"It's not much. Might be enough, might not be. Least it'll let her know if something else tries to get in her head...or her soul."
Viper sighed and put the two small charms on her ritual table. They weren't much to look at, bits of clear quartz crystal and beads wrapped in copper wire, laced with fine, pure white hairs. The crystals would darken to blood red if the wearer was attacked by demonic influence. And they would shield Julia, for a little bit. Long enough for her to run, if she had to, or to call for help. Maybe both.
She curled up on the floor, putting her chin in her hands and staring at the low table. They'd told her it was a Lord of Chaos that was attacking Roy. It matched with what she'd heard Roy himself say, when she'd eavesdropped on him and Krickette. It matched, and it meant she might have no chance at all of helping her friend.
"A Greater Demon, I could deal with. It's just a question of finding who he'd made enemies of. Lords of Chaos...Even if it's got enemies, I'd have no idea if they were helping for a lark or planning to betray us later. That sort...Well."
She flicked her tail in frustration, trying to think of possibilities. Forty years ago, she'd been able to invoke shared blood to save another person dear to her. The price had been dear, more than it should have been. Her human face, her family's trust, her name...But her brother survived. Less than a month ago, she had called a Greater Demon to help rescue her beloved from the Envoy of Shadows...It had taken that much, even with the Envoy's True Name.
"So few friends...and I don't want to lose another. If I can...if the tools exist...I'll find a way. If it's possible..."
The woman known as Horned Viper sighed heavily. For now, all she could do was wait to see if Julia showed up. If not...Julia had no reason to trust her, they'd barely met. But it was the best she could offer, for now.
@SithRose and @Sith Rose
Permanent resident of Virtue
"Mommy, I need Cthulhu. He keeps the bad dreams away."
The Destroyer sat in the darkness. It was where he was most comfortable.
As powerful as this mortal was, there were a multitude of other beings in Paragon City as powerful, or even more powerful. Worse, to interact on this earthly plane, his omniscient intellect was filtered through the apelike mind of this "Roy".
In the darkness, the Destroyer could plan and could visualize the outcome so clearly.
Out there was confusion, harrassment, and, if only momentary, defeat. They swarmed on him like wasps. They had forced him into retreat.
The one mistake he had made had been giving them Roy back, albeit with altered memories to make him completely disfunctional. The blasted Irish woman and the alien, Solarian Wind had taken the idiot to Sister Psyche. She had given Roy his memories back. Now the imbecile was in control again!
Damn her. Damn all of them.
No... Not damned. Souldust. They would all be souldust. No eternal reward for these creatures. Not even an eternal condemnation. Nor would any of them be given the chance to be reborn.
Annhihilation. Souldust. Ground beneath the Wheel.
In the meantime, since taking control of the human seemed to bring out the fool's friends, the Destroyer would try another tactic.
Deep within the soul of Benjamin Roy Kirby, a small black worm began eating its way to the center...
She had sent the young woman home, hoping that no one had seen her come. Shae knew that her Founders' Falls apartment was being watched by Crey and hoped that Steel Butterfly hadn't brought more trouble on herself by finding her here. However, she understood why she had come. Roy needed help and she only hoped that what she was about to try would give him some breathing room at least.
Shae drew the lines carefully across her floor with the white quartz sand. She stepped to the center of her elaborately drawn labyrinth and sat down, closing her eyes.
The labyrinth was one that a firebird had shown her once, long ago. The maze had belonged to the Koschei. It was a Russian monster, often called the Koschei the deathless. She was hoping that the pattern that the firebird had shown her could prove useful here.
She stepped into Dream and went looking for Roy...
She didn't find him. She found someone else entirely.
----------------------------
She didn't recognise it at first, and that cost her a moment of time.
It did recognise her. Shae was struck down, her hands closing convulsively on the "ground" in the dreamscape. She levered herself upright as fast as she could, and barely dodged its next blow. The Lord of Chaos was readying another attack, and from the darkness gathering around its hands she thought she would rather not find out what that would do to her.
Now that she had its attention, she ran.
She led her pursuer to the maze that she had set up and mentally kept count in her mind. One right, one left, skip a turning and then one left and one right. Two rights and a left, skip one and then two lefts and one right. Three rights and a left, skip a turning and then three lefts and one right....
Hopefully the chaotic nature of the demon following her would hide the patterning from it. Hopefully she could get far enough ahead that she could lose it, and not have it follow her out.
Hopefully it lost track of time as well as she had planned it to, and didn't just rip the maze apart...
It wasn't a permanent solution, but, as long as it was chasing shadows through her elaborate slightly time warped dream maze, it was not damaging Roy further.
----------------------------
She reached the center of the maze alone. Pausing to catch her breath, she looked down at her hands. Her hands were bloody from when she had caught herself after the Lord of Chaos had struck her to the ground, and there was gravel caught in her sleeve.
No, not gravel...a pebble.
A small green pebble.
Shae turned it over in her hands thoughtfully...
Shae Firewarder
The Destroyer could not believe the Djinn's bravado. He had been sure to keep Roy Kirby's spirit out of the realm of dreams. Yet here she was, barging in, pulling the human's subconsciousness into that realm, leaving his machinations open to the spying eyes of the Bringer.
Worse, his first reaction was to confront her openly. Instead, he should have ignored her. Let her wander the emptiness of the human's dreams until she realized the futility of it and left.
Now, he too had entered the dreamscape. A dreamscape the djinn had designed.
He sighed. Weariness should be beneath him. Yet these friends of the human were grinding away at his immortal patience as surely as he would soon be grinding their souls.
The chase through the maze had its intended effect. He was in the dream now, and would see it through. To do otherwise would surely bring calling the ruler of this realm.
A maze. Which way had he just turned? Wasn't there only two forks at this junction a moment ago?
Shae Firewarder would suffer. Oh, she would suffer...
Benjamin Roy Kirby sat thinking as the small-framed, bald-headed man behind the desk read over the document. Every now and then, the man would interrupt Roy's reverie with a question, then he would take a pencil make a scratch and a scribble, then continue reading.
Meanwhile, Roy continued to think.
Thinking was a process that was coming easier to him these days. He wasn't sure what had happened exactly, but for the moment he was free of fake memories and the constant internal wrestling with the other intelligences that were inhabiting him. He was taking advantage of the reprieve.
So many of his friends had become distrustful of him, and rightly so. But as much as he could, he would make amends. And as best as he could, he would protect them from the time to come.
"Mr. Kirby, right here you..."
Roy leaned over the desk and looked at the particular phrase the smaller man was indicating with the tip of his pencil.
"Uh... oh. Heh. I spelled it like 'agitated'... I meant 'animated'. Sorry."
The small man "hrmed" then continued scratching and scribbling.
Roy went back to thinking.
Dating Julia went against his number-one dating rule. "Don't date gals that are young enough ta be yer daughter."
But there was something about her...
She seemed more mature than most of the twenty-somethings he knew. It was like she knew as much about life as he ever would. It was in her eyes. And that was what captivated him about her. That look.
That look told him no matter what he was going through, no matter what he had been through, she would be tough enough to go through it also.
He only wished she wasn't from the future.
If she was from Montana. Or Tennessee. Or Bolivia. Someplace he had actually been. Someplace he could discuss with her.
She couldn't talk about the future. He couldn't ask.
He wasn't sure he would want to hear about the future anyway. The last time he'd asked a time-traveller anything, it was Mike and Quest's kid. And the future she described... He knew it would never happen. It was a parallel. The same parallel Julia was from.
It was a future he would never see.
The small man finished reading the document and looked up from his work.
"Well, Mr. Kirby, I'll have this typed up and you can come by tomorrow at your convenience to sign it."
Roy stood, and offered the man his hand to shake.
"Geez, That didn't take as long as I thought'd take."
