Tloj: O.O That last chapter...
*Hero's POV*
I dash up the stairs, making my way to the top.
"Welcome home... son."
Fear, a purple hedgehog with yellow highlights (headspikes in a star formation) with reptilian yellow pupils, black chest fur, and orange crystal inhibitor rings on his hands and yellow crystal inhibitor rings on his ankles. He smiles pleasantly at me.
"Hey Dad," I say sarcastically. "Thanks for rolling out the red carpet for us, Hell of a way to say 'hello'."
"We love our drama, don't you know?" He chuckles.
"Yeah, I noticed..."
"So I assume you're here to fight? No convincing you of my cause?" He tilts his head, his smile never wavering.
"That about the gist of it," I say, transforming into lightning Hero. "And you're going to be a coward hiding behind flunkies, and cheap tricks, right?"
"Very tempting... but I am Fear. I create it myself." He smirks, uncrossing his arms.
I take a stance, "So are you gonna sit on your ass, and try to scare me off? Not going to work you piece of shit."
"Again... I take care of things. Myself." He balls his fists, and to my surprise, yellow crystal minigun barrels slowly extend from his knuckles, with sharp daggers surrounding the barrel. Like Wolverine... but worse. And they were made from his blood, so fear was filling the room at an alarming rate.
I grit my teeth, and fight it, fight the fear trying to suffocate me. If I fall now the world might as well fall with me.
"I only desire your device, son." He says gently. "If you give it up, you can return to your family without injuries. I will let nothing happen to you and those you love."
It's tempting... but...
"And what about everyone else? Am I supposed to let them suffer under your thumb?"
"Why is it when people hear "one world order" they believe tyranny? Has it occurred to anyone that the Tower of Babel was a one world order, that was separated by a jealous god?" He tuts, studying his hand weapons.
"And look where it got us," I retort. "The good along with the bad. If you do this then you're throwing the world into chaos. it'll be a bloodbath."
"You wouldn't know unless I tried it. Look how well my blood has controlled armies. A world will be no different." He smirks.
"So it is mind control..."
"Potato potato." He cracks his fists with pure force. "Last chance. Do whatever you want, fight, back down, convince me to surrender. Do what a hero does, and be done with it, son."
"You know heroes always win in the end," I say. "Save yourself some trouble, and humiliation dad, just give up now. You've got Crime City, you don't need the world."
"I suppose not. But you know us villain types, never satisfied with what we have. Besides... I have too much invested in this, people have too much invested in me, for me to just turn and walk away." He retracts his "claws", cracking his knuckles with his palms.
"I see..." Then I form a ball of lightning between my palms, and hurl it at him as I charge.
He knocks it away with a hand, and watches me fly at him, doing nothing else.
One hand sparking with electricity, I drive a fist for his face...
He doesn't even dodge, slamming a fist into my stomach without batting an eye.
The wind is knocked out of me as I roll across the floor, and back to my feet. I change to Ice Hero, slamming my fists into the ground, making sharp spikes of ice erupt in a trail headed right for him.
He inhales, and breathes a steady stream of fire from his mouth, melting my ice before they even come close. "Are you even trying?" He states, amused.
I switch to Fire Hero, manipulating his flames into one condensed fireball that I fire back at him as a beam.
He grunts as it strikes him. "Better, I suppose." He shakes it off, not even singed, before breathing again and exhaling a laser.
I switch to Darkmatter Hero then, absorbing the laser in a hand filled with darkness. "Aren't you going to try either? As your son I deserve to be taken seriously."
He sighs, shaking his head. "If you so desire..."
He flinches, and I fly through the wall, punch marks covering my body.
"How's that?" He states, crossing his arms again.
I cough, grateful my Darkmatter form protected me from most of it. "You... you won't kill me."
"Not while you hide behind your silly powers, no." He slowly smirks. "But... what if I beat you out of them?"
"I don't care how evil you are... you won't kill your own blood."
