In the winter of 2034, his trench coat began to ripple through the wind, spread out like a cape in the cold of the season. Ripping at the middle, he unsheathed his sword attached to his side so he could drive the tip of the blade into one of the guard's heads. Just then, a bullet began to whistle through the air, and his head raised at the sight of this. Luckily enough for him, there was this silencer attached to the barrel, so only those close enough to the guard that'd fired off this shell managed to join him. Once again, to the Crow's delight, they were only a small amount- and so, Azazel ran without a care in his mind. Forward with his arms flailing back, he leaped once again so he could kick the one in the middle right in the chest, watching as he fell onto his back.
The one from the left tried to come in with a punch to the side of the head, but a simple duck would lead to him committing friendly fire. His arm had lengthened out so the fist could come into contact with the right's cheek disorienting them both. Groaning in disbelief, they swore at one another, momentarily distracted from their primary goal- until the tearing of flesh began to enter their ears. It was like they couldn't believe what they'd heard, but the second they reluctantly turned to the left to see their middle guard friend with his arm being torn off as the Crow pinned him by his chest with his boot...
Their instincts went crazy. It was like they couldn't even use the firearms they'd been given, they needed to make sure this asshole paid... with every single damaging blow they could land on him. Yet, it seemed he'd predicted this, and so, Karlo ran first- easily and innocently driving his palm through the right one's chest. Destroying his heart instantaneously, he then realized the quickness of the second guard hearing the sound of fabric rippling through the wind.
The flare of his eye was seen for just a second through the red goggles of his mask as he turned around, spinning around and turning his head so the leg could kick the chest of his slaughtered partner. Intestines flailing about so blood could splash into the air, Azazel's arms casually stood by his sides watching his enemy draw their retractable blade. Slash at the right, slash at the left, and then thrusting it forward to go for a simple deep stab to the chest. Smirking at the sight of this display of idiocy, the Crow ensnared his rival's wrist and then wrapping his hand around their nape so they could slam their head into the ground. Blood splattering onto the platform, Azazel then turned their body over so he could have his fun... opening their mouth allowing the Assassin to take hold of something- important.
The noises of the night were filled with the screams of the massacred, bodies hung and draped along the side of the building to spell out letters with their very own blood. His arm stood trained at the door, waiting for it to burst open so that he could fire with his arm- the skin peeling back so he could reveal the weapon beneath it all. SQUISH-CRUNCH! Without a second to spare, he felt both of them fell, limbs dropping to the ground- the Crow watched with a happy smile over his face as his target fell over. No doubt he'd bleed out, so Azazel spent no more time than he needed to about to take off his mask, all that happened was the pushing back of the hood. In the corner of his vision, he could take her out.. a little girl, maybe six or seven, staring.
Gasping in surprise, he sheathed his blade to his side so he could get on his knees and take her by her arms. The Crow needed to ensure her thoughts, from her perspective, he looked like a monster in the dark that'd killed her father. But as the red tint of the holes in the cover he dawned began to slide upward, they revealed the blue tint of his optics... soft and full of care. About to drip with tears, he then shook his head so he could speak to her, knowing that if he took this off then she'd be able to expose him. So he did the best he could to make sure she knew; he was just as human as the rest of them.
"Hey, hey... look at me. I-I'm sorry I had to do this, and that you had to see. There's nothing more I can do except say that he was a bad man, he hit women, he sold them off for his gain, just so he could feel whatever power he bought. And feel like a god. I'll give you a new home, but I can't stay with you, okay?"
On the brink of tears himself, he pulled the little girl forward, just so she could hold him... and have someone to lean on if she wanted to cry. Knowing she could see her biological father's body leaking out inner fluids, he pushed her head into his shoulder. He couldn't breathe, this thing was so heavy, he knew that if he cried with her then he'd just make it uncomfortable. He couldn't let her see his face- as the cover that'd hid his face began to release the grip it had on each side of his face, steam leaked out and blew right into his vision. Revealing his braided hair, he watched as the gauntlets retracted so she could feel the warmth of human skin... she needed someone. He knew she did.
Just then, that little girl had felt the embrace of love from someone she'd hadn't even known, he was a stranger. A murderer. She'd taken her father away from him and yet- all she felt was affection and gratitude for this monster. As she was taken to the orphanage so she could be raised alone, that little girl grew up as time accelerated onward.
