Atomic Esquire

-CH. 1 The Metal Monster
-CH. 2 The Flying Mothers
-CH. 3: Nest
-CH. 4: The Mad Man
-CH. 5: Death
-CH. 6: Tomorrow is Yesterday
-CH. 7: The Path of Ages
-CH. 8: Memoirs of a Gentleman
-CH. 9: The Chase!
-CH. 10: Reconciliation


CH. 1 The Metal Monster

My name is Hillary Pollux Plumington, Esquire. I was a squire apprenticed to a knight during the year of our Lord 1433. It was late in my apprenticeship and my master had been summoned to an outlaying settlement from which distressing tales had reached the inner kingdom. It was a day like any other, the sun shone and the birds sang giving no such hint as the disaster that would soon befall us. I believe this is where my “story” would begin.

We traveled by horseback to the aforementioned settlement when it happened, a deafening roar shattered the tranquility of our journey, a screeching unnatural sound it was, the horses did not take well to it and we were thrown. As was my duty, I attempted to calm my master’s steed, but to no avail. The ground shook and it seemed all life fled the surrounding area as it descend from the heavens: a beast four men tall clad in armor the smiting of which we did not recognize. The creature stood upon two legs, but it was no man, it had a jaw of swords, claws in place of hands. I watched as my master readied himself for combat, but before he could even take a single step forward the beast reared its head as it began to glow and my master was consumed in mystic green hellfire. When the beast finished its breath my master fell to the ground, he had been killed instantly, cooked alive in his own armor. This is when the beast turned its gaze upon me. I had no time to react, no time to even draw my sword, in a desperate attempt I raised my shield as the same hellish flames consumed me. Not a day goes by where I do not remember the pain, in the instant the flames touched me it was as if my skin lost all feeling and my very bones were set alight. It felt as if the heat was not coming from the flames, but from within me. I fell in battle that day and the beast moved on.

Yes, I fell that day, but I escaped the same fate as my master. I awoke later, alone in the charred remains of the forest. To my astonishment I could move, I felt pain but it was not unbearable, nay, it was as if my life-force had been multiplied a hundred fold, I felt incredible, and very much so on fire. As I staggered my way to the nearest brook and submerged myself the water surrounding my person boiled. I stayed there all night until morning when the boiling finally ceased. It is then when I finally gazed upon my own reflation and saw the extend of my injuries, for it was not my own face which I was accustomed to staring back at me, but one of horrors. My face had been melted, my nose was all but gone with only slits remaining. I looked upon my face trying to make sense of what I was seeing. My trance was broken by the sound of screams in the distance. I quickly re-donned my helmet and pressed onward.

The settlement my master had been tasked with protecting was in ruins.; the dead and dying lay in the river, their burns looked the same as mine. That is when I heard it, the roar of the armored beast carving a path of malice through the countryside. I pursued it day and night, I found that my body no longer required rest. When night fell and I gripped my torch I was surprised when it came alight on its own, consumed by the same mystical green flames the monster unleashed upon me. It is then that I knew, knew that I was now linked with whatever gave this monster power and that I could use the same power to send it to the depths of hell.

When I finally caught up to the monster it was motionless, frozen like a statue in a meadow. I questioned if it was truly alive as its stillness gave me pause. Able to gaze upon the menace with a clear head, it truly did not look like any man or beast I had ever seen. Its face, those mostly maw, had three red eyes situated in a triangle, its arms be they claws were able to rest on the ground as it stood at full mast. It may have been waiting for something, or it may have been waiting for me, whichever the answer I prepared my shield and my torch. My armor made stealth all but impossible, still, I tried my best to approach from its blind spot. Any questions I had about the creature’s vitality were quickly laid to rest as it sprang to life once more and rotated in a most unnatural way to launch a surprise swipe at me. My shield held, but the force of the blow was enough to launch me into the air. Before I could land the beast was somehow above me as it was poised to strike me down.

Strike me down it did. I laid where I landed, indented into the soil as the monster descended like a feather. It was directly above me, its face lowering ever closer to my own, looking at me with its three hateful glass-like red eyes. The beast began to glow again, this time I knew it meant to finish me off without question. Before it could unleash its green death, I struck its head square to the side with my torch alight. The blow was enough to dent its armor and knock the beast to one side. I puzzled at this, my intent was to break its neck with that blow, and though twisted and crocked, the beast still stood. It began to thrash wildly, perhaps it was capable of pain after all? It erupted with flames and spewed them ineffectually into the air. Taking my opportunity, I swung my torch again with intent to cripple the creature. Though my blow landed true and broke the foe’s knee, I saw no flesh under its armor, only more metal, twisted together, crackling like a fire or a summer storm. This beast was not armored at all: its flesh was metal, its blood was fire.

Having broken its balance I continued my assault and put my full weight into my shield to knock the monster on its back. I pummeled the monster’s head attempting to sever it, but the ground on the monster erupted in flames and, as if we were on a sled, our velocity only increased. The force of its speed shattered trees, I darned not let go of my enemy lest it somehow escape and recover. I was finally thrown when it collided with a rock surface, the side of a cliff that was some distance from the meadow where this fight had begun. Fortune smiled upon me that day as the beast took the brunt of the impact and broke one of its arms, I was able to sever its undamaged leg with my torch, but not without consequence as the beast’s undamaged arm struck me with the force of a mighty oak that had been felled; it brought me to my knees again.

As I gazed up at my hated enemy, its eyes were fixed upon me once more, its body crocked to position its head as it began to glow once more, however this time I could see into its shattered maw. Within creature’s mouth I could see a metal tube protruding outwards, I do not know what possessed me to be so fixated upon it, but I reflexively dashed my hand within its maw before death could exit and crushed that metal tube. The back of the beast’s head violently erupted with green flames as it finally collapsed before me. The beast did not move again.


CH. 2 The Flying Mothers

My descent from the cliff side took the better part of a day, though by no means was this due to me being overly cautious. During my descent, to my amazement, I began to discover the full bereft of abilities now bestowed upon me. I found that with moderate exertion I was able to fracture solid stone with naught but the gripe of my fingers. While I still did not succumb to any exhaustion, I felt it prudent to understand my new found strength so as to not cause myself any undue injury.

It was my intention to retrace my steps to where my mentor, Sir Benjamin, had fallen and give him a proper burial, but my plans were altered by a change in the wind. On the wind I could smell smoke, smoke not unlike that of the sort which accompanied the monster that now laid dead within the cliff. Following the direction of the source, I quickly spied upon the horizon the ever familiar green glow. With great haste I reached the bottom of the rock formation and began a full run; tireless as I was, my time was better than on horseback and I found I could make great leaps to clear obstacles in my way.

Upon arriving at the source of the on going blight, my eyes were greeted with the same sight of devastation which I had been following the trail of, only now in progress rather than the grim aftermath. Men took to the fight with farming tools and wooden logs defending their homes and families against strange flying metal creatures approximately the size of a modest dog. The creatures were small, but numerous, and while a group of men could defeat one, there were far too many for any one to be given focus. They came in waves, their formations not unlike migratory birds, if one fell more would attack and swarm the now vulnerable men. It was then I realized that the monster I had defeated was not acting alone, but was merely one of many metal invaders. Invaders I had been tasked with defending the land from.

