Part 3 - Devil's Dawn
Chapter 59 - The Scarlet King
There was only one problem to Gwen's plan: they didn't know where the Scarlet King was. There was only one place where they could think of where they might be able to find information: the SCP Foundation. The Valour burst out of temporal warp, the next day, in a blaze of colour. It was decided only Peter and Edward would go as Gwen was growing more and more temperamental by the hour and Teresa was trying to keep her from killing someone. Hiccup and Astrid had returned to the Haven to help the people of Berk.
As soon as the admiral and spider had transferred down, Foundation security had them surrounded. Both were taken in, and Peter was quickly put in a cell being branded SCP-9520 once again. Edward sat in an interrogation room, quite relaxed despite the chains holding him in his seat. The door opened and a woman entered. She sat and opened a briefcase.
"Good afternoon. I'm going to ask some questions, you will answer truthfully. You have violated Foundation Site 19, incidentally the same day 096's remains were being transported here to be examined more thoroughly. Did you know this, or is this coincidence?"
"I did know it was Site 19, but nothing about 096's remains. Since I'm one of the ones that helped kill it, would you care to tell me what your tests have brought up?"
"Video footage of the incident records a large black creature, since dubbed SCP-9523, along with SCP-9521, led 096 to its destruction. Since you match the description of neither, you were not one of those who killed it."
Edward sighed. Venom morphed around him and smiled at the woman who's eyes widened.
"Hello human. You look very...tasty."
The symbiote licked its lips then disappeared back into the admiral.
"I'm sure it will sadden your Foundation to learn that 9521, or Miles, is dead. I'm sure he would want you to help in his memory. I need all information of SCP-001, the Scarlet King. Otherwise I can just let a few SCPs loose and pick the info up on my way out the front door if that's too much bother. You can also release 9520."
The woman narrowed her eyes.
"You understand you are in no position to make demands?"
"Would you like me to order Gwen...sorry 9519 down here? She's developed quite the bad temper since she was here."
"9519 is here? Where is she?"
"On the temporal battlecruiser above the facility. If you attempt to board it your people will be detained. That or 9522 will shred them. Now, given that information, and the fact I could end the Foundation with a single order, I reccomend you fulfil my demands."
The woman looked at a camera in the corner of the room. A voice crackled over the intercom.
"This is O5-4. Your demands will be met if you meet ours."
"That depends on their nature." Edward replied, staring straight into the camera.
"We wish for SCP-9519 to attempt to terminate SCP-682."
"Let me go and I'll talk to her about it. I'm sure she'll be happy to do it, though. I'd bet on it."
"Then you have yourself a deal. You will hand over 9519 for uncensored data on the Scarlet King."
Gwen gladly agreed to terminate 682, just as Edward expected. Teresa and a security detail went with her to ensure the Foundation didn't try any dirty tricks. In the meantime, Peter, Edward and a couple of trustworthy Sol personnel poured over document after document in search of some hint about the Scarlet King's location. Peter stopped over something and held the document up to get a better look to ensure he hadn't been dreaming of the solution.
"This one has something. It says the followers of the Scarlet King believe he lives in a fortress in a volcano of some sort in a hellish world."
"A hellish world. That narrows it down to stream zero, and cuts that number in half since some of those are super cold." Replied Stanley.
Lisa shrugged.
"That narrows it down to about fifty billion. You got time to search all of those?"
"Well there's all the mapping we've been doing which takes out a few thousand." Added Edward.
"Still almost fifty billion."
"We could ask another 'higher-up'. Maybe not Lucifer, Gwen's last favour might come in handy. But what about some other god like...I don't know...Thor or someone?" Peter suggested.
"It's the best we can do. And since you suggested it, I think you've volunteered. Who do you want on the team?" The admiral concluded.
"If they're willing, I'll take Hiccup and Astrid. They know more about Norse gods than all of us combined."
