Raging Demon Reaper
Disclaimer: I Don't Own Grim Tales. If I did, this would be on the SNAFU website.
bubbajack- Yes, yes, it's taken forever, but it wouldn't have been as good if I rushed it. As for it being long...eh, I've progressively gotten better at writing longer fics over the years. I stop at what I think is a good spot.
Guest- Thanks.
Brandon Storm- Well, I'm sure he had a hand in it at least.
detrametal- Read and find out! And always happy to have a new fan!
fallout-boy97- Yep!
Blood Brandy- Yes, Clone did just think that- and I loved writing it! And true, there wasn't much to fight in the movie. As for Charles, he just always ends up fighting the ones outside above his level to deal with. And I'm glad that line is bothering you still you might just see that pairing sooner than you think
Cf96- Yeah, the things that happened on this Halloween 'echo in eternity' as it were.
nightmaster000- 1. It's Dan, of course he'll want a rematch. 2. Yes, yes it is. 3. ...I hadn't planned on them being friends, but it might end up that way. 4. Junior is going to win- just not how you think/fear. 5. Take a read and a guess.
I'll look into that New Dawn thing, thanks!
coldblue- That's what Clone and Junior. As for the Scythe, glad you liked it- made me grim just making it up. As for Minnie, looks can be deceiving. As for Junior possibly having an Oedipus thing developing, wait and see. Onto Dan, I figure something of each of Danny and Vlad have to be in his personality.
Your Questions- 1. I take door number three. 2. Again, wait and see. 3. The confrontation? Yes. Will it be epic? I'll leave that up to the readers. 4. Probably. sure, to be honest- but that GT/FOP idea would be funny.
Your answers- 1. Very true. You're seeing right through my intent of what to do with Jack. His history, though, is a surprise. 2. Not a bad guess, but it's something a bit different. 3. You're actually very close with this one. 4. Well, if he isn't dead, you have to wonder how he survived Clone. 5. You...are basically right here, actually. 6. True, but Junior already has the survivors of the town and armies to tell of the horrors he brought down that night. 6. Eh, I'll leave this completely unanswered since it'll come up in the future. 7. This is actually correct- wouldn't say evolving though. 8. Not a bad guess, bot bad at all. 9. You're actually quiet off on this one, no. 10. Hehhe, close. 11. Your close, but it's not from Jack. 12. Yes, yes she is. 13. True, on all accounts. 14. You have no idea how right this is. 15. ...Might disappoint you here, for now.
Regular speak
Thoughts and Emotions talking to person outside mind
Demonic or Animalistic speak
Demonic or Animalistic Thoughts
"BROTHERRRRRRRRRR!"
The word echoed throughout the Belly of the Beast like the Voice of God echoed throughout the void before creation. And as God had lit the sky for the first time ever, the gaze of the Raging Demon Reaper was finally clearing of his red haze...
"...Minnie?" Junior asked as he looked to where the voice echoed from, his voice normal and confused as the blackness in his eyes vanished to reveal, not crimson red orbs, but a set of grey and blue. He stared for a moment, before he looked down at his one-armed father, his eyes widening as he saw the weapon in his grasp, "D-dad?" Junior asked as he released his hold on the scythe, backing away as realization sunk in.
"Son?" Grim asked, almost not daring to believe it. After all that, right before it was all too late, his son was back! And as he sat back up, his child backed away, and the Reaper realized...that his son was afraid; but not of his father.
Junior didn't say anything, he just kept backing away until he stopped and jerked his head around, seeing Nergal Senior restrained by the tentacles and a ghost he hadn't seen before this night trapped behind some more of the appendages. His eyes shook wildly as memories of war and blood battered his young mind. The prince fell to his knees as his soul trembled in horror. The boy slowly turned and saw the many images of his clones attacking and ravaging his uncle's town and his family's armies...
"Dad...what did I do?" Junior asked numb, pleadingly wide eyes...
Outside the Reaper-Beast
The great hybrid horde, with a single mind and thought, suddenly stopped dead in their tracks, causing more than a few to be attacked by the undead army. Just as suddenly as they froze, they began to retreat, to flee wildly, almost fearfully. The change in the enemy forces stunned the skeletal soldiers, but they pushed on all the same. Some were cautious, some were taking this as a sign that they were winning.
The change in Clone was just as severe. His eyes went wide as they changed from the crimson of blood to the flames of hell, the green and black smoke gradually died out, and the whirling winds above the scythe got stronger yet narrower...until, with a loud ping, the abomination of a scythe was launched out of clone's clawed hands. He stood there, as if uncomprehending of his surroundings, looking at his hands.
Mandy couldn't keep the cough down, as bad as she wanted to, breaking Clone of his mental shutdown. His gaze snapped to her and Mandy swore that every memory Junior had of her flashed in Clone's eyes, "...Mom...," Was the word he spoke, for the second time. Unlike before, when it was unsure and confused, it was now broken with sorrow and regret.
Like a wounded beast, Clone slowly stepped towards the Queen of the Underworld. His left hand reached out to grasp the blade of sword. As it did, the demon flesh unraveled into many tentacles and like a fork in a river, the appendages separated and slithered down to either side of Mandy. To her surprise, the tentacles separated from Clone and formed into two regular duplicates as he pulled the blade from his mother's chest. Mandy only gritted her teeth for an instant, the wound healing slowly.
With the sword in hand, Clone turned to approach Lord Pain, his clones gingerly picking up their exhausted procreator. Without a thought, he pulled the dagger from the palm of the captain, getting a small and stifled scream from Charles. The Underworld Knight slowly stood as his hand oozed green blood. He looked up warily at the Clone of the Prince before it offered him his dagger again. He took it, with a grimace as he grasped it as best he could.