I drew my torch and its green flame came ablaze as I willed it so; I swung at one of the invaders and though it was nimble enough to evade my torch, it could not escape its flames as they extended to ensnare and choke it out of the sky. The flames from my torch obeyed my will, I could control its size, heat, and to some extent its range; it all came so naturally, as if it were a part of my body. Wasting no more time I made my stand between the townsfolk and the flying creatures. Soon they were upon me, circling me like wolves waiting for an opening, but all they found was green death as my flames extended and leaped from creature to creature, choking and burning them into motionless husks as they fell lifelessly to the ground.

As I began to examine the caucuses of the creatures my suspicions were confirmed, they had no flesh or blood, only metal, the same as the beast. While I pondered this the townsfolk implored me to step back.
“Sir knight, we are grateful for your assistance, but please hurry inside, the mother will come soon to collect her fallen kin.”
Before I could oblige, I needed to know more “The mother? Explain.”
“Good sir knight, these... things have attacked our farms and homes for many weeks now. Each time we finish killing them the mothers come. Though your wizardry appears mighty, we’ve lost many trying to fight the mothers. These are but children compared to them.”
I thought to myself: These creatures are but the children? They are capable of growth and reproduction? I needed to know more, I needed to see these so-called ‘mothers’ with my own eyes.
I looked this tired man in the eyes “When do they come?”

It was dusk, though I wondered how they could see these mothers in such darkness, it was abundantly clear when they arrived. With roaring winds and blinding lights they descended from the skies, creatures several times larger than the ones that plagued the villagers during the day, they were at least the size of five horses each. They had two hateful red eyes and a never closing circular mouth which constantly bellowed out strong gusts of wind from beneath it, I could scarcely make out that it was filled with rotating blades for teeth. Bizarrely they had two similar appendages on either side with which they were able to move to adjust where the wind exited. From their mouths or somewhere near them a light shown as bright as the sun, only focused; when the light touched one of its fallen kin a slender snake-like arm would descend to retrieve it for what I could only assume was consumption.

As the ‘mothers’ ascended back into the sky, one remained for I had taken several of its smaller kin and tossed them into a pile beyond the boundaries of the settlement where I hid in wait. As the snake like appendages lifted the fallen flying monsters, I sent my flames up with them into the ‘mother’. To my surprise, the ‘mother’ quickly ascended and discarded the now melting limb. Its light now shone upon me, its eyes fixed upon its attacker, as if it could think. I did not fear it even when it began to lower its mouth down upon me. I saw up close that its ‘teeth’ were fixed at the center of its ‘mouth’ and spun, I decided to see how well they spin if they melted. It was much more difficult getting my flames up past its mighty gale, but the heat from them must’ve frightened it as it quickly ascended again.

It was not done with me yet for it sent an even harsher gale my way as it retreated back up into the sky, one which blew me off my feel and up into a tree. While I may have been upside-down and my quarry eluded me, I learned through its caution that it could be killed, like any other creature.


CH. 3: Nest

From the research logs of Doctor Snadien M. Science:
Progress on my study of myth creation continues. My heli-drones continue to sow confusion, mayhem, and strife upon the common folk of the 13th century’s British Islands. While everything is on schedule, an anomaly has been recorded by one of the retrieval units. It would appear that a man from this era has some super human abilities and put it upon himself to fight my machines. While he poses minimal threat to my operations in this era, I have opted to begin monitoring him for the time being. If nothing else, he will make a fine sample for my research into meta-human abilities and their impact on myths across time. Fortunately, he has taken to carrying around one of the deactivated heli-drones, the homing device will make it easy for me to continue tracking him.

Reach Godhood through Science!


A new day had graced the land, and with the first light of day I set forth with purpose. While my snare had failed, I still possessed the bait. The villagers were forthcoming with their experience.
“We’ve tried trapping the mothers before, but to no avail. You be the first who has faced them and lived as far as we can tell.”
“Do you know when they will return?”
“After the mothers collect their fallen kin, we don’t see them again for another three days and nights before they blight us again.”
“Will they return tonight for the ones they failed to devour?”
“I can tell ye not. We here have never been able to keep the mothers from collecting them before.”
“Then I shall set my trap again tonight.”

With that I lay in wait, but no beasts appeared for my bait that night. On the next morn I set out retracing my path back to my fallen mentor, determined to give him a proper burial before the creatures besieged the village again. I made good time, the sun had only just reached its peak in the sky when I arrived at the site of our defeat. However, in place of my mentor I found a freshly dug grave with a crudely carved stone cross placed on top for a marker. To my astonishment it had Sir Benjamin’s name already engraved upon it. After a brief prayer I took my leave, I knew not who had dug the grave or how they had known my mentor’s name, but whoever they are, they have my gratitude.

Night had fallen as I pressed onward into the darkness for I wanted to make haste on my return to the troubled village. By chance, I happened to glanced down at my waste and found the smaller metal creature affixed there to be blinking with its red glowing eyes and soon they were upon me. An ambush! The mothers descended from the skies circling the forest, their focused torches as bright as day wherever they looked. Fortune had finally smiled upon me. With my torch I lit up the sky and forced their attention upon myself while holding the bait high.

Though I ran with tremendous speed, the swiftness of these metal mothers was unimpeded by the Earth below. Upon reaching the base of a nearby cliff, I left my bait and ascended the rock face before they could take note of my absence. These creatures, made of metal that they are, still only displayed the intellect of a beast as they crowded around the discarded bait like a pack of starved wolves, I found they’re pack mentality reassuring as it meant I could now predict their movements. As they claimed their prize I crept with all due stealth onto one of their backsides where their lights did not shine. It took no notice of me, in my mind I concluded that they felt nothing unless it pieced their metal hides. With their spoils secure, they began to ascend once more, only now with myself still unnoticed.

They rose high into the sky, much higher than any mountain, soon the clouds were even beneath us, so high that I could see the edges of the sky itself in the distance. Finally they came upon a massive thunderous cloud, it concerned them not as they made no effort to alter their course. As they approached, what I thought were flashes of lightning proved to be false as the cloud opened up to a dazzling light revealing an armored keep, one the likes of which I had never seen, a castle in all respect built into the clouds illuminated by the same source as these monster’s eyes. I had found their nest.

This keep intruding upon the heavens truly was a marvel to me, the doors were solid metal several feet thick, yet they opened with alarming efficiency to accommodate the approaching monsters I had stowedaway upon. The interior was the same, as if the walls and floors were made of polished armor; I could not fathom that mere beasts could have constructed this fortress. When the creatures landed, more of a different variety approached upon them and with a prod, the mothers ejected their twisted metal contents onto them as if they were birds feeding a hatchling. I could see no doors other than the ones the mothers had entered from which had sealed behind them, not until the smaller metal creatures took their leave, that is when I saw the wall retract in a manner reminiscent of a hidden passageway.

