Part 5 - Blood of the King

Chapter 101 - Zaltoxir

Gwen read the name of the chapter and took a deep breath. So this was it: she was about to find out how it would all end. She was sitting on top of a glacier while Liam and Michael joked around a short distance away. Before she started reading, she took a moment to appreciate how incredible the world was. Even if this wasn't hers, it was very similar. Of course, it wouldn't last all that long: SCP-3812 was somewhere here and it would destroy everything when it jumped to the next narrative. Maybe if she knew where it was, she could find a way to slow it down for the people that it would kill? Who was she kidding: she couldn't save people from herself, never mind the single most powerful entity in all of fact and fiction. With that thought, she settled into reading.

Max had been released from medical care a few days ago following a pretty major concussion. He was spending some time with Ganke, Jacob and Grace, knowing things were getting desperate and there was a high chance he would never see them again. There was a higher chance he'd see Jacob and his pack of metal dinosaurs, but he didn't want to say goodbye to Grace. She seemed to be able to tell when he was thinking about her: she would give him a cheesy grin.

"I'll miss New York." Said Jacob, staring out the window of Ganke's flat.

"You might come back alive, and can't you use that Animator thing too?" Replied Grace.

"No. Khahrahk took it during the first Battle of Bastria. He has all seven again, and we have no idea what that could mean other than we can't bring people back." Said Max, trying to talk straight to her face but finding himself unable to keep eye contact.

She didn't give him a grin this time, but took his hand and dragged him off the couch.

"Come on. Let's go for a walk. Just you and me." She said.

Ganke wolf-whistled as they left, getting an annoyed look from his godson.

The pair walked in silence down to Central Park. They took a quieter path, then Grace stopped.

"You alright?" Asked Max, stopping as well.

"I...I...oh, why is it so difficult to talk about this stuff?"

Max had hardly started to respond when she kissed his cheek. He blushed, she did too and giggled a little.

"Does that say it all?"

"I mean...maybe?"

"Max, you're crazy sometimes. You might be the son of the Republic's most hated person, and it might be starting to show a bit, but I don't care. When you asked me out, I didn't say yes because you were struggling and everyone knows adding a relationship just adds more worry and stuff. The truth is you've always been stuck in a corner of my heart from the moment we first met. Now I'm scared you won't come back and I don't know how to face that. Sure, there are loads of other guys out there but none of them are like you. And no, that's not just your spider powers."

"What is it, then?"

"You're funny, you care about people...Oh great. You know how when someone asks you why you like someone and you thought you knew all the reasons and now you can't remember them?"

"Yeah. But I think I get it now."

She kissed him again, this time on the lips and this time it lasted longer.

Miles was sitting on his skyscraper in the afterlife. He was thinking about Gwen and how much he missed her. What was she doing right now? Was she thinking about him? He was brought back to his reality by Charlotte's arrival.

"Hey Dad!"

"Hey."

"I was checking up on Max through the old 'the dead are watching' machine."

"I stopped using that. Every time he nearly died it just freaked me out."

"Well you'll want to hear this. He was making out with a girl. I think it was Grace."

"That's nice for him. Not that it will matter."

"Aww come on. I mean, my little brother has a girlfriend. That's hard to think about."

"Can we not talk about relationships right now?"

"Oh...you're thinking about Mum. I'll leave you to it."

She scrambled back down the side of the building leaving Miles to gather his thoughts. He wondered if he would ever see Gwen again. How he wished he could rewind time; he wished he could go and relive those precious moments. When she had been dead before, he had always believed he would see her again, but her being in a different narrative could change all of that.

Gwen felt guilty about being able to get a glimpse at people's thoughts, but it was reassuring to know Miles thought about her as much as she him.

Max and Grace had finally stopped kissing, but it was only to catch their breath. However, they were interrupted by a voice on the wind that sent a chill through both of them. It was a moment Max would never forget.

"The Tree stands unguarded. The King rallies all to his cause. The Serpent has fled. It is time."

He recognised Death's voice and knew it was a call to arms. The way to Zaltoxir, the Battle Field, the Garden, was open and all of reality was at stake. As the echo died away, he stared straight into Grace's eyes.

"I have to go."

She kissed him one last time.

"Please stay alive."

"I'll do my best."

"Your best will be enough."

Teresa had been pouring over a logistical nightmare when she heard the voice. Within seconds, she was on her feet with her suit on. It excited her to see what the legendary Zaltoxir, or whatever it was called, looked like; at the same time what was coming terrified her. She met Conall as she boarded one of a fleet of modified Ares jets built by the Quintari in recent weeks. The immortal gave the pilot a thumbs up and the machine took-off.

"Have you ever been to Zaltoxir?" She asked him.

"No. It was well before my time."

"I'd expect anarchy when we get there."

"Yep. Expect the worst, then you'll always be happy when you get better."

"That wasn't what I was going for."

The pilot came on the intercom:

"We're warping now."

