Well it's finally been a long enough, drawn-out wait. My last chapter to the last part of this (I'm not sure if it qualifies as-) 'series'. I hope this chapter is worth it to those who are actually interested in this story and I do thank everyone very much for taking the (Very long) time to read up till this point, I hope you'll be satisfied with this conclusion.
(Read/Review and as always, please enjoy)
Final Chapter: No More Coming Back.
It was becoming a battleground outside, fires were set on buildings, the peoples screams for help could be heard far beyond the kingdom walls, banana guards who tried to assist flayed out along the path of destruction.
"Come on dog! Shouldn't you be trying to stop me? The longer you wait, the more people die. Stop running and fight me!" The Lich chased behind firing fireball after fireball at Jake.
Jake remained ahead out of his reach, trying to warn people along the way to remain out of sight. He stretched up to the rooftops, resizing his fist, clobbering it down on the street below, where the Lich stood. He kept him crushed under the weight of his enormous palm until stricken with a burning bite. He yelped and pulled away to discover the Lich had cooked up a fire barrier to regain breathing room from his hand.
"Quit with these cheap attacks and fight!" The Lich yelled in aggravation, this fight was dragging out longer than he initially wanted.
"Mmm, I'll think about it." Jake teased. He had no intention of fighting him directly by himself, he only needed to buy time.
The Lich was unamused, he didn't see Jake as a true adversary, more of a persistent pest in his way. Though he had a cunning idea. "Fine. If you don't fight others will pay. Each second you waste of mine someone else dies." His attention immediately went from Jake to the houses and buildings people sheltered inside, tossing bursts of flames through the doors and windows. Soon enough another fist hit his gut while another swept his leg; Jake was now down to his level, just what he wanted.
Jake didn't give him a chance to stand nor rest, whipping an arm under and around his torso, tossing him two stories up into an wall. The Lich had to admit Jake was a far more formidable foe than he cared to give credit for, however still was easy to pull the strings on. He stood from the fall, flaring up two fires - one flung directly for Jake, the other catapulted skywards. Jake dived clear from the one which bolted for him, getting back to his feet he lost sight of the second which swooshed down like a mortar beside him, the explosive impact flung Jake across the ground.
The Lich paced over, each step synchronized with blazing combustions projecting at the end of his arms, as if they were automated cannons. Jake haphazardly curved his body through and around the barraging array of inferno tossed his direction, getting through it was like navigating a moving mine-field, he didn't make it completely unscratched however, taking slight singes to his sides where they narrowly missed. Yet despite his best efforts, he was not prepared to come out of those dozen fireballs only to have the Lich mere feet before him.
A hot fist planted on the side of Jakes face knocking him off balance followed by another before he could get back up. The Lich was rarely a hand-to-hand kind of guy but in this instance he wanted to choke the life out of this time waster. He towered over him, slamming his weight on Jake stomach before he could squirm away, wrapping those steamy hands around his squishy-soft throat, it felt like pushing his hands into an organic bean-bag. In response to this Jake began to envelop his body around the Lich's being, and quickly contracted his muscles, crushing the Lich in this organic cocoon he made, in hopes to turn the tables.
The Lich soon freed himself from the furry walls, again using heat to his advantage, fire cloaked over his body so the dog could no longer keep him imprisoned. Jake unraveled himself and leapt away rolling the cooler tiled surface to suppress the stinging burns.
"Enough of this. You bore me mutt." The Lich announced, wiping himself down of what he considered Jakes filth. He lifted Jake off the ground, closer too him with telekinetic abilities. Dwindling on strength, Jake could do little to struggle free of the supernatural grasp. He saw in the Lich's left hand the fireball readying to take his life.
Finn dived from above, the Lich catching a glimpse from the corner of his eye, dodged back out of the way, Jake was flung free from his hold, bashing the back of his head on the ground. Finn's sword audibly clashed with the floor, he used the momentum of its repulsive bounce to swing it ninety degrees to his side towards the Lich. Another evasion made, he now had enough room between them to break away from combat, extinguishing his flame, cracking a smile and laugh.
"Hahahe! You finally came running back. I knew you couldn't resist. I wonder: what had you running in the first place? Was it the sudden fear that caught up with you – the reality that I mark your end? Decided to run and let your dog take the first beating. What's the matter boy? You seem upset." That was an understatement, Finn was unkempt - glassy eyed, the skin around them was sore-red from wiping away the tears. Foreign blood stained his blue cloak, along with his right hand covered in it. He was in no mental condition to fight. His body was slack like an elder person, holding a sloppy stance for a warrior, movements predictable and slow, he could still be heard sniffling to stop his runny nose.
The Lich took attention to the scent his nose picked up, "-Sniiiiff Sniff- Mmm, not your blood? Smells familiar, appears lighter, not human; been doing dirty deeds have we boy?" He inspected. "It doesn't look like you made it quick. No. No-no-no, that's not your style, goody-to-shoes like you, hmm – saving someone went wrong perhaps?"
