So...hey...yeah this was a chapter that's been long, long, long overdue. And it barely even compensates for the wait with this crummy length. At least I made the action scene pretty cool right? But rest assured everyone this story has not been dropped, I know how to end this, and it will not be cancelled. So nobody panic when i don't update in a year again. Okay? Okay. Enjoy

The Purest of Evil part 7

"Humanity,"

Claus wasn't sure what was happening right now. He's always felt like he was in firm control of his surroundings in his younger years. He always was able to slip free of getting out of trouble when he caused his regular mischief. He had made others clean up some of the messes he had made. He was able to prank his gullible brother from time to time as well. But it seems like things changed after his mother's death. He found himself having less and less control of his life as time passed. It arrived to the point he had no control, let alone even an opinion about anything anymore. It was frustrating surrendering all that control. But that's real life. That's the reality that he had been shielded from for such a short time. Things often never work out in your favor. When they do, you celebrate and are filled with such joy at the occasion that something happened that you actually planned. Claus wanted to be at home, enjoy the fact that he was alive and in control of his own body. He regretted his hasty actions of trying to end his own life. It was finally a chance for him to make a choice, and again he made a hasty one. He didn't want to leave his brother behind, he was just so tired, so exhausted. But he was rescued in the end. Saved and replaced with a synthetic decoy. Fancy term for a robot that feels human. He's seen the future his brother created, so he couldn't afford to rest. He couldn't afford to let it happen without some form of interference from him. How he interfered however was trying to end his own brother's life. A plan he was against, but inevitable succumbed to being a part of. He actually refused to go on the first excursion with Rob and Alex when they fought Lucas. He didn't want to hurt Lucas. But he was convinced after he saw the death, the despair, and the pain. Even after that he still wasn't prepared to hurt his brother. Claus stares at the back of his twin brother Lucas as they are rushing through the hallways of Castle Oshoe to locate Alex before he meets with his father. Claus has kept one thing to himself for a long time that he decides to voice.

"Lucas wait," Claus reaches out to grab hold his brother's shoulder pulling him to a sharp stop. Lucas almost fell with how hard Claus jerked him. Lucas regains his balance to turn to Claus.

"Now isn't the time for this-."

"I need to tell you something before we go any further. Something that you really need to know."

Lucas sighs, "Claus I don't have time to hear-,"

"You need to listen!" Claus snaps at Lucas. Lucas seemed unfazed but Claus's sharp tone as he sighs again. "Stop that! Stop doing that!" Claus yelled punching his brother's arm with his robot arm. Lucas winces before glaring at his brother. "You don't do that to people. You don't get annoyed when people get upset and want to talk about something. You don't blow off other's concerns. You're a kind considerate person, who cares about everyone he meets, and you wouldn't dare belittle anyone. You have a heart like mom!" Claus rants on to Lucas' indifferent face.

"Is that all you have to say?" Lucas questions.

"NO!" Claus yells. "No…Lucas, do you have any idea why I went along with that plan to kill you?"

"Claus we can talk about this la-,"

"I met the future you," Claus cut in. Lucas face falls into a more concerned look. He suddenly was more interested in hearing Claus out now. "I met the tyrant that you become. Lucas, I met you, and I talked to you. I came here already, everyone thought I may've been Alex. But the future you knew who I was, and didn't care about me. He said "Why can't you make up your mind, do you wanna be dead or alive?" that's the first thing he said to me. Lucas, you become a terrible person, and I felt nothing from you. There were no words that could reach you, no memory that meant anything to you, and no person that could change you. You had cursed our mother's name!"

Lucas felt a lump grow in his throat. Had he really changed that much? Lucas stared down at the floor now with a stoic face. He understood now to some extent. Claus faced a person that was no longer his brother, a person that abandoned all that he was. In Claus' eyes, he was no longer his twin brother. He was now becoming a boy with a face like his own and that terrified Claus. After everything their relationship has been through this opportunity of being reunited has turned sour. Since he was the elder twin he felt obligated to take action. Lucas clenched his fist as his eyes narrow. "You think I don't notice?" Lucas questions.