Peter transferred to the SRS Haven to ask the Viking chief and chieftess for their help. He wondered what SRS stood for since SGC stood for Sol Galactic Command. It was one of those random thoughts people often had that made him wonder why he thought it in the first place. As he left the transfer room, he found there was very little in the corridor. The only doors were an elevator up to the bridge, a storage room, some crew quarters, a medical room and then the doors to the main room. The spider walked through the last set and decided what was beyond was hardly a room and more an entire world. He was hit immediately by a sea breeze. Looking around, he recognised Berk. It looked like the majority of the ship had been assigned to creating a replica of the entirety of the Vikings' world. He walked down some steps into the main town. The place was bustling with activity, and for the most part people seemed happy; yet there was still a mournful atmosphere. Peter pushed his way up to the house he knew to be Hiccup and Astrid's. The door opened a few moments after he knocked. Hiccup gave a half-hearted smile.
"Let me guess, another mission?" He asked.
"Yep. How would you like a trip to meet Thor?"
"As in the god? Or some guy dressed up as him. If you mean the actual god I won't be surprised at this point."
"The actual god."
Astrid appeared beside Hiccup.
"Going to meet a god? What could go wrong?"
The realm of Asgard wasn't hard to find due to the number of energy bursts that seemed to come from it. The Arachnid warped into the realm. Hiccup and Astrid stared in awe at the home of their gods from the panoramic window at the front of the ship.
"Come on, warriors. We've got some talking to do." Interrupted Edward.
The admiral, Vikings and Peter entered an enormous throne chamber, escorted by a platoon of Asgardian soldiers. The man on the throne stood, wearing an eye patch and draped in golden robes.
"Who dares enter Asgard, and what is their business?" He asked.
Hiccup and Astrid got down on one knee, Peter just watched as Edward worked his diplomatic magic.
"I'm Grand Admiral Edward Melbourne of Sol Galactic Command. We need information concerning the Scarlet King and..."
"Silence! We do not discuss that...thing here." The man roared.
"I'm sorry. But we seek to kill him and cannot do so without knowing where he is."
"How can you kill a man when his own sword is all that he may die upon?"
"I don't understand."
"To kill the Scarlet King requires the weapon of the Scarlet King; a weapon so powerful no being, nay not even a god, may survive a single stroke of its blade."
"We'll get to that obstacle when we come to it. We just need to know where he is first."
"Dimension 0,033. The thirty-third dimension. Within the peak of the highest mountain you shall find him. But you cannot do this alone. I shall send my son Thor. The death of the Scarlet King will be a relief to us all. Thor!"
A much younger looking man appeared sporting battle armour and a red cape. In his hand he wielded a hammer.
"Yes, father?"
"You are to accompany these mortals to the demise of our oldest foe."
"The halls of Valhalla will sing of our victory for centuries to come."
Hiccup and Astrid were understandably scared of Thor, but Peter found him to be a quite normal person at heart. The spider and god of thunder stared out the Arachnid's panoramic window at the Sol Galactic Command ships coming in and out of the orbital HQ. Only Arachnid would go to fight the Scarlet King for fear of losing the whole fleet, but it sounded like it would be a battle that couldn't be decided by guns. Peter turned to the god.
"So, tell me about the Scarlet King."
Thor shrugged.
"He is a being beyond the understanding of mortals. When the multiverse was first created, a number of entities were created with it. The Scarlet King was the only one to feel pain. It blamed its pain on existence and vowed to destroy everything and everything's creator. He knows only three rules. The first, the rule of chaos, defines where the Scarlet King gets his power. Disorder, suffering, war, those sorts of things. The second is everything he hates: the rule of concrete. As mortal technology advances and great cities rise, he grows angrier. Whenever someone attempts to catalogue the world, he grows angrier. With his anger comes greater strength, just like an angry human may have a rush of adrenaline. The third and final rule is the rule of howling. The Scarlet King is not just a being, but an idea which the being feeds off. As someone attempts to understand him he grows stronger, feeding off their curiosity. In many dimensions he has followers: Children of the Scarlet King. They believe all should return to worlds governed by oppression, slavery. That idea is the Scarlet King."
"That's...confusing."
"Indeed it is for a mortal mind. But you shall learn."
"What can we expect from him tomorrow?"