"Shut up." His anger only just contained behind the barrier of his bared teeth.
"-Looks like they suffered clinging against you," The Lich ignored and continued his speculating judgement, "-hoping you would do something, anything to help, or maybe begging you to put them out of their misery faster? Alas, you just watched. -Sniiiif-" He tried that scent again. "Could it be?"
"I said stop!" Finn tried once more to swing for him in order to shut his mouth, his strike fell in vain missing again; hands tightening around his weapon in frustration, he didn't need the images flooding back so soon with that sickening voice to narrate over them like he knows everything.
"Ahha!." It finally clicked. Pulling a monstrous smirk. "Heheehe, how could I forget that smell, so obvious now: the obnoxious sweetness. Hahaaa!" He burst into cackling laughter while Finn's blood boiled to eruption, he roared with a swing cutting through nothing but air; the Lich's reflexes were faster than normal, Finn didn't even see how he moved out of the way, how could he even be paying attention while laughing so strenuously? "Tell me, ahehee - what are you ever going to do without your precious Princess, ahahaa!" He taunted.
Finn gave a sloppy throw of his arm before even looking in the direction of that infuriating sound bickering at him, the top heavy weight of the sword dictated his movement and threw him off balance a little bit, and yet another miss. He stood frozen as a chilling muttering from very close behind popped into his ear, "How does the lamb avoid slaughter when there is no shepherd to lead the flock?" He felt a flick to the back of his ear and another chuckle - those sanity breaking chuckles. Finn shook unstably. "Can't say I'm not disappointed however. Ah well, I still have you to play with." He looked down upon him with a belittling simper.
Finn screeched in unbound fury, practically berserk, all he could see was red, and those green eyes. Chasing back, swinging widely left and right, herding him closer to a wall, Finn had him right where he wanted him. The Lich still on the evasive, took a quick peek behind to be aware of his surroundings, his short loss of eye contact with the rage-induced boy earned him a swipe through his robes, ripping diagonally across the front, inches away from cutting skin. The Lich knew the wall was only several steps behind, the next swing and miss, he ducked away and swept behind Finn.
Perfect. Finn flipped the sword downside-up, predicting his movements exactly, his obsessive, cowardly paces to dash behind his opponent will be his own undoing. Ramming it backwards, awaiting the soft, gorgeous impact he so desired, he needed to feel his sword shunt in mid-air and then slowly breach past an into this fucker's-bastard guts so he could cut down the middle using the blade like a saw.
The sword hit contact. Finn's eyes dilated with the unsettling excitement and gave a guttural roar twisting the sword ever so slowly to make the Lich feel his guts churn in magnificent detail. He couldn't help but let a joyful laughter slip out. Finn's vengeful madness came to an abrupt stop in motion, something was amiss. Feeling the sword handle tugged out of his palm in one quick pull, Finn shock-faced turned and smack. Nose busted and bleeding, the hilt of the sword cracked down on the nasal bridge, not a chance given to pull himself together, a ravaging swipe across his chest sent him hurling backwards to the ground. Squinting up at an unharmed Lich. He shook his head condescendingly; wiping away the blood from his cut hand (where it appeared he gripped the sword) onto his robes, extinguishing the other which he had burnt the skin down to bone in order to utilize his sharp bone fingers to cut across Finn's chest roughly. "Tsk, tsk, tsk. Sorry to interrupt you there, you looked like you were having fun. You really should be sure you know what you are striking before you make a fool of yourself." The Lich tossed the sword down beside Finn.
"Are you calm yet? You seemed to be enjoying yourself there for a second. Back to the topic at hand though: in all seriousness I'm quite curious as to how she came to die without me lifting a finger. Did the pressure get her? Took her own life - the easy way out. Smart - I would've made an example of her... Come on now, spit it out." He nudged the boy's leg with his own.
"Bubblegum was never afraid of you!" Finn spat out, defending her name and dignity, sounding a bit more nasal due to his blood clogged nose.
"Not exactly the answer I wanted." He begun to circle around Finn, "Why must you avoid such a harmless question? What sense of victory do you gain from it? Bratty behaviour. I mean yes, we don't quite see eye-to-eye but even as enemies you could indulge my request for an answer. I answer your questions – it's only fair." He returned to were he originally stood. The patient eyes locked on his face, unmoving until Finn answered.
He did not answer. He simply turned his head sidewards and looked away from the pressing gaze, not that it intimidated him, he was just fed up of seeing those eyes pestering him; it was bad enough hearing his voice.