With the same broken look, Clone walked past the knight and to the edge of the roof. He gave out a small, non-threatening growl as he saw the skeleton army approaching. He waved to his two clones, which approached the edge as well. Pain reached forward, as if to stop them from potentially throwing his queen over the edge, before they turned around and held out each arm not holding Mandy between them. The arms turned into long tentacles and impaled into the floor. As some more tentacles grew out and held onto Mandy, Charles realized what Clone was up to. He was using his clones to get Mandy down safely.
The duplicates lengthened their arms while Clone himself seethed the Sword of Tengu on his back again before he grabbed Lord Pain by the arm and jumped off the side of the building. To Charles's relief and annoyance, Clone sprouted his bladed wings and hovered above the ground before releasing the captain on his feet, "A little warning?" Pain snapped weakly as he sat down on the steps, forgetting who he was talking to for a moment.
Clone didn't respond as his wings receded into his back once he landed, his clones reaching the bottom and setting their mother against the wall of the building. Without a sound, the two clones turned into tentacles and rejoined with the Prime Clone as he stood over his mother. A woman normally so powerful and so cold that nothing could stand before her...and he, her own son, had almost destroyed her, brought her to the very brink of defeat and death.
Clone made an odd sound, almost like the groaning cry of a dying reptile. The flesh-sheath on his back receded, allowing the blade to fall to the ground before he turned to walk away. His mother watched him all the while, her eyes never leaving the form of her eldest child, "...Junior," She called out, in little more than a whisper, but it stopped Clone in his tracks. He turned and their red eyes locked for a moment. Whatever was conveyed in their stares, only they could know.
The moment was broken and Mandy found herself, once again, cursing the timeliness of her own forces as a spear missed Clone by mere inches. The double glanced down the road at the skeletons now charging to him before sighing. He turned and ran towards a building before jumping and rapidly climbing it without any issue, never looking back as he ran.
"...Pain...," Mandy called out weakly, getting his attention instantly, "Call them off...," She ordered simply, glaring at the spear lightly. The captain didn't say a word; he just nodded and got to his feet to wave the soldiers over to them...
Elsewhere
Eris shook her head with a sigh, "This reminds me of how Troy ended. A lot of bloodshed for heartbreak," She commented as she sat on the arm of the throne, her lover still starring at the vision in the bowl. "This is the end of it, right?" She asked with a raised eyebrow.
"You're the Goddess of Chaos, you tell me," He retorted with an amused glance over his shoulder.
The divine blonde rolled her eyes before using her powers to sense the potential of things. Her domain was a hard thing to describe in mortal words. She could sense and manipulate the possibility for chaotic situations, but she usually couldn't 'see' what the chaos would be like unless she was directly involved, then she could make a good guess on how things would unravel. After all, it wasn't as entertaining if she knew what chaos would bring.
The pure pandemonium from that Village of All Hallow's Eve had been nothing new to her at first. Grim's little brother and his monsters always enjoyed a good night of shocks and frights. However, the presence of said Reaper and his family had hidden just how disastrous the situation could evolve into. The chaos grew exponentially from the point the boy was kidnapped until it just spiraled into what she called Perpetual Bedlam.
Every war and conflict ended at some point, but every now and then, a situation refused to expire. One such thing had been the ten year war of Troy, the Crusades, even many revolutions, etc. World War One was her best example of that. All of these things were meant to be chaotic, but they spiraled way beyond what she had intended for them. Not that she regretted having an indirect hand in most of those events, but once they got to that stage, even she couldn't stop them. It was an element of individuals and emotions that fueled such things. Then, as always, something broke and the chaos finally died down.
That was what happened this night with Junior. And it was one of the only times Eris had ever seen Perpetual Bedlam caused by and revolving around a single individual. Sure, a person could always cause chaos, but having a hive-minded and undying army helped things in their favor. In this case, Junior's emotions just kept feeding off each other, fueling his spirit and mind, and the souls he ate fueled his bodies. He was the perfect storm, that Little Boy Death...
Eris's eyes went wide as she felt it, "Shit," She mumbled. There it was….that little spark. That little spark that would set off another bomb and send everything off again; an aftershock to the first incident.
"Don't worry," The muscular orange-head assured. "This shouldn't be too bad for them."
"What makes you say that?" Eris asked with a raised eyebrow. Everything was against the Grim Clan now; all their tricks had been used up against Junior.
The man just chuckled, "Weren't you listening?" He asked rhetorically, "Junior has too much of his father in him."
In the Reaper-Beast
Grim didn't know what broke his heart more right now. That shattered, lost, fearful look in his son's heterochromatic eyes...or how his child stumbled back in fear when he approached him, falling on his rear. He supposed he shouldn't blame him. After all, he and Mandy probably looked very scary in his memories, and those of his clones, from this night, "Son, it's okay now," He tried to console, kneeling down to his eye level, his scythe resting against his left shoulder as his skeletal hand reached out to the boy, now just feet away from him, "It's okay now."
Nergal Senior and Clockwork both watched the scene silently as the father tried to soothe his sorrowful son. Nergal had a sad look on his face, remembering sadder times with his own son. Not much could compare to this though. After all, his son had never gone berserk like this. Still, he had faith in Junior's mental stability if nothing else. This day would scar him for all of time, but he was sure the Reaper child would one day be able to move past this. Or that was what he hoped at least.
Clockwork, meanwhile, just suppressed a knowing smile. Things weren't over, but the worst was. There was just a bit more to deal with, than they could all rest and lick their respective wounds. It wouldn't be a happily ever after for the Grim Clan...but it'd be better than the alternates at this point.
Junior starred at his father's sad smile for a long time, his eyes shaking in terror of his own memories. He had...he had...All those things, all those people he killed in his rage, in his blindness. All those souls...and his mother and father, and Pain! He had...By all the Gods and Devils, he had tried to reap them, his own family! No...Not even tried. He had been reaping them. The only reason he stopped was because of...