I took my chances and made a full sprint for this door, fully expecting the mothers to leap back into the air and give chase, but they laid there motionless with no signs of life. The door closed quickly behind me and I found myself within a maze of passages. With no other immediate options, I gave chase to the  smaller metal creatures.


From the research logs of Doctor Snadien M. Science:
My security cameras have detected unauthorized motion in the facility. Interesting. It would appear my latest observation subject for the human super meta-gene has elected to come to me. Even in the distant past, it would appear ‘heroes’ still feel compelled to meddle in my research. For the time being, I think I’ll put him through the gauntlet to see what his abilities entail.

Reach Godhood through Science!


As I made my way through the twisted corridors of the metal nest, I could not help but marvel at the complexity of the design. Though only these abhorrent creatures could be found here, I could not help but think that there must be some greater intellect behind them, some collective force of will which guided them. The deeper I encroached the more I could feel my surroundings rumble, as if this keep was as alive as the creatures which inhabit it. My suspicions were swiftly confirmed as my chosen course collapsed before my eyes forcing me to find another way, and so it did happen again, only by fire, next by ice, and even strong gales; as if there were no element this monstrosity did not have command over.

I soon found myself in a more open area, though I preferred this to the cramped passages so narrow that I could hardly swing my torch, it left me too exposed for my liking as I was truly deep in a hostile maze. That is when I noticed them in the distance, the glow of hateful red eyes upon me; they descended from the high ceilings and floors like insects swarming to protect the hive. I steeled myself for a fight, though I did not know how long I could last against such numbers; my thoughts turned to escape. The first waves were upon me, metal creatures not unlike the ones I had faced prior, only now with legs and resembling spiders. I found I could easily crush their metal frames with my newly gifted strength, not a moment went by I did not feel gratitude for the many blessings I had been granted on this frightful endeavor. They swarmed and buried me under their weight, this was advantageous to me as I was able to burn many of them away with my torch, the heat I produced was so great it melted many of them together into a solid lump which I made good use of on the slog to the adjacent wall. Soon stronger beasts were upon me, ones now with wheels instead of legs, though I should say they were more of a sort of continuous tread the likes of which I had not seen before. These beasts were far denser and resistant to my flames, fortunately a quick mind was a blessing I had always possessed and I found impaling their method of locomotion with the legs of their fallen brethren did hinder them significantly.

Finally, the walls of this death pit, I quickly heated them while using the metal corpses as a shield until the pressure from the oncoming hoard was enough to make the wall give way, then sealed behind me by the sheer number of pursuers. Where I found myself next was total darkness if not for the light of my torch. A tangled mess of pipes, all humming, some heated, some covered in frost, all of them coming from or going to the same place, like veins; I knew they would lead me to some vital location, some place of importance, a weak point even. I climbed the pipes with all the haste I could muster, the ascent was less than idea with the moisture dripping from some of them. As I ascended higher, suddenly a light ripped through the darkness, a door had been opened behind me and the brightness stunned me just long enough for several metal arms to constrain my movements before forcefully pulling me through the door.


CH. 4: The Mad Man

I found myself completely restrained in a pure white room, the monsters poked and prodded at me, flashing lights in my eyes while making chirping noises. Soon their chatter faded and there was silence before a dazzling light appeared from a doorway above me, a man draped in robes made of light floated down before me. He looked as if he were an angel, but my intuition told me he was more attune to the Morning Star.

While looking over a glowing brick of some sort, he spoke to me “What a curios man you are. Not only did you break into my laboratory, you possess some sort of extraordinary power. Someone like you could easily become a legend.”
“What nonsense are you speaking of? Are you the master of these foul metal beasts?”
“Ah yes, how rude of me. Introductions. I am Doctor Snadien M. Science, and yes, I control all that you see here.”
“So you are the mad man behind the attacks! For what purpose does this wanton destruction serve?”
“Ha ha ha, me, a mad man?” I found his laugh to be hollow and unpleasant, yet he continued “I am a man of SCIENCE! Everything I do is in the pursuit of progress, progress to my elusive goal. My machinations are far from wanton, for I seek to usurp God with my science!”
“Blasphemer...”
“No, throughout the ages all gods have come about through legend, the perceptions of people, their individual basis, shape the idea of God. All legends begin with strife and disaster, early people will always accredit the resolution to these situations with divine intervention, and so a legend is born.”
“An occultist, then.”
“At first, perhaps. At their core, all orders begin as cults, a particular set of ideals and beliefs imparted upon a group. From there, culture forms and civilization grows. I said you could become a legend, and that is why I am here, I seek to create a legend, and from there I will be one step closer to reaching godhood through SCIENCE!”
His delusions were such that I had no words for him, but he persisted in speaking.
“I offer you a partnership, you may continue to destroy my creations and defend the villages, your role as a hero will be instrumental in expediting this process.”
“I refuse. I would never align myself with a villain such as you.”
“Hmm, well, maybe I’ll be able to change your mind another time then. For the present, I think I’ll get a snapshot and get back to work.”

At this a large glass dome descended upon me, as it rotated I could see rainbows dancing across the surface of it, a nauseating experience. I had entertained this mad man with my complacency for long enough, my foe was but mere feet from me, if I could strike him down, his empire of metal would fall with him. I mustered all of my concentration and managed to ignite my very armor, the heat was such that the glass dome shattered and my restraints burned away. I put all of my might into torch and swung at the mad man, but though my eyes saw it connect, I felt no resistance, my torch passed clean through his being as if he were an apparition.

He laughed again, a cold empty laugh “You foolish simpleton, I’m not actually here right now. This is a hologram, a projection, though I suppose the only way you could understand it is to think of this as my shadow.” I swung again, hoping to find something of substance. “Allow me to demonstrate!”

To my horror, the mad man multiplied before my eyes. Where there was once but one, now twenty stood stepping out from each other, surrounding me.

They spoke in unison with the voice of legion “You cannot harm me, you do not even understand what I am.”

The sound of their laughter was deafening, in my anger I unleashed a torrent of flames to consume my surroundings hoping that they would find his true form. When the laughter ceased, the once all white room was chard and blackened, I could see brief flashes of light accompanied by soft popping noises coming from the ceiling, like a dry thunder storm. That is when I realized the entire keep was an extension of his will, and that I would need to vanquish it to vanquish this man of ‘science’.

From the research logs of Doctor Snadien M. Science:
It seems my latest acquisition is proving more difficult to contain than I had anticipated. No matter, the mind scan was completed before he destroyed the machine, so now it is only a matter of time before I uncover the nature of his abilities and what triggered them, I have all the time in the world to pick his brain apart, so I have little need of the original anymore. Though I do not know where he has escaped to, his presence will not go undetected for long, and when he makes himself known again, I will crush him without mercy.

Reach Godhood through Science!