The Lich grinned in the corner of his mouth. Planting/dropping his knee on Finn's torso, (he unwillingly exhaled, feeling his lung capacity become smaller) where it rested and supported him while leaning in and grabbing Finn's jaw, forcefully turning the boy's face back to himself. "Such a rebellious little runt. Don't think because now I'm out of your body I can't make you do as I wish. You will look at me when I speak to you!"
Finn averted, looking everywhere else but in his wake. He refused to bow to his whim any longer. It hurt yes, but doing what he wanted was the easy way out. He wasn't stupid. He knew this wasn't going to be easy. Finn's head bashed into the ground forcing him to look on his right down the street where Jake lied recuperating. With the floor on one side of his cheek and a hand pushing down on the other Finn's view was restricted forward. A spark of light, then impact. Jakes body rolled and bounced a few meters further down the street, a green plume of fire from his back, shear force alone was enough to incapacitate him, the relentless flame burrowed and did far more internal damage.
"Noooooooo~!" Finn screamed, trying to push the one who held him off. He needed to see if he was okay. The Lich cut him short pushing the weight of his knee down further on Finn's ribs, expelling any air left within the lungs and turned his face upwards once more. "You see what happens when you disobey. You get others hurt Finn, all for that stubborn pride."
Tears rolled down from Finn's face, growing blue from the air constraint. His sobs were short and hitched, "...Why... why are you... doing this?! It's pointless!... Killing everyone on Ooo... then what?!" He thrashed about, demanding an answer for the murdering of his friends.
The Lich released his grip on the face and lightened the pressure of the knee. "Why do I do what I do? You think I act without purpose? No... This planet is capable of achieving so much potential: the perfect world... Perfection is not achieved when there is nothing left to add, it is achieved when there is nothing more to take away." With that he got off the boy, who chocked when his lungs were restored to their fullest.
The Lich took several steps back while Finn clutched his chest, clearing his throat. "My purpose was clear since my creation. I was born to cleanse the filth off this planet, start it again – fresh. A clean slate... Prepare your gaze Finn. You are about to witness a god be born, amongst the marking of a new era." The Lich stood focused, smiled, preparing to unleash his swelling power within. It was his time now. He'd been awaiting this moment for so long...
Slash!
The resonating sound of honed metal whipped through the air at a pace, which concluded with a loud bass strum hitting the tougher flesh and muscles. The Lich was interrupted, focus broken. The organic container which he resided within felt breached, cut open from behind. He grunted from the displeasure and turned to the source of this discomfort.
A desperate-roaring screech was heard before he saw. The halfling stood before him, Marceline, mid-swing of her axe-bass, then all became dark. His head dropped with a single bounce off the tiled street, it rolled just out of the way of his decapitated body collapsing. She too collapsed, failing to feel the sense of vengeance she had hoped for. Having to decapitate her own father's husk, there was nothing that could be found satisfying about that.
"...Marceline?..." Finn chirped. It was like witnessing the emergence of his own guardian-angel, so surreal. She was always there to rescue him from the clutches of death. The sound of his speak, popped her bubble of solitude, grieving silently by her former-father, lifeless expression displayed on her face. She looked up over at him, it was hard to tell with the signals she was giving but behind the unwavering blankness her face portrayed she was overjoyed – relieved to see him again.
Unsteadily getting back to her feet she came to him as he was currently incapacitated, dropping down once more by his side. Her head and arms were wrapped in linen cloth in substitute for lack of any other suitable sun protection – she pulled the face-wrap down to uncover her nose and mouth to speak clearly.
"You're alive... and okay..." He said, reaching up to her with disbelief.
It took her a second to respond, still shell-shocked from not moments ago. "...Yeah-" She lifted part of his cloak with fresh blood dampening it to see three deep gashes on his chest, not to mention the already visible one on his face. "You're not."
He slowly worked his way to bringing his back off the floor twisting his torso to hers. She tried to settle him back down seeing him in clear struggle. "Hey, settle down, what are you-" She ceased to stop him when she noticed what he was trying to do. Placing his arms around her, tightly holding her as close to himself as he could bring. She did the same – they both supported each-others in their arms. "I missed you." He whimpered.
"It's only been like three days." She tried to joke and gave a heartfelt chuckle, trying to take her mind off everything but him.
"It felt like forever..." His chin was supported on her shoulder. She soothed and cradled him in her hold, clutching him like a teddy, still coming to terms with what she had done. She distracted her thoughts with him as best she could. Hunson and herself never had the best father-daughter relationship, but still it cut deep inside, like she just removed part of herself there and then.
Moments past where they just silently sat in the middle of the street with only each-others company before the next words came out, "H-how did you make it back?" He pulled away to look her in the eyes - how he missed them.
