Canon Fodder

CHAPTER 402 DEMONSTERS

The city below us was made of the yellow soil of the ground. No green in sight, the outskirts were huts, closer in were larger homes, and right at the center were huge structures. All poured from the yellow mud or stone of the planet. I wasn’t too sure where to start. Extending my Observation Haki outward, I hoped to not cause a ruckus then have to worry about Illyana as a hostage. 

“Let’s just blow it all up,” Jean said, a fireball coming to her hand.

“Calm it there, Red,” I said. “I think there are a few things we can-”

“Flying demons!” Hope yelled pointing down to a horde of demons taking flight and coming towards us.

“Looks like there’s a bunch over there too,” Lyra said, pointing to one side of the city. I faced where she pointed and agreed. I could see the shining metal bodies of the robot demons fighitng the flesh and blood ones. The robots were shooting lasers and guns while the real ones were using swords and breathing fire.

“One problem at a time,” I said. “Hold on, nerd girl.” Morgan yelped and latched on as I stopped flying.

“Woohoo. Let’s kill some demons,” Jean yelled as she pushed forward a huge wave of fire with her pyrokinesis. Impressed by the size, the demons seemed unaffected though as they flew through it. 

“Take us to your leader!” I yelled as I punched one. A beak of a face shattered and the fight was on. What followed was two hours of fighting and nicely asking questions.

Morgan on my back she kept kicking my sides like I was a horse, and firing her handy dandy laser when demons got too close. Lyra turned into her big green form and handled the Hulk powers easily as she fought the demons one on one when we got to the ground. Though she wasn’t near as strong as Bruce Banner, she at least had control of the body.

Hope and Ultron fired weapons sporadically, but mainly stayed as lookouts. Jean was fighting at the front lines with me. Psychically empowering her body somehow she had a killer left that knocked more than a few teeth and horns off the monsters. When I remembered she was psychic and cold simply force the monsters to tell us where Illyana was she reluctantly agreed. Having enjoyed the fighting thus far she took us the long way to where I assumed the palace was. 

A huge sprawling mansion near the center of town there were plenty of guards for Jean to get her fill. When we finally broke into the throne room, Illyana was already up and fighting the king of the demons. He was a huge monster at least twelve feet tall. Red wings, red horns, and a thick tail, he was known as Belasco. At least that’s what Jean got from some of the other demons.

“Kmagick!” I yelled to Illyana. 

“Finally!” She yelled. “See, Belasco, it is fine,” she said pointing at us and dropping a shining weapon she had in her hand. The huge demon stopped his offensive stance and let out a sigh. 

“Fine, little one,” he said to the girl. “Now can we leave?”

“Yes,” Illyana said, sheathing her weapon and running over to us like she hadn’t been in a life or death battle. Counting us one by one she frowned. “Where are the boys?”

“Back at the cave,” I mumbled. “What the fuck is going on here? You’re friends with the devil?”

“Him?” She asked, pointing at Belasco. “He is not the devil. No, this is my home away from home. Limbo.”

“Fucking hell, just start at the beginning, please,” I said. “I think Jean here might have been assuming these were bad guys.”

“Me?!” She yelled. “That was you.”

“Maybe it was Hope,” I said, thinking back.

“They look evil as hell,” she defended. 

“No, these are my friends,” Illyana said. 

—

“I have been coming to this world since I was a child,” Illyana said. We were sitting in the throne room of the demon city that Belasco ruled over. The big red demon sat cross legged behind her. “I have come to this world since I was a girl. Belasco found me on one of my trips here and taught me how to fight.”

“The little Illyana is the only outsider we have seen,” Belasco said. His voice like a bass drum. I wasn’t totally convinced he wasn’t evil or the actual devil. n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

“My power allows me to come here. Travel through Limbo and come out at a different location back on Earth. Time also moves differently here. So I have spent much time here without aging,” she said. 

“Ill, please hurry,” Belasco said.

“I am, one moment,” she said with a huff. They really did feel close. Like father and daughter for some reason. I was going to give the demon the benefit of the doubt until he mentioned a deal for my soul. “I have not been back in some time. Apparently a foe came from another dimension and began infecting Belasco’s people.” She turned to him.

“His name is Magus. A being you call a cyborg. He has genetically engineered a virus of some sort to infect my people. Once infected, their skin becomes hard as metal, projectiles can fire from them, those that could breathe fire are able to shoot a superheated ray.”

“Like a laser?” I asked, looking to Morgan. She yelped. Her eyes wide as she clutched the laser in her hands.

“I do not know what that is,” Belasco said. “My people have been unable to fight this virus. Each of those he infects, become his willing slaves. For months now we have fought tooth and claw, but once the infected bleed on you, you become these robots. All connected to the hive mind of Magus, helping him take Limbo for himself.”