I resumed my ascent through the tangled veins of pipes, having escaped the white room. I could feel there was something at the summit of this structure, I could not describe it, but something there was pulling me towards it. I emerged through a hatch into a large cylindrical tunnel, the air felt still, as if there was no life at all in this place, as if the very air itself had been poisoned. I pressed inwards, deeper into the bowels of the giant metal nest until I cam upon an open space lined with a vast number of reflecting pools. Or what purpose did these creatures of metal require to gaze upon their horrible forms, I could not say. Upon closer inspection I found the pools were several feet deeper than I first surmised with several large circular platforms submerged within them decorated with countless more circles. Some of the pools were clear, others were murky green, as if they were infused with pond scum; another was glowing a brilliant shade of blue, but was encapsulated with some manner of metal dome.

I could feel power pouring out of this dome, I was drawn to it like a moth to a flame, I reached out to touch it, and in my trance, was ambushed by another of the metal fiends. It’s metal arm stuck me across the chest like a falling log and sent me across the room. This monster was similar to the one which killed Sir Benjamin and disfigured me so, unfortunate, for the beast. It swung from below this time with the intent to launch me skyward, I rolled to one side and engulfed its outreached arm in my mystic green flames, however it was unfazed and pivoted in a most unnatural way by rotation of its hip. It had grasped me, bu rather than immolate me with its fire, it tossed me further away from the reflecting pools. It was then which I realized it was not fighting me in earnest, but attempting to remove me from this room, these pools were something of importance, something worth protecting. I made a dash for the pools to test my assumption and a second beast appeared to block me, this time form above. It lifted me and cast me aside into one of the many large tubes I had entered the room from. Now that I was no longer near those waters, I could see the two beasts both preparing to incinerate me. I ran and found an off shooting tube in which to escape the oncoming hellfire. Fortune smiled upon me for all tubes led back to the pooled room.

My troubles had only multiplied when I re-entered the reflecting room, for now there numbered ten of the massive metal man monsters. I had to know what was in those pools, eggs perhaps? Was this some sort of nursery? My only way forward it seemed was to dive into the pools where they dare not unleash their flames, and discover the truth of this matter. Through perseverance I was able to succeed in maneuvering through their defenses and dove into the clear pool.


CH. 5: Death

Once submerged I found little of note, the metal man beasts did not pursue me into the pools. The circular designs on the platforms I found were a series of smaller tubes which were empty. Fortune smiled upon me once more for I saw the pools were connected under the surface. With a little force, I was able to breach the sealed tubing connected to the adjacent pools, I found I emerged in one of the pools thick with pond scum. As soon as I took a breath, the beasts were upon me again, forcing me to once again submerge, this time I found the tubes filled with rods of some sort, rods that felt hot to the touch.

When I emerged again, this time the beasts pulled me from the water and slammed me against a wall. I hastily held up the rod to see if it would elicit some reaction, and by the grace of God it did. Upon seeing what I held in my hand the lights in the room turned red and a low rumble began until I heard a voice echoing out from seemingly nowhere, it said “Warning, containment breach in the core.” I did not understand what this meant, but the beasts ceased their attacks and immediately attempted to pry the rod from me.

With one hand I found I was able to tear my captor’s arm off with ease. I fell to the floor astonished by this, I could feel power, horrible, amazing power, pouring into my from this rod I now held. I hastily placed the rod under my chain mail, against my bare breast, and swung again at the monsters before me; I cut them down as if they were made of wet paper, gone was the resistance of their hard metal forms, all that remain were the glow hot wounds I inflicted upon them. Seeing my new found strength I cared a path through them to the one source of light in the room not shining red: the glowing blue pool.

As I lay my hands upon the dome, I could feel every more strength pouring into me, I feared my very being would collapse from the untold strength now dwelling within my mortal frame. As I tore the metal and glass away the air began to grow thick with fog, but it was no morning due, but some form of poison as it stole the very breath from my lungs. With all my new found might, I hurled the entirety of the dome’s contents upwards, and found the force of which did create a sizable hole in the ceiling. I leaped from the now defiled reflecting room before the miasma filling it could render me lame.

With this new power, all the laid before me I could was a frail as a butterfly’s wings. Laying waste to the nest and its occupants became a simple, yet time consuming matter; these beasts that once were able to handle me with the ease of a child were no longer any threat to me, and so I began my search for the mad man who controlled them.


From the research logs of Doctor Snadien M. Science:
Inconceivable! The meta human specimen breached the reactor core! It is a full cascade failure! My outpost in this time period is somehow being torn apart by him. Worse still, somehow he is headed straight for the command deck where the chrono controls are! With the amount of radiation he’s surly absorbed by now, even if he expires before he reaches the deck the residual radiation will de-calibrate the system, temporal stability of this base will be lost! He’s clearly after me, so I’ll have to use myself as bait to deter him.

Reach godhood through science.


As I pressed onward I could feel the very air around me growing hotter, I found that my touch caused thin materials to become translucent while still retaining a level of opaqueness. My torch exaggerated this effect allowing me to quickly find passage ways through the walls otherwise obscured. I soon found myself in chambers that resembled a residence, or at least somewhere that one could call livable as compared to the maze of metal hallways that preceded it. It was there where I found him again, stepping forward from a wall like a ghost, he spoke to me.
“You fool, do you have any idea what you have done? Do you even know what you have done to yourself? It’s incredible that you’re even still standing, your insides should be boiling out of you by now with all the RADs you’ve absorbed!”
“I have no time for the words of a specter. Begone, apparition! I shall find your true form forthcoming!”

With a wave of my torch, the shadow of the mad man did distort and vanish in a most disturbing, angular way. It was not long before he did appear to me again, but this time he did not dissipate, this time he was cloaked in a veil of light made up of countless glowing squares. I readied myself for battle and charged him, but found myself stopped in place by his veil of light, to his credit, his frail looking form did not so much as flinch at my approach. He spoke again with calmness.

“You are a puzzle to me, one I feel I am very close to solving. You dove into a nuclear reactor and are still able to move this long after.”

With a touch to his belt, I felt his physical being give way to nothingness as I passed clean through him like his ‘shadow’ before him.

“I call it the Time Twister Belt, nothing you do can harm me while I wear it, for I am both here and not.”

With this revelation, I realized that the man before me was of no personal threat, merely a master of tools, and if I were to deprive him of them, he would be a man like any other. He wished to keep my attention focused upon him, he would not have appeared before me if there was not some threat I posed to him. Whatever that may be, my priority was made clear, I broke through the door before me and found myself in a windowed room with all color of lights, the skies were stretched out before my eyes in this room, a vantage point unhindered even by the clouds themselves. I hardly had time to marvel as the man appeared in front of me once more, stepping forth from his veil of light, only now his calm was diminished.

He raised one hand “You’re smarter than you appear.” and slowly backhanded me. Though the blow was slow, I found myself unable to evade it and only some time after it had connected were the effects of its mighty impact made apparent. I began to float backwards, slowly at first, but then at remarkable speeds the further my body became from the man. The impact I left in the solid iron walls mimicked my form.

