[Opening Song: Kyouran Hey Kids – By: The Oral Cigarettes]
*The sound of a guitar stringing in the background can be heard, along with drums. The scene zooms in on a man standing in a destroyed looking city, fires burning around him as he turns to look back at the camera, a smirk taking up his visage as a lone crimson red eye glows. Following along with the lyrics, he mouths the words*
"Tonight we honour the hero."
*A guitar and a set of drums begin to play wildly, alongside what sounds like a choir in the background matching the beat of the song, as a camera zooms up to a clear blue sky with white fluffy clouds, followed by the title "The Owl House - All For Luz" appears, with the Japanese Kanji " フクロウの家 - すべてはルスのために！ " Underneath it, and in smaller font.*
*The scene slams down to a forest, where in the centre of the woods, Luz stands, looking around, confused and concerned, taking a step back, bumping into a blond-haired girl wearing a white dress (Julia), who looks over at her, with a matching concerned gaze, golden eyes glimmering with worry. As they stare at one another, a large brown-skinned teen (Stanley) wraps both of his arms around them, smiling, catching both of them off guard, all the while a disembodied voice sings the lyrics to the song that's playing*
"No place for stubborn masks, broken by crazy kids"
"So full of lies and chaos are these days we live"
*The scene pans out to where Luz is looking at a large group of kids, who also look scared and confused. Luz breaks away from the hold she is in, before walking toward them, a weary smile on her face. She reaches out to them, but as she does, her hand and arm spark red, which causes her to recoil, stop what's she's doing, and look at her arms, confusion and annoyance taking up her expression. She stares at her hands, specifically the holes in the palms of her hands, before looking up at a military drone, staring at all of them, all the while the same disembodied voice sings*
"The scent of honey from the body in the air"
"So full of flavour, flavour, flavour…"
*The scene abruptly changes as the drums kick in, as does the metal guitar, to a man sitting in front of bunch of screens with a beard and slicked back hair as the lyrics "Just wanna hold your hands" can be heard in the scene, and with each time it's said, a new person takes their place along with a new location. The first time, it's a man dressed in a shirt with suspenders and black slacks, standing with his back facing the camera, the only thing noticeable being blond hair the same shade as the girls as he holds a martini. The second time, however, it changes to the man in the beginning of the opening, sitting in a throne surrounded by darkness.*
*The camera pans up to his face, red eyes gleaming as the guitar plays a little slower and suspenseful, as the man smirks, as he mouths along to the next set of lyrics "Hey people! Let's go back to zero!"*
*The Camera suddenly blasts into his eyes, as a fight scene breaks out between an orange haired boy and Luz, flames sparking off of the boys arm that barely miss her face. She ducks under a follow up punch. Anger flares in her eyes as she goes to punch the boy in the face. Just as the fist is about to connect, the scene shoots to the brown-skinned teen (Stanley) going blow for blow with a silver haired boy in a grey hoodie, who's throwing air slashes at him, that the other tanks as if they're nothing. Finally, it shows the blond girl (Julia) backed into a corner next to a cabin-like structure by another golden-haired guy, his hand having an ominous aura around it. As this entire scene is happening, the disembodied voice continues the song*
"Get crazy - Hey, Kids!"
"And ditch that ego that has held you back,"
"Why struggle pointlessly?"
"Get crazy - Hey, Kids!"
"The search for the place that you cannot return to Whoah, oh!"
*The scene abruptly changes to a solemn looking Camila, who's staring down at family photos, as the spectre of Manny lingers behind her, an almost disappointed look on his face. His spectre disappears in the wind as the front door to their house opens, revealing an old man dressed in priestly attire, looking at her with concern on his face. The scene shifts again to Luz staring out at something, a wooden wall surrounding her, a reflection of what looks to be fire and blood stains everywhere as her pupils dilate. Her brown eyes flickering from red back to brown constantly with the stringing of the guitar, and just as the rest of the scene, the disembodied voice continues the song*
"Get Crazy - Tell me"
"The times are changing as days go by,"
"Always uncomfortable!"
"Get Crazy - Hey Kids!"
"But nonetheless our future has begun to fade..!"
*The scene changes to a more frantic battle, this time between the blond-haired boy and Luz, only this time Luz has a more furious expression on her face, and her eyes are red. The blond haired boy slams the ground, creating spikes that Luz dodges, her hand sparks red, as a litany of faces belonging to several people appear behind her like ghosts, a small, venomous grin on her face, her hair raising with the red and black electricity, flames bursting across the forest, matching the same flames from the beginning of the opening, the disembodied voice continuing the song, which nears its end.*
"Get Crazy - Hey Kids!"
"And light up the doors that shut away the past"
"This urge with no release,"
"Get Crazy - Tell me,"
"Is that what you want? Then won't you call my name?"
*The opening ends with Luz, almost responding to the man in the beginning of the opening, mouthing the words "I swear, I respect the hero!" The opening ends with a final guitar riff, the camera flickering and glitching out, showing an empty forest, as it transitions to the start of the episode…*
[Season One Finale: Betrayed And Alone]
They were confused. What they had witnessed… it was strange. Bizarre even. They had staked out the forest for some time, knowing full well that it would give them the chance to be caught. But they didn't care.
All they cared about was freedom. They had practiced the route to their freedom time and time again. It didn't help that their training to be a warrior to defend their home from The Interloper had helped in that procedure. While the rest of their siblings had been languishing in suffering and slavery, they were special.
They knew they were special. Of course, they would be. While they weren't the first, they were the most perfect. They had complete control over their body and faculties. The same couldn't be said for their siblings. They were slow and only listened to orders. Something they would have to change when they came back to their home.
Some might question their choice to only free themselves. But, the answer to that was simple. They couldn't carry everyone else on their back. They had to do what needed to be done. They had to go it alone. At least, until they had help.
They had two vile's of Titan's blood on their person, one they had stolen off him when he had gone to torture them for answers, which had led them to their escape. Answers to what, exactly, they didn't know. Maybe he thought they had done something, but they honestly had no idea what it was he was going on about.
Regardless, they got what they needed, and it was enough for one trip to the human realm, which they used, and one trip back. They would save that for when they found who it was who could help them. They and their siblings. For the time being, however, they needed a place to live. They had no home at the moment, and while the rain here was not acidic, it was not good for their body.
Vee, in all reality, was not safe in this new realm. She knew that much. It was foreign, and while there was magic here—which was weird, because it was said humans didn't have magic—She couldn't eat it. Sure, She could eat other foods, and it satiated her, but it had nothing on magic. That, and eating street rats was not what she had expected to be doing to survive.