“How do you get infected?” I asked, concerned for Morgan. Her Haki began to become terrified. I couldn’t help but picture her laughing gleefully in the blue goo they secreted. Which was probably their once blood.

“Once they bleed on you or bite you,” Belasco said. “I have had to kill many that were infected.”

“How long does it take to take effect?” 

“Mere hours,” he said.

“Thank god, I think we are safe,” I said to the wide-eyed Hope, Lyra, and Morgan. They nodded too, relieved. “Sorry, continue.”

“Yes,” he said, breathing heavily. “I hate to leave my ancestral home, but Magus and his horde have proven too strong. Illyana offered to help us escape to save what is left of my people. But she wanted to bring you all.” 

“That’s nice of her…since she stranded us here and all,” I said. “But are you seriously going to run?”

“We have no other choice,” Belasco admitted. “My people are terrified of their bodies turning into metal and being controlled by Magus.”

“I see that,” I said. “But…we are pretty immune.” 

“You are?” Belasco asked confused.

“Yes, we fought some of their number a while ago. None of us have turned into a robot, except that robot.” I pointed at Ultron. “But he is a special case. Either way, I’m sure we could take care of your problem.”

“Are you sure?” The Belasco demon asked, hope in his voice. 

“Yeah,” I said, pointing at Morgan. “She basically bathed in the blood of one. Pretty sure we are fine.”

“Don’t say that,” she said, trying to wipe her skin clean. 

“Let’s take care of this then. We don’t want to open a portal from hell on Earth,” I said. I had a quest to finish anyway. Standing up, Jean joined me. Getting excited for another fight. I had to admit I was enjoying this new version of her. 

—

“Calm it down, psycho!” I yelled at Jean. She was cackling like a witch as she ripped apart one of the robot demons limb from limb. Whatever had happened to her was still going on. She was already stronger than a few hours ago. 

It was the next day. After we had pushed back the horde attacking the city we went in search of the true mechanisized asshole. Hope on Ultron, Lyra in her green Hulk form, and Morgan firing off her upgraded lasers, Jean was the wild card as she went from foe to foe. 

A large Tabi beside me, the blue haired cat shot jets of blue flame at the robot demons as they kept coming at us. None of us had turned into robots yet, but I wasn’t too worried about it. The demons had been fighting them for months by this point, and were stuck with tactics that made certain they wouldn’t get bled on. We humans fought the monsters without worry or care. Tearing the weak monsters apart like tinker toys as we carved a path to where this whole thing started. 

“Something’s coming!” Jean yelled, stopping in midair. I looked up and noticed where she was pointing. The crowd of robots stopped fighting and began to step back. Out from the rocky terrain a giant emerged. He was at least twenty feet tall. Smooth green metallic skin, his head was round, and had a humanoid shape. Two arms, two, legs, a bunch of tentacles coming out of his back it was easy to see this was the famous cyborg Magus. 

“You have ruined my plans,” a metallic voice announced from the giant. 

“Same here!” I yelled back. One quest leading into another, I prayed that the reward was worth the headache. Illyana appeared behind me, wielding a glowing white sword. Running at the giant I wasn’t about to be shown up so I ran ahead as well. 

Jean was already firing at it. A huge plume of flames shooting out from her it covered the body of the robot. I could feel the heat from there, the temperature ten times what it was yesterday. But Magus surprised her by walking out unaffected. Moving faster than I expected he swung at her and actually hit. The fiery woman was thrown back and struck a boulder hard. 

“Check on her,” I yelled at Tabi. The cat ran toward her as Illyana and I made it to the boss’s legs. My hands charged with Nen I blasted one leg as Illyana sliced the other. My nen crushed the metal it was made of and the boss teetered over. Roaring in pain he hit the ground with a great boom. 

Hopeful that ended him I cursed as a door opened in his chest. Rather than being the actual boss, that had been another armor, like a Gundam for the real body. Another Magus appeared out of the chest cavity. Smaller, it was only seven feet tall and was no longer made of metal. Dark green carapace, it resembled a mix between a bug and human.

“I will convert all of you!” Magus hissed and tiny spores shot out of it’s back. Tabi appeared and shot a bout of flame at the monster, causing the spores to burn up. Illyana and I were on it then. Beginning to slice at the beast, it’s hard shells were a lot stronger than the metal. The almost living husk actually thrummed with power as I blasted Nen into it. 

A tentacle shooting out of it’s back, I grabbed it then pushed it back to the body. Using my Fusion I fused them together and grabbed another tentacle, doing the same. Soon the left side of his body had all the tentacles fused to his green shell. Roaring, it spit some sort of acid at us. Illyana yelled, hit by it but I stepped back. 

