Blank Knight 2: Electric Boogaloo

Blank Knight 2: Electric Boogaloo

By SF_THRAWN

Prologue.

By- Cayde Cates

I have no real clue how to start this. There is so much I need to get out there and I have no clue how to do it. So much has happened to me over the past few days, I was tested and I even found love. It has come to my attention that a threat from the past has arisen from the murky shadow of T.H.A.N.O.S.. It is older than anything anyone has seen before and I am absolutely positive that if it’s not taken care of properly than we are all in danger. I have tried to warn people but it seems that they think I am just telling a story. I need to get the word out and I think that I have made the proper choice. This is my last and final hope.

Let’s do this one more time.

By- Cayde Cates.

I woke up as groggy as ever, this was starting to become a pattern. I had been reading the old case files and it was starting to take a major toll on my sleep schedule. I got dressed and stumbled down the stairs, I was finally starting to get used to american cereal but I was still very confused by the idea of Nutella. 

“How was your night?” My mum asked.

“Basic.” I responded.

She knew this was a sign that I had stayed up late reading, she had found out about the comics after my duel with Nico. She had no problem with it but she insisted that I read an actual book whenever I could, so I had been reading a textbook about the history of Archeology and the study of human history. She had given it to me when I suggested I read the screenplay for ‘Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.’

I had started to fall in love with pop culture and people had started to take notice. My chances with girls were steadily lowering and my invites to D&D clubs had been increasing ever since the one day I came to school wearing a ‘Devo’ shirt, I didn’t mind (I totally did). The one good thing about being a self proclaimed ‘nerd’ is that the amount of nervous glares whenever I entered Saru’s had also decreased. I went to Saru’s to get my weekly comics. I absolutely loved the store, Me and Cyndi had immediately hit it off, I would restock the shelves and she would help me out with my search into the MCP, the mysterious figure who had been at the schools since before Cyndi’s time there.

I pulled up into the student parking of Wheeler. I had not made many friends but I was fine with that, It only meant that I got my homework done faster. My classes zoomed by but that wasn’t super weird. The weird part was when I was called into the office.

Love is a chemical reaction, now get over it.

By-Cayde Cates

“Yes ma’am?” I said as I peaked my head into the principal’s office.

She was sitting across from a new student. What did she want me to do?

“Come on in,” she said “Take a seat. I would like you to meet Zoe Yugan.”

“Nice to meet you.” I said as I extended my hand.

She didn’t care to return the gesture, I was a little upset.

“Listen, it’s your job to give her a tour of the school.”

“Yes ma’am.”

I lead Zoe out of the office and throughout the school. We eventually got to the lunchroom a few minutes before lunch so it was just us. I sat down and gestured for her to sit down across from me.

“I couldn’t help but notice that you didn’t say anything.”

“I’m a person of little words, what can I say?” She finally said.

“A lot apparently. But to truly talk to someone you don’t really need words.”

“That’s a nice thought. But you should really work on your pickup lines.” She said as she looked down.

I then tried to make small talk, you know, the usual. It didn’t get me very far. She had finally looked at me, but it wasn’t like a lost stare; it was more of an analytical gaze. Finally, the bell rang and the other students started to file in. She then pulled out a slip of paper and started to write something down on it, once she was done she slid it across to me.

“It’s my address, I’m ‘extending an olive branch.’”

I had no clue what I was feeling. It was like a mix of fear and anticipation.

Thank Domino!

By-Cayde Cates

I had no clue what I was doing! All I could feel was my legs moving and then my fist knocking on her door, I wanted to make a good impression on her father so I had put on my best suit (It wasn’t that great, to be honest). I was trying so hard to have my hair stay as flat as possible. The door opened and I was greeted by the kind face of her mother. 

“Hello!” She said, “You must be Cayde!”

“Yes ma’am.” I said, trying not to crack under pressure.

“Come on in!” She said. Her house was nice, the foyer smelled of chamomile tea and burning propane. I started to subconsciously hum the ‘Thor defeats the destroyer’ theme from Thor. She led me into the kitchen, where I could smell hints of basil and huli-huli sauce. Sitting at the counter was Zoe, her jet black hair shimmering in the light. She giggled as she saw my suit.

“Come on, sit.” she said.

I was totally nervous and she could definitely tell. I sat with her for sometime not knowing what we were waiting for. Then the front door creaked open and in walked another woman, a housekeeper? 

“Mom!” Zoe said excitedly.

It was a shock to be sure, man, I am a total moron. I started to look around trying not to show my fear. I had no problems with this of course, it was just one of the things I didn’t think about. I slowly walked up to the two misses who were chatting in the foyer. I straightened my tie (I want to leave a good impression no matter what).

“Ma’ems,” I nervously stuttered out “Mem? I have no clue how to address you both.”

“Ma’ams.” Zoe corrected me.

“You must be Cayde?” Ms.Yugan asked.

“Yes, Cayde is me.” I was bombing it.

[LATER]

We walked out of the Five Guys restaurant and entered the park. I had now started to hum Captain America’s theme from the Winter soldier. (My favorite MCU film) We were holding hands which I found nice seeing as we had met this morning. We eventually made our way to the gazebo, I was still humming the theme.