It had been a week since she escaped that place and fled to the forest in The Human Realm—which she promptly left. Vee, quite frankly, was glad that she had. What she heard on the "radio" as it was called was that the forest had burned down not too long after she had left that place, and the fires that were raging were only contained when it was too late. Most of the forest was destroyed, and the person who had been running the camp, Governor Rodger Maxwell, was found dead in his prison cell, subject to some kind of poison that had been unidentified.
Vee was more than a little worried about what had happened. She had gone from one place in strife and conflict to another. But at least here, she wasn't a slave. That was probably the only upside to this whole thing. Better to be free than a slave, as the saying noted.
But, what was Vee? Well, Vee was a Basilisk. She could shift into whatever she wanted, so long as she had the energy to do so. Right now, she was shifted into a human. This specific human was one of the dead at that camp. Someone by the name of "Hilbert." Though, due to her gender, she looked like a female. So, "Hilda" would be more appropriate for a name.
It was a little strange. She was so used to slithering around on her massive tail, seeing as she was never allowed to transform, lest she was beaten. She had been practicing in secret, and now she was here because of that practice. The clothes she was wearing were stolen from a dumpster—a basic yellow shirt and blue pants—but it would do for now. Her travel from the forest to Gravesfield was a lengthy one, and also tiring.
But, it was worth it.
Currently, she is held up in an orphanage and has been employed as a janitor. She was fed, housed, and paid decently. She had only had the job for a week. Her boss, Ms. Bramble, was a nice lady. She knew of her secret, but she wasn't bothered by it. She found it cool, if anything. The only thing she didn't know was that she was from a different realm.
The only thing she didn't like about her job was that she was being paid $15 an hour. But, then again, she didn't know the value of this Realm's currency. Back in the Boiling Isles, that would be basically nothing. Here, though? Well, considering she could buy a snack bar for $3 then maybe it wasn't that bad. A snack bar in The Boiling Isles would be 20 Snails.
Considering it was an hour, too, and not just a single payment…. Maybe she was being a bit too pessimistic. Regardless of that fact, she had a job, and she was allowed to sleep in the orphanage due to her age.
Right now, though, Vee had just finished for the day and was relaxing on the edge of the bed that she was given. She was chewing on a "Hershey Chocolate Bar" and had a cup of juice to wet her throat. The worst thing to happen today was having her hair pulled by one of the kids. Mopping up stains and sweeping whole rooms wasn't nearly as tiring as she had thought it would be.
The previous Janitor complained about how difficult the job was. She didn't see what the problem was. Though he did look old, so maybe he was just being grouchy. She found it fine, even if it was tiring to keep the human disguise up constantly. She couldn't spend less than a few seconds outside of it and quickly regain some of her energy.
It was incredibly taxing to constantly be in disguise. She honestly wished she was given more downtime, but the time she had already was better than nothing, she supposed. Though, now that she was alone, and the rest of the staff and other children were asleep, she could shift back into her basilisk form if she so chose.
Vee frowned, looking down at her hands. Wearing a dead person's skin felt wrong. But, it wasn't like she had much of a choice.
Oh well, it could've been worse.
Although, there was one thing that was bugging her. It all had to do with that girl who she briefly made eye contact with in the forest. There was something about her that was calling to her. Like she had met her before. But, for the life of her, she couldn't figure out why.
Maybe it was the blank expression she had on her face.
Maybe it was the twinkle of her eyes.
But for some reason, she couldn't stop seeing The Interloper whenever she saw her.
"Whatever, it's probably nothing…" Vee thought, slumping forward and undoing the transformation, sliding forward and turning into her true form. Vee's Basilisk form was similar to what humans called "Snakes". She had personally seen one, and she had to agree. They did look similar. However, personally, Vee was more colourful than a standard snake, and she had slightly more in common with The Human Realms sea life.
Vee had a small, chubby, serpentine body. Her arms were short, not that she really needed them in this form. In the place where a human's legs were, she had a large, fishlike tail. She had abnormally large eyes, or at least, abnormally large compared to Witches and Humans, anyway. Her nose was upturned, and her mouth was in the shape of a W, with some sharp teeth poking out from her lower lip.
Her tale had swamp-green scales and cream-coloured spots dotting around it, sharing the same colour as her underbelly, along with on her head and the bottom half of her face. She also had tufts of navy blue hair on her head, back, and ears. Back to her eyes, they were a golden yellow, with aqua sclera. Finally, to finish it off, she had off-white fins on the sides and tip of her tail, perfect for swimming in a pinch.
Not that she had ever swam before, but it was ingrained in her DNA. She knew she could, if push came to shove. Not that she wanted to, since water was overall bad for her skin. Ironically, it dried her out. She hated being dry. It made her feel crusty and gross.
All of that aside, she took in a deep breath and sighed. Slithering over to her room window, Vee looked out toward the town of Gravesfield and frowned. Something awful was going to happen here. What that was, she didn't know. All she knew was that, in the coming months, something big was going to happen here.
And a part of her believed that she was going to play a major role.
[XXXX]
Pain.
Excoriating, horrendous pain.
The pain that Luz felt was unmatched by any she had felt before.
And just as quickly as it had washed over her, it was gone. In the blink of an eye, her pain was gone, replaced by confusion as her eyes opened to the void that she had seen not once, not twice or thrice, or even four times now. But five.
She had now been here a total of five times. Once for each day of the week. Not that they had happened with each passing for a day. But she was here, and she was confused. More than that, she was furious.
Those… monsters killed her friends. They weren't people anymore. They were monsters. All of them. Every single last one of them.
She thought that, with her powers, she could've won. But then that one guy who punched her in the face did something to her—which she assumed was her neck breaking. Then she blacked out and woke up here.
Was she… dead?
"Ah, Luz. You're awake. Good," Shigaraki's voice broke her from her thoughts, which caused her to recoil, only now noticing that she was sitting on the throne next to him. "I was wondering when you would awaken. For a moment, I was a little worried."
"What happened? Am I Dead?"
"No, you're alive. All thanks to me, of course," Shigaraki said, smirking as he sighed. "It was nice. To live again. Even if it was only for a few minutes." As Shigaraki said that, Luz was left scratching her head. What did he mean by that? Unless…
"Did you… possess my body?"
"Briefly," Shigaraki admitted, folding his hands together as he frowned. "After all, had I not done anything, they would've killed you. So, I decided to tag in. I was only able to do it for a handful of minutes. But in that time, I was able to make some interesting discoveries."