Now in the present day, she sat at the edge of her bed, thumb caressing the side of the mask she'd usually worn whenever she went out. The memory of the father she never had... the warmth of love, and the embrace of a parent. Azazel Karlo... that was his name. The Crow that'd killed so many people for the sake of Abaddon Kuno's will be exacted out in the name of the Almighty Lord, and all she felt was grateful. Thankful for everything he'd done for her, the orphanage wasn't the best, but with time- she found a good foster family that loved and cared for her. They were mothers- but they could never amount to what he was. She wanted a father, someone who cared for her as that man did on that day. For her innocence. The Plague herself, the Crow's memory would live on and inspire others for the sake of humanity, liberation was imminent. And so was their next meeting. She couldn't wait, she turned on her phone- the text was there. Time to move out, so she could see the one she knew as her father once again...
"You had a braid?"
Rubbing his eyes, he took a sip from the coffee he'd bought feeling fingers in his hair resting his head on the shoulder of his wife. Blaire laughed briefly at the thought of her lover having his hair braided, pecking the top of his head meeting their foreheads as she responded to her cousin,
"Is there anything wrong with braids? I think he'd look pretty hot with one, don'tcha think?"
August nodded winking at Azazel who then stuck up the middle finger at his partner while Blaire kissed his forehead. Preparing to stand up, The Reaper sorted through the pictures that the camera from that penthouse had taken, some of the bodies, the worst part about it was that he couldn't get a read on her face. There existed no camera inside the office where that little girl's father was killed, it only hung at the top of the door frame so it could stare and watch everything from when he'd sit at his desk and the floor below. Coming in from the balcony, his older sister with her hands in her pockets, ruffled her brother's hair reaching up so she could get a kiss on the cheek as she went to go make a sandwich.
Just then, though Azazel had been resting on the lap of the woman he loved, Karlo remembered something. Rubbing his eyes, he shot up and then reached out his hand, August immediately catching on so he could hand the paper to his rival. Pointing to the girl that'd been pictured, the Detective then searched through his memories, looking and finding for the familiar cadence of the girl hed' saved- Aug decided to think for a bit. The Reaper decided to meet up with his sister so he could rest on her shoulder hugging her from behind, the older of the two repaying her baby brother's kindness and affection. August pulled back for a second ruffling her black locks, his older sibling pecking his cheek so he could give him his needed information.
"If you're tryin' to remember her name, I managed to find it. Natalia Smith. She was the daughter of the CEO, Eliezer Smith. He bought and changed his skin with cybernetic enhancements, he wanted to dethrone Dear Ol' Dad. Seems he was too corrupt for that, though. Why'd Kuno tell the Crow to kill 'im?"
Azazel scanned over his younger face, features filled with conflict and dread. Fear and hatred in the center of his eyes, Karlo shook his head, Blaire rubbing his shoulder, door opening as the knob began to turn. They just needed to find this girl. Natalia Smith... the girl he'd abandoned, he remembered her now. He visited her frequently before 2040, out of guilt, to see if she was doing well. 20 years passed since then, how could he had forgotten this poor girl, without a father, without a mother. The false ideology of the Crow, he needed to destroy it surely, without hesitation- he needed to reconnect with this young girl. To make sure she was still in there, just talk with her, get her to come back, and throw away the mask. To come back to the light... the hope, the Strength appeared, throwing rings and watches for everyone to catch. Just then, August caught a ring for himself, Azazel a watch, and Blaire a necklace. Emma already had hers on, so she just watched as the other three decided to place their jewelry onto their bodies.
The center of the jewel in the ring he'd dawned over his finger began to illuminate a bright emerald, August watched as it bound itself to his extremity. Azazel felt it crawl around his wrist, it bursting out a singular hue of bright blue so that he could scoff at the sting as it attached itself to his skin. Nothing he couldn't handle. The Detective then watched as Blaire fashioned the jewelry around his nape so the parts could attract one another, not needing the aid of anyone else so they could form as the necklace radiated out the fiery orange glow of her eyes.
