In December of 2536, the Protectors faced their biggest challenge yet. Not sexuality, not trauma, all of those were roots. Roots from the tree of regret that needed to be plucked that'd branched and infested all of them like a virus. Doubt, anger, self-hatred, all of those tied into the Kingdom's manipulation so they'd be able to be rid of the annoyance the Protectors represented to them all. Right now, the Fool defied the so-called superiority that the Superior thought he held over everyone in his feeble existence, by yelling out to him, the Demon King beside him, and The Empress seated on her Throne behind her brother and Morningstar,
"I'll face myself!" Irritated by this display of rebellion, the Superior's wings pushed out the wind around them, gliding into the air. He would not engage in a useless battle with his past self, it seemed gratuitous to do something that he was sure would lead to his inevitable demise. Two of the Protectors went after the Demon Prince of Hell, his daughter and first creation, Artemis Rivera, and Ben Rivera, his other self he'd attempted to manipulate. Their figures zooming through the open ceiling of the Castle, jets, and wind pushing them ever so further to being able to catch the Superior.
In front of the Throne where The Empress idly sat on her ass. Watching her brother disappear through the top of their lair, the Demon Ruler of the Underworld giggled maniacally, flicking his fingers back for his other self, the Justice, to fall in a rift crackling with Takyr energy. Without delay, the Priestess followed her fellow speedster comrade into this gateway between spaces, all that was left was The Empress facing her younger self, the Smoldering Chariot, and the Magician of Ice,
"Occidere eos," The Ruler demanded, speaking Latin to an unknown force, like a demand to whoever she was conversing with. Out of nowhere, Madi caught a leg aiming at the side of her head, violet aura radiating brighter than ever. A burst of plasma energy hit Madisyn Rivera in the chest, pushing the 18-year-old teenager into an opened rift in time that snapped into existence behind her. H'xler's leg was let go of, The Empress' figure evaporating from the space she previously existed in on her Throne, for the subordinate of her rule to flip backward dodging the two attacks of ice and fire together. The battle between the Kingdom and the Protectors had begun.
July 21st, 2013. BANG! The bullet went as it flew through the skull of the monster, officers of the law firing their weapons at their supernatural enemies. But, it wasn't just everyday policemen fighting against these creatures, of course. Alongside the hooded Outcast, who watched the carnage from a blocked window inside an apartment, there was the one who represented the Lovers Arcana. Cecilia Marie Lane, away from the eyes of the civilians and law, had pushed a piece of debris from the wall to the right of her into the sizzling flesh of a monstrous nightmare taken form. It grew in length, expanding in size to destroy the heart of Hell's minion, ensuring the being's natural state was destroyed in a sphere of blood and guts. Intestines flying to the height above her head, they fell toward the Earth, gravity taking ahold of one of the stringy guts that emerged from the insides of this demon.
While it was flailing about, chilly night summer air making it flap in the wind, a sharpened rock made of the Earth's interior minerals shot out. To enter the left eye of one of the demons, exiting through the rear of its head, that spike entered the ground, engraving a dent on the cement sidewalk behind her. Lucky her, she was only limited to having to deal with two demons, running her tanned fingers through her brunette hair, she ran the opposite direction. To find her best friend-Charlie Kyles.
Back in December of 2536, the Superior's wings manipulated the atmosphere around him, using it as a sort of board to slide on. He had to do something, something fantastic and especially intelligent if he was to survive this encounter with these two insignificant imbeciles. Then, he remembered, if he could get to his old building, he could get the disable switch for Artemis' current body. That would only leave Rivera to deal with and murder, turning around, he glided through the sky backward. Pulses of superheated plasma beyond normal proportions flying past his head, curving the energy bolts to head the opposite direction, he taunted his first daughter and past self gaining on him,
"If you want to catch me, you'll have to try better than that. Especially since right now, you look like a bunch of fucking AMATEURS!! HAHAHA!" Grunting, his knees took the front hit upon hitting the rubble-cluttered ground below him, a sharpened, elongated nail spinning to hit the Fool in the center of his forehead. Sending the teenager tumbling out of the clouds, losing his composure and balance upon the air he so easily manipulated. Concerned for her current master's safety, Artie turned to her left, about to chase after him in worry before her arm was cut by the bleeding edge of his ax. That blood lustful aura surrounding his mass, he longed to see her metal skeleton under that convincing skin she called her own. Palms stretching out, the ax was recalled to him, with Artemis on it, she transformed her arm into a rocket launcher. The weapon he owned spun out of her limb, slicing her right arm off of her side, electricity sparking out of the wound, she gawked into his emotionless eyes. No remorse, just the pathetic retinas he deemed his own. Before she could even retaliate, she felt IT.
