Beginning:
Revelation 3:10 - Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come on the whole world to test the inhabitants of the earth.
Eugene stood up on his pedestal, ready to grovel about the state of the world and what they had to do to survive, their test and everything else he repeated back year after years of being left stranded, seemingly in Hell. Inside of Eugene's heart, he didn't understand what he nor his followers did to deserve this kind of treatment, that it had to be some sort of test from the big man himself in the sky. That's at least what the scraggly black jacket he wore would have him believe, his white collar wrapped around his neck struggling to give him any sort of respite, any time to breathe, covered in filth. He had believed for so long that as a man of his worship, you had to fight through all the dirt and grime in the world to help the ones you love the most, or to himself, the people he wanted to love the most.
It wasn't on purpose that Eugene's flock started up like this, it originally started with his father long ago. Trips to various countries in an attempt to convince whom he deemed "savages" to convert to the lord's embrace under the Judeo-Christian branch helped give Eugene tips on how to talk to people. In fact, he learned many different things from his father, including how he believed that one day, Eugene himself would be the savior for those led astray. The more he grew up, the more he convinced himself that he had been having visions on the account of his father, who was adamant that his son was the key for eternal salvation. This in turn led to more and more people who began to believe in the Holy Son, the young boy growing up into an older, early sixties man with disheveled black hair and a long beard. This was when the Church of the Holy Son truly began its regime.
Things were like that for years, ATF raids and the like began to become commonplace as sects popped up into the world and accusations of crucifixions, illegal firearm possession, human trafficking and animal sacrifices became the norm; however something changed around 1995. He hadn't heard of this contest at first until this year, it had been apparently been going on for ten years previously and at the end of this contest, it seemed parts of Los Angeles had become a smoldering ruin to murderers committing murder in exchange for a wish, selfishly doing for themselves instead of mankind. From then on, Eugene had all the visions he wanted, vivid visions of stuff he wished he never got to see in his life.
Demons, hellfire, torture, pain; all the things that could be synonymous with hell he envisioned with extreme petrification and sorrow. All he could wake up in for a long time were cold sweats, driven mad by the anguish that the world they all knew was going to implode on itself. However, he thought of the old biblical myth: the ark. When the Earth flooded long ago, Noah had built the ark for humanity's most important treasure: life. So what could he do but build it himself; soliciting donations from his followers until everything went dry, he had committed sin after sin in order to ensure that his children would be able to survive in the beyond. Eugene remembered it like it was only twelve minutes ago; the FBI had assembled a task force to go after them instead of this disgusting competition when the world erupted into flames, sealing the vault doors behind them and abandoning their earthly possessions and desires as the world around them erupted into chaos. And from there he claimed, they stood out the storm until many years later, opening up to find that surprisingly Utah was relatively unscathed. However, what laid before them was an even worse hell, one for which Eugene reasoned was God's will, a test of faith to struggle for; at least, that's how he always reasoned it; even when his dad died of nuclear fallout affecting his lungs he viewed it as just another test.
This was the story Eugene groveled to his people, predicting the apocalypse for "many years" though he couldn't lie to them that it had only been so sudden. He had recited this story for years and years to the people, and what was thought to have been stale, his followers ate it all up and rejuvenated themselves yet again for the future ahead. For he was the son of the cloth, flesh and blood to a man who believed in spreading his word all around the globe and when it was time for him to take over in his place he did so with grace.
Recently however, he was visited in his dreams by a glowing overwhelming force, addressing itself as a figure from the holy kingdom. He hadn't believed he would give any respite or break, that he was doomed to live the rest of his life stuck out in this forsaken wasteland, at least until now. The angel came to him in this bright light, nothing but what seemed to have been his father's face was noticeable, as if it was just a floating head. He introduced himself as the angel Calypso, one that wasn't familiar to Eugene but in any case took whatever salvation he could get, in a strange manner however. It was almost as if this angel was speaking to him with telepathy, his father's visage unable to move his mouth but could hear everything clearly as if he was right next to him.
Eugene hadn't noticed that he was brought down to his knees, tears softly dripping from his face as his dad had appeared before him as a messenger from Christ himself. It gave him hope, however the next thing that came out of the Angel's mouth had startled him.
"Son, it is time for God's final test…" father told him in a strange voice, one that could almost be mistaken for wicked if he didn't know he was from the gates. Eugene was speechless in this dream, he couldn't get out any words to save his life though he didn't need to, as He was about to.
"..the Twisted Metal competition draws nearer, as do the sinners who collaborate to bring suffering to the people once again." Calypso paused himself, the father's face still smiling down on top of him. He breathed in an audible gasp even if his mouth was closed; "You must show them all that only good shall triumph over evil, purge the evildoers from this realm and gather as many as you can. When you are done, come to me for the final test, and tell me what you feel in your heart. Only then will a decision be made." the Angel finished.