She calculated her answer in thought before it came out in words. "When we separated, I was lost in the moment, I wanted revenge. When you guys left I was too late to realise what you said was true. Just before he broke his way into the room I changed into a bat and fled into a dark corner till he left. I hid. Waited. Avoided all the servants, just in case. Only got food when the kitchen was clear, didn't know if I could trust the servants any more. I never saw what he was doing, but I always heard the noises come from my... father's quarters. Then there was screaming, and then nothing. After awhile I finally got the courage to check the room and it was empty with only my fathers portal gate left open... I'm so stupid, why didn't I listen and come back with you, maybe this could have been prevented." She blamed herself for all the destruction around them.
"It's okay, everything will be okay. It's over now, you finished it." He reassured.
"W-Where's Bubblegum and Jake?" She redirected the topic.
His throat balled up making it difficult for cognitive speech, "They..." He barely got a word out before his self-control broke down into more sobbing. Marceline pulled his head towards her shoulder to rest it there once again, he needn't say more for her to understand, she herself wanted to join Finns sorrows. She swayed them side-to-side in this capsule of speechlessness, she took the moment to come to terms with her actions, was there something else she could have done? Could she have saved her father as well as kill that thing? She'd never get another chance to find out, only wonder and ask 'what ifs'.
"This is all my fault..." She murmured.
"It's not! Please don't say that." All his closest friends were dead, he didn't need his last living one doubting herself – telling herself that she was the villain.
Finns watering eyes begun draining empty, it's a wonder that he isn't dehydrated with the amount of body fluid his eyes spewed out. Trying to finish up, get the annoying smudge out of his vision to see clearly again, he saw light down the street, hard to tell with the water still smearing everything. Possibly spreading fire but he was sure there was no sign of fire there before.
Her mind snapped back to it's senses, remembering Finn's condition. "We should get you checked out at the hospital, get those cuts treated. Even as a vampire you're currently to malnourished and tired to heal those." Came from Marceline beside his ear as she inspected those gashes.
"Marceline..."
"Hmm?" She responded. He sounded concerned, probably in pain. Though oddly he didn't say much more than that. Slight worry impeached her, was he okay? She turned to look at him on her shoulder to check. In doing so she caught a glimpse, something in the corner of her eye that he also seemed to be looking towards. She shuffled to twisted around more to see.
"Did you think it'd be that easy?" Twirls of flames sprouted from Hunson's severed neck and eye sockets, they all fused into one junction above the ground. "I told you that you'd witness a god. Behold!" The combination of flames came alive like snakes in the wind, started to take form, as if it were clay moulding into a distinct upper torso, constricting together like chains to become more defined. Then came shoulders, arms fabricated - licks of flames from beneath the empty shoulder sockets twisted and interwoven, braided like hair. The hands were different, materialised of solid grey bone as-well-as the horned-skull head. Torso also developed a spine and ribs caging back the wild-fire sprawling within. There were no legs, instead an explosion beneath him, a funnel of constant blasting fire came circling like a cyclone, keeping him balanced and hovered like thrusters off a rocket. His shape took the rough outline of a mushroom cloud with the slim, towering bottom half widening broadly above halfway to shape the top. The eyes remaining the same as always.
"Yes! The power, the heat resonating within me! I've never felt so invincible! If only you could understand this sensation. I pity you." He exclaimed with pure pleasure. "You should be thankful to be first witness to this. Be in awe you delinquent scum! Bend the knee and I'll make your last moments end seamlessly... Or perhaps you can become my slaves, I'll let you linger on shortly more to see the conclusion to you pathetic world. Wha-da-ya say?" He proposed in exchange for their obedience. All he sought for was absolute domination.
In the chance he gave them to hear an answer, he received one quite clear but not in words. Marceline unleashed fierce swings at him, disgusted at the proposal he just made. Her rabid claws became blurs to ones eyes, though still not fast enough to her growing frustration as he moved away, ducking and weaving around in circles so that they remained on the same square foot of stone, burning her out (not literally) till she grew too tired to make a respectable swing.
She panted; her expression was tired, but dry of any other emotions, however in her eyes told her true feelings, full of trauma and disbelief of his speed and the sheer fact he is still alive. Her arms retreated down, resting her palms on her thighs to uphold her leaning spine as she recuperated from that futile burst of energy.
Luckily for her the Lich began running his mouth off some more instead of counter-attacking. He could destroy her any time of his choosing, finishing her now in such a fragile state would be sooo~ boring. "You seem to be sorely misjudging my raw power. It seems you would need a practical representation. Allow me to demonstrate – oh but I'd need you to volunteer once more. Would you care to help me fill that gap and participate, halfling?" He quirked, extending his hand out at Marceline.
Finn tried to talk reason into her, grabbing her at the ankle, "Marceline don't! He's too strong..." She shook his hand off, with her breathing caught up, making her approached, "I'll be fine." She assured through her set of gritted fangs, with certainty in her voice.
Finn felt powerless in this moment, his words not enough to persuade her, his body to weak to even stand and stop her. All he could do was become a bystander and watch events unfold. Unless...