The so beautiful pain, the release of death that she had been waiting for so agonizingly for. Smirking, the oil the A.I. held disgustingly inside of her manufactured decaying corpse came out onto her Father's face, staring into his ruby pupils. This was no longer the man who had created her so long ago, but then- she couldn't help but set her evaporating palm on her Creator's cheek. With all of the strength she could muster, Artemis Rivera looked into the bleeding ruby eyes of her former Creator, and gave him a weak smile. What else would a man do? Losing a child- KILLING his child for the sake of his selfish gain, tears fell from the edge of his eyelids, her body collapsed onto the floor. The program she had designed to follow for the sum of her full life- to vanquish evil, given to her by the Superior... Ben Rivera, all those centuries ago.
"Good...bye..." The last words she ever said to her Father, long corrupted by the selfish intentions that the Author held for Humanity, and His influence on the innocence of Madisyn Rivera- The Empress, were those. To ensure he knew, after all these years, all this time, for centuries-
"I love you... Father," Her body disintegrated in a vast abundance of ash, that hovered into the air. Programming destroying, all it took was one touch. A singular touch, to destroy the daughter he'd been working for centuries to perfect, his cold breath entered the atmosphere, gasping for the air he sought. Overwhelmed by this wealth of emotions he was experiencing, the Superior collapsed onto his knees, howling out to the World in hatred.
"You- goddamn fucking asshole!" The Fool screamed out, veins popping out through his neck, the holes in his eyes heating to an exponential extreme. The Superior held some regret for his actions? What a pathetic joke, Rivera couldn't help himself, letting himself loose, the chains of his heart shattered into pieces. Two miniature bars of heat blasted out from the crevices in his face, using his body heat to convert it into laser energy, the Demon Prince had to act quickly. An invisible barrier set itself up, the energy of the laser so severe and heated that it felt like it would backfire and hit his face. Reeling back, he moved his hair out of the way, gritting his teeth. Though he had acted quick enough, it was still visible, a singular drop of blood dripped from the side of the Superior's trench coat. A straight burn mark through his gut, not hitting any vital organs, the Prince of Hell growled in irritation. The wound treated it magically, skin reattaching itself to one another while the burnt skin froze over. Like nothing had ever happened. But the Fool remained persistent, that blue and violet aura surrounding his mass, ready for this final bout of strength against his other-self. He wouldn't back down or easily be beaten like before,
"You're alone, asshole, no Ryder, no demons around, no brother, no Empress... just me and you," Veins popping out of his neck, the future version of the Superior bit down on his bottom lip, fangs digging into his mouth. Blood forming in a straight line dripping onto his chin, there would be no more games, he had to do this.
"Wouldn't have it any other way," Determined to be rid of his weaker past, the two enemies began their fight. Staring down the other in the eye, feeling the energy coursing through the veins of the other, hearing that pulsing crackling audio that emitted from their bones. Infuriated by his existence, the Superior threw the first attack, intending to charge and tackle his other self to the rubble-covered floor. Instead, the Fool dodged this, as time began to halt around him- the Superior's signature abnormal air-manipulating wings popped out of his back. Using the sharpened edges, he spun himself around, pointing his right index finger. Only having a limited time to move in this World of stopped time, the Superior unleashed a burst of Takyr force from the depths of his blood, morphed into destructive seeable power. Of course, obeying the laws of this stopped Universe, this unusual energy skid to a stop in the middle of the disgusting air. Filled with the stench of burnt flesh.
Reaching his palm into the air, the Superior planned his counterattack to the Fool's eventual blow, with all of his might, positioning the limbs connected to the sides of his chest to be pushed to the floor. Rivera slammed his hand toward the front of his enemy, ready to tear through flesh and skin, screaming out to the time in the Universe he'd held,
"TIME SHALL RESUME! NOW, DIE, AND LIVE WITH THE TRAUMA THAT A 16 YEAR-" Time did begin to move once more- except... it wasn't to the teenage superhuman's liking, unfortunately. Resuming its natural flow, the flat palms of the Superior's limbs pushed against a clear spot on the concrete floor. Facing the ashed ground for but a moment, the retinas of the Demon Prince lit up to an exponential heat, ready to blast through his skin. And destroy whatever remained of him.