"You possessed my body! What the hell!?" Luz exclaimed as Shigaraki sighed, shaking his head.
"You're missing the point, Luz. And besides, I can only do it when you're unconscious as it would seem. Not when you're asleep, but when you are, essentially "not around." You understand what I mean, yes?" Shigaraki said as Luz narrowed her eyes.
"Yeah, I know what you mean. I'm not stupid," Luz spat, running a hand through her hair as she slumped back on the throne she was seated on, staring up at the ceiling. "Please tell me you didn't do anything stupid?"
"Well, I finished off the rest of the two teams that were attempting to end you. However, before that, I was able to convince one of them, Kennedy, to do something for you. But that can wait until after you wake up."
Luz hated vagueness. It was one of the things that made her brain itch, and this was one of those prime examples. It was why she also hated surprises. They always messed with her, and there was nothing she could really do about it. "Alright, and the other thing you mentioned?"
"The discoveries? Well, while they are important, I want you to pay attention to what's in front of you," Shigaraki began as he pointed beyond the thrones. When Luz turned to look, she was met with an eye-widening scene.
In front of her were what appeared to be an army of cages, all of which had a shadow blob creature resting within. They all stared at her, vapid, blank stares to match their expressionless faces. Each of them carried a hint of power, and all of them wafted off hatred all aimed toward the pair of them. If they could talk, there would be no short of insults and vitriol hurled at her and Shigaraki.
"As you can see, you've taken in a lot of power all at once. If I had counted right, within your body, you have well over 22 different powers dancing within you. Of course, there are some that you couldn't have stolen due to their bodies being destroyed, leaving no Quirk factor behind to be stolen. That aside, as I tried to fight in your body just as I would've in my time alive…"
Shigaraki snapped his fingers, and as soon as he did, cracks began to appear all over Luz's body. They didn't hurt, mostly because they were an illusion. They all seeped blood, and they covered every inch of her person. "Your body began to break apart." The way Shigaraki spoke was filled with an ominous undertone. It made her shiver, and as the cracks disappeared, she looked back at Shigaraki, who grimaced.
"Your body cannot hold this amount of power. Not without physical strain. You'll need to offload a bunch of these powers for the time being. Although, as time goes on, you'll be able to fit more. Of course, it will take time, and it will be exhausting, but if you can physically train your body, you'll be able to hold more Quirks."
"What… exactly is my current limit?" Luz asked as Shigaraki raised an eyebrow.
"Only ten. Which is a shame, because the powers in your body right now are extremely useful," Shigaraki replied as Luz stared at him, eyes wide with disbelief.
"Only ten?! You sound disappointed! 10 is a lot, isn't it?" Luz asked as Shigaraki deadpanned.
"Luz… In my prime, before my nemesis killed me, I had over 1,000 Quirks flowing through my body, with another 1,000 deposited in a mountain of corpses that I could pull from at any moment and time. Ten in comparison is a drop in an ocean of uselessness," Shigaraki stated, crossing his arms as he waved the notion away.
"That being said, for you, having access to ten Quirks is a lot. You can do a lot with Ten Quirks. It depends on which Quirks you have. If I were to recommend 10 to keep, I'd say Longevity and Super Regeneration are a must-have. Those Quirks are rare, and it might be a long, long time before someone shows up with those Quirks," Shigaraki explained.
Luz raised an eyebrow, looking toward the cages and frowned, looking at each glob of black muck with a frown. "Rare? There's such a thing as Rare Powers?" Luz asked Shigaraki, who smirked.
"Yes. All For One is considered a rare Quirk. No… beyond that. It's the kind of Quirk that exists as a failsafe for the universe. Wherever Quirks are birthed, an All For One is there for a safety measure. Although…." A frown filled the old man's expression. "It is never alone."
Luz felt a chill run down her spine as he said that, instinctively looking over her shoulder. She didn't know why, but she did. "Uh… what does that mean?" Luz asked as Shigaraki's frown deepened.
"Follow me," as Shigaraki said that, he stood up, gesturing for Luz to follow him. As she followed him to wherever he was going, she couldn't help but focus on one thing in particular about the man.
Shigaraki was tall, easily 6 feet tall, and cut an imposing figure. Luz felt like a dwarf in his presence, and maybe that was the point, but she couldn't see why. To make her feel small? No… that made no sense. From what she gathered of Shigaraki was that, while he seemed to love being in control, he wasn't one for intimidation. Or maybe she just looking too deep into this.
Either way, he was huge. That was more than likely the reason why he was extremely good at being what he was. His appearance, and his stature… he was truly a villain.
Then there was her. His supposed "successor". That implied that she'd become a villain, just like him. But… she didn't want to be a villain. Despite her various problems, her ability to be quick to temper, and the blood on her hands, she wasn't a bad person. She had said as much before.
Or… was she?
She didn't know, and it was tearing her apart internally.
Pushing the thought aside, as the two walked through the void-like expanse for what seemed like hours, Shigaraki stopped in front of what appeared to be a pedestal. It looked like one designed by the Greeks, chiseled out of marble and polished so well that Luz could see her reflection in it. There was a golden plaque on the pedestal, and it was engraved with large, black letters that read: One For All
Luz blinked, staring at the pedestal with a confused expression. "What… is this?" Luz asked as Shigaraki sighed.
"This is where One For All would be…. If I had it…." Shigaraki said, growling the last part through a clenched jaw. The walls and floor around them rippled, almost as if The Vestige Realm was reacting to Shigaraki's anger. It made Luz tense for a second, but only a second, as it calmed down as fast as it happened. Luz was ready to move on, but Shigaraki, on the other hand, continued after the fact about the same topic.
"I found it peculiar that it wasn't here when I died, but I supposed it makes sense. One For All is back in my universe. However…. All For One still hungers for it, as do I, which means that the Quirk itself is aware that One For All exists, and it can be reached. Otherwise, this unending hunger for the Quirk would've ended when I died, and it passed on to you, Luz. Unfortunately, there is no real way to get there…."
Shigaraki said, before pausing, cupping his chin as a small smile appeared on his face. It was as if several lights went off in his head as a small, haunting chuckle escaped his lips. "Well, not totally. There is one way, but that all depends on whether we can find more of it," Shigaraki mused as Luz tilted her head with a confused gleam in her eyes.
"What… are you talking about?" Luz asked as Shigaraki's eyes widened for a second, before turning to Luz.
"Ah, I was thinking out loud. Oh well… I might as well explain." Shigaraki stated as he cleared his throat. "Do you remember when I mentioned in our last discussion that I had found out that The Multiverse exists?" Shigaraki asked as Luz slowly nodded.
