Jake is packing his bags to meet up with John and Sera at the airport. Evie goes knocking on his door. "Yeah?" Jake asks as he hears the ringing of knuckles upon his door. "Umm, it's me!" Evie replies shyly as Jake opens the door, he sees Evie, her presence gives off a warm feeling like the light from her palms. "Oh, uh, hey Evie, I uhh, watcha doing?" Jake asks. "You're leaving already? Schools are gonna be open tomorrow I think. Maybe this whole thing is just some weird fluke." Evie suggests as she twirls her pigtails. "I don't think so, I have information that's contrary. They'll close again. The Northern nation will-"
Evie looks at her phone. "Cripple everyone on the planet who won't meet their demands" she says shocked. Jake looks away with despair in his eyes. "Yeah, it's pretty bad," he says softly. "Jake, are you going to be alright, why are you leaving so early?" Evie looks at Jake's Knight helmet sitting on the countertop. "Are you going there? JAKE?! Who else is coming?!" Jake doesn't look Evie in the eyes, she walks over to the counter and picks it up.
"Sounds dangerous," Evie said. "Yeah well, nothing us god tiers can't handle" Jake joked. "Jake, please be careful" Evie pleaded. Jake begins to speak but Evie hugs him tightly, thinking about all the horrors that came from that country, all the people who live in fear. She felt that every second she locked him in an embrace she was protecting his life, but she knew that she'd have to let go soon. "Please come home safely, we'll miss you, Roland, and I especially." Jake nods as he smiles optimistically. Evie walks out of the room slightly disturbed and saddened by the encounter. Jake watches Evie leave. He then goes into the bathroom, he punches his mirror, breaking the glass. His fear emits a black and purple aura as his power tries to suppress it.
Meanwhile, Isen, Arlo, Remi, and Blyke are in a taxi heading to New Washington Hotel to stay for the week. "Alright boys and girls, let's start to settle in." Arlo says sarcastically. "Blyke's staying with me" Remi says with a smile as she latches her arms around him. "Huh?" Arlo asked curiously. "Ayy, Blyke!" Isen roared. "Shut up you human cheeto!" Blyke says, pointing his finger at him. "Stop making it weird, besides I have to talk to him about something." Remi insists. "Alright whatever, just means Isen's gonna have a worse time." Arlo says with a slight smile. Isen gulps as Remi and Blyke get unpacked. "I'm worried about you" Remi says. You act like I'm always on the verge of breaking." Blyke pauses for a moment. "Remi, we fought some of the nation's most dangerous people, not even criminals, but demons. We almost died!"
"Yeah, I know, but I don't want it to eat you alive." Blyke shakes his head. "How, Remi I...." Remi abruptly interrupts Blyke. "Because, this is my issue, look, you don't think I don't notice anything, you see this hole?" Remi points to an injection spot on her neck. "That's my hole, that's where they took MY blood, so I don't want you worrying about something they took from me, when it has nothing to do with you. Okay?" Blyke looks away hurt. "Remi, are you expecting me to never worry about you. Because that's what I'm hearing is that you just want me to forget about your troubles." Remi pauses her unpacking.
"Remi, this isn't a burden to me, I don't mind worrying, it wouldn't be right if I didn't. Worrying about this motivates me to make sure you're okay. It reminds me I have more than myself to protect. It means I care for you. Can't you see that? It's what keeps us from being selfish!" Remi shakes her head. "I'm just afraid it'll get in the way of our mission. Blyke, you're not gonna have time to worry about me when you're fighting your own enemies. Okay?"
"Yeah, I know I just" Blyke starts to tear up. "I don't wanna see them take you, and know that I could have done something about it. I don't wanna know what John went through with Seraphina." Remi hugs Blyke, saying nothing as the two embrace. Blyke wipes his face of tears as Remi's pink hair gets in his face. Then, Arlo and Isen both enter the room. I just got off the phone with Jake, he said he'll be at the airport with John and Sera in the morning, in the meantime, he showed me this.
Arlo holds up his phone. Blyke looks away rather disappointed as his conversation feels left unresolved.
Breaking news, Senator Whales is holding a meeting for the new elected congress tomorrow at 7pm.
