ML C8, P6- "Out Of Time"

"Out Of Time" is the sixth Part of "Miracula Luxia" 's eighth Chapter- "For Whom The Bell Tolls". It was released on 31.03.2020.
== Plot ==
Jared and John manage to lead most of the humanoids from the Kaos residence, effectively reducing the chances of the remaining ones to break in.
However, a new threat is revealed when the old man decides to finally approach the two boys, warning them of what would happen if they don't act fast to go back to the Kaos residence and save Seiko and Commander Jones.
A horrible fate that may not be avoided.
== Story ==
"Did you see that?"- Jared turns to John.
John raises his eyebrow.
"See what?"
Jared points in the direction, from where he heard the cackling sound.
"It came from there."
John looks around and shakes his head.
"Still nothing. Are you sure it wasn't just the wind?"
Jare does not believe this statement.
"Just the wind? John, I definitely heard a laughter coming from up there!"
"Yes, Jared. You heard me."- A voice from above booms and a person descends in front of Jared and John.
The two boys are surprised to see a hooded man smiling at them.
"Don't trust him."- John says and draws his weapon.
Jared does the same.
The man smiles.
"Now, now, is this how you treat an old friend?"
Jared raises his eyebrow.
"Friend? I don't even know you!"
"Who are you?"
The man lifts his hood and reveals his face
Suddenly, Jared remembers who the person in front of him is.
"N-no way... "
The man grins.
"Believe it, Jared! I know you. You know me. You can't hide it."
Jared looks down.
"Jared... ?"- John tries to get his attention.
He looks up again.
"... What do you want?"- He asks the man.
The man smiles. Again.
"I just wanted to warn you. To be careful. Because something important will happen soon."
"Something that will change you. Forever."
Having said that, the man vanishes, leaving the two boys lost in thought.
Jared turns to John, confused by what just happened.
"What did he mean by that? Was it meant for you? Or me?"
John is also unable to comprehend this new information immediately.
"I'm as confused as you."- He says- "There's only one way to find that out. And I think I know what we should do."
"But, until then, we must complete the task at hand. The humanoids must be lured away."
Jared nods.
"I agree. Let's do this."
Jared and John continue with their main task- to lure the mobs away from the Kaos residence.
Jared manages to get the attention of most of them with a smile clang of his sword in the ground.
John lures the rest by using a nearby gong.
With most of the monsters hot on his trail, Jared takes the responsibility to kill them before they lose interest.
He takes down three, while the rest attempt to pounce at him.
One of them succeeds and gets on top of Jared.
The boy tries to push it off, to no avail.
Finally, John comes to his friend's aid and takes the monster down, along with the rest of the monsters that were surrounding Jared up until just a moment ago.
"Thank you, John."- Jared mutters.
John smiles.
"Anything for my friend."- He says.
The two boys notice that all of the monsters that they lured away are now dead.
Very dead.
"Another small success."- Jared says.
John nods.
"Indeed."
The amount of monsters that are trying to break into the Kaos residence is now much smaller.
Jared and John shake hands.
"Thank you for the help, partner."- Jared says.
John smiles.
"It was all thanks to you, Jared. If you didn't think about this, well... we were going to be doomed."
Jared shakes his head.
"No, John. We both did it. And it is no lie."
"I don't say that it isn't true."- John responds- "I just... just... "
Jared raises his eyebrow.
"Just what?"
"I just want you to be the hero. I'm just a person who helps you out. Who makes sure that you're safe."
Jared nods.
"And that's why you are one of the most important people in my life, John."
"Oh man. You're melting my heart, buddy!"- John says.
However, both of them are interrupted by the laugh of the old man, who appears in front of them.
He claps mockingly, seemingly congratulating them for this success.
"Impressive, Jared. Impressive. You're stronger than I thought you would be."
Jared draws his blade.
"Alright, mister."- He says- "Tell me more about what you said earlier."
The old man smiles.
"Why, of course I will."