"Yeah, you said that. I thought you were joking. Are… are you serious? The Multiverse is real?!" Luz asked, a hint of excitement in her voice as Shigaraki chuckled.
"Yes, Luz. The Multiverse is a real thing. And it's all thanks to a certain liquid that I had found back in my world. My doctor, who is the one who found out about its properties, referred to it as Transfer Liquid. Although, I later found out that it was called Titans Blood." As soon as those words left his face, he snapped his fingers, as an ethereal vile of blueish-green liquid appeared in his hand.
"This substance is just as it sounds. The blood from a mighty beast. A creature that was once thought to be a legend. By smearing it against a surface, you can create a temporary, one-way portal to another dimension. In that dimension… Luz, when I tell you that what I saw there is something beyond my wildest dreams, I truly mean it. Creatures from myth, magic—true, real magic… I almost couldn't believe my eyes. To think had discovered it by complete accident, too…." As Shigaraki spoke, he seemed to slowly drift off into some kind of trance, before snapping himself out of it.
"That being said, there is no way to obtain this substance. Not normally, anyway. But, considering that the person who handles said substance seems to be a little on the careless side, perhaps we can find one of their caches of it before they can get to it," Shigaraki scowled, his teeth barring in frustration. "I've always hated them. Tricky little vixen. But, I put an end to them when they thought to fight me. Tore their heart from their chest and crushed it between my fingers…"
Luz stared at him, and where she should've been horrified, she couldn't help but not react. She wasn't really surprised given who he was, but still… "you really didn't need to go into detail there…" Luz muttered as Shigaraki cleared his throat.
"Right, my bad. My point is that, if we can find that, I'm more than certain that you'll be able to find One For All. There are two potential ways to get it, assuming the second way worked the way I had intended it to…" Shigaraki said, before turning to walk back to the throne area. For a split second, Luz could've sworn that she saw someone looming over the pedestal, but ultimately brushed the thought away.
It was just her and Shigaraki in this void. Along with the blobs, they weren't people. Just remnants of them. As they walked, and as they passed the blobs, some of the blobs reached out to her, almost like they were begging her to free them. The more she stared, the more guilt she felt. And then, she felt a hand on her shoulder. Looking up, she saw Shigaraki, who was looking at them as well.
"You shouldn't feel bad about what you did," Shigaraki said as they sat down on their respective thrones. She glanced at the floor as Shigaraki continued. "You were not in the wrong. You did what had to be done, no matter what anybody tells you. Those who wronged you deserved their fate, as does anyone else who has wronged you in the past. Keep this in mind as you continue your journey. The world is yours, Luz Noceda. You are the chosen one, after all. While I needed to step in, I don't think I'll have to again, but even then, what's a Chosen One without a mentor and helper? Besides, the universe blessed you with All For One, and as such, you should use it for its intended purpose," Shigaraki said, as Luz looked away from him.
"And what exactly is that purpose…?" Luz asked as Shigaraki smirked.
"Its purpose, Luz, depends on what you think it is. For me, it was World Domination that ultimately failed thanks to my brother and his cohorts. But you? It could be whatever you desire. What does your heart tell you, Luz? I cannot tell you what you want. I can only suggest things that you should do. It is up to you to take up those suggestions or ignore them. After all, I am not in control here. I am merely a passenger," Shigaraki said as a white gate appeared in front of them.
"Ah, it would seem as if you're stirring from unconsciousness. Then it's time to go, Luz. Take some time to be with your loved ones, Luz," Shigaraki said as Luz stood up, staring at the white gate. A part of her didn't want to leave, but after looking back at Shigaraki, she resolved herself to leave.
It was better to face the consequences of her actions sooner rather than later.
And with that, Luz walked into the light, and as soon as she did, she began to hear a small, tiny little voice in the back of her head, calling out her name. When her eyes opened again, she saw several doctors and surgeons, as well as her mother, holding her hand with wide and concerned eyes.
For a split second, the only thing that she could feel was contempt. Contempt for the woman before her. For what she had said. For putting her on that bus. For putting her in that horrible situation.
It was all her fault that she was even there, to begin with.
And now, here she was, staring at her with concern. The utter gall she had to do that… it made her furious.
But then, she calmed down. For as mad as she was at her mother, and while she had ample reason to hate her, she was still her mother. She was still human. She made mistakes—they both did. While she wouldn't forgive her for what she had said that day, she also couldn't bring herself to curse her out.
At least, not in public. She didn't deserve that embarrassment. But they would have a talk about it.
"Oh my god, Mija, are you alright?! I-I saw them bring you in on a stretcher, a-and, and! Y-You were covered in blood, and I—"
"M-Mom…" Luz rasped, coughing as she lurched, pain shooting throughout her body as she reclined back into the bed. Right. Shigaraki had said that her body was breaking apart because of the influx of power she had in her system. An idea came to her, and seeing as her mother was holding onto her hand, she acted upon it.
Luz gripped her mother's hand, squeezing it tight, and found the string that linked to her mother's brain. It was a little confusing, and it took her a moment to focus, but she was able to do it. Then, she selected one of the powers in her—Repair. There were two reasons for giving her mom that power. For one, it would allow her to do her job better, and Luz already had Super Regeneration.
Red sparks jumped from Luz's hand to her mother, and for a brief second, Camila flinched, recoiling her hand back as she shook it. Luz had already felt Repair leave her body and enter into her mother. The transfer was nearly instantaneous, and since it was gone, it more than likely was now with her mother.
"Hope you like it…." Luz muttered, sitting up in the medical bed as she sighed.
For Camila's part, she was both confused and also worried. She hadn't seen her daughter in a week, and the state she had showed up in… she was covered in blood, and had cracks all over her body. As if she had been breaking like a porcelain doll.
But now, she was fine. While she had faint scars all over her body, they would fade away with time. She looked as if she was thrown into a blender, and there was one major scar over her right eye and a massive burn scar on her neck.
Whatever had happened to her, Camila couldn't even begin to imagine. Then there was what she had just done, which had left her confused. "Mija… what did you do?"
Luz smiled, before speaking in Spanish, so that only her mother would understand what it was that she had said. "Te di poder, mama," Luz said as her mother's eyes widened. "That's what I can do, mama. That's what my power is…." Luz coughed, specks of blood splattering on the blankets of the hospital bed. "Mierda… Ow, eso dolio…"
"You're awake, good."
Luz looked to the front of the hospital bed and was met with one of the doctors. He was dressed in typical doctor attire, i.e. blue scrubs, a mask, and a blue hair cap. He also wore bright yellow gloves that covered up to his elbows, along with an apron, indicating that he had just finished some kind of surgery.
