Archon to Ashes (Invite Only)

by **Zell** October 20th 2014, 10:37 pm

Life is never quite what we expect it to be. There's changes and alterations through every turn. I've learned many things form being the one called "The Archon". I've learned what it means to be a man, a husband, a father, a hero and even a Villain. I've learned what it means to have friends, to be a friend and to do whatever was right, by any means necessary. I can't begin to tell you how many lifetimes I've lived, and how many more I will live. There are times I wish humans knew how lucky they were. I may be an infinite being, but I am in no way infallible. My mistakes haunt me, through every corner of the Omniverse. My agenda is ruined everywhere because I'm called to defend the very fabric of reality. I'm never allowed to just sit at peace with my thoughts, I'm never allowed to just be myself or just have a life and a family. I'm never allowed to be human. Every mistake I make haunts me everywhere, because that's the nature of what I am. The nature of who I am. The nature of everything that ever has been, or ever will have been is mine to protect.

My life has been full of a lot of things. Disappointment, Perfection, Damnation. Nothing in my life was worth going on until I fell in love. Then just as quickly as I fell for her, I accidentally ran a sword through her and she died in my arms. Then I became a monster, a horrific thing I'd never wish to be again. Ouroboros. That's a laugh. All his talk of perfection was literally just a way for him to justify the heartlessness that I was exposed to my entire life. But then I had Silus...I had Michael, Shael and Jordan. Sean too. They somehow made everything better than it was, but now once again I'm plagued by the horrific visages of the future that will come to pass. Things that cannot be avoided as I sit here behind this table, a light on my face as I'm accused for a murder I didn't commit.

One week ago today I underwent a ritual to separate myself form the entity known as "The Lych". My time with his mind enlightened me to many things, insights and memories he had and he struggled to keep from me. But in the darkest of his mind, within the most hidden crevice were horrific truths and unsettling things that I simply cannot accept. Of these things there was one unforgivable crime. The Lych is not a foreigner to me. I've wrestled with him my entire life. He killed the man I called my father, the man I was raised believing was my father when I was barely able to attend school. Then he comes in under a guise and he married my mother, which led to her killing herself...thanks to his mind control capabilities. I was raised in fear has "Mister Summers" ruled my life with a tyrannical fist. I was beaten, broken and battered mentally, emotionally and physically...there was no "Hero" for me. No one was there to save me, but I had to be strong and I had to be there to save my little brother from The Lych's wrath. Save him I did, but the cost was steep...one that I willingly paid for my family.

Eventually I came to throw Mister Summers out a window when I found him attacking my brother, not long after he attacked me. I sent hum plummeting to his death for every crime brought against me. Every time one of his minions hit me, when I was victimized by the Psychiatrist named Kahn... even if it wasn't the Lych's fault I still made him pay for it. For every word he said I made him pay for when I pushed him down all those stories to the sidewalk below. But he didn't die. He remained, he lived to be a villain while I was still in an exosuit, then when I was Ouroboros, and now that I've purged him from my body and mind he has come to be my enemy once again. But this time, I'm prepared. Against my better judgement I called upon an old enemy... the man who created The Lych.... Raziel.

By sacrificing the son, or father of The Lych, the Lych himself can be killed. Of course now that I know this I'm conveniently framed for murder and put here in this interrogation chamber while Sean is out trying to find The Lych and stop his plans to control the President of the United States and push for legislation to require all meta-children to be taken to "homes" where their powers will be cultivated and controlled. While the President himself wouldn't do much, I fear that once he has the President then the rest of the political world is only months to follow. The door opened and a young man came in, I smiled and rolled his eyes as the bow tie and the strikingly fashionable child stepped through and the door closed behind him. I remembered him....he was at Miss Duval's Halloween gala. The Fantastic Mister Fox I can recall with total clarity. "Mister Atterrius...I'm Regal Maxamillian." He said, I couldn't help my eyebrow arched as I leaned forward and cleared my throat with a smile. "Well now, I thought they called ME prideful. Calling yourself Regal-""I know you didn't kill him..." He said and that right shut me up. Because I could tell from the look in his eyes that he was serious. "I touched the body." "Congratulations?""He convulsed and foamed at the mouth before collapsing, your son was the only one in the room. You arrived and shot the man in the skull post mortum. Why?" The little ma, Regal asked. I don't know if it's his confidence, or the fact he's observant, but I like this little bastard. I looked to the one way mirror. I have no idea who or what is on the other side...but I know that this kid can help me. This kid will help me.