"First off, I want to ask you something."
Jared crosses his arms in a serious pose.
"I am listening."- He says quietly.
"You have many important people in your life- friends, good people, family. How would you feel if some of those people died in front of you? If you couldn't save them from the cold embrace of Death?"
This statement slightly worries Jared. He raises his eyebrow.
"What are you implying?"- He says.
The old man notices the young hero's suspicion and nods.
"What would you do if this happened? Would you curl up and cry like a little baby? Or would you steel yourself and try not to make the same mistakes again?"
Jared looks down.
"I've lost my uncle one year ago. I've gotten over it, for the sake of being the person this world needs."
"Yes, I know that very well."- The old man says, grinning.
Jared is shocked.
"Y-you know about... my uncle?"
The old man shakes his head.
"Not about your uncle specifically. But I saw how he died back there."
"Close your eyes. Do you see me?"
Jared closes his eyes. He returns to the time when his uncle died, killed by The Crones- the cruel leaders of the Order of the Black Fist.
Of course, it is already too late for him to try to save his uncle. He has already been stabbed, slowly bleeding to death.
Instead, he looks around the room. 
It takes him a while, but he sees the old man.
He notices that Jared is looking at him and grins.
Jared opens his eyes. The old man now has the same expression.
"... You!"- He finally remembers him.
The old man pats Jared on the shoulder.
"Oh! So you finally remember me! How delightful of you, my boy!"
"Was it you? Was it you who... "
The old man nods.
"Yes. I directed the attacks of the Order of the Black Fist. The Crones were just my puppets all along. Simple marionettes who did my bidding. Nothing more than that."
Jared tries to calm himself down, but fails. He draws his sword and points it at the old man's neck.
"I will kill you! My uncle died because of you, trying to protect me from your evil ways! I will make you pay, you hear me?!"
Jared is stopped by John before he kills him, however.
The boy is surprised by this sudden action of his good friend.
"John! Why did you stop me?! I must kill him!"
John shakes his head.
"Not yet, Jared. I know that you're furious, that you want to avenge your dead uncle, but please, listen to your heart. This man still has information for us. We shouldn't kill him just yet!"
Jared drops his sword and sighs.
He looks up and stares at the old man coldly, anger and loathing in his eyes.
"Speak up."- He says calmly- "You wanted to tell us something important. But you're too afraid to say what it really is, so you try to confuse us. What is it?"
The old man nods.
"Fine! You caught me. I wanted to tell you that someone you love will die very soon. And if you don't hurry up, she will succumb to her wounds."
Jared's eyes widen.
"No. No... "
"Jared, look!"- John exclaims.
Jared stares at where John is pointing and notices that the Kaos residence is under attack.
Somehow, some of the monsters have managed to break into the residence and are now going inside. Sounds of battle can be heard from there.
"No! Mom! Not my mother! Not my mother!"
He turns to the old man.
"I will deal with you later. Don't think that I will forget about you!"- He says and runs towards the residence, along with John.
The two boys fight their way through the humanoid-infested residence, killing many of them.
Finally, they reach Commander Jones.
"Commander, where is my mother?"- Jared asks him.
The commander looks around and shakes his head.
"I don't know! She woke up and told me to stay here while she tries to find you herself!"
Jared is shocked.
"Mom... is trying to find me?"
"We need to find her!"- John suggests- "A lone woman shouldn't even try to fight so many monsters jsst to find you!"
Jared nods. The three of them start to look around.
Some time later, the search turns out to be completely unsuccessful. Seiko is nowhere to be found.
"Oh, dear."- Jared mutters- "Mom... "
Jared is so shocked that he is unable to react when an orc sneaks up behind him, ready to stab him in the back.
His time is almost up. There seems to be no escape from this situation.
Jared is going to die.
However, Jared's mother- Seiko manages to run towards the orc, saving her son's life by getting stabbed in the stomach instead of him.
Jared turns around and catches his mother just as she is about to fall on the ground.
