Night Two Hundred And Eighty One
Age 1992
The Destroyed City Of Chrysanthemum...
'This is what happened last time. Row vanished and stopped responding for a while as he was dealing with something... If thats the case and he's dealing with something it must be in the Void... So... Who the hell is in the Void that would have gotten his attention... Damn it I'm screwed-'
'Not exactly...' A sly feminine voice whispered in Hero's ear catching him off guard as he stumbled.
"You seem distracted." Jester announced firing forward and slamming her clawed arm forward. Hero jumped into the air dodging the attack and landing on her arm. Before he could even move though the tendrils of the creature slammed into his stomach making him spit out a glob of blood as he was slammed into the ground. "Bad move." Jester mused spinning around and slamming her leg forward in a kick that slammed into Hero's head sending him tumbling down the street.
'D... Damn it. That voice distracted me. Who the hell was that-'
The Bestia Macht, or Hide, as it was actually called, let out a loud roar as its body began to bubble up and its thorns began to snap off of it. Before it could hit the ground though a pair of long slender legs formed out of it allowing it to catch itself and stand. Its hands then moved to its face and clawed as it as it sliced its face open yellow golden like blood pouring out as a pair of silver eyes formed as well as a nose and ears. The Bestia Macht let out more loud cawing and roaring sounds grabbing its stomach.
"W... What the hell?" Hero asked.
Jester stared at it as well a frown on her face. "My... It seems to have really changed hasn't it. I think I get it. Evolving to fast are you."
'She's wrong.' The female voice said again catching Hero off guard once more. 'Its mastered its evolution. Its not doing it at random. It has one wish. It wants to be the thing it was made to kill. The Bestia Macht is becoming more human like with every change.'
"Who the hell are you-"
'Dodge.'
"What-"
Hero slammed into by the Bestia Macht which blasted forward grabbing his metal arm with its teeth and pulling back as it ripped his entire arm clean off making Hero's eyes go wide as he gritted his teeth. Hero ignored the loss of his arm even as a fountain of blood gushed out, as he jumped into the air spinning around and slicing out with his sword. The Bestia Macht grabbed his severed arm and swung out with it shattering his sword.
"Damn it really-" In a second motion it slammed the arm into Hero sending him flying across the street as he slammed into some rubble blood gushing out of Hero. "D... Damn it... My was ripped clean off and my bones feel like they've shattered... I don't feel so good."
"You're doing better than I thought." Jester mused as she stood next to her monster. "Thats enough though we don't have to kill him-" She ducked down as the beast swiped at her, making the woman frown. "Did you just attempt to attack me?"
Hide stared at her with a pair of glowing yellow eyes as a low growl came out of it making the womans frown grow larger. Then it turned back to Hero and began to walk forward.
'Looks like we're out of options.' The voice sighed.
"I'm kind of lost weird voice."
'Don't be. Just know I'm taking over now.'
"What-" Hero's body was suddenly wrapped up in a blanket of darkness which seemed to form into the outline of a large squid for a brief moment catching Jester and Hide off guard.
"What is this..." Jester frowned. "This isn't Row... Who the hell is coming out-"
In a large crack the egg began to hatch and break as a form began to slowly crawl out of it. It wasn't Hero. This wasn't like a possession either. It was almost impossible to guess what happened in that darkness. Standing out of it though was a young sixteen year old girl with snow white hair and ruby red eyes. She was missing an arm much like Hero was, and she was in his torn up clothing and injured just as much as he had been. It was like Hero's gender just reversed and yet...
It was clear this wasn't Hero...
"Hmm..." The girl hummed staring at herself in the mirror. "The change didn't get rid of all his features. How odd."
"Who the hell are you."
"Me." The girl turned giving a sly smile as the darkness began to form into many black tendrils. "Oh. I'm Eve. Hello."
Everything around them was destroyed.
All the buildings in ruins as the girl stood there.
The Jester felt a scowl cross onto her face. "Eve... Is that name supposed to mean something? Because it doesn't."
"I suppose it wouldn't. After all only my mother and Row know I exist."
"Row!?" Jester asked her eyes widening.
"Oh. Not your Row. Rather I mean the first Row."
"...The... First Row?" Jester frowned.
"Row Storm." Eve hummed. She walked forward slowly grabbing her missing arm and picking it up. She placed it at her elbow as steam exploded out and the placed the limb back on making Jester even more shocked. "There... Now when I give this body back Hero will have his arm back. Can't have him losing this Equation. After all he can't make anymore of them so he needs to take better care of this one. For 'his' sake at least..."
Jester's frown formed tighter on her face. "Okay... Who the hell are you exactly... Instant healing able to replace lost limbs... On top of that... That body was Hero's wasn't it... But your a girl?"
"Oh. Think nothing of this." She smiled cocking her head to the side. "I just broke his body down cell by cell and then rearranged it in my form. I'll put everything back the way it was when I'm done with him though so don't worry."
"...So... Let me get this straight... You're not out to take his body."
"Of course not. If I wanted to do that I could just take it. After all him and that brat are nothing compared to me and my Master." Eve grinned.
"Brat..." The Jesters scowl grew larger as her right arm changed back into its human form. She began to slowly walk towards the strange girl now. "By Brat. You don't happen to be talking about my son Row do you... Because you should know I won't let you live for making a foolish mistake like that."
"Oh? Who else would I be talking about. After all. Are there any other failures within Hero's head-"
"Hide!" Jester yelled her eyes filling with rage as she glared at the smiling girl. "Kill this bitch."
Hide, the strange tree Bestia Macht let out a loud roar as its back split open and it involved again more tree branches, vines, and roots, forming out of it as the thing ripped its way out of the ground and began to rip its way toward the girl. It opened its mouth up as wide as it would go a beam of black energy blasting out.
