Part 11 - We Could Burn It All Down

Chapter 196 - Death's Death

"So this is it? Khahrahk's really reached his full power?" Asked Conall.

"The Quintari think so, and I saw that damn crocodile with all its buffs. I don't even know what we can do anymore. I wish Max was here; he'd think of some way to cheer us up or have a plan that would probably work or just something. But no, he's just as dead as everyone else is gonna be." Miles replied, sinking into a chair and burying his face in his hands.

"Unfortunately the Republic won't be able to send forces. Too much paperwork as usual." Said Edward.

"What if we sent them off the books?" Suggested Teresa.

"Off the books? How do you deploy an army off the books?"

"By saying 'fuck you, I'm going and you can't stop me'."

"That'll go down really well."

Gwen growled impatiently.

"I might not remember what this Miles does, but I know him well enough that when he starts crying things are really bad." Everyone looked to see Miles was quietly sobbing. "This isn't Lucifer, this isn't Helltreader. We're talking about an attack on the afterlife, for god's sake. This is do or die. We either send forces to Bastria, or it falls and Khahrahk waltzes into this Zaltoxir place."

Teresa nodded in agreement.

"Send Sol Temporal Command. You have that authority."

Edward nodded slowly.

"Very well, but I can only do so much to persuade the Republic."

"Your best is all we need."

"Yes it is." Said a painfully familiar voice.

Gwen had her katanas drawn in an instant, but Lucifer held her back with telekinesis.

"Now now, Stacy. I'm on official business today."

Miles stood up slowly.

"Death sent you again?"

"Well of course. Home advantage and all."

"Premis isn't your home." Teresa snapped, aiming directly for the devil's head even though she knew it would be useless.

"Everyone shut up. What do you want, Lucifer?" Miles snapped, wiping away the tears.

"To tell you Khnith-hgor is preparing his force in Vaxar to make his move, of course. I'm to act as the gatekeeper and open it for anyone who wishes to pass."

"That does solve the issue of getting STC there." Edward muttered.

"Why should we trust you?" Teresa snapped.

"Because I have nothing to gain from the Scarlet King destroying my dad. My real dad, that is."

"Tell Death to send someone else."

"No. There isn't time. Right now we can get to Bastria and Khahrahk isn't there. If we wait, we'll be walking into a slaughter. We send everything we can now." Miles replied sternly.

"Your bad decisions have cost us already, Miles. This isn't your call." Teresa replied.

"This time I know what's gonna happen."

"Do you? I didn't realise foresight was one of your abilities."

"It's not. I'm just using my head."

"Stop it, both of you. Miles is right. We have to protect Bastria, or Khahrahk can walk into Zaltoxir with next to no opposition." Jacob interrupted.

"Let's get this over with." Said Edward.

The walls of Bastria were exactly how Miles remembered them, although he remembered the rest of the afterlife being a little more cheerful. He stared out across the wasteland beyond the wall, wondering what was over the horizon. His thoughts were interrupted by a hand on his shoulder.

"Hey bud."

"Hey Peter."

"You err…look kinda run down."

"We can't win this. Khahrahk's a High Elder God, he's released the Leviathans, he has at least eight Ethereal Plates. We can't defeat him now."

Peter leaned on the wall next to Miles.

"So it's that hopeless?"

"It's that hopeless. I'm the Miles from the future, by the way."

"I know."

There was silence for a short while, then Miles asked:

"So you've got no words of wisdom?"

"No. I'm out."

"I guess that's it, then. It was nice knowing you."

"Maybe I do have some."

"Oh?"

"If you've given up already you can't think about things from another perspective. You have to try and tell yourself there's another way."

"There isn't another way, Peter."

"Not with that attitude."

Miles turned to his old friend.

"Just shut up! You don't remember what I do! It wasn't your kid who had to throw his life away to stop it before!"

"Miles…"

"No. Go away. You can't fix this. Nobody can. Everything's gonna burn."

Miles turned and stormed away leaving Peter a little dumbstruck.

"The Pritari should be here in a few hours. As for Khahrahk, the Quintari sent a scout to Vaxar which reported his army is on the move. We expect Moloch and Hastur, the King's remaining generals, to lead the first wave. If we kill them, the soldiers may become demoralised and retreat." Said Teresa.

"I'll kill Moloch. I hate it when people steal my colour." Replied Conall.

"Gwen killed Hastur before; she's immune to his powers." Said Miles.

"Thanks for throwing me under the bus. I guess I'll take him." She replied.

"As for everyone else, our only job is to stop any of them breaching the wall. Any questions? Good. To your positions, then."