Beau turned his hand so the palm would be facing the ceiling, a holographic projection sliding out from the ring's middle so he could transmit this information to the others. Edmund watched as the flames in his red-orangish optics began to dance around, Johnson going to greet Emma then reaching into the fridge so he could raid their fridge. Just then, Genesis went to the balcony so she could just look at the pretty sights of the city- seeing as how she'd already accompanied Beau with the whole information-gathering and all that jazz.
Without any further ado, Edmund began to send out some visions displayed by the advanced technology gifted to them by the Reaper's father. The new info that they'd obtained setting the stepping stones for their next move, the Strength parted his lips and spoke out, his expression non-changing until the end of the presentation,
"Gen, Matt, and I decided to run the girl's face through Artemis' facial recognition. Seeing as how Azazel knew her, I don't have to give her a name, she was the daughter of that rival CEO of your father's, August- {Aug: Yes, I know} Anyway, she wasn't one of the Violated superhumans like Amara or the rest of those kids, she was one of those Gifted that had been turned by the Emperor. We managed to hack into her bank account and saw the next purchase she made with her father's inheritance-" Edmund shoved the ring off of his finger so he could flick it off of his extremity, watching it roll onto the table in front of Azazel seated. Reaching over, he began to examine this technology in its miniature glory, tilting his head and scanning it over with the naked eyes he'd been given at birth. August watching as his younger sister shuffled her way into his side, she took control of his arm so it could drape around her nape and back. The Son of the Chariot let out an exhale, arms crossing over his chest, he explained to them all with a fairly short and simplified version seeing as how their attention spans were... the same as his. Though this was an important issue, none of them, disregarding Azazel, gave a shit for the inner machinations of their new enemy's diabolical scheme. So... "Long story short, in the Economical District, she's planning to renovate the former Rivera Smithsonian to her sort of base of operations. We should go now, see if we can find her,"
Cracking his knuckles, August smirked at the notion, his friends and family turning to him with that signature confident snigger turned over his face. Features turning upright so he could keep this smug expression, Gen took a step, excited for her brother to see him unleash his power without any withdrawals,
"Well, then, what're we waiting for... let's kill them and leave them begging for mercy,"
Though the Reaper's goals were a bit far out compared to the rest of them, they all decided to comply with his decision. Moving out to the Economy District behind the Castle, the only one who stood still would have to be Azazel. As someone who'd know and been in the shoes of someone like Natalia, who likely believes she was doing right by this world by reviving that dead, beaten, corrupted symbol- he knew he couldn't let the others kill her. She needed to live, she needed to see that whatever reasons she had for doing what she did- they weren't worth throwing her life away so she could rot away and suffer at the hands of these enforcers.
Long ago, he would have thought she was too far gone, too beyond the point of no return so that she'd just be killed for this. Fortunately, though, he'd met August when he was younger, humble and not as bloodthirsty as he was now- and he was thought that some people deserve... to be saved. That not everyone deserves to get yelled at and beaten over the head with that incessant ideology- that what they did was bad and they had to be punished for it. It wasn't like he had a choice in any single one of those murders he'd been forced to commit because of those strings that Kuno held over him. But she's doing every single action, committing and commencing every single crime and a felony of her own free will. He just needed to do something, he couldn't allow himself to sit back and watch as this girl did something she knew she wouldn't. He.. had to save her, just as his best friend, his rival and his brother saved him all those years ago. Not because he felt like he had to, but because he wanted to, he wanted someone to call a child.. maybe here, he could start to raise her right, finally. Do something right, finally, and begin to...
Payback everything he's lost over this time, for the sake of those lives he'd slaughtered as the Crow- right then and there. He stood up, wiping his attire of any dust and deciding to shed himself of this bright brown coat, the gift he'd been given by the Reaper. The Crow couldn't stay as the demon it'd been personified as being, and just like that, he unbuttoned his jacket. Hanging it as he passed by the hanger, he threw the trench cost right over him and prepared to infiltrate the ranks of that organization- the Murder of Crows would be brought down;
By the Fool Crow Prince himself.
Alexander took a step back with a grunt, long strands swaying with the movement he took and how quick it was, unusual for his primitive body. Amara's eyes darted at a swift unnatural pace, searching and examining for everything to search for her in the after images and blurs she created. He couldn't pass out, he needed to consciously utilize that dormant ability to the fullest of its truth- and so, he closed his own eyes. Eyelids shutting over the grey palette of his optics, the Judgment felt the energy from his soul engulf the rest of his body, anatomy engulfed and surrounded by his determination. CRACK! BOOM!