"If you say so." He smirks and motions for me to attack him again.
I run at him, and go for another punch to the face. On my left hand my wedding ring turns into a trident which I ram through his gut.
He doubles over and starts bleeding his glowing yellow blood. It gets on my hand and solidifies as it trickles down to the floor.
The fear level rises, but I can't stop now. I shift it into a Katana, and slice upwards with it.
He stumbles backward before glaring at me, his reptilian yellow eyes glowing as he heals. "I hope you know I allowed you to do that. Antonio and Robert have invincibility when they desire, and I am no different." He smirks.
I smirk, and copy that healing factor, "Now so do I."
"Idiot, you had it with your brother's powers." He rolls his eyes. "Too bad my blood makes you unable to copy all my power, hm? They have to be willing to give up their power, or you have to see them use it? A major flaw with me, I'll be sure to fix it when I manufacture your device publicly."
"NO way that's happening," I growl, slashing for his throat.
He chuckles and leans back, dodging my attack by centimeters. He kicks me in the chin as he flips backwards.
I hover in the air, and fly after him, transforming my sword into a large battle axe as I bring it down on him.
He fades out with a chuckle.
I look around wildly, "Coward!"
"Just milking the fear." He punches my kidney from behind, with enough force to almost rupture it.
Even in my Darkmatter form...?
I whirl, slashing at him.
He catches my hand and slowly applies pressure, forcing me to my knees with a stern look. "THIS is your most powerful form? I can't believe it."
I form spikes over my hand that skewer through his, forcing him to release me. "Why are you so Hell-Bent on world domination?!"
"Hmph." He stands and crosses his arms. "I made a deal with the devil, if you must know."
I blink, "... Literally?"
"Metaphorically." He looks up. "Long ago, before I met Antonio's mother, I met a scientist. He gave me my blood. So, I became his soldier."
I have to keep him talking, maybe I can figure out some kind of weakness if I stall. He might catch on, but like Antonio told me once, even bad guys want to be understood.
"I trained under his wing, and harnessed these powers that I possessed. I conquered worlds with him as my guide. You know of the Antiverse, I assume?" He glances at me.
"I might have heard of it in passing," I reply.
"Bullshit. You killed yourself." He stares right through me.
I press my lips together, "That wasn't me, that was some sick dream."
"Actually, it wasn't." He smiles, knowing something that I don't.
I frown, "What are you talking about?"
"You weren't dreaming. Those were actual events that took place!" He laughs.
"Nightmare is more like it," I shudder, remembering the stuffed heads of my friends.
"The Antiverse is where I tested my powers." He says, ignoring me.
That suits me just fine, anything to keep that gob of his flapping.
"That is where I conquered worlds. I conquered for him, and he rewarded me. I married, and had Robert." He continues.
"Who was the bride, Satan's ex wife?"
"No. But she died beautifully, lovingly gazing into my eyes as I pierced her heart." He smirks sadistically.
I stare at him, he's utterly sick in the head.
No, not sick, he's twisted. "Sick" would imply there's a cure.
"So, you think I have any qualms about killing you now?" He unsheathes his claws with a barking laugh, aiming at me as the barrels spin. He unleashes a volley of glowing yellow crystal bullets.
I absorb them in a wall of black, and teleport behind him as I transform into Chaos Hero, basically me with Shadow's color scheme.
He hisses and catches me in the gut with a crystal yellow kick. "How dare you use that form with me!"
My reflexes sharpened I roll with the blow, coming up while throwing a Chaos Spear, "What's your problem with Shadow?"
"Let's just say I don't have fond memories of his... older family." He hisses, snapping his finger. A twisted yellow Chaos Spear starts charging in his palm.
"She another story to hear?" I brace myself, Chaos Energy flowing over my arms.
"Not a female. Ever hear the phrase, "I am your father?""
"Sorry, Jolt's co-author is having a lover's spat with the spell-check on his phone at the moment."