Eve jumped to the side dodging the fast paced attack by the hair of her teeth. A crazed grin seemed to form on her face for a moment as a black aura began to bubble out of her flesh and a large tendril that resembled a squids arm, formed out of her back, made out of that dark evil feeling energy. The tendril grew larger and larger spikes growing out of it as it fired forward so fast it ripped the very ground in front of her apart as the thing blasted off like some kind of gun plowing its way to Hide.
The Bestia Macht gave a scared look for a moment likely feeling fear for the first time in its life as it raised its arms up in time to block the strike.
It wasn't a battle though.
In a single blast the poor creature was sent flying through the city slamming through the wall around it and was launched away for miles likely crashing somewhere far, far away.
The Jester stood on a hill of rubble having watched the short lived battle as she reached into her right hand and pulled her Equation out, blood gushing out of the wound but she didn't seem to mind.
"Seriously." Jester sighed. "That weaklings already dead. Get real. Talk about useless."
"Hmm." Eve cocked her head to the side staring at Jester. "You don't seem to shocked?" She noted.
"Of course not." The Jester snorted taking her mask off and dropping it down as she gave a wide and insane grin. "If thats really the best you can manage then you're just nothing. I can easily slaughter you at any pace I feel like. Don't think you're tough shit just because you managed to kill my little pet project. My son Row is a few million of times grander than you'll ever be. Hell. Even that pathetic dream Hero Law can do far more than you'll ever manage." She said her grin growing.
"Really? Oh. Now you're getting me excited." Eve hummed jumping up and meeting Jester on the hill she stood on now. "Maybe this is another side effect of being within his body but.... My cells are all pumped up and ready for a battle. Every inch of me wants to beat you here and now. Maybe you'll even get me to go all out."
"Thats my line." Jester sighed holding the Equation she ripped out of herself up. "Before I kill you though... I need to ask some things."
"Oh?"
"Really just two... The first thing was... You mentioned the first Row... What the hell are you talking about."
"Oh? I suppose you wouldn't know." Eve hummed rubbing her chin. "Its a little hard to explain so I'm sure it'd go over your head."
"Try me..."
"Okay then. Try to follow along..." Eve grinned giving a smug smirk. "Well to start... It all has to do with the very first being that ever existed. The first Orion of Earth One. This Orion is the first God and with his Equation, the True Heart Of The Universe, he managed to create every other world. But... More importantly he made the Forces... I'm sure you know of one such force. The Hero Force is within you after all. The Hero Force is in every universe. And it basically binds all Hero's together. They're all linked through some form or another. And they can call on this force to boost themselves more and more by borrowing from other Hero's. It also allows a Hero with the Balance Crest to hijack it to an extent and give his death to another Hero from another universe. This force is what will lead to a Hero either saving their universe or foolishly ending it. From what I know only one Hero, Hero Vil from Earth One, has managed to save his world from the Squid managing to get the Squid to leave his world alone. Hero Vil is the first ever Hero. He was the one that created the Hero Force as a way to form a bond with every other of his kind. Despite being from the first world and saving his universe though all other Hero's have seemingly failed or turned to the dark side. You're a prime example of that aren't you?"
"Bite me you smug bitch." Jester sighed. "So. What the hell does any of that have to do with Row, or the First Row. Oh. And if you're wasting my time I swear I'll give you a slow and painful death so bad you'll view your descent into hell as a mercy and thank the devil himself for claiming your soul."
"Dark... No need to do anything rash. I was getting to it I swear." Eve hummed her smile growing as she stared at the Jester. "I'm sure your pretty little head already managed to figure it out though. If there was a first Hero there must be a first Row right? That is true. However. Sadly there is no Row force. In fact there are only two Rows that exist at any time within all the Universes from what I've seen."
"What?"
"A Hero has a simple task. Save the universe or fail... Row though. There has only been one more before this new one. He had another job. You see... The first Row... His name was Row Storm. Though you know him better as Master of The Enforcers." Eve announced shocking Jester with her words. "A Hero is going to fail in the end and get their universe destroyed. Well in that case it is the Job of a Row to one day move to another universe and begin the game of chess all over again putting events in motion."
"H... Hang on. You could be wrong right? I mean thats only happened once-"
"Wrong." Eve's grin grew larger. "See. I never said there were only two Rows. I said there could only ever be two Rows. Its happened again and again. Just as a Hero has failed to save their universe in every world a Row will hop into a new world. That Row then starts up the Enforcers and will then one day have himself killed by the Row of this new Universe which he helps to make placing himself into them. That new Row will then swap universes where they will then start up the Enforcers and then one day lead to the creation of a new Row who will then one day kill them and swap universes. Again and again and again and again. You don't have any idea how many times this same event has happened over and over again."
"S... Seriously... S... So you're saying."
"Thats right. The Fate of your son has already been decided. He's going to kill Master Storm. Afterwards he'll swap universe and wind up in the past and create the new Enforcers. Then he'll get himself killed at the hands of another Row. All in one big game of chess trying to win an impossible match. What they simply fail to realize is that this game has been stacked against them from the start."
Jesters scowl formed back before it slowly vanished and a smirk came onto her face. "Well then. I guess I'll be playing a risky game."
"Huh?"
"I'm betting all my cards that this cycle is broken here and now then." She annnounced.
This time it was Eve's turn to frown. "I guess. You're an idiot."
"Maybe. Even so... I had a second question."
"Oh? And what is it."
"Tell me..." Hero placed her Equation at her lips. "Do you know what a Dragon is?" She asked as she swallowed the Equation...
The real fight was about to begin.