“Far more durable as well. You certainly have a valuable meta-gene. I’ll be sure to make good use of it.”

In my crumpled confusion, I felt the rod pressing into my breast, as I removed it, I noticed a change in the mad man’s veil of light, it had shifted from a plate blue to a vibrant crimson.

“How? How are you still alive carrying that around? Damn, I can’t let the shields down for even a second in this radiation. I might even need to scrap this entire base. Everything is contaminated at this point.”

I felt the entire fortress shift around me, as if it had been subjected to a great siege’s battering ram. The skies beyond the windows were changing color and melting away, it felt as if the weight of the world had both vanished and increased one hundred fold.

“No, even with the fail safe shields in place, the chrno-stbalizers can’t take this level of radiation. Are we going into the future, or the past? I can’t time shift while the base is shifting...”

I knew not what the mad man was mumbling about, but I was still able to stand, still able to fight; for some reason this rod had some form of power over his mechanisms, one I was eager to exploit. I focused my power into the rod and it did spark and erupt into a brilliant emerald blade. All the metal in my surroundings began to catch fire from the presence of this sword, the skies outside flashed even brighter, but my swing began to slow as it neared the veil of light, however I extended my own flames to ensnare it completely so there would be no escape. The slowness of my swing was not in my imagination for I could still see him move at normal pace. He continued to fiddle with his magic belt, pressing all manner of color combinations. When my blade did finally connect his protective veil was the same emerald hue, time resumed at its normal passing and I was rebuffed with all the force I had put into the swing multiplied ten swings over. The force sent me back again, but also cracked the windows of the mad man’s spying room.

“I understand now, your power is to absorb and convert radiation into metabolic energy.”

The mad man had yet to realize what I had done. For each time he struck me, I had noticed he was a solid as anything else, for in the instant he rebuffed my attack, I had released the strange rod and used my flames to affix it to his magic belt. Even as he pondered, thinking himself in no danger, I could see his veil begin to ripple; this was my chance, I quickly rebounded and charged him again, when he reached for his belt, that is when he noticed the rod, and for the first time I saw him to know fear. My tackle was a success, I hurdled us both through the fractured glass into the wide open skies.

The color gave way as we were trashed about through the maelstrom, a light opened up and the skies resumed their clear blue color. We were falling to our certain doom, a doom I welcomed if it meant this man would share it with me. I restrained his arms to keep him from his belt, as we rapidly grew nearer to the ground I could see where we would land, a burning mountain, as if it were a gateway to hell itself.

“Amazing, it would seem as if fate itself is conspiring against me here. But no matter, even fate can be overcome with my science. Even if you kill me here, I still live in the past! This future will never come to pass!”

The molten Earth was no cushion for our fall, our bodies burst into flames as I watched the mad man perish with a smile before the Earth did consume me as well. From there, all I knew was blackness.


CH. 6: Tomorrow is Yesterday

From the research logs of Doctor Snadien M. Science:
I have received a distress signal from my future self, it would appear the me who would go on to research the creation of myths and legends has been killed by a man possessing a meta-gene. How novel that a hero would rise to thwart me, and not just thwart me, but thoroughly destroy my base of operations. As per my Life Assurance Protocol, this future can now be averted. My future self has sent me the full genetic template and brain scan of the individual who would be my demise. I will need to err on the side of caution when I recreate this man for interrogation.

Reach Godhood through science!


I awoke in a dark room, bereft of my armor and my tools. I remembered a glass dome and swirling rainbows, then nothing after. I had little time to stumble in the darkness and ponder my new location when the blinding lights were upon me. I found myself in another pure white room, this one with a large window replacing a wall. As my eyes adjusted to the light, I saw a form staring back at me, the mad man, the occultist who sought to overthrow God. I charged at him in full sprint, but when my fist connected with the glass I was thrown backwards, rebounded by my own force some several times over. More over, the punch I threw resulted in the skin on my hand splitting followed by sharp pain; my new found strength was gone.

The science man spoke “I see, your meta-gene has not awoken. I can’t expect much from you in this state.”
“What have you done to me?”
“I have done nothing to you, or rather I have yet to do anything to you.”
“What nonsense is this?! You are the master of those metal monsters!”
“Yesterday was tomorrow, tomorrow will be yesterday.”
“What?”
“I do not expect you to understand, but in the future you killed me. Or, actually, the real you will kill me. You are a copy I created to understand your powers to avert this future.”

I could not understand the words he spoke. Future? Copy? Regardless, I had no time to argue with him as the lights extinguished on the other side of the glass wall leaving me to stare at my own reflection. To my amazement, my face was my own, before my flesh had been melted away by the heat of the first beast’s breath. My eyes widened in shock, somehow, someway, I had been reverted to a prior state in my life. I scarcely began to comprehend the words the science man spoke before he spoke again, this time echoing from all around me.

“Time to begin the awakening procedure.”

Those were the last words I heard from him before my life became a living nightmare. I was trapped, alone, and in total darkness for what felt like days, pain was my only company and it was ample. Other times I would be restrained and held in bright lights, kept awake for days as all manner of vile odors permeated the air. Other times I would be held before many lights and a voice would as me questions: refusing to answer would result in ungodly pain, answering correctly would result in ungodly pain, answering falsely would result in no action from my captors. It was torture, grueling, mind-breaking torture the likes of which my training did not prepare me for. Food was administered through a metal tube inserted down my throat, other times I would be blasted with frigged water. I knew not how long I lived like this, or how much longer my frail mortal body would last.


From the research logs of Doctor Snadien M. Science:
The awakening process has yielded no results thus far. I have tried all manner of stimuli and substances from his native era; the stimulus which awakened his meta-gene must be extremely specific. I have discovered that his name is Hillary Pollux Plumington, Esquire, there are no notable historic records of any of his accomplishments, meaning he either died young or possibly he was eliminated… Since the specimen is showing no signs of progress, perhaps I can use him for another purpose.

Reach Godhood through science.


I was a broken man when the ordeal had finally ended. I was scarcely aware of my surroundings and could barely recognize what was happening in my surroundings. I was being lowered into a metal coffin, I thought that I had finally died and was released from this hell. Then my arms were affixed in place, metal tubes coiled like serpents around my body, some even coiling within my body. There were flashes of light, a swirling vortex of color, I was back in the forest where it all began, I could see my master, Sir Benjamin, truly I thought I was dead and being reunited with him in the afterlife. Then I saw his face twist in feat and a stream of fire come from my own mouth which he was consumed by. I could not comprehend what I was seeing, my body moved as if it were not my body, my thought were not my thoughts, then I saw myself and saw myself consumed by flames.

