Feet brushing against the concrete surface beneath him, the Emperor spat out blood so it'd stream down his chin dripping to the platform below him. Falling and using his palm to stop his fall, his whitened aura had been transformed to represent the emerald coloration of life itself as it spread throughout him. Gradually healing every wound as the sting perpetuated throughout his anatomy, Ben raised his head with steam sneaking out from the crack between his rows of teeth. About to burst in through the entrance of the Academy, Cecilia caught a glimpse of her husband weakly limping through the center having her back turned. Widening her eyes at his wounds, Lane slid over a curved slide of crystal and held onto him, the man's arm resting over her neck so he could hold onto her. The shoulder cut slowly reattached itself with the bone snapping back into place, though he needed Madi to help with all of it, he wasn't capable of creating true bone tissue even with all of his other powers. Whispering as if he hadn't taken a second to breathe,
"Thank you… dar… ling..."
Going limp after expressing his gratitude for the woman by his side, Lane-Rivera took a deep breath in as she pushed through the doors. Sensing the agony their sibling was going through, Jason and Madi warped individually to aid their brother. The younger of the two healing him, Jason deciding to drag him over his back while Madisyn walked slowly to his rear.
"Shit, he's heavy…"
Uttered the Hunter, lightning crackling off of him as crimson thunder boomed in the skies above, those clouds dissipating swiftly. Turning back to her brother's lover, Madi stepped forward and took Ceci's hands in her own, reassuring,
"We'll take care of him, Ceci, don't worry. You've done your part, you should rest now,"
Giving her sister-in-law a quick peck on the cheek, the reality behind her unzipped as she popped out beside her brother. Jason's placement of the man on the bed in the Medbay wetting and dirtying the mattress. Now, having begun the healing process, The Empress of Light sighed and watched on as his wounds slowly healed. The skin having reattached itself to one another, Ben's breaths were steady and calm instead of the previous pained and ragged from before. Stepping past his relative's unconscious body still on the mattress, Jason sped over to the beaten and bloodied Ashton. Azazel holding his foster mom by his side, Rose in his other arm, Jason glanced before spotting their enemy's sliced-off limbs.
"Surprised you managed to pull it off so effortlessly. What's your secret? Steroids? Coke? Some insane other personality that emerges from within you every time you get angry or something?"
Rolling her eyes at his brashness, Jay had obviously never changed from his talkative and annoying personality he'd been stuck with since high school. Rose couldn't even hold in the laughter though she tried, teeth sinking to the bottom portion of her skin as the grounded lip to the above one retreated inside of her mouth. Stepping to search for the ginger, the Justice exclaimed happily,
"Rose!!"
Widening her eyes and recognizing his voice, Rosey ran over and threw herself against his chest before he could fall against the ground. Holding onto Alex before he could tumble to the floor and break a plethora of bones, Rosalyn hid her face in the chest of her best friend. The female Karlo sighed in relief, the clutter of everyone else to the rear of the Justice audible. Thank god you're all safe… Thought the girl, as she removed herself from the arms of Amara to embrace everyone else as well. The Fool Detective pushing one foot in front of the other, bending to whisper to Jason,
"Yes,"
Bluntly stated the Detective, to which the Hunter with the Priestess stifled a chuckle. The duo of Speedsters turning to state as the teenagers of the Major Arcana reunited together, just after a brief time of being separated. Reminding them of the loss they'd been with not even an hour ago, Madisyn shaking her head at the thought of it. Fifty years, none of them had died, not even Ryder had perished.
So why? Why was now the time that one of them had to die? What did it mean for the present, or better yet, the future? Sparks flying out as he unsheathed the katana from its cover, Jason's new darkened lightning sparked over the steel; ready so the tip would penetrate the flesh of his Chaos-infested enemy. Yet, Madi had pushed one of her hands into a space, the limb disappearing as reality unzipped. Tightly gripping the wrist of her older brother, flat palm pressed against the forehead of her younger one, Madi's eyes held the brightest trace of 'Dark Determination' glaring into her sibling's blacked-out pupils.
