Reaching out his hand to touch the sky, fingers stretching out as he attempted to reach further higher than he'd ever gone before. Unfortunately for Jason, he was kicked awake and the man slowly turned away on the bed of grass beneath him. Rolling her eyes at his clear pleas to return to unconsciousness, his adopted sister over and over pierced his side with the tip of her cybernetic foot. It was clear he wasn't getting up one way or another, not this way, at least. So she knelt in front of him and sat on the blades of nature, the man taking his hand in her own and then staring at the clouds. An arm draped over his temples, an inquiry spat out of his throat and questioned his relative,
"The end is coming, Shad. I can feel it, it's like a chill running down my spine but I can't rid myself of such an annoyance like it. I can't destroy it… something worse is coming, and I'm not powerful enough to stop it,"
This was something she hadn't seen before in her elder sibling, witnessing the act of him sitting up. He shed himself of the fingerless gloves, utilizing his extremities to rub his pupils, Jason dejectedly breathed out fresh air. The warm summer air pushed back their hairs, her hand in his own, she inched closer and closer so she could rest beside Jay. Nothing they could do would halt the future's ever-moving progress, it would all continuously keep moving with glimpses of a time yet to occur. Shadow had learned all too well not to change her future by will, it cost her the legs she'd 'held so dear.' Whispers of his doppelgänger seemed to move closer and closer as they poured into his eardrums, the man panting with every new breath as he remembered that HELL all those years ago. Those monstrous creatures that chased him with sharp fangs and pentagrams for eyes…
"Not yet. You have the power, but do you have the mentality? With that attitude, you won't save the world. Not everyone can save the world, but if it came to it, I have my bets on you,"
Those were the encouraging words Shadow sent to her brother, reaching over to touch his face before her hand was slapped away and he stood straight. Inhaling deeply, he shed himself of his trench coat and readied for round two of their duel. Noticing his movements, she jumped up and copied his movements. The siblings taking differing stances based on their experiences with martial arts. Unsheathing her Karambit from her sleeve, she assumed a stance as she would with her fists up. The dagger twisting around so the sharpened metal would stay against her limb, she stared down at her vampiric brother with the intent to hurt. At least to make him bleed.
As if reaching out to grab a mug or cup, his sheath manifested in his hand. Throwing it to the side so it'd crackle away in a strike of quick lightning, he revealed the Ketsueki in all of its glory. Holding the steel in front of his eyes, the Bloodlusting Warrior spun it around in his hand and assumed an Ox Guard stance. Holding the grip of the katana over his head as the tip of the blade pointed at her, he stared. Determined to finish this fight, he waited for her to charge forward as she notoriously always does- and they clashed.
At the end of their short deal, bruises and cuts were scattered amongst their skin. Tearing out the tip of the dagger stuck in his eye, internal darkened ruby fluids burst out with the weapon. Throwing it over to his sis plucking a rubber bullet out of her arm, she reacted and caught the knife before it could turn then stab her thigh or something. Taking a moment to rest on the legs, bruised yet beautiful, the woman carefully stroked through his hair as if comforting him. It reminded him of his mother, how he used to stare gaze with her and rest on her lap… how things had changed since those days.
"If I had to choose someone to save our asses from the end of the world ima place my bets on y'all. I know you feel powerless against this, but just know, I know for damn sure that you are our best bet at keeping this world alive. Forget about the word for a second and appreciate what you have, because if the world does end one day, I rather you have good memories than tainted ones,"
The path they'd walked for so long was tainted with the blood of those they'd left behind, those agents in another world slaughtered for a twisted reason. A horrible motive. Protection. He saw his brother in a vision, and Jason bit his lip with his fangs so he could taste his blood. Dirty.
"Hey…"
Catching her attention, she noticed this and watched as he slammed his fist into the ground. Following that, his hand shook, pointer sticking out to direct at the skies above to something that laid beyond those massive clouds. Those people that had massacred a Government created by humans that sought to uphold truth and justice in the past. Those Gods…
"Is God… benevolent?"