He was sent back by a boat from telekinesis, tumbling to the ground and rolling for a moment using his palms to push himself upright. Neck snapping from side to side, he then felt an elongated hit to the side of his skull as the fires produced by her sweat created a singing burn against his skin. Grunting in irritation, he slid his fingers against the burnt blood so that the droplet could stain the tip of his finger. Her speed wasn't produced by the Requiem technique, she was throwing herself forward and producing small blasts of telekinesis from her soles so she could bounce off the air. Alexander clapped his hands together, strands levitating at a touch of energy as it shocked his locks attached to the peak of his head- then, as Sam stopped moving, locked in place and forced to stop, he glared at her. Scoffing, he took his whip in his hand controlling it with his mind so it could be infused with a lot more force flicking his wrist so the end could meet the chest of his female opponent.
A spark of electricity then radiated out as the weapon's lengthiness tip made a CRACK! against her center. Riley went flying backward, her back prepared to make an impact against a wall, and just then, Alex scoffed. The whip then rearranging so it could ensnare and wrap around the ankle of his telekinetic mentor, yanking it forward so that he could prepare his fist. He couldn't use 100% of it right now, not of his true Requiem power, at the very least- even now, his body wasn't strong enough still in his prime. The best he could do was 75%, Samantha stuck out her hand so the second she got a few inches away from his face and body, she'd create a shockwave that sent him flying back. He took that, unwavering, Dark Determination flaring like fire in his pupils- he once more pulled against the whip that'd taken control of her lower joint.
Yelping loudly, her anatomy remained out of her control; and just then, Alexander took this chance. Fist raising as it thundered with that signature white glow of the Requiem technique gifted by the Rivera bloodline, The Requiem Judge began to emerge from the depths of his heart. Both eyes illuminating with the heavenly glow of a pale hue, he imagined himself in that spot, at peace...
He was there, sitting in front of the Castle at that grass field, surrounded by trees. Taking a bite of the sandwich he'd made, Rose, his lover, resting on his shoulder. Surrounded not only by his friends, Whitney and Lynn talking with Ed, Arabella and Hazel; but of the family, he'd wished for. The much older brother he was bound to by blood, the Emperor, drove his fist into the river of running water so the tips of his fingers could stab through the flesh of the quick movements of the swimming animal as it drove itself forward through the calm waves. August chuckled with his father at the sight of this, his dad piling up the fish so they could be stabbed against a stick, the Reaper and the Emperor laughed together. Alex was surrounded by family in his vision... everything he'd ever wanted; was here.
"Peace of Mind. Lock and Key,"
Just then, his palm had met her chest, sparks of electricity and bolts of lightning contracting outward from the blow so she could fall right onto her back. The whip obeying his command at the same time he used this attack, it trapped her in the rope as he let go of the grip so it could tangle her up and he could have both hands free. And just like that, from a simple touch to the chest- she'd fallen right over onto her back. It wasn't like he'd done any internal physical damage, in fact, she even snored as he stood over her. With a smile, he began to take out the chalk he'd been given at the beginning of his exam so he could walk over the board they kept.
'Sammy: I. Alex: I,'
He'd been able to channel 75% and he felt the same as he did before, he wasn't unconscious and he felt no sense of agony or soreness throughout his body. Alex smiled at his improvement, squeezing his fist closed so that the tips of his fingers could touch against his palm. Riley touched his shoulder with a hopeful expression, spitting out a touch and wiping her lip of blood, she held no sense of anger or hatred for what he'd done. He'd won and proved himself to her; though he had a ways to go, Amara knew he was finally ready...