“Nice music, slick.” she said.

“Sorry.”

“No need to apologize. It’s good to know that you are different.” She said.

We sat there in silence for some time. I could hear the swift movements of water in the distance, the sparkling lights of fireflies started to light up the surrounding area.

“Wow,” Zoe said, out of breath, “It’s beautiful.”

“So are you.” I heard myself say, I quickly covered my mouth.

“Really?” She asked.

“I’m sorry!” I tried to apologise “Please don’t ghost me.”

“Never planned on it.” She finally said.

This was nice, life was nice. Up until we found the book.

The book.

By- Cayde Cates

We found it after our little chat. We had begun to trade jokes, we were laughing so hard that we nearly passed out, we both knew that something was wrong. We had met each other on day one and the fact that we had gotten this far was abnormal. Suddenly Zoe stopped laughing.

“What’s that?” She asked while pointing to a notebook that was resting under a section of the gazebo.

I looked over to where she was pointing. On the wood flooring lied a green book that had what looked to be tentacles drawn on it. I slowly inched over towards it. I took it and held it in my hands, aside from the tentacles on it there were other symbols, the only thing I could clearly understand was on the cover, the three letters that have stolen so much sleep from me, MCP. I opened it and on the inside were five simple but mysterious lines.

“Beware your friends.

Learn from your past.

A test comes.

Are you ready?

The MCP thinks you are…”

“What does it say?” Zoe asked.

“Please hear me out, because it’s about to get very weird.” I said, “Do you know about Marvel?”

I explained it all to her, every last bit. All the way from WW2 to the end of Kirby at the hands of T.H.A.N.O.S.

“So, who are you?” She asked.

I then pulled out Blank Knight and showed it to her. She didn’t really know what to say and I sort of expected that. When someone tells you that a bunch of kids made origami puppets of characters from comics, movies and T.V. shows you would probably go into a state of stumped shock. I put it back in my pocket, I stuck the book in my pocket as well and walked her home. Tomorrow is going to get a lot more wild, and I’m talking Buckaroo Banzai levels of wild.

Buckaroo Blows It.

By – Cayde Cates

I was heading off to science with Zoe with the book clutched in my hand. I had been scouring over it but there was nothing else inside of it aside from the five lines. We were about to round the corner when I felt the book be snatched from my hands and yanked away, I turned around to see a scrawny kid tackle the thief. I walked up to the two and patted down the thief for my book.

“Hey,” the scrawny kid said “I got it.”

He then tossed it towards me.

“Be careful with that,” he said. 

“Thanks, Hey what’s your name?”

“Oh! I’m Kirk,” he said “Kirk Scattch, it was nice meeting you.”

I walked back to Zoe and we continued to go to science. While the teacher was talking I couldn’t help but think that the book might have changed in some way. I pulled it out of my bag and opened the front. The lines were still there but it looked heavily used in some way so I flipped through the pages to see that it was completely full, and there was another line. 

“Zoe will burn you.”

I closed it before she could see. I was mad and confused. Why would she want to burn me? I had respected her boundaries, unless she wanted me out of the equation so that she could do something, like attack the school. It was highly likely that she was the MCP… I was going to confront her when all of the bunsen burners exploded.

All of us dropped to the floor as soon as the fire started to spew. In the corner of the room was the master switch that shut off the propane supply, someone just had to get over there without getting burned. Some of us started to crawl over there when Kirk came in and shut it down. I stood up and looked over to Zoe, she looked as shocked as the others but I knew that she did this. 

“WHY?!” I yelled.

“What do you mean?” She asked.

“You did this!”

“What motive do I have to burn down the school?!” She started to sound mad.

“You want to take it over! I know this because I have been tracking you forever!”

“What do you mean?” Kirk asked.

“I have been hunting down this tyrant and I have finally found her!” I said to the crowd.

“Are you positive about it being her?” Kirk asked.

“No, he’s not, Kirk,” Zoe said, “He’s going out on limbs and one of these days it’s all going to break under his feet.”

“Are you going to make that happen, tyrant?”

“If anything she is the only one to not want that, man, but Cayde brings up a good point.” Kirk said. “Are you this ‘tyrant?’”

“No. I’m not, and Cayde, this was never going to work.” She said as she spat in my face.

I was broken, she was right. I had chased loose ends and it had cost me.

Recovery.

By- Cayde Cates

I was sick of myself. I had paid the price and I was now in emotional debt. It was still Thursday and I had become the most hated person in school. I had nowhere else to go but Saru’s and I needed to see a familiar face. When I walked in I got exactly what I had expected, getting called out. 

“Go home!”

“She was right!”

“Who’s next?”

I was distraught, I just wanted to find the culprit so that this would all be over. I walked up to the counter and ringed the service bell to see Cyndi walk up to me and pull me into the back room.

“That was terrible.” She said

“Thanks for the vote of confidence,” I returned. “Wait, how do you know?”

She pointed her finger to the main part of the store.

“Oh.”

“Yeah, you suck.”