"No, you had everything worked out pretty well. It looks pretty thorough."
"Well, I went ta an accountant an' had all my assests figgered up."
"Wise. Well, I will see you tomorrow, Mr. Kirby."
"Yeah," Roy said and walked out of the lawyer's office.
Tommorrow he would make a point to stop by and sign his last will and testament.
Steel Butterfly looked at the modified board in her hands. She held it so the morning sunlight could shine along the little metal pathways and spark off the chips. It could be her imagination, but it seemed to feel different now.
Shae Firewarder had showed up at Steel Butterfly's workshop and asked to see the board again. They had talked for hours about circuits, and about magic, trading information and ideas till Steely's head felt like it would explode.
Then they had modified the board, together.
Steel Butterfly didn't think what she was feeling right now was hope..nor was it resignation. She almost felt ...serene?
The die was cast.
Now she had to find Heroid before the wheel turned again.
Shae Firewarder
The Destroyer at last reached the end of the maze. It had kept him busy for days, but now the battle could begin anew. Now it could reach past the human's subconscious and interact again with the outside. This time it would be more subtle.
Roy sat in Gemini and felt the sun warm his arms. He knew it wasn't a real sensation. Only a simulated one. Just like the terrible tuna dish he and Julia had shared at Elaine's Bistro the night before.
The wind ruffled his hair, which he knew wasn't hair, but a very close approximation of hair. The jewel entity had done well for him. It almost felt like a real body.
Sitting near him was Julia, the wind blowing her hair like golden silk. He wanted to tell her. He needed to tell her.
He couldn't.
He looked at the friends gathered around the park, passing time, relaxing. Building strength for the next day's battles. He hoped he would be able to protect them all.
Sometime, between the arrival of Horned Viper and Flam-Belle, and the city bus knocking him down, he blacked out.
The Destroyer smiled to himself. He had pushed the human just enough to find out how far he could go before he was noticed. Then he had quietly taken charge until the human ran screaming out of the park.
His time in control had been short, but productive.
The Viper woman, a sorceress, had promised to make her friend, Roy, unkillable. No unforseen betrayal could stop him after that.
Then there was the other matter. The woman. Julia?
The human felt strongly about her. That was good. Nothing destroyed a soul quicker than love.
The Destroyer smiled at himself again, and plotted.
((Again, I must thank Shae Firewarder for her invaluable help with this story. Thanks, Shae!))
Joe Reed looked out the tinted window of the Chevrolet he sat in. Life as he had known it was over for him. He had told the FBI about the corruption among the guards at the Zig. If he didnt leave Paragon City, his life wouldnt be worth a plug-nickel.
It didnt matter though. Nothing mattered. He would never see her again. The vision. The goddess. The siren that would haunt his dreams from now until the day he died.
He had not intended to tell her anything, but when she showed up in that green outfit, looking more like an ideal of a woman than an actual woman, he couldnt help but tell her everything.
The room in the Geneva Hotel was supposed to be secure, with guards inside the room and out in the hall. Guards with weapons designed to take down even a cape, if one showed up. But this Shae Firewarder walked right in and those FBI men treated her like she was in charge.
Somebodys here to ask you some questions, they told him.
So what're you wanting to talk to me about? he asked. I've spilled all the beans I plan to.
She regarded him coolly, then said, I have a photograph...and I was wondering if you could tell me anything about a person in it.
At that point the FBI men left the room, shutting the door behind them. Joe wondered what kind of influence this woman had. They left him sitting in the room with only a small desk between him and the heroine.
Shae Firewarder slid the photo across the desk to him, keeping her fingers on it, prepared to snatch it back if she needed to.
He suppressed a nervous shudder, looked at the photograph and said, Looks like Ireland Love fighting a superdine addict.
He kept his head down as he spoke. If he looked her in the eyes, there was no way hed be able to lie to her.
She tapped her fingers on the photo and said, Joe... I think there is more to this than that...
He looked up and his nerve broke. Look... You gotta promise me... I mean... He began wringing his hands to dry the sweat that was forming on his palms. I mean, Bullets won't stop no big robot. You got me?
Shae Firewarder looked at Joe Reed, "I don't intend to tell him where you are. I know well enough the power of this one."
Joe nodded, and said, That big green guy in the picture? I don't know who it is...
But?
I mean I recognize him... But I don't know no name or anything like that.
You recognize him from
?
He's the one... He paid me to shoot Roy.
Joe looked up again at Shae Firewarder. Her beauty was intimidating. He wanted to tell her everything, so he did.
I didnt do it for the money. Roy was after my wife
I know he was. When this guy came up and wanted this hit done
I couldnt pass up the chance.
Joe looked to Shae Firewarder for some sign that she understood, that his motive made sense. I didnt get that assurance.
Roy wasnt a bad guy, but
How am I supposed to compete with a superhero?
Find a girl who think that superheroes are too dangerous to date, I suppose.
You try that in this town, toots. Joe immediately regretted saying toots.
Shae Firewarder continued to look coolly at him.
Us regular joes don't stand a chance... Guys like Captain Valor and Ascendant and their little groupies... You people dont' think us civilians hear about all of that?
Shae Firewarders eyes suddenly glowed with an angry fire. Hear about the groupies? The stories are in the papers...and the photographers follow the heroes everywhere, selling the pictures
She tapped the photo in question.
Serves you people right, Joe snapped, again regretting it almost before the words flew from his lips. Then he mustered up what meager courage he had and added, You like the fame... You like the percs. You know what? I'd shoot him again!
He looked away from her again, unable to keep his eyes on her and continue speaking.
I'd do it for every guy in this town who's lost his wife or girlfriend to some jerk in a cape.
He looked at the picture, Anyway, thats him. Thats the guy that ordered the hit.
Shae Firewarder withdrew the photo, and stashed it. Thank you for the identification.
I want my guards back now.
That would probably be for the best, she said, and knocked on the door for the FBI men to come back in.
Joe watched her leave as his guards frisked him.
He watched her walk out the door and would spend the rest of his days knowing that beauty was as crushing as 900 pounds of titanium.
So, th idea I had o installin a self-destruct fail-safe with a remote control worked pretty good. So long as it knew somebody somewhere could press that button, th Lord o Chaos wuz afraid ta stick his nose up inta my business. Between that an whatever Shae had done in my subconscience had kept th Evil Roy outta my hair long enough ta take care o my affairs.
A will. Transferrin all my royalties from th cartoon show over ta my folks an my kid. I even took th bonus check I got fer renewin my contract with th Cartoon Channel an had it fixed so that whenever Maggie an Smersh get married, it goes ta Maggies Rock as a weddin gift.
I put in a good word fer th Other Guys so maybe Swamp Bugs legacy could continue an maybe Steelyd could take over an run it with a good bunch o young uns.
Th only regret wuz how things went with Julia. She didnt deserve fer me ta make er unhappy. I shoulda been satisfied that she wuz honest enough with me ta not jerk me around. But not me. NOoo. I gotta show my a$$ in public an embarrass us both.
Hell, Id done th same thing with Maggie.
No wonder I cant land a steady gal. Im a loser.
I figgered it wuz time. I figgered if I cashed it in, maybe this Assendin thing th Evil Roy had talked about couldnt happen.
I found out where I could find a baddie who wuz strong enough ta take me out permanent. I ditched my mediport patch an headed ta a cave bside Platinum Lake in Steel Canyon.
Th Envoice o Shaddas wuz in there.
Id tangled with im twice bfore an if it wuznt fer Parz an Kelp, he woulda killed me th first time. I dunno how I made it out th second time. This time Id make sure it wuz just me an him. An Id fight until I couldnt fight no more.
About halfway through beatin up th coven that wuz scattered through th caves, Kricky beeped up on my comm. Geez. She just got outta th hospital an wuz worryin about if I wuz okay. Shes a good kid. Shed done er best ta stop me from yellin at Julia in th park, in front o everybody. She done everything she could cept maybe gimme a boot ta th head.