Romero shrugged at his inquiry, thinking back to her mother's words echoing in the depths of her mind bouncing off of plastered walls. How she was always hopeful for her wonderful daughter and the 'joy' she'd bring into the world, and used them to give a response to her older brother,
"Not always. I like to think that He cannot save everyone for a reason, or because it's too much of a hassle to answer the prayers of the ones who don't even deserve it. Forgive me, Father for speaking ill,"
"He killed your nephew, you know... He's my grandfather. Mom always taught me to never speak ill of Him, apparently: He's some sort of prophet or all-powerful being. I want to kill him. I hate him with all of my strength and I want to... I want to end this nightmare we've been put inside,"
She thought back to the fading memory of her late nephew, one she never even got to meet truly, except knowing his name and the deeds he did for this world. Shadow remembered that not everyone could be just. No one could truly be good with that much power at their fingertips, not even God, pure a soul as He is. What she sensed in her brother, emotionlessly gazing at the invisible stars in the abyss of space, was hatred. Anger. And guilt.
"And that hatred is returned, you know. I don't kill the enemies for no reason, I sometimes wish that they would try and kill me. I yearn for freedom. We have been through hell and yet, here we are, saving the world. Crazy how that works. The father works in mysterious ways, my mother always had me pray for a better life, and right now, life is as good as it can be,"
Voice shaking on the edge of breaking down and sobbing, he pushed through it to her surprise and gave another solution. Mentioning their younger more powerful brother, his nail turned to a claw, and remembering everything that the Author had done up to this point; he couldn't agree with Him. But what if-? What if-
"And if we killed... if Ben... killed- all of those Gods up there? Paying for what they did to his son...? Would we finally be free, truly? Will we finally get to see our mothers again?"
"No. If there is a God, then there's an after life. That means we destroy our only way up to our mothers. I don't wanna risk accidentally pissing off someone and not be able to see my mother. I- wanna see her again at least once. Maybe before I go to hell, heh,"
There was a vast change in perspective at the moment, Jason could never forgive the God that resided in the clouds, for robbing him of the only nephew he could truly make a bond with. Xavier, Candy's son... was mute. The mistakes his father made when abandoning his brother and sister with their decaying mother, he could've righted those wrongs,
"They took my nephew away from me... they took away my home where I could see my true mother's grave and talk to her... they took away our home. But for them? The angels; God? They went home, without any consequences for their horrific FUCKIN' ACTIONS!!"
There was nothing she could say that would make him feel better, the woman saw that determined murderous look in the center of his orbs. She was too weak, but he had power- though she had her own beliefs and perspective on the issue; this was her brother. Shadow Romero embraced her elder sibling in her lengthy muscular limbs, extremities sliding through the slicked back style of his hair with a raven coloration. The sun was beautiful this time of year, the sky blue tint of the airspace reflecting radiation onto her face. The end was near, none of them could stop it without the other, and no doubt... those beneath the Earth were ready. What they had planned, none of them could know.
For the Return of those Abominable Beasts that laid in the fiery pits of Hell had been conniving like disgusting little foxes, feeding on the flesh of their kind as the humans do. What was the difference between such despicable creatures that kill and destroy for fun, and demons? Jason remembered the legends his mother would tell him about times where God had cast an ocean over the Earth sending a singular man on an Ark to travel across the waves... and cast down those who opposed Him to a hellish landscape while they lived on. For what? There was something twisted about the Author's sense of humor- for the so-called savior of humanity, He was a big piece of shit. His brother, the Emperor, and Headmaster of the August Rivera Academy, Jason did not doubt his capabilities to end this warfare.
Finally, they would be free.
The sea was calm and ever-moving, guiding them along to their destination, following a destined path carved by Artemis' programming. The yacht showed no signs of disjointing, and as Alexander rose from the waterbed in one of the cramped chambers, he sat at the edge. Memories of the past revealing what had occurred this past month, how they were put on this trip halfway across the world to Italy's town of Venezia. Put through an intense amount of private training, their bodies sore from the physical 'torture', not to mention still having to maintain actual grades. No doubt Rose passed with her amount of... assets on her front. His meeting with the telekinesis teacher, Mrs. Abigail Romero, his back almost breaking as she slammed him into a wall first day of that training. All of it had been worth it though, he felt like he'd advanced more than ever in this past month than these past few years of his life.
