Two enter the parlor (Invite only)

The world was colorless. Monochrome, like the films of old when the medium was first getting off the ground. The pigeons were gray, the people were gray and even the sky normally blue was a shade of gray that suggested it. Blacks, whites and grays that dominated everything and all color that could exist popped out painfully so. Two outsiders existed in this world, living there by the behest of an unknown master they called their own. This world that felt dead going through the motions as if nothing were wrong, even if they didn’t recognize the two people standing among them.

The outliers settled into a comfortable cafe adjoined to a bookstore. Couches, chairs and various other things scattered among the bookshelves scattered around the storefront.  Even still there was no color to these books. Nyx was flipping through one of the books, eyes scanning over the words with minimal interest. Licking her finger and turning another page.

”Are we really supposed to be meeting them here?” She questioned, not turning from the book. Dressed punkishly, this pale woman looked over to the black armored figure reading through a thick, hard bound volume of manga. He seemed far more engrossed, though she couldn’t tell through the helm blocking his features.  Something about him made her feel strange, though she never did anything to oppose the man known as Erebos.

”That was what he wanted, so we do what the boss commands,” He replied, closing the book long enough to look up at the woman. ”well, we don’t be waiting in the bookstore forever. The Grey Room will be waiting for us,” With that said he rose to his feet, slipping the book back into a generous looking space on the shelf. Rolling joints, each one audibly cracking.  ”I wanted to visit this place anyway. See if there were any familiar faces,”

His tone was morose, suggesting that such a thing hadn’t happened.

”Well, we shouldn’t waste much time here then. I sent my cultists out to send them the message, so they should be coming soon. Well, not like time has any meaning here,” As if she were speaking the truth, he turned to her and nearly knocked over a gray woman. A woman that didn’t even notice him, walking along almost automated. With a snort of derision he walked on, removing a small rune-scribed gem from a hidden pocket and approached the glass doors.

”I’ve got this,” With a press of the jagged edge, he scrawled words in an unknown language across the glass. Glowing, and remaining there as if they weren’t truly part of the material. ”He who walks the paths between nothing give me guidance and light the way,” Thunder sounded in the distance and the door swung open. Revealing not a street beyond it but instead a room.

Much akin to a lounge room in the back of a high end club. A fancy bar,  enough couches to seat the two of them as well as maybe even ten more comfortably. In the center a massive open cooler, filled with ice and various drinks cooling within.  Erebos walked across the room and flopped onto a couch, crossing hands behind his head and just lounging.

”You could be a little more serious here Erebos,” Nyx chided, setting into a lounging chair and  looking as imperious as ever. The place was just as gray as everything else, save for the florescent yellow of the lights.  How did that happen anyhow?

”Not like we need to impress them with manners. We’re cracking...a lot of eggs, not like we need to be decent doing it,”

He could still feel the judgmental glare on him, though that was unimportant. ”Well they should be here soon, so we’ll see if they even take our offer,”

”We’ll see. If they don’t that just means they pick the side that loses. Won’t be my problem,” His chuckle was amused. ”having fear on our side might be fun though,” With that said music began to filter through the room. A slow jazz accompaniment that started as soon as the only door opened, revealing what he assumed was the first of their guests joining. They should have the keystone to enter.

”Welcome to our parlor of nothing. Would you like a drink?”

”Magic.”

It was a curse, a praise, and an exclamation all in one, a subtle oath about the futility of normal men to flail against unimaginable power. He turned the keystone over in his hand, the magic within glowing faintly. It clinked faintly against the ring on his right hand, a class ring, faded and worn by now, but one of the few items he coveted. He was unsure about this, as was Mistress Scarlet, who had repeatedly warned him about dealing with the denizens that dwell in the dark. And though he had not had a chance to survey them as well as he would have liked, these were people he should rightfully fear, were he capable of such baser emotion.

It’s why he was without his forces. Doctor Disaster was above in his Airship of Doom, with the majority of his forces here. Only Amelia was with him; her physical ability and martial training could come in handy if things went south. He was in his full armor, blackened leather and iron spikes giving him an imposing appearance, twin guns on his hip and blade across his back. By all accounts, he was ready for war, but yet his heart was beating in his chest. Magic always made him nervous, even if he commanded it. It was so unpredictable, so dangerous and at times, unnecessary. Those who commanded it were dangerous; but those who bathed in it, lived it, were raised in it exceptionally so.