I wandered after this, lost in a haze of my own mind, everything in my path burned until a man appeared before me, a man with a melted face. He was strong, he destroyed my new metal form and I was left in darkness once again. When I finally awoke, I tore the tubes from my moth and forced the metal coffin open. I saw the night sky, I felt the cool breeze upon my skin, and I emptied the contents of my stomach upon the rocky cliff face. Though I was free of the metal tomb I was sealed in, my mind was still lost to me. I recognized the carcass of the metal beast who killed Sir Benjamin and disfigured me so, but I could not see that I had emerged from it. I was set adrift amid my thoughts, my feet carried me for a day or more until I found myself back where it all started. I had expected to find something there, something to reaffirm some core aspect of my being, but all I found were the remains of my master.

There was no grave, I remembered there being a grave, but there he lie, a charred husk of a man. The words of the science man echoed back into my mind which I repeated aloud.
“Yesterday was tomorrow, tomorrow will be yesterday...”
I collapsed on the ground and cursed that man, my mind finally broke free from its prison and I came to the horrifying realization that I was the monster, he turned me into the very monster who first attacked us, I killed Sir Benjamin! I wept openly at this cruel twist of fate. That man was a monster, but so was I.

In my grief I came to understand that time did not move forward for him, meaning that as long as he ever did live at any point, he could still be alive. He claimed that I had killed him, meaning that I would still do so. I dried my tears and began to dig, I remembered Sir Benjamin had a proper grave when I visited this pace again, and I struggled to recreate it. When it came time to lay his body to rest, when I place my hands upon his armor, I felt the familiar amazing strength well up from within me. With hesitation, I removed my master’s armor and wore it as my own. I found a stone and fashioned it into a cross with my master’s name inscribed upon it and swore and oath:

“I will put an end to this madness.”

I fully intended to find my present self and aide him in anyway that I could to alter the course of the events I knew would transpire, but even with my strength restored, my mind was beyond fatigued. As I pressed on to the village which I knew the metal mothers would attack, I found the world grew dark and I fell into a deep sleep. My mind, now free from the torture, could endure no more.


CH. 7: The Path of Ages

When I regained my sense, I did not recognize my surroundings. Fearing I had been captured again, I found my sword still affixed to my belt and sprung to my feet, my blade ablaze with the same mystic green flames that had engulfed my torch. I was in a hovel, and I found that the residents gazed upon me fearfully. I lowered my sword, I could barely speak, my throat still raw from grief.

I exclaimed in my confusion “The metal mothers… I must… I must… I… Where am I?”
My fellow countrymen were put somewhat at ease “Aye, Sir Knight. Your compatriot made quick work of them.”
My mind raced at this “When? Where is he now?”
They raised their hands attempting to calm me “Easy, Sir Knight. He did battle with them some days ago. We found you collapsed in the forest not long after he departed. You’ve slept for four days now.”
These words cut through me “Then I am too late. He is already gone.”
“Left these parts he may be, but made good on his word he did before leaving. We’ve not seen one of the accursed metal beasts since his departure.”
“He… made it to the nest, and vanquished their master… I… could not help him.” I knelt upon the ground. I was unable to change fate, the opportunity had passed me by.
“Sir Knight, if I may, you seem to possess the same mystic power as your companion. You armor is hot to the touch as well, such that we were unable to remove it from your person. It made bringing you here a challenge.” I had not noticed the heat, my armor felt no different to me, but he continued “Might you have been sent to use by The Witches Four?”
“I know not of whom you speak.”
“Powerful spell smiths they are, for ages they’ve protected these lands from things beyond mortal control. It Is said they are the very embodiment of the seasons themselves.”

While I may have been too late to disrupt the mad man’s tampering with time, word of these witches stirred some embers of hope within me. Perhaps there may still be some way for me to find my hated enemy.

I asked them “Where can I find these witches?”


For seven days I stayed in the village regaining my mental fortitude and retraining myself with the sword. I found the flames wrapped around forged iron were a far more effective tool than burning from a torch; I could cleave through the corpse of one of the metal mothers with ease using it. Once my preparations were complete, and I had confirmed it to myself that the mad man was gone from this time, I ventured north. I found all my blessing had been restored to me now wearing the armor of my fallen mentor. Once more I was able to journey without rest, my progress was unhindered by lack of roads or steed. On the eighth day of my trek, I came upon a marvelous sight, a valley so fully in bloom that it would be the envy of any painter. But the valley was not without occupants, from my vantage point high in the mountain pass, a farm was visible.

As I made my way into the valley I saw not one soul until I had reached the farm, and to my surprise it was tended by a lone young lass, adorned from head to toe in flowers.

I called out to her “Young maiden, I am Hillary Pollux Plumington, Esquire. I seek an audience with the Witches Four. Do you know of them?”
She stared at me blankly, then her eyes furrowed in concentration before finally addressing me “You’re some manner o’ queer beastie, it looks.”
“I beg your pardon?”
“You look like a man, but your life aura dun look like no man I ever seen. No wonder you be seeking the Four Seasons.”
“You know of them?”
“Yes, I would imagine I would seeing how I am one o’ them. You can just call me Spring.”
“Yes, well, Lady Spring, I am in need of some aide of a sort I am not familiar with.”
“I bet you are, Sir Plumington. Come in, I’ll get some tea ready whist I fetch th’ o’ters.”


The witches were a strange sort. Lady Spring was adorned in flowers of all sorts and colors, Lady Summer wore chest armor with a horned helmet like the northern raiders, Lady Fall wore branches as antlers, and Lady Winter was garbed in various animal pelts. Each examined me in various ways, rubbing herbs upon my flesh, igniting a piece of my hair, drawings lines in the air, and viewing me through a peculiar glass orb.

Once satisfied with their proceedings, Lady Winter spoke “Yes, you are a strange one. Of this time, yet not from this time. As if you are a ghost made of flesh who has not yet been born.”
I interjected “There is a man who claims he will usurp God with his science. I did battle with him, and at some point that has yet to pass or has already long passed, I slayed this man. Yet, this man does not remain deceased, for as long as he was alive yesterday, he is still able to avert his fate. I seek to find him again, and put an end to his vile schemes.”
The witches huddle and murmured among themselves, a flash of light came from the glass orb before they broke.
Lady Summer Spoke “The time of the longest day grows near. On that day we will be able to commune with our lord and may have some solution to your most usual dilemma.”

Over the next several days I followed their instructions without fail, my endowed strength made it an easy task fetching the large stones they required and arranging them in the arc shapes they told me were necessary. I watched as they inscribed these rocks with all manner of questionable figures and shapes, a figured of a horned man-beast adorned with all the elements was the most common among them.

On the morning of the longest day, they stood in a circle, hand in hand, surrounding me as they prayed. There prayers were answered as the clouds grew thick, shapes began to form of them of the great horned man-beast from their inscriptions. It stared me down, its eyes formed by gaps in the clouds allowing the sunlight to pour through, it appeared to be judging me. I felt no malevolence from this creature in the sky despite its imposing form. As if satisfied, it departed and the morning sun shone through the arch before me. I could see it, the same swirl of colors from when I was entombed in my metal coffin, condemned to do the mad man’s bidding. My path had been opened for me.