His eyes went impossibly wider than they already were as a single epiphany rang clearly through his skull as he reached for his father's hand. The name of a girl that was the start of this all, 'Minnie...,
There comes a point in every existence where an individual comes to a crossroad. Not of destiny, but of self. It is when the weight of yourself is so great and your own character is decided. There are those that crumble under the weight...
Grim's sockets shot wide in alarm as Junior grabbed his hand tightly, too tightly. Then the boy's eyes both turned back to red eyes, like his mother's, as he pulled hard on his arm, sending the Grim Reaper tumbling behind his heir...
There was a scream...but it wasn't his. It almost sounded like one of those Nergal-clones...
"Holy Fook," Grim said in shock as he looked up. In front of his son was the tentacle-corpse of MiniMandy from earlier, with glowing green eyes, trying to claw at Junior. Said soul had his hands raised as if to claw at the creature as red sparks engulfed the Nergal-beast, and the rest of the tentacle of the Belly of the Beast, now all twitch with life and pain.
And there are those that rise from it.
"You! Terrible, terrible Reaper! You hurt us! Your mind burned us! Now we eat you! Now we hurt you!" The deformed body of Minnie cried out insanely as it thrashed, trying to get closer to the host and master that had so painfully subdued it.
"Get out of here, Dad! I'll hold it off!" Junior yelled with gritted teeth, glaring as the corpse pushed back against the 'shield' of sorts he had between himself and it.
"I'mma not goin anywher widout ya!" Grim refused as he got to his feet, gripping his scythe. He had just got his son back, he wasn't about to lose him again.
"Yes!You! Are!" Junior yelled as he snapped his right arm out to the side. A rift of red and green energy formed out of nowhere. The Personification of Death and the Master of Time found themselves pulled towards the rift violently.
"Son!" Grim yelled as he tried to grab onto something, plunging his scythe into the ground, Clockwork falling into it willingly.
Junior just smiled weakly at his father as the scythe started to slide out of the mental-ground it was lodged in, "It'll be alright, Dad," He promised. He swore his father would have cried tears if he could when he was finally plunged into the portal, leaving Junior alone in his soul with the Demon...
Well, almost alone, "Good to have you back, Junior," Nergal Senior said calmly as he stood beside the soul, clutching his sides in light pain, watching the boy hold back the possessed body with his power.
"Grandfather! Help! You know what he is! What he's done to us, and others! Help us! Help us kill him while he is weak!" The Nergal Beast begged to its demon ancestor.
"Sorry, my little Nergaling, but I can't do that," Nergal apologized with a small smile, somewhere between amused and sad.
"Why?!" The beast roared...as Junior reached forward and grabbed it by the neck, throwing the tentacle-covered body aside as it screamed in agony from the red power zapping it.
"Because I'm not weak," Junior answered with a glare, blinking as a blue light washed over him from behind and a sound like rushing wind echoed throughout his belly. The hybrid-child turned and saw a large portal.
"Brother...!" The voice called again, fainter this time than before.
"Minnie?" Junior asked in shock as he felt a cold wind on his soul-face.
"Looks like Clockwork did have a plan!" Nergal Senior commented with a grin, "Junior, go get her and put an end to this nightmare!"
The boy nodded before looking back at the Nergalized remains of his sister's flesh and bones, which was getting off the floor and glaring at him again, "I'll be back for you later," He promised, his glare holding all the hateful rage that his mother possessed, and then some, before he jumped into the portal, which vanished as he left.
"I'm certainly happy not to be you right now," Nergal commented to the Nergal Beast as he sat down, deciding to rest for the remainder of this incident. Said symbiote snarled before roaring in rage as the sparks finally died down and it gained control of the giant body, 'Not nearly as bad as Junior was,' Nergal thought calmly.
Outside the Reaper Beast
The mass of clones collected on the far side of Halloween Town, near the path the Reaper-Beast made when first entering the village. Away from all the survivors and soldiers, for most living things had fled or been devoured before these undying beings had emerged from the abomination. Here, they stood listlessly in a daze, their sorrow almost palpable.
However, some still moved. Clone grunted as he hauled the broken body of Nergal Junior out from a large crack in the ground, revealing the sewer below. With his Godfather held onto his back via tentacles, Clone grabbed the stone ground with his claws and his wings bent to stab into the ground, helping him pull the Half-Nergal out better than flight would at the moment. With one final pull, they were out of the gutters of Halloween Town. Nergal Junior was either unconscious or too weak to speak. He wasn't dead though, Clone was sure of that. The army would come eventually and tend to the half-demon.
With a sigh, the Prime Copy of Grim Reaper Junior retracted his wings and joined his fellow clones in their brooding. His axe-tail was the only thing distinguishing him from the rest of them. He was tired, mentally and emotionally, without the endless loop of rage and self-loathing pumping through his mind to push him on without cause. The hive minded army was wondering what to do now. Rejoin with the real Junior? Wait to die from the army?...Or just run far, far away with the original. After all, it wasn't like he, the real Junior, could simply go back to how things were.
Clone blinked as he felt...something. Two somethings actually; one was actually an odd feeling coming from the Original in the Reaper-Beast. The other was making his thorns stand on end. He was being watched. He turned halfway around and saw what was observing him. Not a skeleton, not a monster, not a ghost, and not even a human.
It was a bird, perched on the edge of a building, near the clones. He didn't know the species, but he thought it was an eagle. It had golden feathers, its head shining lightly in the moon, but the plumage morphed rapidly to brown and got darker past the shoulders, almost black in fact. On its feet were adorned massive talons of ebony, looking at though they could cut through the hardest of metal.
But those eyes, those striking green eyes bore into Clone for a second before it screeched loud into the night, a triangular pattern of feathers rising on its head that almost imitated a crown. It turned its head to the town and Clone found himself following the creature's gaze. His fiery eyes widened as he saw the Reaper-Beast moving erratically, tentacles twitching everywhere.