Were it is his choice, he would not interact with it at all.

”Magic.”

Amelia agreed, though without the same bitter tone of Lax; magic, to her, was something wonderful to be worshiped, not feared. Magic was her entire life; she could feel it through the keystone, an entire dimension of beings worthy enough to be called gods. She pranced from foot to foot, the armored heels clicking on the tile floor, impatient to be moving; she had to see who was so powerful to make their leader worried. Lax ignored the feelings he felt from her, instead focusing on steeling his resolve. It wouldn’t do to be sloppy; he had to remain in control.

And through the door they went.

A helmet materialized on him, masking his handsome features in the terrifying visage of Abaddon, a villain notorious for his torment of innocents. But he figured they knew that; no use hiding here, his feet clicking heavily on the floor, heedless of the polish. He noted, with interest, the lounge-like room, and the drinks in the center. Obviously trying to be accommodating while dragging them into hell. Or, hell-adjacent at least.

”I’ve received your summons.” He stood, refusing to sit, though Amalia wasn’t so hesitant; lifting the massive halberd off her back and leaning it against the wall, she sat daintily, crossing her armored thighs over each other and fixed her stone-cold, steel gray eyes on the other inhabitants in the room. Lax could only hope she wouldn’t pick a fight.

”Do you care to enlighten me as to why I am here?”

He walked through the city streets, hiding what was now his real face from view. Pulling on that primal fear, deep inside himself to reveal the illusion of what was once and possibly always will be the true him. A powerless weakling - even if a handsome one.

Jack shook off that feeling. His daughter was on her way. He needed to stop being weak and consider his options. If he kept up his life of crime, Katrina likely wouldn’t ever allow Jack to see Kearna. Would that cause him to go back to that place before? A weak man without the will to stand on his own… No. This meeting would solidify his choices. Of that he was certain.

As he approached the door, he allowed the green flames of fear burn away his illusions as he walked into the room, a lounge area. ”Sorry I’m late, boys and girls. I didn’t want to show up any sooner.” Jack found his way to an arm chair and propped his feet up.

”My bar is nicer. Bartender sucks though. Can I get a whiskey on the rocks? I’m absolutely parched!”

Jack refused to acknowledge anyone but the beautiful woman sitting across from him, recognizing her as the power in the room. He smiled at her and winked surreptitiously.

”and you’re punctual too. Very good,” Nyx responded with a smirk, watching the helmed man and the one accompanying him walk through the door. She leaned forward in her seat, black gloved hands interlacing and eyes considering the two curiously. The obvious question was asked. Though her expression didn’t change an iota, and Erebus continued to lounge where he was until the second guest appeared.

A pumpkin headed demon wreathed in nightmarish green flames.  ”and now we have the King of Nightmares himself.” Erebus chimed in, sounding almost cheerful of the fact, though Nyx only  motioned and the requested drink appeared from the massive central cooler. ”we just needed both people and now we have them,” From laying down he seemed to move to sitting with no between motion. Chin rested on palm and considering the two from within the darkness of an obsidian visor.

”Yes and now that everyone is here, we can get to the important information,” With a motion of the hand a goblet was resting in her grasp. Nyx sipped at it, nodding approvingly before standing up. ”Our patron has chosen you two, through what he claims is a very rigorous process I won’t claim to understand. The world is ending ladies and gentleman and you’ve been chosen to outlast it, and so much more.”She smiled, letting the goblet rest on a hand of shadow that rose from the floor.

”I’m Nyx, some of you might know of me as Lady Night. My cult has been spreading throughout your supernatural underworld. Prying at the minds of pliable mortals.”

”I’m Erebus….”

”You likely haven’t heard of him,” Nyx interrupted to the sound of an irritated grunt behind the helm. ”So have you heard of something called The Black Beast?”

The news was met with numb silence and mixed reactions from the duo. Amalia was slightly more in awe, sinking down onto the leather couch and throwing a quick prayer to her dark god, the Tenebrosi, her hand crossing over her chest in a curious manner not akin to blood pouring from a wound. Lazarus, however, had a different reaction; merely crossing his arms over his chest and leaning against the couch, staring at each resident in the room with his piercing yellow eyes. Within them, a dimension of infinite fear and torment, not unlike the one they were in.

