** Quick and dirty disclaimers: characters within are property of their respective owners and no money is being made off this. It's simply a labor of love on the part of a fan.  Oh...and I suppose it's a PG for some mild profanity. - ArcLight **
 
The Shadow: Return of the Demon
By Greg Pizzino
PART ONE
Chapter One

 
Azrael Praetor plodded down the hill towards his next class.  The ground was
quickly turning to soft mud under his feet as the rain poured down, but he
didn't care.  He had other things on his mind.
 
"Damn discipline council," he muttered as he walked across the bridge over the west lake; "so what if I broke the guy's nose; he had it coming."
 
As he came out of the woods and onto the multi-sport field he looked out across the lake.  In the distance, he could see two people, a man and a young woman struggling.  Recognizing the girl, he dropped his bag and began to run around the edge of the lake towards them.  Normally, he would have been winded about half way there but oddly, he was running with a stamina and focus that he had never felt before.  The man was now chasing the girl towards the old shed next to the lake.
 
"Good," Azrael thought, "I'll get 'em off guard."  Running up behind the man, Azrael rammed his elbow right into the attacker's back causing him to fly forwards.  Grabbing the man's neck, he thrust the attacker up against the wall of the shed.
 
"What're you doing here," Azrael demanded as he lifted the man off of the ground by his neck.
 
"Ch-ch-choking me," the man gasped
 
"That's right," Azrael said as he continued to grasp the man's throat, "and I'm going to keep on choking until you pass out and I can call security.  Hey, maybe it'll even get me out of trouble with the school heads," he continued mockingly.  He kept holding until the man had passed out and then, making sure that the man was incapacitated, dropped him on the ground.  "Did he hurt you?" Azrael asked the girl as he helped her up off the ground where she had fallen.
 
"N-no," she murmured taking his hand, "I think I'm OK."  The girl was fairly tall, about 5'9" and had that "girl next door" kind of beauty.  Her eyes were a frost like grey and her hair was blonde and in a short bob.
 
"You'd better go to the nurse's office when we get back, just to make sure."
 
"Th-thank you.  You-your name is Azrael right?"
 
"Yeah, s'pose you heard of my little altercation with that jock the other day huh?"
 
"Yeah, but I've seen you around before... always meant to talk to you someday but I never had the courage to even come up to you.  So how about you, are you OK?"
 
"Hey, it'll take more than that meat to make a dent in Azrael Praetor.  So, a fan huh, what's your name?" Azrael asked as he began to drag the attacker back towards the main building
 
"Evlyn Sade"
 
 "Well, Evlyn, you're going to have one hell of a story to tell everyone when we get back."
 

Two weeks later, Evlyn was entering the computer lab on her way to campus west.
 
"Hey I'm goin to lunch; you comin', Az?" she asked Azrael who was typing away furiously at a terminal.
 
"Yep, just one second," he answered as he logged out, "OK, lets go."  Evlyn had started hanging around Azrael after the attack, going to lunch with him, sitting in the computer lab after school, stuff like that. Azrael didn't really mind it, though she did get on his nerves once in a while.  He still had no idea who her attacker was and what he was after but he wanted to be sure neither the attacker, nor anyone else, came after Evlyn which, if they had any intelligence whatsoever, they would never do as long as Azrael was around.  He had, in fact, gotten to know Evlyn quite well over the past few weeks and was begging to enjoy having some new blood around.  As it turned out, Evlyn was a boarding student at the school.  Her family lived in a small town outside of London but had roots all over the world.  She was a junior, as was Azrael, and was greatly involved in the school's student activities committees.
 
"Oh, Az, I got two tickets to the Sisters of Mercy concert next weekend, wanna go," Evlyn asked, knowing full well Azrael couldn't turn down a chance to see his favorite band.
 
"Now what kind of stupid question is that? Of course I want to go, how could I miss a chance to see my favorite band with my favorite person," Azrael answered quickly.
 