"Listen, because we won't have much time." I said, the boy looked intently as I looked up to the vent with my eyes, my head remaining perfectly still. Closing my eyes I pressed the button on my watch, the one I managed to keep a hold of with the old sleight of hand. The watch grumbled and the power died. Activating a runic marking on my arm, I telekinetically slammed the door and the screws to the vent overhead unscrewed themselves. I lifted the boy to the vent, but not before I handed a folded not into his hand and then I sat myself back down. the vent being pulled up and the screws resealed with a little focus of the telekinesis before the power died from me, a cold rush of wind over my body as I remained seated and the power returned. The door burst open and officers of the law entered with guns all trained on me. Then a rather familiar face walked in, or rather a set of familiar purple eyes, softly glowing as he shook his head at me. The men began to foam at the mouth, choking....dying as I sat here with the inability to do anything. The purple eyes made it quite clear who it was...who I was dealing with.

"Hello....Ariel." I said as the door closed and I sat there, looking at the new "skin" that was worn by the Lych himself.

by **Arcana** October 20th 2014, 11:53 pm

Murder was the charge, and that was something he found himself wondering about for hours upon end, the reasons why and so many other things. Things had been moving quickly, too quickly for him to really react to but then again that had always seemed the case, him being unable to stop things from happening. As if it was some manner of curse cast upon him by a cruel, sadistic god or something along those lines, but whatever the case was he would find the truth about it. Well, that was what he would have liked to be doing but apparently there were more important matters to attend to, like trying to hunt down The Lych, to take him down before he managed to control perhaps one of the most problematic individuals within the nation; The President. This was the reason Sean was in Washington DC, finding answers, and stopping further problems from springing up.

While he had the potential of help from Prodigy, this was something that he would have too do personally, they could do as they wanted but he was working on his own. It was both to keep him from getting slowed down, and to keep them out of the potential crossfire that he would incur, The Lych was not something he would want anyone to face on their own, or face at all. He had the power to do that, and so he would use it to its fullest, and then things could progress from there. ”Now, where the hell would I find him?” Sean muttered, gritting his teeth softly as lips curled into a small grimace. Even without perceived things slowing him down, Sean still found himself nowhere closer to finding answers than two hours ago when he went out into the city, racking his brain to the best of its ability and finding nothing.

With all of this power, there must have been some way that he could have been able to get himself a certain heads up in the situation but nothing came to mind. Adjusting the cold metal zipper all of the way up in his track, Sean chewed on his lower lip and looked tot he sky for a moment, trying to force his brain to work harder and trying to think up some solution. He may have not been anywhere near as smart as Zell, but maybe if he pushed himself, something would come out of that nothing he called his brain. ”Come on, something has to come to me.” He muttered moving into a walk once again, now worrying more than just a few moments ago. There had to be some information on what he was looking for, but that all depends on if he could actually find that information. Maybe the Xenogens could have offered him help, but what good could they do without any sort of real direction?

He was going nowhere, and yet hew thought he actually had a direction. All he could do was walk, and walk and walk, pointlessly searching for some information, yet with no idea where the hell he was looking. Perhaps the only thing that he could do was put old talents to good use, but where lock picking would come into good use one would have to wait and see. ”You are aware that you're going about it all wrong, right?” A familiar voice would note in the typical whimsical fashion, Sean instinctively grimacing as he turned to face the familiar male. Looking down upon him, the male kept a patronizingly annoying smirk on his lips as he seemed to measure Sean up. ”No need to be so hostile, i'm only here to help.”

”I don't believe that for a second.”'

”Paranoia is an ugly color on you Sean, afterall your darling hubby is in trouble because he murdered that poor senator, or so the story goes.” Not all too wrong, but not something that he wanted to be reminded at the moment. That did not dampen the hostile reaction he would receive, being thrown into the wall hard enough to cause a thud, but the angel did not seem to fight back.

”What the hell do you want?” Sean demanded, pressing his elbow against the ethereals throat, not aiming to cut off their airway but to cause pain. As one could tell by his expression, there was a small amount of success, but not as much as the male had been hoping.

”Well Mister Collin, you could say I'm....invested in your future.” he noted unhindered by the elbow holding him against the wall. ”Who you are looking for is not here, and aimless wandering will get you nowhere. I however, happen to know where.” Within a matter of moments, he found the elbow sliding through him as if he were an image, and the male slipping through. ”I can offer the information, for....free actually. Well for now at least, all things come with a price and that price you'll find out soon enough.” Sean continued the glare, allowing it to persist as if that would somehow garner the truth from the male, but in the end it didn't.

”Where is he?”

”Here you go.” The blond male said with a flourish, as he produced a small piece of paper, smelling of ink and something else. ”Go here, you'll find what you're looking for.” He said offering the piece of paper, and Sean snatching it up roughly from him, looking over it before his eyes would widen. Without wasting much time, he was already running off, with Raziel standing behind with an amused smirk still upon his face.