"You act so harsh to everyone around you even now! I thought I could talk to you, but you wouldn't listen to me. Meeting this future you might make things worse, because he might say something that will convince you that he's right. And everything we risked coming here for will be meaningless," Claus explains.

Lucas had not realized that, and that should have been obvious. Those words held such strength that Lucas felt a part of himself stir, a part of himself he had forgotten was even there. His heart started aching, he hadn't felt that ache in such a long time, and now he's starting to understand why. "Claus…" Lucas stares at his brother. "Something is wrong with me…" Claus' face goes from a slight glare to a confused expression, but he still looked concerned. "I don't know what it is," Lucas says stepping forward to grip his brother's jacket. "I don't know how to control it or make it stop. But thoughts get in my head, actions come to my mind, and I can't control it. Something is wrong with me. I started the journal to keep track of those thoughts, to focus them to get them out of my head, but they kept coming. They overpower me all the time, I can't-," Lucas felt a migraine come on as he gripped his head.

"Lucas?" Claus questioned now concerned placing his hands on his brother's shoulders.

"We need to save Alex and get the journal. I need to cure this, I have to stop this!" Lucas turned to take off as fast as his legs can carry him. Claus quickly chased after him unsure if the panicked expression on his face was a good sign or not. It was odd situation for Claus to find himself in the position where he was the reasonable twin at the moment.

Alex finishes wiping his tears before he starts walking up another flight of stairs to the uppermost level of the castle. The stairs abruptly changes patterns as the purple carpet rug is draped over the ceramic stairs. He walks calmly on the winding staircase surrounded by the cream castle walls with a look of resolution on his face. He approaches the top to see two guards posted outside the door. They both greet him cordially before they refocus their attention forward. They made no move to stop Alex from entering the audience chamber. After Alex enters he is greeted to the purple rug running down to the other side of the room. The audience chamber was the newest addition to Castle Oshoe, with the giant support columns on the side of the room, a balcony on the other side of the room above the pair of thrones, and the sleek cool ceramic floor that shined. Alex stares down the aisle to see his father sitting in his throne with his attention focused on writing in the journal on hand. The man glances up for a moment then turns his gaze back to the journal seemingly uninterested.

"Returned home have we?" His father stated with a tone of mockery.

"Yes, because this has to stop dad."

The man sighs, "I sent you away to show you how the animals live. I'm trying to protect you from becoming like them, for Dragon's sake, I tried shielding you from them for most your life. You fight against me and my rules. I think you just started your rebellious years a little earlier than expected," Alex's father looks up to stare at his son. "When you get older you'll see what I mean. You've already began to obtain my power, but you must be properly educated. Something only I can do for you properly."

"I don't want that!" Alex exclaims.

"Your 12 years old, you don't know what you want yet. You think you do, but you don't. Which brings me to my next point, you're a boy Alex. A little boy who can't even cook an omelet without burning it, hell you're barely able to separate the shell from the yolk. A boy only a few months prior was too afraid to leave the castle. Now you come here telling me that you're part of an insurgency to dethrone me? Forgive me if I find the prospect more adorable then threatening."

"I never had the intent to threaten you. I want to see what's left of my dad, the real man who raised me," Alex says glaring forward. "My dad is a hero. For years he's been protecting everyone from you, this side of him."

King Lucas' eyes narrowed slightly at hearing this, "What are you on about boy?"

"I've seen who you truly are, your true face, and I am not going to let this world continue as is."

"Try and teach children, but they just end up breaking your heart," the man rises from his throne to step forward. His golden hair cut into a fashion where his cowlick was now a large bang over his forehead, a cape connected to a shoulder guard, black gloves, with a black military like uniform, and black boots. "I suppose grounding you is out of the question. Sending you to your room without supper doesn't seem harsh enough either."

"You may not think much of me, but I will say I do love you dad. I think you're the best. Even when you didn't feel your best you always had me in mind. You taught me a lot…so much good that I can't you end up like this!"

King Lucas was unresponsive to this for a few moments. Alex actually thought maybe the words did reach somewhere in his father's heart. However, when Alex looked into his eyes he saw nothing but a cold stare, "…Yes, I see what the punishment must be now. You are my son, easily my biggest rival in this world now that you stand to oppose me. I can't have that. I wanted to past on my gifts to you, pity I suppose Angela and I will have to make another."