Krickys a good friend. Too good fer me, considerin I went kinda nuts an tried ta kill er when she wuz laid up in th hospital.
Hell, I shoulda just went an told Shin all about what I done if I really wanted ta die.
Anyways, I told Kricky, no, her assistance wuznt needed, an went on deeper inta th cave. I could feel that nasty demon down there somewhere.
When I found im, I swear, he smiled. He smiled an extended his hand like he wuz gonna shake mine.
It wuz weird. I found myself extendin my own hand. I could almost swear I wuz smilin back.
An now
Now Im here in th dark again. An' I really don't wanna go back.
-------------
"Hey, Kricky. I got something to ask you. If this gets real bad, if I can't do nothin' about it, will you--"
Her head snapped up and she looked up at the kind face of her friend's, "Off you? Yeah. Sure. If you promise to do the same if I ever turn into a lunatic, evil, Crey clone basketcase."
A laugh was shared between friends and then a handshake.
"Deal?"
"Deal."
His expression softened, "Thanks, kid."
"Hey, what're friends for?"
That was in the beginning.
--------------
It seemed like it was going to be a good day. Mike had just offered her a possible solution for regrowing her wings, she had a brand new, bitchin' outfit, she got to meet Sea Hawk and even chatted with Maggie for a little while, which she rarely got to do due to her strenuous work schedule. Roy seemed to be at least mostly non-evil today. Things were looking up!
When she'd finally decided on the appropriately dramatic color of red to wear on her missions today, she picked up her com.
"Hey, big guy. I got this new outfit and I wanted to see if you thought Shin would like it." There was a pause and it seemed like everyone in Icon's eyes rested on her, as if they knew what would come next. "Envee o' Shaddas? ... Wait, do you mean the Envoy?! Roy? What the Hell are you doing? Alone?" She turned fiercely on her boot and began to storm towards the door. Serge lifted a pen to politely request that she pay for her clothing, but the suggestion fell on deaf ears, "No, I won't tell Parzifal, but I'm coming... No, I won't take no for an answer. Where are you, Roy...? Let me help you." The tone of fher friend changed to become smoother, darker and altogether mocking.
"Aw, nuts."
------------
Later in the park, Krickette clasped the sheath of a katana in her hands, staring at the dark, massive form of the Lord of Chaos. How dark his flesh was and how is crown grew into a point made her think he looked a little like a mountain. How was a cricket supposed to beat a mountain? There were threats made to everyone she knew, there were suggestions that she would be the perfect wife, and somewhere along the line a Chinese fellow had called him 'Sugarknickers'. Words were exchanged, pets were threatened and every time her and Shin went to give him a good beating, he would elude them to threaten someone else.
"Don't make me beat you out of that body," she growled to the man fearlessly, tucking the sheath away in her belt, "you're coming out of there right now." She started to storm forward, head lowered in determination.
"Roy is gone." he boomed at her, a cruel smile gracing his face. "He is.. soul dust."
They had had at least five different confrontations and each time the Lord had said that Roy was already gone, or promised that he would be soon. This time, though, something was different. Kricky could swear that she felt her heart sink a little with the weight of truth.
Her eyes burned as she glared up at him, "Then I have no reason to hold back, then, do I?" The blade was drawn in the midst of Gemini, sword pointed at the ground, "This ends now." She was going to kill him, she really intended to, as it was finally seeming that it was absolutely necessary.
Somewhere in the background, outside her current perceptions, Shinsektor offered, "Well, at least we got the kittens back... uuuh..."
He looked her over with an expression of amusement, "You can't hurt me, girl."
"Probably not, but I can sure as Hell try." She was ready to do it. She charged forward a few steps before skidding to a halt. There were children in the park. Roy wouldn't have wanted it like that, no. She pointed the sword towards the Lord like she'd seen Shinsektor do a hundred times before and spoke one word, "Arena."
His face lit up in a cruel grin. The suggestion seemed most satisfactory to him, "Yes. You and I. No one else."
Shinsektor looked between the two of them, a bucket of sawblades in hand and said, "Waaait a second--"
Grass flattened under the wind left by the force of her leap. She was away, to the Arena.
--------
The blade was to make it quick, painless, once he was down. After all, she had mused before, with a being as tough as Roy was she'd probably have to stomp on his throat repeatedly if she just used her feet. That was far from painless.
The buzzer sounded and neither of them wasted any time. The setting was that of an office building; a singular, large room with two floors. There would be no room for escape here. This was the end game.
Peeling around the corner with enhanced speed, Vera first caught sight of the white and red figure that was once her friend. The image almost would've been friendly, if he weren't spinning a piece of flooring to toss at her like a discus thrower. His body spun, creating great swirls of dust as he built up the motion to strike her. All she had was her reflexes. If she was hit, even once or twice, it might be the end, and she had no doubt in her mind that he would kill her.
The piece of flooring was released towards her as she charged forward, particles spinning off and striking the walls harshly. Her body lowered, using her lack of height to her advantage, and she came up again in a leaping crane kick with her foot aimed for his heart. It was only through a combination of speed and the strength of her legs that she actually managed to move the mountain, sending him flying backward with his massive arms extended, fingers scraping along walls to try and find purchase.
The first strike had been hers. He was quick to return the favor. Her feet hit the ground, landing flat on her soles with her arms at her sides for balance, as she always did. Before she knew it, he was upon her. He pulled back his fist, feet planted firmly on the ground so that he could put his weight into it. One punch like that, all his weight focused into her comparitively frail body and it would've been over. Vera, though, was giving this all she had. Her mind moved quickly, dropping into a low kick towards the back of his knees as he swung over her head. She felt it impact, and he moved, but just barely. The shock of her leg striking something like a metal beam rippled up through her body.
He looked down at her, green lenses gleaming in the dim light of the office and just chuckles, "Hehehe.. Kricky, that tickles."
Pain met her mind as her back met the floor, pressing down on the stumps that used to be her wings. Her body launched into a jump kick, both feet pounding into his chest. Her initial kick had left a dent, some black writing that she couldn't decipher scrawled with in it, right over his heart. She focused on that weak point; she focused on his heart.
His foot lifted into the air and came down abruptly, giving her only just enough time to move away as she was in the low stance of a dragon's tail. The damage was done. The floor shattered in spider web cracking, spiraling out from his boot. Debris surged upward in a sudden current, the sheer impact burying several small shards into her skin, shredding through red and black cloth. It stung, but a few minor cuts would be the least of her worries if she didn't get out of the way. Her eyes lifted to him as she balled both hands together, bringing them over his head, ready to hammer her right into the broken flooring.
Palms slapped against the floor and she flipped backward, small and elusive, right in time to see him bury his fists a foot into the ground and feel the floor tremble underneath her form the impact. Instinct took over. In doing this, he'd left himself momentarily open and, as he began to right himself again, his face was at her level. With agility, she began to spin up from the floor, starting in what looked like a dragon's tail and leaping into a storm kick. Her heel hooked into his face, shockwaves again sent ripping through her body.
There was a problem, though. The move did not complete, the circle did not finish. Faces were supposed to give way under the impact of the strong kick. Roy's didn't.
One hand of cold metal reached up to grasp her ankle and dangle her like a freshly caught fish over the ground. In one, jarring motion he slammed her downward into the shattered tile. The only thing that saved her from a broken cranium was defensively rolling her body up, tucking her arms around her knees so that the primary force of the blow was on the flat of her back.
"Oomph!" Her leg twitched, aiming a blow squarely to his jaw.
"Wench!" he boomed as the blow struck, dropping her to the ground. Again, she rolled to her feet, but stayed low. He was proficient with his fists, she thought, and maybe if he had to reach down to grab her that would give her just enough time to move out of the way.