The Justice, with brown curly hair that parted down the left side of his skinned skull, wasn't the only one having a dramatic flashback. On the right of his room, through the thick walls of the studio, the Hermit had her fingers around a notebook. Eraser pointed at her chin, out-loud pronouncing a specific word she'd never spoken to any of her family members,
"Lo... Lov? Luvvvvv! No, thaz bad. Crap..."
~Could I do any of this? Al told me that I should practice my English so people don't make fun of me, but maybe it's just... because it's a hassle for him to sign to me. Even now, I can't escape such a horrible feeling... I'm trying so hard. Does he even see me? Or am I just another ghost trying to communicate with a living person?~
The thoughts swarming into her head weren't those of good faith, as her voice bounced off of the walls of the decorated location she was seated in, she couldn't help but want to stab herself in the heart. Did Alex even mean any of the niceties she'd been given? Or was it a way to her body, her mind, her heart- for him to shatter and destroy like the man she destroyed did so long ago? All of these thoughts were so truly far from the truth, as the notebook that she'd been given had her name on his- written for her in his handwriting on the front. The girl was convinced no one had liked her in this world of capable superhumans, she felt so invisible in the grand scheme of things- she couldn't even talk with those she called her 'best friends.' She would always be alone no matter how hard she tried, that was the road she was destined to walk down- that of loneliness, and hatred. Convinced of her delusions, she readied to tear up the notebook- before his knuckles knocked on the entrance. Disguised as wood, the metal opening disappeared as it slid to the slide to reveal his pink eyes; it was Eddie,
"You okay, Haze?"
Parting her hair back so it can be a yellow ponytail, the deaf girl nodded and checked herself in the mirror she kept in her pocket. The reflective material popping out of a square-like object made of darkened metal, she did her make up as the Star examined the place's decorations. Bare feet brushing against the woolen carpet, the sun peeking through with its rays spreading across the left side of her face- Ed stopped a poster. The pink-haired girl on the cover, in an anime style, wore a skirt and had vibrant blue eyes. She seemed to be the most important character. It was a movie released in 2016 by Kyoto Animation, about a deaf girl and a boy who undergoes redemption. Hands camouflaged by the pouches of his sweatpants, Singh did a gradual motion, scratching his beard on his chin with the tip of his elongated nail,
"You seem to be picking up English pretty fast, huh? I remember reading somewhere that, uh, takes about a few years to articulate well with your condition... did you learn it somewhere before Alex helped you?"
Giving the true answer to that inquiry, in her mind, she imagined the horrific scenario that he laughs out loud and makes fun of her. As she parted her lips, Singh had smiled, stepping closer and reaching over. Raising her head, the teen's emerald orbs widened at the sight of a large male hand about to touch her face- remnants of a time she'd wished to destroy entering her mind. But, all he did was pat her head and smile, as Al did when he comforted her in that dorm when she sobbed into his neck that one fateful day. The day the Hermit and the Justice met.
"You learned it because of the movie when you watched the English version. But that wasn't the only thing you wanted to do after you watched the movie... was it?"
The boy read her like an open book, his fingers staying underneath a specific page as he read her past as if gazing through time destroying its boundaries. Knowing Edward did not know sign language, the blonde's fingers typed away on her phone on the 'Notes' app, Singh's head-turning in a curious fashion. Showing off the words that had emerged from the crevice of her mind, Hazel's device launched from her hands to stay in his fingers. Sight examining the letters, they formed together with a sentence, it was a confession of sorts,
"When I watched the movie; I grew to love their relationship. Their friendship, the way the boy cared for the girl despite her freakish nature and her horrific voice... but none of it would come, either way. And now, in this time, when I feel the same way as the pink-haired girl did with the friend, I can't do it. I can't accept the fact that I'm falling for a man that could be the same as my father..."
Singh's expression couldn't help but soften at the thoughts, the poor girl's mental state had been twisted so far beyond, that she had believed all men to be the same. The same monsters as her father were, the same despicable creatures that had torn the skin from her flesh and revealed the second layer with his bare knuckles. His hand reached to clench her shaking thigh, holding it close to his so their knees would be pressing against one another's,
"Did your father help you with your English? Did they purposely try to protect you? Did he... did he save up money to buy a notebook so you could practice when he couldn't teach you?"
