Tales of Deception

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Tales of Deception is a story which tells how Zone and Kill met, how Zone gained his hypnotic powers, how the King of Sorrow event occurred, and many more details which were missed.

The story starts when Zone plans to create his own minion from the same genetics he was created - by mixing X-Virus and Doom Weed together. However, little does he know that the X-Virus and Doom Weed he gathered was used before in a failed warfare project by top Dorkugal scientists...

Chapter 1: The Rise of Kill
It was a clear sunny day in Antarctica. Fluffy clouds failed to make any signs of appearance, and the penguins were enjoying their monthly party. However, things have been known to go bump in the night across the world, and the United States of Antarctica is no exception.

Santera Zone Lagranges, though known to most as Zone, was plotting a scheme. One of Nightmare’s henchmen, this is a being who is more interested in his own selfish desires than the feelings of others. Secretly he plans to overthrow his master and rule his army, but that’s another story.

But Zone had greater plans in mind at the moment. He wanted to create his own minion – someone who would follow his orders to the letter. See, he was brought into the frozen world because Lizlord accidently spilled an X-Virus mixture onto the ground, which unfortunately came into contact with a Doom Weed. A chemical reaction occurred, and Zone was the result.

His birth drove him to the event that occurred today, and with the ongoing party it was the perfect distraction. Even the PSA were partaking in the festivities, so with no police around the penguins did the one thing they should know never to do – let their guard down.

However, two beings - a turtle and shroom to be exact, were alert the whole time during the party. They knew that a villain would see this party as something they could ruin. Professor Shroomsky noticed Zone flying in the distance, and him and Melvin Turtleheimer began to follow him. They managed to hide behind a nearby tree and listen in to Zone’s plans;

“I’m sure the penguins won’t mind an extra guest coming to the party” Zone smirked as he planted a Doom Weed on the ground and poured a fresh batch of X-Virus onto the festering plant. The Doom Weed began to dissolve into a blue puddle, and the mixture began to bubble as a hand started rising out of the mixture. Professor Shroomsky and Melvin Turtleheimer jumped out of their hiding spot to confront Zone.

“S-S-Stop!” Professor Shroomsky stuttered. He wasn’t sure what Zone was trying to make out of that mixture, so he was a bit scared.

“Oh come now, mushroom. I’m just having a bit of fun. Surely you can relate – you’re a fungi! Hahaha, that’s a little joke; I’m in the spirit of the festivities you see! I’m also delightfully mad.” Zone sneered as he drew his swords. It took him a lot of effort just to acquire a Doom Weed and some X-Virus mixture, and he wasn’t going to give it up very easily. Professor Shroomsky attempted to hold off Zone while Melvin Turtleheimer reached for his Spy phone, ready to call backup. Unfortunately, Zone saw what he was trying to do and pierced once of his swords right through the spy phone, shattering it. He then began to take flight.

Suddenly, the mixture began to bubble rapidly. A beautiful girl arose from the mixture, with eyes as red as blood. Zone swooped down from the sky and grabbed her;

“Well agents, I’d love to stay and chat but I have an apprentice to teach. Ciao!” Zone said as him and the newly formed being flew off into the distance.

Chapter 2: A New Beginning
Zone carried the girl off to his freezing fortress. Somehow, the cold didn’t affect Zone or his new friend. As the girl was escorted to the fifth floor, Zone sat her down and began asking questions;

“So then, what’s your name?” Zone inquired.

The girl just sat there and didn’t reply, her eyes fixated at Zone. She didn’t even blink, either. Zone was starting to get irritated;

“A straight answer would be nice my dear, after all I did save your life back there.”

“Kill.” the girl replied;

“You’re going to kill me? What a great way to say thank-you to someone who just saved you.” Zone said curtly;

“No, my name. It’s Kill.” She replied back;

“Whoever named you Kill must have been great parents, last name?”

“It’s just Kill.”

“Fair enough.”

“Who are you?”

Zone then stood up;

“My full name is Santera Zone Lagranges. I created you by mixing a chemical known as the X-Virus together with a rather dark plant known as a Doom Weed. I was made the same way, so genetically we are the same.”

“Why am I here?” Kill replied;

“I brought you here because I require someone to do a few odd jobs for me while I tend to other matters. Of course, I could have easily just hired a penguin to do my bidding but my trust in other people is extremely small. I may be hypocritical when I say this, since I am putting my trust in you for the moment.”

“What do you want me to do?”

“Nothing at the moment. For now, I will be your *ahem* teacher. You will be useless to me if you don’t know how to survive in this world, so I will take you under my wing for awhile. Feel free to live in my fortress, though I suggest you don’t wander off too far as it gets rather cold here and you’re bound to get lost if you take a wrong turn.”

“As you wish.” Kill said, as she wandered off into the fortress to explore. When she left, Zone walked up to the very top of his fortress. A dark, billowing cloud was hovering over the top which manifested itself as Nightmare.

“I see your apprentice has come along nicely Zone. She will do great serving me.”

“Unfortunately for you my lord, I’m not a mindless drone like the other X-Antibodies. Anyone that merely follows orders is an imbecile who cannot think for themselves.”

“I give you your own fortress, and a new apprentice for you to toy with, and you repay me with your arrogance? You’re not even pure X-Virus – you’re a half-breed!”

“Perhaps, but this “half-breed” is your only chance of Antarctic conquest, no? I’ll do what you need to conquer, but I’ll do it my way – not yours.”

“Fine, but if I don’t start seeing results, I will delete you where you stand.” Nightmare finished as he faded away into the distance.

''Nightmare, Darktan II, Luce, and Kwiksilver are my only threats. I’m not too concerned about them though. Because once I acquire that power...''

...I will extract everything I want from them..

...then discard them like a dirty cloth!”

Chapter 3: The Mind Distorter
“Welcome, Miss Kill. Are you ready to begin your training?” Zone inquired.