Reluctantly swiping his hand away, the chilly chamber was left with silence, Ella blinking for a brief moment. Though invisible to everyone else, for a split second in time, she'd debated slaughtering this murderer right then and there. But even then… would the quick revenge or maybe even the slow torture she'd put this man through be worth it? Would it bring back Henry? Would it ensure his soul was truly laid to rest? It was a twisted ideology, nothing she could ever do would bring him back… the only thing she could do for him was for herself. And for everyone else affected by this loss as well,
"Cut the shit, Jay. As if killing this sack of shit would bring back our friend. Nothing we can physically do with our power can bring Henry back, we can only move forward... though after we use him, we should kill him-"
"Okay... but how the hell are we supposed to use him, anyway? We can't steal his powers, possess him, whatever. He doesn't feel pain, I doubt we'd get any info if I tortured him, so what are we supposed to do?"
Inquired Azazel of his mother, and just like that, they were at a literal roadblock, that is... until something lucky occurred. Shooting awake, Madi yelped in surprise with Hazel second as she hid behind Whitney, to which he just tilted his head. The Emperor was awake, shirtless, and... sweaty. Pushing away from the covers over the bottom half of his anatomy, he reached over, hand hovering amongst the body of their prisoner in this war of Angels and Demons. There was no doubt about it,
"Where's my son?"
10 minutes had passed, a burning hand had been brushing throughout the chest of the Emperor, cauterizing any open wounds that'd been located. Beau's face held an apathetic stare, palm using a guided path as his father's friend patted him on the hair. There was nothing else he could do to show him any sense of empathy, as even he had nothing to say in regards to the demise of the Chariot. Edmund let out a saddened breath, pushing out steam from his throat, determination incarnate from the heated energy laid dormant in his spirit moments away from unleashing. Until a simple whisper with a singular word that held the meaning of a thousand had silenced him,
"Viribus,"
Meanwhile, the darkened chaos radiation in streams of energy slide out from the inner spirit of the Chaos' Son, no doubt that the same thing that'd occurred to the Reaper in 2036 was happening now. Standing beside him, Azazel bent down and opened one of the eyes of Dabrowski as the other eyelid also slid back into his skin. They were discolored, just as the Requiem Reaper's were now. Though instead of darker shades belonging to the vibrant green and red, they were black and white,
"Huh... Celine, you whore,"
Joked August, the Fool laughing at the joke a moment before realizing what he meant by that swiftly. Two souls intertwined inside of a single body, just as Celine and Aug's were in 2037, before splitting apart as the Reaper returned to Earth. However, since his eyes stood heterochromatic for over 12 years, they remained that way even after he stood here for about a month. Though, I digress. Who was the missing hidden spirit dwelling with Ashton's body? This question had an obvious answer, that being,
"Smith, you sneaky son of a bitch. He's back. We get rid of him, we get Ash on our side. This is easy. Alex, you're with me,"
Amara sped over to August, though partly excited, the other half filled with hopelessness for whatever was next. Tying up his hair back to another bun, a singular curly strand remained, hovering and blocking his right pupil. Ben about to step forward, Jason punched him across the face at light speed so he'd fall back into bed, as Madi just nodded. Secretly high-fiving her older brother for revenge that time the woman was kicked upside the head on the curb when the demons first arrived.
"You already killed both Lucifer and your doppelganger. Stay still for now, dickhead. Move again and I will actually stab you,"
Not wanting to bloody the nice clean floors he'd worked so hard to design and build, the Emperor stood seated on the mattress as everyone got two more beds. Each beside Ashton's body as August and Alex laid flat in them both, the White-Eyed Justice in the middle of the Reaper and Dabrowski spread out his arms. Touching the left shoulder of Rivera and the right of the other, drifting off to slumber as El's fingers passed over their heads. A shrunken bolt of lightning sending them asleep, Alexander Amara's strengthened telekinetic abilities linked two minds to throw themselves to a singular one.
Ashton Dabrowski's vast Void of trauma and hell in Heaven...