Looking down at her he flexed his metallic fingers, and seemed to crack his knuckles, something that was supposed to be a human, or at least organic, trait. Then again, Roy had always been more human than anything.
"Kricky... Please. I don't wanna hurt ya." His hands came together again and began to lift over his head, "Don't make me."
"This is me, making you." The lifting of his hands exposed his broad chest and the dent she'd been aiming for. With everything she had she leapt up into a double crane kick, a last ditch manuver. With his arms held over his head, backward, he had created for himself a slight imbalance in his posture. This time the crane kick sent him crashing into a pillar. Plaster cracked, creating a cloud of dust around him as he began to slide to the ground. Her body pulled back into a stance of ready as she watched the light in his eyes dim. It was over, she thought.
The friendly red and white covering seemed to burn away to reveal cold, gray skin and harsh, unforgiving yellow eyes. They opened abruptly and glared at the battered woman. No, the fight hadn't even begun. Like a solid mass of stone, he pulled himself to his feet and erupted into a low cackle.
There was no time to focus as he came barreling towards her, shoulder lowered. Her strong legs propelled her upwards and she barely managed to flip over his head, using his shoulders as a mid-way point to balance herself throughout the flip. She landed on the balls of her feet behind him. Still laughing in twisted joy, he spun about. Both barrel arms tries to grab at her and enclose her like a wrestler. Using her height to slip under one arm, she was at his back. Her position allowed for a more tactical strike. She leapt into the air and firmly planted the sole of her foot into the back of his neck.
Such a strike would've killed any normal man. The Lord of Chaos stumbled forward a few feet. Intuition told her to retreat. Instinct told her to press the attack. She chose instinct. Her body began to move in a circular motion, preparing for a storm kick. With thunderous strength, the mountain spun around and slipped in a simple jab. She couldn't move. She didn't have time. She was already in the air and all she could do was hold up her left arm to slow the punch. With the impact, a sickening 'crack' filled the air. The force of the blow sent the woman sprawling some ten feet backward.
The incredible pain finally seemed to wake her from her battle trance. Saliva dribbled from the side of her mouth as nausea sunk into the pit of her stomach, the nausea that came with a broken limb. Her lungs seemed not to be able to hold breath and her eyes began to fog with exhaustion. This was going to be the end of one of their stories.
A shape stood over her, once again the friendly mass of red and white. She was looking up at her friend, the friend she promised to kill, the friend that had tried to kill her, but for some reason she was happy to see him.
"Roy..." she muttered, pushing up with her good arm. She had to get back to her feet or risk death.
"Kricky.. Geeze, I'm sorry..." He took another step forward.
She didn't buy it. Not for a moment. "If you were Roy, you would've never thrown the first punch."
"Too true." And he pulled back his fist again, aiming for his opponent. Wounded, everything ounce of strength Vera had went into defending herself. She needed just a moment, a moment to catch her breath. The only counterattack she gave was a quick, firm thunder kick to his chest. She moved backwards, twisting around the staircases as she tried to put some distance between herself and her opponent.
"Yer weak..." He began to laugh, richly, heartily. The thing that scared her the most is it sounded so much like Roy, Roy who she'd tried to make laugh so many times before. This needed to be done. This needed to be over. "Ya couldn't do it..."
She began to backpedal up a staircase as he followed her at a seemingly leisurely pace. Her eyes began to clear, heart pounding fiercely in her chest with adrenaline, "Actually, I was waiting."
"Wh...?"
The moment he gave a slightly inquisitive tilt of his head, she launched herself off the staircase, body doing a half-twist in the air. Her foot slammed firmly into his optic sensors as she propelled herself back, using his face to do so. Her body twisted again in the air, allowing her to land gracefully back on the staircase, "For that."
The eagle's claw had shocked him, shaken him, and she used this moment to press her advantage. Another crane kick landed firmly in the center of his chest, propelling him backward and flat, onto his back. She didn't stop there. It wasn't blood lust that drove her, but sheer determination. As he began to get up, she was over him, burying thunder kick after thunder kick into his chest in rapid succession. Slam, slam, slam. Again and again, her foot met metal.
"I'll get ya! I'll kill ya!" He swung high, his powerful fist practically whistling through the air.
"Go ahead. Try." she growled in defiance.
Flesh met metal again and again, bone and blood to steel and circuits. His fist shot forward in a strong, powerful jab aimed to her. Her body leaned to one side, moving to compliment his movements with another thunder kick to his chest.
"C'mon! Hit me! Yer a piece of garbage! Ya b'long in a dumpster!"
The comment completely enraged her. Three years ago, all her time had been spent proving that she was not a piece of garbage, that she did -not- belong in a dumpster. All doubt that this man needed to die left her mind for a brief moment. Her concern for her own body diminished in her want to just inflict as much pain upon him as possible.
"Then take me there, big guy." she hissed with spite. A jab brushed along has shoulder as she barely managed to move out of the way, knocking her to the side.
"Hit me! Hard!" he demanded. She obliged. Leaping upward, a crane kick connected with his chest again, sending him backward only a foot or two.
"I just-- oomph." The ground underneath her shook as he stomped, destroying the floor further with widening, circular cracks. With no time to leap out of the way, she fell backward. He was moving forward again, metal hands balled into fists at his sides.
"C'mon, Kricky!" he seemed to plead, his voice changing. "I'll kill ya if ya don't... please." He wasn't attacking and she could see in the dim lights of the room how dented and battered his form had become. He looked about half as bad as she did.
"...Roy?" she whispered through the dust, pulling herself back into her stance.
"C'mon. Finish it!"
She gave it everything she had. Her body launched forward, foot coming up to bury into his chest. She started to feel like she was being swept away in blue light as she felt metal and circuitry give way underneath the metal plating of his chest. The Arena's fail safes had kicked in.
-----------------
The two of them were once again on the plush, light blue carpet of the arena, by the doors that lead inwards. Roy's limp and dented body was propper up against the wall, no light emitting from his optic sensors. As she stopped to observed, catching her breath and feeling the ache of the battle, the figure of the Green Knight dashed up the stairs, speaking.
"What happened? I tried getting a camera unit in there, but there was some kind of glitch." Shinsektor questioned, not fully taking in the scene just yet. He was followed briefly by a knight of a different sort as Sir Parzifal climbed the last of the steps, frowning. Shin glanced over his shoulder, "Oh, hey Parz." Parzifal could only frown.
Vera stood there before Roy, staring down at him with wide eyes. Her hair as a mess, small streaks of blood streaking her tan skin from the bits of rubble that had embedded themselves amid the chitin on her face. One arm was held close to her body, shoulders slumped as she stared at the incapacitated figure of her friend. Every dent on his body was a dent she'd made and for a brief moment she began to question what exactly she'd done.
"What has happened? Lady Krickette, are you all right?" Parzifal spoke, looking between the two of them.
"...I won."
"I think he's done." Shinsektor moved forward, trying to sound reassuring.
"This is ending now. I promised I'd do it." There was the smooth scraping sound of metal sliding across metal as she drew the katana from its sheath with one arm.
She never thought it'd happen, she never thought Roy would hurt her. She always believed the good guys would win, that Roy would win out over this thing, but just the other day he had attempted to kill her with a pillow over her face. It was only by the force of other heroes that she'd been saved. Something within her was telling her that this needed to happen, that it was either him or her. So much of the past few years had been spent with one thing in mind; survival. She wasn't about to let this all go to waste over a matter of the heart when she would also be protecting her loved ones in this singular act.
"Lady..."
"Vera..." Shinsektor's voice rose from silence as he reached forward silently for her shoulder.
Suddenly the young woman's body lunged away, sword pointed for the dent she'd focused on. She had to do it, before Roy woke up, before Shin or Parzifal could stop her. They wouldn't understand. She had to do the thing that no one else would.