"DIE!!!!!!" To his surprise, Ben's attack had missed, left with the Superior escaping his physical attack range and his 'future' self blasting the same laser beams that he'd done moments preceding this decision. It all happened so quickly, first, the Fool had to get his whole palm out of the ground, so, he did. It was easy! As the teleportation energy took him out of the Earth's dimension for about 2 seconds, the Superior lost control of the heat discharging from his face. Emerging from the radiating brightness that the appearance of himself created from that other dimension, Ben was immediately hit in the eyes by that energy blast. Screaming out in anguish, the wounds in his eyeballs were cauterized, no gore leaking from this blow that the Superior had unintentionally dealt.
"MOTHERFUCKER!" Swatting at where he last remembered the Superior, the half-blood Prince decided to take this opportunity for himself. Although it was pretty dirty for him to do this, who gave a shit? This was his chance to get revenge for his slaughtered family, the final obstacle in his way that would be VANQUISHED FROM THIS PLANET!
"How pathetic," Pain. That is the one thing that Ben would remember vividly that night. Not just in his eyes- but everywhere. The Superior was relentless in his goal, bringing the teenager by the back of his brunet mop of hair to meet his bare knee. Crack! The Fool's nose went, snapping to the left, blood spewing out of his right nostril, the next attacks seemed to go on forever. Like they'd never stop, if there would be one way to describe this horrible experience, right from the brain of Ben Rivera himself... it didn't even match what would come later. Right hook, left hook, both cheekbones fracturing, broken right knee coming from the kick that came from the Superior's leg. Multiple fractured ribs, then, finally, there would that release from Purgatory. At that moment, hearing the final snap that his spine let out, the 16-year-old thought to himself, ~Finally free...~ If Heaven did exist, he'd see his mother there, knowing she'd eventually pass. But with that knowledge, knowing he'd die here, at this exact moment, and wouldn't be able to see his mother's beautiful face before she'd lose her will... he was already dead. Waiting for the final blow, through his destroyed vision- he saw the intact face of his opponent.
Towering over him, holding that illuminated crimson ax, the concept of 'mercy' unknown to his primitive corrupted mind... ready to execute. Fingers gripping the handle, the Executioner smirked at the defeated Fool, skin turning inside out and revealing only his fleshy blood-like interior. All he could say to his other self was,
"Good riddance..."
Snap! Jason's back cracked on the brick-laced skyscraper, the roof he'd landed on- he recognized this location, turning his head, this was... Matt's hometown. Rolling beside him, Ella transformed her fingers into fists, elongated razors made of sharpened electromagnetism popped out of her knuckles. The rift that had dropped them still hovering in the atmosphere, seemed the same, the blonde determining she had a few more seconds before that asshole attacked them.
"Get up, Jason, we gotta--" Turning her back for half of a second, her guard was down, this was the moment Lucifer was waiting for, appearing from a Pentagram. The prongs of his Satanic trident dug into her shoulder. Jason, still sitting on his ass, knew he had to something, then, he realized- the moon was creating a small shadow of the Demon King behind him. Pupils transforming to all dark, the umbra belonging to Morningstar gave itself form. Wrapping its shaded fingers around the whitened locks of the Demon, it pulled the prongs out of the Priestess' joint, launching Morningstar across the top of this random scraper.
"Shit- Ellie, you okay? I don't wanna do any more fuckin' work. I mean, if this asshole is me, how am I supposed to defeat him?"
"Ugh... you're so annoying. He's older than anything, he doesn't have the mind of Jason Rivera. He has the mind of Lucifer but is using your future self's body, duh," Ella reminded, to which Jay just widened his eyes, gaping his mouth open, the Priestess shaking her head. ~Is this idiot seriously acting like this while we're about to die? Jesus, fuck-~ She thought, but, in their short second of having time amongst one another, she realized something. Or better yet, made something.
"Got a plan,"
One, two, three. That's how many kicks that the shadow of Lucifer Morningstar threw at the other's body. And although he enjoyed the pain he was enduring, especially on his chest, where most of the kicks were targeted, enough was enough. He knew his goal, and that was to eradicate these pathetic children once and for all. Especially the one that called himself 'Jason Rivera'. He destroyed the other who called himself that, how pathetic he was. So, with the moment he had, the Demon King forced his fist through the transparent black chest of his shadow. As easy as pie, the Cannibal's darkness returned to being cast behind him, now, he could see where Jay and Ella were. To his surprise- they had fleed.