"There's no doubt you're finally ready to use 100% of your Requiem energy. Around this age is when my brother-in-law first unlocked those powers with my father-in-law when he trained in the Temple. My nephew unlocked his powers in only short bursts and only used them in freak situations like when he fought Azazel or destroyed Kuno. And he was younger; he was a teenager. But you're different, Alex,"
They decided to walk and talk together, standing beside one another, Amara passed by his whip on the floor so that it could swirl together. Placing it on his belt so it could hang off the side, Alexander watched as Riley put her arms behind her back, the metal platform of the elevator sending them back up so they could return to the ground level of the Castle. Seeing as how their destination would take them a second or two to get to, Sammy then rubbed her chin as she felt the bruises and pain subside from her self-healing,
Taking a glance at the whip hanging off of his waist attached to the belt he donned, she muffles said laugh at the thought that he'd never had this whip before when he was a teenager. It seemed to fit him, she honestly couldn't imagine him with like a sword, ax, or bow and arrow- anything like that, unlike Jason, Matthew, and her wife, Madisyn. Just as those three have their weapons designed for them and only them, it was the same for Alex. But where? And how did he get the idea for this weapon?
"Where'd you get the idea for that thing anyway? You never seemed to be interested in whips or anything while you were at the Academy,"
"It's from a game I used to play,"
Sam couldn't help but smile at the innocence of that response, inside, Alex was still just a young boy despite the chaos of a horrifying world. Riley rubbed her chin debating something for a moment, then pulling the man into her side as she wrapped her arm around his nape so he could grunt with a surprised expression over his face. Blushing for a moment in embarrassment, he turned his head as the woman informed her of the past she'd spent with Madi and her brothers,
"Y'know, even when Ben was older, he started to name those moves he did after some stuff he saw when he was a teenager. He barely uses this move out of embarrassment but it's likely one of his stronger ones; it's called 'The Pen's Might',"
Quirking a brow at this new information, the blush began to disappear as he stood up straight, continuing to walk down the dimly lit halls of the Castle so they could try to reach the end of the Hall. Sharing a laugh as they drove themselves further to the end of the hallway, Alex and Sammy stood... just against a wall. Painted with red and golden lining that shined against the reflective rays of the starry sun that hovered amongst the clouds in space above-
"So.. you wanted to show me the wall. {Sammy: Huh-? No-} I mean, it's a pretty interesting wall, wish I was inside of it,"
Shaking her head with a humored laugh at the joke he'd just made, Riley simply tapped her that'd held her watch. Watching as it pinged in reaction to the object it was connected to, the wall's hardened material began to slide upward as if gears took control of the metal to take control of it. And right then, right there, there it was, the gift manufactured by none other than the Emperor of Time himself. A metal whip that began to crackle and contorts its shape feeling the pull of his energy.. the Requiem Judge's youthful internal Requiem energy.
Widening his eyes at the sight of such a marvel, he reached out his hand for just a second, fingers stretching out for barely even a moment. And just like that, it was drawn to his flesh like a vampire to the rotting corpse of a mortal being. Simply laughing in disbelief, his eyes searched over the lengthy weapon he'd even gifted, Riley rubbing his shoulders with both hands giving him a momentary massage. He deserved this, more than anyone else in this world-
"Don't feel bad about this; don't feel like you don't deserve it. Trust me, Alex, you're not... useless. There may be people more powerful than you but so what? You don't have to live up to any of them, to their strength, to those... symbols. You're an Amara, not a Karlo, not a Rivera- you're yourself. Just keep moving forward and fight,"
Just then, those words sent the warmth through the remaining cell in his body, it wasn't fire. Nothing immense like the blazing inferno of a flaming whirlwind, but of that sort familiarity and nostalgia he'd experienced whenever he was with Rose. Nothing like a lover, someone you kissed, made love to but of the sort of familial care you'd have with not a father... but a mother. He threw himself into her arms without question, hiding and burying his face into her neck. Sliding his arms around her back, roughly trying to get a grip as he whimpered in fear- shaking like a scared puppy as he gripped her body.
Sam's usual smile had faded, all it was that remained was a worried look in the center of her orbs of sight. Pupils shaking and vibrating as the tears threatened to fall, she sucked in so her chest could shrivel up before letting out a powerful breath from her nostrils and mouth. ~Don't ever let go of the boy, shaking and whimpering as he cries into your arm. Scared at the possibility of even something.. close to the value of love. Keep him here, and let him stay. Nothing's his fault; and all he wants is... someone to care~
"I won't let you go; I won't turn out the same way your mother and father did, I'm not like that. God be damned, I'll fall to Hell before I hurt another child. So stay here with me, Al... I'll be your mother, I'll be here when they weren't; please, just... don't ever leave me,"
He sobbed and sobbed, the tears beginning to fall even further as they dropped out from his eyes. None of them moved, and all they did was stand there and hug one another; idle and still, together. A mother and her son, finding his purpose in a crazy world filled to the brim with chaos and gods. But none of the at mattered, not anymore, he had a mother. He could try to build a family. And that... that was all Alex had wanted. To stay here, with his mother, with his girl, to be loved truly and eternally without end... infinitely across time, forever and ever, he truly was-
Home.