Kill simply nodded and sat down in a seat opposite Zone;

“I’ll take that as a yes. But first, let me introduce you to where you are and the current situations of this winter world.” Zone said as he pulled out a map of the USA and placed it on the table.

“You are on a continent called Antarctica. The population here is dominated by penguins. You will find the most penguins at Club Penguin Island ” Zone explained as he guided Kill’s hand, pointing at the USA, and Club Penguin Island.

“The area we are situated in now is known as the Darktonian Realm. It was originally ruled by a penguin called Darktan, but after the events of Dagor Dagorath, Darktan was impeached. However, zealous members of his army cloned him and created Darktan II--”

Kill interrupted him before he could go on;

“I did not come here for a history lesson.”

“Hmmm? Then what are your true intentions?”

“I will tell you someday, once I find out yours.”

You reckless girl, that day may come sooner than you think!

Kill’s eyes began to narrow at Zone;

“What are you?”

“Hmmm?”

“I don’t know if I should be telling you this, but I have the power to read minds if I come into close contact with anyone. When you guided my hand to show me where the USA and Club Penguin Island were, I attempted to read your mind but for some reason, I can’t reach your subconscious mind.” Kill blankly said.

“How interesting. You may not of been able to reach my mind because we have the same DNA genetics. There might be another reason, but I don’t feel like researching anything because you’ve sparked my curiosity.”

''So she can read minds eh? This could be easier than I originally thought!''

“Well then, if you can read minds then I have a job for you. I assume it shouldn’t be a difficult task.” Zone began;

“What is it that you want me to do?” Kill replied;

“There are two people in this icy continent that know the location of an ancient power I seek to usurp. Their names are Luce Anator and James Erasmus Kwiksilver. Here are their photos.” Zone said as he handed pictures of Luce and Kwiksilver to Kill.

“I’ll explain the power you’re looking for. From what I’ve been able to piece together, there is an artefact located somewhere in Antarctica known as the Mind Distorter. Seems the penguins have been working on this distorter for years. The enemies of the penguins are two creatures; Nightmare and Darktan II. Those two have been searching for the Mind Distorter for as long as I can remember.”

“Go on.” Kill inquired;

“Nightmare and Darktan II are not in alliance however. Both of them are at a separate war with each other, squabbling over that whom should conquer Antarctica. You and I have pledged allegiance to Nightmare, however it is a tapestry of lies. My plan is to backstab Nightmare, take control of his army, use his army to liberate any Darktonian forces, and then once I’ve taken control of both Nightmare and Darktan II’s armies, then I will be free to launch a full-scale attack on Antarctica.

However, I cannot do that without the Mind Distorter. The Mind Distorter is an extremely powerful artefact that allows the user to put a victim in a trance. The user can give an order to the victim and they will follow it with unwavering servitude. Sadly, it only works once on each person you put in a trance. I don’t know the exact location of the Mind Distorter though, so I’ll need you to read Luce and Kwiksilver’s minds to discover where it is being held.”

“As you wish, Zone.” Kill replied.

''Yes, my apprentice. Walk off into the new world and show me what you’re capable of.''

Chapter 4: An Unwelcoming Reunion
Kill set off into Arda to look for Luce and Kwiksilver. She was sure that Luce would be there. Kwiksilver may be a possibility too, but getting information from at least one of them would be all that she would need.

The problem she had, was that Arda was a mysterious place that’s location was only known to High Penguins and those who are permitted to enter Arda. Kill started to remember what Zone told her before she made her journey;

''”I’ll assume that Luce and Kwiksilver are in Arda. To get there however, you’ll need the help of one of my own creations – the Amulet of Deception.”''

”What is that?”

''”The Amulet of Deception creates a fairly weak, but stable trance on victims. When wearing it, you can tell someone the most preposterous lie and they’ll believe it. However, the duration of this effect only goes for an hour. I also want you to take a tracker with you, so that I may find out Arda’s location and take you back to Antarctica once you’ve finished your mission.”''

”As you wish, Santera.”

Thankfully for her, Kill caught wind of a boat cruise to Arda that was happening at the Dock in Club Penguin Island. She opened her map and teleported to the Dock, where a large crowd was gathered around the ocean. The boat she had to get on was a large white boat which had the Amulet of Water’s insignia on the front side of the vessel. Kill approached the guard at the entrance to the boat, whom began questioning her;

“Sorry ma’am, but I’m going to need to see some ID before letting you on this boat.” the guard asked.

I wonder just how strong Santera’s amulet is….

As Kill thought this, she began to speak as she held the amulet;

“You don’t need to see my ID, after all; I am the Queen of Arda!”

The guard gave Kill a dumbfounded look, then responded;

“Yes, your Highness! Please follow the stairs up to the boat, we will be disembarking shortly.”

Kill was permitted access to the boat, and went across the boat for a view.

''That guard actually believed such an obvious lie? You’re a more cunning man than I thought Santera, but what’s stopping you from doing such awful, underhanded tactics on me?''

Suddenly, she heard footsteps. It seems that Mayor McFlapp had noticed her on the ship and was going to confront her;

“My word! I do believe I have never engaged your presence in the vicinity of this jolly continent, wot!” Mayor McFlapp inqured.

Kill began to touch the Amulet of Deception;

“We’ve known each other for years. I still remember your favorite hobby; jumping off boats into the water!”

Mayor McFlapp gave Kill the same dumbfounded look the guard did, but complied anyway;

“Carry on, old girl.” the tern replied, and began flapping his wings for extra lift;

“Though, personally,” the Mayor began to say, the dumbfounded look disappearing from his face, wings positioning for a dive, "I prefer the air!"

However, just as McFlapp was about to attack, Director Benny appeared out of nowhere, screaming.

"THAT'S THE LAST STAR FOX REFERENCE YOU'LL MAKE TODAY, YOU FLYING CRETIN!"

While Benny chased McFlapp over the horizon to funny music, the boat docked into Arda. However, back at the Dock, the guard began to realize something…

“Wait a minute, she’s not the Queen of Arda!” the guard exclaimed, and called Arda with his spy phone.

