Chapter 2

The club's music was pumping loudly, the lights flickering on and off. Even through the gas mask and his lack of a face, Stranger felt blinded by the bright lights.

"Control, are you really sure there's going to be a breakthrough here? I get the feeling that tonight will be the exact same as any other night, a bunch of drunken idiots consuming what remains of Whispers and-"

He suddenly stopped. It seemed almost as if something had occured to him. He inclined his head, as if listening to something. "Really now? Well. I'll be there shortly..." He stood up, and opened a portal to the Kingdom of Trees. "Control, I'm afraid I have more important things to attend to than watching morons deafen themselves in 'tribute' to Whispers."

"Well, I won't keep you. You obviously need to do something. So go."

Stranger stepped through the portal, and dissapeared.



The sword that had appeared in Leo's hands had long since dissipated, but Leo still stood in the alley he had been dragged into. "What... What the hell's happening? Why did he bleed black, why did that sword appear, why did they want me dead?!?" Leo felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned around, and saw a man dressed in a biker's outfit, the helmet on his head obscuring his features.

"Leonard Kingston?" The man asked, his voice steady.

"Y...Yes?" Leo replied.

"Come with me, Leonard. I can explain everything." The man turned and started to walk away. Leo hesitated, but followed the man anyway. Anyone who could explain this was someone Leo wanted to talk to.

Eventually, the two of them reached what seemed to be a run-down bar. The man and Leo entered, and a bartender looked up from polishing a mug. "Oh, Tom, you're back! And I see you brought Kingston."

Leo was confused as to why these people knew his name. The bartender put down the mug he was polishing. "Leonard, right? Pleasure to meet you. Now, let's get down to business." He took a deep breath.

"Leonard, you need to kill Fear itself."