Night Thee Hubdred And Four
Age 1992
Inside The Alleyway
"I hope I don't die from this..." And with a click Hero pressed the button on the box he had received all those years ago.
'Click...'
...
...
...
"Training Void Commencing..."
The words alarmed Hero as he stared at the box with his ruby eyes. "It spoke-"
'Sup I'm back.'
Hero had just enough time to process the words of Row as the box clicked open.
'...Did you just?'
"Was this a bad idea?" Hero asked.
The box suddenly burned red hot causing the boy to drop it as it fell to the ground. His hand burned, and as the box hit the snow, it began to bubble up the ice, sending up steam. A black fog seeped out wrapping around Hero before he could move.
'Yep...' Row sighed inside the control of the bodies mind. 'This is why I hate leaving my body in your hands...'
"Fair-"
Hero was cut off when the black smoke suddenly changed into thick iron chains. The chains wrapped around his arms and legs and before he could blink he was dragged forward right as the box opened up. In a flash of black light he suddenly vanished...
The box clicked shut, now badly burnt and falling to the ground fully...
Hero was nowhere to be seen...
Meanwhile inside of the church... Lee let out a groan as her eyes slowly opened. She stared up at the roof of the church in silence. "I'm awake."
"And not a shadowy zombie!" Kitsune announced.
Lee slowly set up and looked around only spotting Maudite, Irene, and Kitsune. "How long was I out for." She asked frowning.
"About a day by now." Kitsune hummed.
"A day!"
"Yeah." Irene nodded. "Your fever ended a while ago."
"And everyone else..."
As if on cue the door burst open as Jackson strolled in followed by Father Darvin, as well as Ken, Light, and Shelly. "Sup." The former Storm nodded his head when be noticed Lee was awake.
"You guys look like you're ready for something..." Lee noted with a frown.
Ken and the gang were dressed in thicker snow uniforms looking ready to walk through a blizzard... They had various bags of rations as well.
"Well I went looking for Hero and I found this..." Jackson said ignoring the question for now. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small black box.
"That's... That bastard opened it without me!" Kitsune yelled with wide eyes. "When I see him again I'm gonna-"
"If you see him again."
"What?" The group frowned at Jackson as he said that.
"What did Hero do..." Shelly sighed.
Jackson walked over to the table and placed the box on it. "He entered hell."
"What!"
Lee was the only one who didn't look shocked. "Hell. Heaven's Enforced Living Level." She sighed. "It's an anagram."
"You know about it." Jackson asked raising an eyebrow.
"K- I mean Gram-Gram told me." Lee folded her arms sighing again.
"Well what is it." Light asked. "Will Big Brother be okay?"
"I think."
"You think?" Jackson frowned and folding his arms. "Hell is a weapon we made a while ago. Well... More like a device to help or hinder."
"Whats that mean?" Irene questioned.
"To put it bluntly. It absorbs nearby people and stores them for a time." Jackson explained. "Dawson gave that to you kids as a last resort. Something to pull out in case you were faced with an enemy you can't beat. Hell, would absorb you and the enemies and store you for a time. There you get judged by Blue. If you're good you're kicked out. However if she views you as bad... You're put through a trial based on your level. If you pass you're said to become far stronger however you can only use that power for good. If you fail your soul is destroyed forever. If used on a villain it's a lose lose. They either die or get strong but can't use their power to hurt good people ever again. A lock of sorts is placed on them. These things are rare though. In fact I bet that was the last one."
"And the fact Hero isn't out means..."
"He's being judged." Jacksons words calmed them all down. "He'll be out soon I'm sure. I'll give him an earful. You know anything about it future girl."
Lee frowned folding her arms. "Well from what I recall he does come out later. My Gram-Gram told me he used it on himself then too."
"Did he get stronger."
"Not strong enough."
"So he didn't unlock level 2?" Jackson frowned. "Dawson gave it to Hero specifically thinking it would ascend him."
"Hero's gonna get stronger then me again!" Kitsune panicked. "I gotta go train! Irene come on!" He grabbed the ice girls hand and dragged her out the door of the church as she protested.
"He doesn't get strong enough." Lee finished.
Jacked nodded slowly. "I see... Well nothing can be done... Not when we are on this ticking clock."
"Ticking clock?"
"We're about to head out." Shelly explained.
"Finally some action." Ken said excitedly.
"Where are you heading to?" Lee asked curiously.
"This guy says there is a Bestia Macht nest nearby."
"What!"
Everyone stared at Jackson in shock, non more then Lee. "I'm gonna guess that by your expression that's not good. Is that where it happens."
"Yes."