”I’ve heard of you.”

His voice rippled with the power he held, fist clenched on the dramatic cape swirling behind him. For some reason, he didn’t feel like they were in danger here, so he could relax, despite the appearance of the much-lauded “Nightmare King”. Lax doubted his power; the only King of Nightmares is the one he served, and Yirah would rip this pumpkin-headed pretender limb from limb. His armor rippled and change, a sea of yellow smoothing out the lines, molding around his body, the helmet disappearing and dripping like molten gold. It hardened, lines appearing, outline sharpening, and it had changed into what appeared to be jeans and a T-shirt of some band called “Megadeth”. With fingernails painted black, he reached for one of the bottles, a yellow corkscrew appearing from nowhere and removing the top.

”Many tales are told of Nyx, if you’re in the right circles. My, the stories don’t do you justice. They say nothing of your beauty.”

He was flirting, but there was no lust behind it; romance and sex are merely tools, instruments to power and prestige he uses as second nature.

”But the Black Beast? I have heard nothing, not even murmurs.”

The words stirred something in him; not a memory, but the primordial part of him he associated with Yirah rousing. And through the connection to the Iron Pit, he felt … not fear, but trepidation. This intrigued Lax. Any being capable of giving a god pause was more than worthy of devotion. It was Amelia, though, that had the most visceral reaction. At the mention of his name, she gasped, then clicked her jaw shut, tendons standing in sharp relief as she clenched her jaw. A curious look from Lax, and Amelia bit her lip. Then, in a voice as clear and perfect as a summer day, she spoke.

”... my culture has stories of a Black Beast, preceding even The Black Church. It is an entity to eat worlds, a boogeyman in the stories of the Tenebrosi. A power to rival the creator of the cosmos.”

Jack stared at the two of them. He didn’t do well with people having authority over him. That was why despite being a champion of Arcadia, Madeline wound up having very little to do with the pumpkin headed menace. He was hesitant to have anything to do with this, but if they were even as remotely powerful as they claimed…

A boogeyman for somebody as scary as the chick this wannabe brought with him had to be strong, right? And he’d heard of Nyx. The black beast had equally appeared in some of the spell books he had read while trying to gain power. In fact, if his deal with Madeline had fallen through - and he had survived that - he would’ve called upon the Black Beast. Perhaps that would’ve been a poor choice at the time…

His eyes burned bright green with flecks of yellow as he considered it, the power they offered… something he could sink his teeth into for sure. ”Only got one question for ya, Lady Night and… muscle bound minion.” He stood, brushing off the front of his light armor he always wore to a meeting of minds.

He thought back to Katrina, to their daughter. He couldn’t leave them to be destroyed with the rest of the world. Besides, Kitty would kill him if he let her sister die… granted, the way she was feeling she’d probably kill him anyway.

”A king needs a queen, right? And an heir. So here’s what I want in return for my loyal service to your insert penis joke here.” He grinned wide, allowing his body to shift and change in accordance with the fear he felt around the room. Nothing from Nyx and Erebus… but he felt one he liked. Within moments, he became a small porcelain doll.

His high pitched feminine voice laughed as he turned to the descendant. ”I want a pocket dimension where I can control everything and everyone. And I want Katrina Russel and my daughter to be my royal family. Nothing more, nothing less.” His head bent at an unnatural anger.

”Dolls? Really? That’s weaksauce man.” He let out a girlish giggle.

Nyx had been heard of by those that mattered in the supernatural underworld. Powerful, or even just affluent mages as well as the worthwhile supernatural beings that  carved out their own paths. Even the pumpkin headed lord of nightmares that flitted at the shadows of human unconsciousness. ”I guess they know better,” Her voice was tinted with bemusement, black painted lips curling into a smirk. What stories they told was unknown, though she knew that they feared her. An unrelenting goddess who had no interest in showing mercy to the incompetent. Humans of this world were that, this much she knew from her interactions with them and those that would protect them. Even her foolish brother.

