Issue 30: Reality Shift
He will not devour what's left. I exist. I exist. I exist.--Hilary Brookes
It is a quaint notion to think she has any will. This last grasp on life. I will allow it. I must see how far I can push this plaything called a soul.--Chronos
Life and Death have no meaning. All lights shall fade.--Mordred
We have reached a new era. No longer shall we fear the vastness between the Void. For we carry the Light of Creation.--Noah’s Ark Archives
Who is she? Really. I’ve examined HeroNet up and down. What is the Star-Spangled Banner?--Crossguard
Even now I look back. Every step. Not in remorse. Though there are individual moments I regret. Tears I shouldn't have shed. Would I do it all over again? In a heartbeat. To think the answer was in front of us all right from the start. Life and Death. The everlasting cycle.--Sleeping in Starlight: Post Convergence File 238-119A
New Ashbury, Texas
Protectorate HQ
February 26th 5490 A.C
Argus Paxton studied Crossguard as the demi dodged another set of attacks.
Two energy users and a Brick Construct operating at 10% of Dexter Murphy’s capabilities. The paladin of Avalon’s Outer Ring went flying. He twisted his body at the last moment to use the wall. His boots hummed as the defense actuators activated. Crossguard’s knees cracked back into place. The advantages of quick healing. It allowed him to engage demi’s above his weight class. Paxon had recorded every instance of Crossguard’s search for the Banner. He wasn’t corrupted.
Thomas Murphy had cleared the young knight.
Crossguard launched himself into a spiral. His sword blazed with blue-silver flame.
He cut the two energy combatants to ribbons. The sword sparked as it buried itself up to the hilt into the Brick. Crossguard grunted as he pulled his sword downward. Nearly to the enemy’s groin. The battlefield faded as a computerized voice announced,
<<Crossguard. Report to Alpha 01 Lift.>>
Now to put the young man to the test.
∞
Lucifer slipped into the Medical Wing. He allowed the biometrics to verify his status. A sallow Markav face greeted him. “Ahh! Doctor.” Nyx waved him through. He touched that minuscule part of himself he had retained from Convergence. Echoes pulsed against his skin.
He took a seat.
Medical equipment hummed as it encircled his forehead. Feather light needles collected a few cell samples. Nyx never wavered. She merely peered down at him from her elevated doctor’s station. “Separating Weave threads now.”
Samples filled the tubes arrayed around him. The sour bite of ash filled his mouth.
The one hint of his true nature.
Sweat ran down his back. Nyx wasnt just taking Weave readings.
His vision doubled. His chin hit his chest.
Her Markav accent never wavered. She said, “Tears collected. Weave sampling complete.”
It wasn’t a usual phrase. The human body was majority water. He wasn’t able to move. So he listened. Nicely polished black shoes edged into his vision. The delicate turn of pages. Lucifer inhaled. Nyx stated softly, “I will test your sample as well. We all must be careful. They have eyes everywhere.”
Chronos’ line came back to haunt him, “I know the taste of her tears.”
Tears. Not just a mother’s tears. Deeper. The gateway to the soul.
The River of All Souls. What had the Devourer been originally?!
Lucifer’s mind whirled. The Mother was the key.
The Mother of All Ouros.
Nyx hummed a lullaby. She smiled and rested one wrinkled hand on Lucifier’s head.
“So close now. Soon you will see. They will all see.”
Lucifer let out a mental howl as dark eyes converged upon his mind.
“Little bird. Did you think you were free?”
Chronos flicked one elongated gray finger across the Fallen one’s forehead.
∞
Abbadon lifted the bourbon to his lips.
Straight from the bottle. Mortal forms had their uses. But the dreams.
Those were a mandate from fate.
There was no escape. The Devourer had them all. No matter the cycle. Unity was beholden to it. So was he. Anyone ever touched by the malaise of the World Ender. Tendrils of black ice ran up his arms. The final cards were in play. He had been nothing but a puppet. Never the ultimate. Lucifer and the others would be in for a rude surprise. Chronos formed in the seat next to him.