What transported them down to this otherworldly realm was this beam of light, tendrils popping from the platform of concrete about to pierce through their spirits. Yelping out in surprise, August leaped back, extremities cracking as his hand formed to a fist, dark tendril snaking around about to save Alex from getting stabbed himself. Luckily, the teenage Justice had used his true power to bounce from the air as Mei used to, though without the controlled prowess that the girl had used in 2037. Soaring through the air without a sense of control in his legs, August cried out in worry,
"Shit!"
More tendrils spread out of his skin, using them as arms to walk against the platform beneath him. Curious at the sight in front of him, he recognized the infrastructure to his chest, it was none other than Rivera Manufacturing itself. Having tumbled against the floor, thrown through wooden desks, chairs, and metal walls, Alex groaned. Stakes penetrated through his skin, having entered his flesh as gore spat out from his insides. Aura darkening as the rage built up inside him, August bent down to destroy all those wooden stakes with a simple swipe from his hand.
"Don't die yet, Al. All the pain you're going through here isn't real, it's only as real as you make it. Come on, we need to find this-"
Energy crackling through the air, destroying the space around it, the building above them was disintegrated by a powerful blast of plasma. Tendrils around his feet as the Chaos rose from a gateway below, hideous squid-like face visible as the tentacles around where his features would be squiggling around. The image of his horrifying figure almost sent him to the brink of insanity, different-colored pupils widening. Auras switching between the snowy white and the regular emerald, shook his head as his tendril took the shape of a fist at the usual sharp edge. Punching him back to reality... he realized... this wasn't what he was here for. He came here to save a boy, so they could save millions, Rivera pushed upward strands moving with the crimson sky populated with monstrous creatures from the underworld. Nyarlathotep took a heavy breath, tendrils made part of his chaotic anatomy aiding him as they put him in front of August, to which the Son of God greeted the Reaper,
"Augustus Benjamin Rivera... truly, a pleasure to meet you. Grand-nephew, your power would serve Father greatly. Come with me, humanity will thrive and exist with Eternal Happiness for eons. It all relies on you, kid,"
"Not a kid anymore, asshole,"
Determination visible in the center of his different-colored optics, Rivera took his fist and drove it to the chest of this disgustingly horrifying demon. Spitting out what seemed like blood, a tendril sharpened at the edge popping out from the skin on his shoulder readied to pierce his brain through the side of his skull. The Requiem Reaper used his light long-range tentacle sliced through the enemy's attack, levitating upward slightly. Kicking the left side of whatever seemed like the peak of the Crawling Chao's body, Nyarlathotep was sent flying through a wall to the opposite of the left's direction. Twisting back before sending himself forward to battle the Master of Evil, the Representative of the World Arcana twisted back to the recuperating Justice with his long hair stretched over his shoulders. The bun having come to unloose, Alexander inhaled sharply, spinning his skull back to stare at the wounds closing upon his back. Throwing off his shirt, he scoffed and whispered to himself in annoyance,
"I should've never come to this damn school..."
Uttered the teenager, standing up straight and cracking his bones as his limbs hit the air. About to go help his temporary partner, in the corner of his eye, there was something... visible. Oddly enough, he could catch a glimpse of something, far enough in the distance that only his vision could make out. Wrists pierced by a sharpened tendril, keeping him afloat, toenails ripped off as another slowly entered his chest at a gradual pace. If the main host dies then the other personality is the dominant one, taking over entirely and becoming the main in control. Unbeknownst to either Alexander or August, it was the same horrifying phenomenon to happen to the poor Ryder Karlo as he was overtaken and manipulated by this same corrupted deity.
"Alright, this makes sense. I got you, Ashy!!!"