She expected resistance, she expected the scrape of metal on metal, but what she expected never came. Her body had stopped itself an inch before the strike, point over the 'Love' of Maggie's signature that had been obscured in the battering over his heart. She couldn't do it. She tried to make herself, but it wasn't happening. Her entire body seemed to tremble, torn in a war between her mind and her heart.
Since when.. did I become one of the good guys...?
In a warbling, electronic tone, Roy suddenly spoke, "You should've drove it in." His metal hand curled around the blade of the sword.
"Roy, wait--!" Shin shouted, stepping forward.
It was too late. He jerked the blade forward, into his own chest. Krickette came with it. It was just as if she'd done it herself. She watched the blade move through his dented, metal flesh, piercing the word 'Love'. She felt the resistance of circuits breaking from within, the vibration it created as it moved through the sword and up her arms. Further he pulled it, placing his hands over hers and pushing it inward until it was all the way up to the hilt and she was there, nose to blake metal face as he began to mutter.
"Kricky... I... geez..."
Her body trembled slightly, hand still wrapped around the katana that was buried into her friend's chest.
"I feel... he he..." his voice warbled weakly, "I feel like... I'm bleedin'... I.. it had ta... t-ta..."
"T-tag." Parzifal stuttered from behind her as Roy's sensors dimmed, massive body slumping. His hand fell from the blade, fingers clattering to the ground.
There was silence for a long moment, at least in Vera's world. Someone may have said something, someone may have said her name, but her eyes were fixated on those green optic sensors. It felt like hours before she finally spoke, and when she did it was in a trembling whisper, "W.. wake up." He should be awake, she thought. He was invincible. He was Roy. Her hand still clutched the handle of the katana and she shook her head softly, just saying again. "Wake up."
Parzifal was praying. Shinsektor was phoning the hospital. Only two words seemed to be capable of coming from Vera's mouth, "Wake up!"
As if it would revive her fallen comrade, she pulled the blade from his chest, the screech of metal filling the air. His limp body slumped to the side, falling to his left. There was the sound of sturdy, heavy metal hitting floor and Vera stared... How could this be? How could a person, one of her dear friends, be reduced to inactive circuits and metal?
Parzifal was still praying as she looked up to the other two. Shinsektor had turned away and for the first time she heard him speak.
"Roy... I said I called the hospital. This is where you're supposed to get up."
Vera flicked the katana to the side in a motion of cleaning blood from it, even though it was wholly unnecessary, and tucked it away in her sheath. In her own world, there were a few moments of stunned silence. She would turn around. She was going to turn around and he would be standing there. When she did turn around, he was still lying limply on his side. At that point, Vera doubted if she could take in breath. Her knees began to fold and she collapsed at his side. Her hand came up, grabbing the edge of her sleeve and folding it inward so that it covered her hand and she lightly polished the side of his face plate, just as she had always threatened to do. Her form crouched over the body and she gave him a single kiss on the cheek, then whispered...
"Good night, big guy."
It wasn't supposed to end like this.
((After I finish off a quick RP tonight with someone, and read Krickette's post, I should have a decent post worked up.))
((In case anyone missed it, Kricky edited her post in, so read that now! 
Big thanks to Roy for letting me post something in here/taking part in the plot!))
It's alright. Everything's going to be okay. He'll pull through.
----------
"You should have drove it in!"
"..."
"Roy, wait--!"
*SHRRRK*
----------
You're...not supposed to die...
----------
The cheerful green optics went dead a final time. Unbelievable silence shrouded itself around the quiet noises of Roy's perspired husk.
"...did it himself."
Shinsektor reassured himself, outloud, of the one quiet victory of the day.
"...Vera..."
As Parzifal's prayer formed the quiet soundtrack of registered hero HEROID's conclusion, the Insectoid Knight looked helplessly at his love. She still gripped the katana, eyes held tightly shut.
"...should I call this in?"
Silence bore into his heart.
His comm flipped open.
The happy beeps that represented the hospital's phone number added a brief staccato movement over the ever-present prayer that continued to fall from Parzifal's lips.
"Critically injured hero, registered name: HEROID. Self-inflicted blade wound to the chest-"
An innocent voice asked Roy to wake up.
----------
"It's obvious she's got a thing fer ya. Don't let it slip away, y'know?"
"Ghh...alright, Roy, I got it the last time you said it. And the time before that. Could we just drop this already?"
----------
*Scrrrreetch*
"...yeah. We're at Devcon. Might need-...some manpower..."
*Pooonnnnnggg*
He could barely glance over his shoulder as the battered form of HEROID fell to the floor, now that Krickette had removed the sword. The final movement had been reached. The blade slid into its sheathe as Parzifal completed the prayer and crossed himself.
As a shaky breath became the sole sound amid the new silence, a last shred of hope began to wither away.
"...called the hospital..."
----------
"Ya shouldn't keep a nice gal like Kricky waitin' like this."
"I'm not ready for that kind of commitment yet-"
"What if she is? Y'have somethin' a lotta us could only wish fer, Shin."
"Roy...I just...I can't yet."
----------
"Roy...I said I called the hospital..."
Get up.
"...this is where you're supposed to get up..."
Don't do this to me.
"..."
The emergency crew's here, now pull yourself together.
"Medics are here now, Roy. Time to get up..."
What was that noise? Did she drop her sword? It's okay, it can take it. Pick it up for her, Roy.
Don't apologize, Vera. Everything'll be fine.
"It's not your fault, Vera."
Idiot medics. Don't drag him down the stairs, you might hurt him even more.
"...oh, get lost."
Yeah, run. I'll deal with this. Then Roy'll owe me lunch somewhere.
Why's it raining in here?
"Have to do everything around here ourselves..."
There, now he even has my medi-porter. The hospital'll have him patched up in no time.
Damn it, why does it have to rain -now-?
----------
Shinsektor stared at the spot that once bore the hero known as HEROID.
----------
You [censored]. Who told you you could leave?
----------
The wall buckled as a chitinous foot drove into it, over and over again.
----------
You're supposed to be here! You're always supposed to be here! You stupid self-serving son of a-
...
Why is it ****ing raining?! Why now?!
----------
He turned slightly, at the sound of footsteps. Fresh streams of liquid hid within the cracks of the chitin that formed his face.
Vera ran towards him.
----------
"I figure I'm gonna end up livin' to see all o' my friends kick th' bucket."
"Hey, c'mon. You and me both, Roy."
----------
A dented wall, a scratched floor, and two insectoid humans in a comforting embrace.
----------
I guess we were both wrong.
See you around.
DJs for The Cape Radio
Makes videos & podcasts about reviewing toys, covering conventions, and more at Vangelus.ca
This time the city had called Steel Butterfly rather than try to move the 900 pound robot to the impound yard...
...and Steel Butterfly had called Shae Firewarder, since she wasn't sure she could handle seeing him there ...or moving him.
--------------
Steel Butterfly chewed her lip absently as Shae cast a spell to cause the ground under Heroid's body to become slippery. The movers Shae had hired pulled on the ropes they had tied to him, and they maneuvered the battered robot body carefully out the door of the arena to the truck. Steel Butterfly gave the driver the address of her King's Row workshop and then she watched them drive away down the road.
Shae sighed, and turned to Steel Butterfly, "Would you fix him...the body up, please? The board...if you would repair that in particular...."She trailed off, noticing the distant look in Steel Butterfly's eyes.
Steel Butterfly pulled herself back with an effort, "Hm? Yes...You didn't feel that...thing in there did you? When you were checking him?"
"There was a magical residue...of that...but that is not in there."Shae tapped her fingers thoughtfully on her thigh. "There are things I need to look for...a few questions I need to ask. Fix the body up...please...just in case...and I will contact you with what I learn."