Back at Arda, Kill began the search for Luce and Kwiksilver. She spotted them both casually sitting in the Spirit Oasis.

''They’re out in public? They’re making this too easy.''

Kill started to overhear Luce and Kwiksilver’s conversation;

“It’s nice to take a break from fighting Darktan. After the Pie War, he reformed so we don’t have much to worry about.” Luce said;

“What about Nightmare? Shouldn’t we take him into consideration? I have my own antibody, it won’t be long before you get one too.” Kwiksilver replied;

“Darktan II’s forces might quell Nightmare, but if things start to get dangerous then we’ll intervene.”

“And what about that girl one of the boat guards at the Dock called us about?”

Kill cringed a bit;

''They found out? Did an hour pass already?''

“No wee lad, it may be just someone wanting to see Arda but isn’t high enough. I just hope she isn’t the same girl we’ve dealt with before…” Luce said.

''Before? Do they know something about me?'' Kill thought. She didn’t want to waste time, so she grabbed some shopping bags for her plan.

She walked up to Luce and Kwiksilver and purposely bumped into them. As Kill came into contact with Luce and Kwiksilver, she began searching their subconscious for where the Mind Distorter was.

“Sorry! Let us help you pick those up.” Kwiksilver said as him and Luce helped Kill pick up the shopping bags. Luce looked at Kill and screamed;

“No! It can’t be! It really is her!”

Kill continued to search for the Mind Distorter location. According to her, its hidden underground in Pengolia.

Suddenly, swarms of High Penguin guards surrounded Kill. Kwiksilver began to talk;

“So it is you... Please come with us, we want to talk.”

Out in the skies, Zone swooped down and landed next to Kill.

“Sorry to break the party so soon, was I missed?” Zone sneered;

“Zone! So Nightmare found her?” Kwiksilver exclaimed;

“Do you really think I would willingly hand over my apprentice to that bumbling idiot?”

The High Penguin guards began conjuring up water spells;

“What? You think I’m afraid to get a little wet?” Zone taunted;

As the guards began to fire their spells, Zone grabbed Kill and flew off in the distance. He could hear Kwiksilver yelling;

“Come back and fight, you coward!”

Chapter 5: The Binding Contract
Zone took Kill back to Zone Fortress. He began questioning her;

"So what did you find out?"

"Well, what you're looking for is underground in Pengolia. It's hidden underneath Penghis Khan's castle apparently."

Zone paused for a minute;

"Luce and Kwiksilver seem to know you, how?"

"I don't know. I wasn't able to read their minds in time, and the confusion back there didn't really help me concentrate either."

"How can Luce and Kwiksilver know you when you've been with me the whole time except just then, when you went to Arda?"

"Like I said Santera, I don't know."

"We're bound to find out sooner or later, we'll just play the waiting game at the moment. For now, we have bigger priorities on our hands. Hop onto my back and I'll fly to Pengolia."

Meanwhile, Luce and Kwiksilver rushed to a secret research lab in Dorkugal.

"We've got some shocking news!"

"About Project:Kill? I know..." The penguin said sadly;

"You knew about this and you didn't tell anyone?!" Luce exclaimed;

"We thought it best to hide it from the public for the moment."

"But how did Zone get ahold of Project:Kill?" Kwiksilver inquired;

"I'll explain the full story..."

''"Project:Kill, originally known as Project:Zone, was a biological warfare project that began a few weeks after Nightmare began his reign. We found out some... rather interesting components in the Doom Weed and X-Virus. If the two collide with each other, they would create their own life form. Depending on the amount of Doom Weeds and X-Virus used, the life form can become extremely strong and volatile. Hypothetically speaking, if a thousand Doom Weeds collided with a thousand X-Virus bottles, it would create a monster of incomprehensible power. I don't know what dark magic Darktan and Nightmare used to make them, but we attempted to use this knowledge to our advantage..."

"We attempted to alter the components in the X-Virus and Doom Weed. Theoretically, we were creating a lifeform that was extremely intelligent and had a variety of powers. However, prior to its completion it seems Nightmare found out about our project, and the lab was raided by X-Creatures. Lizlord stole the experimental X-Virus and Doom Weed we were going to use, and he ran off. Apparently on the way he tripped, dropped the X-Virus and Doom Weed onto the ground, which mixed with each other. Zone was the result."

"After Zone was created, we were summoned to the GourdZoid Council Hall. The delegates were amazed at the result of our work. They wanted us to continue the project, but I protested. I didn't want to make the same mistake over again. I told them that if we made a being similar to Zone, then we'll be helping Nightmare instead of stopping him but they wouldn't listen. Instead, the delegates ordered tighter security around the lab but I knew it wouldn't help."

"I reluctantly complied however, and we began to resume the project, however this time it was renamed Project:Kill. Everything that went wrong before, we fixed. The project looked like it was going to be a success. However, doing the same thing leads to the same result. We were once again raided by X-Creatures. To my surprise, the security held them off and we let our guard down. Unbeknowest to us, Nightmare himself was in the lab. He sneaked in through one of the air vents and a dark cloud leaked through the vents. He appeared before us and stole our work, then disappeared, saying "I'm sure Zone will make good use of this!""

"At the monthly party we had a week earlier we saw Zone flying around, so we assumed he was going to create what we never had the chance to. We ambushed him and tried to stop him, but he held us off and as soon as Kill was spawned he simply grabbed her and flew off."

"So you and everyone in this lab are the true creators of Zone and Kill..." Kwiksilver said;

"Sadly, yes. It gets worse too. You're aware of the Mind Distorter right?"

"Yes, although we don't know what it is." Luce replied;

"Years ago, we found a tablet underneath Pengolia. We attempted to discover its secrets, and found out that the tablet told of a way to gain mind control over a creature. If the user had the Mind Distorter, his left eye would glow red and he could command the victim to do whatever he or she desired. It only works once on each person apparently."

