Chapter 10

Godliness

Scotia watched in terror as John transformed. His eyes, his mouth, his hair, all of it erupted into flames. He screamed an unnatural scream, a sound that mortals were never meant to make. Ms. Sinister turned to Renny.

"What are you doing just sitting there? Get a mind control helmet! Chain the beast!"

Renny tried to get up, but fell down, flat on her face. She was still worn out from her fight with John and Scotia.

"Get up, Renny! I told you to…"

John cut him off.

"You will be chaining no one."

John's voice boomed. It had a divine presence, like it wasn't him that was talking, but a god speaking through him. Ms. Sinister bowed.

"Oh! Phoenix! I… Uh… I wasn't planning on chaining you. Now that you have awakened, you are free to do as you please… Your godliness."

Phoenix sneered at Ms. Sinister.

"I want worshippers, not asskissers. Stop groveling."

"Yes, your godliness."

Ms. Sinister stood up. Phoenix growled.

"On your knees, mortal."

Ms. Sinister was outraged.

"But you said…"

"I told you to bow down before me."

"You can't just change your mind like that! I know what you said! You said…"

Phoenix growled.

"I grow tired of you."

He lifted Ms. Sinister up with his telekinesis and ripped a hole in the castle's roof.

"Go. Away."

A loud boom was heard. Ms. Sinister was gone. Scotia was startled.

"What did you do to her?"

Phoenix turned to Scotia.

"I flung her into the ocean, where I won't have to listen to her wretched voice."

Scotia was shocked. She knew that Ms. Sinister would survive due to her durability, but to almost anyone else, human or mutant, would have died.

Phoenix put on a smile. Scotia normally liked seeing John happy, but this time, she felt scared. It wasn't John in that body anymore. It was Phoenix. Large, burning wings grew from his back. He began to fly.

"Wait! Where are you going?" Scotia asked.

"To my temple. Do people not worship me in this time?" Phoenix said.

Scotia knew that no one worshipped Phoenix. People weren't even aware that he was a god. Scotia started to talk, but she felt Phoenix drilling into her mind. He barged into it, like a criminal breaking into a house. She was a little scared. She'd never had a psychic break into her mind so ruthlessly before.

"Very well. If they do not worship me, then I will show them my true power."

Phoenix started to glow with light. The ground shook. The room heated up. Phoenix looked like he was about to explode.

"Stop!"

John's voice cried out from beneath Phoenix's. He tried to suppress the god within him.

"John?" Scotia said.

John tried to move closer to Scotia, until he passed out. Scotia caught him and carried her back to The Blackbird, where Scamp, Loga, and Morticia were waiting for her.

Scotia rushed back to The Blackbird, where she found Toad, Loga, and Scamp waiting for her. Loga was concerned.

"Scotia, are you okay? What happened?"

"I saw stuff fly out through the sky. What was that?" Scamp added.

"It was John. He went mad. Ms. Sinister did something to awaken a god inside of him," Scotia said.

She set John down on one of The Blackbird's seats.

"We should ask The Professor. She's smart! She'll know all about this," Morticia said.

Scotia nodded. They all climbed into The Blackbird and flew off.

-XW-

Renny was still in the castle, exhausted from everything that she'd seen. She was alone.

"Hello? Is anyone there?"

She tried to stand up, but her back still hurt.

"Anyone?"

She was all alone. She'd betrayed her friends. Her mast had been defeated.
"Hello? Anyone?"

No one came for her.