Gwen watched the approaching army in fear. She could already see her target, and she hoped she was up to the challenge. Her suit wasn't equipped with all the fancy gadgets she'd grown accustomed to over the years, so she was down to just her powers and her web shooters. She glanced up at the fleet of Sol Temporal Command ships hovering high overhead. They were there to provide artillery fire, but she wondered how useful that would be against so many Kates. The next thing she wondered was where the name 'Kates' had come from. Ultimately it didn't matter, but it was these silly little things that stopped her turning and running away. She glanced along the wall to where Miles was standing with his mask and hood up. He wasn't her Miles, but she couldn't deny she was starting to fall in love with him. Then again, the last thing he needed at the moment was a relationship, and he had technically denied any feelings for her. Suddenly, her thoughts were interrupted by the colossal bang as the fleet of ships opened fire. Conall spread his wings next to her.

"You ready for this?" He asked.

"No."

"Too bad! Clench up, my mildly psychotic chum."

The immortal grabbed her arm and tore into the air, streaking towards Hastur and Moloch at the head of the army. When they were close enough, he hurled the spider at Hastur and let loose a golden beam of energy at Moloch.

"Whoever thought gold made strong people was very wrong. Oh well, I'm the richest guy in the multiverse, now."

Moloch had already melted into nothing more than a pool of molten gold on the ground by the time Gwen hit her target. She felt cold and lifeless inside, but it had no effect on her. Hastur was sent crashing backwards into the front rank of Kates that screeched angrily. Gwen drew her katanas and leapt in, stabbing them through the Scarlet King's last general before firing a web up at Conall to pull herself clear as Kates leapt up and tried to relieve her of her feet.

"Mission successful. Sadly they're not retreating."

"Buckle up. This is gonna take a while."

As Conall flew himself and Gwen back to the wall, the Kates' screeching became louder and louder, then was drowned out by the thundering of their feet on the ground. Jacob took a deep breath, then bellowed:

"Natåranür tresþ!"

A fissure opened up the ground in front of the seemingly endless army of the Scarlet King, swallowing thousands upon thousands of the creatures. However, eventually so many had fallen in that they had filled it.

"Open fire!" Teresa yelled to the soldiers, both dead and alive, along the wall.

Bullets began raining down on the creatures as they came ever closer. Miles looked at Jacob expectantly, but the Void Warrior shook his head.

"If I open another one, it might take the wall with it."

"Fine. I'll do this myself."

He charged a mega venom struck and leapt over the edge of the wall, slamming his fist into the ground so it fried the Kates. He leapt back up again as the abominations swarmed him and started scrabbling for a foot hold on the wall.

"They're gonna climb it."

"Well duh. I don't see much artillery."

"But I see the same thing that broke it last time."

Jacob followed Miles' gaze to see SCP-058 had clearly quite recently completed a training montage. Red light reflected off it, and it left a wake of red dust wherever it went. Now it picked up the pace and streaked directly for the section of the wall where Miles and Jacob were standing. All in its way suddenly became terrified and began to run, except Miles who leapt off the wall again right into the path of the creature. It skidded to a halt and started talking.

"I proclaim the victory of the Scarlet King. He will come in a chariot of flame to slay he who guards the souls of the slain."

"Probably."

The Heart of Darkness whipped out its acid sprayers and let loose four jets of the liquid. Everything it touched seem to crumble instantly, including a sizeable portion of the wall. Miles fired a web and reeled himself in, kicking it in its mouth and forcing it to cease the spray. The stinger came down to hit him but missed and embedded itself in the ground.

"I thought you're a Leviathan? Maybe this isn't so hopeless after all?"

"The spears are broken, the Leviathans are released."

"Yeah, so aren't you gonna kill me?"

058 wrenched its stringer out the ground and leapt on Miles who fought desperately to keep its spiked feet off him. The stinger jabbed inches from his face.

"Aren't you…scared of…Dei Volente?"

058 stopped fighting for a second, then twisted itself so it leapt free.

"Dei Volente is dead. I proclaim the victory of the Scarlet King for all to hear and lament."

"But is he?"

The Heart of Darkness suddenly began to chuckle, the tone getting deeper and deeper and the creature itself growing larger and larger. Now Miles succumbed to the fear.

"You cannot lie to the Khnith-hgor."

The spider began to scramble backwards as the stinger reared up.

"You cannot stop him."

Miles realised he was on the other side of the wall, and now so was the Heart of Darkness.

"The Scarlet King's reign is eternal."

He'd been expecting the stinger strike, but instead the red dust began to combust. The flames shot high into the air, including from the dust that had gathered on his suit. Fortunately his suit's protection gave him enough time to brush it off and get clear. However, it was only now he was away from the flames he saw the wall of Bastria was crumbling like a line of dominoes burying many of the people, who'd been on top of it, under the rubble. Kates poured into the afterlife, and the Scarlet King stepped out from his portal in the battle armour Miles had only ever seen him wear at the Battle of Zaltoxir. The Scarlet Crucible was raised high, but its fall was blocked by Lucifer's telekinesis. The devil had his wings spread wide, and a gateway back to Premis stood open behind him.

"Go! You can be useful elsewhere!"

The forces of the living began to beat a hasty retreat. It was just as had been predicted: the Battle of Bastria was lost.

Crossovers in this Chapter

- SCP Foundation
- Lucifer