The two of them left the lab and began the long walk across campus.
 
"Hey Az," Evlyn asked, "you ever get the feeling someone's watching you when you go through the woods here?"
 
"Nah, no one would be dumb enough to follow me around, not if they knew what I'd do to them."
 
"These woods just give me the creeps I guess, like at any moment someone could jump out at you from the shadows."
 
High up in the trees, invisible to all the world, there did sit someone watching, but not watching Evlyn however, watching Azrael.  For several weeks now a particular party had taken interest in him.  Now one of them sat studying Azrael Praetor, watching his every move, scanning for his every weakness.
 
As the pair continued to walk, the watcher descended from the tree and began to walk behind them, and yet, still remained unnoticeable.  For the rest of the day and on into the next it followed him until it had learned all that it needed.  Finally, it returned to its master to report what it had learned.  Soon, it would be time; soon, the end would come.
 
Azrael and Evlyn went through the next few days in much the same fashion.  That weekend, they went to the concert as planned, never expecting what lie ahead...
 
"GREAT CONCERT AZ," Evlyn screamed over the noise of the moshing crowd.
 
"WHAT," Azrael replied.
 
"I SAID," Evlyn began to repeat, but before she could she was slammed into and knocked away from Azrael.
 
"EVLYN," Azrael cried out, but it was too late, she had already been knocked out of shouting distance.  Azrael tried to move his way to the balcony in order to look for Evlyn but the crowd was too dense.  He would have to resort to waiting and meeting her after the concert as they had planned in case of this contingency.
 
Azrael waited in the auditorium lobby where he had told Evlyn to meet him.  Half an hour after the concert had ended only a few patrons remained and Azrael came to realize that Evlyn was not among them.  From out of nowhere, a man in a pinstriped suit came up to him.
 
"Azrael Praetor," the man asked.
 
"Yeah," Azrael answered.
 
"Federal Express; I've got a package scheduled to be delivered to you at this location."
 
"A package, here?"
 
"Yes," the man said pulling out a small box from a satchel which hung to his side.  "Sign here," he requested holding up a slip of paper.  Azrael quickly signed and took the package.
 
"No return address?"
 
"Nope, all records of who sent it were accidentally burned as well.  It's now an anonymously mailed package.  Well," said the man as he turned back towards the door, "enjoy."
 
Azrael took the package to his car and opened it.  Inside were an envelope and a small idol.  Opening the envelope and taking out the letter enclosed, Azrael began to read.
 
"Praetor.  If you want to rescue Princess Evlyn you're going to need help.  Take the idol to some place private and turn the head to activate it.  Signed, Wrath."
 
"Wrath," Azrael," who the hell is Wrath, and why is he calling Evlyn "Princess"?"
 
Starting up the car, Azrael realized what this meant. They had gotten her after all.  Evlyn was in the hands of whoever sent the attacker weeks ago.  Driving out of the parking lot, he began to search for someplace to activate the idol.  After about an hour of driving everywhere and getting nowhere, Azrael came to a pay parking lot which had closed for the night.  Stepping out of the car, he clutched the idol in his hands.  Taking the head in one hand and the body in the other, he twisted as hard as he could.  Nothing happened. Furiously Azrael threw the idol out into the darkness of the empty lot.  Suddenly, the idol began to glow red.  It's eyes shone in the dark night with a light like the searing flames of deepest hell.  Azrael turned as from the idol came a smoke lit red by the still glowing idol.
 
"What the hell," Azrael mumbled in astonishment.  From out of the smoke stepped a man dressed all in black.
 
"Azrael," he said, "what took you so long?   I've been stuck in there for ten thousand years and you just take your bloody time lettin' me out.  Well, ready to make a deal?"
 
"First of all, who the hell are you, second of all who the hell has Evlyn, and third of all, what the hell do you mean deal?"
 