A picture of an old distinguished gentleman appeared on the phone. He had a cunning smile and snow white hair. His skin wrinkled with bags under his eyes, seasoned. "We use Isen's ability to go and find out more about this meeting" Arlo says as he puts his phone away. The three all nod and smile at each other in agreement. "Man Arlo, I'm surprised you're on board with this, no evidence or anything, you just took our words and stories." Blyke says. Arlo looks at his reflection as he remembers Rei's green hair flowing through the wind. Rei's yellow eyes looked down at Arlo. He smiles to himself as nostalgia floods his mind. "You would've liked him, John, you would have been safe" he told himself. "What about hierarchy, what about him acknowledging his rightful place as a leader?! No one asks for this position, it is a high honor to receive it!" Arlo's mind raced with contrary thoughts as Rei's eyes turned gold. His lightning turning black, his hair darkening. An unsettling feeling shifted in Arlo's heart. "Fuck" Arlo thought to himself. "If you were still around, he wouldn't have descended to such madness. I'd be king, and...."
Arlo snaps back into reality as he looks back at Blyke, Remi, and Isen.
"I'm going to bed" Arlo says calmly as he turns off the light and settles under the cover. Isen shuts the door connecting his room to Blyke's and Remi's.
"No one believes in order like me. Not the government. Not society. Not the world. Not The Golden God. Not even the gods that people worship. Just me. For the first time, I feel so alone. Truly Alone. While I believe in a system that keeps the weak from being picked on by the strong, by keeping everyone in their own lane, they see it as class. A tier list of..." Arlo pauses. "The tier system isn't just about power, but worth, value." Arlo has a flashback to when he was in his world politics class. It's just him and a couple of elite seniors at the time, Rei, as well as his royal team. A girl with green hair and her clique of royals all gathered in a lecture hall.
"So, today we will be learning about the world power that is currently trailing us called the Northern Nation, and their southern neighbor, who both reside on a peninsula west of us. Now I know you all heard of them because you don't live under a rock, but currently in the news we heard about more activity from their society wanting to rise up against ours. Would anyone like to tell the class why that is?" A girl in Rei's class with curly green hair raises her hand. "Yes!"
"Because what the government over there did was take away people's abilities, this is flawed because it gives people a fair chance who don't deserve it. Making the elites want to rebel, this makes the qualified criminals, and the unqualified in charge. Power is determined by genetics, the better the genetics the better the person. Only those genetically superior can master their full potential." The teacher snaps his fingers. "Outstanding, I expect nothing less from our top of the class in academics. Now…" As the teacher continues, Arlo sits beside himself alone in his head.
"I'm sorry Rei, you just wanted change everything. I was wrong, and it was my side, my thinking, that ended your life that day." Arlo's last thoughts as his eyes drift shut.
Arlo?
ARLO?!
Arlo felt a jolting sensation. "Huh? Wait, where am I? Who are you?" Arlo yells as he finds himself back at Wellston. "Haha, you really don't know who I am? Come on man!" "Wait a sec" Arlo says with realization. "Rei?!" Arlo yells. "Yup, look, we're at graduation!" he says enthusiastically.
"Haha, miss me buddy?" Arlo looks at him confused. "Is this some kind of dream? Didn't I see you yesterday? Is this a dream or?" Rei interrupts. "Dead. Long story but I'll explain later." Rei says. Arlo chuckled to himself. "Haha, no one asked," he says, trying to mask his emotions. "Back to your old self I see" Rei comments. "What, I never changed." Arlo says defensively. "So you're in the vigilante game now. Taking it to Washington I see!" Rei says as he puts a thumb up. "No, no I'm doing this for the betterment of the system. Right now it's perverted. Restored to its full glory it will benefit everyone." Rei sighs as he sits on a bench. "So you're defending the nation from another nation and from traitors, okay. What about New Oklahoma City?" Rei asks. "Why do that? Friends in trouble or something?" Arlo nods. "I'm not in it for fame or glory, not even to help others. I don't know if that makes me selfish, but I'm only here for my friends. People who I can count on to run day enforce the-" Rei interrupts. "Why love a lower tier then?" Arlo looks over at Rei who smiles with his eyes shut. "All she can do is heal, no real power. I guess good wife material but you're robbing your children of better genetics. Don't you think that-" Arlo grabs Rei by the collar. His face scowls as he stares deeply into Rei's eyes. "You're scared of seeing them take her away" Arlo's hands shake. "Hehehe, you're scared of watching your friends die. More importantly, her."
Arlo lets go of Rei and begins to look around. "AHAHAHA, You don't want to see them take her away, lock her in a camp, torture her, take her ability away. Have fun with her." Rei says as he begins to sinisterly laugh. "Hey asshole, where's Rei?!" Rei is seen running behind Arlo with his ability charged. Arlo looks back to see the real Rei as the Rei in front of him begins to shift. "Shut up, you're not Rei!" Arlo yells as Rei shoves Arlo out of the way and zaps at his clone. "But you finally get it though! Do you!" Rei asks as he watches his evil twin rise up off the ground. Arlo just stood and watched. "Even evil can ask valid questions. Arlo, RUN, this isn't a place for you, JUST RUN!" Arlo activates his barrier as wrath itself stared into his soul. "Arlo, you're not gonna win!" Arlo looks at his mentor. "Oh yeah, I CAN KICK YOUR ASS, WHY NOT HIS!?" Arlo roared as Rei's clone sent some lightning rounds at Arlo, he dodges and uses his barrier to flex the fact that he didn't need it. Arlo grows a smile on his face behind the yellow dome.