”Like stealing candy from a baby.” He muttered before disappearing in a conflagration of golden mist. Sean had his information, and so he would be there soon, or as fast as his feet would allow him to go, not that it was slow by any means.

by **Zell** October 21st 2014, 12:44 am

"Hello Zell....what happened to the boy?" He asked as he folded his arms, the men behind him dying while I sat there, powerless and weak. I really couldn't do anything without The Lych being amalgamated to my being. Without The Lych's magical energies I was a powerless Archon. The thought alone irritates me on several realities of a level, but that was not a story for right now. Rather a unique situation came to pass as The Lych smiled at me. How I hate him for all he's done to me... "Oh you know. Being the devout Christian I am I told him to run before the Catholics got him. He's only got three more years of running before they won't want him anymore." I replied with my own little smile. Apparently Lych saw some humor as he shook his head and cracked his neck. "Oh Zell...zell zell zell...When are you going to accept we don't have to be enemies anymore?" He asked and I could feel my face distort as I looked to him, I was completely floored by the comment just made. "Zell I know we have a dark past...but it was to prepare you for your destiny. To destroy Raziel. A destiny that you were robbed of." As soon as he said that I involuntarily shuddered. I didn't bring that up to anyone. Not even Yancey knows that, but then again this son of a bitch was in my head the entire time.

"What is this all about?" I asked him, in truth even I was clueless at this point. Why go through all the trouble here and now to corner me and then kill the men who would do his dirty work for him? "This is about you. I know what it's like to ate a man so much. A man who ruined your life. I know how you feel, being robbed of Raziel's death, and no doubt having to endanger your son to do so. But YOU brought him back...we can kill him. We don't need to have been cheated. You don't need to have been cheated. Zell...I want to see you succeed...That's all. Come with me, in the center of town I will enact my curse. Then we will kill Raziel and make things right....together." He said. I didn't want to trust him but I didn't want to doubt him either. It's funny how much you hate a man until you find out what he is to you, and the gravity you've put on such things. I nodded and stood up, he smiled...and I walked with him as we made our way to the city center.
********************************

Silus was on the move, he had run right into Regal as Regal was making his grand escape. Silus and Shael were on their way to find Sean now, intercepting him about five blocks from the city's center. There was so much that needed done and not enough time. Regal had to get this note to him, so it was good they crossed paths. "DAD!" Silus said as he handed Regal's note to Sean. The note revealed a single word, but it was a word that Sean would know what it meant. the word was "ENDER" and it was the two metal gauntlets that he had shown to Sean once, the same gauntlets he had Silus bring. Sean would hopefully realize that these metallic gauntlets were some importance to his event.

"The town center is crawling with mind controlled metahumans. What are we gonna do?" Regal asked, slightly paranoid as he looked to Shael. "We're gonna trust dad." He said, looking to Sean.

by **Arcana** October 21st 2014, 1:25 am

Running was all that was on his mind, and so when he caught sight of Silus, Sean nearly found himself running into Silus as he appeared into his field of vision. Taking a few deep breaths, Sean looked from Silus to Shael, raising an eyebrow and wondering what they were doing here, but remembering that it was the same reason he was. A slip of paper was thrust towards him, and Sean snatched it from the males hand, looking over the single word which had some meaning to him but his mind had a hard time remembering what that was. A frown formed upon his lips as he tried to think up what exactly it was that he was reading. The image of metal gauntlets slipped into his mind, ones that Zell had shown him before and then everything seemed to snap into place within an instant. These gauntlets had something to do with helping Zell, and that was all he needed.

”Wow, this helps.....alot.” Sean noted with a nod, looking at his own note and humming softly to himself before looking to his sons, and an unknown male with them. ”I think.....the metahumans have something to do with it, or so this note says.” Sean said holding the note in his right hand up, and holding it out towards Silus to read. All it read was something about the answers to everything being in the town center. ”But with all of those metahumans there, it might be....hard. Well....need a plan.”

”Alllright.” Sean walked around Silus and examined what was strapped to his back, narrowing his eyes before nodding. ”Okay, I think we've go everything.”
–
Ryan paused for a moment, catching his breath and remembering that he should not have been running so much. His body could only do so much, and that would only get him so far. The waves lapped against the sandy shore, another day of him trying to control that curse of his. Another day of him being unable to control the power within him, frost rising into spires of ice around the sand where he stood on, rain falling down in torrents upon them. ”You know, with all of the power you wield, you'll never control it that way.” A male voice noted, Ryan stopping to turn at him with a suspicious look, only drawing a chuckle from the male now getting drenched in the rain. Still, despite that he did not seem bothered by that small fact at all, and something about him appeared radiant despite that.