"My name's Doctor Julius Rodriquez. I've got to say, Luz, you're quite lucky to be alive. Considering you've just endured a full day's worth of surgery," Dr. Rodriquez said as Luz raised an eyebrow. "Don't say anything, I can tell you're confused. Let me explain why first because it's important."
And so, for the next half an hour, Dr. Rodriquez told Luz essentially what she already knew, minus the fact that she knew why it was happening. Her body was breaking down, literally. Despite her healing factor, her body was breaking apart and it wasn't stopping. Luz already knew why, and she knew how to get rid of the problem.
The issue was that she didn't want to expose what her power was. The last thing she wanted was for the Federal Government to find out. Though, she reasoned that they more than likely already knew, given the security footage having been apparently leaked online.
That… was going to cause problems in the future.
"Dios mío! Y-you mean—"
"In the next few days, there's a chance that your daughter will die. I'm sorry, Ms. Noceda, there's not much we can do," Dr. Rodriquez finished explaining as Luz sighed, before flipping the covers off of her body and hopping off the bed. "Luz, what are you—"
"Do you have a corpse lying around?" Luz asked, interrupting Rodriquez, and making him flinch. Before he could say anything, Camila stood up, confused as she spoke.
"Mija! That's—"
"Be quiet," Luz hissed, glaring at Camila, who flinched, taking a step back as she looked back toward Rodriquez. "Well?"
"W-We have an onsight morgue, but I don't know how that'll help…" Rodriquez said as Luz gestured for the door.
"Well, how about I show you?" As Luz said that, Dr. Rodriquez opened the door, and led Luz to the onsite morgue. Frankly, Luz expected them to not listen, but she was surprised. She had gotten this idea from Shigaraki. After all, he mentioned that he stored his spare powers in a literal mountain of Corpses. If she could just leave these here, then so be it. Not that she'd come back for them. She didn't expect the hospital to keep corpses around.
The entire walk was tense, and along the way, small cracks began to form on her arms. How the doctors were able to keep the cracks from forming eluded her. Though, if she had to guess, it must've had to do with Super Regeneration kicking in. Seeing as the crack that had just formed was healing over, it proved her right.
After what felt like an hour of walking, they made it to the morgue. It was a small room, with several drawers that more than likely held bodies. Wordlessly, she pointed to one of the drawers, and Dr. Rodriquez opened it. Inside was the body of a small child. Luz winced, before pushing the image out of her mind.
She walked up to the body and placed a hand on the corpse's hand. Dr. Rodriquez went to say something, only to be interrupted by the black and red sparks of lightning of All For One. Now, she understood why Shigaraki used corpses to store his powers. They were essentially bottomless holes. Because their brains were not active, she could stuff as many powers into them without so much as having to care.
And so, that was exactly what she did. She got rid of Blade Arms, Sword, Impact, Plasma Beam, Heat Vision, Bone-Like Whips, Projectile Blood, Sound Suppression, Rapid Growth, Ice, Strength Enhancer, Vines and Wind Blast. She already gave Repair to her mother, and Puppeteer was missing, which was confusing. Either way, she now had ten powers. Those being Pyrokinesis, Kinetic Absorption, Super Regeneration, Pain Nullification, Stamina Negation, Longevity, Energy Dragons, Forcefield Projection, Spear-like Fingers, and Super Strength.
Now that she thought about it, the fact that she hadn't felt even an ounce of pain from her body cracking apart was probably thanks to Pain Nullification. It was kind of a cheat code, which was good. She hated feeling pain. Then again, she assumed that was the common consensus.
"Luz… what did you do?" Camila asked as Luz looked over at her with a deadpan stare.
"I offloaded a bunch of the powers I stole from the camp into this body. It's what was causing my body to break apart," Luz explained as she took a step back from the child's body. Nothing changed, aside from the fact that it sparked with red and black electricity. Dr. Rodriquez stared at Luz with wide eyes, blinking once or twice, before shaking his head.
"You… can stockpile superpowers?"
"Yes," Luz replied, breathing out as she looked at her hands. "That's what the holes in my hands let me do. I can steal powers from others, and make them mine. I've decided to call my power All For One. It's thanks to this power that I survived that place."
"B-but… that would mean you…" Camila didn't finish her sentence, covering her mouth in shock. Luz assumed that it was common knowledge of what the camp was about. Her mother's reaction proved that.
"Yes. I did. I had no choice. I did what I had to do," Luz replied before walking away from the body. Although she didn't make it far when she suddenly became lightheaded and fell to the ground, the last thing she heard before entering the realm of unconsciousness once again was her mother's screams of shock and Dr. Rodriquez swearing in Spanish.
[XXXX]
Adrian Rogers was not prepared to take up the position of Governor of Connecticut, but as the opposite head of the Democratic Party in Connecticut, he had no real choice in the matter. Maxwell never appointed someone to take up after him, and his constituents saw this as a power play that they needed to make.
Nevertheless, Adrian did what he needed to do. He took up the position and as soon as he looked into the plans Maxwell had for the state, he scrapped them. It was all White supremacist nonsense that he didn't even feel deserved to be read in his head let alone aloud. How the Republican Party had fallen this far in this direction, he'd never know, but that wasn't for him to assume.
He had until the next election to make right what Maxwell failed to do. He had read all of the articles and viewed every perspective of what happened over the last week, and what happened to everyone involved.
The children of the parents that had been kidnapped were majority dead, with only three living survivors. There was Emelia Worstoch, who was currently in a mental hospital. Julia Scotsman Delmisso, formally Wittebane, who was currently recovering from apparently being dead if the security footage he witnessed was correct. Finally, there was Luz Noceda, the one who did most of the killing.
Under normal circumstances, he would've sent a hunting party to go after Luz for all of the deaths she caused, but looking at the circumstances and potential reasonings behind what happened, he believed that all that would do would cause mass panic even more than there already was. Not to mention the fact that it wasn't fair for Luz because she was only responding to the environment around her.
So many people were killing one another. It was a kill-or-be-killed environment, much like a battlefield. If he judged her, it would be no different than judging a war veteran on their actions in Iraq, Iran, or anywhere in the Middle East. The less they talked about Vietnam the better, and the less they talked about the Korean War, even better.
Then, there were the parents of those who had been kidnapped. Luckily, nothing happened to them. Sergeant Holden and his troops were intervened by the FBI, CIA, and the branch of the military who came and rescued the survivors of the camp. They all went down fighting, which frankly was for the better.