Suddenly, the preacher was back at the soapbox, unconscious of time around him yet all the more emboldened to push forward with a new slice of hope. His followers seemed to have believed it too, for they were all cheering and chanting along. A big smile formed across Eugene's face as he looked into his people with pride, with the final stretch being just around the corner. He was prepared to do anything and everything he could to become the savior that the world needed, that it deserved, that he deserved.
Eugene shuffled a bit off the stage before straightening his posture, reinvigorated with life, a new purpose. His followers gathered around him, chanting all in unison as he walked over towards the garage of the church, what it was however Eugene didn't really know. He was so caught up in the revelation that he hadn't paid much attention to his surrounding environment. All he could think of was that angel, having flown down to him in a dream in all white with the ultimate test, to beat the sinners at their own game and prove who was superior, to fight for the right to ascend to claim their rightful place at His side. How could Eugene say no? He crawled into his father's old hearse, the smell of father permeating the back with a noticeable odor as a crack was noticed in the casket nearby. He pushed the gear in place before starting up the ol' wagon and slowly tapped the pedal forward.
His followers covered the entrance of the garage, wearing nothing but their tattered robes and eye paint as they screamed their rejoices for their master's vision, never wavering in their undying love for the one they believed to be the reincarnation of God's son. As the hearse drifted off slowly, they followed right behind him, shambling as if they were part of a horde of undead before Eugene popped off one last question.
"The City of Angels, right Father?" he asked, the smell of rot still leaking out of the casket behind him before chuckling to himself. He knew the irony of that statement, it's been so long since he left his old Utah home, the old grasslands growing dead grass and littered with brown sky. The light only visible to him slowly drifted away towards a city, the new Sodom and Gomorrah all in one, so called humanity's last refuge: The Zone, where Twisted Metal originally started all those years ago. The dust kicked up as the Followers of Eugene tread out into the distance, the house of the rising sun rising in the background.
Diary Entries:
The Zone-
We fight for a greater purpose, to transfer to the kingdom of his beloved son. I have a duty to those who look to me, to help my flock transcend mortal coils into a place much greater than all of us. Calypso came to us as an angel, and these are our trials we shall endure in His name.
Savior's Point or Scorched Earth-
These people out here are savages, whatever old world values they used to have they hold onto no longer. I've tried my best to save these people with the lord's embrace but those that want to be saved shall meet our rapture, whilst the others are doomed to their fate. We are there shepherds but if one strays from the flock don't get surprised if you're left behind.
The Arctic or Niagara Falls-
The nightmares are slowly growing worse and worse; my father taught me as a child that in going down this path that the devil will always go out of his way to tempt you, to torment you. He wasn't a nice man, but he taught me all that I knew, and all I know is that I'm so tired of these visions, the flashes of me burning in the crimson lake, of my father next to me at the burning lake. I don't want to go there.
Boss: The Junkyard (Auger & Mr. Slam) or Old Orleans (The Redneck Trio)-
Sodom & Gomorrah, places of carnal sin and disease; whatever has befallen these places they deserved to have had it coming. Still though, I wonder if there's anyone or…anything left standing that could give them hope. Maybe that's my role in this? To give hope of something of goodness? My purpose….
The Belfast Exclusion Zone or London Point-
My followers adore me, and cherish me as their shepherd, and they as their flock. I've tried so hard to give them everything they need in order to survive; they better appreciate what I'm putting MYSELF through to HELP them.
Venice or Transylvania-
I've had nightmares all my life but the further into this contest I go, the worse it becomes. This next place of the competition is one of the most evil that I've ever seen in my life. I'm repulsed by it but my earthly curiosity only brings me closer and closer to it. Why God deems this as a test to me I assume is to prove I can overcome it, but I'm afraid it'll overcome me instead.
Boss: North Korea (Apocalypse 9 Trio) or Mount Rushmore (The Government Duo)-
The ultimate tribute to God's will; we will no longer be slaves to sin, only servants to him! We no longer serve man and his trifled ways.
Chichen Itza Or The Oasis-
Two of the only places remaining left on Earth untouched by the spoils of sin, as if blessed by Jesus himself. It feels evil to destroy these places in this wicked contest but I'll do anything if it means we can all visit God's kingdom.
Kowloon Karnage or Johannesburg-
The visions have come back in full force, I have tried everything for him, yet it feels like he does not listen. As if he's not there…but he has to be! These dreams, these sacrifices; they can't be for naught! I will meet with God if it's the last thing I do!
Final Boss: Hell on Earth (Minion) or Mexico City (Minion)-
We fight for a greater purpose, neither Lucifer nor his minions will stop our holy mission. Prepare to fight demon, as it will be your first and last mistake!
Ending:
The lord's message had been delivered, demons have no place in their home in the kingdom of mortal men; though even to Eugene he knew that the fight against evil had been for naught as there had been almost no one to celebrate with. The preacher and his flock had won the contest, though casualties were still high. The sinners were sent back to hell however, and God's work had finally been completed and their purpose fulfilled. Eugene was proud of himself, and knew that his father would be as well. Eugene conversated with him for at least an hour in the back of the hearse, the rot smelling even worse. Eugene didn't really smell it, and what he did? It didn't really bother him much. All he could think about was that he had finally lived up to the expectations set before him and that eventually he would rise to see him up in heaven.