"Slow down pal," the black clothed man said nonchalantly, "Step into my office."  The man motioned for Azrael to follow him as he walked back into the fog.  Azrael continued to lean against his car as the man stepped back from whence he came.  Seconds later he came back out and took Azrael by the black leather collar on his jacket.
 
"Come on Az, I don't have all night.  I'm only here for a few hours."  With that the man grabbed Azrael's shoulder and dragged him into the smoke.  As they came out the other side, Azrael could see that the setting had changed.  He was no longer in the closed parking lot.  Now the stranger had taken the two of them into a dimly lit office.
 
"All right now, you want to save your princess, right?" the man said, his words flying from his mouth like lightning. "Now you need to know how and are going to need some assistance; that's what I'm here for.  My name is Wrath."
 
"Look, I don't know what the hell is going on here or why you keep calling Evlyn "Princess".  I just want her back and to kick the hell out of whoever's got her.  Now what do you want from me?"
 
"We'll discuss my fees later; right now you want answers so here they are.  Evlyn is heir to the throne of a country whose monarchy was though long dead.  She apparently doesn't know it, but someone else does.  They're trying to kill her so that they can keep the country under their rule and keep terrorizing their subjects, understand?"
 
"Yeah I think..."
 
"Good," the man said before Azrael could finish; "now about my fee. I need a body,  your body, so I can stay on earth, sort of like a time share deal, see.  By sharing your body with me, you get all the power I wield, kapiesh?"
 
"Yes, anything to save Evlyn."
 
"See, I knew we could some to some agreement," Wrath said pulling out a piece of paper from the air.   "Now just sign here on the dotted line."  Without another thought, Azrael took the pen in Wrath's hands and signed the contract.
 
"Now kid you're about to see some real fireworks."  Wrath snapped his fingers and the contract disappeared.  "Now," he said," you stand here and I stand here and then I chant like this.  Now I start to become translucent and step into your body like so."  Wrath walked up to Azrael and began to merge with
him.  Soon, only Azrael was left standing there.  "Now, lets go kick some tyranic ass, huh, kid," came Wrath's voice from Azrael's mouth.
 
"Hell yeah, you just lead the way, man," Azrael replied in his own voice getting back into the car.  As he turned the key, his eyes began to glow like the searing flames of deepest hell and as he drove away  letting out a scream of burnt rubber form his back tires, something inside him made him give a demonic laugh for all the night to hear.
 
Chapter Two
 
Azrael raced down the empty city streets.  His hands moved themselves as his cherried 57' Chevy flew across the avenues; to where, he did not know.  He could feel the sheer power coursing through himself as his foot jammed down on the accelerator compulsively.  His eyes still blazed with the fires of damnation; his entire body felt like it was burning up with pure energy, all at his command.  Whoever had Evlyn was about to pay.
 
"So, where're we goin'?" he asked Wrath.
 
"The kidnappers can't have gotten very far yet.  They're heading for a private airfield to catch a plane back to their homeland where they can kill Evlyn without repercussion," Wrath replied.  Azrael hoped no one would pull up next to him as he conversed with whatever it was that now shared his body.
 
"So what do we do when we get there, huh?"
 
"Just leave it to me; I'll tell you what to do with my power if you haven't figured it out on simple instinct by then."
 
"In other words, I'm flyin' blind till we get there, hmm."
 
"That's about it, kid."
 
Azrael continued, or rather, his body did, towards the highway and on to the airfield.  Azrael was almost thankful that he didn't have to drive for he never would have made it there himself being in such a state of rage.  Soon, he had reached the airfield and jumped out of the car.  He began to walk towards the hangars but Wrath stopped his feet from moving.
 
"Slow down kid," Wrath said; "First you gotta figure out a plan of attack."
 
"Well if your powers are so great what do I need a plan for, huh?" Azrael replied.
 
"Hey, you want your precious Evlyn caught in the crossfire here or what?"
 
"All right, I get your point; so what do I do?"
 
"See that row of planes over there in the hanger?  Will them to start."
 