At that statement alone, her pupils widened, throwing the notebook around so the front could be facing her features. Her name was engraved in pen, but a memory came flooding back- this wasn't her handwriting. And she doesn't like using pens. This was HIS... the tears welling up in the corners of her eyes, the past was destroyed right then and there. Replaced by hopes for the future, the girl held the gift from the Justice close to her chest and sniffled. A stray tear emerged from her eye, unfortunately falling and making a droplet on the carpet,
"Alex, Rose, they're both good people. They... they gave me a place with them, and they did with you too. Personally, I think you should do it. Speak to him, confess your feelings, it's clear he feels the same way,"
"Y-yu think zo?"
"'Course I do. No guy just stays up randomly for some random girl he met a month ago, he even GOT A JOB for you. Like, Jesus, I've liked some girls in the past but I'm never getting a job for one,"
The two shared a collective chuckle, her head targeted to his shoulder, he caught her before she could bump the corner of her skull against his pointy bone poking out. Her resolve had fired up... Edward had finally felt useful for something, remembering Rose and Alex- the duo of friends that had guided him along this path. That had given him faith and love, warmth... family. Fingers popping like kernels in a microwave, Eddie held the girl close to his chest as the yacht moved on.
The sights of the calm waves sent a chill down his spine, the cold emerging from the ocean to give him a shiver, Myers groaned and shook his head. How did it go so wrong so fast? How did his parents get so twisted? Where did his sister go... and without him, too? The Hunger couldn't help but want more answers, if they reached their destination in Venezia, would they truly find them? Or find more questions? The so-called 'Key to Hell', a relic so powerful and ancient that whoever wields it can open a portal to another realm. The murderous look in his eyes wasn't to be treated lightly, it was a promise he made to the girl he'd so desired before she had passed, unfortunately. He would CRUSH every last one of those monsters without remorse for twisting his mother and father, murdering that innocent redheaded girl, squeezing the metal railing preventing him from drowning in the sea so it'd bend. He wished for it, for the water to enter his lungs and suffocate him slowly. Over and over.
"Motherfucker... MOTHERFUCKERRR!!!"
He lost everything, everything he'd ever desired and wanted had been destroyed, and for what? Some sort of pathetic world-wide Happiness that some omnipotent God had desired? It was pathetic, it was horrible. People, gods, who believed they were higher than everyone else and believed they could control who they wanted? A kick from the tip of his boot had pierced the metal so it'd bend further, the boy screaming out as his violet aura violently revealed itself from his soul,
"FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! FUCKKKKKAGHHHH!"
Collapsing violently onto his knees, Whitney held his head in fear as panted heavily, visions of his sister calling out to him. Handing him the coin that they shared, as a beacon of hope. He reached into his pocket, and there it was; the quarter with an engraving on it. Her name. Vivian. The young boy at the time still remembered her long grey hair and her pretty smile whenever she spoke to her sibling. Now? It was all taken away, and Whitney had no way to change the past, but he could sure as hell ensure his future was secured. So he could avenge them and cleanse their twisted souls, he ensured the Author knew... he was coming for Him,
"YOU PIECE OF SHIT!! I'LL KILL YOU!!! I'LL FUCKING KILL YOU ALL, YOU USELESS PIECE OF MOTHERFUCKING SHIT!!!!!!!!!! I'LL MAKE YOU SUFFERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
A voice on the cusp of breaking, rasping as he held his throat, rapidly coughing as saliva poured out from the corner of his lips, he held the wooden platform against his knees. Snarling like a rabid cur, Myers panted, his chest moving in a continuous motion up and down. The tips of the male's fingers punctured the floor, the stinging feeling of concerned eyes staring leading to his head spinning to the size. Examining the figure, the brunette ran over to cradle the boy in her arms, to which Whitney roughly slid back and pushed her to the solid terrain. The Sun held a horrified look as she gazed up at his towering figure, a stray finger extending out to point at her body,
"Don't fucking touch me with your filthy revolting hands, you worthless excuse of a human. We're not friends, I'm here to exterminate those creatures that destroyed my life and threw me into this hellish nightmare I currently reside in. And trust me, we never will be, YOU USELESS BITCHH!"