"Hehe, not so strong now with his ability, I've been growing you know." An entity rose out of Rei's clone's body. It stood over fifty meters tall with overwhelming power. It was as black as night, the sky glowed red. Two wings emerged from the creature.
The demon swings its fist down, but Arlo uses his barrier, however it doesn't hold against the monster. It breaks, causing him to throw up a whole pint of blood. Rei sends some shocks towards the beast. "ARLO!" Rei picks up Arlo before he throws him a portal. Watching his mentee wake up as one of Joker's slaves continues to thrash at Rei.
"Jake will be my puppet, and he will rule the nation, and it will become my capital for the new world order. Joker will rise and bring Satan's kingdom to fruition. Everything is coming to fruition" the demon thought. Rei gives one last smile to the beast as he charges up some blue and green lighting, cocky as he perceives the battle as his to win. Arlo wakes up in his bed, he looks up at the ceiling and goes into the bathroom to puke up some blood fragments left. He then starts to slowly heal with his green barrier, it turns blue as he begins to think about Elaine, he then checks his phone. "Hey babe, how's Washington?" she asks in a text. "Hahaha, just what I need. I gotta stop thinking about that nightmare." Arlo said softly outloud. He then starts to type Elaine a text.
Arlo: Oh, just like you'd expect, don't worry, it's nothing special.
Meanwhile, three hooded figures walk past a sign written in a language not english. They all look around as one of them gathers the other two close to him. "Okay, Sera, John, you two have a hotel waiting for you in the capital city, go follow the trumpet noise until you see a rooster in the street crow three times, it will walk into an alleyway, from there you will find the building." John and Sera look at each other weirdly. "An omen is gonna be our google map? Can't you just give us an address?" Jake shrugs his shoulders indicating he does not know the location. Rather than taking it with faith, John and Sera activate their abilities and vanish. Jake stays behind as a hooded figure from behind appears. "You were stupid for coming here you know" Jake says to Evie as she pulls down her hood.
"J-Jake, I couldn't leave you, this mission is so dangerous and…" A flight attendant suddenly shrieks. "Hey, where's that girl, she stole a plane ticket! Why do we still have physical tickets?!" Evie looks back nervously. "Security is after you, alright, hop on!" Jake says as he activates his ability. He summons a sword that acts as a broom as he picks up Evie bridal style. He then starts to fly, moving throughout the city, leaving behind a red flash. "We're are we going?" she asks. "You'll see, just a bit longer!" Jake yells as he then lands on a grassy area. "Wait, that was quick, where are we now?" Evie asks. Jake takes a deep breath and sighs. "In the middle of nowhere, the Northern Nation." Evie looks at Jake astonished. "That was so quick!" Jake looks down on the ground. "Here, follow me." Evie walks behind Jake, timid looking as the two walk on the narrow dirt path, surrounded by nature. "So, why did you follow us?" Jake asked, rather annoyed. "I just, Jake, we were worried for you." Jake scoffs a little. "Yeah well, that was pretty stupid. We had a plan!" Evie however does not take it.
"Jake, stop it!" Jake looks at Evie, his face expressing his fear for Evie. "Well what did you want me to say, Evie? I'm scared, you're not a high tier, you barely can fight, you don't have a kit, you just make light from your palms! I'm scared of what might happen to you now, Evie. I don't wanna see them hurt you!" Evie goes to hug Jake. "Jake, it's okay, I'm not helpless now, I can fight like Sera now, plus, check this out!" Evie's eyes begin to glow, she raises her hands out and creates a light. A white laser beam shoots out of her palm. Damaging a tree. Jake looks at where the laser was shot as smoke rises from the burnt wood. "It might not be much, but it's enough to get me by!" Jake looks back at Evie with a shocked demeanor. "Woah, did you just?!"
Evie 2.5 laser.
"I even found this in John's room before coming over here!" Evie pulls out an aura powered pistol. "WAIT HOW DID YOU SNEAK THAT ON A PLANE?!" Jake asked, astonished.