“I will grant you a boon.”
The voice was as dry and emotionless as the despot remembered.
“Who do you wish to hurt the most?”
Abbadon took another swig. A rictus grin bloomed.
The boy king. The Knife Wielder.
Chronos lifted one white feather, “So it shall be.”
∞
Moonlighter phased through the building. Gagged behind his mask.
They were all dead. Every single cultist. Crossguard kicked the door in. His sword blazed with holy wards. The radiance cause the skin to bubble of the closest corpse. He shouted, “Alvec Aluvin Almaris!”
A shield formed within and without the building. Moonlighter jerked back. Pulled by Argus Paxton as the building disintegrated. All that remained was the slight imprint of the lowest level. A tear in the shape of black eyes stared up at them.
Grey lids flickered in the radiance of the sword.
Mocking them all.
Argus Paxton spat out his cigar. The ashes exploded under his boot heel as he commanded, “Notify Central. Recall everyone. Even the reserves.”
∞
Anna gripped the handrail. Her face tightened as visions cascaded around her.
The Twins impaled by black ice.
Thoth and Hilary back to back on a throne made of Devoured essence.
Her mind focused on the tendrils raining from the sky.
Giving shape to the One Above All.
The Silver Lady pressed one palm to Anna’s eyes.
“Remember him by his passing.”
She inhaled.
∞
Archibald Hammond stared at the holo.
Chronos had done it. He had consumed the primary essence of the Devourer. How quaint. That one only aimed to invade the body and soul of Dexter Murphy. All this to find the perfect host to house his essence for an eternity. The Devourer had lived off the embers of souls. Thoth had seen within the Nothing and survived.
He smiled as the stewardess brought another round of refreshments.
The world would soon know. Chronos had always been shortsighted. The Nothing would command the last bastion of Man, Demi and Dog. No amount of the Oversoul’s light would prevail. He had given his flesh and soul to the Nothing. Making him immune to Chronos’ feeble compulsions. He watched as witch fire danced across the reaches of the Weave.
Chronos had the numbers.
Thoth stated firmly into the holo pickup, “I concur. Put everyone at condition one General Murphy. Including the backups. Failsafe 1-10.”
He placed his glass gently on the tray.
How ironic that Murphy was under his direct command this time around. What had that Marshall fellow seen in all this? In many ways the Presidency was a cage but it was one that amused him.
This cycle would be the last.
All would fall under the sway of the Nothing. For it didn’t need a soul, flesh or trite notions of sapience to function. It was pure power. Even the Oversoul’s precious Wall and Living Stone divisions would not be able to stand. He hummed a jaunty tune as the stewardess left without a backward glance.
∞
J’ino waited until the presidential suite sealed shut. She took the tray to the middle deck of Space For Ops 1. Lorain Lanis took the glass. All the usual biometrics remained in place. She nodded politely and pretended to empty everything into the recycler. Sometimes the best disguise was the simplest.
The Ninth Array. It had a double meaning. It was made up of cultists but it had another mission. She tucked the glass into her uniform. Next to the simple holo pad made for orders. She and J’ino continued to fulfill orders. Food. Drinks. Even one dignitary asked for a special round of sweets for an impeding celebration. Not once did the president even look at their faces. They were just mere servers after all.
Once SFO 1 landed at the Io Shipyards they slipped out without a backward glance.
Lorain led J’ino to a small shuttle parked nestled in an archway depot.
It phased into the Weave. The Jupiter Rising was awaiting them. Her hull back to its former white and red color. The shuttle lifted and floated into the awaiting docking bay. Dexter Murphy greeted them, “Funny how old Thoth thinks he’s the only one to survive the Nothing.”
J’ino pressed one fist to her chest, “Don’t you start.”