Finn shakily reached beneath his cloak into a pocket, checking down to make sure it was clear. It flashed red. "Marceline get out the way!" He tossed it as quickly as his arm could move to catch the Lich off guard. Bubblegum's device bounced and rolled towards the Lich, detonating, deploying a spherical bubble which it would trap and absorb up any radioactive elements before they could react and release energy.
Yes the Lich was encompassed in the static field the device made and it drew out the abundance of radiation which he thrived himself upon, but he looked somewhat unimpressed. "Hmm? What is this? Is this your last ditch effort, the secrete weapon of last resort? This is what her final moments in life wasted up producing. I'll admit it feels tingly – off-putting. But this - you expected it to do more? Kill me perhaps? Ohoho-no." He chuckled to himself, picking up the sphere and crushed it till it fizzled and popped, throwing the scrap over at Finn. The distressing sight of Bubblegum's last effort to put a stop to this, laid to waste in front of him.
"Now where were we before being rudely interrupted." The Lich made an observation to Marceline's oncoming figure, "You look emotionless however distraught and angered on the inside. You don't like others to see your inner clockwork, however wearing that mask is counter-intuitive, it displays everything clearly what you are feeling, no matter how good the poker-face."
Her expression didn't change, unamused, "Enough talk." She demanded they got down to it. Her second shot at him, this time she knew not to go all out at once. Her face was blank, as he said, like she was 'wearing a mask' as if it were armour. But in reality deep down she was becoming afraid of him.
The Lich was trying to evoke that very reaction he just saw from her not moments ago via his piercing tone,"Sorry I tossed away your father as if he was a used up toy. Though let's be honest, he kinda was." She pushed off her back leg, taking a leap and swing at him to no avail, he now toyed with her as he did with Finn. "That didn't seem to matter much to you anyway, you taking off his head and all." Her breathing was becoming unsteady, closer to snarling; rational thinking becoming a mere background noise in her head. Her attempts to control herself going all out on him were quickly becoming unrestrained.
"That's it, become madder, angrier beyond reason. Honestly it's the only way you'll scrape up a chance of defeating me. Believe me, I want you to hit me more than you do, you just have to want it more!" His self-righteous attitude was becoming too much for her to bear. She jumped skywards with her axe-bass gripped with both hands, her target below her. She unnaturally countered her upward velocity and exacted it back down swinging the axe from over her head to smash down on him. Nothing but another aggravating miss, lodging her axe in the now cracked floor as the Lich darted out of the way last-second.
Noticing her in a jam, trying to retrieve her weapon, he saw ample opportunity to run his mouth further, looming closer to her boundaries. "Is this it? This is the best you have to throw at me? I single-handedly possessed and used your feeble 'boyfriend' over there, got the people you knew and trusted to lock you away in a dungeon to starve and rot before being executed. Then I beat you down, took away your only living relative, got your sweet friend killed along followed by the mutt and forced you to behead your own, already dead father! And this is all you can do!?"
With a heavy growl she yanked free the axe with so much forced it was hurled out of her grip into the air taking up chunks of tiles and earth with it. She proceeded without it, jabbing punches, swiping claws left and right with no method or rhythm as the Lich laughed his way backwards, watching her crack just out of her arms length. It was like there was an invisible pole in between them, no matter how much faster and stronger she pushed of her calf muscles she couldn't close the gap between them any further than it was, nor did he retreat past that threshold.
She kept thrashing at him like a wild carnivore being lured in with meat on a string, till the swooshing sound of metal fell to her ears, the axe bass propelled its way down through the air into her catch; she judged were it would land pinpoint. Reacquainted once again with her signature weapon she then spun to increase momentum, and now with enough reach extended her arm fully, holding the bass by the head-stock she swung out the axe cutting through anything two-hundred degrees in front of herself. Her spinning twirl had left her back faced to the Lich, she turned immediately to witness her results and finish him off yet he hovered unharmed, looking smug and amused.
"It would seem your little frenzy had blocked out all basic thinking inside that head of yours-" He deigned down on her, ran his hands down his sides, modelling his new form. "I'm made of fire, I'm not exactly a solid target." He was right, though it wasn't entirely truth. Marceline didn't let this dislodge her from her goal, he still had weak spots like everything else she fought. She grinned, wide eyed - a face that would strike fear in any other being in presence of that gaze. The Lich however was curious to her change in expression, 'Did she at last snap?' He questioned.
"Oh really?..." She challenged his spouted facts, jumping at him unexpectedly, he was stunned by the sheer fact she still had enough stamina to move that fast. "How 'bought this!?" The axe sparked across the ground swinging up and through the Lich's elemental body before it came to a crunching stop. Her target not reached yet a point still proven. The Lich prevented the axe passing any higher through his now broken ribs with his skeletal hand intercepting it mere inches away from the chin of his skull - her intended target. His hand was practically shattered, shaking with the force it endured, the axe made it more than halfway through, the bone cracked and falling apart, little finger flung off on impact. He was now not so cheerful.
