Miracula Luxia C2, P5- "The Theory of Kaos"

"The Theory of Kaos" is the fifth part of "Miracula Luxia" 's Second Chapter- "From Zero to Hero". It was released on 20.07.2019.
== Plot ==
Jared, John and Annie finally find the fort of the hostiles after searching the area, but as they approach it, they see that they won't be easy to defeat.
Will they survive the battle and break into the fort?
== Story ==
After many hours of searching a dark forest that they found earlier, the team finally finds the fort where the "Darkness of the Duskwood" band of criminals was located.
However, as they approached it, weapons drawn, the archers on the fort noticed them and began firing a huge barrage of flaming arrows.
"Duck!"- John exclaimed instinctively, pulling Jared and Annie out of their range. He knew what would happen if one of those arrows ever hit them.
"Jesus!"- Our hero, Jared gasped, surprised by the flaming arrows. "Those guys will not be easy."
"You have Fire too, don't you? Your Fire Spells! Use them!"- Annie responded, not knowing the risk Jared would have to take in doing so.
"There must be another way in. Or... even better, a way to use their own Fire against them"- Jared said to himself, knowing he had to do something. Those people were immediately hostile towards them and they were probably holding Akari as well.
Caution, huge speed and high levels of aggressiveness were needed to storm the fort and free her from their dirty hands.
Who knows what they could do to her? Possibly kill her, or even worse than that.
And so, our hero started to think of a smart way to outsmart those not-so-smart hostiles.
Suddenly, a good idea formed into his mind.
"We need something explosive!"- He exclaimed.
"What?"- His fellow battle companion, John replied, visibly surprised and worried.
"E-Explosive?! But... what about you?"- His fellow companion Priest, Annie asked him, questioning his sudden thought.
"No, Annie. The Explosives will not be for us, they will be used against them!"- Jared smiled, seeing Annie visibly scared.
"So... what's the plan, then?"- John asked, ready to learn about the plan.
"The plan is simple. We need something heavier than their arrows. Something like... a bundle of TNT with a timer after being ignited."- Jared continued.
"But what can we use to launch it?"- John wondered.
"I have some Tinkermage skills. I can use them to make something that can help us out."
"But we don't have any TNT at all."- Annie exclaimed, disappointed- "Let alone TNT with a tim--"
"Let's search this trash!"- John told his friends after seeing a trash to the left of them.
"John, you filthy villager! I won't do--"
"Let's do this!"- Jared concurred.
"Come on, Jared! Why are you not on my side?! My clothes will get dirty and so will yours!"- Annie screamed at Jared, begging him to reconsider.
"Are you a Princess or something? Clothes get dirty all the time! Plus, I am an Adventurer, not just a Priest. Adventurers always get their clothes dirty and bloody during their adventures."
"But if you don't want to help us out, suit yourself. Wait here and we will be back soon."
Annie grabbed his arm.
"No! You are not going there!"- she exclaimed.
But, before she could pull him back with her, John grabbed her arm and squeezed it, forcing her to let go of Jared.
"OW!"- She exclaimed after feeling a moderate amount of pain.
"Sorry, but I don't want you to do stuff like that. Not on my watch!"- John replied, angry at Annie.
"John, you shouldn't have done this. I could have handled the situation myself!"- Jared said to John, roughly telling him that he didn't need help.
"I am sorry, my friend, but she acts like a little child, and I don't like it when she does stuff like this!"
Jared nodded and silently started searching the contents within the seemingly normal trash.
Annie tried to run towards him, but John pulled her back.
"He will do this alone."- he said to her.
Finally, after about 5 minutes of searching, Jared finally withdrew both of his arms.
In them he had a huge amount of TNT.
"Jacka-luba-pot-pot!"- he exclaimed, extremely happy that they also had timers attached onto them.
"Impossible!"- Annie was shocked. How could there be anything like that in there?
"Looks like they didn't need it that much, so they threw it in the trash. What a foolish move!"- John exclaimed, knowing that the "Darkness of Duskwood" gang just screwed up by a long shot.
"So... how will we proceed?"- Annie asked Jared, now clearly interested in the plan.
"I will build a Turropult. It is a Turret that acts like a Catapult, but launches things much faster, even if they're heavy."- He smiled.
"However, you guys must cover me from the Fire Arrows while I set it up. Okay?"- he asked his fellow fighters.
"Yup! I am ready!"- John exclaimed.
"Gotcha, beybe! I'll cover ya as best as I can. *wink* *wink* "- Annie responded reasurringly, in a slightly flirty manner.
"*giggle* Alright then, let's end them!"- Jared said while walking near the fort.
The archers were looking for them, but unable to see them yet.
"Now is our chance!"- Jared whispered to his friends.
He started setting up his Turropult while his friends watched for attacking hostiles,
He finally finished it, after 10 minutes of work.
"That's so cool!"- Annie exclaimed.
"Yes. Now let us get this big buddy loaded up."- the young hero responded while filling the Turropult with the TNT.
"Now we just need to get their attention"- he added.
"Leave it to me! I can get the attention of anyone very easily!"- Annie exclaimed, knowing that she could be useful for once.
"HEY, JERKS! OVER HERE! COME AND GET THE CUTE GIIIRL!"- she screamed at the top of her lungs.
Her plan worked. The archers turned towards her, loaded their bows with Fire Arrows and started firing them at her.
"NOW!"- John screamed.