All at once, he felt a new anger from his original self, sparking the armies back to life, already growling and snarling as they turned to the town. This was not the same uncontrolled rage, but a new and more focused one.
The Nergal Beast from their sister was making a play to take over the Reaper-Beast, "Traitor," Clone murmured hatefully, the legion of clones roaring as they felt the rage as well. Then another feeling...Hope? Love? Sorrow? Something like that- Minnie was calling, that was all Clone knew.
A new objective came to mind, from the Prime Junior. While the real Junior would retrieve Minnie from wherever she was calling him from, they would stop this betrayer from doing any more harm than they themselves already had. Clone glanced back at the eagle and sighed. It was gone, like it never existed in the first place. He hated this night, he really did.
The clones dashed past Clone towards their new enemy, running on all four like a pack of wolves, their beastly ferocity returned now that they had a goal. Clone mentally stopped three of them. With a nod, they went over to Nergal Junior and picked him up, intending to take him to their mother's army. Leaving him out here would only lead to his end and Clone no longer sought that. With a hum, the Master Clone jumped atop a building and made a run back to where he had come from. There was only one thing that Nergal would do once it got control of the Reaper-Beast. Eat souls. And all the souls were in one general direction now...and his mother was right at the start of that path, last he checked...
Land of Tainted Souls
"Well, this is unexpected," HIM commented as he watched the screen curiously, the clones of the future death fleeing from Mandy's army, "I wonder what brought him back to his senses?" He mused out loud, glancing at MiniMandy, her eyes still red from Mimi suppressing the princess's will.
"It seems you have failed, Demon," The Redeemer said smugly from his spot on the wall, "Even if this soul and I do not make it to Heaven, you will be no closer to ultimate power," He added tauntingly, only to get hit in the face by Mimi's iron. At this point, the angel had annoyed her enough that she would do it even without her father's request.
'Ultimate power? Fool has no idea what that is even,' HIM mused mentally with a smirk as he watched the battle wind down. There wasn't much left since Junior didn't want to fight, "Too bad he couldn't have finished off his mother...maybe he got those old fools though," HIM added with an evil smirk. Power of Time and Death, now that would be interesting, 'But knowing Clockwork, he managed to survive the boy.'
"Ummm, Lord HIM? What now?" Jeff asked, looking between the red devil and the screen, "Th-the Reaper's son seems to be...finished. Is...is there any reason to even keep the girl's soul anymore?" He asked, hiding his hopefulness.
HIM smirked, knowing what the arachnid wanted. The creature wore his heart on his metaphorical sleeves. "Reaper-Beast or no Reaper-Beast, she is still Mandy's daughter. That alone is reason to keep her," He explained, taking a bit of joy out of the dismay coming from the spider, before blinking at the screen. "...What The Dark?" He asked in surprise as he saw the Reaper-Beast twitching about wildly, it's many eyes turning from red to green, "Well...wasn't expecting that anymore!" He said with a wide grin.
"What?! I thought the boy was free of his madness!?" Redeemer asked in alarm.
HIM just chuckled ominously. "Ohh, that's not Junior. That's the Nergal from little Minnie here," He explained tauntingly, patting Minnie's head with his claw almost like an owner would his dog. "And here I thought Junior had that issue dealt with. Well, this just made Minnie all the more useful," He added before looking up as the thunder from the blizzard outside rumbled loudly. "He's here," He said sing-songly, grinning as everyone, even the mind-controlled Minnie went wide eyed at that statement.
"How would you know, demon? I sense nothing!" The Redeemer asked suspiciously.
"How about because he's standing right behind my daughter?" HIM answered calmly, standing from his chair with a tap of his cane before turning. Jeff and Mimi spun around... Junior's red eyes inches from Mimi's own and glaring right into them. Mimi could feel her blood freeze and speed up at the same time, her eyes wide as she stared into those orbs, drenched in this night's worth of blood. He looked ready to kill her, right there and then, for whatever reason. She wanted to move, but her body wouldn't listen to her.
His Infernal Majesty just smirked at his daughter's reaction to Junior. He saw that one coming a mile away. "So, Grim Junior, what can I do for you this fine Halloween night?" HIM asked in a false-polite tone.
Junior stared at Mimi a moment longer before walking around her, "Since you know my name, I think I should know your's as well," Junior stated neutrally.
The demon lord chuckled as he gave a stage bow, "I am HIM-" He started, only for Junior to blink and cut him off.
"Lord of the Land of Tainted Souls?" Junior asked with something that almost look annoyed.
"I thought you didn't know me?" HIM asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Never saw a picture of you," Junior lied smoothly with a shrug, the knowledge coming from Minnie's memories. Apparently, his parents had decided to tell Minnie more about the Underworld while leaving their eldest son in the dark about such things.
HIM raised an eyebrow at this, still grinning, "Well, all the same, I am indeed HIM," He answered simply, his eyes locking with Junior's over the rim of his glasses.
"May I have a word with your daughter for a moment?" Junior asked pointedly.
The red demon blinked before humming in interest, "I don't think that would be possible. She's a mute, you see," He explained in an almost apologetic tone, but the grin betrayed his amusement over this situation, "Might I ask what you want with her?" He asked probingly.
"I want her to get her damn mind out of my sister's before I beat her with her own tail," Junior explained simply, glaring at Mimi out of the corner of his eyes.
"Ohh? What makes you think it's not me controlling her?" HIM asked, rubbing his goatee with his claw. Junior didn't answer, getting a chuckle from his host, "Interesting indeed. Well, say what you want to her so we can get down to business," HIM suggested, obviously enjoying this.
Junior promptly turned to face the half-demon and approached her calmly. Jeff gulped as he watched this, "N-now now, there's no need-"He started as Mimi raised her claws up in defense, but Junior reached out and grabbed her wrist just a bit faster than she expected before twisting it, "For violence..."
