For Valerie

by The Moonfox Collective

The world comes to an end, and one cat sits alone mourning the loss of his brother. perhaps there is still time for redemption for sins. the Judge's last thoughts as he faces the Batter one more time. Judge Oneshot. Very short.

Author: Griff

For Valerie

The world is coming to an end. I know it. My brother is gone, and the world is coming to an end.

Have you seen my brother? He was a fine cat, until one day he ate a bird that ate him back…

Now that bird and my brother are dead, killed in a fight between the bird and a man. That man, the Batter… he attacked before my brother even truly was a dead, discarded skin. He only saw the guardian of Zone 2, the goal of his mission, and so he attacked. He just swung and swung, and I stood there and watched…

He murdered Valerie, not Japhet.

And now I know he is in the Room with the Queen. She will fight, but he will win. The Batter has gotten too powerful for even her to stop. It looks like the only one who can stop him is me. The time for mewling pitifully at the blank white sky has passed. The world is done for… but perhaps I can feel the rush of vengeance one last time… for Valerie.

I can see The Room from here, floating in a Nothingness full of whispers that should not be and I watch as it gives one last flicker and falls to white. I close my eyes and sigh; it is too late to save this world now. My mission, however, remains. I run for the point where The Room lies.

There he is, the murderous beast. White jersey stained with the blood of the hundreds he has slain, the instrument of their death in hand, gleaming silver and showing the evidence of its latest victim. He approaches a switch on the wall. Memories of Valerie fill my head once again, and I know they will no longer exist if he pulls that switch. I must not let him finish this mad rush to destruction.

Justice must come.

"Hold it right there, Batter."

He could keep going, and end the events about to come with his quest being completed, but I believe him not the kind to leave any being behind. After all, he believes now that all beings are impure, and thus must be purified. A child or a specter, it is evil and so must be cleansed none are innocent, because he is not any bit innocent himself.

As I expected, he stops dead. I walk forward, tears forming as Valerie grows fresh in my mind. This 'purifier' destroyed my brother, and now he wishes to destroy everything else. He turns to face me.

I will make my plea to his puppetmaster.

I will fight whether I gain the power of our unseen benefactor.

I will give this one last hope a chance.

Vengeance will be mine;

For Valerie.