"Will them? How the hell do I will them to start?"
 
"Just force them to go on with your willpower.  Do I have to do everything around here?"  With that Azrael's fingers flew into the air and pointed at the planes.  Every propeller on every plane started in unison.  The noise alerted two of the kidnapers who then ran out to see what had happened.  From the darkness emanated a cold, demonic, almost maddening laughter.  Terrified, both of them pulled their .45's and began shooting wildly into the night as the laughter continued.  Suddenly, two blazing red eyes appeared from out of the shadows.  Both of the conspirators fired every round they had left at the burning lights and finally, they were extinguished.  Holstering their weapons, they began to walk back to the rest of their co-conspirators.  From out of nowhere, a crushing blow knocked one of them to the ground.  The second received a blow the chest, breaking five ribs and sending one straight into his heart.  Azrael picked up the two .45's and three extra clips from each of them.  As their attacker dissolved into the darkness, the one still left to tell the story heard him utter a single phrase.
 
"The weed of crime bears bitter fruit... crime does not pay," and again, the hideous laughter filled the night a ir.
 
The dead silence began to take its toll on the rest of the conspirators as they hurried to finish their traitorous work so that they might take off, forever escaping whatever fate befell their fallen comrades.  A door within
the hangar silently opened and was then slammed shut causing all five of the kidnappers that were left to spin around and look.  Before they could investigate, every light in the building exploded in a shower of sparks.
 
"I don't like this," one of the conspirators cried out.
 
"You're just bein' jumpy," another replied; "now find some extra light bulbs and we'll finish loading the plane.
 
"No way I'm leavin' this room fer nothin'," the first said; "you go."
 
Suddenly, the stone cold gaze of death appeared in the form of two blazing eyes burning into the darkness.  A freakish laughter gave voice to the gaze as one by one the conspirators drew their weapons and began to fire at the eyes.
 
"DID YOU REALLY THINK YOU'D GET AWAY WITH IT," the laughing voice demanded; "DID YOU ACTUALLY THINK I WOULDN'T FIND OUT?  I ALWAYS FIND OUT.... THE SHADOW KNOWS. HAHA HAHA HAHA HAHA HA !"
 
Azrael reeled at the words that emanated from his own mouth.  He had heard the legends, everyone had, of the scarlet masked man who dispensed justice from the barrel of a gun in the thirties and forties but no one in his generation actually believed in those comic book stories.  Who would? Anyone who ever claimed to see the Shadow either died or wouldn't talk about it.  But this was a query for another time; right now he had to do what he had come for; he had to save Evlyn.
 
Chapter Three
 
"EVLYN SADE," The Shadow called, "EVLYN SADE, I COMMAND YOU, SPEAK!"
 
"Mmmmm," came a gagged voice from the back of the hangar.
 
"YOU MEN KIDNAPPED AN INNOCENT GIRL, NOW YOU SHALL MEET WITH JUSTICE, THE FINAL JUSTICE OF... THE SHADOW.   HAHA HAHA HAHA HAHA HA !"
 
Now the abductors were really beginning to get scared.  They all began firing in every direction hoping to hit the unseen voice that was the Shadow.  Soon, the gunfire died as they each in turn ran out of ammunition.  Suddenly, two .45's blazed out of the darkness sending the men scurrying in all directions.  The guns continued to spit heated justice until finally, the lights came back on.
 
"EVLYN SADE, I HAVE COME FOR YOU, YOU ARE NOW FREE," came the reassuring voice of the Shadow.  Evlyn suddenly found herself unbound, ungagged, and the blindfold taken from her eyes.  Looking around, she wished that the blindfold remained, for everywhere lay the bloody corpses of the dead, the last bits of life oozing out of them.  She tried to tell herself that they were not simply the dead but also the guilty, but even she couldn't believe that they deserved this.
 
"Shadow," she said, "Why have you killed these men, Shadow?"
 