Attempting to let out her words as some sort of explanation to the boy screaming in a fit of emotion taking over logic, Whitney held up one finger. Yet it was an intense motion, she was startled and crawled back suddenly to avoid any abrupt attack he would've thrown. But she couldn't falter, she had to stand up to him, so as she used her palms to aid herself, she gazed at him with a darkly determined stare,
"You want to exterminate them, don't you? Well, for starters, the way you're acting is too emotional... and you're too blinded by grief to do anything. Not to mention your base personality is sort of annoying, to begin with. Start acting like the rest of us on this boat, don't be so distracted by such a lofty goal,"
"How can you... how can you say such a moronic statement?! YOU OF ALL GODDAMN PEOPLE SHOULD KNOW HOW I-!!"
"Yes, I lost my mother to the monster... and now, everyone's gonna know I was related to him. But, everyone helped me. They helped me despite knowing who I was, who I was related to, saw through such simple blood ties and the attitude I put on. I'm sure if you-"
The Hunger clawed at every inch of his face as if trying to tear off the skin that hid the truth beneath the surface, the boy screamed as loud as he could. On edge, he coughed up as his voice became raspier and raspier. Deepening as he once more fell to his knees, with Lynn following so she could comfort him. At first, he was reluctant, throwing himself away so he didn't have to face her and stare into the vibrant coloration of her pupils. Instead, as her golden aura burst out from her soul, her softened palm reaching out to feel the skin of his cheek, he fell silent. And this time, he did look into her eyes and saw... hope. Hope for a new future with the group that'd adopted her, hope for the boy in front of her wailing and yelling at the universe for being unfair. Her fingers traced along with the roughness of his skin, taking his palm in her own and feeling the tips of his fingers with hers.
"We must keep moving forward, Whitney, if we are to beat this threat... then we must keep moving forward. Until the fight is over, okay?"
He understood, not because he was convinced of what she'd said; that was only part of it. It was because... this was the very first time he'd felt warmth and care from a human being, it transmitted to him from another since...? He couldn't even remember. He was just sure that Vivian, wherever her soul was in the realms that exist in this vast Universe, she was proud of him. In a quick fit of happiness, his limbs wrapped around the brunette, the Sun realizing that this was the first time that someone had truly hugged her, what else could she do but return the favor? On that day, Whitney began to free himself of the hellish chains that had wrapped around his wrists, bounding him to the bottom of the sea. But as he swam up to the surface to reach freedom, he found the Sun shining on his face, and trust me when I tell you,
The Sun was beautiful.
Rose had been admiring the sight of the sun mixed with the calm of the ocean, staring at its beauty as she crossed her arms over her breasts. Remembering a time where she had only seen the greyness of the city mixed with the flashing lights of Manhattan, this was a nice change of pace.... and she knew Alex agreed too from the way he was sneaking behind her.
"I can hear you, dumbass!"
Cried the Lovers to her childhood partner-in-crime, to which Al just dejectedly took a sip of the bottled water he'd stolen from the fridge and stood beside her. The girl instinctively took his arm, cheek against it as the duo just looked ahead, seeing their future flash before their eyes... they stood still. Neither Rose nor Alex would have ever thought that their lives would ever come to this; heading to Venezia so they could intercept demons from capturing a demonic artifact capable of opening a portal to Hell. Any sense of normality in their lives had vanished, they were no longer just kids Upstate goofing around in the living room of the Thomas Mansion. Chasing one another like children, playing truth or dare, or exchanging answers on a test like the cheaters they were.
"Do you miss it?"
Inquired Al of Rose, to which she quizzically tilted her head upward so she could get a grasp of what he'd questioned. There was no use, though, as she'd already pieced together what he was asking, and came up with a simple answer,
"Of course, but I think... I think the future will be better. Now, it's more than just us. We have Hazey, Sunni, Whitney and-"
"Eddie, right? You're always starin' at him, ya know. Maybe you should go after him, no doubt he likes you too. I mean, ginger girl with medium boobs and a nice sized ass, definitely!"
SLAP! Her flat palm met his arm so he'd groan jokingly, and the duo of friends would share a hearty laugh in unison together. The sunset replaced the fiery star of radiating light, with the moon threatening to reign soon thereafter, Rosalynn and Alexader awaited to bathe in the pale moonlight together. As it always was, the duo of the Lovers and the Justice was against the world... forever.