To hear that those of this world knew nothing of the beast was not new. They lived in their ignorance, unknowing of the truth that existed beyond the borders of their world.  ””I don’t expect a lot of this worlds people to know it. By the time they do he’s close enough...or maybe something else. Religions weird, Erebus shrugged, sipping at one of the drinks pulled from the massive ice pit nestled in the center.

”I am surprised there’s a religion that spoke of it here. Maybe he’s getting a little lazy in his works,” Nyx hmed, looking to Jack who began his list of demands. Pitch black eyes considering him, never losing the amused smirk. His demands would have seemed massive for most but she looked nonplussed by the demands. ”That all? God of your own pocket dimension with mortals to wait on your whims hand and feet? Well, that could be done. Our patron has power, plenty to do something like that if he wants,”

Erebus was the one who spoke up next, turning to Lax. ”So what do you want? Everyone wants something, and getting them to ruin an entire world requires more than a few little promises.  The Pumpkin was pretty forward but what about you? What does a descendant like yourself want?”

”yes, we can’t offer you anything if we don’t know what you want. So, what could a man like yourself desire in this vast omniverse?”

”Hold on a sec, I’m reeling from the fact that anybody would wanna fuck Hallowen Part Four over there.”

Amelia sighed at her leaders comment; you would think in such a situation, he would show some deference to his fellow invitee, but what else can you expect from the man who redefined “defiance”? Brushing a lock of silvery hair out of her eyes and shifting positions, she threw a helpless glance at Nyx. As much as she respected her leader, if the Goddess of Destruction herself decided to end their life, there was little anyone in the room could do, and Amelia chose life.

”There ain’t much I want. I don’t really have family, my grandma’s gonna kick tha bucket any day now. What do I want? What does anyone want? Power. Not just power, power for my patron, Lord Yirah, the Shadowmonger, God of Darkness and Fear! When the world ends, when all lives are extinguished, I want all the sou-”

But then, as if something had grabbed his tongue, he stopped mid-sentence, eyes clouding with memory. The scent of grass and sweat, the feel of surprisingly soft hands, and a flash of blonde hair streaked liberally with green. Many nights spent in her embrace, many days spent in a happy daze, drinking their worry away. A proposal, a glinting yellow diamond criminally gained. A happy yes and a new house, a dog to celebrate their years. Fights and arguments, made up in the cover of the night.

And then, the news, green eyes flecked with tears, clutching the thin white stick. Panic, dread, hopelessness. A forced smile and rapid phone calls, a hastily-packed bag in the middle of the night. The next morning, a cold bed, 27 blocked calls. Unanswered texts. Gone from a life of happiness and desire, captured by fear of the unknown. Whisked away on the winds of fate, subject to chance and desire, replacing love and stability. And in his heart, a deep-born regret, never fading. Like a sliver of glass.

”-I have a kid.” The words rang, too loud in the faux nightclub, Amelia’s head snapping up in shock. Lax looked just as surprised to be admitting it than Amelia was. ”Never met ‘im, but uh, I was almost married once. Elaine Sayomi, she’s … like me. Descendant. But she’s good, way too good for me. I need her and my kid saved. You do that, you promise them salvation, I’ll do whatever ya need.”

”Protection for ones family? Seems we have a commonality here,” Nyx noted with a bemused smirk, uncrossing her legs and rising to a stand. Seemingly ignoring the small quip before the rest of the cut off demand. ”Power I can offer you but souls are not something that’s in my wheelhouse to give away. We’ll need to speak to the one in charge,” That was enough to cause the helmed figure of Erebus to scoff, not standing but shifting into a sitting position.

”Looks like you guys are lucky...or maybe unlucky. We’ll see about that,” Was all he said, as Nyx raised a single arm and snapped. A sound that seemed to resonate throughout the room. Echoing off each wall, each piece of furniture until felt as if it existed everywhere around them all at once.

Then like glass the room shattered. Splintering into fragments that broke and faded around them, leaving them in a colorless void. Only thing remaining being the five of them as well as the seats they were using, and the massive lidless drink cooler. The echoing white void persisted only a few seconds before it radically shifted.