Stepping to the edge where the duo of friends was previously, Lucifer cracked his fingers just by stretching them out into the cold winter North Dakota air. ~Maybe these fucking tiny brats are trying to hide from me... isn't that sad~ To his excitement, there WAS someone as he looked over the edge of the roof, the speedster Ella was moving rapidly, creating a trail of fire underneath her feet. The glass she was running on shattering, fist connecting with the jaw of this so-called Demon, sending him into the air. The trident he'd manifested with his left-hand slipping out of his appendages' grip, a distant Tink! audible from it hitting the floor. With his short time suspended in the air, Jason Rivera appeared from a red streak creating distortions of himself for but a moment. Smirking in the face of his pathetic other self, the Justice slid out the blade wielded by a warrior that transcended time and space. Although his name was unknown to Rivera, that didn't matter, as long as he could use it, THAT WAS ALL THAT MATTERED.
"KETSUEKI! OBEY MY COMMAND!!" The 18-year-old cried out, confident in his power, his feet pushed the Morningstar through the clouds. Causing his figure to soar through the air, the sides of half-destroyed buildings collapsing on him before he continued his destined flight. Although he had been attacked, that didn't mean they had the upper hand on him! It mattered not, HE WAS THE RULER OF HELL! AND HE WOULD NOT BE DEFEATED LIKE SOME PATHETIC MINION!
Lucifer could see her, feet pushing repeatedly against the cracked deck, determined to destroy her right then and there, he... caught her fist. Snapping her fingers, he backhanded her to the floor and watched as she bled from her nostrils. Cackling, he kicked her in the gut, the sound of her ribs shattering entering his ears. Biting his bottom lip, he felt the blood draw due to his sharp left front fang, kneeling to see the consciousness fading from her body. Her arms and legs sprawled out, he groaned in annoyance, tying her golden straight tresses, pulling her side of the face from the road.
"DON'T FALL ASLEEP NOW! WE'RE JUST STARTING TO HAVE SOME FUN, YOU LITTLE BITCH... Ngh. Huh..?" In the middle of his screaming, attempting to awaken Ella from her descent into the tempting concept of unconsciousness felt something. Something that stung, although not much to damage him- it still hurt for a second. That was when he realized, touching the bite marks left by vampire tusks, he had been bitten. Distracted by the snack El represented, bleeding out from the holes in her appearance beneath him, he had been blind sighted by his so-called 'other self'. The final apparition that had appeared from his enhanced speed evaporated the former Vigilante of the night cackling maniacally. As if he could feel his former sanity drifting away from the depths of his mind as every new second came and went- this amazing experience..!
"THIS IS EXACTLY... WHAT I FUCKIN' NEEDED!" There was no time! Lucifer was met by a volley of blows, all aimed at his chest, knowing that would be where he'd feel that stinging sensation most of all. His arms moving beyond the speed of sound, a sonic boom was created, shattering the remainders of the glass skylights that still stood intact. Screeching out with all of the pain he held within his soul, vocal cords stretching out thanks to the intensity of the scream,
"DIE, DIE, DIE! YOU PIECE OF FUCKING TRASH, I'LL RIP YOU TO PIECES!!!!!!!!" One final stroke, knuckles meeting the side of the Demon King's face, feet pushing him ahead at a rapid pace. Snaaappp! His jaw unlocked itself from being attached to the upper half of Morningstar's mouth, and along with that- the body of Jason Rivera inhabited by this otherworldly demon launched backward. Panting with the loss of his breath, he felt the sweat and drops of blood running down his forehead. Bouncing up on his feet, he turned to his partner, conveniently, Ella hadn't been touched by his fracturing of the sound barrier. Slowly, she healed, the snapped nostrils of the girl gradually returning to their natural form.
"Thank fuck... now-" His head spun, seeing the hole he'd created, sending Lucifer's body in the skyscraper they'd all been dueling behind. No doubt he survived that, if that was his older self's body, with the vampire and demonic serum coursing through him- nothing he'd throw would work. Not unless he had some stupid wood sword, but even then, you'd need to aim for the heart, or better yet- the brain.