Ultron fired a missile at him as I moved away. Magus caught in the blast the strong attack caused it to be caught on fire and smoke to billow out. Before the fire could die down the Magus leapt for Ultron. Latching onto the robot it began to absorb the robot as Hope was jettisoned off. 

“Fuck!” I yelled. This monster could turn carbon lifeforms into robots, could it do the opposite to robots? That sounded like Ultron to me. Rushing forward I didn’t hold back this time. Casting my Nen Blast I sliced up and down, cutting the fusing robot and Magus in half. They screeched but I wasn’t done. Pulling a Trunks, I didn’t want any of this thing surviving. Calling all of my Nen I sliced over and over, making mencemeat of the being.

Missiles on the robot exploding, I was thrown backward with a concussive blast. Knocked out for a split second I woke up with a splitting headache in the bleak yellow world. More explosions coming from where the two had been fusing, I looked around to see metal plates falling off the robot demons.

Their bodies turning back into flesh and blood, the virus was finally dealt with. Like killing the master vampire made people into real boys again, the once foes turned back into the hell worthy abominations they were before. Demons cried and cheered and the girls walked over to me. Beaten, but smiles on their faces. 

“You killed Ultron,” Hope said, a frown on her face. 

“Trust me, I did you a favor,” I said. At least I hoped he was dead. I didn’t see anything resembling the robot in the pile anymore. “Everyone alright?”

“My robot is dead!” Hope yelled, more upset.

“Everyone important alright?” I clarified. She frowned at me. “Cut the crap. Have your dad build you a new-nevermind. Just get strong yourself. You don’t need a robot.”

“That was fun,” Lyra said as she turned back into a normal girl. 

“Don’t let the demons let you hear that. Pretty sure we just murdered a lot of their kin,” I said. The demonizing robots began to excitedly talk to one another. Crying happy tears as they hugged one another, or looked for loved ones. I frowned, feeling a little bad about enjoying myself too. 

“Weston, the red one,” Tabi whispered in my ear. 

“Fuck,” I said, running back to Jean. Following Tabi, the blue cat shrunk down and jumped on my shoulder. Directing me up the incline I found Jean to the side of the boulder she hit. Her head was bleeding badly. Pulling out my Spark I sent it into her, forcing her body to heal. As I did she opened her eyes. 

“Hey,” I said.

“Weston?” She asked, but it wasn’t the confident Phoenix I had been talking to for the last day. She was her old self again. Her Spiritual Energy weaker, there was no longer the confident woman I had been fooling around with.

“Fuck,” I said, struck harder than I thought. A pit forming in my stomach I was actually kind of switching gears to focus on my Nix. Her raunchy attitude and fighting prowess had been a highlight for me as we fought for our lives. Seeing that she was back to her meek self, I wasn’t sure what to think. 

“What’s wrong?” She asked. “Illyana, is she-”

“She’s fine,” I said. “You don’t remember anything?” The pit in my stomach growing I was really going to miss the fiery mutant. But with luck maybe it wouldn’t be for long. Looking at a rock I considered hitting her with it but threw that out. I needed canon to happen on it’s own, not force it. No matter how much I wanted it to happen. 

“I remember tidbits?” She asked. “There was a big red demon, and that city,” she said, shaking her head. I pulled her up and the other girls walked over. “Girls, what happened to you?”

“Phoen-” Illyana said but stopped with a glare from me.

“Jean hit her head. She lost some of her memory,” I said. She had insisted everyone call her Phoenix. The other girls had known she was acting differently but kind of rolled with it as she and I spent time in our Makuramoto in the hours we weren’t fighting. 

“What happened?” She asked, looking around to all the blood and dead robots.

“Machine uprising,” Hope said grabbing her hand. “I was basically Sarah Connor. Weston killed my robot because he was jealous of it.”

“So very jealous,” I said as I let them lead. It was time to reap some rewards as I pulled up my notification. 

“Ready to evolve to your next form?” I asked Tabi.

“What?”

“Want to get stronger again?” I asked.

“Of course, don’t ask stupid questions,” she hissed. I rolled my eyes and upgraded her to Level 7. She ballooned out a little but shrunk down quickly. She had started at level 10 on Naruto World. I was excited to see how strong level 7 was. I brought up the other item. 

Annoyed by so little information I clicked yes. 

The scanning took a long time, but I didn’t notice anything. After a minute, it dinged like a meal finishing in an Easy Bake Oven. 

“What the-” I asked. 

Amazed that there were still rewards I knew nothing about, I clicked Yes and knowledge poured into me like a Memory Meld.