"So desmond thinks he can run from this?"
"Stop whining! This is for the strength you'll need."
"Kill the karakuer. And you'll get our love then…"
"Are you alright rob? " taii asked as she shook me awake.
"I'm fine…just a bad dream." i replied. I got up and got ready for work…i know killing the karakuer is my familes goal. But do i really want to? Jon doesn't even seem to know about our families ugly history. And in doing so i would be making alot of enemies. And do i really want to do this? Is my families love really worth tearing another apart? I just don't know. I felt a hand grab my shoulder. I turned to see rose.
"Come with us." rose said as she and taii dragged me to the leyline fountain.
Jon pov.
We have reached the rank of star of the city. Which means some of the strongest of the city will be gunning for us. So it's time to wrap up the abnormalities. Starting with the floor of natural sciences first. And it's from this batch of suppressions that i picked up on something.
"It's safe to say these aren't the original abnormalities. More like the memories of them." i said.
"I figured that when we faced the queen of hatred. Considering she went from magical girl who slayed evil to isaac wilingson's wife." lisa said.
"How are those two doing by the way?" enoch asked.
"They're having a happy life. Well as happy as you can in the city. Queenie's kid is a girl named sarah. Which means i got a hamhampangpang sandwich. The one i was hoping for." i said. Roland offered me a low five which I took. "I don't know what happened to the other magical girl abnormalities. But considering that i haven't heard or seen any aftermaths of a magical girl rampage so it's safe to say they're keeping their heads down. Probably doing the same thing that the queen of hatred did. And donned a human disguise." i said.
"That's something they can do?" lisa asked.
"Are they gonna tell sarah the truth?" enoch asked.
"Not if they don't have too. It's the same reason i made that deal with isaac. They want sarah to live a normal life. And knowing she's half abno will ruin that." i said.
"Won't she find out eventually?" lisa asked. I shook my head.
"I know what you mean by that. But Sarah looks completely human. No scales or magical girl powers to see. So as long as l-corp doesn't go hunting for them. She'll never have to know her mama's secret." I said. And so i helped enoch and lisa clear up the rest of the abnormalities on their floor. All of them being the magical girl abnormalities such as servant of wrath king of greed and knight of despair.
Surprisingly two knights joined this time. A pair of assassin twins named hansel and gretel nashi. Another case of time of peace causing slow work for those who make their money through bloodshed. Not a lot of hits during a time of peace. So they gladly took the invite and took up the job. Makes sense. There's not much difference between this and assassinations.
During the fight with the servant of wrath. I noticed catt had an angry twitch during the fight. Made sense. Considering the servant was at O-5681 before being transferred to X-394. And from what i heard from the wonderlab girls. It caused quite a bit of trouble, no small part due to an idiot named beozzi. Who's idea of friendship was one wrapped in selfishness. I returned to the floor of natural sciences and saw enoch and lisa talking to roland and angelica. I could hear it was getting ugly as i approached everything went dark as memories leaked again…this time from angelica. I saw that they were used as lab rats by one of the wings. And when they got the data they were left to fend for themselves. Horrible yet not unexpected of the scum corps of the wings. While angelica came out of it mostly okay. The same can't be said for her brother argalia. Considering the psycho he turned out to be. But their was still damage done to angelica, damage known as….nihilism.
"You two are just brats. What makes you think you can talk to me like you know all about people?" angelica asked on the verge of losing it.
"Because we know. Because we've seen it. We've seen the struggles of humans who writhed in agony to illuminate the world. To grope their way to light." lisa said.
"Not everyone is strong as jon. Most of them are just lumps!" angelica yelled.
"I'm not as strong as you think. I've had moments of weakness. There was a time that the city's darkness almost drove me to take my own life." i said.
"Then you understand…that there's no meaning to be found anywhere. Hopes are just empty dreams. Expectations will never get you anywhere." angelica said as she resonated with the abnormalities on enoch and lisa's floor. Angela appeared.
"Jon…what's going on here?" angela asked.
"Another breakdown…this time it's angelica who's resonating with the abnormalities on this floor. It's the same thing that happened to you before. Painful memories of the past opening a doorway straight into the mind. Allowing the power of the abnormalities to slip in and resonate with them creating a beast of abnormality power and human suffering." i said.
"That sounds like a plausible explanation…well you know how to handle this. So i'll leave it to you and the twins." angela said with a smile.
"That faint smile on your face…is this really fun to you?" lisa asked with disappointment.