'Who are you?” He asked taking a few steps back.

'”Come on now, I'm just here to help. I mean, unless you don't want to control your powers and just kill everyone like dear old dad. That is your business afterall.' He said with a shrug turning as if they were going to leave, drawing a look of horror and fear along the males face.

”What can you do to help?” He asked after a few moments of silence, where only the rain could be heard, Raziel then turned around slowly.

”I was thinking we could make a deal.” Raziel smirked, this one was too easy.

by **Zell** October 21st 2014, 2:56 am

"Well I can get you guys there. I can apport you when we get close enough, but none of you will remember that I'm the one who did it. Okay?" Regal said as he nodded, Fera and Michael and Little Jordan would join the company, along side little Shael as well. It made Silus wonder where Yancey was, though the dragon Jordan was left to protect the house. Apparently everyone was in agreement because like it or not in ten seconds they were apported right into the fray of things, their memory wiped so that the believed a man in a trench coat, a man named Misha Collins transformed into a flying octopus that dropped them off and flew away in a banana car with the monkey from busy-town.
****************************************************

We made our way to the center. I can't help but wonder if Regal got the note to Sean like I had asked, and if Silus brought Ender as I had requested. It didn't matter now though. I brought those to kill The Lych, but not it would seem as though fate aligned us upon the same path, He and I. I couldn't help but wonder, being in awe of the fact that in my powerlessness that he had not taken this time to finish me off. If he were ever to do so the time was now, and he knew it. I know he knows it, so why is it taking him so long? Perhaps he wasn't lying. It was Raziel who created The Lych's Curse. I was brought up... molded, forged by The Lych to be able to surpass him and eliminate Raziel. I do feel...cheated his death. I feel responsible that I can defend an Omniverse, but I'm too pathetic to protect my own grandson. I can't help but wonder if the Lych may be speaking the truth. That all he wants is to finish what he started. If that were true then maybe I could h-NO!- gah fuck that hurts! My head is ringing now....God almighty. The Archon Energy doesn't know the meaning of subtle. I feel myself stopping though as my eyes fall upon the summoning circle, which was within a binding circle. That was the trick I used to entrap him in the amethyst sarcophagus. "Wow...where'd you learn this trick?" I asked him with some sarcasm, it was obviously a rhetorical question, but he answered none the less. "From my pupil...my adversary... from my friend." He said without a lost moment.

"Took three people to teach you one trick?" I asked him, taunting him a little. I scoffed and shook my head. He oddly let it slide though. He didn't retaliate or reply in a way I would have thought him to. It was strange in all honesty, I would have thought him the type to retaliate...he IS the type to retaliate so why isn't he? How strange indeed. I noticed the space that required the other mage and I sighed as I began to walk over towards the part, stopping dead in the center when I heard a little voice. "Daddy!" The voice came and I looked, instantly across form Lych was Michael, little Jordan, Fera and Shael along with Sean and Silus just standing there. The flux in magic didn't bode well. Something was wrong, we had too many on the summoning circle. "GET THEM OFF THE CIRCLE!" The Lych called. I went to move but I was a little too late. In my infinite mind I could not help what was to come next. Such is the way things typically worked with me. There is no more humbling job than being The Archon. The summoning portal opened with a large shockwave, enough to shake building and throw people several meters back. Beneath was the Netherverse. A place of molten lava, death and chaos infinite. A successful Abyss and Hell lovevchild wrapped up into a whole realm. I was at the center...and away I went.

Before I slipped into the blackness, I broke reality a moment. Time froze as the portal opened, as with all portals of this nature. I apported everyone a block away. My family, Ariel and Regal. As I slipped away I couldn't help but wonder something. The Lych did know how I felt. It was Raziel who created his curse after all, The Lych's Curse. The Lych was the one whom let me be raised by Dartameaze, making be believe that Gibson Atterrius was my father. It was The Lych who hardened me, toughened me and made me ready for way. In the end, it was The Lych who knew how I felt, for just as I robbed him of his vengeance of Raziel, I too was robbed by my child. Regret, remorse and sorrow washed over my mind. I could feel it. I closed my eyes and let my final breath escape my lips as I finally came to the realization that I was never meant to belong. I was always robbing someone of their happiness....and now maybe within the Netherverse I can call myself in my entirety and wait out my days there. The Omniverse was fine without me before...I'm sure it will be fine in the end.
*******************************************

"ZELL!?" The Lych looked up as he was suddenly apported, the Atterrius family with him, Silus looking just as worried and concerned as Ariel himself was. Silus began to hyperventilate as he couldn't see Zell, and Regal was just shocked. "Wooah! So that's what the feels like!" He said as he looked around, the Lych holding his hand out at Sean, dragging him over to him before summoning forth his scythe and bashing Sean in the side of the head with the blunt end, sending him flying back. As The Lych then extended his arm and pulled bac, calling Sean back telekinetically as he would give a fierce swing. "YOU!" The Lych called out, aiming to take off Sean's head for what had transpired. Sean's link to the element of Nether was a triggering factor in the opening of the portal, and now Sean would pay for hindering the Lych's plans...if the Lych had anything to say about it that was.