"He wields the strongest weapon, the Immortal Slayer, the Ultimate Weapon, the Scarlet Crucible. On its edge, anything will perish. Mighty as I am, even I am susceptible to its strike. Be wary of he who gains its power when all is said and done."
"Gwen shouldn't want it; she just wants the Animator."
"Ah! The Animator. Of course. It is an object lost long ago. Contrary to popular belief amongst us...'higher-ups' I believe you call us...the Animator is a part of the Scarlet King's crown, a trophy to his victories over so many dimensions. It is a tool of the creator: bringing back to life even those banished to places beyond the afterlives."
"Gwen lost her husband, a friend of mine, to Helltreader a month or so back."
"Helltreader. He is, or clearly was, a foul creature. I am glad he has been slain. But the Scarlet King's abilities are far beyond even his."
"We fought Alduin."
"And defeated him with Lucifer's help. Even Alduin was of little concern to the Scarlet King's dominion. If we can kill the King the multiverse will be a safer place because of it. Anyway, we should stop discussing him before the rule of howling strengthens him anymore."
"I quite agree. This is going to be a fight I wish I could miss."
Dimension 033 was hellish. That was Gwen's impression, at least. The ground was cracked, magma spewed from the fissures; mud boiled in large pools. The Arachnid flew down low towards the highest mountain: a volcano, predictably. The ship came to a halt just below the lip of the crater and dropped off the team: Peter, Gwen, Teresa, Thor, Edward as Venom, Hiccup, Astrid and the Vikings' dragons. The stench of sulfur was almost choking, but Gwen didn't care. The ship pulled away and she ran the last few metres to the crater's edge. In the very centre seemed to float an island of scarlet rock. In its very centre sat the Scarlet King; his skin was red, four seemingly bent spikes protruded from his head holding a golden crown in position. In the crown seemed to be something made of brass. Gwen didn't manage to get a better look, but her foggy spidey-sense told her it was what she was after. The embodiment of suffering slowly stood, looking directly at her. He was at least twice the height of Helltreader who had been about seven feet. The team reached the edge, the two dragons hesitant to gaze upon the Scarlet King. His lips began to move, but the words seemed to come from every direction; a deep, raspy and booming voice that shook the ground.
"Throughout all of time, I have sought to destroy all realities. Existence is pain. And now you have brought me a fragment of this so very fragile system. You shall burn, your worlds shall burn, the Scarlet King's reign is...eternal. All shall hear and tremble at the name."
The King reached for his waist and unsheathed a crimson-bladed sword that crackled and glowed. He pointed its tip towards them. Gwen extended her magenta wings, the Vikings hopped onto their dragons and soared into the sky after her. Thor raised his hammer to the sky; the clouds began to swirl and crackle. As he brought the weapon down, lightning scorched the King. He staggered under the power but recovered. Peter, Teresa and Venom exchanged looks as the god spun his hammer and rocketed into the sky.
"Can either of you two fly?" Asked the commander.
Peter shrugged.
"I've got a glide suit. Need a lift?"
"No, I'll keep my distance, thanks."
She knelt down and punched the ground creating not the blue and white projection, but the version that looked like her that had been hitting the gym too much. Peter had only seen it once before and was surprised she chose it. Venom licked his lips.
"That red flesh looks very...juicy."
He bounded down the crater and leapt onto the platform. The projection followed Peter as he ran down the gravely slope. There was nothing to web onto at this distance, but the throne would work when he eventually got down there. Hiccup and Astrid swooped down on their dragons.
"Need a ride?" Joked the latter, pulling the projection up.