At that last statement Alex's eyes flashed dangerously as a spark of PSI came to life around his hands. "Leave… MY MOTHER ALONE!" Alex screams unleashing a startling PK Love from his hands. The attack was shot out as a focused energy orb that expanded as it approaches King Lucas. The man pushes out his bare hand as the PSI attack smashes into him making his limbs buckle under the pressure which surprises him. He was unaware that his son had reached this level of power so soon. Even given his position King Lucas smirked with a slight sense of pride peeking out. The man sinks his fingers into the orb before he points his other hand behind him. Suddenly Alex's PK Love began to shrink as PK Love started to flow into his other hand larger and stronger.

"You've barely learned how to harness this power son, let alone PK Love. You're a novice challenging a master. PK Love." King Lucas launches his PSI orb toward a winded Alex who was startled that it would end like this for him. Alex shakes his head of that thought before pushing his palms outward ready to show that he was more then what his father thought of him. He first cast a PSI Shield to cushion the impact of the orb before he reaches out. The energy refracts off his shield launching toward random directions. He tries to gain control of the attack since it was actually his own power thrown back at him. But the energy that made up the attack was his, but it was fired with more density, structure, and far less vulnerable then his original attack. He would not be able to redirect this attack. "Like I said son, a novice."

Alex felt his shield begin to crumble and he knew that was the only reason he hadn't been vaporized on the spot. He knew this was how things would end. Alex felt like a burden and now that the younger Lucas was on his side, he saw no point for him to exist. Honestly, if everything did work out there is a good chance he may not exist anyway. He figured why not cut to the chase. Literally his entire existence is up in the air, hardly anyone liked him simply for his heritage, and no one has ever gotten know who he is. How he's suffered. At least the world had a giant thick steel wall between them and the beast. The only thing separating him and the beast was how he felt that day. He got what he wanted to say off his chest so he slowly began to drop his hands no longer willing to put up a fight.

"PK LOVE!" two voice yell out in unison suddenly two people rush into the room to push forward a burst of PK Love strong to redirect the attack bearing down on Alex into the ceiling above. The explosion that followed created chaos as the roof started to rain rubble down. Alex felt arms wrap around his waist before he was jerked off his feet with a feeling of weightlessness as he sees the throne room getting farther and farther away. He hears yelling, loud crashes, and bright explosions before he sees young Lucas rushing out the throne room with a large dust cloud on his tail. With a brown leather book in hand. Young Lucas catches up with them before King Lucas parts his way through the dust cloud with the scariest look Alex has ever seen.

"Told ya he would fall for it!" Claus exclaimed.

"Less gloating more running!" Lucas shoots back as he raises his hand to unleash a PK Love into the ceiling, floor, and wall.

"We need to getaway now!" another explosion rings in their ears as King Lucas appears before them with a glower on his face.

"You guys are grade A idiots, ya know that?"

"Hey it worked," Claus responds. "My Lucas knew you'd probably think of a counter to anything he'd think of, so he made me come up with a plan. The more Claus-y the less chance you'll see it coming."

"I suppose that is clever in its own right," King Lucas growls down on the boys. "But now you've got me thoroughly annoyed, any bright Claus plan that won't end with you hanging from my wall?" He questions as he lunges forward with his cape billowing behind him.

"This next part is Claus free," Lucas responds lunging at his older self. The two enter into an intense fist fight. Lucas swings a psionic charged fist toward his older self only to be blocked. His older self is quick to respond with the same fist and same attack. Lucas rolls dodging the blow. The two mirror each other as they had developed a martial art style all their own. However, clearly King Lucas was getting in more shots. Beating Lucas down hard as he hit the floor multiple times even though young Lucas kept pushing on.

"Ah, I forgot how old I was when I created Psionic CQC."

"Oh that's a good name for this, I been on the fence with options." Lucas responds redirecting a fist to press his hands forward for a psionic push that threw his older self through the air.