Silus just sat there hugging his knees and burring his face as he realized what had happened.

by **Arcana** October 21st 2014, 3:24 am

It all happened within a a matter of moments, something about Misha Collins and a banana, but that small details did not matter much to Sean in the long run, all that did was that they were here now and...there Zell was too. Sean paused for a moment and looked to those around him, Silus, Shael, other shael, Fera, weird kid, Michael, Silus. Alright, it seemed they had everyone there, which meant that one part of this little puzzle was finished, but that was not everything it would seem. There Zell was with someone else, and that someone....was likely the Lych, had to be but why was Zell with him? Maybe it was some sort of plan to kill him, and if that were the case then maybe they could help them. The Lych would shout about something, and within a matter of moments everything seemed to have changed, a change within energy that Sean could feel resonating through him like a beacon.

Something slammed into him, a shockwave that threw Sean back with tremendous force, jarring sensory and overall throwing him out of alignment as he hit the ground hard. A portal had opened, that much he could surmise, and from what he could tell within his dizzy state he was not the only one that had been thrown back, thogh most of them had adjusted quickly enough to see the portal opening. A wide yawning chasm of darkness and fire, something that would fit in perfect with The Abyss, and something that no one would likely wan tto be thrown into. One thing that Sean did notice was that Zell was falling away, into the infinite void and yet before he could make an attempt, he was gone. He found himself in a different location, still slightly dizzy on the ground and a shocked expression paying across his face.

”Z...Zell?”Was all that came out, meekly almost and whispered before he was jerked forward by an invisible hand, and something slammed against the back of his head, only throwing him further out of things. Thrown against the ground, Sean could not do much, and so someone else would have to do it. A blade coming to take off his head with a single swing, but something stopped the blade from making a killing stroke, a green aura about the scythe and if one traced it back, it was coming from a certain Jordan. He could feel the raidant and soothing aura from the child, and it was enough to break him from his shock, he knew what he had to do. Strength flooded through him within an instant, his muscles were stronger than ever and that allowed him to act. One foot would slam against the ground, causing the very concrete to crack underneath the force, spiderwebbing outwards as Sean glared upwards at Ariel.

”You....” He muttered and without prompt he was in motion, a blur as he slammed a fist into his face with a resounding crack, knocking them to the floor, and damaging the ground even further. The skin of his knuckles broke as droplets of blood was thrown, splashing along the ground as he moved once again, pinning The Lych down with his knees before unleashing a barrage of punches, all too fast for anyone to really react to. Thought had been lost within that moment, all he knew was that somehow it was this mans fault, and he would destroy him. The ground continued to crack and break, and yet when he stopped and pulled back, it was only then was he aware of his broken knuckles.

Spoiler:

by **Zell** October 21st 2014, 6:27 pm

Ariel was without skin on his face after this given assault. Sean was certainly Zell's Legacy with this protocol of his. Ariel couldn't help but feel overwhelmed, though that was oh so quickly finished. The Lych fired out with a powerful radial blast of entropic energies that would eat away at anything nearby, the pristine concrete beneath him rotting away with incredible speed. Sean would be sent flying, if not simply given his positioning from The Lych with the current pulse of energy. The Lych levitated and soared backwards as he landed on his feet, a dark aura washing around him as he took his true and terrible form. The crazed Skeleton raised a hand and the dark energy rushed the area. Silus took a sharp inhale in and his eyes began to glow as he looked to the Lych and sighed. In an instant Silus was apported and "replaced" after the generation of Shock, though it was not by Regal's hand, or anyone of the Atterrius' family.