"ALL THOSE WHO WOULD EAT OF THE WEED OF CRIME MUST SOME DAY MEET THE FINAL JUSTICE OF THE SHADOW," the unseen voice replied.
 
"But the Shadow is just a myth; you are not real; who are you?"
 
"YOU MUST FIRST SWEAR NEVER TO SHARE THIS INFORMATION WITH ANOTHER SOUL OR YOU TOO SHALL FEEL MY WRATH."
 
"I swear to it, Shadow; now please, show yourself."  Directly in front of her appeared the familiar form of Azrael Praetor.  "Azrael, how? Oh no, you did it didn't you; he's gotten to you now."
 
"Who has?" Azrael asked, "Who's gotten to me, too?"
 
"WRATH, GET OUT OF HIS BODY, YOU UNHOLY BASTARD"  Azrael's eyes began to glow
red once again as Wrath took over control of his body.
 
"THIS BODY IS MINE; AZRAEL SIGNED THE CONTRACT; THERE'S NOTHING YOU CAN DO THIS TIME," Wrath hissed.
 
"Azrael, Azrael come back; retake control of the body," Evlyn pleaded.  Azrael's eyes began to die down.
 
"Evlyn, what's going on?" Azrael asked, this time in his own voice.
 
"Azrael, why? Why did you make a deal with that demon; how could you sell him your body?"
 
"I had to; I didn't have the means to rescue you.  It was my only choice.  But what do you know of all this; I never told you what happened?"
 
"Because you're not the first person I've known to have made a deal with him.  When I said my family lived in England but had roots all over the world I didn't tell you the entire story.  As a child, I grew up in a mystic city in the far East known as Shamballa.  It was a beautiful place full of wonders the likes of which western man has never imagined.  It's citizens are dedicated to the endless pursuit of justice and are trained for that purpose from their births.  After what you know as the second world war, a man from the west, Kent Allard, found the hidden city.  He too had made a deal with the demon Wrath in order to destroy the enemies of his nation.  That's when he found Shamballa.  The Marpa Tulku there realized the danger Wrath posed to both
Allard and to those around him.  If it went uncontrolled, Allard would not only destroy his enemies but also his loved ones and anyone else who got in his way.  But the Marpa Tulku was wise in such matters and offered Allard a way to control the demon and avoid madness.  He trained the westerner in the ways of the Shamballa and taught him to control the darkness within him that was Wrath.  He was given a silver girisol ring with a fire opal in its centre.  It allowed him to call upon the demon's powers without the demon itself being in control until a permanent solution could be found and Wrath could be exorcised from him forever.  Allard then left the city and went back to the land of his birth where he became the original Shadow.  Decades later he returned to the city half maddened from the power in hopes a solution had been found.  It was then that he met my grandmother, princess of Shamballa and next in line to rule.  The two married and had a son whom the father intended to train in the ways of the Shamballa warrior as well, but before he could, disaster struck.  The Tulku had thought he had found a solution, but when the exorcism was attempted, Wrath refused to give up the body.  In the end, Allard died and Wrath was permanently put into the girisol which was then made into the pivot point for the head of the idol which you used to set him free."
 
"But where do you come in; I mean how did you end up in England with your family? What happened to the city? Is the Tulku still around? Can he help m.."
 
"Let me finish.  Allard's son was educated in the ways of Shamballa warriors as well as in how to rule the city, but once again, disaster struck.  The city was attacked by Shiwan Kahn, the Shadow's most ruthless enemy, who had not been aware of his demise.  The warriors of Shamballa were taken by surprise by Kahn's army and the city was taken over.  My grandmother was killed in the initial attacks but my father and several others managed to escape.  Their names were changed to protect them from Kahn and they emigrated to England.  The rest of the survivors were scattered over the world and told to keep watch for the next to take the power of Wrath and to convince him to become the Shadow of old.  Once I was born, I too was educated in the ways of the Shamballa and told to keep watch as well.  I always hoped that I would never be the one to find him.  Now I must educate you myself, for the Tulku is still held prisoner in Shamballa.
 