His hand more or less fused with the axe had more leverage to tug it free of her grip, tossing it behind him out of their reach. "Any more toys in need of confiscating?" He asked bluntly.
"Confiscate these!" She roared morphing into her beastly form on the move, her usual claws becoming much larger, like curved ebony daggers protruding out of her fingertips. Again taking on her repetitive strategy of hacking and swinging wildly at him. Although she had taken up a new form she was quickly becoming a bore to him, the shattered hand didn't make him too happy either. At long last the Lich stop dodging and retreating from her attacks and actually stopped to block three oncoming swipes, before she could follow with the fourth he had already anticipated the move and grabbed the extending forearm. He took the moment to stare her down, "Be careful what you ask for." Even with her enlarged size and mass, he had no difficulty lifting her with one hand and flinging her up and over him, crashing her down on her back. Still with her forearm in grip he placed his free hand on it as well and applied pressure down while the other held her jerking still. Eventually the bone gave in and snapped leaving the arm bent at an abnormal degree. She let out a mix of a scream and howl in her agony.
He let her broken arm free to drop as she slowly curled up on the street withering back to her humanoid appearance. His attention jumped to Finn, trembling on his feet, so weak the sword was pulling him over to one side. The Lich indulged him in his attempt to stab him in the back, expecting a heroic shout behind his swing, Finn grunted an exhausted gasp, the weight of the sword lunging forward pulled him off balance and although it hit the side of the Lich's skull it hardly left a scratch.
The Lich had no time for his squabble, a single backhand to his stomach hitting him like a cannonball sent the boy flying off his feet, hurtling down the road till friction brought him to a stop. "Pathetic." The Lich mumbled.
Eyes fixed back on Marceline who made an effort to get back on her feet, only managing to get to her knees, the Lich decided on assisting her. His cracked skeletal hand covered her neck with a vice grip, hand so large it just about fit the gap between her collar-bone and chin. Her entire neck disappeared underneath his hand, his fingers circled around it fully with ease, the tips almost met back with the bottom of his palm; he hadn't even started squeezing yet and her throat was already feeling claustrophobic.
He clicked his fingers three times with his other hand, "Fiiiinn~" His grizzled voice called out for the hero's attention. Finn lifted his scrapped cheek off the stone, his neck muscles shuddered to keep his head upright till he was able to direct his sight over at the Lich and Marceline.
"Wakey-wakey..."
He noticed she had no strength left in her, that she wasn't able to break free of his hold. "...M-Marceline..." He cried with his hand reaching out. The Lich reached his hand inside his infernal stomach to pull out a long, metallic, red object. He tossed it over, it clanged and rattled before stopping beside Finn – it was his Demon-blood sword.
Finn was bewildered at the action. "Pick it up." The Lich instructed. "Pick it up and fight me till your last breath. I want you to throw all your strength at me and collapse in exhaustion, realising your best last efforts were still not enough. I want one final fight with you Finn The Human..."
Finn didn't move. He was done, all used up. Everything he threw at the Lich failed. There was no way one more fight would change that. The Lich saw his reluctance, "I'll make your choice easier then: if you don't pick up that sword and stand in the next ten seconds, I have ways to make her death last for hours – and I'll pry your eyes open to watch every last second." He smiled.
"Ten..." He called out suddenly.
Finn gulped under the pressure of his choices, though 'choices' wasn't the right term when there was only one option to choose.
"Nine..."
Finn had to start moving now, otherwise he'd never make it. He couldn't subject Marceline to whatever tortures the Lich had in store, just because he wasn't able to muster enough strength to stand on his own two feet.
"Eight..."
Digging and pressing his palms and fingers into the ground to push him of his chest his muscles trembled and burned, it felt like they were melting, becoming jelly the more he demanded from them.
"Seven..."
Shouting through the burning sensation running down his arms, just before his elbows gave way underneath the stress he managed to push up off his palms rolling back, resting his body and weight on his knees and shins, inhaling and exhaling ruggedly.
"Six..." Hoping to catch him off-guard, Marceline tried to free herself, with her one good hand, however the Lich quickly put a stop to her insolence, backhanding her across the cheek, gripping her neck now tighter. "Hurry up boy, she's becoming impatient, as am I."
Just a little further. He reached and grabbed the sword in his right hand. He use to praise it for it's light weight frame, but now it was like lifting a sack of bricks as it wobbled in his hold.
"Five..."
He at least found usefulness in the sword for his current endeavours, driving the tip end into the ground, clinging to the hilt he used it to stabilise himself, getting one knee off the floor and hoist him to his feet. Finally he was standing, barely, with sword in hand.
"Four..."