Steel Butterfly nodded and looked away again. Her mind was already wrapped around the problem of machining the replacement parts...powering up the board...that particular board that was meant to hold a soul. She couldn't think of Roy as dead. There wasn't room in her head to think of him as dead. If she filled her mind with technical diagrams and the logistics of the repair work she wouldn't have to think of missing him...of never hearing his voice calling her Steely again.
Shae watched the tears slowly drip down Steel Butterfly's cheek and then looked away.
Shae Firewarder
((Sorry this is so late. Work's been work, so again, written in haste with not much of an edit. ^_^ Also, apologies to any speakers of Cornish, if I have gotten the syntax incorrect here.))
His eye twitched.
Parzifal had been passing by the arena on his way home. Something
he knew not what
something told him to go inside. Placing his hand on the cool glass, he pushed the door open, and began to walk up the stairs.
On the platform above, the knight could see three figures, immediately recognizable. His brow furrowed. Hello, Lady Krickette, Shin, Roy...
It was then that he looked
really looked
at Roy. Normally, even though the man wore a robot body, there was always a spark of humanity there, in his eyes. That light was gone. The quiet susurrus of Roys breathing was absent, as well. Part of his chest seemed to have
caved in, somehow.
What happened? I tried getting a camera unit in there, but there was some kind of glitch. Shinsektors voice seemed tight. Parzifal frowned. Oh, hey Parz.
He turned his attention to Lady Krickette. One arm was hugged protectively to her chest, and her hair was askew. As he watched, she braced herself with one foot, and yanked a katana from Roy. .. I won, she gasped.
Shin paused. I think hes done.
I keep my promises.
Parzifal blinked, alarmed. What has happened? Lady Krickette, are you all right?
She did not seem to hear him. This is ending -now-. I promised I'd do it."
Neither Parzifal nor Shin could respond for a moment. Then, the insectoid murmured, Vera
and reached for her shoulder.
The woman lunged forward. Lady
he implored softly. The katana stopped, quivering, the point of the blade poised above Roys abdomen.
The robot cried, eye-lights flaring to life, You should have drove it in! One massive hand reached for the blade, and without hesitation, pushed it through, up to the hilt. Krickette did not even have time to let go. The rending metal made a sickening squeal.
Roy, wait
Shin held up a hand.
Kricky
I
There was an awful pause in Roys voice. Geez
I
feel
Heheh
I feel like Im bl-bleedin
I
It had ta
Parzifal stood paralyzed. T-tag
he stammered, hoping that someone might activate the hospital teleport device. The light that flared, dimmed, and died.
The knight heard Shin say, as if from a long way off,
did it himself.
He had seen battle often enough. He knew. There was nothing else he could do. His carefully cultivated concentration fleeing before the sorrow, he began, though stuttering, to pray. Ave M-maria... G-gratia p-plenia...
The couple continued to speak, though he heard none of it. His grief had isolated him, placed him in a cold, numbing place. Only the words existed. D-dominus t-tecum...
He thought of Bridget, poised on Roys boots, waltzing in Parzifals apartment to his Masami Okui CD, while he and the cats watched.
B-benedicta t-tu in m-mulieribus...
Roy offering to introduce the knight to his parents.
Et b-benedictus f-fructus v-ventris t-tui, Iesus.
Roy, chasing Billy around the park, laughing and shouting.
S-sancta M-maria, M-mater D-dei...
Roy trying to teach Parzifal how to flirt.
Ora p-pro n-nobis p-peccatoribus...
Another loud drawn-out screech barely registered in the knights mind. He swallowed. N-nunc et in h-hora m-mortis n-nostrae. Amen. Numb hands made the Sign of the Cross. He looked up, as the robot body of Roy slowly listed to one side, ringing hollowly as it hit the floor. Something in him sickened.
Watching from another place, Parzifal saw Krickette gently kiss Roys face. Good night, big guy.
The knight paused. D-dyw g-genes, k-koweth. He watched distantly the attempts made to minister to Roy. Parzifal may have said something else. He couldnt remember. Nor could he hear anything said to him, really. Parzival then turned, and very slowly, and deliberately, walked out of the arena.
He stumbled on the steps, a sudden, severe headache flaring. It barely registered. All he could think was, Dyw genes, koweth.
God be with you, friend.
Links to my Virtueverse crap
((Oh man...And Viper's still researching to see if she can help Roy...Well written stuff, guys! I may have to play Viper tonight now...))
@SithRose and @Sith Rose
Permanent resident of Virtue
"Mommy, I need Cthulhu. He keeps the bad dreams away."
Jonah watched Steel Butterfly as she examined the diagrams. He could tell she was upset, and hiding it.
She was usually busy taking something apart or putting something together; she was always excited about how things worked, but, ever since she had brought that robot back to the workshop...It was obvious to Jonah that she was trying to keep from thinking about something, or feeling something.
He had recognised Heroid from the pizza ads on TV when the truck delivered him. He had almost asked Steel Butterfly, or Jenna as she sometimes let him call her, what he was doing here, but then he had gotten a look at her face. He'd bitten his tongue and stayed in the background, just watching, and occasionally moving a tool to a more convenient place or putting food in her way so she might possibly eat something. He hadn't meant to get attached to the girl, but he found himself worrying about her, almost like a daughter.
There had been some people here from Georgia yesterday...a Ma and Pa Kirby. They were apparently Heroid's parents, though Jonah hadn't figured out exactly how they had become the parents of a robot. They had brought a huge box of notes and technical data from a Doctor Werner, along with his apologies for not being able to come himself. Jenna hadn't known what to do with either of Heroid's parents. Pa Kirby had looked so devastated that he could hardly function, and Ma Kirby obviously didn't really believe that Heroid was dead. Between them Jenna had looked so trapped that Jonah had had no choice but to take them both off to his tiny apartment and serve them coffee and listen to them until they finally went home to Georgia.
He was happy he hadn't let them come back to the workshop for "just one more look" when he got back there himself. Jenna had thrown herself into working to distract herself, and she was obviously set on repairing the robot. In the time he had been gone she had somehow managed to completely disassemble Heroid and she was so wrapped up in the project he thought she might not even notice a Rikti invasion.
He knew she could work mechanical miracles. He bounced a little on his "feet." She had made the "feet" for him a couple months ago. When they had met, he had been stuck in a wheelchair...or rather would have been in a wheelchair if the clockwork hadn't stolen the chair itself to make more cogs. She had rescued him from the clocks and then had bartered for the use of the workshop. It was a bargain he had never regretted. The "feet" though...she had just presented them to him when she finished them. She had made them, as far as he could tell, because the challenge of getting something like that to work properly was "fun" for her. It had been a puzzle to get the balance right, and the fit. Now he could use his own machines again, without worrying about making any special modifications for his disability.
Jonah watched Steel Butterfly as she reassembled the huge robot, piece by piece...
Now she was trying to work another miracle.
Shae Firewarder
Steel Butterfly opened the door and let Shae in.
Shae stepped into the workshop and looked around. She could smell the machinery and the metal, but no dust. The sunlight from the high windows shone on the polished metal of the machines, and on a very large, nearly assembled red and white robot. On a table near the robot was a board she recognised. It was the board meant to hold a soul: the one that she and Steel Butterfly had modified to also hold a certain green pebble that Shae had found in Dream...The board that they had used to return a player to the game that the Lord of Chaos thought he had destroyed...
When she had seen it last, the robot shell had been dented and pierced, and the board had been broken. The board had been repaired...or replaced. The circuitry drawings on the table were intricate, but there was nothing there beyond Steel Butterfly's skill to make.
Steel Butterfly had followed Shae over to the robot. She flipped through the drawings on the table restlessly as Shae examined the robot shell, "Did you learn anything? Did you talk to him?"