"Ah come on, come on!"
"Nah, keep 'em coming, we like to hear 'em, so tell us!"
"Yeah, tell us!"
The fluids began to leak forward into the transparent containers of glass, the Android stopping so that Jason could smile at Artemis as he took a swig from the bottle he'd used. Leaning down so she could press her lips and give a warm kiss against his cheek, Jay watched as she stepped away ruffling his hair, he leaned back as he gently placed the bottle back onto the floor. His brother to his left on the couch had a bright smile over his mouth, sliding his hands together as he reached forward to take the drink he'd poured for himself. Then, Madisyn beside him had rested on his shoulder, snuggling closer so she could feel the nostalgic nature of the family as she reached closer to her baby brother. Right across from them was Uraku, having leaned back dramatically after he'd pleaded for the end of these long tales. These legends that he'd been telling, just then, Jason begged for him to continue as Ben supported his big brother. All of them gazed right at their father with a hopeful look in their eyes, as if excited for the next of the adventures his father had gone on. Just then, after drinking from the glass he had and swallowing as it burnt down his throat, The former Guardian began to sit back up. Preparing to speak once more, the lights of the room began to dim, Artemis near Jason's lonely seat to the right of the tow sofas.
Just then, his lips parted and he'd informed them all of the next crusades he'd ventured out on in his youth to his children. His sons and daughter all showing differentiating distinctions of excitement and glee as well as a foreboding sense of mystery of what he'd say next. Without any further ado, as the fire roared to their left and Jason's front... he began to speak,
"I believed it was around the middle of the 1300s. During the time of the Black Plague as it ravished all of Europe, and yet, the story doesn't even start there. As we all know through history, it started in the Himalayans. The mountains in South Asia, where it originated because of the cramped nature of the living conditions, rats and everything gathered around and all that. They carried a bacteria named the Yersinia parties, but the truth is; that was only a cover. My Father, back then, had been at war with his colleague, and ally; The Embodiment of Evil. Though they were comrades together, none of that mattered, they were pure opposites. The demons and the angels had a truce, so none of them would go to war with one another as long as Lucifer was the Prince of Hell and a part of the Incarnations. Satan was different, they were
Chaos Incarnate, the King of Darkness. No matter what truce they had, they'd throw chaos and destruction everywhere they went. From before Cthulhu had walked the Earth and the Old Ones were brought down to survey the planet from the Heavens, without chaos, there is no order and without order, there is no chaos. Satan had believed that humanity had grown to such a point that it deserved to be decimated and tortured slowly without any warning. That the future that my Father had seen when He was born into this Multiverse was absolute and that every part of that time, every aspect of the future of mankind would eventually come true. This was before God had decided to turn against humanity and began His scheme to invite your younger brother into the Obliterators. Near the end of the rampage, the Author sought to out to restore order to the humans... their cells would be reorganized so that their normal blood would stay yet they would not stay normal humans. It was then that my father had decided to leave tricklings of Omni energy in human cells so that they'd be passed down from generations and generations leading to the populous turning to superhumans. Humans recovered surprisingly and abruptly, history seemed to ignore it and just went along with it,"
Madi had pushed herself from her brother's side, with this new information, she began to rub at her imaginary beard. Ben, meanwhile, had just been chewing at the end of his glasses now, chuckling at the thought of his random guessing. He hadn't even known of this fact until this very moment, then again, with the Author and the rest of them watching his every move thanks to him being the Chosen One; it seemed that it was fate and causality that'd linked him to where he was today. An emperor in a world after the widespread corruption of the government had been annihilated, part of him wondered why he was chosen, still. Just then, Jason spoke up, clearly having not paid attention through the history at all as he slammed his bottle right down onto the table so it could shake and thud onto the furniture.