The way back to the old Utah ranch was a long, and tedious journey back but a hopeful one. Tears ran down on Eugene's face multiple times throughout, shock stiffened his muscles as he still couldn't believe that this was real. The hive of scum and villainy around them had collapsed, their strength only having gotten bigger during the beginning of the apocalypse. All around Eugene and his people on the trail were the littered corpses of raiders, families having starved to death, roadkill and old pre-war skeletons stuck in time like they were in an old dance. The Zone had fallen and La Vega was already crumbling to begin with; but soon Eugene and his followers were finally home. And there before the Ark was the angel himself: the one who called himself Calypso.
Eugene stepped out of the hearse, still with tears falling down his eyes and immense relief lifted straight off of his shoulders. His follower base used to be in the thousands but was now approximately five hundred or so, but all gathered behind the preacher, ever so confident in their savior. It was in times like this, that Eugene knew that these people we're worth fighting for; it made him feel special. He finally approached the angel himself, lights ever luminescent as ever as he was face to face with them. The angel whom he once recognized as his father seemed a tad bit more recognizable this time, albeit odd: his face was clearly burnt. Eugene wasn't thinking about any of that though, just his wish cometh true.
"My son…." the angel's words cruise out of his non moving lips, the sounds of them pursing almost as his next sentence begins to form. "...Eugene, As you are the winner, you are granted an audience with the founder of the contest to grant you your prize! Anything you desire, regardless of price, size or….reality…" Calypso paused for a second, sounding almost strange in delivery before subconsciously biting his tongue. "..what is it that you want the most of all?" Calypso finished, hoping he didn't give away his true nature to Eugene.
Again, Eugene hadn't noticed anything as he had just been in awe this entire time, not even catching the "Founder" part. Calypso knew he had Eugene hook, line and sinker here. Eugene began to giddy himself, his chest bubbling with excitement as he proceeded to come forward.
"Agent from Heaven! Me and my flock have suffered down here in the dirt for too long! I have suffered for too long! We want to ascend to the heavens! We want to arrive in the kingdom of our creator!" Eugene excitedly shouted, spit flying about as he had a hard time controlling himself. The angel's face went from a burnt and straight face to a strange looking smile formed by what could've been mistaken as stop motion effects. Everyone knew that was the answer, but the preacher figured it was one last test of his will to make sure he wouldn't fall into sin and squalor, an easy one to pass. Finally, the angel spoke again, his hands making an upwards motion to the gray and brown sky that had formed above them.
"Your wish is granted!" Calypso had shouted in a more ominous voice. Eugene hadn't noticed yet again, and the host wondered if he ever would have. The feet of all of Eugene and his flock picked itself off of the ground as they all began to rise into the air, whilst down below something small slipped out from the angel's wings, a snake of sorts that looked up with Calypso to the formation of bright stars that have recently appeared. A bright light shone down upon them as they all floated towards the heavens, under the belief that the Rapture had finally begun and rescued them from Earth. Eugene had visions in his head of gates as they all climbed for quite a while.
After a while the ascension slowed down, and the fog enveloped everyone. Everyone fell in and out of consciousness as the filth started getting into every place they could imagine it could get into. Eugene knew something was wrong as they began to choke on whatever radiation they encountered, the particles entering his lungs through each small gasp he could take. Suddenly, everything went dark as Eugene heard the Angel's voice speak one last time, and this is when Eugene had finally noticed: this being wasn't an angel, but the devil itself.
"You said you wanted to ascend to the heavens…but you didn't say for how long…" this repugnant demon whispered into his ear, almost as if it was right next to them. The darkness smothered everyone, and the air began to push on Eugene's chest as he coughed in his state as it soared right past him. He didn't know what was happening, but all he could ask himself was how he could let himself be such a naive fool. He did all this killing for someone who ended up being a false prophet? He was afraid now, he knew wasn't going to meet anyone in Heaven as he had thought; but to Hell now. In that instance, he had lost faith in everything as he had doomed both himself and his followers to a fate worse than what they had before. The last thoughts that entered the preacher's mind was a quote from an old book he read long ago, one he had deemed blasphemous: "There is no God, and we are his prophets".
Screams fill the air as Calypso turns towards the bright lights shining from the sky, clearing its way forcefully to see the outline of a man disappearing into the clouds. Eugene himself had lost a lot of breath and his ascension into the clouds only made it worse. Maybe it was Lucifer's trick, a metaphorical attack into the structures of heaven. Soon he moved past the clouds and out into a starry night with giant colored circular shapes. Any attempts to gasp for air had left his lungs a long time ago, and soon he had stopped moving, floating into the eons of the abyss of space and time as it slowly disappeared from the orbit of Earth and fading away permanently. Calypso proceeded to cackle in his unwavering hysteria, words stumbling out, as if prescribed by some villainous stereotype.
"I AM CALYPSO, AND I THANK YOU FOR PLAYING….TWISTED METAL!"