"I honestly don't know, I just kinda dashed on a plane and hid. And well, I also brought these!" Under Evie's shirt she pulls out five belts of Grenades, all powered by her ability. "Oh my…. you're a mad woman!" Evie chuckles. "Hehe, I think I'll be alright. Besides, I won't burden you anymore! I can help!"
"Wow, you've come so far" Jake thought as he smiled upon Evie, remembering one of his first interactions with her back at Wellston. Where Jake is walking with John, the two talk about games they're into when they depart for class. Jake goes out and walks along the halls when he hears someone being hit.
"You stupid bitch, you didn't even try on this!" a girl shouts as she grabs another girl. "I'm sorry, it was really hard!" Evie yells. "Hey what the hell are you doing?!" Jake yells as he crouches and points at his classmate. "Excuse me mid tier, why don't you mind your own...." Jake lands a hard punch to the girl's face, causing her nose to bleed, she falls on her back on the ground. "Excuse me, I think this is my business, that's my friend!" "Haha, that low tier?" the girl asks. Jake summons a small red portal, in it he pulls out a sword and points it at the girl. "I may be a mid tier, but I can make you disappear, now SCRAM!" The girl gets up, petrified of Jake. Evie looks down on the ground as Jake offers his hand to help up Evie. "Hey, you need a hand?" Jake asks with a smile on his face. John just stood and stared at the entire interaction without even getting the chance to act. "Yeah, um, thanks, you didn't have to do that" she stuttered as she spoke. "Why not?" Jake asks. "You're a high tier, you got better stuff to do." Evie said shyly. "You sure about that, haha? Come on, we got class." Jake says this as he grabs Evie's hand and walks to class. Jake then stares at Evie, only to see her face in the present day. He imagined Evie blasting a laser into the girl who bullied her. His own words however turned what was supposed to be uplifting into a nightmare of its own.
"I can make you disappear" followed by Evie blasting a bloody hole through the girls stomach. "No," Jake thought. "This isn't the way."
No?
Why not?
"The reason why I'm so kind to low tiers, is because, once upon a time, back in a nation far away. When they were once good, a princess of her kingdom showed me that same kindness, back when they thought Aura was manna, when abilities were called magic. She was so kind and pretty, and me being a peasant, with no family on earth, a descendant of hell. Yet she showed me the ropes."
A map displays six kingdoms, one for each continent with humans roaming them. The year, 1430. One of these kingdoms was the world power that currently ruled over all of Asia. Princess Noelleia was on a long mission that ended at the tip of the current day Northern Nation. As she rides her stallion white horse along the coast, her men and women follow her. Two of them were goofing around in the back, they were named Magma and Lucky. One wielded a fire bat and can conjure flames. He was a 5.4. The other one messed around with a magic staff of some kind, one that granted him the power of electricity and ice armor. His name was Lucky. He was a 5.6 and had a 2.3 ice armor as a passive. Another one could manipulate wires, her name was Finessa. Ability, potions master, 3.4. Wires, 4.3. The rest of the squad mates went as follows.
Grey: Shape shift: 2.3
Harry: Aura disabler 9.8
Finny Portals, 3.3
And, Gauch, 6.4 Direct mirror. Sends ranged ability back.
Finally we have Charm, who can make storm clouds and use them as minions and as her ability, she's a 5.4 but her other abilities are passive storm lightning which is 4.4 and water which is a 2.2.
Besides the princess were two security guards. "Madam, with all due respect, your siblings just care about you, they think that these lower leveled knights won't last on missions that are your expertise!" The princess halted. "Excuse me, like you're able to yourself, besides, how will these soldiers learn if they're not set on the right path, castle duty doesn't make a soldier, the battlefield does!" The other guard spoke up. "Madame, the council will be hearing about this, they'll want to talk to you!" The princess scoffs. "Well, then so be it, they already scolded me once, what are they going to do, I rank higher than most in these lands. Hold up! We have something here!" Everyone stops their horses, Noelleia gets off and heads towards the body, where Jake is lying. Thinking about how he got there, remembering the flames of Hell against his skin.
"Mom, I don't like hell, it's hot, gross, smelly, and I just wanna have fun! I wanna live life. I don't wanna fear anyone or anything anymore! I WANNA BE FREE! I NEVER ASKED FOR THIS!" Jake cried and pleaded, only to be met with violence. "How DARE YOU choose that big hippie in the sky!" Jake feels he is on the verge of tears. "Yeah well at least he can take a joke! I JUST WANNA FEEL NORMAL!" Jake's father hits Jake with the back of his hand. "How dare you, you BRAT!" Jake winds up a punch and hits his father with brute force. "Fine, this is how you treat your parents, for bringing you into this world!" Jake spits on the ground. "That's it, you did nothing else you pieces of shit! I NEVER WANTED THIS! I HATE HELL! I hate being HATED!!!!"