Using the newfound speed laid dormant in his Requiem blood, Alex was only a blur as he remained as a snowy white stream, only visible to the Reaper. Blocking an attack with two light tendrils before the stabbed edge of a sword-like tentacle could enter his chest, Rivera twisted his figure for a brief moment. It seemed Amara had caught his signal, though... we all know that Alex hadn't even gotten a signal in the first place, he needed to distract Nyarlathotep. And further. August had been a target ever since he was born, no doubt the Chaos would follow wherever he went... he could use that to his advantage. Disappearing to stop time, he flew further to the artificial sky manufactured by the mind of the young man. Thunder raged about as he twisted his back, bolts created of lightning entirely raining from the skies above, though the oddest thing happened. The Chaos hadn't been following him... thanks to this distraction, he halted his flying through the air, contemplating what'd just happened. Until the lightning had stroke him, memories not of his own experience flashing through his mind,
"You are the next hope of Heaven, son. Make me proud, ensure Humanity's survival. Whatever it takes,"
I was pushed beyond my limits, bones were broken, intestines were torn out on a regular. Pain is a distant memory that I, at times, cherish. I remember the mother I'd wished I'd had instead of the Commander I repeatedly had to acknowledge as my guardian. The beatings were endless, all for the sake of one singular goal; Humanity's Happiness. That they'd gone against themselves, destroying themselves with war and hatred for millennia at a time. That my father had perished fighting against them, and it was my turn to step up and face those horrifying devils. I could never tell any of them the truth, but I wish they'd die with humanity. I'll wipe them all away... no matter the cost.
Rivera tumbled to the ground below, crashing through cars, spine splitting against rooftops until he rolled against the road with smoke emerging from his back. The fried parts of his insides chilled as he spread out his power, aura radiating around his anatomy, limbs cracking as he rose upward. Staring forward as he held his chest in agony, breathing in and out with steam flying out from the inner parts of his throat. Knuckles cracking back in order, his tendrils popped out from his spine as it cracked back into place, the sharpened edges of his long-range weapons penetrating the road to his knees,
"I'm sick and tired... of False... Gods..."
Determined and fueled by rage and anger, energy coursing through his veins, the blood radiating with contempt. Hate for more of these so-called Gods... these Gods that seem to think everything horrible, every single horrific deed they do, is for the benefit of Humanity. Corrupting young boys to think another race is too far gone, sickened him to his stomach. There existed no gods, only angels with devil's faces. Just as his father had wished to do, and Whitney had wished to massacre those demons that'd taken his family, the Requiem Reaper would bring Death to them all. NO MATTER THE COST!
The fire that'd followed him down the road had extinguished, Alexander's hair tied up by his extremities, the Justice stretching out as his palm extended. Fingers shivering in fear that he'd get ambushed by another enemy from the rear, the tendrils shattered to pieces. Imitating chains being broken from around the wrists of his previously-thought opponent, Ashton's gory and defeated figure fell to the ground. Crying out abruptly in shock,
"SHIT! No, no, no, no, don't be dead, man,"
The Truth's grey aura burst out from the inner machinations of his soul, his head snapped to his back, and witnessed the incoming sight of the Monster. Taking a shaky breath in through his lungs, to serve Justice, Amara's extremities quaked as he made his hand ascend. KRAKK!! Alex's knuckles cracked, about to spread apart his atoms and destroy him from the inside out, Nyarlathotep's previously-thought screams of terror never arrived. Instead, it was a maniacal cackle, true from destroyed, the echoing audio of the Master of Evil's throat bouncing between the walls of his mind,
"Hmm?"
Inquired quietly of the boy, tilting his head to the right, Alexander stepped back as his body reformed. Lucky for him, Nyarlathotep's power wasn't as immense when he had a physical body, as the Messenger's molecules pushed themselves together, flesh reassembling from being destroyed momentarily, Amara bent down. Hand slapping against Dabrowski's cheek repeatedly, attempting to awaken him as his wounds naturally healed together, nails popping out from their hidden flesh over his toes,
"Come on, man, you gotta wake up. Stay awake, we're all gonna die, you're gonna die... we can't die here, Ash. Don't let the past... don't let that bullshit tie you down, no matter how horrible it might be,"
There was no telling how fast he was reforming, but from a lightspeed glance and tilt of his head, Alex could determine he was nearing completion. And quickly, at that, it was not even a matter of minutes, rather... mere seconds. August dropping down with a crater forming beneath his soles, the Reaper and Justice shared a look between one another. One of them had seen the hidden memories of this destroyed man, the other could tell he'd been tortured and destroyed mentally for his entire life. Manipulated and torn by the old, worn out and bred for war with a whole other race he'd known nothing about. Spreading out his arms to the air, August's four tendrils protruded out of each side of his body. Two of darkness and another duo of tentacles made of light, Rivera snarled in anger as Alexander screamed out with his fist thrown at the so-called skull of his enemy,
"DON'T LET HIM CHOOSE WHO YOU'RE GOING TO BE!!"