"This is for Akari! DIE, SERVANTS OF THE DARK!!!"- Jared screamed at them and fired his Turropult.
The TNT was heavy enough to push the arrows back and return them to the ones that fired them.
However, the TNT didn't go off.
The archers laughed.
"Ha! Nice one kids! That ain't gonna work on us!"- one of the archers laughed at the three adventurers.
They started to use their bows again.
However, they noticed, too late that the timers on each of the struck TNTs was at 00:01.
Then it went to 00:00.
"Oh, cr--"
But, before the mocking archer could finish his sentence, the TNT exploded in a huge blast, definitely not as big as a normal TNT blast.
The wall was quickly destroyed and some of the explosions began spreading to the buildings within the fort as well.
The body of an archer landed near Jared, blackened by the huge explosion.
Jared was visibly saddened.
"It... didn't have to end like this, but they had it coming."
He started to cry.
Annie wiped the tears falling from his eyes.
"Shh. It's okay. They were bad people. Plus, they probably captured your classmate, so now we can free her, if she survived the explosion."- she said to him in a reassuring tone, caressing his head like a caring mother and hugging him, smiling.
They stood there for a few moments.
Jared was much calmer now. For once, it was someone else that hugged and reassured him when he was unsure, other than his beloved Mom- a girl that he knew for only one year, but felt as if she were his real sister, not just a sister. That meant a lot to him.
He smiled and hugged her back.
It was a cute moment, but John interrupted it.
"Let's go! Akari's probably still in there and she must be scared!"
Annie grimaced at the young Hunter.
"Don't you have moments like this? You coldhearted person! Let him calm down for a few more moments. Do you know what he's been through for the whole year that he stayed at Duskwood with us?"- she replied to him.
It was true. Jared had to endure many trials, testing his Healing abilities and fighting various fighters before finally being enlisted as a Priest of Duskwood (even though he was already its hero at that time) and was visibly stressed when he saw the corpses of numerous animals in the forest while hunting for hostiles with John- something that annoyed him a lot.
John nodded.
"Then I'll go ahead to kill some of the hostiles. Take care, you two!"
"Same for you, friend!"- Annie replied.
===================================================================================
Jared and Annie stood near the gate for two more minutes.
"So... are you alone now?"- Jared suddenly asked Annie while she was hugging him.
"Pretty much."- She replied- "After Mama died, I was left alone. I had to endure many trials to become a Priest of Duskwood and help people..."
"Maybe you can be a part of our family!"- Our hero said to her, cheerfully.
"Wh-What?!"- She exclaimed, visibly surprised by his sudden change of demeanor.
"Yes! Mom and Dad can adopt you! They love children and I am sure that they won't decline to have another one in our family."
"But... don't you have enough siblings already?"- She asked him, confused.
"Well, I only have two bigger siblings- a Brother and a Sister. However, Brother disappeared two years ago and we're still looking for him."
"Oh! I-I'm so sorry."- She mumbled.
"It's okay! If you don't want to be a part of our family, then it's oka---"
"Of course I do! I've always wanted to have an actual Brother like you who will support me in whatever I do and loving parents who will always love me, no matter what I do!"- She exclaimed excitedly.
"I shall be your orange-haired, loving and caring Sister who will never leave your side!"
"So... shall we go in... Brother?"- She said, jokingly.
"Alrighty then, my dear Sister."- Jared replied, smiling.
They entered the mostly destroyed fort and found it deserted.
They saw John standing next to a big building.
"What took you so long?"- He asked them, but they simply smiled at him without saying anything.
"Nevermind. This must be the leader's hideout. Let's go in."
"We're right behind you, my friend!"- Jared replied.
They entered the big building.
Suddenly, Jared found himself alone and looked back. His friends were held captive by two thugs.
"Jared, help!"- Annie stuttered weakly.
"Friends!"- Jared exclaimed, drew his Keyblade and tried to go to them, but was stopped my someone, holding him in place.
He looked forward. Two thugs were holding his arms.
He grew angry.
"How dare you do this, you criminals?!"- He screamed at them and started to charge up his Fireball.
The two thugs tried to stop him, but they were too late. The spell was ready.
Jared casted it two times, to the left and right of him, hitting the thugs and effectively killing them.
The other thugs ran towards the young hero to kill him, but were stopped by a mysterious voice.
"Stand back, my warriors."- The voice said in a calm way.
Jared looked up.
"Who--"
He saw a man, sitting on a chair.
He was an older man with short, blonde hair and a long beard, probably in his late 40s/early 50s wearing a heavy-looking steel armor. He smiled at him.
"So, you're here. I'm glad that you found us... at last."
"Now, let me show you someone that you might actually remember, after the year you've been with those two in Duskwood.
He glanced towards a figure to the right of him.
Jared gasped.
"Oh My God! It is... "
He was speechless. The figure that was standing near the man was that of a familiar, brown-haired girl.
"Jared... do you know her?"- John asked him while still being held by one of the thugs.
"Y-Yes. I do."- He replied, amazed that he was seeing an old friend after a whole year of not living in Paris.
== Trivia ==
* First appearance of the Elderly Thug.
* This Part hints that Annie may possibly become a part of Jared's family in one of the next Parts/Chapters. It is unknown if it will actually happen, though.
* This is the first Part in which Jared kills actual human beings and not Heartless/Nobodies.
Those kills are both Caused and Direct.