"Go on..." Kwiksilver replied;

"We deciphered the tablet and began following its instructions. The Mind Distorter can only be made via a new lifeform, so it saddens me to say that.... Kill is the Mind Distorter."

"And then John was a zombie, we've all heard the story!" Luce joked;

"No, I'm serious. Kill IS the Mind Distorter Nightmare and Darktan II have been looking for. And now that its in the hands of Zone...."

A deathly silence followed.

Meanwhile, Zone and Kill were underground, beneath Penghis Khan's castle;

"What exactly are we looking for, Kill?" Zone asked;

"You are looking for a tablet. It should be around here..." Kill said, as she poked her head through one of the tunnels. She noticed some Pengolian guards guarding the tablet and overheard them talking;

"Why do we have to guard this stupid stone, anyway?" one of the guards asked;

"Hey, we don't get to see Penghis Khan that much down here, so I'm okay with it!" the other guard replied.

Zone began discussing plans with Kill;

"I will turn invisible to get past the guards. Get under my wing, and you'll be unseen as well."

As Zone and Kill sneaked past the guards, Kill began to faintly glow..

"Intruders!" one of the guards yelled. Even though Zone and Kill were invisible, it seems like Kill's glow gave them away. Zone unmasked himself from invisibility. He didn't think there would be any use in hiding if they were spotted;

"Its Zone! Penghis Khan will be happy to see you rotting in the dungeons!" one of the guards yelled;

"You have something of value to me in here, I'm afraid I won't be leaving until I get what I want. Unfortunately for you guards, you don't seem to know that I always get my way."

"Your way is about to be cut short!" another guard yelled as all the other guards were loading their Deletion Rifles, whilst others armed their fish. Kill however, began to glow extremely brightly now, grabbed Zone's hand, and then everything went dark.

You don't want it to end here, do you?

You have a reason for living.

If I grant you power, could you go on?

''From now on, we are under Contract. If I give you power you must make my one wish come true.''

Accept this contract and you accept its conditions.

While living in the world of X-Creatures, you will live like none other.

A different fate, a different time, a different life.

The power of the Mind Distorter will condemn you to a life of solitude.

Are you prepared for this?

Yes, I hereby accept the terms of your contract!

The glowing stopped, and Kill fainted. Zone covered his left eye with his hand.

"Looks like we won't have any effort trying to detain the girl. It's just you we have to deal with now, Zone. Your PWNage in Pengolia will be a fitting end to you!" the guards said as they aimed their Deletion Rifles at Zone. He stood up, shaking and having an insane, twisted smile on his face.

"...Say... how should a Pengolian who detests his own country live his life?"

"Well, if you must know, a country-hating Pengolian is the shame of his people. Normally, they get PWNed with fish and are exiled from the land." the guard replied. Another slapped him.

"Are you insane?" a second soldier replied.

"What's wrong? Why not shoot? Your opponent has done the foolish act of bringing swords to a gun fight, or have you finally realized that the only ones who should delete...."

"...are the ones who are prepared to be deleted?" Zone said as he removed his hand from his left eye. It was glowing blood red, whereas his right eye was still its normal purple color;

Zone then yelled;

The guards' eyes became all swirly, like that of Freaker Explorer. Their tongues hung out of their beaks, and they began drooling. Zone laughed.

"YES, MY LORD!" all the guards yelled, as they aimed their deletion rifles at themselves;

"FIRE!"

With that, the guards disappeared into the Cybervoid.

Chapter 6: An Evil Plot
A few days after that incident, Zone and Kill were looking over Zone Fortress at the upstairs final floor, talking to each other;

"So you're the Mind Distorter?" Zone inquired to Kill;

"Yes. I house its power."

"You said something about making your one wish come true. What is your wish?"

"I don't know yet." Kill said blankly;

"We made a contract, and you don't even know what you wish for?"

"Not yet, I'll figure it out someday."

"Well at least tell me the terms of this contract!"

Kill didn't answer.

It's like I'm talking to a post, this girl is useless!

"Oh, so you think your new power is useless too, huh?"

Zone cringed for a bit;

"I thought you said you couldn't read my mind!" Zone said angrily;

"Originally I couldn't. But now that I gave you the Mind Distorter power, I can read your mind too."

Kill then noticed an orange penguin walking up to one of the en trace walls in Zone Fortress. The penguin seemed to be carrying a mining pick with him;

"What is that penguin doing?" she asked Zone;

"Oh that? I wanted to see how long the Mind Distorter would work on someone, so I told that penguin to come here everyday and draw an "X" on the outside walls."

"He'll be in an infinite loop, then."

"What do you mean?"

"The Mind Distorter effect on victims lasts until the victim has done what you wanted. After that, the effect on the victim stops, and they won't remember what they were doing."

Kill paused for a second, then asked Zone;

"I noticed the organ downstairs is where you keep the Amulet of Deception, but I also found that you have a small amount of the dew from The Two Trees. You've been to Arda before, so why did you lie and say you never knew where it was?"

"I wanted to see how you would go without my assistance of course."

"And how was I?"

"Surprisingly, you coped well out there. I was asking an extremely big favor and I didn't expect you to come back."

Things started to look grim for Antarctica's fate. With Zone having the power of the Mind Distorter, it wouldn't be too long before he cornered the leaders of all USA states and forced them to hand over their titles to him. Unbeknowest to him, he wasn't the only one who wanted that power....

Meanwhile, Darktan II was stewing in the Darktonian Realm. His latest plan to capture the Light Amulet hadn't been going well, and because he was too arrogant to admit defeat he blamed it on his minions;

"YOU FOOLS! I ask for one measly task for you to do. I gave you explicit instructions for you to follow, and yet you somehow managed to ruin it! You're a disgrace! Incompetent minions that I sadly have to babysit!"

"W-W-We carried out y-your orders l-l-like you asked!" a Dark Templar stuttered;

Darktan II summoned a dark spell and fired it at the templar, which sent him hurtling out of the realm;

"I have no time for imbeciles! As for the rest of you, you should be thanking me as I'm feeling merciful!"