The aircraft began to shake. A few seconds later, Teresa looked out the window and sucked in a deep breath. For the most part, Zaltoxir seemed to be a normal, lush landscape. However, there seemed to a tree bigger than some of the tallest skyscrapers. It reminded her of the old film Avatar, but a thousand times more beautiful. Conall looked equally awe-struck. The Ares touched down near the foot of the Tree, dropping off its passengers before taking-off again to pick up more. With the passengers was a small amount of cargo: some tents and rifles. Conall pulled one of the tent bags open and had it up in less than twenty seconds using telekinesis. The second was bigger and took nearly a minute to put up even with his help. When it was done, however, there was a decent sized space inside filled with a round war table and seating for at least thirty people. Teresa booted up the war table; a blank sphere appeared, although there was a splodge of colour where the Tree was. Lines were quickly heading out as a few Ares jets went on reconnaissance missions. There was a roaring outside as another squadron of Ares jets arrived. A moment later, Max ran inside looking both pleased and upset. Conall decided to question it, but just got:

"It doesn't matter. What's the situation?"

"Not much at the moment." Teresa replied.

"I can tell you the situation."

All eyes turned to the man who had spoken. Teresa made to grab her gun from its holster.

"Do not be afraid. I come in peace."

"Who are you?" Snapped the commander.

"I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life."

"Jesus Christ, this guy is crazy." Muttered Conall.

"Who is crazy?" Asked the man.

"You are."

"You do not recognise me?"

"Should we?"

"Hold on." Interrupted Lisa who had overheard from outside the tent and now entered. "Didn't Jesus say he was the Way, the Truth and the Life?"

"Jesus said a lot of things. But you think this guy is Jesus? He certainly matches the description, although I don't see any holes in his hands."

"It makes sense he'd be here."

"Are you Jesus?" Asked Teresa.

"I am."

"Then don't talk in riddles and just tell us things. What's the situation?" Replied Max.

"The situation is this: all worlds have been summoned here. Many will arrive a little later through gateways, but those with the power and technology to travel between dimensions will come here of their own accord. Of all, many will fall to the lies of the Scarlet King. Those that remain will make their stand and decide the fate of all."

"Reinforcements for both sides. It works for me. What about the world we're in? Geographically, what is it like?" Pressed Teresa.

"This world bears great resemblance to your own. The Scarlet King is banished to the far reaches of North America whilst we stand at the place where False Eden once stood."

Teresa hastily updated the sphere and pinpointed their location.

"In that case, it's time to think strategy."

As more and more high-ranking military officials arrived from all over Premis, as well as the High Aethers of the Pritati and Quintari, Jesus left to do whatever a son of god did. When all of the seats were full, Teresa spread the map out so it was flat, although oriented upright so people could see it from the benches.

"OK everyone, settle down and listen up. Here is what we know about the current situation and what may happen going forward. Khahrahk and his army are in North America; somewhere around where Dallas, Texas, would be. We are where False Eden was which is in what would have been Iraq. Khahrahk's plan will be to get to the Tree and burn it; our plan is to stop him. He will have to take one of two routes: across the North Atlantic via Greenland, Iceland, Europe and Turkey, or he will go via the Pacific into Siberia then southwest from there. Going via the Atlantic is shorter in total, but the ocean crossings are more numerous and longer. The Pacific is a longer walk on land, but the water crossing is only a single hop. I've already ordered the construction of forward operating bases in Greenland and Russia which the Quintari are working on. Other than that, all we can do is wait for him to make a move towards one. In the meantime, I want all hands on deck getting things built up. Are there any questions?"

A Republic general raised their hand.

"How can we be sure he will only take those routes? He may go island hopping in the Pacific."

"The islands in the Pacific aren't large enough for his army. In addition, it's an army with little to no amphibious support. They'll be swimming. Anything else?"

"What's the earliest we can expect them to arrive?" Asked another general.

"That depends on the speed at which they move, as well as how much resistance we put up."

"How will we defeat Khahrahk? Godzilla, 999 and the Chaos King all failed."

Teresa bit her lip, wondering how to answer without crushing morale. However, rescue came in the form of a fifteen year old spider.

"I have an idea for that which I'll talk to the Director about later."

"Does anyone else have a question? No? OK everyone, dismissed. Get this headquarters looking like a headquarters, not a zoo."

Generals and High Aethers departed. Teresa kept Max behind. When they were alone, she asked:

"What's your plan for killing Khahrahk?"

"Technically it isn't my plan; it was Mum's."

"I don't like where this is going."

"Hey, she stepped up and sacrificed herself for a tiny chance."

"True, but she did plenty of things that make me dislike her before you were born. Nowadays she isn't around to give me reasons to like her."

"Forget it's Mum's plan. Here's what we do: we trap Khahrahk either in another dimension and destroy it, or we just trap him here and burn the Tree."

"Two things: how do you plan to trap him? Secondly: that's a lot of blood on someone's hands if they burn the Tree; trillions would die."

"Right. But some would survive which they won't if Khahrahk wins this. Noladis wasn't made from the Tree's fruit or whatever it is."

"That plan is the apex of why I've always reserved some dislike for your mother. She'd never hesitate to end lives."

"I think she's just looking at it from a logical angle. It's better to save someone than no-one."

"We'll discuss this further at a later date. Right now, we need to get things set up."

"If you say so."

Gwen wasn't sure what to think of that last part. She was glad Max didn't hate her, but it still upset her that Teresa couldn't forgive her for all she had done. She closed her phone over; Liam had airdropped her the original versions of the story since she couldn't get on the internet for whatever reason. Thinking about Liam brought her mind back to the question of 3812. She wondered if the entity had any knowledge of this narrative before it jumped. If it didn't it massively narrowed down where it could be and who it could be possessing.

Crossovers in this Chapter

- SCP Foundation