Perseus POV
"Alright, we got a meeting." Dawn set after a notification popped up on her phone, "He says that he'll come to the cruise himself."
"Does God hold grudges? Cuz I've said a lot of shit about him while I was in this world."
"He wasn't hostile in our last meeting." she pointed out
"It wasn't in person."
"Well..." she was then deep in thoughts, "In the book of Exodus, Exodus 32:9-10, there was a line, of "I have seen these people," the Lord said to Moses, "and they are a stiff-necked people. Now leave me alone so that my anger may burn against them and that I may destroy them.""
"And uh...what did he do?"
"Don't worry, I think Moses intervened. He pleaded with God not to destroy the people, reminding him of his promises and mercy."
"So he does hold grudges, but he won't kill gotcha."
"We don't have a Moses to intervene though. So you may be the first. Well, not the first, remember Noah's Ark?"
I'm fucked.
*****
So once again, we met the guy at the lounge, and since we were on the cruise anyway, I was there early with Dawn and Buddy as the rest is out exploring the current stop. God came in today looking like a fit man in his late 50s, 180cm tall, got blue eyes, white hair, and a white beard.
He also came along in a black suit and blue tie, he came in looking very extinguished as he sat the opposite of us, we greeted each other and eventually moved the topic to the negotiation, everything is smooth so far, which means that something bad is gonna happen since a fictional negotiation never goes smoothly.
Also, none of my previous blasphemy was ever brought up, so that's also concerning.
"...Well, the items you brought up are truly interesting," God said and I sensed a 'but' coming, "However...it's not something I need."
"Will you make an offer and we can try our best to match it?"
"You see, I don't mind you using it since you've said that you don't actually want to time-travel, and I've sensed no lies within your words...have Phineas ever told you of my vision?"
"Something about some calamity if I remember correctly, he said it in a speech."
"Yes, that's it." he nodded, "I foresaw a time when the world would face a great calamity. One that will shake the foundations of our existence. A time of reckoning and purification, where the wickedness and sin that have plagued our world would be washed away."
"Yeah, huh...I think he said something like that, and I never thought about it, so you foresaw Cain causing a time of some sort of reckoning and purification, which got a lot of destruction in the process, what does that have to do with anything."
"Well, the prophecy speaks of a force that will reshape the world, but it need not be one of destruction alone and it can apply to Cain..."
But from the way he trailed off there and the way his eyes narrowed down further on me...it's not a good thing. It can be applied to Cain, with emphasis on 'can', so that means that it can be applied to multiple scenarios.
And the other Perseus said that most of us are always either fated to be the savior...or destroyer...
"Am I the calamity?"
"It can also be applied to you." God nodded, "I find it hard to trust you as you may be the harbinger of your so-called destruction. Do you not know that I haven't noticed your recent activities? If you're worried, only Jerah and I know as we're the only ones powerful enough.
My heart was pounding in my chest. The weight of the words hung heavy in the air, and for a moment, the world seemed to blur.
"The moment you came into this world," he continued, "You threaten the foundations of our existence. And by doing so, you brought upon the time of reckoning and your version of purification, where you try to eliminate what you deem as wickedness and sin that plagued our world.
"But remember, the prophecy I told did not end there. I told Phineas that it wasn't a curse but a divine call to action, I told him to save his strength in his current ongoing war to stop you."
"So if the calamity in question may or may not be me, why can't you put your trust in me to borrow your equipment for an hour or so? I'm doing all of this to stop Cain, you're being hypocritical."
"Simply because I saw the chaos you caused in order to eliminate Cain, you 2 are no different."
He paused and studied my expression for a moment.
"I understand your motivation, I really do." he said in the same calm tone, "From your view, Cain needs to be stopped. But the path you're taking, it's filled with danger. You might believe that the ends justify the means, but in the end, what's left? More destruction, more innocent lives caught in the crossfire.
"I saw the chaos you caused in order to eliminate Cain, you two are no different. It's as if you and Cain are just two sides of the same coin," he said with this heavy sigh. "Your methods might differ, but the result is still chaos and disruption. You're both willing to throw caution to the wind and wreak havoc in pursuit of your goals."
"So you rather let Cain come to you and kill you, what the fuck is wrong with you?!"
"Yes, if you are the 2 sides of the same coin, I rather side with Cain if the choice was given, as I was the reason for his anger, I owe you nothing. You are stopping Cain in the first place, not for the greater good, but for personal revenge, I will not abide by such selfish reasons."
"So what if you owe me nothing? What about your followers?! They look up to you and believe in your teachings. Are you willing to let them down because of a personal opinion?
"My goal is definitely selfish as I want revenge, but I'm not just doing this for myself; I'm doing it for everyone who deserves to live! So, yes, my motives might be driven by personal pain, but my actions are fueled by the belief that no one else should endure what I went through!"