Suddenly, a Dark Archon rushed towards Darktan II and bowed before him;

"What is it? I better be hearing good news from you!"

All Dark Archons have the same problem; they can't speak. They're forced to use body language in order to communicate with creatures. The Dark Archon that appeared before Darktan II was no exception, as he began flailing his ghastly arms around;

"Charades? I have no time for this! Guards, take this useless creature away!"

"But my lord, it looks like he is trying to tell you something!"

"Oh, very well. Continue my faithful minion."

The Dark Archon closed both of his hands in a tight circle, and put them over his eyes;

"Sight? Are you talking about glasses? No, binoculars!"

The ghost shook his head. He then made his eyes go in a repeating spiral;

"Hypnosis?" Darktan II inquired;

The Archon clapped his hands. As he kept his spiraling eyes active, he began to point to the top of his head;

"Craziness? Insanity?" Darktan II asked;

"Deranged!" one of the Sludge Flingers yelled out;

"No you idiot! It's stupidity!" a Doom Knight yelled back;

"Quiet!" Darktan II bellowed;

The Dark Archon shook his head. He then began to appear all blurry;

"Hypnotic blur? Transparent Mind? Oh! You mean the Mind Distorter? What about it?"

The wraith clapped his hands. He then turned extremely white;

"Snow? Pale? Ghost?"

The apparition shook his head. He grabbed one of the mansion's curtain drapes and folded it into bat wings. The Dark Archon then returned to his master and held the wings on his back;

"Zone?" Darktan II asked;

The wraith clapped his hands;

"Zone... Mind Distorter... Zone has the Mind Distorter?"

The Dark Archon then clapped his hands, bowed one final time to his master, and disappeared. The crowd of minions began to stir and whisper to each other;

So Zone has the Mind Distorter eh? Darktan II thought to himself as he stood out of his throne and began to speak;

"Loyal soldiers of the Darktonian Realm, your master needs your assistance! Attack Zone Fortress and bring Zone and the Mind Distorter to me! I will accompany you all on this misson, and if anyone falls under Zone's influence, delete them on sight!"

"Yes, my liege!" The army said in unison, as they held up their banners of war and began marching towards Zone Fortress...

Chapter 7: Attack on Zone Fortress
Kill stared across the plains of the Darktonian Realm, perched at the top floor of Zone Fortress. She had a feeling something dark was coming, but she swayed it since she knew almost everything in this forsaken territory was evil - even Zone. Speaking of which, Zone seemed to notice her and then walked up to talk to her;

"It's an ugly place, isn't it?" Zone said to Kill;

"Yes, yes it is. Why are we living in a place like this?" she responded;

"The penguins discriminate against those that look different, or have different views than theirs. Anyone they consider "evil" is either forced to live here, or on Ban Island. However, the Darktonian Realm can be useful at times."

"What do you mean Zone?"

"Because the Darktonian Realm is such a forbidden area, it has an "anything goes" policy. If you don't serve the leader of this area however, you'll soon be trapped within the CyberVoid."

"But you don't follow Darktan II, so how did you manage to survive in here?"

"If Darktan II were to attack here, he would be helping Nightmare. Have you noticed the slime that oozes down the stairs of this fortress? That slime is actually the X-Virus, so if he or any of his lackeys step in it, then they will end up having an X-Antibody for themselves. You, myself, and the other X-Antibodies are immune to the slime however, since we've already have the X-Virus within us."

Meanwhile at the South Pole Council, Kwiksilver brought a discussion to the council;

"Delegates, it saddens me to report that Zone has gotten ahold of the Mind Distorter. It's been reported that several Pengolian guards attempted to stop him, but it seems that Zone used the Mind Distorter on them and forced the guards to delete themselves. We need to---" Kwiksilver said, but he was interrupted by Penghis Khan;

"PENGHIS KHAN FILLED WITH RAGE! THIS IS AN OUTRAGE! PENGHIS KHAN DEMANDS ZONE BE WHACKED INTO OBLIVION WITH PENGHIS KHAN'S MULLET!" Penghis Khan furiously bellowed;

"ORDUH!! OORRRRRRDUHH!" Judge Xavier said, banging his gavel;

"As I was saying, we need to intercept this threat before it gets out of hand. I would of used the Vortex Manipulator to travel back in time to stop this mess, but back at Arda one of the High Penguins misfired his water spell and broke it, so I need to wait for it to get repaired. Anyone have any ideas on how we can stop Zone?" Kwiksilver finished;

Professor Shroomsky stood up;

"Well, Melvin and I saw Kill rise before our very eyes. She seemed like a nice girl, so we will go talk to her and try to convince her to come back here. As long as we can do this in a non-violent and peaceful manner, then the result will be better."

"OBJECTION!" Ford Car yelled;

"If you go looking for Kill, Zone will most definitely be with her. I don't think Zone knows the meaning of "non-violent and peaceful"" Ford Car said;

"I'll have to get the AIA involved then. Maybe if they can distract Zone long enough for me to talk to Kill, then I might have a chance." Professor Shroomsky replied;

Judge Xavier took the gavel out of his mouth which he was chewing on, and banged it, making the decision official.

Back at Zone Fortress, Kill noticed an army marching towards them;

"Is that Darktan's Army?" she asked Zone;

"They're going to attack here? You've got to be kidding me..."

Darktan II was hovering at the entrance, then yelled out to Zone;

"Zone! This is your master, Darktan! Relinquish the Mind Distorter, or we can do this the fun way and take it by force!"

"I prefer the fun way - we don't want to make this boring now do we?" Zone replied;

"Have it your way then. Herbert Horror - smash the door down! I'll fly up to face Zone.." Darktan II sneered;

The minions began pouring through the fortress, though most of them started to feel sick..

