, making a splitting pain shoot up and down her arm, but she paid no mind to it whatsoever.

Xavier pulled Arkus out of the freezing water, and with the strength of ten Arkuses, she managed to drag him off the ice, and onto the solid red snow-covered soil of Mars.

He'd planned it that way, Xavier knew, forcing down the maddening urge to burst into tears as she sat in the snow, cradling the drenched, unconscious Arkus in her arms, staring into his slender, sleek face, his wet hairs dripping icy cold water. He lead the Reptilians to their deaths, and was willing to sacrifice himself to do so.

"Idiot..." Xavier choked aloud, her lip trembling as she squeezed her dearest friend, holding him close and gazing into his face, pleading quietly for some kind of response. "Arkus... Arkus....."

Arkus remained motionless.

Her eyes began to water, and tears ran down both of her cheeks as she gave Arkus a few light shakes, her face only inches from his, waiting for his vibrant green eyes to open, to spark to life, to portray his endless compassion and fierce, fierce loyalty, so that he could walk, dance, play, fight, and smile... just like he was supposed to...

"Please..." Xavier begged, unable to cease her crying now. "I love you too... please... please wake up...!"




---(Continued)---

~~~~~

"Please..."

A tear rolled off of Xavier's face, landing perfectly on Arkus's cheek, the salty liquid seeping into one of his small facial scars.

Arkus gave no response.

Xavier buried her face into Arkus's neck, embracing him as tightly as she could, unable to hold back her sobs any longer. Her tears weren't noticeable on his soaking wet suit-jacket.

Then, something grasped her attention, making her silence. It was a subtle, mild feeling... something warm...

As Xavier's face was pressed against Arkus's neck, she was able to feel his skin, coated in that terribly cold water... but his skin was warm... very, very warm... impossibly warm...

Xavier sat upright, staring at Arkus as his scars began to glow. It was not the same as his normal glow; it was much deeper, much thicker, and much more brilliant. The light was not transparent, and it seemed to emit from the openings in his body like a pure, airborne energy. It looked, to Xavier, like the purest energy that could ever possibly exist. Soon, the fantastic light was flowing out of every visible part of his body.

Arkus erupted into a coughing fit very suddenly, making Xavier jump.

As soon as Arkus had sprung back to life, the light faded, and Xavier simply couldn't hide her joy and relief. She laughed, squeezing him a little too tightly.

"Angel..." Arkus breathed in a hoarse voice, peering up at her and giving her a faint smile. "Ha... hah.. cough... you're an angel... a saint..."

"You idiot!" Xavier yelled. "You almost died!"

"No..." Arkus exhaled, resting soundly in her arms, and feeling more comfortable than he ever had before despite his body trembling due to the freezing air and his soaked jacket. "I... I had died... and you.. cough... you did.. something.. and I.. cough... came back... to see you..."

Xavier was gaping at him in disbelief, and Arkus's smile grew as he gazed up at her tiredly.

Before she could think of a response, she heard footsteps crunching in the snow nearby. She turned her head, only to see Carlos, his blonde hair completely screwed up, his clothing askew, and his meaty face harboring a large bruise upon his cheek, along with a very lost and bewildered expression.

"Give me your jacket!" Xavier yelled at her brother.

Carlos blinked at her, still looking dumbfounded.

"Give me your JACKET!" Xavier repeated, startling him.

Carlos shuffled towards them, slid off his large black jacket, and handed it to Xavier, who used her free arm to drape it over Arkus's freezing body.

"I can't believe you..." Xavier said to Arkus, gently removing a few of his dangling bangs from his eyes. "I can't believe you... you did that for all those people."

Arkus shook his head very slightly, his energy having abandoned him now.

"For you." He corrected.

Xavier let out a small laugh.

"You've been doing this long before you ever met me." Xavier told him. "Protecting those stupid people."

Arkus was using most of his strength to keep his eyes open as he and Xavier continued to stare into one another.

"Yes..." Arkus admitted, smiling again. "But now.. now.. I actually have a reason to."




---(Continued)---

~~~~~



************


By eleven am, the police had already swept the building clean, and were currently searching for the entrance to the rumored underground hideout belonging to the Reptilian attackers. An ambulance and a rescue squad helped the lodge guests and conventioners dispose of their dead, both human and Reptilian, and promptly used a section of the lodge's hotel suites for hospital treatment for the injured who needed immediate attention. As Nicholas provided all the information to the detectives, emphasizing that the owner of the lodge had been badly injured and shouldn't be disturbed, Xavier and Arkus were alone in their hotel room, avoiding the whole situation for as long as they possibly could.