The countdown continued. Finn couldn't believe the deceit, he should have known he wouldn't stand by his word.
"You look confused and angered boy, what's the matter? You think you are done? You think standing on your own two feet grants you a pat on the back and stops the clock from ticking? You have still yet to attack me. Three..."
He didn't have much longer, he had to overcome his mind and broken body, 'Just one last push.' He kept repeating to himself. He had come too far to let it end like this. Sword in stance, now held and steadied with both hands, holding the hilt up to shoulder height, he was ready to lunge at his foe.
"Two..."
Right leg forward first, a short step felt more like a leap and when his foot met the surface again he felt his muscles being crushed underneath his body. With his momentum now set in motion he built it up, left leg reaching ahead, stretching out longer and faster, he got his legs moving enough into a jog. But he didn't stop there, getting even faster, letting the speed carry him till he was running and before he knew it sprinting.
"One..."
Finn charged at the Lich. He sprinted, jumping out the way of a fire ball, which sent him stumbling to the side, yet he still managed to keep up his momentum and straightened himself up again. Upon swings reach of the Lich he had no intention of slowing his approach. Maintaining his top speed, Finn shouted out atop his heavy breaths, he took the long awaited swing roughly aimed, travelling up in a diagonal ascent starting from his bottom rib, to across his skull. The adrenaline pumped in his veins slowly froze, and he came down from his high. A sharp, biting sting coursed through his upper right arm. Now behind the Lich, confused, he slowed himself to a stop. His body felt queasy, oddly lighter on the right side. A ghastly blow struck him deep in his stomach when he noticed his right arm bouncing by along the ground (sword still in hand) with some momentum. His mouth gapped with the sudden barrage of shock, not only from the dismembered limb laying in-front of him, but his nervous system just rallied the pain signals to his receptors. He fell to his knees, terrified to even comprehend what had just happened, his body resorted to its natural instinct, a delayed, small hitched scream and cries filled his lungs over the loss of his limb. As his legs gave in he fell down to curl up on his side.
Tossing Marceline to the side, slowly clapping, applauding the boy as he squirmed, "This what you wanted?" Finn must've been going delusional as he witnessed the Lich holding another identical Demon-blood sword, blood dripping down the blade – his blood. "You should have learn by now surely, after me living inside that head of yours, I can be quite the trickster. Illusions are one of my favourite form of entertainment, and your poor mind is in such a fragile state right now – how could I resist?" The sword Finn thought he held disintegrated into non-existence from his removed limb. "I merely played with light. Made a photographic replica. Your foolish brain did the rest for me, made you think you could touch and hold it."
The Lich turned away to pick up Marceline again before she could crawl away by the roots of her hair, dragging her over to face Finn.
"I must say, I am quite impressed, I didn't expect you to even be able to lift a finger, let alone stand.
So I will abide to my promises." The Lich shunted Marceline down to her knees, tangling and handful of hair from the back of her head to keep her still, throwing the sword to the side and placed his hand on her neck once again.
"Any last words you two would like to say to each other before I pass you both on to Death?"
Finn tried to crawl closer and plead, "No-nooo! Please! You said-"
"I said I will spare her death lasting hours, not that I would spare her entirely." He reiterated sternly.
Finn laid out helplessly on his stomach in a growing pool of both his blood and tears, his face sobbing into the dirt. "Well? Last chance." He gave one last opportunity for them to speak before he finished her.
Marceline took this conclusive moment to say her goodbyes. "...Finn, I'm sorry. If only I came back through the portal with you – if only I took control of my emotions I could've – Gah!-"
"Times up..." The Lich smirked. He had her fully lifted off the floor, toes barely touching the ground purposefully to torment, her entire bodyweight pulling down on her throat as he squeezed. "Watch her squirm boy, nor you or her can do anything about it. How pitiful."
He was correct, though - "Pick me!" Finn moaned in a broken high pitch.
No excessive burst of strength, will or wits were capable of rescuing them, not now, only a miracle. If such unforeseen divine powers existed however, surely they would have intervened long before this. So there was only one last piece of leverage Finn could use in order to appeal to the Lich - in hopes to save Marceline of her agonising demise he would cast away all he has left: his dignity, and beg.
"Oh~?" The Lich tilted his head, raising a brow.
"Please! Choose me-ee-e!" Finn's cries hitched in his pleas. It was one of the last things the Lich always wanted, but could never obtain – Finn's submission.
He bore a smugness on his face. "Are you begging me for it?" He squeezed down harder, enjoying the situation that was unfolding.
"Yes!" He shouted sharply with certainty, trying to make haste and put a stop to Marceline's suffering.
Lifting her higher, demented eyes eagerly staring him down, "And you will do anything for it!" The Lich shouted back in ecstasy. This was so much fun, too exciting.
"Yes-Yes!" He yelled into the dirt.