"Well, to an extent. Yes. i don't want me and jon the only ones with history of making an embarrassing scene." angela said. I sighed.
"Here we go again." i said. Taking on angelica after fusing with the queen of hatred. Becoming a twisted amalgamation of her normal form and her big laser blasting snake form that gave me so much hell as my time as an l-corp manager. The next one was servant of wrath. Just a smaller version of it with angelica clearly under the massive red creature like it was a costume. Next up is the knight of despair which made her even longer and had the glowing blue glowing tips taking the form of a star continent. Half of her face was the same as the knight of despair. A black void. The other eye closed with a black tear drop on her cheek. Complete with blue armor and the rapier of the knight of despair. Next up was the king of greed. Angelica was wearing royal suit with a cape similar to the cage that the king of greed first appeared in. one that became a hungry monster when breeched. Her eyes also glowed gold alongside dust on her cheeks. Complete with a crown and the gauntlet of the king of greed. The final form wasn't another abnormality…it was something entirely new.
The jester of nihil. A black and white jester with a mask that leaked black from it's eyes and a big creepy smile. And to make things worse. It wasn't alone as it came with grey magical girls. But something interesting happens when one of them falls…they reappear on our side. With their bright colors intact. Restoring the positive sides created by these agonies. Greed returns to happiness. Hatred dissolves into love. Despair solidifies into justice. And wrath reforms into courage. These four brought the one thing that could defeat nihilism…hope. Bringing down the jester of nihil and snapping angelica out of her unstable mental state. Instead of a flashback to a better memory like i'm used to instead…i heard angelica quoting the poem. Prayer for loving sorrow.
"I have nothing but my sorrow. And I want nothing more. It has been, still is, faithful to me." angelica said as we found ourselves back in the floor of natural sciences. With roland helping his wife up to her feet.
"Geez…that was embarrassing." angelica said.
"So…that's what made Argalia the way he is. It affected him more. But it's obvious from this you still have your own scars to deal with." i said.
"No shit. If there's someone in the city who doesn't have physical or mental scars. Then they are the luckiest bastard in the city." roland said.
"Yeah…it's easy to fall into nihilism. Hell, I almost died because of falling into despair. But my parents pulled me out of it. Since then, I wish to do the same for others. Now angelica i believe you owe the kids an apology." i said.
"Yeah. sorry for calling you brats." angelica said.
"I don't mind. I've already gone through numerous repeats carrying someone's memories. I'm not sure if i'm the same as my past self anymore." lisa said.
"Maybe you're right. But no matter what. You'll always be enoch and lisa in my eyes. The two kids I promised to adopt. I will keep that promise no matter what." i said.
"Yeah. as long as we exist. We're good. Thanks da-" lisa said her face going red before correcting herself. "Uh jon! I meant jon!" lisa said. Enoch chuckled.
"Everyone of us have are worth and meaning by simply existing." enoch said.
"Even people like us who have no expectations?" roland asked.
"Orlando didn't choose his parents. But i'm sure you have expectations for him to grow into a man who won't repeat your mistakes. And i'm sure he will have expectations that you will be the one he needs to guide him to become that man." i said.
"Heh…right you are." angelica said.
The next suppression sweep was on the floor of social sciences. So after slaughtering the cast of the wizard of oz. once again catt having to control some anger seeing a familiar abnormality from O-5681. And the knight from the other world this time was a detective named jake fenton kotta. He was about go out in a blaze of glory against the bribe taking crooked cops that we're ready to blast him for killing the mafia boss who's was slipping them big paychecks. But he did get out. That out being an invitation to the library. He was more hesitant to take on the role than most. But seeing as it was either this or be riddled with bullets courtesy of a dirty police force. Well not much of a choice is it?
After wrapping up the rest of the wizard of oz crew. Roland and angelica we're having a chat with chesed. It was getting heated…and flashbacks of the past occurred again. Showed how roland screwed over some poor bastard who no doubt became that distortion. Yesterday's promise. I then saw the call he made to the nest migration officer. I already knew how this went. But seeing it first hand…my blood boiled seeing how easy those fuckers put profits over their promises to the people that fought for them. Just makes me sick. I then saw the conversation between him and angelica. Of how she made him promised that he wouldn't blame himself if anything were to happen to her. He then got a call from an old friend about a job that he needed help with. This was the job that took him away from his wife and unborn child the night the pianist attacked…i know she made him promise. But would he have actually kept it? I don't think even angelica realizes how much she means to him. That she's the one good thing that kept him from truly falling into the city's darkness. As the flashback ended. Roland was standing in front of us resonating with the scarecrow searching for wisdom.