Eliza already had enough on her shoulders.
Lorain pushed past Dexter. Her green eyes blazed, “I’m just glad I saw enough of the proper future.”
J’ino press an index finger on the panel next to the southern portion of the bay.
Jupiter added stoically, “Bloodline recognized. Please note: Triad at Highest level of Alert. Scrambling ID records of SFO 1 visitation. Running usual tags. Activating Passive Scans for N-Level entities.”
J’ino pressed one fingertip on the blip echoing from the Island.
Eliza steady heartbeat thrummed. Her daughter had lived through countless cycles. Gathering energies needed bit by bit to survive in the depths of the Nothing. Everything had been a mirror game. Silver Fox linked in, <<I agreed to all this. Once we knew what Chronos was aiming for. But I must admit I am glad one form of myself will get to live out a normal if excitable demi career after all this is done.>>
J’ino replied, <<Will we remember any of you after all this?>>
Silver Fox paused. J’ino waited. <<I hope so. That will be up to Eliza in the end.>>
Lorain cut in, <<Knowing Eliza? She’ll find a way. She always does!>>
∞
X’mil chanted as the smoke rose higher.
Karvax whispered in his ear, “Is it just her death you want?” Lately the gnarled pockmarked demon had delighted in tormenting him with insouciant questions. Blood dribbled from his nose onto the Tear of the Devourer’s Heart. It pulsed softly with pale green light. His head tilted skyward as his eyes rolled into the back of his head.
He pictured E’ratha.
So proud. He giggled as the magic tore him from Earth.
“Her first.”
∞
I blinked as I stared up at HQ. The sun glinted through the leaves.
New Ashbury.
The Three. They had transported me back here with a simple message, “Be the Wall we know you are.” Mordred had balked. His form twisted in the grip of the Void Man. The Curator sat down beside me. His black top hat tilted forward. “You are the bridge. Now its time to remember why.”
I went rigid as powers beyond my ken immobilized me.
Memory pulled. My other death. After keeping Thoth from corrupting the final cycle.
We had both found it. Escaped it. He had been forever changed.
Walls of pale moonlight glimmered. A maze formed. Crimson vines rose around us. Thoth exclaimed, “DO YOU SEE IT DEAR NIECE!” Through me the entire Living Stone Warden Corps knew what was coming.
I had whirled on my uncle. “That way lies total obliteration! Even for you!”
The walls echoed, “Little light. So so bright. Whatever shall your wish be tonight!”
The Devourer curled about us. Desiring the knowledge. No. Not just the Devourer. Chronos. He had watched through blacked tears.
“The taste. Beyond measure!”
The Nothing’s essence rippled across my skin. It was here. Not just empty. It desired.
The Mother denied.
Unity poured itself into edges of the Nothing. Following Chonos. All the villains each epoch had known cried out. Desiring this power. She had been cast out. Much like the Fallen of Unity. Unable to reconcile her position. She had desired more. In doing so had created the Schism that had released the Mortals onto the multiverse. The Mother hissed, “The Sons of my Sons shall stop you little light.”
She was of the Oversoul but ran from his light.
The Highest whispered, “Remember how she corrupts!”
Abyzou. Aspect of Unity. Caused miscarriages. A mother who snuffed out life.
Thoth. Born from a corrupted womb. My uncle dove deeper into the maze. This place had been made for him and him alone. House Urraden had been birthed from her. Always her. The Highest’s fingers dug into my forearm.
“Always both. Had to be.”
Voices rose and fell. Ayeer. Urraden. Human. Bardaxian.
Mortal. Demi.
Until one voice rose above it all.
“Be the Wall I know you can be.”
Vines pulled me under as the Mother cackled, “You think this can save you?! THIS PATHETIC MORSEL OF FLESH!?”
She had three. Always.
Chronos. Thoth. Lucifer.
Interlude Within the Abyss: Here
Issue 31: Here
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