Before I could depart, Lady Winter called out to me, her hand outstretched “Sir Plumington, you will be needing this.”
I took what appeared to be an amulet crafted of crude metal and bones “What is it?” I inquired.
“You will need this to help you find yourself. I have foreseen glimpses of your journey. It will be harsh and lonesome. This amulet will help you find yourself, it will let you know when to step off the path and how to step back onto the path of Ages which lies open to you now.”
I tucked it under my armor against my breast and mused “Find myself?”
“You will know the meaning of this in time, in an age long from now.”

The Seasons Four bid me farewell as I stepped through the archway, into the yet to be.


CH. 8: Memoirs of a Gentleman

Within a suspended Victorian Manner, perched atop a hill, surrounded by a lush garden, we find Chaptor, the Gentleman Raptor, relaxing at his residence.

“I say, Agnes, would you be a dear and fetch me my typewriter oil? I feel our latest outings may very well cause the ribbon to jam.”
“Oui, Sir.” replied the diminutive French maid.

Now then, I’d say this affair started quite some time ago, beginning with the appearance of primordial beasts terrorizing the English country side causing havoc of all sorts, myself once included in this category. Quite well known now with many of us becoming respectable members of society somehow or someway, but few know where we actually came from. A mystery which has baffled scientists and personally puzzled me for many years. But now I find my puzzler is finally solved.

Recently a peculiar fossil was discovered during an expedition, one which dates back several millions of years. These were no dinosaur bones they found, but the remains of a man, a modern man, relatively speaking. The remains were being studied at Cambridge and I was eager to have a look myself, this is where the trouble began.

Agnes and I were on campus, it was a pristine day not a cloud in the sky, I was scheduled to give a lecture on trade and indigenous peoples, but our plans were waylaid by screams of panic and smoke raising in the distance. Von Kraut had reappeared, accompanied with a battalion of automatons! These bronze fabrications in the shape of men were a favorite of the deranged doctor for they were unfeeling, loyal, numerous and above all difficult to best in a scrap. For a normal man I should say, though. For myself, they were pitifully slow and easy to overpower if I was allowed a running start. After instructing Agnes to help evacuate the citizens caught in the ruckus, I drew my swordstick and began to make quick work of them, though a blade was insufficient to cleave their metal hides, it was excellent for exploiting the gaps in their joints, granting me some free kicks.

Once the students and faculty were safely out of harm’s way, I abandoned my skirmish with them for I knew they were nothing more than a distraction meant to occupy my attention elsewhere while Von Kraut remained free from intervention. My hunch proved correct when I found him in the archaeological wing examining the fossilized man recently discovered.
“Ah, my dear Chaptor, you have arrived later than I had anticipated.”
“What’s all this fuss for Von Kraut? Surely you didn’t need to sick your automatons upon the students here just to examine some old bones.”
“A necessary precaution, I’m afraid. I’m sure they were no trouble for you. And these are no mere old bones. This man was found encased in igneous rock, something which should not be possible given his condition. Not unless this man himself was generating a heat which far exceeded that of the surrounding molten rock.”
This was the first time I had laid eyes upon the fossil, it was exceptionally curious for the man appeared to be wearing pieces of armor common some 400 years prior. Armor which should not have existed millions of years ago, much like the man himself.
“I know you well Chaptor, your mind has already begun to see the true scope of this puzzle. For this man is clearly not from the time from which his remains would indicate.”
“Are you insinuating what I think you are?”
“Yes, somehow, someway, he was made to be in that time! Which means he may provide some clue to the missing equations in my time formulas.”
“Well then, you understand why I simply cannot allow you to abscond with him then. I can’t very well have you traipsing about through time willy-nilly.”
“As opposed to those who so clearly already are? I won’t be outdone.”

As I encroached upon the scientist, the back wall to the room quickly gave way to an implosion as his automatons poured in securing the remains with tethers. He had come prepared, even having procured a dirigible for his escape! Well I wasn’t about to let him get away with that quite so easily. I leapt into the air and severed a good number of the ropes binding his theft in progress, but was stopped when he revealed his trump card: his automatons had managed to capture Agnes! Two of them held her in place from each arm.
I called out to her “Agnes!”
“Oui, Sir!”
“Are you unharmed?”
“...oui, Sir.”
“Taking a hostage, how very unlike you, Von Kraut.”
“I have no desire to harm your maid, but you see now how I must insist upon having this prize. My automatons will release your dear Agnes once I am safely away.”

Before I could act, something very strange happened. A dazzling green light appeared shining through the dust and rubble and the heads of the bronze men holding Agnes had been cleaved clean off. A knight emerged in full plate armor brandishing a sword draped in emerald flames. He dispatched the automatons with ease, cleaving through them as if they were made of butter. I took advantage of the uproar delivered a clean punch to Von Kraut’s jaw. With the threat pacified, I turned my attention back to this knight.

I had barely managed to speak “I say-” when he turned his sword upon me, but before he could swing, Agnes, bless her, threw herself upon his arm to give him pause. I continued “I say, good sir, that was quite the showing.”
He looked upon me with confusion, clearly he had never seen someone of my caliber before. He finally asked “You are capable of speech?”
“Quite eloquently, or so I am told.”
He introduced himself “I am Hillary Pollux Plumington, Esquire.”
“A pleasure to make your acquaintance. I am Chaptor, an investigator of some modest renown.”
He looked very confused still as he inquired upon me “What year might this be?”
“1865.” I replied.
I could scarcely hear him mumble “400 years...” before our pleasantries were brought to a premature end.

Von Kraut was back on his feet and pressed against the fossil for balance, his automatons had encircled him and sparked with arching electricity to prevent anymore intervention as he was lifted skywards. Sir Plumington looked even more dreadfully confused when he caught sight of the presently skybound remains; he removed a glowing trinket from his chest plate which eerily hung in the air, pointing towards them like a compass. I realized the implications of this and quickly called to Agnes
“Agnes.”
“Oui, Sir?”
“Fetch the runabout, we’ll be pursuing him forthwith.”


CH 9: The Chase!

To Sir Plimington’s credit, he did not hesitate in the slightest upon boarding my steam powered wagon, in truth the entire rig was a patchwork affair despite there having already been some ten odd years of development behind the technology, but it would still be 20 more until they became fully serviceable to the average layman. We proceeded from Cambridge with all due haste following the direction of our armored compatriot’s amulet. While underway, I was able to press him for more information.

“I say, what is the relation between you and those remains?”
“I suspect those are my own remains.”
We hit a bump in the road upon this revelation with Agnes exclaiming “Pardon?!”
“Hands steady, Agnes!” I continued to press him “Whatever do you mean?”
“The remains are my own lifeless shell from a future I shall never know. A version of myself from which I was stolen from and turned against in the now distant past.”

I did not like the sound of this at all. If I were to believe these claims, and I had no reason to doubt them, then Von Kraut would be on the verge of unlocking the secrets of time travel! He would become the most dangerous villain the world would ever know if such a power were to become his. And yet, something nagged at me, for these events to have come into motion to begin with, someone must have already unlocked these mysteries, just as Von Kraut suspected. Nefarious plots could be unfolding all across time with no one the wiser, save for maybe this knight.

