Paladin Decen (Samuel Mason)
"My entire life I've always yearned for something great. But I lived in a world that already had enough greatness." - Mason
Samuel "Sam" Mason, also known by codename Blackflame is a 23 year old former college student, capable of the soul link and suffers from an ancestral curse of bad fortune. Sam lives with his roommate Toby "Tob" Rufus. After the apocalyptic events from John Crypt's arrival, Mason and Rufus team up with The Black Jason to seal the dimensional tears ravaging his world and forms Team Darkstar.
Mason's innate heroism catches the attention of Crypt after saving him from an infernal. After reaffirming his desire to help John stop Ariandal in the Champions Universe, John passes down his soul link creature to Mason, making him the second holder of Sentry, and the successor to The Black Jason.
Due to his unique way of wielding Sentry's power, John gives Sam his codename and acts as his mentor.
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Contents
Background and Origin
"The year is 2021, and mankind faces a trial straight out of a movie. Everyone is advised to evacuate and seek shelter IMMEDIATELY. Do NOT approach the sky beasts. Do NOT look back!"
- Anonymous Reporter
Pre-Apocalypse
Samuel Mason was a college student studying engineering along with his roommate Toby Rufus. Although an average student, Sam is unable to secure a job position due to his curse, and must rely on Rufus to pay the rent to their basement suite. Aspiring to join the army, Sam decides to start training his body, though slow progress demotivates him.
Jason's Arrival
On his way to the gym, Sam notices the sky opening up to multiple portals, and thousands of strange creatures flood the streets. Sam hides behind the forest and witnesses the creatures killing and injuring civilians left and right. Grabbing a tree trunk, Mason attempts to fend off the creatures from a trapped family, but is swatted away by an infernal, where he lands in a bush. Barely conscious, Sam sees a mysterious man fall an impossible distance from the sky and lands several feet away. Heavily injured and somehow alive, the man seeks refuge, and Sam takes him to his basement suite, which is in ruins. Toby freaks out believing Sam brought a homeless man to their shelter.
The next morning, Toby informs Sam that the creatures have caused damage on a global scale, and that the college has been entirely decimated. News reports reveal only 15% of the population has survived, and military forces were wiped out, outmatched in firepower against the beasts. Sam wishes to see his family to check up on them, but John advises against it, as charging into the now infernal run wasteland would be suicide. Toby is now unemployed as he states his manager was devoured by a creature with horns and weird green flames. The man tells him that the creature is an infernal, and only he is able to defeat them. The man introduces himself as John Crypt and reveals to be a mage tasked to battle the infernals from another dimension. John demonstrates Sentry's power to the boys but nearly collapses. It is revealed that Crypt is terminally ill from an infection known as the Corruption; a mysterious entity that had infected all of his friends and family in the Champions Universe. Due to the protective nature of being a Paladin remnant, the two conflicting forces caused discord in his body, and the aftereffects are slowly killing him.
The following night, John regains consciousness, and tells Sam and Tob about his adventures in Croft, along with Trinity, Wheeler, and his time in the Mage Academy, as well as its downfall. After hearing John's story, Sam is greatly engrossed and pleads John to bring him along in his final fight against Calliope. Sam tells John that he wanted a purpose in life, and that he was willing to do anything to prepare for the battle. In the condition John was, he would be in no shape to save Croft. John, reminded of how he lost his friends and allies, angrily dismisses the idea, telling him to be realistic and that a normal human without a soul link creature would not stand a chance against the New Militia. This was something he had to deal with alone. A frustrated Sam leaves the dining room and heads to his room while John leaves the hideout to patch up the city as much as he can.
Inheriting Sentry and Formation of Team Darkstar
Sam rescues John after a cleanup mission goes awry. After being asked again why he was so adamant to helping John fight the New Militia, Sam reveals his ancestral curse. Claiming he would go to any lengths to achieve greatness in his life, he fought through all the barricades his curse threw at him. Eventually convincing John to let him help, Sam inherits Sentry, and soul links with the familiar. John, despite losing his soul link, is still able to access residual dark energy from Sentry, though severely underpowered, only able to access a fraction of the power he had before.
John begins training Sam in combat, strength and conditioning. Despite excelling in combat due to his dilligence, Sam struggles in strength and conditioning due to asthma and poor genetics. Despite able to soul link, Sam is unable to draw out any of Sentry's dark energy. However, the soul link provides Sam with the iconic silver eyes, and heightened physical parameters.