Junior saw only a small twitch from his action and nothing more from the girl. "If you ever touch my sister again, I'll eat you," He warned murderously before letting go of her and turning back to the girl's father, but not before he saw the angel held to the wall by...spider webs? Junior just shook his head. The angel could wait; he had bigger things to deal with.
"Boy, don't trust anything that d-" Redeemer started to warn, only for Junior to glare murderously at him.
"I wouldn't say anything while he still thinks you're not worth it," HIM advised with a grin. The intent and desire to kill was so palpable, HIM could literally taste it- and he liked it.
With that, Junior turned back to HIM, who was as amused as ever, "Now, what is it you want with Minnie anyway?" He asked, crossing his arms.
"Ohh, it's simple really," HIM said, conjuring his silver tongue. "I found out about what was happening to you down in that little town. When I realized how dangerous you could be, I...retrieved your sister's soul before she entered heaven, believing her to be the only thing that might be able to stop your Reaper-Beast form while you were so enraged," He lied smoothly, telling parts of the truths and nothing that was inherently false.
"Well, you were right apparently," Junior commented, getting a raised an eyebrow from HIM, "So, now that I'm fine, will you kindly return my sister?" Junior asked with a glare.
"Ohh, I would love to, Prince Grim, I really would, but I can't," HIM said in an almost apologetic tone that didn't reach his eyes. "You see, I don't think it would be in my best interest to do that, seeing as that Nergal-Beast has taken over your body again," He pointed out, motioning to the large TV he had been watching, still displaying Halloween town...
Halloween Town
Mandy grimaced as she ate the tough and bitter Yponika, sitting on a boulder not too far from where Clone had left her. The Yponika was an odd gray little plant that she could eat in two bites that was covered in wrinkles, shaped like a grape, had the texture of an uncooked potato, and tasted like ashes mixed with mold. Mandy had eaten her share of nasty foods but these things' taste was as strong as the devil's curry, made in Hell. It was a plant of the Underworld that restored one's energy, which sped up her regeneration again.
They were also about the only thing that worked instantly without risking more damage to her. The state of her soul was in question now after her run in with Demon-Reaper's Scythe and she could not risk staining it further. She was immortal, but her soul and body might...disconnect. And a soul without a vessel was vulnerable to many things, even hers.
"Any sign of Grim?" A voice called as Mandy turned to see Jack Skellington, his skull wrapped in bandages and his left arm in a sling as he walked with a limp. The man was a skeleton and a Reaper. His injuries would be fine eventually; he just needed to regain his strength so the bones would heal. Unfortunately, these plants would do nothing for him as they only worked on fleshlings. Reapers were not the easiest of races for most beings to heal.
"Not yet," Mandy answered evenly as she looked down the street where they had come from, observing the damage her son had left. "Junior really did a number on the place," She commented absently.
"Yes, I don't think my friends here will be too welcoming of him after tonight," Jack reasoned with a sigh.
"...What's wrong?" Mandy asked suspiciously, sensing something off with her brother-in-law.
"We just got our asses handed to us by an eleven year old," Jack snapped coldly, in a voice unlike his usual self that the town knew. "Grim ever told you about what I use to do before I came to Halloween Town?" Jack asked as he looked at his ruined town.
"No, why?" Mandy asked. Normally she wouldn't care, but something about that tone had her curiosity. Jack sounded mad, mad at...himself?
"Let's just say Grim and I weren't always as pathetic as you think we are now," Jack stated with a growl.
"What changed?" Mandy asked evenly. She had often wondered that. Why Grim, and other immortals, were such a joke. Were they always like this or had they once been...more than this
Whatever answers, if any, that the youngest of the Reaper brothers would have given the queen, was delayed as they heard a thumping noise. They turned and looked down the road, raising eyebrows at seeing...Grim being skipped like a rock across the street, scythe in hand. He skidded between his wife and brother, stopping just pass them.
"Well?" Mandy asked simply as he sat up with a blank look on his face.
"We gotta anoder problem," He informed as Mandy resisted the urge to face palm while Jack groaned.
"Where's Junior?" She asked with a glare.
"He's back ta his senses...and I dink he went afta Minnie," Grim answered, no longer able to sense his son in the Reaper-Beast, or in the town for that matter. And he swore he heard Minnie's voice as he was falling out...
Mandy wasn't sure how to categorize that yet, as good news or bad news, and instead asked a more obvious question, "Then what is the problem?" She asked plainly.
The question was answered by a roar, causing them to look back down the street Grim had come from. They saw the Reaper-Beast stand in all its tentacled glory, devoid of all machinery now, with all its eyes green like any other Nergal's would be.
"...That's not Junior," Jack concluded, noting the change in the beast's coloring and energy.
"That's Minnie's Nergal-Beast. I'm guessing it decided to take over now that Junior isn't in control of it," Mandy said as she glared at it, Grim nodding in confirmation.
"It's weaker than Junior was," Jack noted. "But not weak itself," He added warily.
"Ya always wer good at sensin dings back de day," Grim commented as he got to his feet, clutching his scythe again. "So, Mandy, dink we can take dis one on?" He asked with a smirk as the monster started to attack the soldiers near it.
"With what we have here now, we can certainly make it wish it never crawled out of my womb with Minnie," Mandy answered, glaring up at the monster as it turned towards them.
Land of Tainted Souls
"As you can see, I am most...concerned with such a thing being on the loose," HIM reasoned smoothly as he stared down at the boy
"You underestimate me," Junior said simply as he stared at the screen. "I'll deal with that thing when I get back," He said ominously.
"But who will deal with it in the meantime, while it gains power as you did?" HIM pointed out, a bit sagely, but still mockingly. "After all, I'm not sure your family has the fight in them to stop this beast. Not after that impressive display of yours against them all," He added.
"Impressive?" Junior quested with a raised eyebrow.