Peter jumped onto Toothless with Hiccup. The Nightfury fired a series of fire balls as it dived. As it swooped past, Peter leapt clear and extended the glide suite, swerving to dodge a beam of magenta energy. He folded it at the last second, striking the King across the face and swinging away behind the throne as the projection began to pummel its enemy. The King reached up and grabbed it, pulling it away. Suddenly, it seemed to become untouchable and dropped down. The King snarled, swiping the sword down and smashing the projection into countless pieces, before taking a few steps and striking at Peter who dropped down and swung round the front of the throne, striking the King in the back of the head. He bounced off, landed on the ground, fired a web at each of the King's shoulders and pulled himself up. This same move could break concrete, but it only caused the King to stumble. Gwen swooped in, her wings coming round in front of her, her hands clenching two katanas. The King tried to hit her with his sword but she moved too fast. The wings struck, burying themselves in his eyes. To make sure the job was done properly, she drove the katanas into his eye sockets as well until they struck something solid. She flipped over his head, tearing the golden crown from its place and firing a web at Astrid's dragon, Stormfly, to pull herself clear. The Scarlet King crouched down low and let out a deafening roar which sent out shockwaves so powerful they knocked the dragons clean out of the sky. Thor recovered, unleashing another lightning strike that drove the King to his knees. He tore down, slamming his hammer up into his enemy's chin and throwing the once mighty King onto his back. Gwen dive bombed, but suddenly she was trapped. She moved her eyes, her neck paralysed, and saw Peter suspended mid-swing. Thor had been moving to pin the Scarlet King's sword arm down, but was equally unable to move. With another almighty roar, the team were slowly pulled down to the ground and to their knees. The King stood up, releasing them for a brief second to pull the katanas from his eyes which quickly seemed to grow back. Gwen watched as the sword came crashing down towards her. So this was it; maybe it would be relief? Then again she might miss these fights. Unless she went to an afterlife with eternal fighting, of course. Suddenly, the arm stopped and an enormous chunk of rock hurtled into the King, freeing the team who pulled back immediately. The King turned to face this new opponent and spoke:
"Devil. You have come to witness my power at last."
Lucifer chuckled, still in his suit.
"I wouldn't miss the chance to kill you for the multiverse!"
Gwen tore upwards with magenta wings, looking for the crown. Thank goodness, it was sitting on top of the throne like a star on a Christmas tree. She turned her attention back to the fight at hand. Lucifer hurled boulder after boulder, each smashed to pieces by the King's sword. Toothless and Stormfly unleashed a mix of balls of super-heated plasma and streams of fire. Peter and Venom kept their distance, knowing they would only be killed if they got too close. Gwen let out a stream of magenta energy as Arachnid burst over the lip of the volcano and began to lay into the ancient behemoth. Bolts of lightning coursed through the King as he roared louder and louder with each boulder. At long last, he raised his free hand and clenched it. The devil went stiff and paralysed like the team had before. Gwen barrelled into the King, freeing Lucifer again as Thor brought his hammer crashing down on his red skull. Peter watched in horror: nothing was happening to the Scarlet King despite the combined forces of an Ethereal plate, temporal warship, a god, a devil, and two dragons. The only thing that had managed to cause damage was Gwen's katanas. Suddenly, he had an idea.
"Cover for me." He said to Venom, frantically typing into his dimensional watch.
The SCP Foundation seemed reasonably quiet at the moment as Peter bargained with personnel for the thing he was looking for. Finally, a researcher, who had worked with 682, which Gwen had successfully terminated, handed him a steel and concrete container. It would be heavy for a normal person, but his increased strength made it easier.
He warped back to 033. Venom frowned at the cargo. No headway had been made in the fight. Peter swung up as close as he could to Gwen who turned to looked down at him with narrowed eyes.
"Stab his eyes again!" He yelled over the sound of the bombardment.
She looked at how the container was built and knew what it was immediately. She ceased her beam and fired a short burst at her team mates to stop them before performing a nearly exact replica of the move she had done earlier. Thor knocked the king flat, Lucifer pinned his free hand. Peter swung down and cracked open the lid. This was a horrible thing to do, and he found himself unable to do it. Gwen sighed and swiped the container from him. She knelt down on the King's neck and began to pour the hydrochloric acid into his eyes. There was a foul smell in the air as the liquid burned deeper and deeper into his skull. He made to roar again but she stuffed the now empty container between his jaw. The King shook violently, trying to break free, but couldn't. Suddenly, all seemed to go silent...too silent. The Scarlet King lay perfectly still, the acid still hissing away in the hole that had once been his face. Thor raised his hammer and blasted him with one last bolt of lightning for good measure. Lucifer pulled the Scarlet Crucible free: its red blade stopped crackling and glowing immediately, but maintained its red colour. It shrank to the correct size to be wielded by the smaller devil who chuckled. Gwen looked around at the throne, expecting to see the crown; it wasn't there. Instead, Teresa twirled it around her arm. The Ethereal spider stepped towards her.