During a training session, Sam struggles with marksmanship and swordplay. Tob walks in on the two and demonstrates an aptitude in the two weapons. John decides to train Tob in wielding handguns and swordplay. Jealous of Tob's progress, Sam and Tob get in an argument which escalates into a fight. Despite Tob wielding two weapons, Sam's reflexes awaken, allowing him to tap into Sentry's memories in empty-handed combat and martial arts.
During the next few months, John trains Sam in Sentry's martial arts using his Paladin's memories, and Tob in marksmanship and swordplay using his own memories.
Four months later, Sam has demonstrated an aptitude in martial arts and has begun to manifest Sentry's superhuman physical abilities equivalent to a x20 Kaiju Boost. Tob's weapon mastery improves to the point where John decides to let Sam and Tob participate in his missions to clear up the street of infernals.
Sam suggests the name "Darkstar", due to the nature of his and John's powers. Upon being asked by Toby the "Star" part of the team name, Sam replies that it sounded cool. John calls the boys dorks for suggesting such a ridiculous name, but the majority overrules his opinion.
Street Cleanup
Team Darkstar head out to the streets to defeat the infernals and soul beasts. Although manifesting Sentry's superhuman abilities and combat technique, Sam is still unable to summon Sentry's dark energy necessary to destroy the monsters. Sam is tasked to destroy the weaker monster spawn while John eliminates the monsters. John imbues a firearm from a deceased officer and hands it to Tob to lay out suppressing fire.
While cleaning up the streets, Sam separates from the group upon hearing whimpers from a building. Confident of his new abilities to escape if needed, Sam goes to investigate alone. The whimpers turn out to be from a manipulator type infernal, who attacks Sam. While able to evade the Manipulator Infernal with Sentry's reflexes, Sam is unable to deal meaningful damage. Sam is saved by Tob while John exterminates the infernal.
The First Tear
With the streets cleaned of monsters, Darkstar head to the location of a Dimensional Tear located near Sam and Tob's college campus. During the drive, Sam contemplates his usefulness in the team. Despite receiving Sentry, Sam was still dependent on his teammates. Disgusted and angry at himself, Sam considers talking to Jason to return Sentry and give up on his dream to become a hero. Sam suddenly experiences a vision of Sentry's Paladin. The Paladin went by the name of Decen, the Paladin of War. Sam watches as Decen and an unknown female accomplice battle a towering opponent. As they fight, they are overwhelmed by the opponent's strength when Decen summons Sentry to fight on his behalf. Sentry unsheathes two katanas, igniting it with a black flame, and engages the opponent. The fight is short but enough for Sam to witness Sentry displaying his incredible technique. With the opponent retreating, Sentry turns to Sam and looks him in the eye. Its white orbs for eyes grow brighter until Sam wakes up from the vision. Sam decides to keep the vision to himself as he is unaware of what it could mean.
As Darkstar approaches the tear, infernals and soul beasts swarm the campus. John commands the boys to assist him as he clears the area. Due to his condition, John is unable to seal the tear himself. John channels all of his energy into Tob's firearm, and with one powerful blast, Tob destroys the perimeter of the tear, sealing it. John collapses and Darkstar is forced to stop and recover.
Bothered by what he saw during the ride, Sam is unable to resist any longer and tells John about his vision. John is deeply troubled by Sam's development as he had never experienced visions from Decen's past, especially that particular memory. John tells Sam to record what he sees should a vision happen again.
The Twin Tears
Darkstar approaches their next two tears, a conjoined tear leading to a large influx of soul beasts. John and Tob attempt to fight off the beasts but due to John's illness, Tob is forced to single handedly hold off the monsters. Sam attempts to intervene but is unsure what to do. Tob is bit by an infection type soul beast, but is rescued by John.
Sam, panicking, scared, and angry at his powerlessness experiences another vision. Unlike his previous vision, Sam appears in a dark world, covered in black flames. Towering over him is the spirit of Sentry, who looms over the boy. Sentry asks Sam if he wants the power to stop the beasts from hurting his friends, which Sam agrees. Sentry responds that the secret to unleashing his power for the first time is dependent on the person. How to unleash the power depends on the user, in John's case, it was through calamity and a focused mind. This was because the sudden change in emotion led to a huge psychological shift, allowing his body to subconsciously call upon the power a a defense mechanism. Sam must find his own way, and by doing so, his fighting style and use of Sentry's power would diverge from the way John used the power.
Sam awakens in a medical bed in a shelter, with Tob looking below with a concerned look. Tob fills Sam in on the details. Apparently Sam had a blackout, and collapsed. Just as John was about to give one last stand against the monsters, they were rescued by a young woman named Amana Cross. John and Amana went to another room to talk while Sam and Tob were placed in a room to recover. Sam overhears Amana scolding John for putting two kids in danger's path, while John shoots back that she is not one to talk due to the nature of her powers. Sam loses consciousness.