He chuckles. "Heh, nice job Robert. Anyways... how about this... Shadow had a father, where he gained his ability to utilize Chaos. Yes, Black Doom gave him the ability to harness it, but he has to look like someone, take after someone, agreed?"
I frown, "His Mobian DNA had to come from somewhere, yeah..."
"Now, imagine... well, perhaps that pathetic Chuck Norris guy serves as an example... Shadow mixed with Chuck Norris."
"Okay...?"
"Yes, not very threatening." He rolls his eyes. "How about the Chuck Norris meme?"
"What, how he pushes the world down when he does push-ups?"
"Along those line, yes." He paces lazily. "Can cure sickness with his tears if he cried, He's dead but Death is afraid to tell him, can divide by zero, can count to infinity, can fix anything with nothing... pretty much a god, hm?"
"Don't forget my favorites," I say with a roll of the eyes. "He attacks sharks when he smells them bleed. Whenever he plays a puzzle game a galaxy is born. Oh, and the time he got bit by a cobra, then after three days of agony the cobra finally died."
"Indeed. A completely overpowered badass." He nods
"More like an actor with either a huge ego, or a huge obsessive fanbase," I point out.
"Well, imagine someone like that for real. Not hard, if you know how easily aliens find this planet." He creates a "claw" and inspects it.
"So this other person... He's the one you hate? The genetic donor for Shadow's Mobian half?"
"Hate him?" He chuckles. "Yes and no. Look at me. Squint a little." He motions to his hoverskates, and the crystalline rings he wears. "Do you not find it strange that the father of an echidna is a hedgehog, who worked for echidnas?"
I blink, "...What?"
"Do I have to spell it out for you?" He taps his foot impatiently. "I bonded him to me. He eventually expelled me, but like Mephiles to Shadow, I have his appearance, his powers. And more." He waves his gun claws.
I stare at him, "Bullshit."
He chuckles, right behind me. "What better body is there? A god among men, one without weakness except pure, unadulterated power?"
I look over my shoulder at him, "Too much power IS weakness. It makes you arrogant to the point of overlooking some crucial details."
"But it also makes me perceptible to knowing what true power is. You have it, I have it. All it needs is the right push to be set free." He walks around me.
"What are you monologuing about?" I walk into the pace opposite him, the two of us making a ring with our strides.
"The echidnaen prayer is more than a simple chant. The Servers are the seven Chaos. Chaos is power, enriched by the heart. The Controller is the one that unifies the Chaos." He says, just to be sure I know the prayer.
I nod, "And? What's your point? It's talking about the Chaos Emeralds, everyone knows that."
"No, it's talking about seven Chaos." He smiles. "Let's see... how many gods are there? Chaos, Solaris..."
"Tikal, Enerjak, Mephiles..." I'm curious to see where he's going with this.
"Fear..." He shows his crystalline claws again with a smirk. "Each with a different power. But all powerful in their own right."
I stare at him again, "...So that's your endgame, isn't it?"
"Eventually, yes. Only one more person to complete the prophecy. It could be anyone, including you." He smiles. "But notice, the trend tends to go with those that use that power. Only once did it pick a goody goody." He spins his gun barrel a few times.
"And who was that...?"
"Seriously? Go through that list, who isn't a monster in some form or another?" He looks at me, wondering if I'm being serious.
I blink, "...Me?"
"Sweet Chaos... Tikal, you idiot." He sighs.
"Ah," I say in understanding. "Well sorry, but in school I skipped all my "Cryptic" classes."
"You even named her off yourself..." He tuts.
"Oh get stuffed with fiberglass," I deadpan. "If you have something to say stop beating around the bush. It makes you look like a cheesy villain."
"All for filler." He smirks. "Once all seven have come, they have the potential to grant their power to those with a pure heart. What is not specified, is the type of purity."
I scowl, "You want to gain all their power for yourself."
"If at all possible." He nods. "Then no one could stop me."
"But I can," I say as I charge a Chaos Blast. "Here and now!"