"But if your father was next in line then why did Wrath tell me that they were after you as next in line unless..."
 
"Oh, god, no; they've already gotten them;  they've gotten my whole family.  Azrael, you've got to help me.  I can't let them keep control any longer.  My people are prisoners, my city is pillaged, my family is dead.  The people of Shamballa need a hero, Azrael Praetor; they need a savior, they need the Shadow."
 
"All right, I'm in, but first you need to train me; I must know how to control Wrath and keep myself from going mad."
 
"Yes, of course.  Get the idol; we must get the girisol out so that you may keep control of yourself."  The two of them walked out to Azrael's car and grabbed the Idol which had finally stopped glowing.  Taking the idol, Evlyn smashed it upon the ground.  From the pieces glinted a small piece of silver.  Picking it up, Azrael could see that it was a ring, perfectly sized, with a blood red stone in the center and a symbol on both sides.  "What do the symbols mean?" he asked.
 
"They're the Symbols of our culture for the light and the dark, the good and the evil; sound familiar?" Evlyn snapped.
 
"OK, so it represents me," Azrael replied edgily as he put on the ring; "don't jump all over me."
 
"Sorry love, but how would you act if you just found out that everything that ever meant anything to you had been destroyed?"
 
"Not everything."
 
"What do you mean?"
 
"I'm still here."
 
Chapter Four
 

"Now," Evlyn said, "We're going to have to get you the proper attire.  But first we'll have to get to one of the safe houses set up by my parents in case such an emergency ever arose.  It's just a few miles north of here."
 
The two called up the highway patrol at a gas station and told them what had happened, or at least most of it, and where to find the abductors, and then went on to the safe house.  Evlyn began working on costuming for Azrael.
 
"All right, now the old Shadow wore something like this," Evlyn said holding up a rough sketch, "that was fine for his time but you're going to need something a little more sleek and manageable with easier maneuverability.  Something like... this."  Evlyn held up a second picture of a much more modern Shadow.  Instead of a topcoat and cloak he wore a black leather trenchcoat and black shirt and pants.  In place of the Shadow's red scarf was a rubber-like red elastic mask which covered all of his face below the nose.  Finally,
instead of black dress style shoes were black combat boots.
 
"Rock on Ev, now what about these powers, exactly what are they?"
 
"Well, to start with, you can cloud the minds of men so that they can not see you.  Second, you have some mild hypnotic powers and can force people to tell you the truth about whatever you ask of them.  When you become the Shadow, your voice and facial features become somewhat distorted."
 
"All right; well, lets get to work on the costume then."  After several hours and a few trips here and there, Azrael finally began to look properly dressed for one picking up the mantle of the Shadow.  Now all that was left was to make a raid upon the city of Shamballa.
 
"So how do we get to this mystic lost city anyway," Azrael asked.
 
"I'm not sure; I've never been there.  The only one in my family who had was my father and obviously, he's not going to be of much use to us," Evlyn replied solemnly.
 
"What about the other escapees, surely one of them knows where the city lies."
 
"There was one other, a scientist, who tried to set up a network between those who escaped in case something like this happened.  His name was Masado Banzai; however he died at the hands of a master criminal named Hanoi Xan."
 
"I've heard of him; he perished in that jetcar experiment years ago.  Wait, what about his son, the one who finished the experiment a few years back?"
 
"You mean that rockstar brainsurgeon comicbook guy who runs the Banzai Institute?"
 
"Yeah, Buckaroo Banzai!"
 
"The guy's famous; we'd never get in to see him much less get him to help us."
 
"What choice do we have?  Besides, when he finds out who you are, when we tell him that I'm the Shadow there's no way he'll be able to turn us down.  Remember, Shamballa was his father's home too."
 
"Well then, I guess it's off to the Banzai Institute."
 
END OF PART ONE
 
Go to PART TWO

(Main Fiction Page) (Home)