A kaleidoscope of colors, changes that were beyond any mortal minds ability to comprehend. Colors, shapes, objects all blurring together as they moved past until the differentiation meant nothing. Worlds blurred past, each vastly different than the last. Worlds consumed with water, fire, forests, ice higher than the highest skyscraper, and many more. Stars reaching the end of their lifetimes, exploding in fleeting incomprehensible booms. Eventually even those differences didn’t matter in the blur.

Eventually all that remained was darkness. Lit by a backdrop of countless worlds like stars, dots that blinked in and out of existence. It was soundless only for a second before the sound of Erebus’ retching broke that silence. ”Christ, that stuff always makes me nauseous,” What was once soft carpeting was now void that rippled when touched; yet it did not give.

”This happens a lot you know. I’d imagined you would have gotten over the temporary nausea,” Nyx huffed, seemingly looking down on the sickly man named after darkness.

”Now now, no need for my children to fight,” A new voice cut in, turning attention to the new seat. An obsidian colored throne specked with the dust of a thousand cosmos’. ”After all, these are going to be our new allies aren’t they?” The one who sat on the throne was shapeless almost, a free flowing black cloak fluttering around him to a wind that didn’t blow. This cloak rose, covering shoulders, head and downward save for a leg that jutted out from that penumbrael darkness. His face was a mask, skeletal as death with the low jaw revealing a bemused smirk, and the faintest glimpse of burnt flesh on his lower left jaw. There seemed to be a human shape, yet everything about him screamed not human.

”Two powerhouses of fear, interested in the graces I have to offer. Yet all they ask for is the protection of that which they love. Well, one wants the power to do it, and I imagine the other might settle for that power as well if it gives him the very thing he wants,” Eyes within the skeletal sockets hovered between the two, sizing up their worth.

”If you join me, you know you’ll be giving your unwavering loyalty right? I’m sure you’ve considered this. ” The calm was broken with a chuckle, one that stretched on for half a minute. ”What the hell. Nothing in this vast omniverse matters. So sure, for the easy sacrifice of all other lives in this world I promise those special ones will be spared. And I’ll give you the very power you crave. So what do you say Nightmare King and Great Destroyer?”  Reaching out a hand from the massive cape of darkness grabbed what seemed to be a simple can of cola, snapped it open and drank deeply. ”You really ready to make a deal with this devil?”

The lines of Lax’s face tightened, arms crossing over his thin chest, as if attempting to shield himself from the perceived mockery. Admitting weakness of any sort, including that he cared about someone other than himself, was never something he enjoyed; rather were he to have it his way, he would slaughter everyone in this room and burn their ashes just for the crime of knowing such intimate secrets of his. But, barring the Nightmare King - and even that was an if scenario - he doubted he could so much as scratch anyone in this room. The prickling fingers of fear scratched his scalp, like water trickling down his spine.

He did not like being overpowered; when one with low will gets accustomed to being the strongest person in the room, meeting someone who so far outclasses them can be a world-changing event. For Lax, it only inspired loathing. How dare they be strong? Perhaps it was greed to be so jealous of strength, but the thought could not be contained, threatening to explode outwards through a curled lip and clenched fists crossed across his chest. Even as the room shattered around him, transforming into an endless void with a dark figure on a throne, his expression didn’t change.

It was nothing he hadn’t seen before.

The girl next to him had a much more visceral reaction; though known to be a stoic, her pretty features contorted in fear and worship, threw herself to the ground with a metallic clank. Muffled words, in a language only the most ancient there would understand, poured from her in a constant prayer, phrases and service offered to the deity before them. To her, it was like staring into the face of the devil. She refused to look up, forehead pressed flat against the ground, body curled prone as in worship. Were it to anyone else, Lax would have been disgusted; as it were, he was shocked that such a strong willed woman would be so cowed.

Maybe it said more about him than Amelia, honestly.

”Yes.” There was no hesitation in his answer, no pause in his declaration of fealty. For power, and to save those he deemed to be most important to him, he would do anything, even destroy this world. He would raze a million worlds to the ground to ensure the prosperity of those who were important to him, Descendants be damned. Oh, they’d fight the inevitable doom … but they’d lose. His eyes blazed with fervor, citrine light illuminating his face as the echo of his answer faded from the air.

”While I cannot offer my soul, my devotion is yours. But if the life of those I asked to spare are endangered, there will be a reckoning.”