"Now you're underestimating the gravity of your actions," HIM said with a chuckle. "Soon, all the afterlives will be talking about what you did here. About the boy that took on Death, The Bitch Queen, and even Time," He reminded, watching the boy. Junior didn't waver in his stance, didn't show any emotional weakness from the things he had done this night, the crimes he committed against his own kin. The only weakness HIM could visually see was tiredness. That only made him grin wider. "You do your father proud," He stated wickedly.
"I doubt he would agree with that," Junior said, glancing at his father's image in the screen.
HIM's devilry and cruelty was as obvious as the color of his skin when he spoke five perfect words, "Depends on which you mean."
That one simple line stopped Junior's thoughts dead in their tracks, striking his mind like a lightning bolt. His brain whirled around Minnie's memories, about things she only knew...of things he should have known. A Reaper didn't reproduce naturally...and that meant one thing...
All the while, His Infernal Majesty watched with glee as the gears in the boys head turned faster and faster, the shocked look on his face tinged with something else. Fear? Confusion? Disbelief? Maybe all three. All HIM knew was that he was savoring this whole meeting.
"Ohh, they never told you?" HIM asked in false surprise as the boy ran a hand through his hair. "I'm quite surprised, really. You'd think they'd tell you something as important as that. Especially if they told your sister," He continued, loving the look in Junior's eye. His entire world had come crashing down around him and now, a much darker world was building itself around him. "You almost think they don't trust you at all," He finished, letting the silence reign over the boy now.
After a moment longer, Junior looked up at the grinning lord with a new glare. There was much more in his eyes now than mere grief and sorrow. HIM idly wondered if the Raging Demon Reaper was somewhere in that glare, "You asked who would take care of the Reaper-Beast for now? I've already answered it. I will," Junior answered sharply, with all the spite of his mother.
"But you're here," HIM reminded, raising an eyebrow, yet knowing the boy wasn't bluffing.
"Depends on which you mean," Junior retorted as the clawed demon looked confused before understanding.
"Ahhh, so they're still working then? You truly are impressive, boy," HIM said with a laugh that echoed throughout the cave. All the while, Mimi glared fiercely at the ground, her claws shaking lightly. Minnie stared as blankly as ever, held back by the power of HER. But inside, she was struggling to reach out to her brother, whose emotional torment was all too visible to her, and this foul devil's words were only adding salt to the fresh wounds.
Halloween Town
Mandy glared as she watched the Reaper-Beast roar in pain, several of her cannons firing onto it. The Caci warriors were also firing their explosive, condensed flames at the beast, but were less damaging as the abomination blocked those with smaller tentacles. The cannons techno-magic attacks blasted through any such defense, but the flame bombs exploded on impact with anything.
"Grim, is my soul stable?" She asked as she leaned against the wall of City Hall.
The skeleton had his left arm raised with his scythe in hand, black lightning leaping from the scythe and shooting towards the Reaper-Beast, when he heard the question, 'Damn. Still enough Reaper-powers in dat ding ta resist rootin away,' He thought with a scowl as he heard it roar in pain, but not appear too deterred by the assault.
"Grim!" Mandy snapped after a moment of no answer.
The Lord of Death stopped his attack momentarily, snapping his gaze to his exhausted wife, "Yeah, yer soul is fine!" He answered. Later, he was going to have to ask just why her soul wouldn't be stable. He was sure they'd all have their stories to share after tonight.
"Good," Mandy said with a vicious smirk as she reached for the Sword of Tengu and ripped it out of the ground her son had left it in. With all the wrath of the thunder god himself, she swung the sword as it sparked to life, sending bolts of lightning at the beast, blasting the large tentacles clean off of their limbs.
'...I love it when she gets like this,' Grim thought with a smirk. He had one hot wife, no matter how evil she was.
"Caci," Jack spat, getting both monarchs to look at him curiously. "They really are amateurs at this," He muttered darkly before spitting a ball of fire out of his skeleton mouth and into his right, free hand. He reeled his arm back briefly before throwing it, the ball shooting through the air.
"I get the feeling there's a reason he's not aiming for the giant monster?" Mandy asked dryly, seeing the fireball heading way off to the side, the creature not even close to its path.
"Jus watch," Grim said with a chuckle as the ball went past the beast...before doing a sudden, hard turn. It shot at ten times its previous speed, slamming into the back of the Reaper-Beast and engulfing a fourth of it in flames. The giant Nergal-demon screamed in agony, falling to its relative-knees as flesh and eyes were burned away faster than they could be regenerated.
"...Why didn't you do that earlier?" Mandy asked with a twitching eyebrow as the Reaper-Beast was bombarded by attacks, unable to defend itself for the moment.
The brother of Death shrugged as best he could in his injured state, "To honest, I didn't want Junior to get that ability too," He explained simply.
"How many more of dose can ya musta up?" Grim asked as he watched the still-burning monster rise back up, glaring at them all.
"Five at the most," Jack answered evenly.
"Here it comes!" Mandy warned as the behemoth raised its left arm of tentacles and shot them forward, scythacles sprouting out to strike at the army around the path of the arm and steal away the souls of the undead army...
The Nergal of MiniMandy couldn't catch a break this night, not with its new master. When it tried to take over the Reaper's mind and body, his soul and rage overwhelmed it instead. It had felt its own psyche being torn at and scorched, feeling its body warp and twisted by the boy. Then when it finally got to take over the boy, not only did he escape, but the Reaper-Beast was already badly damaged without Junior to power it.
And now, as its scythe-tentacles reached out to collect more souls to devour, its appendages were shot by a barrage of tell-tale red beams with black glow, forcing it to retract the tentacles with a screech. With fright and anger in its giant green eyes, the Reaper-Beast turned to see them atop the roof tops not far away from it.
