Rise of Tano Slau

The fingers of the mutilated body that was virtually a puddle twitched. The other inmates watched is sheer terror as the once decrepit old man that had helped Izon returned to being young. His skin no longer leathery as it had been, the tattoos of intrinsic design becoming more pronounced on his young body. Black smoke like energy flowed around him and covered his naked body and then it cleared, revealing a black robe.

The man's eyes looked at himself with utter glee. He had done it. The cuffs that had sealed him for so long laid at his feet. He was free. For the first time his who knows how long, he was free. He looked up, his smile revealing his pearly white teeth that had cut through much flesh in his time. The thousands of years he had been the way he was, he had seen and done much. Not even the demon lord that ruled over them could say that. He ravaged the universe and laughed at the terror that had overcome them when he was around.

His eyes panned the room. They were all cowering, even those that considered themselves powerful. None had his power. None could compete with him. And they were terrified now, but they didn't know fear. They didn't know hopelessness. He would certainly show them.

Claws tore through him from behind, severing his entire body. It peeled apart like a fruit and falling to the ground. Relief washed over everyone as they realized he was dead. Blood spilled out and the demon that did it shook. He was breathing deeply as if he had just ran a marathon. Soon he was calming down as he realized the body wasn't moving. He couldn't help but let out a chuckle, and soon everyone followed suit.

There was a loud laughter behind which created a silence from the group that most would consider only a graveyard could produce. No one dared say a word as the laughter continued. The laughter subsided as the demon that had cleaved the old man turned. His eyes widened as the man he just killed sat on a wooden chair.

The man grinned. "Come on! Laughter is therapeutic! Everyone should do it. It lightens the spirits and reduces stress!" He continued to laugh and once he realized he was the only one laughing, he stopped and shrugged. "Oh well. Obviously you guys have no sense of humor or irony."

The demon looked down at the body that he just cleaved and saw himself. His eyes widened as he let out a scream of terror. He backed away repeating that it was impossible. He was a live. He looked up at the crowd and only saw himself on the faces. Various emotions across them. He looked at the man and he only stared back with a grin.

The crowd moved at him. He tried to get away but he was trapped. Trapped in a corner. He swung, catching a few of them and rending their flesh, but soon he was overwhelmed and they tore into his flesh.

"Finally we killed him!", one yelled. Everyone cheered but they froze when they heard a clap.

"Very beautifully done. Splendid performance. Couldn't have done it better myself." He paused, a finger on his chin as he thought a moment. "Never mind, I could've done better, but wonderful nonetheless. You guys deserve a metal! Flowers! The Oscar!"

They backed away slowly as he just grinned at them. Soon they were at one another's throats, tearing one another apart. The man didn't bother to stay around. In a second he was gone from the cage that had held him. Back to the mortal realm where an enemy of his resided. But he wanted to play a game first. Back to earth. Back to the place where he could enjoy some peace and watch people struggle.

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The days seemed to simply grow hotter and hotter. Ian, a man who went through the tortures of hell, and the unbearable heat was on the verge of wanting to dive into an ice bath. He had a canvas put up over his favorite balcony, a white one, and had a fan blowing on him while he sipped a nice cold smoothy and kicked his feet up. He was wearing shorts and a light short sleeve shirt.

He had finished his work for the day and was enjoying the last of the day, though he wished it would cool down a bit. It was making him more cranky. Cira walked up which he looked miserable in this heat. It was drying out his scales even though he was just in the pool a few minutes ago.

"Sir, there's a man wishing to speak with you. He said you shared a cell with him."

Ian's eye brow cocked up a moment. Only time that happened was in Hell. He wondered who it could've been. No one in there really knew him. No one in there was friendly enough with him to come and visit him.

Ian nodded. "Send him up, and get him a glass of cold water." Cira nodded and left.

It was a few moments later when a bald man in black robes came walking out onto the balcony. He had tattoos all over him. He looked familiar, but couldn't place him.

Ian motioned for him to sit. "So, what can I do for you?"

The man grinned. "Ah Izon, or rather Ian Lancaster as most seem to call you here. I'm surprised you've forgotten me, even after I helped you escape."

Ian let out a laugh. "Escape? I think your memory is a bit fractured. You didn't help me escape. I escaped myself. And sorry to say, you weren't there."

The man shrugged. "Your memory is bad, either that or you simply can't see past your own ego." Ian was getting more annoyed. "Allow me to reintroduce myself, I am Tano Slau, the old man who helped you regain your strength."