"I found the Lord of Dreams, yes," Shae said as she ran her hands over the smooth metal. The breastplate was still not replaced. She could see that the original, damaged one was lying flat on the other table. There was a second breastplate painted to match, but neither had been installed. Shae indicated the two breastplates, "You haven't replaced it..."
Steel Butterfly sighed, " He'd want the signatures...I haven't figured out how to reshape the original and keep them intact."
Shae nodded, "I will need to help you with that, then. It will take a bit of magic to reshape that as well, but it will not destroy the autographs..." She tapped her fingers on the metal thoughtfully...
Steel Butterfly looked at Shae, "And? What did he say?"
"Lord Morpheous says that the Gem entity was the one that Ascended, and the Lord of Chaos became his broken wheel of destruction...It wasn't exactly the way the players of the game planned it, but, it will be better for those of us still on the gameboard..."
Shae heard Steel Butterfly shift restlessly, and continued before she asked again," And Roy is in Dream." Shae looked up and met Jenna's eyes.
"In Dream? Does that mean he isn't dead or is?"
"Hm....well, the Lord of Dreams seems to think he has earned a final reward of sorts..."
"Final...?"
"I suspect that Roy may yet overturn a plan or two...but that isn't up to me..." She looked at Jenna. "I would like to keep all his options available for choosing...so, I'd like to take a look at that breastplate and see what a bit of magic can do?"
Shae Firewarder
Shae had warded the workshop first. She didn't need any stray magic interfering, or anyone interfering on purpose....
Then Steel Butterfly and Shae moved a few things around in the workshop to clear a large open space.
When the room was arranged to Shae's specifications, they moved the original, damaged breastplate to the center of the cleared area, and Shae began to draw on the floor of the workshop. Steel Butterfly watched for a short while but realised that she wasn't going to be able to stand still long enough to stay out of Shae's way without something to occupy herself. So, she grabbed the one robot arm that had not been reattached yet, and carried the heavy object carefully upstairs to tune it up and polish it where she didn't have to watch and her fidgeting would not interfere with Shae's work.
---------------
Later...
"You can come down now," Shae poked her head over the edge of the platform and smiled at Steel Butterfly.
Steel Butterfly climbed down the stairs as Shae finished sweeping up the last of the chalk. The breastplate was still on the ground where the center of the spell circle had been, and she knelt down to look at it. It was pristeen...except for the signatures...and a small drawing of a phoenix in gold under the right arm...it almost looked like gold wire embedded in the titanium of the breastplate..
Shae noticed her looking at it, " Well, I was preserving all the signatures for him...and, I couldn't resist adding my own mark, as well."
Steel Butterfly ran her finger over it lightly, "It's pretty...is it symbolic?" Her fingers tingled very slightly after she pulled her hand away from the breastplate.
Shae nodded, "Very...The phoenix is a creature of fire, of course...but it is also symbolic of rebirth." Shae looked distant for a moment, " I chose to start using the symbol at a time in my life when I was coming back from the ashes...it is a hopeful symbol. Something I try not to lose sight of." She looked back at Steel Butterfly and smiled. " I am feeling a bit more hopeful today..."
Shae Firewarder
She had been out of town again. She was often sent out of town these days.
Special kids don't only come from Paragon, you know.
New York, Bangledesh, Cairo, Toronto, Hong Kong...It felt like she'd been all over the world in the last few months.
Felt like? Hell, she HAD been...
The pain had been sudden...Overwhelming.
Maggie Love was in the middle of a business dinner in Los Angeles. Sushi. She hated sushi...She was a vegetarian. But even the seaweed and rice made her feel ill.
She was listening to Father David O'Flannigan go on and on about his church, and the orphans he worked with. Some of them were 'special', and he wanted Maggie take them back to Paragon with her.
One second, she was nodding and smiling, pushing a Calafornia roll back and forth on her plate.
The next, she was crying out in pain, clutching her heart, and collapsing onto the floor.
Waiters and patrons rushed over. Even in LA, Maggie "Ireland" Love was well known.
She lay there, gasping for breath. The pain was excrutiating. Like nothing she'd ever felt.
It was like someone had stabbed her in the chest.
Then...As suddenly as it began...It stopped.
Maggie lay there for a few more seconds, afraid it might come back.
It didn't, and she sat up. She looked around at the people looming over her, not seeing any of them.
Her face paled and her shoulders slumped as tears rolled down her cheeks.
"No...God no...Roy....Not Roy....", the Irish witch whispered.
Then fainted, with dozen of people watching.
The tabloids were going to have a field day with this.
"Wake up, sleepyhead."
Roy opened one eye and looked at the same beautiful face he had woken up to everyday for the past twenty years.
"Mornin', babe."
A slender woman with laugh-lines on her face and a nest of strawberry blond hair smiled at him. Her green eyes looked into his own. She gently kissed him on the cheek and stroked his face.
Roy put a big arm around her and pulled her close, answering her kiss on the cheek with another on the lips.
"Nuh-uh," she said, pushing him away and climbing over him to get out of bed. "Don't you remember what today is?"
Roy thought for a moment. He was having trouble focusing on which day of the week it was, let alone whether it was some special day -- an anniversary or something. Then the memory came to him.
"Oh! L'il Ben's comin' home from college t'day!"
The woman slipped on a robe then said to her husband, "Well, I'm glad you remembered."
Roy nodded satisfied that he had not forgotten their only son's homecoming. Then he looked at the clock. 8:00 a.m.
"Hey," he said, grabbing his wife's hand and pulling her back down to the bed, "It's a five hour drive. If he got up at six, like he said he would, but knowin' him, I doubt, he won't be home for another three hours."
The strawberry blonde nodded and grinned knowingly. She carressed Roy's face then kissed him again.
Roy closed his eyes and sighed happily.
The farm was breathtaking in the spring. Rolling green mountains rose above acres of soil, plowed and laid in rows that would soon be green with soybeans, melons, and corn. Around the middle of summer, the tourists driving through the area would start turning down the long dirt road to the Kirby place to buy a fresh watermelon to enjoy on their vacation. Some of the tourists would be invited to sit on the long, shady front porch to enjoy a glass of cider made from the apples that grew apple grove that bordered the highway south of the farmhouse.
Lil Ben, as the family called him (even though he was, like his father, not so little), was in his second year at the University of Georgia, in Athens. Ma and Pa Kirby continued to enjoy good health as they entered their senior years. Old man Werner, who had been in the familys employ for as long as anyone could remember still lived in the old shack a quarter mile from the house. And Rebecca was still as beautiful as the day Roy had married her, .
Roy took his shirt off and laid it across the back of the tractor seat. Even though it was May, the noonday sun still was enough to cause him to break a sweat. His muscles rippled as he fought with the steering wheel of the old dependable machine. The big red tractor swung and dragged the heavy plow behind it, laying furrows as its white wheels churned in the fertile soil.
Hey, Pop! came a shout from beside him.
Dont sneak up on me like that, son, Roy chided Ben. This things dangerous.
I know that, Pop. Remember? I used to drive it all the time before I left for school.
Roy smiled down at his boy. Wanna drive it tday?
Bens sudden broad grin was answer enough, and Roy pulled up on the brake, climbed down off of the seat and turned the tractor over to his son.
Be careful, he warned, Its a little bit older now than it was. The steerings a little bit looser.
Aw, Pop.
Roy shook his head and threw up a hand, smiling as he walked away. Ya cant argue with younuns, he thought.
Becky met him on the porch with a tall glass of iced tea. Sure you want to leave him on his own?
Roy turned around and looked back at his grown-up son laying a row for a field of Kentucky Wonder beans. Hell be all right. Hell, if he can drive th highway from Athens ta here, then drivin that ol horse oughta be a piece o cake.
Roy sat down in a cane-back porch rocker, Becky taking her place in the identical rocker beside it to the right.