Amana Cross joins Darkstar
Upon regaining consciousness, Sam is tended by Amana. Tob is taken aback by Amana's attractiveness but allows her to provide treatment to his bite wound. Amana introduces herself as a survivor of the apocalypse, who wields the power of an infernal after it tried to take her life. Amana tells Sam and Tob that John is in no condition to lead a cleanup party, and that she would take command. John suddenly appears in the room and argues with Amana, telling her she just met the boys and is in no position to make demands. The two argue and eventually agree to be co-partners. Amana's familiarity with the city and versatile infernal powers prove useful to the team, and Amana seeks revenge on the creatures that had slain her family over the months of apocalypse. Amana gives herself the codename "Fox" and assists Darkstar out of the city to deal with the Twin Tears properly.
The team return to the site of the tears, now overrun with even more monsters. Amana orders Tob to provide suppressing fire, and Sam to distract the melee types. John and Amana work together to seal the portal. John infuses Kronus with Sentry's energy residue, and hands it to Amana, who grabs it with a flaming red fox tail. Amana swipes at the tears, sealing it with incredible force. The duo return to the battle site and clear the remaining monsters. Amana compliments John for his combat prowess despite being a "cripple". John grunts at the remark.
Amana checks on Tob's wound, causing him to blush. Darkstar return to their Sam's hideout, with Amana now part of their ranks.
Supply Run
Two months pass, and Darkstar is low on food supplies. Amana and Sam volunteer to go on a supply run to restock. Tob and John remain in the hideout for patrol. While on their way to a potential supply bandit hideout, Amana asks Sam if he and John are related. Sam responds that he isn't, but sees John as an older brother and mentor figure. Amused, Amana offers to be his older sister figure and mentor figure, causing Sam's ears to go red.
Sam distracts the bandits while Amana carries the supplies to the van. Amana is impressed by Sam's reflexes and combat technique, remarking that his chops bear similarity to a samurai. Upon hearing the word, Sam experiences another vision. Sentry appears before him, with two katanas unsheathed, and Sam gets a good look of Sentry's body. Spikes line Sentry's arms, demonic in appearance, but what appears to be samurai plating along his shoulders, hips, and knees. Just as Sentry is about to turn to Sam to show his face, Sam exits the vision to a very concerned looking Amana. Sam confesses to Amana that he is soul linked to some samurai monster, and that his abilities belong to Sentry. Amana reassures Sam not to worry about anything, as she herself is also connected to a monster.
The duo return to the hideout with a van full of supplies. John plans to raid an infernal base to seal the last tear. Amana assists him.
Sentient Infernal
During a cleanup mission, Darkstar find themselves rescuing survivors from a group of infernals. Sam and Toby escort the survivors to a getaway van, while John and Amana eliminate the group. However, one of the infernals appears different from the rest, and outmatches both fighters. The infernal mocks John for being a disgrace to the mages, and reveals that John's long time friend, Calliope Ariandal, had become converted into an Avatar, a half mage half infernal hybrid. Enraged, John ignores his Corruption poisoning and tries to charge the infernal, but is restrained by Amana. The Sentient Infernal tells John that the war with the mage survivors will end soon, and that the Age of Ash is inevitable. Upon seeing Amana, the infernal offers her a position among his ranks, which she turns down. The infernal engages Amana in combat.
Sam and Toby attempt to intervene, but Amana keeps them back with a wall of red flames. Amana declares that she will never join the monsters who slaughtered her family, and charges the infernal head on. The infernal outmatches Amana in combat. Just as the infernal is about to deal its finishing blow, John jumps in and rescues her. John tells the infernal that to get to her he would need to get through him first. John goes beyond his limits and charges a Kaiju Boost x1000, and eliminates the infernal with a single Citybreaker Slash with Kronus.
The force of the Citybreaker slash causes the entire environment to collapse, and Darkstar must evacuate the area. John picks up Amana and orders the boys to the van. Amana asks John why he is so protective of someone he barely knows. John responds that everybody deserves a second chance. John failed Calliope that day because he let his bitterness take over and didn't even try to understand her heartbreak before engaging in battle. If it hadn't been for his closed mind, he could have prevented all of this. Amana tells John that the only way to recover is to move forward, and that she is willing to move forward with him if he would like. John and Amana's relationship become strengthened.
Sam looks at the remains of the Sentient Infernal as Darkstar drives off to seal the final tear.
