I had to do some planning for this chapter, hope you all can agree with it.
In an underground lair, darkness loomed in every corner. Sitting on a metal throne was one named Salacia and standing at attention was General Crozier. Both had just gotten word of their puppet meeting his untimely demise at the hands of Charles Ofdenson.
"What do you think we should do about this?" Crozier asked, "He wasn't supposed to die, his timeline was suppose to last until her natural life-"
"We all want things," Salacia interrupted with his usual crackling voice, "We'll have to see where this new path takes us."
After knowing him all these years, Crozier took the long stretch of silence as an indicator their short-lived meeting was over and that there was nothing left to discuss. However this time around the General couldn't help but to probe deeper.
"Usually you like to see how things play out and I've known that it usual works in your favor, however...Why did she come out of nowhere so suddenly? Especially when you never brought up the Interloper ever. But you knew about her? And kept her in foster care system but didn't bother to kill her? Why?"
Remaining unmoved and unflinching, the stoic Salacia took a few minutes before answering Crozier, "Do all keys fit the same lock, General Crozier?"
Confused at the sudden question, Salacia continued, "Most of the time they don't. Some are skeleton keys but they can only unlock so many doors, not every door. Some you lose, some aren't that important. It doesn't matter if you lose them or throw them away."
This was the most the General had seen him explain something for so long, usually he'd get to the point but because Crozier had no prior knowledge of the Interloper he suspected this was important.
"Say a key was lost...and this key lead straight to both Hell and Heaven," Salacia continued, "It's starting to unravel a lock but no one, not even the key itself knows which door it could be. It doesn't know if its the right one to open. My puppet, Vincent, was created to keep her here on Earth out of Dethkloks way. That path was to keep her dead and lost forever. However General, we are now unfortunate with the prediction of multiple doors opening to this place called Earth. All because the key was found."
"What does this mean for the end of times? Is the Prophecy in jeopardy because this key is founded?" Crozier asked.
He then saw Salacia crack a rare smirk as his eyes beamed fire, he knew this situation was bad, "It can work in our favor or it can work in their favor General, depends...who has the key?"
Getting up from his throne, Salacia stood still looking into the black abyss in front of him. His eyes started to gleam white.
"I needed her to die. But that's not possible considering what she could mean to us. She could start the Metalocalypse, or the "infected" one could lay them to waste...perhaps I could also lay waste to Dethklok myself, if she decides to succumb for a mortal life." Salacia finished as he slid his hand from one side of his torso to the other side. Crozier saw 5 circles around his torso that lit up then went black. Turning towards the General, Salacia looked at him with his usual gray eyes again.
"You know what to do now General, I'd rather not explain further."
Nodding, knowing that was his queue to leave Crozier made his way through the dark labyrinth like he had done so many time before. THis time however, the surrounding darkness was more suffocating than usual. He had to get to work right away.
Hanging up his phone after talking with Dick Knubbler, Charles sat across a table from the oracle of the Church of Blackklok.
"Now that's taken care of - how is my family involved? I thought they were all dead and I chose to forget all about them. I had brothers...but I saw what my father had for us that night." Charles asked in a pressing tone.
Pausing to gather his thoughts, the Oracle had look away, the wrinkles in his old face bended as he spoke, "Yes, you were all suppose to die except you Deadman. The Interloper can happen on very, very, very few instances. Also, telling her everything at once the first night she came to Mordehaus had no effect on this prophecy but, this is the first time in a long time, longer than we've known, that this has happened. Which can prove more difficult. If things go perfectly, which is rare, Dethklok won't just repeat the cycle for life here...They can be sent back to Godhood. Without Salacia."
Charles eyes widened in shock, he always knew that the prophecy was about continuing the cycle over again, but to have it repeated and having the Gods again was unbelievable.
The Oracle continued, "You have your parents to thank for becoming the Deadman. They were once followers of Salacia, like him they awaited the Metalocalypse to observe the connjoing of Salacia and Dethklok. Once again becoming whole, thus having this world destroyed then restarting all over again. Of course that didn't happen. Your parents came to us, the Church, after your father started having visions seeing you being born as a skeleton. Seeing where Dethklok was to be borned again. He knew who you would be. We took them in regardless of the trouble."
Leaning back towards the table, the old man perched his elbows on the table as his stare stretched 1,000 meters, "But your father ran out before Salacia caught on to us. Salacia killed many of our followers out of frustration after losing your parents. I knew of their whereabouts. In hiding, your father invited what was left of his estranged family over one night. That night. You father felt what he did was right. And of course his brother rescued you. As you, him, and his wife escaped your father had that house up in flames. Leaving nothing behind."
Sighing, Charles finally now knew the truth of his utmost "Why?"
Quietly he said, "My uncle...He even told me my father was unhinged...babled to him a lot about the end of times. Which is why he felt he couldn't give up on me. But I have a feeling now my Uncle knew who I was. Who I was destined to be. I only lived with him a short while before he emancipated me, took me to live in a boarding school. I made my way into law, becoming the best of the best, what he told me he hoped me to be. Before never seeing me again after that." Covering his face with both hands, Charles felt the world crashing down on him. Taking a deep breath he felt his eyes water but fought back the tears before asking, "What about Melody?"
"Your cousin, well, was your Uncle's child. The only child he had with that wife...she had a hold on him. Knew of the Prophecy as well and believed in it. I only know of her because she came to this Church many years ago, gathering whatever information she could. I had hope she would be the Interloper. But I was mistaken, it was her daughter. I'm surprised that the day Salacia had found those two hidden off the grid, he didn't kill the daughter. He probably thought Melody was nobody integral to the Prophecy..."
Chuckling, the Oracle caused Charles to give him a strange look, "I'm sorry," He smiled, "Every couple of thousands of years when this cycle repeats its always different. Nobody could ever know every single detail, their different outcomes and paths that could happen. Crazy how any little thing like that could be missed and could change everything. Melody's memory was wiped after surviving the murder of her family by Salacia. Was surrendered just like you, only Salacia planned to have her there indefinitely, to one day die by her own hands or somebody else's."
Charles propped his hand under his chin, still distressed as he thought of the blood he saw that night so many years ago. He could still remember the kind face of his father, the soft touch of his mother. The way his father strangled his mother to death as his two older brothers slashed throats rained blood everywhere. He remembers his Uncle grabbing him by the arm as they made their way out the front door, and the explosion that followed as his father finished the job. Charles figured his father thought he was doing the right thing, and probably wanted him dead as well, if it wasn't for his uncle and his wife saving Charles.
Looking down to his lap, Charles saw a few tears land on the back of his hands as he remembered the woodwork his father used to do. He remembered all the little wooden toys he made him, but most of all remembered how much love his father showered on his entire family and how much strength it took to end it all for the greater good. To stall the Prophecy at least for another couple thousands of years if possible.
"The mighty strength of a Father's touch, lost forever...gone...my Father hand strong hands."