You pa wishes youd grow more yellow feed corn and less of that Silver Queen
Roy took his wifes hand. Well, Pas havin a hard time turnin loose o runnin things. Everybodys growin cowfeed. Th tourists ll buy th Silver Queen an we can also take some across th line ta th farmers market in Franklin.
Becky squeezed his hand. Im glad we decided to stay here. Her eyes were on her son as he made the turn to lay another row. I cant imagine any other life.
Roy took a sip of his tea while his thumb lightly traced around his wifes wedding ring. Me to, he quietly replied.
They watched their son as he worked, knowing he was destined for a different path other than the farm. From their vantage point, he looked like a young teenager again.
Lil Ben was nearly done with the tomato field. Becky disappeared into the house as Roy stood and started walking to instruct his son to park the tractor and come up to the porch for some cold tea. Ben had one more strip to plow. He swung the old tractor around for one more go.
Roy saw the left front wheel lean a little too much, but he was a little too late to warn his son about it. The wheel suddenly snapped off of the axle, and the tractor dropped down and to the left, jarring Ben off of the seat. The giant, water and anti-freeze-filled back tires continued to push the tractor along until the broken axle dug into the ground and the heavy machine flipped over on its side.
The plow with its sharp steel wheels and wickedly pointed tines was lifted up until it broke loose and lurched forward, dropping with a thud into the dirt.
Roy couldnt see his boy.
He ran, screaming as he hurried for someone to call an ambulance. Becky and Ma Kirby came out the front door to see what was happening, then Becky dashed along in Roys path while Ma Kirby went inside to call 911.
Roy and Becky worked desperately. Ben had already lost a lot of blood. They couldnt move him. The plow had come to rest across his legs and one arm. The rear fender of the tractor had his other arm pinned. Roy dug under the bleeding limbs while his wife took off her shirt and began ripping it into strips. Tourniquets would, hopefully stanch the bleeding until help arrived.
Roy didnt want to think about what shape his son was in. Becky took what was left of her shirt and dabbed her sons forehead.
She looked at Roy. Sure you want to leave him on his own?
The accusation was in her eyes.
In what seemed like an eternity, paramedics arrived, followed closely by a Danville Fire and Rescue rig.
A tall, slender man with pale skin and jet black hair jumped out of the back of the ambulance.
The Bringer of Dreams looked at Roy and said, You just wont be happy, will you, BenRoy?
In a place that was everywhere, yet nowhere, the Lords of Order and of Chaos had continued to play their games. Creation had spilled over into other universes, and the Lords worked to maintain balance througout all of them.
Among the creations were beings, some would call them avatars, of Order and of Chaos. These beings served a high calling and were gifted with special abilities. In some universes they were known as Highlords. In others perhaps they were called Champions. In still others they were called Superheroes. The Lords of Order and the Lords of Chaos smiled upon these beings and granted them favor, and the beings in return fought for balance, and often worshipped an aspect of the particular Lord in which they found favor.
For eons it was thus, since the banishment of the Destroyer and the breaking of the Wheel of Destruction.
And yet, among the Lords of Chaos were many who felt that the balance leaned far to much to the side of Order. And among the Lords of Order were a few who worried that the pace of creation would eventually exceed the amounts of raw stardust and souldust from which everything in the cosmos was made.
So, a plan was set to bring back the Lord of Chaos, Destroyer, and repair the Wheel of Destruction, albeit both in different forms.
The Destroyer was brought out of the darkness and was melded to the core of a seedsoul. This, in turn, was sent to a human's spawn and a new Destroyer was born, a Destroyer that would know human compassion and would take no joy in wanton destruction. A Destroyer who would be careful what he chose to annihilate.
The Bringer of Dreams, who had served the Lords well and had originally conceived the plan which had brought the Destroyer down was given charge over the Destroyer-to-be.
In 1965 Benjamin Kirby, later to be known as "Roy", was born.
Her beloved lay sleeping by her side as she stared up at the ceiling.
Her thoughts were far away, this night.
She was tired. So tired. She hadn't slept since the pain had come. Unless fainting counted, of course...
The trip home had been a long one. She needed to get back. Needed to hear exactly how it had happened.
She hadn't liked what she'd heard. But she didn't blame them. Kricky, Bush, Parz...No. She knew it was him. Roy.
If only she'd gotten her hands on that remote...
But there was no point thinking about that now.
She knew what had to be done.
Closing her eyes, she slowly fell into a deep sleep.
And she dreamed...
Steel Butterfly, sometimes called Jenna...or Steely...walked down the stairs from the platform that was her bedroom to the darkened workshop below. She hopped up on the workshop table and sat with her head on her knees looking at the gleaming red and white robot.
"Well..." she started, and stopped uncertainly.
" I don't know if you can hear me wherever you are...in Dream..." she looked at the still figure, and sighed.
" I haven't slept for more than just a nap since you ...well, since I brought you here to work on. I couldn't sit still I had to keep my brain moving or I might think...uncomfortable things."
" I went to the park today, after I finished putting you...the body back together. I guess I had been hoping for you to just wake up or something. Or I was still trying to not face the possibility of you not coming back. Sitting here and staring at ...you...and you not moving...I couldn't face it so I left for a bit." She chewed her lip a moment and looked at the moon just showing through one of the high windows.
"I talked to someone there about Dream...he was wondering why we were all so fired up to get you out of what he considered to be a lovely place...his home..more logical to him than here. I can't fault him on the logic part. Gemini was strange tonight...."She smiled a little, remembering the conversation, and then she grew thoughtful again.
"And I met your son...."
"He's a cute boy. The resemblance between you two isn't just the physical...or the enhancements that Doc made for him to replace his arms and legs. Someday I expect to hear that story, one way or another...."she paused. "He's on the right track already. You'd be proud of him. You might be worried, too, though, since he isn't going back to Georgia. and, he watches too much TV..."she smiled in spite of herself. " I hope you'd approve...I gave him one of the communicators for the supergoup, and the badge. Hopefully you don't think I am encouraging him to get into something dangerous. I think he was already planning the dangerous part...he is taking after you already...and I figured that "The Other Guys" could be part of his safety net..."
"He could use a Dad though..." She blinked and rubbed her eyes, "And I could use my friend back...if you decide to leave whatever sweet dream you are having up there..."
She looked at the robot one last time, and then she headed back up the stairs to go to bed.
Shae Firewarder
Tess knelt down beside the window again and lowered her head in prayer.
After last night, she knew the Lord was listening (as if she had ever had any doubt) and her prayers had been joyfully answered.
But then, she recalled what Julia had told her and Parzifal about Roy. She wanted so desperately to believe that Roy had indeed resurfaced, at least for a time, but every time she had seen him emerge herself, it had only been for a brief moment or two, and very strained at that. It didn't seem possible to her that, even if he had emerged, the first thing he'd do would be to ask someone out on a date. She feared for Julia's safety...and her heart.
Still, she knew that Roy was in there - alive. She could feel his faint presence, although the Deceiver was too powerful for her to actually reach him.
She wanted to believe that it was actually he who had asked Julia out. That would be so wonderful for her dear friend. It had been so painful to see him pine away for Maggie before. He deserved happiness.
But, she also knew the Deceiver was fond of wearing Roy's guise and trying to fool people...
Standing up against him always made her tremble afterwards. Although she put on a good show of defiance to his face, it was so very hard sparring such harsh words with a man who had once been such a caring and noble friend.
This night, she made a special prayer for Roy. She prayed that the Lord would touch him, and give him strength and comfort in this trying time; that he would know that his friends would never give up on him; and that they would be shown how to be rid of this creature forever and free their beloved friend once and for all.
She spoke with much conviction in her voice. She just...knew that things would be all right.
She had faith in her Lord and had faith in Roy.