It was a threat, plain and simple, regardless of whether or not he could ever follow through with it. In fact, Lazarus doubted he could; the being before him was so ridiculously powerful, it blew all previous comparisons out the window. But still, he had to make it clear; this was a deal, not charity. Were his terms not met, he would do everything in his power to ensure hell on earth for those responsible.

His mind wriggled and writhed, the demonic entity he bound himself with tried to break free at the sight of the ancient threat, nearly doing so before jacks will bit down hard upon it. Instinctively, he knew. He could taste fear as such he had never known. The power hungry megalomaniac inside of him wanted it… he wanted it more than anything in this life… and yet, the portion of him that had become soft and managed to show weakness wanted to deny it.

“This was too far,” that portion of him said, and the unnamed Arcadian had to agree. “We should apologize, back down, and tell Katrina. Between Olympus and their various allies they could handle this.” He knew that was a lie, one too hopeful and bright to ever be true.

“Take the power,” Jacks other half said and none agreed with him, “it’s all you’ve ever wanted and more. You could become a nightmare beyond reckoning. You can finally show them all.”

In the end, old habits die hard. And spending your entire life thinking you need one thing, can really fuck you up. Even after you find that thing you were actually needing.

Jacks eyes burned pink and green with yellow trying to sneak away before getting consumed by green flame, his face an unmoving Jack o lanterns grin. This inner struggle was taking a toll on him. Could he do this? Katrina would hate him, of that he had no doubt. But what else is new? Green flame snuck into the pink flame, trying to consume it.

But…his daughter. He couldn’t possibly risk his relationship with her. The pink flame began to win out, only a spark of green remaining.

Then, a shout inside his mind. ALL SHALL BE YOURS… Suddenly, darkness flashed through the green flame and consumed the pink, the yellow, it devoured all the light that Jack emitted and began creeping into the room around them, leaving only Jacks blazing green eyes visible to the room around him.

He began to laugh, slow at first, but it became louder and more crazed as it went. Blazing pink tears fell down his face as he laughed.

“You’ve got yourself a deal, Mr. Beast.”

”I’m not interested in souls. Leave that to the demons and devils and their trade. Your loyalty is good enough,” The Black Beast casually dismissed, only offering a single glance to the prostrated woman. Hearing the muttered chants, though if he understood it was unknown. Instead smiling, grinning even as if he motions amused him nonetheless. Nyx and Erebus had shifted into silence, watching the proceedings with baited breath. Each time a new scion was christened was a momentous occasion, one the both find quite amusing.  

The Beast rose from his throne, black cloak wavering in the howling winds of The Void. ”There’s nothing more amusing than existence and it’s desire to maintain. The unsightly things someone might do to be for a little longer, to have the things they love be for a little longer,” The black gloved hand swept through the flowing cloak, bringing with it a squirming mass of wriggling void.  A nothingness that released but a small amount of pressure now free from the being the bound it.  To Erebus and Nyx, this feeling was nothing but to the three that were unused to the pressure it likely felt as if the oceans weight and darkness had been dropped on them.

A psychological weight more than anything else. Another motion produced another globule of darkness that floated above his other hand.  ”Now let’s see if you can actually handle it. The power to break worlds, reduce them to powder or even bring them under your thumb. The rewards for your loyalties pledged,” Both hands extended, allowing Jack to take and Lax as well.

The moment they touched them, that was when it all began. The fragments of The beast latching onto and sinking into the accepting vessel. Stretching perception far beyond anything they might have felt before.  Revealing for a brief moment the stars in the distance in their true forms. Entire universes, brimming with countless lives, now become nothing more than pure energy meant to be consumed. Fear left untouched, power left unsiphoned and things unconsidered.  The dark, pure hatred seeping into them, a magnified darkness that fed upon the hosts own negative feelings.

 ”There you go, now you have all the power you need. Worlds of fear to siphon from and an entire world to do as you please with it. All I ask is that you sow as much chaos as possible, weaken this world in any way you can. Do so and I will hold up my end of the bargain. Betray me and I’ll have no issue killing you and those you desire to protect. That aside, do as you will my chosen. This world is yours to destroy to your hearts content,” He was once again sitting on the throne, flick of the wrist producing a monochrome doorway that even looking upon it told them they would find themselves in the world they came from once again.