As Darktan II flew up to the top floor to fight Zone, he noticed Zone was cackling with laughter;

"What are you laughing at?!?!" Darktan II said angrily;

Zone stopped laughing, and then turned to Darktan II;

"Seems your greed and anger has clouded your common sense Darktan II. Haven't you forgotten about the slime in this place?" Zone snickered;

It didn't take long for Darktan II to realize what Zone was talking about;

"RETREAT! ANY MINIONS THAT ARE IN THAT FORTRESS, GET OUT OF THERE NOW!" Darktan II yelled;

"It's no use - they've already contracted the X-Virus within their systems. In a few days time, X-Antibodies will pour out of your mansion. Nightmare will be sure to thank you for your generousity!" Zone cackled;

"I will delete you for what you have done!" Darktan II yelled in anger;

"What I have done? Funny, I don't recall ordering your minions to come to my fortress did I? It's very easy to blame your mistakes on someone else, but until you learn from your mistakes and take responsibility for your own actions, your dreams of conquest will fall." Zone replied;

"ENOUGH!" Darktan II bellowed as he conjured up the most powerful shadow surge he could muster, and fired it at Zone;

No, he can't die! Kill thought, as she jumped in front of Zone, took the full damage of the spell, and toppled to the ground.

Zone had no idea how to react to that. It was the first time ever that someone put his life before theirs, and he didn't even think that anyone would waste their life for someone like him. He then grabbed his katanas and slashed at Darktan II's purple cloak. As Darktan II was caught off guard, he fell to the ground in an attempt to dodge, which left him wide open for Zone to use the Mind Distorter powers on him;

Zone said to Darktan II as he activated the Mind Distorter. Darktan II's eyes sunk and shone bright red. He stood back up only to say;

"YES, MY LORD!"

And with that, Darktan II flew back to his mansion. His minions followed him back, leaving Zone to tend to a dying Kill;

"I can't let you die for someone like me." Zone said as he held Kill's hand and concentrated his power into her, in an attempt to heal her. There was no response;

"LIVE! DYING FOR SOMEONE LIKE ME IS A PATHETIC EXCUSE!" Zone yelled as he concentrated more power into Kill. She began to rise, and Zone fainted.

Meanwhile, in the deepest recesses of Arda, a dark creature was watching Zone attempting to revive Kill;

The dark being screeched, as he broke the jar he was sealed in and disappeared, leaving only a dark and twisted laugh in his absence.

Chapter 8: The Sorrow Revived
Zone lay unconscious in a bed for three days. With Zone not around, Professor Shroomsky was free to talk to Kill, whom he met at the Plaza;

"Greetings, ma'am. I am Professor Zlo Shroomsky of the Antarctic Investigation Authority. I'm going to offer you to live freely in Antartica and get you a nice fat pardon!" the mushroom said to Kill;

"What's the catch?" Kill asked;

"The Mind Distorter. You need to get it out of Zone and destroy it. Oh, and try not to hang around Zone to much. He's evil."

Kill paused for a minute to think;

"I'm well aware that Zone is evil, but there is good in him as well. Plus, I'm bound by contract so I can't do what you want."

Professor Shroomsky was surprised. Good in Zone? He never heard of such a thing.

"What do you mean by good? ...-and what contract?" he asked Kill;

"He saved my life a few days ago. That is also the reason why he's unconscious, I've been taking care of him until he wakes up. The contract is an unwritten oath, so it's not like you can read it."

"What happened?"

"Darktan II and his army attacked Zone Fortress. You're not the only one who knows about the Mind Distorter."

"Did Darktan succeed?"

"No, Zone told him to leave and never come back. He used the Distorter to do that."

"Oh."

Professor made a few calls, and soon, an EPF agent showed up with a file bearing Zone's portrait.

''"Santera Zone Lagranges. Pledged alliegance to Darktan's Army, then once he received power, he backstabbed Darktan II and joined Nightmare's Army. Being part of Nightmare's syndicate is the longest time he's ever been in an army. He has a reputation of siphoning what he wants from penguins and other creatures, then tossing them away. Anyone associated with him, he manipulates for his own desires and possibly enjoyment." ''

Shroomsky closed the file.

"Archives don't lie. Do you still want to be in league with him?"

"Like I said before, I'm bound by contract."

"Mushroom sticks." Shroomsky replied, knowing just how strong a contract was.

"I disagree with that file too."

"How so?"

"If he manipulates people just for his own purposes, then why did he save my life? There was nothing in it for him."

Shroomsky was silent. Such compassion and mercy is an element of good. In a world of black and white, this surprised him.

"If I died then he'd still keep his powers. The only way his powers can be removed is if he violates our contract."

"So that would eliminate him saving you to preserve his new ability?"

"Yes."

"Does Zone know this?"

"I don't think he does, but since I've given him this power I don't think he wants to risk getting me angry. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go back to the fortress. Zone needs me, good day."

Shroomsky nodded (or bowed, whichever), and frowned as Kill vanished.

Meanwhile, a darkness weeped through the walls in Zone Fortress. The apparition saw Zone sleeping, and gazed at him;

Kill returned to Zone Fortress, and discovered Zone already up and about;

"You made a quick recovery, I thought you'd be in a coma for weeks!" Kill exclaimed;

"Well, I can't really afford to laze about. Also, I feel like I should repay you for saving my life back there."

"You saved my life too, so you're not in debt to me. Are you sure you feel fine to be up now?"

"I feel fantastic, its like some new surge of power has been given to me. However, I must ask; why did you put your life over mine back when Darktan II invaded?"

Kill smiled and said;

"I don't know why I saved you, but as much as you'll disagree with me you aren't as evil as you and everyone else thinks you are."

Zone scoffed at her remark.

"Well, I don't want to get too involved with this corny drama nonsense because it makes me feel weird. Anyway, I have a job for you.."

"What do you want me to do?" Kill replied;

"A rather large beetle named Bugzy called me while you were gone. He's the leader of a well-known mob syndicate. I hired his help awhile back and now he demands money from me. Since I'm strapped for cash at the moment, I need you to do a good old-fashioned robbery for me."