"Feel better?" Xavier asked after she finished buttoning Arkus's new black button-up shirt. "This was my dad's shirt... sorry if its a little big on you."

"Its nice, I like it!" Arkus replied, lifting one of his arms and examining himself all the way around. "You think he'll let me keep it?"

Xavier swallowed, looking down in thought.

Arkus observed her.

"What's wrong?" He asked.

"I'm glad you're alive." She responded, looking at him. "I... was scared."

"Me too." Arkus said, nodding. "And I know you're not lying about that one bit, but... I think there was something else on your mind just now. Something besides me. What is it?"

Xavier gave him a peculiar look.

"How do you know?" She wondered.

"Because I'm the green man!" Arkus answered, making a laughable monster pose with his arms in the air. "I read people's minds, worship reptoids, and eat the hearts of children!"

Xavier laughed breathlessly, and a moment of silence loomed over them.

"What is it?" Arkus asked in a serious tone, giving her a questioning, concerned look.

"My dad." Xavier said quietly, glimpsing at the door. "He's gonna kill me."

"For what?"

"For all this..."

"Its not your fault."

"Maybe.. but..."

"How can he possibly blame you for this?"

"Because... this is the only time he's ever left me in charge of the place." Xavier explained. "The only time, and it ends up becoming the crime scene of a terrorist attack."

"Pfff. I'd be proud if I was your father." Arkus scoffed, grinning. "He'd be completely mad to think anything that happened here is your fault. And besides that, he's lost a lot of blood, I've heard tell... he's probably completely disoriented. This may be a good time to talk to him, eh?"

When Xavier didn't respond, Arkus gently took her by the hand and lead her out of the hotel room. He strolled down the hallway until he located one of the rooms being used for emergency medical care, then gently pushed the door open, peeking inside.

"I saw them bring him in here earlier." Arkus whispered. "Your dad's in this room, right here... looks like he's sleeping. Come see him."

"I... can't." Xavier said, shaking her head.

"Come on.. he's not going to be mad at you."

"Its not that, I..."

Xavier took a moment, biting her lip. Arkus watched her closely.

"I..." She placed her fist against her mouth, forcing down the urge to cry again. "I told him... I told him... the last thing I said to him was... I hope you die."

"But look..." Arkus said, cautiously pushing the door open with a slow, long creeeeeak. "Lucky for you, he hasn't died. Come on."

Arkus stepped into the room, approaching the bed on the opposite side, and Xavier slowly followed him. In the bed, James was lying by himself, his best suit having been cleanly cut open, revealing the area where the doctors had preformed a quick surgery on him in order to close his stab wound. When he heard the creaking of the wooden floor, caused by Arkus and Xavier's footsteps, he tiredly turned his head, gazing at them both and wearing a dazed, sleepy expression as he did.

"Com'ere." He mumbled to Xavier.

Xavier, attempting to ignore the nervous pounding of her heart, came forward, standing at his bedside as the late morning sunlight shone almost obnoxiously into the room, illuminating everything.

James's shining brown eyes stared up at her with the same, unreadable intent they always had.

"I'm proud of you." He told her, raising his eyebrows and looking serious.

The words hit her like a fist. Xavier had no idea how to respond; her father had never told her that he was proud of her before.

"Now I know that you can handle this place... and yourself, in a fight. That wasn't really the plan, but... hell... this weekend proved everything I needed to know. Now I know you'll be able to take care of this place when I'm gone." James explained.

Xavier shook her head. "You're not..."

"Nah, I'm not dying right now." James said, smirking and making Xavier feel embarrassed. "But I am gonna die some day, and you're gonna be left with this place."

"Me?" Xavier said, finally piecing together what her father was saying. "Me? Not Carlos...?"

James released a single, coughing laugh.

"You think he can run this place?" James chuckled. "No... he's got a good future ahead of him, sure, but it's got nothing to do with this place. He can't run a business. That's not a 'Carlos' job. That's a 'you' job."

Xavier stared wordlessly at her father, and Arkus watched Xavier from behind, his arms crossed, smiling.

James glanced between Arkus and Xavier for a moment.

"Hey... do me a favor, sweety." James said. "Go check up on Carlos for me... make sure he's not sh!tting himself out there. Alright?"

"Alright." Xavier said, nodding. She turned and headed out of the room, allowing the door to swing shut behind her, leaving Arkus alone with James.

They both stared at one another silently for a moment.

"You look familiar." James said.

"The green man." Arkus replied, holding up a single hand and waving his fingers.

"No..." James shook his head. "You weren't green the last time I saw you."




---(Continued)---