"Roland. You can't run all the time." chesed said calmly.
"I know that! I know i have to stand my ground and try to make a living like the rest. Even if i loathe this cursed world and the city! I can't change this city damn city alone. I can't do anything about it. As long as humans exist. The city will never change. We can only survive in this world with our sense of shame covered in scabs and calluses!" roland yelled. And so another fight began. After defeating the scarecrow. Roland took the form of the tin man. It looked like roland was wearing a suit of armor similar to the rhino squads of r-corp. With the exception of the horror show going on in the chest area. Next up was road home. But it looked more like the mad hatter than it did dorothy. A black and white striped suit and hat. And next ozma. Wielding the same golden staff. With long black and white hair. And a white suit with a frilly white jacket.
The final phase was the false throne. With roland embedded into an emerald throne. A representation of not just the emerald city. But how roland feels towards the city we live in. of how every good thing in the city is nothing but bullshit. Lies so that the corps can get you to do their dirty work and give you nothing but a middle finger in return. Something roland is all too familiar with. After defeating him. Once again I heard a quote from prayer for loving sorrow.
"O sorrow, i have ended, you see. By respecting you. Because i am certain. You will never leave me." roland said as we found ourselves back at the floor of social sciences.
"I understand how you feel roland…i hate the city and this world just as much. I hate how people being brutally murdered is just par for the course. I hate how the corps can do whatever the hell they want. Even screw over people that did their dirty work with just a fucking policy change. And suffer no consequences. And i especially hate the head. The most powerful people in this city are the most selfish. Won't lived a damn finger if the city is under attack by a massive monster. But people using science to actually change things for the better. That's what causes them to send a hit squad? Maybe that's why i keep coming back to carmen's little project when i could have just walked away at any time. It did become a cluster fuck at the end…but i guess i still believe in what carmen was trying to do. I want to see things change for the better. And i know you do two. And you're right. There's only so much even a color fixer can do alone." i said.
"It's easier to run away from your problems." roland said.
"It is…but that doesn't make it better. It will only lead to self-loathing. Something me and chesed know better than anyone." i said. I left the room leaving roland and chesed to have a chat
Next up was the floor of language. Gebura's floor. The usual sweep of the abnormalities and another knight from the other world comes. This time it was someone named mattias neto shinku. A captain of a death squad called the S.N.R.S which stand for shinku narcos retaliation squad. A powerful drug called "bad blood" sprung around. And that spawned a bunch of cartels willing to sell it. The situation has gotten so bad that the S.N.R.S was formed. A brutal solution to a brutal problem. The S.N.R.S are to put the fear of god into these narcos. By any means necessary. Wither by creating a pile of bodies or by making a powerful cartel leader suffer until his last breath. Which they did. Job well done. Except for the fact that soon that some felt anger instead of fear. As a group of narcos found where he lived and opened fire. His wife and infant son also were in there. And seeing the only way out was the invitation to the library he signed and jumped through. Getting him to join wasn't hard. Just promising to keep his wife and son out of harm's way was more than enough for him to join as gebura's assistant librarian. A brutal mix of blade and gun.
After dealing with nosferatu. I went to speak to gebura and found her chatting with roland and angelica. I entered the conversation.
"We've had an enlightening conversation with the red mist." angelica said.
"Really now?" I asked.
"You know when i heard what was going down in district 9. I came running. My mind was filled with guilt of leaving angelica behind. Fear of finding her dead…but then I see you cutting down the pianist. Saving her…i thought you did because that's just what the white messiah does..but after hearing what went down in that old lab…is it compassion that guides you…or is it guilt of not being able to protect the ones you held dear that day?" roland asked. Memories came flooding back…the day I left that accursed lab alone. Burying my friends..and the woman i loved…as those memories came back i felt myself slipping into darkness.
3rd person pov.
Jon soon resonated with a little red riding hooded mercenary. Pointing the scythe at roland.
"Yeah…I failed to protect the woman I loved…you did the same! Angelica would have died if not for my intervention! And yet you thank me by bringing up an old wound that still hurts like hell! Color fixers…all this strength yet neither of us could protect what truly mattered. How hilarious that we're both this fucking pathetic isn't it!?" jon yelled in psychotic rage.
"Jon, when raging wrath is about to engulf you. You must quench it and forge it into your weapon. You'll learn to temper it soon enough." gebura said as she drew her blade.