"What to do with your motherfuckin' sorry ass..." Then it hit him, there was a portal- back in the destroyed New York, a portal to Hell. Though he didn't know the exact coordinates, he could always trick this asshole into heading back there. And he knew the perfect way to do so. Kneeling, he lifted the blonde speedster from the rubble-littered floor into his arms, squeezing his grip on her. If he let go, this whole division he'd orchestrated goes to waste... and he'd have her death on his conscience, but that wasn't important.
"Catch me if you can, DICKFACE!!" As soon as his feet drove him down the other side of the road, what he foresaw came to pass. The Ruler of Hell, his arms broken, same with his spine, engraved into the front of a building, heard that sound... the echoing of Jason's voice. Taunting HIM? How despicable, how pathetic- and what a deathwish. Morningstar was gaining on them, able to match the same pace that Rivera was traveling at, feet creating a trail of blazing hot heat... now bare feet.
"Shit, shit, shit... alright, Ellie- HOLD THE FUCK ON!!" He was improvising, so to speak, drifting to the right, buildings crumbling as the Sadistic Cannibal charged through them. Charged through human bodies, without remorse, now, they were in Montana, one of the few states where the Kingdom hadn't invaded. Right then and there, he burst through a mother's chest, mass destroyed instantaneously, Lucifer held no sense of regret. His tongue swirled to his left shoulder, lifting the torn-off ear that was left of her shattered remains.
The chase continued, at this point, Jay passed through the top of Idaho for but a second, destroying the road with a single step. Then, crossing into the territory of Washington State. With the amount of debris, bits of damaged houses scattered randomly on the floor, the oldest Rivera triplet leaped. Muttering to himself, inspiring his heart, motivating his figure to move quicker with every block destroyed,
"Come on, come on, I can do this. Think of Mom... c'mon," The moment before he took that leap, that was what he thought. Soaring through the bloody air, his feet engraved into the libation of the apartment. Shards breaking off, the sonic boom manifested from his leaping off the top sending Lucifer flying toward the ground. Tumbling across the pavement shaded road, he spat out blood onto the floor, clasping the sides of his jaw snapping it together once more.
The chase continued to New York.
The battle between The Empress of the Kingdom and the Empress of the Stars had already begun. The older future self of the teenage girl had been discharging beams of ionized temperature at Madisyn, violet aura brightening. Rapidly beginning to get infuriated, Why wasn't she already dead? Then it hit her, The Empress was being distracted by her... other-self. That voice, whoever He may be, instructing her of what to do in this fight. Continue shooting at this stupid whore when all she's doing is easily teleporting out of her range, planning her next attack?
"MUDANA! (無駄な!)" The tyrant of this Empire cried, in that instant where Madi revealed her presence out of that other realm, The Empress launched herself forward. Shing! All it took was a quick second, the tip of the metal was pushed into the gut of the young Rivera. Blood leaked out from the opening in her chest, gasping for air, the tanned appendages of Madi trying to hold onto something.
"Isn't that sad? You try and try, to fight for the Future you want to make. Yet, it's all useless. This is the future you're destined for, killing me here, even if you're able to- Nanimokawaranai (何も変わらない)," Nothing ever changes, nothing will change, that is the future they were all destined for. Pupils dilated, Madi tried, oh, she tried, attempting to burn the metal that The Empress carried over her figure.
"Aw, how cute," Maybe she didn't have to kill her so quickly, maybe... she could have some fun hearing this little girl scream for mercy. And see the pool of blood form as she dug this Konpeki made blade into her delicious ruby flesh. Prepared to catch the audio Madisyn's back would create after her sole would dig into her spine, the cracks, the snaps- EVERYTHING,
"Isn't it wonderful- everything I've manufactured thanks to my God-given abilities? The World I had envisioned for centuries, ultimately growing into fruition. Of course, you wretched children were an obstacle to overcome, but my Kingdom has grown to destroy all remaining ploys in the Stairway to Heaven. No being is immune to the peaks and valleys of life, while the strong struggle to survive. And the weak are left groveling on the floor, without strength, without blessings from the Savior I've named God. However, with my power, only I can gaze upon life's pitfalls in all their glory. Annihilating peons with no knowledge as to their name, society became a succession of triumphs and gains. How could it not, though? The strong are destined to rule over the weak, that is how society should have always been, and I am the one who regressed it back to that state..." Through her blurry vision, Madisyn crawled, using the remaining strength in her arms, The Empress giggled at her attempt at escaping this execution. Foot pressing against the teenager's right hand, the Sadistic Tyrant glared into the dilated pupils of the girl.