Remembering the way his mother and father had been, the very thing he'd been previously fighting for having been a lie, there was something new. For everyone else, for Rosey, for Hazel, for Ed, for Whitney, for Lynn. Those who accepted and cared for him no matter what, even if he'd perished right now, it will have been worth it. No doubt... about it. Tendrils sinking deeper into the chest of this creature, Nyarlathotep snarled in terror as the punch was fused with a telekinetic push to send him against the ground. The fight had begun, though none of it mattered. It could go on forever if not for Ashton's final choice, he had to make it. Stay as a slave and never go on fighting, or move forward and eradicate those who'd tortured him. Why should he accept their words? Why should he move forward if he'd just die in the end anyway... but if these humans, if their words were true if there were more of them. Genuine, kind, caring. Even if he'd fall in this battle if he perishes in this spat, at least... at least... he'd attempted to fight. What else did he have to lose, anyway?
Slicing through another tendril, Nyarlathotep rose his limbs, tendrils sharpening as he cut through the arms of his attacker. August grunting out for a moment, they rebuilt themselves at a quick pace, though he wasn't strong enough. Seeing as how his Father still needed the Riveras for his penultimate goal, the Chaos sliced through a part of his shoulders down to the part around his arms. Nyarlathotep sighed as he rose from the ground, extremities tying around the throat of the younger Requiem of Justice. Manipulating the field around these other objects, pieces of debris, and chunks of buildings scattered around the arena, Alex threw them as his oxygen started to cut itself off. Knowing the Allfather would be interested in the Demiurge's manufactured Requiem Warrior, he warped forward and readied to slaughter his son's dominant personality. Wasting no petty words on his pathetic offspring, the resurrection began, as he readied to decapitate his feebleminded offspring. Yet, his movements were slow, ragged, chained down by his son's mind, giving Ashton Dabrowski enough time... to spread his eyelids. All that remained for the creature that once resembled his father was hatred, determination... and a murderous goal in his spirit. SLAUGHTER.
It didn't even take a second before Nyarlathotep was broken down, bone by bone, finger by finger, and destroyed as a shockwave had erupted throughout his very own mind. A supernova of transportation energy seeping into their bloodstreams, August and Alex's consciousness were sent back to their minds, with only Ashton remaining as he dug the tips of his sharp fingers into the center of his palms. Panting repeatedly, he held his chest in relief, sobs exiting his throat, tears threatening to fall out from the edge of his eyes. Everything he'd worked so hard to achieve, the years of anguish and horror he'd been put through over and over again... for this rebellious act to commence of his own will. Was this meant to be his fate? Would the future that'd continue with him be a good one? All he could do was scream, scream on and on as the sight of a terrifying city overcome with monsters and destruction repaired itself. Slowly, piece by piece, he'd move forward with determination.
Once he awakened, he was met with warmth. Sayings from people informing him that none of the acts he'd committed were any of his faults. The abrupt slaughter of the Chariot was the key factor, though, there was no doubt there was a plentiful amount of other sins he'd done... though he could never search for forgiveness. All he could do is move forward, without falter. And with that, the corrupt remnants of the Crawling Chaos had finally been destroyed. As time passed, the point of Ashton's power, universal and time travel, was harnessed to perfection. The road was not hard, there was no sense of pain, anguish, and agony. Most of them were kind, helpful, loving. Though the one that'd aided him most of all was none other than the brother of his father, his uncle, Uraku. Memories of that Guardian previously suppressed ascended from the depths of his mind... Ashton was home. Truly. And forever. But before his home could be returned to normal, there needed to be something... a point of no return.