"Go on..." Kill said;

"I've picked the town you should rob for you. It's an extremely small town called Yoenah, off Highway 1. Rob the General Store for some quick and easy money, there's only four penguins and some mushroom living there so you shouldn't have too much trouble."

"As you wish, Zone" Kill said, and wandered off;

Kill journeyed down Highway 1 just as Zone told her to.

''Four penguins and a mushroom? I really hope that mushroom isn't tied with Professor Shroomsky, otherwise things could really get out of hand.''

As she was thinking, she saw a green and white sign saying "Welcome to Yoenah". She looked at the town, and in the not too far distance she saw another green and white sign saying "Now leaving Yoenah";

Wow, this town really is small.

As she was walking across the town, she noticed Jim's General Store. She thought to herself that this must be the General Store that Zone was talking about, and entered the store.

"Welcome to Jim's! How may I help you?" the penguin clerk greeted Kill;

"Hello. I was wondering, what is the most valuable item in this store?" Kill asked;

"Why, that would be our comic books. They're in fine mint condition too - haven't been taken out of their packaging in years! Barely anyone comes to Yoenah nowadays, and since no-one has been here to touch them, their price value is through the roof!" the penguin replied;

"Is that so?" Kill inquired.

"Yep! Are you interested in buying them?"

"No, but I am interested in taking them." Kill replied as she pulled out a Freeze Ray and pointed it at the clerk;

"Empty out your cash register as well, and bring me a soda. I'm thirsty."

The penguin clerk was terrified and complied with what Kill wanted. Unbeknowest to her, the penguin pressed a button underneath the counter which alerted the mayor of Yoenah; Moncton Shroomsky. Moncton didn't tolerate criminals, so he alerted his brother Professor Shroomsky.

"Thanks for your time." Kill said, as she ran out of the store with her newly acquired loot. However, outside the store several AIA and PSA agents were ready to greet her.

"GET ON THE GROUND, PUNK!" one of the agents yelled as he hit Kill, threw her to the ground, and handcuffed her. Professor Shroomsky walked up to Kill, in full AIA uniform, glaring.

"I told you so! I told you so!" Shroomsky shouted.

Kill didn't answer him. Shromsky began.

"Madame Kill, you're under arrest for grand theft. You have all rights outlined in the Constitution, includding fair trial..." he rambled on.

Meanwhile, back at Zone Fortress, Zone was playing his organ when he felt uneasy;

"Something's not right." he said, as he flew out of the fortress and headed towards Highway 1.

"I thought you wanted me to live freely." Kill said to Professor Shroomsky;

"I did, but then you did this! I shouldn't show leniancy because you're pretty, Kill. If you can't do the time, don't do the crime! It's really a shame, though."

"Perhaps you'd like me to turn that frown upside-down then, mushroom?"

The agents looked behind them, and saw Zone standing before them;

"If you want to take Kill away, you'll have to get through me first." Zone taunted the agents.

One of the rookie agents laughed and walked up to Zone;

"Why should we be afraid of you? You're just some fruit loop in a silly-looking suit! Take a good look at this girl, because its the last you'll ever see of her!"

Shroomsky nodded.

"Yep. Crime doesn't pay. Agent, put her in the paddy wagon."

The rookie agent threw her in, just to make Zone mad. She grunted as she hit the metal walls.

"...Big mistake." Zone said in a dark and raspy voice. His skin started to turn a dark blue and his eyes shone blood red. Several appendages burst out of his back, and his tuxedo burned away to reveal dark robes with strange green markings;

"W-W-What's happening?!?!?" one of the agents yelled;

"Quick! Take the prisoner away and escort the Headmaster out of here! We'll handle Zone!" another agent yelled back;

Just then, a blood-curdling cry of anguish screeched out of Zone. The agents closed their eyes and covered what would count as their ears. Kill was watching in terror as a dark glow shone around Zone. When the glow disappeared, Zone rose into the air, but it wasn't the Zone everyone knew. The agents then fired their snowball guns at the apparition, but they simply went through Zone unharmed. Zone screamed and the appendages on his back twisted out in all directions, grabbing the agents. A dark surge went through the appendages, which made their penguin feathers turn white and pale. As he let go of the agents, they fell to the ground, cold and shivering with fear.

The patty wagon that held Kill drove off as fast as it could. However, Zone was flying after them with a ear-piercing howl. Zone landed on top of the patty wagon, and ripped out the door that held Kill. Zone's appendages extended once again and grabbed her. He took to the sky and summoned a dark and incomprehensible spell, which leveled the trees and singed the road. Kill broke free of Zone's grip and fell to the ground, in a terrified state;

"Stop this Zone!" Kill yelled. Zone didn't respond.

"OH SWEET GRAVY!" Professor Shroomsky told one of the agents, panicking. "CALL LUCE, GET AN EXORCIST! DO SOMETHING!! ANYTHING!"

Within minutes, Luce appeared and looked at Zone with dread;

"No! It can't be! The King of Sorrow! He's returned!" Luce gasped in horror;

"THE WHAT OF WHAT?" Professor Shroomsky replied. He was just as terrified as everyone else watching, if not worse;

"There's no time to explain! I'll have to try weaken it!" Luce yelled as she conjoured a shining light and shot it directly at the King of Sorrow;

The King of Sorrow yelled in pain and turned around to see Luce. He screamed with fright and retaliated to Luce's attack with a powerful blow, which severely injured Luce;

"He.... he's gotten stronger.." Luce gasped, as she fainted.

Just as Kill was watching the King of Sorrow with fright, several agents appeared behind her;

"You! You're the one responsible for this!" one of the agents cried, slapping Kill on the back of the head.

"You monster!" a second shouted, joining in.

Moncton arrived, and stared at the beast.

"Ya'll did this?" Moncton stated, angrily. He reached into his inventory and pulled out a cane and smacked Kill with it.