The Cloned Army of the Demon-Reaper, a cannon arm on each clone's left side. They all glared with their many fiery eyes, jaws opened with snarls as they roared at the one they called Traitor. With a smirk, one clone ran forward and the others charged as well.
"Well, dat was unexpected," Grim commented with wide eyes as he looked at the clones.
"Milady, we've spotted the small demon creatures again. Should we fire on them as well?" A voice came over Mandy's walkie-talkie, hooked onto the right of her hip- thankfully proofed against external electricity, or the Sword of Tengu would have destroyed it.
Mandy, taking a lesson from Clone, held the sword by its blade before grabbing the device. "Captain...," She started before stopping, getting the attention of the two skeletons, seeing her with an odd look on her question. "Only fire on the Reaper-Beast for now. I'll get back to you in a moment," She commanded, getting an affirmative over it as she put it away. At the questioning looks she got from her husband and brother-in-law, she pointed up behind them. They turned and went wide eyed.
There stood Clone, standing on top of the roof, staring down at them with an unreadable expression under his hood, his red eyes boring into them, just as they had when he had first tore his way out of the Reaper-Beast…except there was no murderous look in his eyes now. In his left hand was the horrifying, four-bladed scythe he had produced earlier. With that, he looked all the part of a young Reaper.
On the scythe, Grim's eyes were fixated. He could feel it, his right arm within it. Jack could sense it too, but he wasn't captivated by it. No, he merely stared at the being he had spent the better part of the night trying to kill, that had put him in this state. And there he stood, uninjured and possibly even more powerful than ever, 'So, this is the new face of Death?' Jack wondered in humorless amusement.
Without a word, Clone leapt forward and fell down to the ground, landing on his clawed feet. The ground cracked from the fall, but didn't give way. Without fear, the duplicate approached his family, standing right in front of his father. The two scythe-wielding beings stared for a moment, the elder's scythe sparking lightly with black lightning. If one saw the events of this night to this point, they might have wondered if these beings were about to challenge each other for the right to be called Death.
As if a spell had been broken, the Clone of Junior held out his scythe to current King of the Underworld. Before Grim's sockets, he saw the blades and thorns retract into the fleshy staff before that too dissolved into tentacles that retracted into Clone's arm, joining him. In Clone's demonic grip was the Right Arm of Death. With a blink, Grim sighed in relief before reaching out to take the arm and reattach it onto his shoulder, his cloak's sleeve reforming over it, "Thanks, Son," Grim said with a small smile.
His Wife and Brother's shoulders sagged in relief as well. They had wondered if the clones were under the control of Minnie's Nergal, but neither of them thought they might get any help from them even if they weren't against them anymore.
"Looks like we finally got a lucky break," Jack murmured to himself as the four of them looked over to the Reaper-Beast.
"Captain!" Mandy called over the radio, "Listen good and listen well. If anyone fires on that army, both they and you will be answering to me. Am I clear?" She asked in her most deadliest of calm voice.
"C-crystal, My Queen!" The captain acknowledged quickly, obviously having bones that were now paler than normal.
"Junior, you think your lot has enough left in them to take that thing down?" Mandy asked, giving Clone a sideways glance.
At the question, Clone seemed genuinely annoyed. His answer came in the form of raising his foot and slamming it on the ground. Mandy rose an eyebrow as a crack in the ground formed, rushing down the street. As it went, other clones on the roof mimicked his action, cracks forming and converging with Clone's. Once the crack reached the feet of the Reaper-Beast, a massive spike shot out of the ground, piercing the monster. With a scream of pain, it fell upon its back, the spike retracting once it did.
"A simple yes would have sufficed," Mandy commented with a smirk as Clone took his foot off the ground, tentacles shaking off some rocks as they retracted into his foot.
"You're not going to be happy until my town is completely destroyed, are you?" Jack asked in annoyance. Clone just glanced away at that, not giving an answer, verbal or nonverbal.
"Let's jus get dis ova wid," Grim said with a tap of his scythe.
Elsewhere
Eris nearly jumped out of her skin when the muscular man let out a full belly laugh before standing from the throne, "Where are you going? Aren't you going to watch how things turn out?" The goddess of Chaos questioned with a raised eyebrow.
"The battle is already over; the fighting is just being dragged out," He retorted with a grin, "Junior won in the end- that part never changed."
"You think he can defeat HIM?" Eris asked skeptically. Sure, Junior was powerful, but he was tired and possibly not as strong now as when he was lost in his bloodlust.
"I don't think he'll have to defeat Kare, not this time at least." He answered sagely as he walked off.
Eris rolled her eyes at that, "When the Tartarus did you get so wise?" She asked snippily at the man that managed to get kicked out of Heaven AND Hell.
"Probably after officially taking over Asgard." He answered with one of his stupid smiles.
"I think I miss you being an idiot boy!" Eris said with a pout.
"An idiot boy that rode your divine ass like a race horse!" He countered teasingly, making her blush with wide eyes, "Care for a repeat?" He asked with a smirk.
Land of Tainted Souls
"You really do know how to deal with your messes, my boy!" HIM said praisingly with a laugh, patting the boy on the shoulder. "I suppose that DOES render my reason for keeping your sister a bit moot," He said musingly.
"But I can't get something for nothing, right?" Junior asked plainly, mentally preparing for a fight if need be.
"Calm yourself, Boy. What I want from you will seem insignificant next to her soul," The devil assured with a wicked grin.
"Somehow, I doubt that," Junior said darkly.
"All I want from you is simple: I'm going to ask you three questions and you have to answer one of them. Just one," HIM promised smoothly. "And once you answer one, I will let you and your sister go," He assured.
"..." Junior didn't say a word for a moment. He was not stupid, not after all that had happened tonight. He knew there was something off about this being, that he shouldn't trust a word of him. But there was also something else...something he couldn't place, "I have a condition," Junior answered after a moment.
"Oh? And what might that be?" HIM asked curiously, far more interested in this now than he already had been.
