Chapter 11: New Arrival
"Huff…*Panting*…Damn, 40x is harder than I thought." Its been three days since Galahad started using the magic circle that Ororo had made for him. The gravitation array lost its color as he walked outside its area.
During those three days his training had rewarded him with a further increase of his B.P., currently standing at 30150. At this rate, challenging S'ym wasn't just a dream anymore. He was sure that in a months time he could easily take on the demon.
Ororo had forgotten about his mistake and started talking to him again. Seeing him pushing himself to such an extent, to grow stronger, lifted some of her doubts about him. If only she knew that his hunger for power wasn't mainly for rescuing the girl, but for satisfying his own ego.
Galahad washed his body and dressed up, arriving in the main hall, where Ororo could be found most of the time reading her books.
"Hey, how is it going? Any developments outside?" He asked while taking a book from a nearby pile to read.
"No, nothing of concern at least. You know, for someone who can channel energy through his body, its weird that you can't sense others." She glanced at him while saying this.
He was trying to read the gibberish inside the book he picked, her words struck him like lightning. Throwing the book, he stood up and asked her in excitement.
"You are right! How didn't I think of that?! How can I do that, please teach me!" Ororo caught the book in the air with her sorcery and sighed at his antics, she thought that sometimes he acted like a small child.
"Sure, but you have to promise me something. To never walk around with only your underwear on." The man, hearing this took a second too long thinking about it and finally agreed with a slow movement of his head.
They headed into his room and Ororo told him to sit cross-legged on the altar. Which he did and closed his eyes, following her next command.
"Those who are able to manipulate energy, in any shape or form, start by sensing it first. I don't know how you are able to absorb it without doing so, but it will be even easier for you. After all your body is already nurtured by it and you can form attacks of pure energy. Shut your eyes and extend your senses." Soon silence enveloped the room.
Galahad relaxed his body and mind, he was now in a state of deep meditation, which he had practised every time he finished his training. Doing as told, he tried to reach outside of his body with his mind and in doing so he felt it.
"I can feel it! This cold essence…like a small breeze caressing my body." Happy at his success, the man sprouted some philosophical nonsense.
"Ah…eh…no that is the climate array malfunctioning. Give me a second…there it should be good now." And as if nothing happened Galahad, slightly embarassed, focused once more.
This time he felt a small flame appear on the location Ororo was standing, in the darkness that enveloped him. Looking at his own body, he also found a smaller flame, greenish yellow in color.
"Is it this flame…or did the fireplace malfunction this time?" He asked, having his doubts of whether he succeeded this time. Ororo giggle and replied.
"No, that's it, you did it. See, I told it would be easy… Also you never told me, whats up with the tail?" Noticing his long monkey-like tail dancing behind him,probably from his excitement, she asked curiously.
At this Galahad scratched his head, not knowing what to tell her, himself not knowing either. That pervert must have made some modifications to his body, so his powers can develop.
"It…just appeared…you know like magic." He gave her an awkward smile and in return he got the cold shoulder.
"Fine…keep your secrets to yourself. Hmph!" And with that she left once more. In reality what Galahad told her was the truth, but she made up her own conclusion.
Words tried to leave his mouth, as he extended a hand to stop her, hesitating mid-air. He wasn't sure what to tell her, that he was sent to this universe by a god-like entity, his memories sealed in the process. He would sound like a cuckoo, crazy guy…at least that's what he thought.
Sighing, disappointed at not being able to form a better bond with her, he focused once more at his surrounding. Galahad wanted to get a better grasp of this technique so, focusing so hard wasn't required and he could do it subconsciously.
As his eyes closed and the energy revealed itself once more, he probed around the sanctuary. He saw his and Ororo's cores, along with a much bigger one at the center of the base, probably the source that powered all the arrays. Turning his attention outside, he felt a strong presence that caught him off guard.
A bright orange flame much stronger than his and Ororo's was approaching. Galahad jumped on his feet and dashed towards the front entrance, ready to intercept.
"Someone is coming! A strong one!" Yelling, he got the woman's attention, who failed to stop him.
Arriving at the door, he burst through, taking in the approaching figure of the invader. Galahad didn't believe his eyes, as a man…no a skeleton, dressed in black leather clothes approached. Even more socking was the bright flames that came off his bones.
"Die Hell-spawn! AAAH!" Galahad held nothing back and flared up his aura, his accessories flickering in the process, limiting his output. The creature looked like Death's incarnate, he wasn't taking any chances.
He kicked off the ground and within moments reached his opponent. The ground beneath him cracked at his advance and adrenaline started pumping. He knew that this demonic entity was leagues above him, yet this excited him even more. For a moment even thinking of breaking the collar and armbands.
"Wait a mom…*PUNCH*" The skeleton tried to speak, only to be interrupted by Galahad's, aura powered, fist. Despite giving it his all, the creature's head only jolted slightly. Looking into its eyes, a hellish flame appeared and the fire on its body ignited.
He grabbed Galahad from his neck, before he even had time to react, his body was lifted into the air and slammed down with immense force. A pit was formed underneath him.
"*Grunt* Grr…Is that all?!" It seems despite the suppression of the jewellery, the intense feeling of danger coming off from the skeleton triggered his beastly instincts. His hair slowly starting to spike up.
The creature didn't expect him to still be conscious, as he had used quite a bit of force in his attack. So when Galahad grabbed his legs, that were within his reach, he managed to bring the skeleton down on the ground.
He mounted above and started a barrage of hammer fists, mixing in energy grenades that exploded on the creatures face. A strong gale manifested around him, making him stop and dismount, trying to hold on from flying away.
"That's enough! What do you think you are doing?!" Ororo appeared, levitating on the air while her long white hair danced from the strong winds around her.
"But…he is a demon.." He tried to explain his reasoning, but when he looked back, the skeleton was nowhere to be found. Instead a man has taken his place.
His straight, black hair, reached his shoulders and on his young attractive face was an amused expression while looking at him.
"What demon?" The man looked around, feigning ignorance.
"Haah…that man is an ally…he is Johnny…Johnny Blaze. What you saw was his…ability lets say." Ororo arrived next to them and introduced the new arrival, as Johnny Blaze.
"Ability? That's underselling my powers Storm. It's more like a gift from the ultimate evil! Yeah that's better…anyway whose the hunk of muscle?" Joking around, Johnny's gaze landed on Galahad who was still confused about the situation.
'When did his skin grow back? Where did those flames go? What the fuck is going on?' And who wouldn't, after all he wasn't knowledgeable when it came to comics, otherwise he would immediately recognise the legendary hero named Ghostrider!
"I met him here…his name is Galahad. He agreed to help me rescue Illyana. Now…how and why are you here? You are risking your life here Johnny." Ororo explained and asked back. She clearly didn't approve of his arrival.
"Yeah right! I am risking my life? What about you? You are risking much more staying in this place with your mortal body…just why did you stay back for that little girl…Pff… Anyway America managed to control her powers and sent me to this dimension. So yeah…the cavalry is here!" The skeleton-man raised his fist in the air. His age was close to a man in his 20s, indicated by his attitude and youthful physique.
"America huh?…Lets head inside, we will talk there, where its safer." And with that the trio went back into the sanctuary. A new ally was added to the roaster, is this new addition enough to handle the devilish power of Belasco…