"You just started developing this style kid, I've already mastered it," King Lucas states flicking his finger for a random piece of rubble to shoot at Lucas. Lucas tilts his head to the side avoiding it then before about facing to blast another brick to smithereens. He focuses back on his older self to see that the man had somehow approached him without his awareness. King Lucas delivered a psionic powered punch into the jaw of his younger self knocking him to the floor. He uses his psionic powers to pick young Lucas up to turns sharply throwing him to the floor again. Lucas growled as he rose to his feet for another round. His older-self jumped up pushing his outward then clapping them together. This force crashed two adjacent pillars on young Lucas's right and left. Lucas had blasted both pillars apart keeping his focus on King Lucas. Lucas focuses his energy around his hands for a moment before he cast Shield Ω around his hands. His older self swings his arm downward to hammer down on Lucas, but young Lucas stepped to the side pushing the arm down before driving the back of his fist into King Lucas' jaw. The impact was jarring as King Lucas staggered backwards completely taken by surprise. He turned back to his younger self to him rush forward into a lunging punch. King Lucas turns outside the lung grabbing Lucas' extended arm to drive his elbow down into Lucas' jaw. Then twisted his arm behind his young self's back. "I will take that journal back," He reaches into Lucas' pockets but realized that Lucas did not have it. He growled angrily before threw him to the floor. "Another Claus trick?"

"It was twin telepathy actually," King Lucas raises his hand for a low charge PSI attack to discharge before pushing his hand forward. Lucas' raised his hand, which was still shielded, nullified the attack as young Lucas grabbed hold of the extended hand. Young Lucas then drove his elbow forward into his older self's gut before turning sharply to flip King Lucas onto his back hard. "Without having an opponent on equal footing as you you've lost your edge, and you're starting to slip past your prime."

"That is a fair deduction. Though I have mastered Psionic CQC, I have not practiced it in many years so I as you can see I'm a bit rusty," King Lucas moves to sit while wiping blood from the corner of his mouth. "Damn sometimes I'm too good…"

"This ends now," Lucas says pointing a hand toward his older self.

"You think killing me here will change anything?" King Lucas responds.

"…You're right, but it'll make me feel better," Lucas raises his hand above his head summoning a small ball of PSI. "PK Love," He utters throwing his hand down. But it was a fake out, it was not a PK Love he threw it was a PK Flash. The ball of light exploded into King Lucas' eyes blinding him and giving Lucas time to quickly rush away. He was no fool, the longer the fight continued the lower his chance of winning. King Lucas is powerful, mind boggling so, and the fight would inevitable end in his favor. He arrives outside the castle to see Claus and Alex waiting for him. Claus let out a breath of sweet relief seeing his brother was still alive, even though he was half limping and half running.

"He's here now hit it Alex," Claus says as Lucas collapse into his arms. Alex activates the Phase Twister, like before they are surrounded by a shield of rainbow energy before a buildup of chronal particles launches them back in time. They all let out a breath of relief once in the time stream. Lucas tries to pull himself off his brother but finds his limbs unable to. "Don't worry Luke, I gotcha," Claus says picking his brother up into his arms. "Damn, that future him is tough."

"Yeah…" Alex responds sullenly. Claus was confused by that response.

"Kid, we made it out of there alive, and we got the journal. Maybe a bit more enthusiasm would make this feel like we won," Claus reprimands.

Alex wipes his face. "I'm sorry…I just…" tears started to spill from Alex's face again making him raise his arm to wipe his face again. He tries to wipe away the tears but they just won't go away. "I'm sorry…"

"You said that already," Claus states bluntly. "What I really want to know is, why you thought going up against that monster was a good idea?"

"I'm dead Uncle Claus. I don't know it yet, you don't know it yet, even the time stream doesn't know it yet, but that's what I am. My world, my life, and everything I am is a reminder of what I've come from. Who would miss me Uncle Claus? The family I just met, the allies who only hardly a day earlier tried to kill me, or my own father that raised me also tried to waste me!" Alex fell to his knees. "Or my brain dead mother…" Claus' eyes opened wider hearing that. He had noticed the absence of Lucas' wife, although a good thing he was curious about her. Alex wipes his eyes before moving toward the Phase twister. He simply adjust the location they are to arrive in since the timeline had already been preset prior. A great flash of light overtook them as they exited the time stream.