"Dont'cha ever come inta MAH TOWN again, witch!"

She tried to fend them off, but Moncton's telekenisis was far too strong. The cane hit her several moretime before the King of Sorrow noticed what was happening to Kill. He became even more violent. He fired a surge of darkness at the agents, which deleted them instantly.

Luce gasped.

"The King of Sorrow must be getting stronger each time Kill is hurt!" she.

"SHROOMSKY! SHROOMSKY, CALL OFF THE AGENTS. HURTING HER INCREASES HIS POWER!"

"Brother!" Shroomsky shouted to the mayor, "PUT DOWN THE CANE!"

Moncton did so and scooted back as the King of Sorrow began to scream.

He then fired purple laser-like spells in every direction. The roads were singed, the trees flattened, and the area was like a crater of smoke. It was a good thing that Yoenah was several miles away.

Wherever the King of Sorrow hovered above, it rotted and decayed. Many of the witnesses fled the scene, and the only ones that didn't run away were Luce and Kill. Shroomsky and Moncton were cowering in the forest.

With what little strength Kill had left, she crawled up to the King of Sorrow, who was just hovering there watching her;

"....stop... please... you don't have to do this..." Kill said to the King of Sorrow. The King of Sorrow's dark blue skin began to change back to Zone's normal white colored skin;

"Please... don't hurt anyone else... they've done what you wanted..." she continued saying to the King of Sorrow, whose appendages began to fall limp and fade away.

"Let's go home... and forget about this... just the two of us..." Kill said again.

The King of Sorrow cried in torment, and reverted back to Zone, who fell to the ground;

"W...what happened?" Zone asked Kill;

"Nothing.. nothing at all..." Kill replied;

Zone used the last of his strength to take Kill and himself back to Zone Fortress, then the two fainted.

As they left, Luce shook her head.

"He's back."

Epilogue
After a week's rest, Zone and Kill were healed and had their energy back. When they were both healed, Kill refused to talk to Zone for several days. She wouldn't dare tell him what happened back in Yoenah.

In the early morning, Zone was over looming the top floor of Zone Fortress, reading the Penguin Times;

Yoenah is still the talk of Antarctica, as the recent attack on the small town has led penguins every wondering; "Who is this King of Sorrow and what is his purpose?"

''For those who aren't filled in about the whole story, a girl identified as Kill robbed Jim's General Store. She was about to be taken away when Zone appeared and assumed the King of Sorrow form, nearly sending the residents of Yoenah - and Yoenah itself - into oblivion. We interviewed several penguins who witnessed this event, and here is what they had to say;''

''"I saw this large scary-looking person and he just attacked out of nowhere. Oh yeah, and he was dark-blue skinned and had a lot of tentacles. Or was it bandages? I forget." one penguin stated;''

''"I was standing really close to the King of Sorrow. He didn't notice me, but when I was near him it felt like all the happiness I had was drained out of me." another penguin stated;''

''Luce, a well-known hero who defeated the original Darktan in the Great Darktonian Pie War, attempted to exorcise the King but it seems that he was too powerful for her. We interviewed her and asked her what we are dealing with;''

"The King of Sorrow was originally the right-hand man of Opacus. Legends say that he helped Opacus create the Shadow Amulet, and that the King of Sorrow had a wife. Unfortunately, his wife was killed in battle which drove him to an insane and dark brooding depression. He took his anger out on Antarctica and was sealed away for all eternity for the crimes he made. However, he managed to escape from his imprisonment and he's now possessed Zone. Theoretically, we think that the King of Sorrow used the friendship Zone and Kill have as a window for his escape."

''"How worried should the townsfolk be about this "King of Sorrow"?" one of our interviewers questioned Luce;''

"He seems to react when Kill is injured or hurt, so I strongly advise and plead to everyone that they never harm Kill."

"And how did she react to the King of Sorrow?"

"She seemed more petrified than anyone else, but she managed to stop it."

Zone put down the newspaper and started to think;

Do I really have that power inside of me?

"So... you found out, huh?" Kill said to Zone. He turned around, and noticed she looked extremely sad;

"Yes, but the strange thing is that I don't remember doing anything like that. All I remember was one of the agents throwing you, and I just blacked out." Zone replied;

Kill looked away for a second, then said to Zone;

"I finally figured out what my wish is."

"And what's that?"

"I want you to get rid of the King of Sorrow."

Zone didn't respond, he was thinking hard about this;

"You want me to get rid of that power? You must be joking! Why, with that much power I could easily take over Antarctica in a flash!" Zone replied happily.

Kill didn't know what to say to that;

"So the file was right... you only use people to get what you want."

"Well my dear, that's how you survive in this world."

Somewhere in the sky, what sounded like a faint and dark chuckle was heard, along with the words "Absolutely!" being carried on the breeze.

"You realize that by not doing this, you've violated our contract right?"

"Why would I need the Mind Distorter now that I have the King of Sorrow?"

"Oh.. so that's how it is.." Kill said, as she grabbed Zone's hand and a shining glow surrounded them;

You've violated our contract.

You've lost your reason to live.

You're consumed by greed and you hunger for power.

You don't deserve what I've given you.

I hereby take back the power I gave you, and you will never be able to have it ever again.

As the glow turned back to normal, Zone's red eye assumed its normal purple color.

"So what happens now?" Zone asked Kill;

"I'm still going to stay and help you." Kill replied;

"What? But it seems like you hate me at the moment."

"I don't hate you. I hate what you've become. If you won't make my one wish come true, I'll do it myself. I will destroy the King of Sorrow."

Zone and Kill looked at each other, and then overheard drums..

The cries of X-Antibodies shattered the plains, and their banners flew up high..

War was beginning....

FIN.

Trivia

 * The Mind Distorter is a parody of the Geass from the anime Code Geass. In turn, Kill is a slight parody of C.C from Code Geass.
 * Nobody died in this story. The closest thing to death in this story was deletion, which is when penguins and creatures are sent to the CyberVoid for all eternity.