Ian thought a moment, and then he saw it. The old man whom he didn't trust in the least was sitting before him, looking much younger. This man wasn't normal. This man actually terrified him and he wasn't sure why. Things seemed to get cold all of a sudden, his skin crawling from just looking at the man before him. Just who the hell was this man and what did he want? Was he angry because Ian had left him?

Ian kept himself composed as he spoke, though he just wanted to run away. "So what can I do for you then?"

Tano leaned back and sipped at a glass of water that had arrived unnoticed. "Delicious water I must say. It's been so long." He set it down. "I am going to be a bit busy. If figured I may want to give you a heads up as it may interrupt some of your plans."

Ian's body wanted to shake apart. The feelings he's getting off this man made him want to break down. He hadn't ever felt so little control over his own life, ever. Not even with the succubus. He took a drink to mask the hard swallow of the saliva that had built up in his mouth.

"What's your plan then?"

Tano stood and grinned a very malicious grin. "You will see, and oh it will be so much fun. I am sure you wouldn't be able to help but play." After that, he left Ian alone with his fears. No one scared him that bad and Sawish, who was in the office saw it.

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Iric stood nearby and watched the whole ordeal. He could feel Izon's fear. And he had every right to be afraid. He saw this man once when he was a kid. He ravaged the Tupples whom blamed it on the Saiyans, thus igniting the war that led to the Tupples destruction. It was horrifying what that man could do with so little effort. His own skin crawled with the thought that he was loose on a lesser being planet.

Ian set his cup down, fearful someone would see the cup shake. Tano showed no sign of actually being malicious towards him. It was more of a feeling. Nothing in hell had prepared him for this. That he knew for a fact. And the man had managed to escape, seemingly on his own. He didn't know what was going on, but he knew whatever it was, it wouldn't be good.

Days went by without a peep. No sign of anything Tano had done showed up. It was as if he was just a dream, but Ian still shook thinking about it and he saw Iric's demeanor change since then. Did he know something? Did he feel it as well? Cira and Muscles acted like nothing had changed which was strange since they had psychic powers like he did. He wondered if Iric did as well.

Ian sat watching the news almost all day every day. Sawish had asked him what was wrong, but Ian just sushed her... multiple times. He wanted to see what was going on. He wanted to know what Tano had planned, but nothing was showing up.

Ian's anger began to peak and everyone remained clear of him. Fearful of his temper. Even Cira who was his right hand dreaded bringing any news of any importance to him, especially news of the delays of the training center and the budget running over.

Cira could see Ian's stress. He could feel it. It wasn't like him to be stressed about anything. The man had everything in order and adjusted for unforeseen circumstances unlike anyone he has known before. But here, since the arrival of the black robed man, he and Iric were a bit short tempered.

Without any request, Cira set out. He wanted to find this man and figure out what the hell he had done. Any kind of mental exercises failed miserably.

Starting with West City he searched with Muscles and a few of the other men they had hired.

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Muscles crouched. He was at a house in the country just a hundred miles north of Penguin Village. It had been three weeks since the start of their search for the man named Tano Slau. They'd found nothing, at least until now.

He had found the description of the man in the house he was now crouching by. The man was inside, sitting with a family. The thoughts from them was not good. They were terrified and felt hopeless. From the visual, it was very misleading. Everyone looked like they were having a simple normal conversation, as if nothing was going on. But the emotion was starting to hurt his head.

He had already texted Cira with his location, trying to keep quiet, but he knew it would be awhile before Cira arrived. Moving quietly, he approached the front door, keeping out of site, but that had seemed pointless as Tano called from within.

"Welcome Muscles. Please join us! We were just jabbering over some family stories."

How did he know he was there? Was he psychic? No, he couldn't sense any intrusion or any methods of monitoring. He stood and walked in. The family looked at him, pleading for help with just their eyes. He wasn't sure what he could do. Something about this man terrified him. Now he knew what Cira was talking about and knew why Ian was so terrified of him. It was his mere presence.

"My dear muscles! Welcome. Please, have a drink." He grabbed a cup and poured what looked to be tea or coffee and set it down.

Muscles reluctantly went over and sat down. He wasn't sure what to expect, but the family didn't look like they were expecting much. They wanted his help, but once he sat down, the small hope they had faded. Muscles took a sip. It was hot, think, and he could taste some kind of metallic substance.