"You masochistic dog! Tell me what you would do to be I her place!" He waved her about like a cat which took pride in catching a mouse.
"Anything you ask! Ple-ease!" He clawed at the ground with his only hand.
A moments pause. He turned his head in spite. "I don't believe you..."
Finn's stomach sunk, he almost had him, "I beg of you!" Marceline's trembling attempts to loosen the grip around her neck ceased and begun to drool and foam around the lips, her face turning blue.
"Would you kill for me!?" He questioned.
"Anyone!" Finn retorted without doubt.
"An innocent!?"
"Yes!"
"Your friends!?"
Finn went to - yet whimpered, unable to answer.
"Well? Hurry up and answer! She doesn't have long!" He pointed out.
He squeaked out his response.
"Louder!" He demanded.
"Yes! Yes! Yes! I'll-!" A hard thump gritted the floor, Marceline's body, lifeless. Finn shook uncontrollably, mind unwilling to believe what was laid out in front of him, his guts churned.
"Aww. Too late, and just when we were getting somewhere; she just had to ruin the fun." The Lich moaned, disappointed, like a child.
Finn was unable to hold it in, he curled over and heaved between his legs, vomiting violently at the sight.
"Oh common boy. It's not that bad. Like I said - could've done much worse." He walked beside him.
Finn coughed to rid his passage of any unwanted excess of his breakfast and slowly fell to the side, sprawled out beside the pool of his stomach acid and another separate growing pool of blood. Eyelids stretched open as if toothpicks jammed them, mouth agape with the expression of revolt held on his face.
The Lich looked down upon the boy with the closest semblance of sadness, he knew this was now coming to an end. He sighed. Finn was his finest form of entertainment he had in centuries, it felt almost like putting down a beloved pet. The Lich crouched beside him.
He sighed once more, clearing his throat, looking on down the carnage filled street with his hand on Finn's chest. Out of nowhere he spoke, "You know in the stories, where the bad guy - that's me, has the hero – you, in his grasp and could easily... finish it all there, cut the story short. But they always must have one final monologue to go out with – and it always ends up being their own undoing. This is my monologue Finn. What's different is this is no fairytale, no story. The sad reality for you is that the hero doesn't always win, that strand of luck that rescues them at the final second is a lie to reassure children tucked in at night. No matter how dark times get, there will always be that glimmer of hope for you mortals. Hehehe... what a joke."
Getting lost in his own words, his eyes rolled down to Finn, tapping him twice on his cheek, "You still with me kid?" With no comprehensible reaction and lack of breathing, the Lich sighed one last time. Rising to a stand, taking in a deep breath to commemorate the smell in the burning air, "You had to stop cheating Death at some point. It was fun while it lasted boy..." With that he left the hero's side, chuckling lightly to himself, just thinking that now there was nothing left to stop him.
He finally got what he wanted in the end.
So yeah, that's it. My ending.
Sorry for no warnings on some of the descriptions for the gore and brutality, I thought if I added those at the start it may have spoiled where it was going.
I understand some may not like the way I chose the end this but my reasoning is simple: Pretty much from the start I wanted to make this story but I didn't want it following the path many other stories do, which is, to simply put it: the hero wins in the end and lives happily ever after. Or the hero makes a noble sacrifice of themselves to save the world around him or herself.
I wanted to deviate. Yes there are stories out there already where the hero doesn't win, or even get a happy ending. The difference I wanted to try and achieve with mine is I wanted you all to believe it was going to end reasonably good for Finn, yeah maybe you expected at least one of the group to die but not all.
The way I attempted to achieve that feeling that Finn was going to ultimately prevail somehow is that he kept failing throughout the story - getting himself killed or making poor decisions. I wanted to desensitise you readers early on to these events, make him a sort of underdog, so that you expect when the moment comes in the final stand-off, Finn would pull himself together, learn from his mistakes and go all super-saiyan on the Lich.
Anyway, enough of me spouting out about my master plan.
Please tell me if I was in anyway successful in provoking these reactions from you, or if you saw this ending coming since the second chapter. I'm genuinely quite interested to hear your thoughts in the reviews on anything and everything: whether you liked the overall plot or not. Whether the ending was a disappointment to you or not. If you wanted them to live or die. If you thought the overall writing of this story was exceptional.
Love it or hate it (Hopefully love) if anything I have definitely learnt many things about writing from writing out this story and overall enjoyed my experience typing it out for you. And yet I still have so much more to learn.
I'm already in preparation to write another story idea I've had on my mind for awhile, but don't hold your breath for it to be released anytime soon.
I think I've pretty much said everything I wanted to say.
Again thank you very much for taking your time to read this, if you would be so kind to take a moment like I said to write anything in the reviews about your opinion of this story I would be grateful. I hope you enjoyed and hopefully I'll see you in my next story.
Goodbye.