Seven months had passed since the emergence of the demons, blood squirting out from the spine of the monster, Jason affixing his collar as it stood up sharp. Leather coat moving with the azure blue skies, the Hunter sheathed his katana... the Emperor took a step out. Snapping his fingerless gloves over his wrist so they'd create a SNAP! Ben sunk his fingers across his beard, his oldest daughter following behind.
"You sure I can't go with you, dad?"
"No... this isn't just so everything could go back to normal. This is personal. Are your brother and Azazel ready?"
Gen let out a disappointed sigh, to which she was given a kiss on the cheek and a loving pat on the head, standing in the center from the pathway leading to the Academy's entrance. Hugging her chest and sniffling, her older sister hugged her, pushing Genesis' features into her stomach. August emerged from the darkness to the rear of his siblings, lips pressing against their mops of hair, whispering a warm promise to the ears of his sisters,
"No matter what, I will come back to you two. I promise... losers,"
To the rear of the Reaper, the Detective was departing from his mother's side as El's lips pressed against their foreheads, still, the Karlo family shrouded in darkness. A lone ray of sun pushing its rays through a corner of their bodies blocking the radiation from the Earth's man star that it orbits, shining onto the left side of the Priestess' face,
"Be careful, alright? I don't wanna lose another Karlo I love,"
The Fool, with the Lovers by his side, shared a knowing look with a bright loving smile beaming across their lips. Reassuring his foster mother as he leaned to press his lips against her cheek, Rosalyn jumping onto them as Alex with the violet-eyed Whitney by his side passed by,
"No time to waste, soul taker,"
Reluctantly, the girl with her brother had yanked themselves backward and decided to leave for the other world. Everyone said their goodbyes to their loved ones, their family, their friends. Those left behind were left with the most difficult task, no doubt that the Author would let His world be defended so easily. Whatever was thrown at them, they had to move forward. Whitney held Rose in his arms, shakily inhaling as her lips pressed against his cheek, staring into her crimson pupils. Hand on his cheek, he sent a weak grin of relief, to which the female Karlo whispered carefully into Myers' eardrum with love and care,
"Take care of Hazel for me, Whit. I'll give you a surprise if I come back~"
Teased the redhead jokingly, to which Myers blew air out from his mouth in disbelief of the statement, Rose letting go as Ed stepped up and took Rosey's hand in his own. Their fingers intertwining, the Star's pinkened pupils stared into her ruby optics, though this situation was dire and hope seemed to be but a distant memory- they would move forward. For The Next Day.
Jason beside Ben and Madisyn, Beau with August and Azazel, and Rose with Alex and Ed, Ashton threw the Superior's torn coat over his ripped muscles and otherwise. The bottom of the attire moving with the invisible winds as the spring atmosphere slid into the weather, Dabrowski pushed out his hand. As if it were any other portal, a warping site boomed into existence, thundering with energy as some sort of otherworldly lightning sparked around the edges. Without any other way to prepare themselves, they stepped in... and so, their journey to recover the Key in another world- had begun.
Being spat out on the other side of the gateway, Ash was the last one to step onto the concrete alley, pushing back his hair as it slicked back. Stretching out his arms, hearing his bones crack into position, Ben took a simple look out into the city. Engines were heard roaring past, seen as a simple blur, with a tilt of his head to the sky, he could see the streak of energy caused by what seemed to be an airplane. Civilians of this locale seemed to strut naturally, Madi widening her eyes at the gargantuan building scraping the clouds to their heads,
"We're here..."
In the years before the rise of the Kingdom, there was... the future. The birthplace of The Empress of the Stars, Lucifer Morningstar, and most importantly, the Superior himself. Their journey begins in this different realm in-
Chapter 49! To Be Continued in the Future.