It didn't scare any of them, yet his baby brother couldn't help but jump at the loudness of that sound, his older sister rubbing his shoulder. Uraku held no reaction to it except the turning of his eyes as the abnormal purple illumination began to glisten as the rays from the moon shined against his optics, there remained something Jason wanted to ask; it was as if it were in the tip of his tongue. Or rather, he was just waiting for the right moment, who knew? The next second, after he'd asked, the Watcher began to close his eyes and contemplate a response, as Jay angrily and bluntly inquired his father,
"Why'd you leave Mom? Why'd you have us in the first place, and why did you drag us into your shitty little game?"
Madi attempted to speak up in defense of her father, though Ben decided they both should keep their mouths shut until after their Dad answered. Putting his finger to her lip, he gently took hold of it and began to squeeze so that it could drop gently as their Father thought. Memories and experiences from when he was younger, more foolish, started to return as he relished those times. The days where he remained a blissful ignorant puppet in the grand scheme of his Father's grand scheme, uncaring for anything besides that. And yet the short time he'd spent with the humans rather than observing them was the closest thing he had to true family and love ever since he was a child, billions of years ago... but then why? Why leave the only person, the people that would truly and wholeheartedly appreciate and care for you without hesitation? Having almost 80 years to think about it, Uraku faced the floor in shame, long hair sliding down his nape so that the tips of his strands could point to the carpeted platform below them.
The fire's flames began to ravage and tear apart the wood that'd been thrown in earlier, the Father turning his head so he could admire this natural phenomenon. The tip of the bottle he'd been drinking from danced around in his extremities, the blazing individual pieces of the mini-inferno dancing in the center of his orbs- he conjured up an answer to satiate his son's curiosity,
"When I was young, I was... manipulated, to say the least. Being with my Father, was all I'd ever known, so I never objected. I never said anything; I just did the assignment I was given for the sake of His betterment. I thought that- His plan was for the better of humanity, I trusted His judgment then. My father wasn't always like that, even now, He's not a cruel man. His intentions are downright genocidal but He never wished for it to turn out this way. But as you know, humanity is a plague on the world, on every world. He wasn't powerful enough to destroy every single one of them in the Multiverse, it was obvious. To do that would be to destroy Himself, and He wanted to have His little paradise in the sky. Eradicate all other plants in the multiverse with the help of new Requiem soldiers for the sake of Happiness. Despite His plan, He loves and cares for Humanity. Or... so I thought. Back then, in the past, I never cared for your mother or any of you. I saw you four as a means to an end, the end to a long-lasting nightmare and the path to peace. But the more time I spent with you, then I'd realized that humanity was special. The cruelty, the hatred, the corruption; every negative aspect that I'd been told of had begun to fade away as I rested in your mother's arms or held you like babies in my own. I left because I was foolish and stupid, I knew the fate that awaited you all, yet I had the chance to change the destiny that'd been stretched out before you. But I'm... I'm not with my Father anymore, our ideologies have shifted, my son helped me realize that when we went into your memories. That all of this had been planned out for a reason, we can't dwell on the past. We just have to keep moving forward and end this the right way, human beings, no matter what we call them now, are precious and unique. At one point I'd believed my son to be the worst of them, but then I'd realize that he truly was saving them with every waking second. Though he did something without their consent and manipulated their bodies, it was for their protection. I'm on your side now, and I still have my powers, I'm still a god among everyone else. I can't apologize enough for abandoning you all so you'd live without fathers for so long, I wanted to reach out, to say something... but I'm here now. And I love you all, I truly, truly do,"
Just then, the room went silent, Ben turning his head as he'd remembered when he saw his mother being killed the second time in the memories he was forced to watch by this old man. Madi hiding her face in his neck as Jason let out an exhale as he slid out a lighter from his back pocket, while Uraku stared in fascination at the flames. There had to be something, something he could do that could let them repair their faith in him, he didn't want to do what he did but he had no choice at the moment. He had to prove to them that he truly did love them.. and just then, he'd remembered something, the very last important thing he'd done before her demise. His head turned forward, determination twinkling in his eyes like a newly-lit flame suddenly bursting into existence as he stared right at them all. Asking bluntly without even a stutter,
"How about talking to your mother one last time?"
To Be Continued!
In Chapter 72 of the Murder of Crows arc, the Enforcers infiltrate the Crows' supposed hideout and Alex faces his uncle so he could truly utilize his hidden strength.