"You ceaseless whelps are pains in my ass, leaving any of you alive is a thorn in my plans. So, I will obliterate you right here and now. Do not worry, because you are the least bothersome Rivera, I will ensure your demise is virtually painless. Now, be a good girl, AND DIE AT THE HANDS OF THE EMPRESS!!!" Loosening her hold on the sword she'd previously used to enter the flesh of the Empress of the Stars, The Empress of the Kingdom raised her hand to the air. A bright violet tinted passion sent through her entire limb, ready to drive her hand through her past self's back. She would finally be rid of these petty annoying Riveras once and for all! But, Madi... nothing could stop the eventual end of her life. Simply, her lids closed over her lavender pupils, accepting the demise that was written out for her, but, then she heard that echoing scream her brother let slip out of his closed lips. ~What the fuck am I doing? I can't... die... now!~
"What the hell?!" The Empress cried, veins visible in her neck as if she was about to burst- and speaking of bursts. Why did she just scream out in anger? Well, of course, that was due to none other than the Empress... unleashing the true intensities of her capabilities. Crackling around her, Madisyn Rivera reveled in it all, the pulsing she felt in her veins, this was her TRUE POWER. It even lifted off of the roof that she'd been pressed against, platinum tinted hair hovering with her, the Empress gazed at her illuminating palms.
"Heh... I can get used to shit like this," She couldn't help but laugh, just by persevering on, wanting to see her mother at the end of this journey, she unlocked her genuine potential. How fitting. Angered beyond her limits, The Empress bounced off of the roof of the Castle, but just like that, with a simple swipe of a hand - the sky was alit by a violet palette. Visible to everyone, Lucifer chasing Jason across the Atlantic Ocean, with the Priestess by his side, the Superior, relinquishing his tightened grip on his ax to gawk upon that change in the clouds. Once the light faded, Madisyn Rivera arrived in front of her other self, staring at how pathetic she seemed with just. one. arm.
"You disgust me," The Empress of the Star commented, all it took to murder her future doppelganger right then and there was not speaking. If she had said nothing, maybe the trauma they'd endured at the end of this journey could've been avoided, but instead, that simply wasn't possible. Madi believed to let the final attack exit her eyeballs, but, once they hit where The Empress previously stood, she was no longer there. Evaporated with plum radiation engulfing her mass, the figure of the Superior noticing this, taking one step forward, uttering the phrase,
"No..." It couldn't have been possible. His sister... destroyed that easily? On the floor, the blood sliding into the holes in his body, Ben Rivera felt everything crack into place. Madi was right, he couldn't hear her, but he knew what she was thinking. To announce his presence, the Fool had to think up something witty and quick to tell the Demon Prince who'd attempted to cripple him. Then it hit him,
"She was weak,"
"What?!" The Superior screamed furiously, eyes widening, to see the fist of his other self meeting the left side of his front. Deflating onto the rubble, he felt blood... blood drip from his nostrils, cheekbone fractured, the Fool continued his statement after having been so rudely interrupted,
"Your Empress was weak, sad. Saying 'what' as if you didn't hear me, knowing my sis, she's probably burnt to a fucking crisp, and it's what she deserves. However... with no leader, nothing, not even your brother, what can you do? Not attack, that's for sure, I'd stop time and burst your heart immediately. But even then, that won't halt your continuous progress. Nothing will... except that," The gateway to Hell had manifested behind the Superior, he knew the exact coordinates, after all, he and this future self of his, they shared a link. That was when the Superior realized... he'd lost. Attaching his fingers around the Fool's leg, he begged, audio muffled due to his fractured cheekbone,
"Please don't send me there, please, please, I'll give you anything! Rich, fame, more power, just... please! Don't let me go to Hell..!"