I had more important matters than having a snark-off with Cyndi so I pulled out the book and put it on the table. She just stared at it silently until she cracked it open and started to flutter through it, stopping at what looked like a fold-out mosaic made out of post-it notes and loose tape. She then pulled out a flashlight and shined it on the paper. It showed eight shadowy figures facing off against what looked like a mad titan figure, except his face was obscured by a mask of sorts.

“It would be like him to obscure his past self.” Cyndi muttered under her breath.

“What do you mean by that?” I asked.

“What you’re currently looking at is my team facing off against our version of the MCP.”

“Hold on, your version?”

“He works like the OrigAvengers, once his time at the school is done he chooses a successor. He also doesn’t do his business personally, he has these ‘operators’ that do it all for him. Along with the fact that he ditches his knowledge from time to time, keeping them in a place he likes to call ‘the store’, our team didn’t find it.”

“How do you know so much about him?”

“Because I was friends with him and I had no clue.”

She then began to flip to the back where there was one moderately blank page with the words ‘Do you accept?’ on it. Cyndi then quickly wrote ‘The Blank Knight does!’

“WHY?!” I yelled.

“Well you want this to end, don’t you?”

“Yeah…” I said solemnly.

“Good, because I just got you a 1v1 interview with him.”

Face-off.

By-Cayde Cates

I was told to put the book back where I found it so I had to make a trip back to the gazebo. I was walking up to it when I heard whimpering followed by what I can only describe as ‘Comforting coos.’ I cautiously walked up the steps to see Zoe surrounded by other girls and Kirk doing his best to comfort her, I was putting the book back when they saw me.

“Hey!” Kirk yelled “What are you doing?”

I looked at him with a tear in my eye, “The right thing.”

He grabbed my shoulder and tried to punch me, I grabbed his fist and tossed it back at his side. I did not want to fuel any fires so I just walked away.

[THE NEXT DAY]

I was driving to school when I decided to take a little detour to the gazebo. I parked the car on the curb and quickly checked if the book was gone, it was and in its place was a note.

“Be careful what you wish for.

       -MCP”

I pulled into the parking lot and walked into school, I was tormented but I just brushed it aside because I knew this was all going to end today, I would finally take down the MCP. I was walking through the hallway when the lockers started to smoke, this heavy gas started to pour out of the slitted vents in the metal doors and pool on the floor around my feet. It was up to my chest when this bulky figure started to walk towards me. I reached into my locker and pulled out the black blade that Nico had fought me with.

“Foolish weapon.” The MCP said.

“Good enough to fight you.” I quipped back.

“You’re arrogant like your father,” The MCP replied. “I will enjoy this.”

I rushed towards him only to be met by a fist to the gut.

“You blamed Zoe for your shortcomings.”

How did he know that? I swung at him again only for him to grab my sword, I swung my fist and punched his face. When I made contact I felt the mask that he was wearing, If I wanted this to end I would need to peel it off. 

“I will admit that was good,” he said, “but how well can you fight your fears?”

He then splashed me in the face with some form of gas. My eyes started to tear up as visions of Zoe flooded my mind, I crumpled to the floor and begged for the visions to stop.

“My child, it was foolish to test me.” The MCP said, “Now burn.”

More visions started to pop up but it was no longer just Zoe. I saw her with Kirk at a Dairy Queen and me in the background huddled behind a trash can. The smoke had started to subside and I noticed that a massive crowd had drawn around us. I squirmed around to get a good look at the MCP. He wore an ugly green leather jacket and a mask whose eyes appeared to be glowing, the effects of the gas had finally started to wear off. I shakely got up and used my sword as a cane of sorts and shambled over towards him.

“Round two?” He asked.

“Can I phone a friend?”

“Sure,” He said “I’m up for a challenge.”

I then pointed to him and the crowd understood what I meant, they rushed towards him and held him down, I walked over towards him and pulled up on the mask to see a very scared kid.

“Please!” He said in his normal voice. “I’m not who you’re looking for, I swear! He hired me!”

“Who?” I asked

“Wha-, the MCP did! He made me see things, these horrible things!”

I then patted him down for anything that might be a clue when I found a puppet, I pulled it out of his pocket. It was the Supreme Pleat-ellegence and on the back was a post-it note.

“Phase one is complete [FINISH TH GME.]”

Epilogue.

By- Cayde Cates

As you have just seen this threat is not a joke or a story. The MCP is very real and very dangerous. He is everywhere and I still don’t have a clue on who he truly is. Me and Zoe have gotten back together but we always watch our backs. We both agree that it’s time for action, I can’t fight alone anymore and so I am taking the initiative and I’m forming a team. I am looking for people who have had experience with this opponent and I have already sent out ‘the olive branch’ to others who have been affected by him. Until next time, Cayde Cates signing off.

Epilogue

By- Liam Kida

The airplane ride honestly sucked. I don’t know why Gerardo wanted me to come over here for a year, but if it keeps me away from brexit then i’ll take anything. I haven’t talked to Cayde yet but I’m sure that he will find me soon. The drama here is toxic though so I suppose I didn’t make a good trade.

The Blank Knight will return in: The MCP saga: Part II

Advertisement