Some weeks had passed since Ed had read Hazel like an open book, and together, Rosey and Eddie devised a plan to push Alex and Haze into one big happy relationship. Alex currently strutted down the hallway to the rear of the yacht, checking his watch for the time, he would conclude that they should be arriving at their destination sooner than later. Distracted by the tech on his arm, he and the Hermit were about to recreate what had occurred on their first day of school. Until they realized they were about to bump into one another and decided to halt their movements, in sync as they both took one step back with their right feet. Something was off about the deaf blonde, Amara could sense it as he stared at her nervous figure, concluding with some INTENSE DETECTIVE SKILLS; her hair was now in pigtails. Stroking one of the paintbrush-like bushes of hair, the female's face reddened like a crimson tomato, to which she asked with her distorted voice,
"Do you... likes zit?"
He hadn't realized this before, but she had a cute German accent that was subtle underneath all of the distortions her voice had bundled up from years of not speaking. Utilizing his expert Amara speech pattern, he decided to find a way to make her feel better, chuckling to himself as Adams tilted her head in confusion,
"I like zit very much, Hazey,"
Her eyes widened, letting out an adorable squeak as if imitating a moue, covering her face with the brushes of her hair that were spread out individually across her shoulders. Muffled, she spoke out,
"Yu're making fon of meeeeeee,"
Unbeknownst to him, she was smiling like a crazy person underneath the cover of her yellow locks. Surprised, Alex panicked, to which Rose, peeking in to watch her friend fail at this just covered her lips with her fist to prevent her from maniacally laughing. Ed just shook his head in disappointment, continuing to watch as his dormmate stumbled over his words,
"W-wait, I didn't mean to, I was just messin' around with ya, you know? I-I didn't mean for it to seem like I was being rude or anything-"
Extremities to grab his wrists by his side, Hazel's pigtails fell to show her bright smile and giggling posture as she bent over bottom pushed over. Covering his eyes behind her, Ed peeked out as his fingers spread apart... while Alex just nervously chuckled to himself. Scared if he was about to be crucified by this girl for making a simple joke, her forehead pushed into his chest before she cleared her throat and stood up straight. Signing as she moved her lips and threw up words with a softened cadence,
"Is okayy! Sorri for laughing and not xplaininggg, zit was very funnii!"
Her hands fell as she held her face and realized the expression she'd made seconds ago, a smile was still plastered like paint on her lips. Her hands were no longer reminders of a time she once despised, and as she doubled to inform Alexander of this development, her eyelids slid over her pupils and her ivory teeth were revealed,
"I've nevur lughed that hurd befure! Hah.... heh.... Danke, meine Lie-"
Alex did the bravest and sudden motion a boy could ever do to a girl, grabbing her by her arms and yanking her forward so their lips could touch and wrap around one another's. This time, she wasn't scared or frightened, this boy was the one ray of hope that had appeared in her life before everyone else came too... she was sure they could pave the way for a bright future; together. Limbs locking around his neck, the newly-made couple shared a quiet moment as they kissed in the sunlight peeking through the windows. At the same time, though, Rose had heard the blaring noise of the yacht's horn, recognizing the A.I.'s voice, Artemis informed the Major Arcana:
"Arriving at the destination, please gather all your belongings before fleeing from the yacht!"
Though it probably disobeyed the regulations and rules of a boat, the teenagers, all three males, and females ran to the bow of the Yacht. Pushing over the railing, Rose couldn't help but have her jaw unhook as she gawked at the sights of Italy's greatest city. 2
Whitney couldn't help but remember his goal, hooks connected to his wrist hidden in his darkened jeans' pouches. Strands of differentiated violet hair flowing in the warm winds, crawling through the air as it heated his cheeks, only his goal was remembered in the mind of the Hunger. Clenching her fists, digging her fingernails into her palms so blood would leak, Lynn was determined to figure out the truth and end this nightmare that had robbed her of her mother. Ed enjoyed the familiar air of Venezia, welcoming his comrades in corny fashion to his hometown,
"Ladies and gentlemen of the Academy... welcome to Italy!"
To Be Continued!