"I'm not sorry about this. You sicken me, you're everything I wish not to be, if anything, I'd die before I even become the avatar of what you are. There is nothing you could say, not even about my almost deceased mother- that'd convince me to let you stay in this place. I can already see in your eyes you're accepting that fact, that you won't be able to bargain with me... so I give you this. This is for what you did to me," With all the strength he could muster, the Fool gave a heavy kick to the side of the Superior's face, hearing his jaw snap- falling off of his face. Gawking up in pain at his doppelganger, the Fool continued, relentlessly,
"This is for what you did to my friends!" Next, there was no sort of physical contact, instead, Ben pulled his glasses up from over his face. His spares, of course, releasing that signature two beams of lasers, this time, less destructive. More controlled, destroying the bones that connected his arms, and finally, the finale,
"And this..." Fist pulsating with blue-violet vigor, he kneeled, his other hand pushing healing energy through the Superior's figure. There was nothing more cowardly than kicking the ass of someone who was already injured, instead, Ben had a better idea. Retinas still radiating that heated crimson hue, he screamed out with all of his might,
"THIS IS FOR WHAT YOU DID TO MY MOTHER, YOU MOTHERFUCKER!!!!!!!!!!!! DIE, YOU USELESS PIECE OF SHIT!!!!" It... didn't stop, he just kept going, without faltering, holes forming everywhere in the Demon Prince. Bones shattering, skin tearing off, all it took was one final burst through his chest, and one final goodbye, whispering with all the hate he could muster with one word,
"Good riddance," The rift absorbed the Superior, screams of the damned, arms of the doomed crawling on his body as they engulfed him in the flames of Hell. Moving to the right, there was one last addition needed before they could be done with this whole mess, and that was Lucifer. With a simple sidestep, the King of Hell zoomed back to his home Underworld. Hitting his thumb and index fingers together, the gate between realms shut quickly. The two speedsters skidding on the rubble, both turning to their brother and ex-boyfriend, giving the teenage boy the tightest, genuine, loving embrace in the World. '
Neither of them released the other until they heard the familiar tone of their friends' voices. H'xler the Loyal Demon, hovered out of The Empress' headquarters. Still battling both the Magician and Chariot, with the former using a slide of glaciers to push him into the air. Albeit for a moment, the being's attention twisted to focus on Matt doing the signature Iceman move. However, that was exactly what they'd wanted. Cracking his neck, the Smoldering Chariot revealed the duo's true potential, a snake, made of the blazing warmth that resid within his soul, wrapped itself around the throat of The Empress' subordinate. Unable to breathe or attack, the monster gasped for oxygen, but couldn't find any- mostly due to the array of spikes that Matthew Miller laid on top of his head. Piercing his flesh, blood squirted out of H'xler's mass, the spikes embedding into the skull of the creature. With a simple touch from the Chariot's right palm, the frosty icecaps melted, revealing the broken body of H'xler, bleeding from every pour in his decaying corpse.
"Jesus-" Who spoke was neither Colon nor Miller, it was the Empress of the Stars, Madisyn, who drifted their way from the roof. A soft click audible as her boots connected with the put-together material of the stairs pointing up to the Castle's layout. Disgusted, yet proud of her two best friends, she kneeled to examine the shape of H'xler's skin. All disfigured, it reminded her of a Mortal Kombat fatality,
"Kinda makes you wanna puke, don't it?" The girl inquired her allies, glancing at each other for a millisecond, debating over if she was right, they concluded, determining in unison-
"Yup," As cool as movie gore is, none of that beats the real-life disgusting thing, H'xler blood crimson skin resembling how Satan was believed to look almost peeled off of his face. And burn marks that seeped through his coat, revealing his epidermis layer of flesh and blood.
"So, should we all leave now, or are you all gonna stand around posing like idiots?" How could she not chuckle at that insanely sarcastic question, Madi held no restraint, using her newfound power, she cracked the bones of her brothers upon squeezing them. Ben held no reaction he needed it- considering she just cracked all of his bones that'd been broken and unbroken, it felt amazing. Jason, on the other hand, just groaned, shaking his head,
"Ow, ow, owww," El did the same to her two boyfriends, they all did well here today, having defeated their corrupted Future, the road was free. For them to do whatever they'd want, not to be controlled by a predestined fate that someone created for them.
"She didn't make it, huh...?" The middle Rivera child questioned, and that was when everyone else realized too, that someone was missing. Not Cecilia, not Charlie, of course not Ryder. No, the Superior's daughter, destroyed by her father because of his selfishness and blindness.
"YOU WILL SHARE THE SAME FATE AS HER!!" That voice... it was the same one she'd heard echoing in her nightmares in her mind, the thing she'd been hearing for these past two days. The Empress was still alive. Everyone turned, ready to fight one on one with the Ruler of the Kingdom... before the Riveras' expressions softened.