"Don't expect your children and your children's children to save you Sean! Once again you've made a mess of this thing you call a LIFE!" The Lych said as he attempted to use his power to lift Sean into the air and bind him. "This is your fault! He's gone because of you!" Ariel said as he tried to pull Sean apart with his powers, regardless of suspension or not. Sean would likely break out with a little effort, but now there was a barrier of his own energy around him a sense of the area laid out.
********************************

I can still see the realm I feel from. I don't particularly understand why but then again there's a lot of things I don't understand, mostly from a lack of trying. I feel the Darkness covering over me, but I'm not burning...I'm not fading away. What's going on? My heart is racing, but I shouldn't even be alive. That's the point of the Netherverse. Nothing can live, nothing can exist, nothing can survive. I curse my curiosity as I catch a glint, a glimmer of sorts. Looking to it I'm rather shocked to say that this was unexpected. Shards of this glass of sorts...a greenish hue to it. A dull flash of a circle from behind me. Falling so slowly. I turn to look at the glass to find that the glass is stained. Colored of sorts, the fires of the molten Netherverse beneath illuminating the design within the glass.

It was me. Not "The Archon" but Zell Amuri. The first me. It was a picture of the truest me, the first me. A big guy with bright red hair smiling as he had a hand on my shoulder. Thorgron. Then you had the spike-up pseudo-phauxhawk black haired bloodmage leaning on me, the one that looks like Silus when he ages himself. His name is Sadrith. I honored his memory in this realm when I made my Artificial Intelligence. Another large man, silver hair not a single wrinkle on him, a wolf head turned into a cap and silver-grey armor befitting a demon. Anaxii. A ship in the background as I beheld another pair of familiar faces. One was obviously a dwarf of a man, standing tall at three foot and ten inches. Kyros the Kelpto, world renown thief. Next to him was the only man in our world who owned a gun. Karav the Pirate King. Then there was the headstone of Shara and Elize holding my hand and in my one arm I was holding a tiny child with a mop of brown hair. Silus...no...his name in that world was Clayton here. What the hell was this? Why was this here? Was this part of the Netherverse?

The glass closed in. Closer. Closer. Impact is definite. I closed my eyes and I tried to take in a breath. My lungs wouldn't allow me. So I'm to suffocate here? I turned my head back to the darkness above, the realm I fell from growing farther and farther away. Will the Archon Energy watch over my family? No...it is indifferent. The only care it has is the cares I have, and once I am gone...it's instrument of intricate interaction with the details such as people will be gone as well. I close my eyes, anticipation overwhelming as my body grows numb. I feel the pressure against my back. I feel the cracking and the shattering of the glass behind me. I struggle to open my eyes as the glass "platform" like construct was now all above me. My outline clear in the platform, as one would expect in a cartoon. But the outline cracks. Then... it all shatters. There was something about the beauty of it. The symbolism wasn't lost upon me at all. I had a life, a single life. Now I have many lives. Many lives, many deaths. I can't begin to impress upon the fact that I don't like dying. Every time it's something different. Every time I fee like I've failed. To die but never really suffer Death's scorn. For me... to die in this realm would be no different than a human to lose a single skin cell. That is how insignificant I am in all of this. In all of my power... I'm truly powerless.

The glass fragments. Symbolism of the life I once had, shattered and broken by my actions. But just as I lived many lives I was awe-struck when I noticed something. The beautiful shimmering of the glass shards. They looked like rain. I used to love the rain, because in the rain I could let myself cry and not appear to be any less of a man. It was silly to think that even after all the realities I've been in...I still hold that thought. The light of the realm I fell from catches a shard through the refraction. I could feel the shiver down my spine as I could see it...inside the glass something was moving. It was literally a memory... a moment of my life playing back to me. All of the glass shards were doing it. Who are you? a voice asked...but I couldn't tell from where. It was The Archon energy, or so I assumed. This was different though. The voice spoke to my ears, and my mind...not to my soul.

by **Arcana** October 21st 2014, 6:53 pm

A wave of force hit him, and Sean found himself being thrown back once again, skidding along the concrete in the most painful sense, his fists hurt like hell, and with the broken bones within one could only need to guess why. However one thing pushed him beyond that, beyond the pain that would hold him back, and that was hatred that drove him beyond the pain. It was this mans fault that Zell was gone, this mans fault that he had gone through so much and Sean would make him pay. He didn't need his children to save him, he would destroy the lych with his own bare hands, he would destroy him utterly.”My fault?” He muttered, the words heaping the anger only further within him, that this bastard of all would blame him. He could feel the lych lift him up and attempt to pull him apart, but within an instant he was gone, drawing upon another little thing of the xenogens he gave himself, and within an instant he was standing before

Within an instant his knee was slamming into the skeletal face, flooring them once again, Sean landing perfectly on his feet. ”How fucking rich, coming from you.” Sean growled slamming the heel of his foot into the skeletons ribcage, feeling the satisfying thud of bone against his shoe as the sound itself echoed outwards and his muscles protested from the great amount of pressure he was exerting. ”If I remember correctly Lych, it was all YOUR fault what happened to him!” Another slam of the foot against the skeleton. ”So how dare you blame me, you putrid sack of shit.” With a fluid and quick motion he jerked the skeleton from the ground, only to be slammed back down into it, and then thrown much like a ragdoll. Not that Sean would leave him to himself then, slamming the skull downward into the concrete with a save kick, shattering the very ground and nearly collapsing the street.