As for everyone else, they all mysteriously died from some kind of poison. It was obviously a cover-up, but to what extent and by whom, Adrian didn't know. All Adrian had to go off of was what was sitting in front of him, and frankly, what Maxwell had planned was disgusting. He was essentially calling for the genocide of a group of people who had yet to exist for even a week.
However, given the fact that there were records of those with powers going back a year ago, there was a large chance that Maxwell and this Witch Hunter Association had been doing this for years and that those with superpowers were routinely killed whenever they showed up.
And if that were all, then he would've called for the head of The Witch Hunter Association to be arrested, that being Tyler Kirkman Wittebane. However, apparently, The Witch Hunter Association had recently parted ways with the Governorship, and even so much as said that they had no involvement with the events that happened over the last week. Upon investigation into the matter, the FBI found that they were right.
Either that, or they burned all documents of them helping Governor Rodger Maxwell. In which case, either way, it hardly mattered. If they had no proof of their involvement, then they couldn't press charges. Even looking through Maxwell's phone records and calls with Tyler, they were mostly talking about current politics rather than what happened at the camp.
The last call addressed to Maxwell was a scathing denouncement of what happened at the camp. Whether it was truthful, he doubted it severely. Regardless, Adrian couldn't do anything legally against Tyler.
Moving on, Adrian looked down at the three pieces of paper in front of him regarding the three survivors. Obviously, all of them were Super Humans. For as much as he felt bad for them, he couldn't just let them run rampant. Instead, he had an idea. Whether it would work, he didn't know. But, regardless, he had to try.
Which brings him to where he was right now. Currently, Adrian was sitting in the waiting room for one Luz Noceda. She was the first person that he wanted to tackle due to the power she had. The ability to steal and give powers was the perfect power to control those with powers. Not that he was going to use it that way. Rather, he had a better idea.
Next to him was a portly woman with curly brown hair with a few gray hairs sticking out from place to place. She wore a pair of thick-framed black glasses and was dressed in a long-sleeved sweater black pants and white shoes. She had been there before he had shown up, which led him to believe she was the parent of Luz Noceda.
Adrian, for his part, was wearing a basic dress button-up long-sleeve white dress shirt with a blue tie, and a pair of orange snakeskin pants held up by a black leather belt with a silver buckle. For footwear, he had on a pair of black ankle socks and black dress shoes.
The unintroduced pair of adults sat in silence, until finally, the woman next to him seemed to realize that he was there, and turned to face him. "Um, who are you? Why are you waiting outside of my daughter's hospital room?"
"Ah!" Adrian blinked, looking over to the woman with a smile. "My bad. I assumed you were thinking about something, so I didn't want to interrupt anything. My name is Adrian Rogers, the recently appointed Governor of Connecticut of the Democratic Party of America."
"Governor, huh?" The woman began, a frown taking up her visage. "Do you know someone by Rodger Maxwell?"
"Him? Oh, yeah, of course. We were political enemies, why?" Adrian asked as the woman sighed, looking straight ahead, her frown still present.
"That man ruined my daughters' life, and was the Governor of this state beforehand. Excuse me for being a little rude, but I don't trust you," the woman said as Adrian nodded, pursing his lips as he slumped forward.
"Yes, I understand that. I would like to apologize on behalf of the Federal Government for not realizing what was happening sooner. Had it not been for our mole in his group having been killed, we more than likely would've never found out. Sergeant Dempsey was a good man, despite everything. His death was what tipped us off that something wasn't right. But, because of his death, we didn't know the full details," Adrian explained as the woman's frown didn't waver, but she did look a little less tense.
"Then why are you here?" The woman asked as Adrian smirked.
"To change the world for the better, and I believe your daughter can have a hand in it," Adrian said as the woman blinked, before looking back at Adrian. Before she could say anything, a doctor came around the corner of the hallway, with a blonde-haired girl walking next to him. The woman's eyes widened as the doctor stopped a few feet away, with the blonde-haired girl by his side.
"Ah! Ms. Noceda! There you are. Here's Julia, just as you asked," the doctor said as Julia smiled, waving at Ms. Noceda, which confirmed Adrian's theory from before. The blonde, Julia, approached Camila, and rather than Camila shaking her hand as Julia had outstretched hers, Camila hugged her, which seemingly shocked Julia.
"You poor, poor girl. You and Luz both, I'm so sorry that this happened to you!" Camila said, borderline crying as Julia hugged back. Adrian watched awkwardly, adjusting his tie. The two separated, which was where Adrian saw his chance to talk, which he took.
"Good afternoon, Ms. Delmisso. I'm—"
"I already know. I overheard on my way here," Julia interrupted, bowing in his direction. "A pleasure to meet you. I hope you and yours can make what happened with the last Governor appear to be an accident. After all, I'm assuming that what you said was correct with the Governor going behind the Federal Government's back to do what he did."
"A-Ah, yes," Adrian replied, adjusting his tie again. There was something about Julia that unnerved him. The way she looked at him was very professional. Something he didn't expect from a young girl. Though, given who her family was, it made sense. They were often summoned to investor meetings, so it would make sense if it rubbed off on Julia as well.
"That being said," Adrian began, as he looked toward the doctor. "Can Luz see visitors? This is important."
For his part, the doctor shrugged. "Sure. It's been a few hours since she passed out from exhaustion. Though, I should warn you, she's more than a little… uh, snippy. I don't blame her, mind you. But, still…"
Adrian nodded, looking to Camila and Julia, who both nodded. Exhaling, Adrian opened the door as the rest of them followed suit. When he walked inside, Adrian saw Luz sitting up and reading something. He got a glimpse of the cover, the book in question being The Good Witch Azura. He remembered giving the same book to his five-year-old daughter for her birthday two weeks ago.
"Luz Noceda? Am I bothering you right now?" Adrian spoke up, standing in the doorway with Camila and Julia behind him. Luz looked up from her book and stared at Adrian. There was a bout of silence for a few seconds, before finally, Luz spoke up.
"Who're you?"
"My name is Adrian Rogers. I'm Maxwell's replacement until the next election. I wished to speak to you if that's alright?"
"Am I in trouble?" Luz asked as Adrian shook his head.
"No, you're not. As far as both the local and federal Government is concerned, what happened at that death camp was a horrible accident. While tremendous life was lost, the only person who we can blame is Maxwell, who is deceased."
Luz blinked, shock written all over her face as she stared at Adrian. "He's dead?"
