Episode 2, Chapter 5: Could Be Worse
The remaining four found themselves on top of the tower, overlooking the courtyard below.
"Oh! What a sight to see, the four given victory!" A'zlia chirped, predictably appearing in front of them and hovering in midair. "Well, truthfully it's three, because one of you will always fly free."
Sammy stepped forward, and A'zlia's eyes widened, gills frilling outward in surprise. "A-Ah-!"
"A'zlia. Stay quiet." Her voice was completely different – more gruff, deeper than it was before. "As for the rest of you…"
"You…" Olivia stepped toward Sammy, only for her to wave her arm. Olivia gasped, vanishing into cyan smoke.
"Me. Anyone else care to state the obvious?" She lifted her arms to her sides, glowing as she grew in height, form changing.
He quite suddenly had a flat chest, with dark gray-blue skin. Bright cyan hair flowed behind him, pure white eyes emotionless as the rest of his face had a smugness to it. "After all, we already know the truth."
"How long." Jess stepped forward, fists balling. "How long have you been with us."
"Oh, not very long. Only… oh, three days?" He chuckled, adjusting his tie as the markings on his suit glowed softly. "It's funny, really – I'm almost ashamed of Jack's obliviousness on his behalf. But… I suppose that's okay." He snickered, "I've already taken care of that little issue."
"Is that what happened to Petra—"
"—and Radar?" Lukas and Jess shared a look as realization dawned on their faces. The Admin laughed, twirling as he flew into the air.
"Ohhh, now you get it! You understaaand!" He rolled onto his stomach, grinning menacingly as his fingers curled around his face. "Though really, I'm quite surprised it took you this long to catch on - especially you, Jess."
"Why me?" Jess raised an eyebrow. The Admin sighed, closing his eyes with a low growl.
"Oh… you are just playing dumb now. You were the one who claimed the gauntlet for yourself, when I had chosen Petra. You were the one who saw my dreams - who succeeded in my test and killed… well, deleted, Freja. You know, that dragon you used that Command Block on?" He laughed. "Come on, Jess. You know, don't you? Even though you so gleefully tried to force yourself into being the apple of my eye, the star I wished upon… I always get what I want. My champions are always mine. And they are my decisions." He snapped his fingers, and the gauntlet vanished from Jess' arm. "Not yours."
"I didn't exactly wanna be your champion, you freak!" Jess glared. "I just didn't want your stupid gauntlet possessing my friend!"
"Hm. No… that's not it." The Admin put a hand on his chin, rolling so he was cross-legged in the air. "If I remember… you were torn between staying by Lluna's side, or saving your friend. Had you acted a second later, Petra would have been the next Bearer. Alas… unlike Soren, unlike Jack… you are a touch faster than the friends you make."
"Hold on." Lukas interrupted. "If Petra was supposed to be your champion, why the heck did you take Radar - and Jack?"
The Admin laughed, shrugging. "Well, that's easy. Radar reminded me of myself at a more… naive time. As for Jack… well. He simply got in my way, just like his friends all those years ago."
"And as for us?" Lukas tilted his head. "I feel like you're not gonna just. Let us go home."
"Oh, on the contrary, little Lukas." He grinned, lifting an arm up and raising Lukas into the air. "Do you want to go home? To forget this little adventure? Or, perhaps..." His other arm moved in a flash, throwing Jess against the wall and making them vanish with dark blue smoke. "You'll take it upon yourself to save the person you used to love?"
"But what's there to save if you don't kill anyone? If they're alive, they'll make it out of whatever you're putting them. We've escaped entire alternate worlds before; I think some stupid god's prison is gonna be a snap for them."
The Admin laughed hard, rolling his eyes as he leaned his face dangerously close to Lukas' face. "Then you'll have just as easy of a time getting out, then."
They laid on the ground, the wet grass soaking their clothes as their eyes refused to open. Slowly, they shuffled closer to each other, fingers intertwining as they felt themselves being lifted by their collars.
"Take them inside." They heard a woman's voice say. Her voice had the same accent as the Admin's, but rather than a gruff tone, her voice was softer and more stern. "We'll register them - we have special orders for the long-haired one, after all."
The grinding of metal rang loud behind them, followed by rhythmic stomping as they were carried off. The thing carrying them - a golem? - knelt down, their hands coming apart as one of them was set down gracefully.
The other, of course, was carried off into a different part of the facility, and was set down on a bed.