"You owe us loyalty, like how we owe you loyalty, that's it. Family first!" Jake scoffs. "I hate you both!" Jake's father crosses his hands. "Excuse me?"
"You heard me."
"Well then, if that's what you feel, no point in keeping a traitor like you! I cast you into the overworld, where you will rot as a crippled human!" His father yelled. "And when you return, you will rot like the rest of the humans that end up here for their crimes on Earth for all of eternity! We shall inherit all of creation!" His mother yelled. "And you will lose all of your power here!" Jake clenches his fist. However, starts to fall through a portal like hole, as he falls he can't hold onto his swords, he finds himself in the middle of a forest. He goes to lift his swords and armor up, but he can't pick it up, he struggles like Thor did when he first came to Earth. "NOOOOO!" Jake yells as he pokes, prods, pleads with his blades. He felt his strength betray him as he tried to lift them up off the ground. "So, you like those Norse mythology stories? The ones used to criticize public leaders in private?" Jake looks over to see a silhouette of white light. "Wait, you're here!" Jake roars. "I'm everywhere, I'm the air you breathe, the water you drink. I just am." Jake falls to the ground in fear as he felt his skin melt. Tears stream down from his eyes as he looks around to find the false protection of hell missing. "Y-your not gonna hurt me for being a demon, r-right?!" Jake hears laughing from the holy one. "You're wise for what you did. For that you'll train as a cripple on Earth as an upcoming angel. Don't worry about powers, it'll help you in the long run, you need to train your body. I'll make you stronger than you ever imagined. Capable of feats you can't even fathom!"
"B-but why bother with me, I'm a devil, I-I....." Jake starts to cry a small bit.
"Cause you're my son now, your parents forsaken you right? For seeking righteousness and not the flames of Hell. For just wanting what life was always meant to be, fulfilling, exciting, wholesome and righteous. Normal. I saw everything that happened, you don't need to become like them. You ought to become as I am." Jake stutters over his words as he feels an embrace. "Rest up, I'll wake you with a squad of knights, they'll raise you on this Earth till the time is right, from there I'll guide you to becoming an angel, but while on this earth, you'll need to become a devil again. Everything here is corrupt." Jake watches as the father goes back into the clouds, his mind, heart, and soul wants to scream thank you and praise, but God wouldn't let him, he feels his eyelids starting to sag and close, he slowly drifts off to sleep. As if he were to go under surgery. He was made to lie in the green pasture he fell onto. Until a sword woke him. "State your name!" the princess roared from her horse. Jake yawns as he gets up to stretch from the sound of a screeching woman.
"Oh um, I'm....uhhhh" Jake froze, until he heard something diving whisper the name Jake into his ear. Jake then looks at the princess who's dressed in royal armor. He feels the grass with his hand as he comes up with what to say. "Jake, My name is Jake uhh, Jake Lawn." Noelleia gets off her horse to greet the boy, she notices his bulging muscles from his torn clothes, his green eyes catches her attention, his dirty look, but not like a peasant, more like a masculine man cutting down trees and defending his family by rolling in the mud. This attracted Noelleia, she felt her heart beat fast for him and started to blush slightly at the man's presence.
"Well, you seem a little lost and crazy, so we'll get you a ride back to the capitol, we were just doing a recon of the area, but here you go, Finny, please open up a portal for us to head home." Everyone looked at the princess rather strangely. "Yes ma'am!" Finny replied as the squad goes through the portal. Jake enters and hears a voice in his head.
"I can't let you take your weapons and armor, but don't worry, when the time comes, your weapons will become yours, and your armor will no longer be needed till the day of judgment. For the will of the sword is in the user, but the armor is tainted with sin, and it will be destroyed by the blows of your enemy on the final day of battle. Jake nods as he enters a big room with his newfound squadmates. Noelleia introduces the rest of the nights, they all introduce each other, and conversation begins to lead to them talking about current political events. Eventually the dreaded question comes to play. "So, what's your magical ability?" Noellia asks. Jake pauses, not sure what to say, for God took his demon powers away to help him grow, he still however has his body full of flesh, blood, and bone, he goes up to a tree and winds up a punch, hoping that whatever is convicting his action is a wise being. "Well, if I remember correctly, I think, I don't have one, but I can do this!" Jake punches the tree, words do not begin to describe the shock on the whole squad's face as the bark and tree tissue explodes. Leaving nothing but a hollow stump.
"Okay, I still have my super strength" Jake thought to himself.
"Woah, you're, I know where that strength came from" Noelleia said in her head.
"You're a devil…"
To be Continued....