"I see... We aren't going into the Nest. Will that be alright."
"I think so." Lee nodded. "From what Gram-Gram told me it was the third visit that it happened. The first you guys explored the outskirts. The second you went in deeper. And the third..."
"I see. That's good to know... We are planning on just giving it a look first. Me, Father Darvin, Ken, and Shelly, are gonna have a look at it."
"I'll go to-"Lee wobbled as she stood up nearly tripping over her own feet. She would have fallen on her face if Light hadn't caught her.
"No. you stay here." Jackson shook his head at the girl. "I'm smart enough to stay out of danger. Hero... Well explain the situation to him. We can handle this on our own. You need to recover. You didn't get infected but your body took a beating."
Lee looked like she was about to argue but suddenly stopped. "Yeah... You're right."
"Really? you're agreeing with me." Jackson hummed.
"Yeah."
"Huh. First time for everything..." He shook his head and folded his arms. "The plan is Darvin leads us to where we need to go. You, Light, and Kitsune, as well as Irene, all stay here and guard the City with Maudite. When Hero comes out of his time out tell him a lie. I don't want him to know where we are... I hate to say it but if I do get infected and he dies then we really are out of options... We'll need to use his Crest to jump worlds..."
"You're right." Lee sighed sitting down.
Light folded his arms and rested his back up against the wall. "I guess the plan will work as good as any other."
Jackson snorted and turned away. "Well then. We'll be off now."
They watched the man leave, Ken, Shelly, and Father Darvin following him outside. Maudite let out a bored yawn her wings growing. "I'm gonna go patrol around for a bit." She decided. "I'll see you guys later." She flew out a window leaving them alone before they could bother her. As she left she eyed a nearby cliff up. "Someone interesting showed up..." She muttered.
Light whistled quietly as he blindly walked around the room. "Hopefully big Brother gets out soon."
"Hopefully." Lee slowly stood up.
"So you're from the future right?"
"Yep."
"I had skem questions."
"They'll have to wait."
"They will-"
Light stopped when he felt her hand touch his shoulder. "Yep." Lighting exploded out of her hand shocking the boy and dropping him to the ground before he could move. Lee breathed heavily wincing. "Sorry." Slowly she strolled over grabbing the box that had pulled Hero in. "I came to save my Grampa. The human race must survive!"
***
Meanwhile...
Inside Of Hell...
"Where the hell am I!" Hero yelled.
'Was not expecting this...' Row admitted.
All around them for miles was many odd... Things... This place, where ever it might have been was bizarre and weird. The grass was a dark purple, and hurt his feet, being more metal than plant. The sky was a bright green, and there were no clouds instead hundreds of floating islands, filled with hundreds of castles and buildings.
Even the air itself was odd in whatever place he was. It was way to breath in but breathing out was hard, as if a barrier was pushing against his nose and mouth. He could also see it. It was like a liquid. A deep blue liquid making it hard to see around him. It was more like water, and he felt sluggish as he tried to move.
Most notably though were the Bestia Macht. Or at least he thought they were Bestia Macht.
There were hundreds of them all of various shapes. They all had fish like heads, some squid like, and many tentacles. They simply roamed around none seeming to attack him or even notice him for that matter.
'Don't these look like...'
"Yeah." Hero agreed with Row. "They all look like the creatures Lucy would summon... Where the hell am I?"
"This is what you get for opening the box."
"I felt like I should have done it..."
Hero folded his arms and looked around. "Well... it looks safe at least-"
Before he could finish his sentence the ground began to shake nearly knocking him over. The liquid suddenly began to flow as it took shape. Hero watched with wide eyes as a form began to be created in the water.
It was the upper body of a Woman the lower half being attached to the ground. She had a deep blue skin color, making her blend in with the water, and she was huge. So tall she was nearly the size of a mountain.
"Those boobs are huge!"
'Seriously Hero...'
Hero stopped as he stared at the woman his eyes going wide. "Wait. I know you. Lucy!"
The... Thing... Whatever it was, was shaped exactly like Lucy Case. It didn't seem to move simply staring down at him with blank eyes.
"Lucy! Why are you here? Or if you're not her, why do you look like Lucy! Or is it that Lucy looks like you?" Hero frowned.
The thing still stared in silence. Then...
In a flash its hand shot forward, far faster then you would expect from a big target. It didn't seem hindered by the water, where as Hero moved to sluggishly to dodge. In an instant a set of fingers wrapped around him and he was pulled up forced to stare into one of the eyes of the big woman.
"It's time you become a judged one." The Lucy look alike stated.
And then in a flash Hero felt his body ignite with blue flames...