Chapter Fourty: Days of the Past episode Three- The Story Of Young Draco Shay.

"even the most evil creature may have a bright beginning... and sadly, Draco was no exception..."

-emperorwolf.

-40 years ago-

a young human boy with straight, combed brown hair, and gleaming silver eyes sat in a dingy, dark room with eerie green lighting illuminating the area, nearby sat a teenager with straight black hair and glasses, he was reading a novel.

"Jackie?"

the teenager looked up from his book momentarily "yes, little brother?"

"when is dad coming back?"
"can't say... should be any day now." the teenager smiled.
the young boy shivered in his threadbare clothing "g-good... i m-miss him..."

a woman with a white labcoat and greying hair approached them "hello there, boys."
"hello mother." the teenager said, not looking up from the book.
the child however, leapt up to hug her "mother! you are here!"
she knelt and hugged him back "yes, Drakie, i'm here," she kissed his forehead "and your dad's not far off"
even this failed to get the teenager's attention, but the child cheered "yay! did is coming back!"

"that i am." spoke a kind voice.

the child and his mother turned to see a man with bleach-white hair standing a short distance away.
"Dad!"
"Isello, you're back. how was the new world?"

"very odd, but another time, cylia, right now i need to catch up with Drakie here!"
the child ran over to hug his father "i have missed you, dad!"
"and i, you. how've you and jackie been?"
"jackie has been reading, so i do not know, but i have been okay."
"how's the lightning coming along?"
the child stepped back and rubbed his hands together, and small black sparks danced over his arms.

"i see. so you still need friction first?"
"yes... i am sorry..."
"don't be. you've got more potential power than even I do! remember, you're the Dragon in the kingdom!"
"i like that story, am i really named after the dragon in it?"
"yes, Draco, you are. now... would you like to go with me to the new world next time?"

the child Draco's eyes lit up "yes! i would very much like to, dad!"
"would your br-"
"no, i'd prefer to read." the teenager interjected.
"jackie-"
"It's Jack, not 'jackie' ... i'm not a kid anymore!" he protested
"now, now, jackie, don't over-"
jack stood up, glaring, and took out a sketchpad "I MEAN IT! i'm not some-!"
Draco whimpered, and jack stopped his triade short.
"jackie... you are scaring me..."

jack sighed, and his glare softened.
"jackie... do not draw scary-bad things... please..." Draco pleaded.
jack put the sketchpad away and rubbed his brother on the head "i'm sorry, Draco..."
"do not draw scaries..." Draco whimpered
"i won't... don't worry little brother..."

suddenly, the whole facility shook violently
"AAAGH! SCARIES!"
jack looked around, and saw the device used for transport to the new world sparking and the curtain of light inside it was convulsing.
Isello growled "the gate!"

a bipedal lion clad in spartan-esque gladitorial armour burst out of the gateway
"Death to Project Legion!"
he started swinging a large sword wildly, cutting down scientists and staff mercilessly.
cylia screamed...
the lion leapt toward her
"I SMELL THE MASKED ONE ON YOU! YOU DIE FIRST!!"

isello screamed as the lion's blade pierced his wife's heart.
jack was petrified, only able to stare blankly.
silence followed, disbelief that the top scientist had been attacked had taken hold.
but then, a heart wrenching scream anihilated the silence.
"BAD KITTY!" Draco roared

the lion scoffed "what will you do, child? nothing? yeah, that's right, nothing."

black bolts surged over the child's body, machines around him lost their own power, as it was drawn into him and blackened.
here, the lion's smile faded.
"BADDIE!" Draco bellowed, and the voltic energy blasted through the air, striking the lion, leaving him unable to even scream as he died instantly, but not without unimaginable pain.

the fried feline flopped to the floor, dead.

draco ran to his mother
"Mother!"

she coughed blood "sorry... Drakie..."
"no! no!!"
"Drakie... be... a good... boy..."
Draco wept uncontrolably "i will, mother..."
"drakie... don't do... what your... father wants... he's just after a new wea-- UGH!..."
draco bawled helplessly over his mother's corpse
"MOTHER!!"

-10 years later-

Draco blasted targets with black lightning in the testing facility.
overhead, in the analysis pod, Isello grinned "well done, son..." he said over the intercom "much improved."

Draco looked up momentarily, then span, letting out an expanding ring of lightning that destroyed all the targets within range.
"thank you for your praise, father..." draco glared at the single standing target "am i yet strong enough for the other world?"

""you have missed a target, what would you do if it had been a long-range enemy? you would have been defeated. there is still much you must learn.""

an arrow pierced the target, and draco looked next to him to see his brother holding a gothic bow.
"if it had been, it wouldn't have had a chance to strike draco."

""jack, this session was for Draco alone, you will be punished for this.""

jack shrugged "whatever."