"I get to ask you one question as well," Junior answered with a smirk.
HIM stared for a moment before laughing loudly, "You do realize you're haggling over your sister's soul, right?" He asked in twisted amusement.
"We can jump straight to tearing each other's throats out if you prefer," Junior retorted.
HIM chuckled for moment longer before shaking his head. "No, no. I'm enjoying this conversation far much more than something as simple as that," He answered. "Now, what is this question you have for me?" He asked, wondering what it would be. Probably about his Real Father, not that pathetic skeleton of a Grim Rea-
"Have we met before?" Junior asked sharply, getting surprised looks from all in the cave.
"...What?" HIM asked, not expecting this, eyeing the boy over the rim of his glasses in honest confusion.
"Have we met before?" Junior repeated, daring the Demon Lord to lie. Unbeknowst to either, Mimi narrowed her eyes in suspicion at the boy.
After a moment longer, the lips of His Infernal Majesty curled into a smirk, "I have never had the pleasure of meeting you until this most Unholy Night, Prince Grim," He answered smoothly.
Junior actually chuckled a bit at that, "Of course you haven't," He answered cryptically, "Now, I believe you have three questions?" He asked.
'What are you playing at, boy?' HIM mentally asked himself, "The first question is simply this. Did you enjoy it, your first Halloween?" He asked with a smirk, loving the glare in the boy's red eyes.
"You're enjoying this," Junior stated evenly.
"Immensely," HIM answered in a moment of honesty, smirking all the while.
"I'm going to enjoy the day I get to rip out your soul," Junior said, looking ready to lunge at the red demon.
"But that day is not any day soon," HIM countered smoothly.
"...You said three questions, you didn't say I couldn't choose after hearing all three. Next question," Junior responded.
"Second Question it is then. What will you do?" HIM asked with a smirk.
"What do you mean?" Junior asked, not sure what he meant.
"Isn't it obvious? You threw down your mother, tore apart her armies, nearly demolished a town, and I can only imagine what you did to that skeleton you call father," HIM explained, eyeing the boy's twitching hand. "After all that and with all this power...what will you do, now that you can't go back to how things were?" He asked sadistically.
If Junior were any weaker, he might have broken down at the implications of that question. "Last question," Junior responded after a moment to gather himself.
At this, HIM looked positively gleeful with his evil, sadist ways, ""And the reply to me was...?"" He asked, watching as Junior's eyes narrowed in confusion...before his eyes went wide.
Junior's vision flashed rapidly in and out of...something; A blank, white world with HIM standing not too far from him. He saw and heard him say things that echoed in and out of his comprehension. Then he heard him say something very, very clearly, 'Your battle will be lost, Child. Your foes are Time, Evil, and Death themselves, and many more! You are not yet ready to face such things alone. Care for the assistance of this old Lord of Sin?'
At the end, he held out his claw, as if to shake on it. He said something, something Junior couldn't understand, before just standing there, waiting. What seemed like a while later, HIM turned away...and then Junior was suddenly starring at his face. He said something, the same something from just before.
Against his will, Junior felt himself answered, "This Esoteric Soul accepts, Lord of Sin," He answered, his voice like a growlin animal's...
And just like that, Junior snapped out of it, finding himself back in the cave. He scrambled back quickly with a pant, bumping into the table,"You...what did you do?" Junior asked with a confused, startled look.
With a smirk, HIM chuckled, "I offered my help to the Demon-Reaper and the Demon-Reaper took it," He answered sadistically, "I just wanted to know who you realy were, Boy," He explained, letting the boy collect himself. After all, a memory from Nowhere could be very...disturbing the first time around.
End of Chapter
Well, that's another one! Not as long as the last one, but still pretty long. Sorry for the delay, but College ends this week- was busy the last month or so. I have to say though, I feel like the depressing mood with this fic has lifted for now- it'll come back, I assure you all.
So, yes, Junior FINALLY snaps back to his senses, but Minnie's nergal tries to take over again. Jack is getting a little broody and Mandy is back on her feet- I did make those plants up, for the record. Clone has a run in with a bird- start placing guesses on who/what that is people, because it is NOT an OC. Clone is also now fighting with the people he was trying to kill not even fifteen minutes ago. And Eris and the 'mystery' guy makes a few more apparences- I think you can guess who the man is now after that last scene.
And, another 'finally', Junior finally comes face to face with the Lord of Sin himself, HIM! Sorry if you're all disappointed by the lack of fighting between the two, but this is what I pictured happening. Don't worry, Junior wants to kill HIM one day as much as you all want him to. Anyway, they make an odd deal. Answer one of three questions for Minnie's Soul plus question from Junior- have fun figuring out the signifigance of those questions.
Lastly, want to explain this little bit people. The reason Eris says WW1 instead of WW2 is because I personally believe that the first was more chaotic than WW2- not that WW1 was worse all together, just that it was more chaotic. First big war with machine guns and other such weapons that rendered calvary and old tactics useless. I also believe that WW2 probably wouldn't have happened, or at least not as bad, if WW1 never happened. So, yeah- WW2 was worse in terms of horror and death, but WW1 was more chaotic and confused as it was the start of a new era of warfare.
Anyway, onto the questions!:
Why did Junior's eyes change to grey and blue, and now back to red? How did Minnie yell for Junior? What will Junior do to the Nergal-Beast? Will Nergal Junior be okay? Who/what was that Eagle? What did Jack do before Halloween Town? How much of a problem will the Minnie's Nergal be? How will the Underworld and Afterlives react when word pspread of the Demon-Reaper? How does HIM know Junior' father? What other secrets has Junior's family kept from him and why? Will Junior get his Scythe back/remade somehow? What are HIM's intentions in regards to Junior? Will he honor the deal? Why did he ask those three questions? Why did Junior ask his? And what caused Junior's vision at the end and what did it mean?