He looked around at the family photos and noticed there was one missing. The was a family of five. Mother, father, older sister, a middle boy and a younger sister. The boy was missing. Then it hit him. The cup dropped and smashed against the floor, spilling the blood tea all over.

"Oh look at your clumsiness. Oh well, been meaning to get this rug replaced anyway." commented Tano.

Muscles finally snapped out of his bewilderment and haze he had some how gotten in and looked at the heavily tattooed man. "What are you doing here. What do you want?"

Tano shrugged. "Ease the pressure. Live life and enjoy the many pleasures it has to offer."

"Why this family?"

"My, for one who doesn't generally speak, you certainly ask questions."

Muscles had no patience. "Why this family?"

"Why not? Why not say the family down the lane? Or maybe why not Ian and his lovely mistress? Or maybe the Briefs family? Because I damn well feel like it, that's why. It's quiet, peaceful. Besides, figured one of Ian's men would find me. So I wanted a nice family to make them feel comfortable.

He motioned for the older sister to sit by him. She shook her head. He motioned again, and as if an invisible force grabbed her, she stood up from between her parents and sat down next to him. What happened next was appalling even from his point of view. He wasn't a saint but even he had his limits.

As the girl went down, there was a gurgle and she was dead, face in his lap. "Not in the mood anyway he said." He lifted her head, eyes vacant, devoid of life. With east, the head was removed from the shoulders as the remaining family looked on in horror.

Tano set the head down on the coffee table and with a finger shoved it through the girl's skull and pried it open. It was enough to make Muscles sick. He couldn't take this anymore. He jumped up and threw a punch which did not hit the intended target. Instead his fist struck the little girl who was no more than six. With the force he put behind it, she didn't stand a chance. The head crumpled in like a melon, spraying blood everywhere and coating his arm in brain matter and blood. He looked on in horror at what he had just done, unsure as to what even happened.

One minute he was attacking Tano, the next the little girl was dead. The mother and father were also dead while Tano sat there cutting pieces of meat from their bodies and slurping it up. Muscles removed his fist from the young girl's remaining head. He fell to his knees breathing heavily trying not to vomit. He threw his hand out and fired a blast towards Tano who vanished in the light, grinning.

The house erupted in a cataclysmic explosion. Timber and debris flew in all directions as Muscles landed on his feet a hundred feet out. The smoke cleared and the house that was left was up in flames. He saw movement and walked over to it, only to see Cira crawling, burnt heavily.

Muscles rushed in and grabbed him, lifting into the air and exiting quickly, Tano was no where to be found. Though he doubted he was dead. He still got the feeling of terror. He set Cira down who was badly hurt. The destruction itself was too much for Muscles to do himself. Something else happened, but what. He didn't know what could've caused the surge of power. He might've been able to knock out the wall, but to destroy the house like this and hurt Cira in the process who seemed to have arrived out of nowhere. Just what the hell happened?

People were starting to arrive to find out what had gone on. Then he realized, this wasn't remote. It was a home in the middle of a town. Fifty people were around. He had to leave. Grabbing Cira, he took flight. Leaving the scene where it would later become something he was blamed for.

Ian watched the news. The house there and Muscles fleeing with an injured Cira angered him. He was in the middle of trying to get Capsule Corp, fearful of Tano causing problems, and now Muscles was destroying homes. He doubted Muscles would come straight back here, which was probably a good thing as Ian would have his head as a decoration on his front gate at this point. Too much was going on around him that he just did not like. Maybe it was best to send Muscles back to Kanassa. That would put him out of his hair. At least for a bit.

"Muscles is an interesting fellow. He has heart for a criminal."

Ian turned and saw Tano sitting at his desk with his feet up sniffing a cigar which Ian used mostly for the smell. He hated the smoke.

"What the hell are you doing here?"

Tano set the cigar back in the box and folded his hands. "Just came to see how you are. Hope Muscles didn't mess anything up too badly."

"Were you responsible for that?"

Tano shook his head. "No, that was his own destruction. I may have been there, but I did nothing to anger him. He just went off and killed the entire family of five as well as destroy their homes. Now he's a wanted man. What do you plan to do."

Ian thought a moment. He didn't want to send them away, but knew he'd have no choice, otherwise he'd have cops and news crews here which would destroy his chances at getting Capsule Corp. "Get out."

Tano shrugged and in a puff of smoke vanished. Soon the black smoke was gone and he was alone. Anger and fear gripping him. He knew deep down Muscles wasn't the one responsible, but there was nothing he could do. TV caught him basically.

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