"Yes. He was found dead this morning in his prison cell by a pair of guards. Somehow, he was poisoned, despite no one being able to access his cell aside from the guards, who were already at home by the time he was killed," Adrian answered as Luz cursed her breath, her shoulders slumped and eyebrows knit.
"I wanted him to be punished for what he did, not killed…" Luz grumbled as Adrian nodded.
"As did we, but that's in the past, and there's nothing we can do about it now," Adrian said, clearing his throat. "Luz. I wish to give a formal apology for what happened at that camp. What happened to you and your peers there… it was a violation of human rights, and the fact that it was allowed to happen at all is stomach-churning. I offer my sincerest apologies."
"Alright. What else? You have that look in your eye that tells me there's more here," Luz said, closing her book and putting it in her lap as she leaned against the bedrest, arms crossed.
"You'd be correct. You see, Luz. While we'd know how much you'd more than likely love to get back to your normal everyday life, as you'd assume, that's not possible," Adrian answered as Luz raised an eyebrow.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean that, for you, returning to your life as normal is impossible. Both because, let's face it, you're not what the public would deem "normal" anymore, and second all, because of what you did. While you're exempt from any legal punishment, that doesn't mean you can walk away completely unscathed from what you've done," Adrian explained as Luz narrowed her eyes.
Before she could say anything, behind Adrian, Camila gasped, which caught Luz's attention. "Is my mother behind you?"
"Yes, she is. But they can wait," Adrian answered as Luz sighed.
"Excuse you?!" Camila shouted before Adrian looked over his shoulder. "What do you think you're—"
"Ma'am, I'd ask you to be quiet for a few moments. I am not finished explaining. Before either of you freak out, please listen to me," Adrian said, his tone of voice reassuring, before turning back to Luz. "Can I continue?"
"Yeah, whatever. What's my punishment, then? If it isn't prison time, then what else can the government come up with? They've already screwed me over with this, so how much worse can it get?" Luz snarked as Adrian sighed, a disappointed look on his face.
"We're not screwing you over, Luz. As a matter of fact, we're trying to right our wrongs. What I'm about to offer you is a once-in-a-lifetime deal, so I want you to pay attention, alright?" Adrian cleared his throat, adjusting his tie as he gained a serious expression, dropping the informal one he had on before. "Luz Noceda. How would you like to become America's very first superhero?"
If Luz could spittake, she would've. As would Camila, while Julia balked at the notion. It was probably the most insane thing that she had heard that day. "You… want me to what?"
"Do you want to become America's very first superhero? Of course, payment will be discussed should you agree, starting at $10,000 an hour. We also have plans to ask the other two survivors this same question. The idea is to put you three on a team, and—"
"Wait a minute, survivors? But… everyone's dead?" Luz said as Adrian stepped to the right, unblocking the entrance to the room. As soon as he did, Both Camila and Julia entered the room. Camila was smiling, happy to see Luz again, but she wasn't focused on her mother. She was focused on Julia, who, without warning, smothered her in a hug faster than she could say or do anything.
Luz didn't know what to do. She was too shocked to do anything. Julia was dead. She had been killed. So why was she here? How was she here? It made no sense. Yet, here she was, in the flesh. The only thing she could do was accept it, and frankly? She wasn't going to complain even remotely. Wordlessly, she embraced Julia, confusion turning into pain as she held back tears. But, when Julia began to sniffle, and when she started to cry, the dam broke, and Luz began to bawl.
For everything that had happened, for what could've been, and for what was to come in the future. All the pain that they had endured and somehow survived.
Neither of them should've been put into the situation that they had. Hell, one of them died because of it, and yet somehow Julia was alive—how, was an entirely different story, though Luz had to guess that Shigaraki was somehow behind it.
Not that Luz cared.
Julia was alive. That's all that mattered to her, was that the person who she grew to care about the most was alive.
Camila, for her part, stared at the two as Adrian cleared his throat, sparing her a glance. "I think we should leave them be for a while. We can discuss the specifics of my offer if you wish?" Adrian suggested as Camila silently nodded, the pair stepping out of the room. Besides, they had much to discuss anyway. There was no need to get between those two, especially with what had recently happened.
All Governor Rogers hoped for was that they would accept. After all, crime had taken a massive uptick in recent days, and regular police couldn't do much about it due to the ones perpetrating it. Now, more than ever, people like Luz were needed to fight back against the ensuing number of attacks of superhuman criminals, which the public was now starting to call "Super Villains" as cheesy as that was.
But, if Luz, Julia, and Emelia agreed to become America's first superhero team, then maybe things would go back to normal, if only slightly. Obviously, superpowers were going to be a regular thing from there on out, but at least things could only go up from here.
Right?
[XXXX]
"Thank you all for coming to service today, have a wonderful weekend!" Pastor Domenico called out as people began to leave the church. He had heard the good news that the corrupt sect of the military had been detained and or killed and that Governor Rodger Maxwell had been found dead in his prison cell. Although, there was also a heap of bad news.
For starters, most of the children who went to the camp were killed in some horrific accident. Any information regarding what happened was being scrubbed off every site, every news source, and everything you could think of spreading the news of a situation. The only people who were told were the parents, and even then, the perpetrator behind the deaths was kept heavily under wraps, which made him think it was one of the children.
It was a shame if that had been the case, but it was the most obvious outcome. After all, given the situation and the emotions in that area, if one of the kids snapped and went on a killing spree, he would not be surprised. Upset, but not surprised.
The only survivors from the event were Julia Scotsman Delmisso, which proved to Domenico that Tyler finally did the only good thing in his life and gave his daughter away to someone who would actually care for her, Luz Noceda, and Emelia Worstoch. The rest perished in the onslaught.
He found out due to his involvement in suing Maxwell, who as mentioned was dead, and even he wasn't given all the information.
Domenico stood at the lectern of his church, watching the final person leave the church, only for someone to brush past them. They were fairly tall, easily three to four heads taller than him. They were a woman which was easy to tell due to their chest being pronounced, even under the black hoodie that they were wearing. They were also wearing a pair of black pants and black boots and their hands in their pockets.
Underneath the hood, Domenico could see that they were darker skinned and that they had a black eyepatch covering their right eye. Tufts of orange hair stuck out from the edge of the hood, and the one eye that wasn't covered by an eyepatch was an almost soulless black eye, paired with the scowl on her face….
"Can I help you, ma'am?" Domenico questioned, raising an eyebrow as he stepped aside from the lectern. The woman didn't answer and instead continued walking forward. Domenico began to sweat, taking a step back. The air became tight with trepidation, as finally, the woman was standing next to him, shoulder to shoulder.
"I—"
"Tyler sends his regards."