He continued “Lady Winter, of the Seasons Four, gifted me this trinket with instructions to find myself. That is the basis for my belief lies.”

We came to a halt near the shores where the sheer cliff faces were tallest. The perfect hiding place for a discrete laboratory. By following the pull of the bewitched trinket, we were quickly able to uncover the hidden entrance. To our astonishment, Sir Plimington possessed phenomenal physical power, able to force the heavy stone doors open with relative ease. As we pressed into the no longer secret stronghold, I took note of several familiar devices from past skirmishes with the Kaiser’s favorite doctor. We soon found ourselves in an enormous underground cavern refitted into a hangar where the dirigible now lay grounded.

There we sighted Von Kraut busily instructing his metal servants in transporting the fossilized man. “Quickly, to the sediment re-invigorator!”

Our knight companion was eager to spring into heroics, however I had a hunch as to what the doctor was planning and placed a hand upon his shoulder “Hold fast, old bean. If I’m not mistaken, he may be about to bring you back to life.”

His automatons placed the igneous rocks within a large glass tube, when sealed it quickly flooded with a most bizarre fluid, the viscosity would lead me to think it some manner of gel. Once filled, the glass spheres above the tank came to life as currents of electricity danced down from them into the substance before the entire contraption began to rotate most vigorously. It sparked and discharged several times before Von Kraut appeared to be satisfied and halted the machine’s process. The once gelatinous fluid had been rendered vicious and transparent and there in the tank where the rocks had once been now floated a man, a man of flesh and blood! This was the answer to my puzzler, the dinosaurs which roamed wild and savage across the countryside had been revived in much the same way as this man, myself included.

The tube opened and the man fell to the ground as the fluid drained away. It was then which we made our approach, as Von Kraut was thoroughly distracted.

He was knelt over the restored Sir Plumington’s body, held aloft by his metal servants while slapping his back “Breath lad! Breath! You are alive!”

Copious amounts of fluid did exit the now restored knight’s mouth, such that Agnes needed to turn away. What followed were the first gasps of breath he had taken in what must have been millions of years; something which I felt I was able to relate to, though memories from before I became more than I was still felt like a waking dream.

Von Kraut’s bedside manners had much to be desired as he continued press the poor fellow “Lad, what do you remember? How did you come to be here?”
“The… mad man. I slayed him. Flames. Darkness.”
“A mad man?”
“He… using his science, sought to become God.”
“And he is dead? How marvelous! Then I shall be unopposed as I seek to unlock the mysteries of time!”
“...nay.”
“What’s that, lad?”
“I… shall stop you!”

The withered chap threw himself at Von Kraut, but his movements were dulled by the weight of the automatons holding him in place. Exhausted and confused he could only muster a suppressed “My strength is diminished...”
Our own Sir Plumington then rushed in to give aide while exclaiming “But mine is not!”

He cleaved one of the automatons holding his counterpart in half and then hurdled the half at the battalion at the ready, toppling a good many of them. Agnes and I secured his counterpart with her supporting his frail form as I defended them both. Our Sir Plumington’s armor blazed to life emitting emerald flames from the seams as he held Von Kraut at sword point.

“I’ll not suffer another mad man!” he exclaimed as Von Kraut had his hands raised and slowly backed away before laying hands on the wall behind him. He must’ve planned for me to find his base one day for a pneumatic tube quickly evacuated him followed by a detonation within the ceiling.

“Agnes!” I exclaimed “Quickly, now!” and with the revived Sir Plumington and Agnes safely upon my back and his counterpart leading our hasty retreat, we made our escape from the collapsing lair.

Sometime later, Agnes did inform me that the revived Sir Plumington kept his eyes upon his counterpart’s back the whole while murmuring “Sir Benjamin.” before he lost conscious upon our escape.


CH. 10: Reconciliation

Following the excitement, I invited Sir Plumington to rest at my residence as I had ample spare rooms while his counterpart recovered. It took great effort on my part to convince our displaced house guest to leave his counterpart’s bedside and tend to his own well being. A day and a half passed before the bed ridden Sir Plumington regained consciousness, Agnes was quite alarmed when he attempted to force his way out of bed.

“Where is Sir Benjamin? I saw him, I saw his armor.” He demanded.
“Sir! Sir!” Agnes exclaimed trying to keep him calm.
The sight of my unusual build did not help to temper his agitation, fortunately our Sir Plumington was not far behind me.
“Sir Benjamin is dead. I buried him myself.” He stated rather remorsefully.
“Who are you to wear his armor then?”
“Clam thyself. Your burns have mostly healed, your face is your own again, this is good.” He turned a mirror to reflect them both “I am you, you are me.”
The bed ridden knight’s eyes widened in shock, words eluded him at this revelation. I decided it was time to get to the bottom of this and made my voice known “Gentlemen, I think it prudent this tale be told from the beginning to lessen the mounting confusion consuming us all.”

What followed was a fantastic story of metal beasts, mystic flames, and science gone wry in the hands of madness. Their stories identical up to a point. It pained our dear Sir Plumington greatly to recount his version of events. When all was said and finished, both knights remained silent, deep in reflection.

The bed ridden knight was first to break the silence “So it was you who gave Sir Benjamin his last rights. Thank you, for doing what I could not… Brother.”
The standing knight clenched his fists with rage and gritted his teeth with grief as he wept for what he had been forced to do.
“Raise your head, Brother. You have told me the mad man still lives, correct? Once I am well, we shall set forth and have justice wrought upon him for the vile deeds and misfortune that he has befallen us. Together.”
“Yes, Brother.”

For four days they stayed with us. Sir Plumington 1’s health recovered rapidly, by the afternoon of the third day the two brothers were sparing in the garden until late in the evening. I deduced that some presently unknown substance in this Snadien fiend’s possession is what granted my guests there never ending stamina, some presently undiscovered element perhaps. I would need to keep a closer eye on the scientific community form here out, if this element is as dangerous as I would be led to believe, its potential in the wrong hands would be nothing short of cataclysmic. But that was a case for another day, another time, perhaps a time well beyond even my largely extended life span.

As the sun rose on the fourth day, it perfectly aligned with the front entryway of my estate. Sir Plumington 2 held the trinket in the light causing the view within the door frame to distort, as if a spiral of rainbows now stretched out from it. As the brothers prepared to leave I bid them my farewell.
“If I am still alive in whatever future you find yourselves in, and you are ever in need of aide, do not hesitate to call upon me.”

The two knights entered the distortion and faded from view as the phenomenon around them dissipated.

“I say, Agnes, they’ve been through quite the gauntlet.”
“Oui, Sir.”
“I do wonder if other such extraordinary individuals such as them exist in our present time. Agnes.”
“Oui, Sir?”
“I think a trip is in order. I’ve heard rumors about a man in western America I now think is the time to investigate.”