CHAPTER 34: YOUR MONSTROUS BAND

In the depths of the Underworld, Idia sat on the edge of Tartarus. He was hunched over one of his spare Styx tablets, his fingers moving so fast they blurred, deciphering code and decrypting ancient firewalls and hacking into layer after layer of security. It was still some time before his signature spell, his coup de grace, would be effective. The process reminded Idia of peeling an onion piece by piece—he would be thrilled at the challenge if he wasn't on such a big time crunch.

"You could take a break, Idia," said Ortho 2.0. "It'll take some time before the heroes make it down here."

"But when they get here, they'll have the pieces of the Thunder Spear," Idia griped. "I gotta do this fast, make sure I'm in top form with all the backup I need."

"We could just get rid of the Thunder Spear pieces," Ortho 2.0 reasoned. "Or hide them in a place the Night Ravens will never find."

"True, but where's the fun in that?" Idia scoffed. "It's like hacking a game to be unbeatable to anyone who plays—sure, you've won, but it doesn't feel satisfying." His golden eyes flickered to Tartarus, then returned to his screen.

"You can do it, Idy," said the first Ortho. "I think my friends will make it out of here before I do, though."

Tartarus was halfway opened at this point. A ghastly green glow came from below, and smaller Phantoms slithered from the depths to crawl along the Underworld. They didn't bother the Shrouds; they had enough humanity to be grateful for their freedom.

"I've got to do this, I've got to…" Idia muttered, feeling the cramping of his hands.

DRIP, DRIP, DRIP… DRIP, DRIP, DRIP…

He had felt this desperation before. Long ago, when he and Ortho were still children, they were raised in the Isle of Woe. They played in the hallways of Styx, learned the art of technomancy, and collected games and comics that were brought to them from the outside world. They dreamed of seeing Twisted Wonderland with their own eyes, to be heroes defeating the odds together…

Oh, if only Idia hadn't bought into that childish fantasy.

It was a simple but stupid plan. The Shroud brothers would break out of the Styx facility, hijack an air carrier, and go off to see the world. It was just supposed to be a roundabout trip; they both knew they'd have to go back and live in Styx. But what was the harm of just one little adventure?

The security system was nowhere near as advanced as the Cerberus System back then. It was a breeze to hack, even though Idia was just a kid back then. With the defenses down, it should have just been a walk out the door, but the Shrouds had overlooked something vital.

A test was being performed on a Phantom. And thanks to Idia's meddling, that Phantom was now free to roam the halls and attack anything in its path. Like Idia.

Ortho screamed and leapt out in front, shielding his older brother. The rest… Idia honestly couldn't remember. It was like a concrete wall, one that he didn't even want to try breaking through. Because he knew what happened: Ortho was gone.

The grief was unbearable for everyone. All the researchers who worked there, Idia's parents, and especially Idia himself. Ortho was changed into a Phantom so powerful that he had to be placed into Tartarus. But Idia didn't—couldn't—end it there. He spent the next two years in his room, spending every waking moment in bringing Ortho back. He would have a new body that couldn't be destroyed, and could be upgraded to be even stronger. He would have all the memories and personality traits of the old Ortho. And he would never leave Idia's side… never…

DRIP, DRIP… SPLASH!

Idia dropped his tablet in shock; Ortho picked it up with his fast reflexes. "Idia?!" Ortho cried. "You're—"

The elder Shroud was overwhelmed by blot, so much that his curse simply couldn't keep up. He only had time to stand up before the transformation paralyzed him and truly took hold of him. Idia had heard so many stories of overblot, and still never dreamed it would happen to him… until now. A quiet voice whispered in his ear, matching his own thoughts.

YOU'VE BEEN A TERRIBLE OLDER BROTHER.

Dark spots manifested all over his Styx outfit until it turned from dark-gray to absolute black. His clothes melted slightly, and then quickly reshaped itself into black armor with blue fire at the edges. It was the same type of flame that made up his hair, though he could actually feel the heat from it now. It felt… nice.

YOU FAILED ORTHO ONCE, WILL YOU DO IT TWICE?

"N-No…" Idia grunted. To the question or his change, he didn't know. His teeth were forced together, and his movements were very limited. All he could do was look down as the blot continued to change him. Inky coattails burst out from behind his armor, which then spiraled around his lower half like the tattered edges of a robe. His mind tried to resist, but with his worst memories flickering through his thoughts, he was losing the fight. Hard.

MAKE IT UP TO HIM.

The blot receded, forming the details of his new body. He had black robotic gloves and boots, a blue jewel above his chest, and thin lines of blot running along his face. His right eye surged with blue light, and his fiery hair shortened and lifted into the air like the flame of a candle.

TAKE THE WORLD THAT SHOULD'VE BEEN YOURS TO BEGIN WITH.

Blot stretched over Idia's mouth, forming into a technomatic device with blueish lights that resembled a sharp-toothed grin. Blot, fire, and power surged around him, and he lost all his remaining fears and doubts.

"WHOO!" he shouted, pumping his fists into the air. "That felt GOOD!"

"Idia…" Ortho 2.0 shuddered, and then stood completely still. "I'm proud of you… Idy…"

"Ortho 2? Oh, is the blot getting to you too? Or is it Ortho 1 again?" Idia asked quickly.

"Not sure… I…" The humanoid's yellow eyes dulled to gray, with black around the edges. "I look forward… to serving the two of you… master…" And then a dark energy overtook him. The tablet he was holding fell to the ground, but was undamaged. He had been briefly possessed by the other Ortho to get Idia to Tartarus, and then he was further corrupted by that same force to keep the 'game' going. But now Ortho was gone, reduced to a mere automaton. Idia would have to find some new use for 2.0 now. But first…

"Game, Set, Match…" Idia recited. "Gate to Tartarus…"

With his new upgrades, those pesky security layers no longer mattered. At his command, the circular door finally opened, and three gigantic figures crawled out to greet him. The Magma Titan, the Crystal Titan, and the Earth Titan. Each of them bowed their misshaped heads, recognizing their master.

"There you are! You guys look great!" Idia snickered. "I bet you're bored after all those millennia cooped up in Tartarus! Go up those three towers and have some fun!"

The Titans complied, climbing up the Underworld's walls to get to the towers. Idia looked forward to seeing their boss battles on the security footage later.

"C'mon, little bro," he said. "The Underworld's fine from up here!"

A massive head rose up from Tartarus, nearly taking up the entire door all by itself. It was shaped like a massive black pillar with a golden flaming crown on top. "Little?" the booming voice asked sardonically.

"Okay, wow, not little," Idia backtracked. "I can see what you meant before, Ortho. But don't worry, I'll find a way to get you outta there. What are brothers for?"

"You're the best, Idy," Ortho said quietly. "What would I do without you?"

"What indeed…?" Idia quickly got to work again as both Orthos watched him, one conscious and the other automatic.