"Oh, shit," Her arm was locked around the neck of Jessica Rivera, the mother of the three Triplets, the force put onto the throat of the elder was soft. She was still Madisyn Rivera under all that sadism and hatred. Panting, The Empress twisted her knuckles into a tight illuminated fist, the Fool, stepping forward, for his brother to push him back,
"One step closer, I blow her head off... if you don't want that, you stay still. And everything goes the way I want, and maybe... heh, just maybe your pathetic little mother lives," Then she realized, that demand, she knew they'd follow it. They'd follow anything she would say as long as she had their mother in her grasp- but that wasn't the point, it was never the point. Had she lost sight of her goal? That couldn't be possible.
"Yes, yes... you're right... I see... of course, Father," What the hell was happening with this crazy bitch? Was she even more demented than any of them were led to believe? Or was she just going crazier because she realized the 'error of her ways' or something like that? No, no, of course not. The younger Empress thought back to her nightmares, she wasn't just hearing her future self's voice, but someone else's. Then she'd wake up in the middle of the night... who was she talking to? And why did she just call him Father?
"I can feel his flesh wriggling inside of my skin, begging to be let out... but I know I can't do that~ Ehehehe, this action is a reckless one, it will most definitely lead to my utter quick and painful demise. In the long run, though..." Raising her bare hand to the air, a plasma whip connecting to strangle the woman she had been holding for so long, The Empress cried out to the Protectors with all of her remaining vigor and stamina,
"NOTHING EVER MATTERS!!!" All I knew at that moment was hate, pain, whatever was in between... The Empress drove her bloodied fist through the chest of my mother. Right then and there, with no remorse, her heart coming out the front part of her body. Laying there, beating weakly, the more it pulsed, it felt like the moment was stretching out. Mom died instantly, but... from staring at her pulsating organ, it felt like one second. Stretching into hundreds of thousands. Before I knew it, my mother fell into my brother's arms, and my fist was through that bitch's chest. I could feel everything... my fist obliterating her insides as I drove my hand through her insides, heart annihilated instantaneously. But what could this solve? Killing her then, it held no meaning if I had opened the portal back to Hell, maybe then I could've avoided all of the hurt I'd experience in the Future. Her body fell off of my bloodied fist, my sister knelt with my older sibling holding our deceased parent. There were no words to describe this moment, not even the emotion I was feeling, the closest word in the English dictionary that was accurate... was apathy. The tears fell from my eyes, that's what my brother told me, that I cried, but I couldn't feel anything, not even the sliding that the water would make as it'd drift from the corners of my eye. And then splash into several pieces of human liquid on the destroyed ground. My brother recounted our mother's final words, according to Jason, she told all three of us something important,
"Ma-Madi. Please, be better than me... take care of your brothers. Jaso... Jason, make me proud, my baby boy. My Sunshine, Ben... please, do not throw your life away," Nothing was left, no sense of catharsis, nothing to feel. That is the one word I could use to describe that situation at that point. In my Universe, my mother died on July 21st, 2013, at 4:38 A.M.
"Madi..." Touching his soft heated hand onto her shoulder, Henry comforted his best friend with his soft auditory voice. Instead of doing the cliche thing, flicking his hand away, she stood and gave the Chariot a loving peck on the cheek. The stains of water engraved on her cheeks in streams. Finally, the battle was over. I was the one to open that portal, head to the ground, to be honest, I couldn't remember what I was thinking of at that moment. Maybe debating how I could've stopped this, maybe if I was faster, I could've lasered her eyes off before doing anything. If I wasn't shocked by seeing my mother in that evil slut's clutches, I could've predicted it. But there was no changing the past, nothing could prevent everything that'd spew forward from that one moment in time. My best friends, my brother, my sister, they all walked through the rift in time, the one to help me through it myself was my ex-girlfriend of all people. Ella. Taking my hand in hers, she led me to my home, and Madi was the last one. There wasn't much time left, gazing into the eyes of the defeated Empress. Eyes open, mouth gaping wide, lips resembling that of a smile, it pissed her off. SNAP!
The deceased Ruler's jaw was torn off by my sister's fingers and thrown onto the ground, after that, she sighed. Hands sliding into the ripped pockets of her violet hoodie, Madi spun toward the portal, Jason waiting for her at the entrance. Just as she was about to exit, there was one more thing needed before she left... this Castle. Gawking at it, in all of its disgusting glory, everything it represented, it made her sick to her fucking stomach. Appendages lifting into the air, all it took was the sudden closing of a hand, from then on, one step into the portal rendered her safe. She had detonated a nuclear weapon kept underneath the depths of the Castle, the second Tsar Bomba, setting off the 50,000,000 tons of TNT that laid within the explosive. The Kingdom was now... destroyed.