Before Domenico could say anything, the woman placed a gloved hand on his shoulder, and before he could scream, orange-glowing cracks appeared all over his body. Fire spewed out of his mouth, along with blood pouring out from the corners of his mouth, eyes, nose, and ears, before he fell to the ground, dead.
The woman stared down at the corpse of the old man, frowning. His body smouldered, and as the glowing cracks faded and became regular cracks the seeped blood. The woman pulled out a pack of cigarettes from her hoodie pocket along with a lighter, pulled it out, and lit the cigarette. This job was almost too easy. There was no resistance, no nothing.
It felt hollow and empty. But, a million dollars was a million dollars. She wasn't going to complain about it. Just one more body to add to the list of dead people racked up in her time as an assassin for The Witch Hunters Association.
"Oi, Bombardier! Is the job done or what? Please tell me it isn't, 'cause I'on wanted to smack that old man around for a little bit for inconveniencing the boss."
"Oh, shut up, Phosphorous. You knew that it would've been over the moment I touched him. Tell the boss the old man is dead, and that we won't have to worry about him saying anything," Bombardier said, before looking down at Domenico's corpse again, her frown turning into a scowl. "It's a shame. He was one of the only good men left in this backwater shit town."
"Bah! Who cares! This whole world's going down the shitter. Might as well drag the old folks to their final resting place, right?"
"Yeah, I guess," Bombardier muttered, taking a drag out of her cigarette before taping the ash off onto Domenico's corpse. "At least the police are in Tyler's pocket. Should I blow up the rest of the church, too?"
"Nah, keep it up. As the boss would say "It's a place of worship, so it's sacred. We can't destroy what's sacred if we're meant to uphold it" or some other bullshit like that."
Bombardier grunted, before going over to the back door to leave the scene of the crime. When she did, she was met with a massive black bear staring her down. She frowned, patting it on the head as it grumbled, huffing. "Sure, whatever Baba Yaga."
The black bear, Baba Yaga, lowered its head to the ground, allowing Bombardier to climb atop its back. Baba Yaga huffed, licking its lips together as Bombardier giggled. "Yes, I know you like my baking. You'll have more brownies when we get home."
With that, Baba Yaga roared and rushed off through the woods. Phosphorous chuckled through the earpiece. "You two always crack me up. Transporter still thinks yer dating the interdimensional freakazoid."
"And so what if we are?"
"Doesn't she look like a kid?"
"She's short, Phosphorus. She's not a kid. She's got the eye bags and the chin to prove it," Bombardier retorted, earning a huff from Phosphorous cackled again. Baba Yaga growled as she ducked through tree after tree. "I know, I think he's a dickhead, too."
"What?!"
After a few seconds of silence, Bombardier and Phosphorous laughed while Baba Yaga chuffed in an attempt to laugh.
A man was dead, and they were laughing.
Then again, what was there to expect from Villains?
Nothing. One would expect nothing.
And in this twisted, disturbing world full of malice, hate, and death, what else was there to be had but misery and suffering? To be betrayed by the community around you, and to die alone without anyone to comfort you in your final moments?
But, there is always a silver lining.
That silver lining, however, would have to wait. For now, this story; the story about a summer camp turned living nightmare is over, and a new chapter would begin.
This is my story. A story of a broken human given a broken power, and the fallout of that.
Stay tuned for more.
-Season One – Complete-
[Ending Song: Life – By: Rude-a]
*The ending opens up with Luz sitting on the edge of a cliff, staring up at the sky with a twinkle in her eyes, all the while the sound of a guitar strumming peacefully, followed by drums matching the tempo, like a serene melody, as a disembodied voice begins to sing.*
"Lately I don't know to do"
"Hurry up, my mind is one the moon"
"Flying up to where the wind blew"
*The scene stays the same, as wind blows through Luz's hair, still staring up at the sky, before looking down at the palm of her hands, a curious gleam to her eyes. Suddenly, a hand places itself on Luz's shoulder, as she looks over it to see Julia, smiling, before she sits next to Luz. This is followed by Stanley, who sits on the other side of her. Luz smiles, as more people around her age start pooling around her, sitting, staring out at the sky above as the clouds rolls past. All the while the disembodied voice continues*
"Overflowin' in the palm of my hand, passion to be who I am"
"Spent my days all just wandering this world"
"But then there's only you who's shining and pure"
"A rusty knife'll never cut a thing now; I am burning like a fire gone wild."
*The scene changes slightly, as a total of 33 people stand around and sit next to Luz, staring up at the sky, pointing out things that look to be strange. Julia has an arm wrapped around Luz's shoulder, whereas Stanley is ruffling her hair. Kennedy looms behind both of them, smirking, as if pleased with himself as the disembodied voice continues.*
"Like in the moment that my heart began to open"
"And it had the chance to scream, loud and unbroken"
"Everything was different from that moment on, if I don't try, I'll never know."
*The scene begins to change, the subtle strum of an electric guitar, signifying something. The wind blows harder, as if trying to push them away. The clouds darken as the sun begins to set, and as it does, people begin to disappear, starting with a few people in the back. One or two people vanish, but that's all. Luz, however, looks upset, closing her eyes, her expression changing to a solemn one as the disembodied voice continues*
"I wonder why the flowers are blooming."
"Your voice still echoes out in my heart."
*More people begin to disappear, but this time more rapidly. They're not walking away. They're simply disappearing. Vanishing from sight. Leaving Luz all alone. It gets worse as it comes down to only three people. Kennedy, Julia, and Stanley. First, it's Julia, who gets up from where she's sitting, and wanders off into the forest. It makes Luz's eyes widen, her solemnness turning into Despair. Then it's Stanley, which makes her look to her left. He waves to her, before going into the forest. Then, it's Kennedy, who stuffs his hands in his pockets and leaves. Luz's eyes water, and she looks away, before looking back up at the sky, the moon taking the place of the sun. All the while the disembodied voice continues*
"Tell me why I just shouted to the sky?"
"But you are no, no longer here, that's right."
"Remembering the adventure we went on called life!"
"Just a fleeting moment…!"
"Call it just a dream, 'cause I don't mind it."
"I'll save you from the present, the one so torn and riddled with scars."
*As Luz is left alone on the cliff, tears in her eyes, the guitar strums a solemn tone. Her tears are wiped away by an older man–All For One–who puts a hand on her shoulder. Julia sits back down next to Luz, holding her hand, which makes her smile. Now it's All For One looming behind her, his expression one of pride. The ending finishes with a few more strums of the guitar, and near the end, All For One's eyes glow a deep shade of red.*