"i mean it, boys... besides... the veil... changes people... warps their mind... unless your minds are strong as well, you will not escape without damages"

later that day, Isello had returned to the new world, where he had been murdered by a member of the same group who'd claimed their mother, and this had been the last straw.
after twenty years of further training...
Draco, Jack, and a group of other allies stood before the breach.
"Draco, Jack... are you prepared?"
Draco nodded "the aging supressor is functioning, and i am at full voltage and charge..."
"current age?"
"i am presently at biological age 14."
"Jack?"
"18."

the control panel console was activated, and scientists programmed the brink for travel to the other planet.
the bulkheads opened, revealing the thin, luminous veil of light in the gateway.
draco recalled his mother's last words from thirty years ago...
"don't do... what your... father wants..."
he wouldn't... but he also remembered the last words his father had said to him...
"the veil... changes people... warps their mind..."

Draco cringed "brother... we must stay sharp, or our minds will be destroyed."
jack nodded "i know... i will not falter."

they crossed into the melevonent lights, and felt an immense pressure as they were propelled forward.
Draco felt an evil clawing at his mind
(no! i... must not... i cannot... give...in!)
but it was too late...
something slashed at him, grabbing his head.
he screamed as his mind was broken, and reconstructed in an instant.
the place where he'd been grabbed scarred, his eyes lost their metallic silver colouring, changing to a firey plasma gold colour.
he was still himself... but...
he was evil.
as soon as they touched down on the other planet, their mission had changed.
no longer was it "avenge their parents" ... it was "rule the world"
... but all was not truly lost for Draco...

deep in his mind, restrained, was his true self.
fighting for its freedom, to break out and regain control of its body.

---

Back in the present (where CH. 39 left off)

draco knew it was true, now that he'd lost the Henolin-based bower, his evil side wasn't strong enough any more... he was being freed...

he felt eyes on his back.

he turned to see Jason looking at him
"what is it, bear? you cannot sleep?
jason shook his head "where're we going?"
"it us called 'the breach'... a place where Earth and Xlen overlap.
"so... y'r headin' home?"
"no... harbinger wishes to use us as weapons. this is merely to 'top up' our energy..."
"but... aren't you already at full power?"
"indeed... this is a lie, we are likely to be weaponised completely."
"what'll they do to me?"
"likely, you will be dissected."
jason cringed
"and, i am thinking we should leave here, i no longer feel the same warmth in my brother's heart as i once did... he is gone."
jason got to his feet "can you keep up?"
"doubtful. but i will attempt to. i can levitate a short height, this will increase my speed by a small amount, possibly enough to allow me to 'keep up' with you."

jason bounded away, Draco not far behind.

Draco's mind was made up, he wanted revenge for the death of his parents, only now he realised that the order was not at fault, Project Legion was, after all, the soldier would not have come had he not been tailing an enemy... one clumsy enough to reveal the entrance to his headquarters.

this meant... what was the saying...?
'a friend of an enemy'... what was it?

ah, yes...

"the enemy of my enemy is my friend..."

jason looked back at him "true enough."

suddenly, an enraged roar sounded behind them.

Draco panicked "as they say: pick up the pace!"
"wh- what was that?!"
"It was Jack! he does not sound pleased!"
jason whimpered "what do we do?!"
Draco suddenly smirked "now? stop."

they stopped, just as jack appeared ahead of them
"Draco... where're you going?"
"why should it concern you, brother?"
"because you're heading away from the breach."
jason cowered, but Draco remained steady "brother..."
"yes, draco?"
"go you can go back to hell for all i care. i am staying on this world."
that earned a deathstare from the scholarly Shay.
Draco continued "furthermore, i will say something about you, brother: I Hate The Idea Of Ruining This World"
Jack snarled "I promised father... i would avenge him... HAVE YOU GONE INSANE, DRACO?!"
"very sane, actually. come, Mr Quillin, let us leave before you are injured"

jack took out his sketchpad and flaming quill "no you DON'T!, you TRAITOR!!"
draco lit up with electricity "Run, Bear! I will buy you time!"

jason didn't need any further encouragement, and bolted, shaking the ground violently "be sure to catch up!"

Jack stared down his younger brother "why, Draco... Why?!"

"because," he threw his arms in the air "my head is finally CLEAR!"
he thrust his arms down, causing a tidal-wave of Dark electricity to surge forward at jack.

jack's eyes widened, his expression blank "oh damn."

KRAK-KOOM!!!

the lightning tore through jack, spearing him with black plasma all over his body.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAUGH!!!!"

Draco ran, getting as much distance between himself and his brother as possible.

(i just hit jack... i just hit jack...! ... no, no, jack is gone... he has been since we came here...)
his bout with psychomachia had freed him... but would his once-foes trust him? unlikely.
but what choice did he have?

(next chapter: Running Out Of Time...)