"Mom. No!"
The orc approaches the grieving son.
However, before it has the chance to stab him as well, John sneaks up behind him, a kitchen knife in his hand.
He grabs the orc's arm and twists it. During the creature's moment of pain, he furiously grabs its huge head and stabs it in the side, killing it.
The orc falls down. The rest of the humanoids try to flee the residence.
"KIll them."- He tells Commander Jones.
The commander complies and the rest of the surviving humanoids are killed.
Jared holds his dying mother in his arms. His eyes are filled with tears.
"Mom, please don't leave me. Please. Don't. I beg you."- He mutters to her, begging her to not leave him.
Seiko smiles and touches her son's cheek.
"Oh, I'm not going to die. Not yet. Not when I have so many things to tell you."
She turns to Commander Jones.
"Gary, I found out why they're so strong. The old man is controlling them. And he wants to kill Jared. He said that a member of Jared's family is going to die... so I chose to be the one, for the sake of my husband and Marinette."
"Right now, they're preparing to supercharge the portal."
She turns to Jared and John.
"Boys, I know you can do this. Go. Make those fiends pay. Make me proud."
Jared nods, tears still rolling down from his eyes.
"It will be done, Ms. Kaos. We will defeat those enemies and show them what it means to be heroes."- John says.
"Come on, Jared. Your mother is counting on us. We shouldn't let her down."
Jared stares at his bleeding mother.
"But, mom... "
Seiko smiles.
"I'll be fine until you come back."
Commander Jones places his hand on Jared's shoulder.
"I'll take care of her while you're gone. Take care, children."
He takes Seiko in his arms and tries to go upstairs.
"Wait!"- Jared stops him- "Let me help you take her upstairs, at the very least!"
Commander Jones and Seiko look at each other, duty and loyalty conflicting in their hearts.
Fortunately, the loyalty wins. 
Commander Jones gives Seiko back to her son.
"You may take her upstairs, but be careful. She has a severe blood loss. In the meantime, I will grab some bandages from the living room."
"I'll help you out!"- John says and the two of them go to the living room.
Meanwhile, Jared takes his bleeding mother upstairs and takes her back to his bed.
Commander Jones and John soon join him, carring a lot of bandages with them.
They wrap Seiko's stomach wound up, but realize that the weapon of the orc also went through her back.
"This is more difficult than we had anticipated... "- John mutters.
However, the initial shock doesn't slow them down. They quickly bandage her back as well.
Soon, Seiko is laying in Jared's bed, her wounds wrapped up at least twice- both in the front and in the back.
"There. She'll be fine now."- The commander says to Jared.
Jared nods and holds his mother's hand.
"Mom, we'll be back soon. We will defeat those fiends and return, victorious. Hang in there!"
Seiko smiles and kisses her son's hand.
"I will, child. You hang in there as well. Whatever you do, don't get in trouble with those monsters, unless you want to destroy the portal. Good luck."
With that, Seiko closes her eyes to rest, Commander Jones by her side.
Jared and John go downstairs.
"Jared, we need to do something about this old man. What's your plan?"
Jared shakes his head.
"There's no way we can spare him. The old fiend foretold my mother's death and caused the death of my uncle. And I will make him pay for what he has done to us."
John nods.
"Indeed. But we also need to find a way to stop the portal from running."
"We will. And it all depends on us right now."
John pats Jared on the shoulder.
"Then let's be the heroes this troubled city needs."
Jared nods.
"Let us be."- He mutters.
The two of them open the front door, leave the Kaos residence and carefully close the door behind them.
They head towards the portal, blades drawn, ready to destroy the portal once and for all and slay the mysterious old man, saving the city of Paris- Jared's hometown from this new threat.
The sky is dark. Thunder booms in the distance. The future looks uncertain.
However, our heroes won't stop fighting until all of the enemies die. Or the opposite.
This is their future. Fighting for the good of everyone, no matter what happens next.
Onward!