After defeating the red mercenary. Jon then took the form of the big and soon to be bad wolf. Looking like a blood soaked wolf man. And after that mountain of smiling bodies. Looking like the abnormality possessed him. As his eyes looked like he was dead being consumed into the abnormalities body. Wielding a sword made from the thing. Next taking the form of a bloodfiend by resonating nosferatu. And finally resonating with nothing there. Looking as though it was mimicking jon but couldn't quite get it down halfway through. And with mimicry defeated. Another quote from prayer for loving sorrow was heard.
"Why should I begrudge it, since during the hours. When my soul the depths of my heart, it was seated there beside me?" jon said.
"Huh…so you've read it too huh?" angelica asked.
"Yeah…sorry about that. Guess i still have shit to work through as well." i said.
"Are you feeling alright jon?" angela asked.
"Once again. My head is pounding…but my chest feels lighter. Like i was finally able to get something that's been bothering me off my chest." i said.
"Good. get back to work when you recover." angela said warping away.
"It's funny…angela and roland consider these moments humiliating. But you seen them as liberating." gebura said.
"You should know i was never one to hide how i feel. These are things that my lips won't allow me to say. It's only when the abnormalities crawl into my brain that my lips finally unseal themselves." i said.
"Just remember. Wrath is the sharpest blade. If you aren't careful when wielding it." gebura said.
"That i'll cut myself with it before i realize it. I'm aware. I'll hold the blade correctly. I promise." i said.
"Good." gebura said with a smile.
"Mind if i stay here for a bit?" i asked.
"Not at all dork…not at all." gebura said.
Rob pov/ floor of abnormalities.
I spent the day exploring the parts of the city that taii and rose enjoy. Seeing old movies that rose adores. Enjoying a diner that taii frequents and over all just finding enjoyment in a dark and gloomy hellhole in the universe. There's still some good. And after returning to the library. I had a sleepover with the two as jon was spending the night with gebura. Can't say i blame him. She is pretty hot. And I can't help but be a bit jealous that he has such a smoking hot babe as a girlfriend. I wasn't even able to talk to a girl before. But here i was in a sleep over with two of them. So needless to say i was a bit nervous. But during it. The two started talking about their goals. And what almost happened to rose at O-5681. Of how she tried to die in catt's place.
"I'm glad jon stepped in what he did…what you did was noble…but i would have never met you if he didn't save you. So i have to be thankful for that." i said. Rose blushed while taii giggled. Wait…did that sound like a love confession!? Change the subject rob! Change the subject!
"Well since we're talking about goals…well i thought mine was avenging my family's honor by killing the karakuer. But after meeting jon. I started to rethink things. He doesn't even seem to know of this ugly history of our two families. And the only reason i wanted to do it in the first place was because my parents beat it into my head to make me hate and kill the karakuer. They promised they would actually start treating me like a son." i said. Taii and rose looked at me in horror.
"That's awful!" rose yelled.
"What horrible parents! Clearly this feud matters more to them than anything! Even their children!" taii yelled disgusted.
"At first i thought it was just that's how it was…but after hearing about how much love desmond and maya have given him. Hell my parents wouldn't stop me from blowing my head off. They would tell me "go ahead weakling we'll spawn someone better." and after hearing about jon and his family. And the fact that you two have given me more in this one day than they have my entire life. I'm never going back. This world maybe a nasty armpit of the universe. But it's given me people i can truly rely on. People I want to protect." i said.
"What about jon? Do you still want to kill him?" taii asked.
"If I did that I would earn the scorn of gebura angela and catt. Those three will tear me apart if i kill their boy toy." i said laughing before turning serious. "I don't want to kill him. But i do want to clash swords with him. I know he'll spare my life if he wins. And I will spare him if I win. A duel with my supposed enemy is the last thing i need so i can say goodbye to the past. Where my awful parents lie." i said.
"When are you going to have this duel?" taii asked.
"Once our objective is complete. That tower of light is finished." i said as i stood up and headed for bed. "Let's go to sleep…this place has reached star of the city after all. And if i'm understanding correctly. Some of the city's deadliest warriors will be coming for us. So we should be rested and ready." i said. What i didn't expect that taii and rose crawled into the same bed.
"Hey rob…i'm glad we met you too." taii said. As she and rose fell asleep. It took me a bit to fall asleep considering i had two girls breathing softly by both my sides…something i was not used to…but i'm thankful to these two. For being the positivity i needed. And i will protect them. No matter what…