Downside of being a little too strong for your body, exerting yourself so much was hell on the muscles, but then again he could deal with that.

by **Zell** October 21st 2014, 10:20 pm

The Lych unleashed another radial blast before knocking Sean back to his family. The Lych held up a small scroll of paper that erupted into a green flame. Suddenly they would all be frozen in place, and not a single one of them could move. The Lych spat at the ground, the black ichor that was his blood decaying away at the ground. The Lych cracked his boney, half skeletal-half-flesh fingers and then held out a hand, drawing from the Netherverse as he began to restore himself with it's pure entropic power. The decay, the destruction, the power. He could not deny that this family was only growing stronger and stronger. But they were to enough to kill him. It was never enough to kill him. But they had won...when Zell slipped through that portal, they finally won. But he refused to let them celebrate their victory. Everything was ruined, because of them. Zell was gone, The Lych stood there looking with a smile, knowing that none of them could move against him. This curse could hold the God-level Raziel and Jehovah both. They had no chance. There was no Deus ex Machina, there was no fail safe. They were stuck, all of them unmoving.

"My fault? I got to break him out of prison so we can summon Raziel and destroy him together. But it's MY fault? Whose fault is it really Sean? He's working with me, because you drove him away. In our amalgamated time, I was the ear who listened to him. I was the voice that had to comfort his pain. Because you were too oblivious to know the signs. People who loathed him could sense his suffering, how could you...one who CLAIM to love him. If you all loved him so much, how come it took you so long to notice that he was the one who was suffering!?" He spat, few strands of flesh finally rotting off as he cocked his head to the side. "He dies for his family...and they reject him." He said looking to Michael.

Then he looked to Fera and Shael. "When he sees you he's at least complacent that he has decent grand children...despite his never seeing them. When he does see them they pretend like he's not there." He moved on from Fera and Shael, the comment wasn't bad, but it wasn't exactly praise. Then he came to Sean and shook his head. "He gives his lifes work to you to save you from Thanatos. To save you from yourself... but when he needed a hero you were nowhere to be found." The Lych said as he moved to look at the older Shael. "Your father loved you. He followed the path of self-destruction so that you do not need to. You're only causing his memory disgrace." The Lych eyed Silus and shook his head. "You truly were his hope. His dreams. Every time you suffered you tore out his heart...grow a pair. You were killing him most of all." Finally his eyes turned to Regal and his head cocked to the side. "Who the Hell are you?"
************************************************************

I'm Zell Atterrius. I said it but my voice echoed. This place was hollow. The shards glittered around. The Light of the realm above displaying moments of my life in the isolated glass as if it were the wall of a movie projector. His mother holding him and singing the little song she made for him. Him? What am I saying!? That's me! The shard of glass stopped falling with me. Zell Atterrius. Who will miss you when you're gone? The voice asked again. I looked to the shards as I fell...falling farther. Falling faster. I spotted shards of myself and Niall at school. People always cofused us for twins...until he spoke. Niall had the accent and he was always mean to people he liked, his own bad social interactions from the orphanage apparently. But He would always find me after class and smile and say thank you. But he wouldn't miss me. He moved to the Hales, and redemption was too far for one like me. Too much bad blood because of who I am...who I was. "Together forever, always, and forever. Got it?" I heard the voice in the thick irish accent but I knew it was just a memory. A memory that was bittersweet as a tear drew to my eyes. "Please don't leave me." I could almost feel the pressure of the little cheek burring into my chest, by my shoulder. "Awe what you're leaving me here!? You Suuuuuck!"

"Niall...Silus....Sadrith." I said as more pieces of the shards kept falling. I can begin to see the glass turning, levitating still in the air as I continue to fall with the remainder. Freinds. They will Miss you. But tell me... "Zell Atterrius", when at the end of this final chapter, what was your life a story about? What have you learned from this little story? The voice asked again. I couldn't think really. My mouth opened but the first thing I spoke wasn't thought of. It was simply what I saw in a shard, seeing my own reflection against the Netherverse. A memory of right now. Am I already dead? Did I already reach my end then fell into a seamless transition? "Humility. Even with all my power as Archon...Memento Mori." I said. There was a silence. Indeed. Memento Mori. Remember...you too will die. The voice echoed as my eyes closed and I tried to breath. No desire to breathe, no will to move my chest...but just to feel alive. One more time...