"Mm, nope." He disappears and reappears, slamming a fiery heel into my face.
The coating of energy protects me from the worst of the attack, and what does bit me only intensifies the aura on me as my fury grows.
"Chaos..."
He smirks and braces himself. "Go ahead, do your worst, son."
"BLAST!"
I explode, and he rides the explosion, digging a claw into the ground. He then smirks. "My turn." He fades out and reappears inches from me, throwing a kick into my gut so hard he sends me flying, at the same time knocking me right out of my form.
I cough, and stare at him, "How did you...?"
"A body can only handle so much pain. If administered so fast it doesn't register, it can disarm any form. Well, any form that can be damaged." He smirks.
I scowl, that was one of my best forms... Except.
No, I gave my word I would never use that form, and he probably wants me to anyways.
"You know, you could amuse me with that form you got from Antonio. What does he call it? Tails Doll? Kinda stupid." He states, smirking at me.
He'll just break that one too... Break, that's it, he's trying to break my resolve.
Not gonna happen.
"Come on... some challenge!" He smirks. "Amuse me for at least a few minutes! Give the readers something worth reading after all this lame exposition!"
I scowl, "All this fourth wall breaking, and Midnight isn't even in this story..."
He laughs again, taunting me with a "Come get me" motion.
I wet my lips, shifting to Tails Doll mode, feeling the hate well up in me.
I charge at Fear, turning my rings into a set of Wolverine claws as I slash at him.
"There's the fight!" He laughs, unsheathing his own gun claws and blocking before slashing back.
I deflect his attacks, making several of my own.
He dances backwards before firing a volley of bullets at me.
I dodge them nimbly, and roll towards him while stabbing both sets of claws for his chest.
He catches them between the barrels of his claws before kicking me away with a fear kick.
I skid back on my feet, and stab my claws into the ground to come to a complete stop before trying to tackle him.
He pulls back his claws and catches me in the stomach with a fist.
The air whooshes out of me, and I leap backwards before he can dissipate my form again.
He smirks and throws a wicked Chaos Spear at me.
I dodge sideways, and fire eye lasers at him while I'm airborne.
He shoots a laser from his mouth to counter, firing another barrage.
I roll flat onto the floor to dodge it, and then fly upwards. "It's still not enough..."
"Of course not. Why ruin the moment? Family bonding, I believe it's called." He charges forward, spinning his guns and slashing them at me.
I slash at his gun in an attempt to destroy them.
He teleports and punches me from behind, sheathing his claws.
It sends me to the floor, my Tails Doll form fading...
"Aw, I broke it." He clicks his teeth sadly.
"Not on your life," I groan.
"Hmph. Show me your power, anything left you have. Otherwise... this will end badly."
I get up to one knee, "I can't... I swore..."
"You're the hero? Hmph, your mother was wrong." He growls, kicking me.
I struggle to my feet, and glare at him, "I know what you're thinking... Why you played this out just to get me here... You want to kill me, and purge whatever innocence you have left... But I don't think you can..."
Stall again, try to find some ace in the hole...
I gasp and double over.
Fear smirks, his face inches from mine, his claw embedded in my chest.
N-no...
"Sorry, son. But your time as a hero... is up."
As a last ditch effort to win I use Shade's Leech Blade to stab him through the chest. I can feel his life force seep into me with that stab...
He smirks, and his blood shatters the blade.
Didn't work...
In an act of desperation I reach for my watch...
He laughs as Antonio, Millie, and Shade come up the stairs, drowning out their words.
I gasp as I feel him slash me, and I lose all feeling to my legs. I hit the ground hard, my vision swimming, as I slide up to their feet.
N...no...
I look up at them, feeling my life slip away as tears run down my face.
This... is how it all ends...? I didn't... win...?
I look up at Shade, a look of shock on her face.
"Sh...ade..."
I love you...
Tell Sarah...
I love...
He...r...
...
Then... everything fades to black.