"Give me that." She snapped.
Teresa stopped twirling it and looked at Gwen's outstretched hand. She reached for the Animator and succeeded in tearing it free from its slot. She placed the crown on Gwen's arm. Gwen threw the precious object away. It only survived falling off the ledge into the lava because Toothless dived and pinned it. Hiccup dismounted and Astrid did the same, landing next to him.
"Give me the Animator." Gwen snarled, magenta energy sparking from her eyes with her fury.
Teresa shrugged.
"And why should I? You aren't the only person who's lost someone. The rest of us didn't get a chance to resurrect those we loved, so why should you?"
"Because Miles would prefer to be alive. Now give me it!"
"How do you know? Miles might be somewhere in the multiverse having the time of his life not having to worry about petty little things."
Gwen scoffed.
"Nobody wants to be dead."
"Tell that to all the people in the suicide prevention clinic."
"They're weird."
"They're just like you and me, they just haven't seen the light at the end of the tunnel. But back to the point, why should you get a chance nobody else had?"
"Because I love Miles."
It was Teresa's turn to scoff, her face showing she was struggling to hold back a laugh.
"Love? You...love him? Is this what love is? Bringing back a dimension eating dragon, merging with the embodiment of corruption and power. How many people have died because of you, Gwen? How many people have been driven from their homes because of you? Everyone has their time to go; Miles found his peace. Are you going to take that away from him just like you took everything else? If you loved him you would have worked to preserve everything he did for the multiverse, not gone on some escapade to get him back out of your own self pity. This isn't a labour of your love, this is selfish greed."
Everything was silent for a moment except the bubbling of lava below. Nobody moved a muscle as they waited to see how Gwen reacted. The spider said only two words through gritted teeth:
"Give. It."
"Or what? You'll kill me? Then start wallowing in your own self pity like when you killed the Peter Parker from your dimension?"
She drew a magenta knife; Teresa rolled her eyes.
"That's what I thought."
The commander typed a dimension into her watch, being careful not to let anyone see the number. Gwen snarled and leapt like a savage beast, aiming for her former friend's head. Teresa hit the warp button, disappearing in an explosion of colours. Gwen clattered to the ground and screamed. She had been so close, only to be stopped by someone who thought they knew better. She would get the Animator whatever the cost, and she would make Teresa pay for her treachery in blood. She whirled around, brandishing her knife.
"Anyone else? If you agree with her, you better start running."
Hiccup and Astrid exchanged looks and mounted their dragons, flying up to the Arachnid which hovered overhead. Peter fired a web and was pulled up after Toothless who was getting used to having webs stuck to him without permission. Venom leapt up as Arachnid descended, realising members of the team were coming up. Thor laughed.
"You mortals are so petty."
He whirled his hammer and tore away leaving Gwen with Lucifer. She turned to the devil.
"And you? What do you think?"
"I think they're foolish to oppose you. I mean...would you like a peace offering?"
He presented her with the Scarlet Crucible. She shook her head.
"A weapon needs a worthy wielder. You took it from the King's hand; it's yours."
"So, what are you going to do?"
"Form an alliance. Tell me, could you amass an army?"
"I can resurrect people from their graves...at least as mindless drones. The funny thing is...in almost every dimension, the dead outnumber the living."
"Then it's our turn to get the last laugh. Raise an army: we're storming 9559 tomorrow. If they don't hand over the Animator it will be a slaughter. Consider it my third favour."
"The army grows with every one of theirs that falls. It's almost unfair."
"We'll need a force to destroy their ships. I'll go and patch up an old alliance."
Crossovers in this Chapter
- Skyrim (a lot less of it now)
- How to Train Your Dragon
- Venom
- Avengers
- SCP Foundation