Humility. Indeed. But that's not the only thing...surly your life means more than simply humility. The voice seemed to try and prompt me into saying something else. So badly I wanted to say that by saying anything else about my life I'd be contradicting, but I knew it was digging. I looked back to the shards and the first thing I saw was Ouroboros...my temporary overpowering myself to save Arianna Hale. My amalgamating with the Lych to save my family. My deal with Ouroboros to make Niall a human again. "Sacrifice..." I whimpered slightly, not really sure why I did it like that, but I did. Yay emotions. Of course. Sacrifice. A story that Zell Amuri knows all too well. But all these stories are meaningless if there's not a reason. Why were these parts to your story so imperative to you? It asked. The answer was one I knew all too well. One I knew for myself and I spoke for myself. "Family. Humility and Sacrifice for family." I said. Suddenly I wasn't the same. I was sitting, oddly enough it was just as if I had been falling. Up was forward and down as now backwards. I sat there, and brought my knees up and draped an arm over them as I looked about.

That family is going to die. The voice came again and I felt my heart pump. I couldn't breathe still, but I could feel my heart pumping. Was this the twilight zone? What I was seeing was something I never wanted to. Black armored coat, blonde hair and a blue vibrant visor over his one eye. There's one more theme to your life. The theme that made you keep your deal with Raziel. There was no magic, there was no binding deal. You could have had your answer and ended him. It's the same theme you have with Michael, and Sean, and Silus and everyone else in the world. But it's the one thing you've never allowed yourself. Ouroboros said as he walked over and squatted down in front of me. I scoffed and shook my head and he just smiled as he looked at me, peering through the visor. We both knew why he was there I think. For the first time we weren't here as enemies. We were here as equals on an even playing field. It's funny how Michael thinks he's the first one to segregate the good and evil within himself. But yet here we are. Ouroboros seemed to smile slightly, he wasn't his usual over-engaging jackass self.

You picked up the pieces. I'm impressed, and embarrassed that I could not. But You did it. Yours is a story of Humility, Respect, Family, Love and... It's a story of Forgiveness. Forgiveness you've given to Michael, Forgiveness you've given to Yancey, Forgiveness you've given to Ariel... Forgiveness you've shown and given to Raziel! But the forgiveness you'll never show me...the forgiveness you'll never show yourself. Ouroboros said as he sighed and shook his head, now kneeling before me, leaning on his own propped up knee as he looked to me. I looked back, smiling because this was who I was. This was a part of me, a part of me I wanted rid of. But he was a part of me I couldn't exist without. Are we really so horrible that you can forgive Raziel, but not yourself? Are you, are WE, truly so vile that you cannot forgive ourself? I didn't say anything. I had to keep thinking. I had to keep contemplating this. I could feel my own inner desperation, I could feel that Ouroboros, just as I did cared for his family, he loved his family now, because I had won. But in the end, would it matter? They're going to die...The Netherverse is widening, the portal is unstable. There's only one way to stop it. The Death of The Lych...You know this. I can't save them. You can't save them.... but ZELL can save them. His voice was almost pleading. It irritated me to know even the hardass/badass mother-fucker in me was a wimp. But hey...they were my family. I smile and shame my head as I looked to the opening of the realm I fell from. Where the stained glass image of my first life was the shards returned, they reconstructed. The stained glass picture was a picture of the Lych, a picture of my family bound in some barrier... I understood now. This wasn't death... this was intervention. This Netherverse was my realm...the realm I first came from.... I failed to protect it. But now I was going back... I had to finish this. Not as Archon, but as Zell.

"Let's go save the day..." I said, a white smile plastered itself on Ouroboros' face.

My sentiments exactly.
*************************************************

"So now...which one of you do I kill first? Which one of you wants your blood spilled to summon Raziel. The one you supposedly loved died to kill the maniac...so let's go...which one of you wants to. Don't all jump at once." He said as the paralytic effect wore off and he sent entropic energy around them, encasing them in a bubble. Silus tried to run but as he did he was smacked with the energy, Ender gauntlets were sent flying out to the road to the side of them all as the barrier formed.

by **Arcana** October 21st 2014, 10:39 pm

He was thrown back, and within an instant he could not move, any attempt to do so met with only futility. Whatever had been cast, it kept him from moving, and that meant that it was some manner of curse that The Lyc had cast, no, everyone around him was caught within the same thing that kept him from moving. Still, here he was perfect to here the villainous monologue, the male talking about how it was not his fault, but theirs. However....he wasn't wrong, Sean was as blind as ever and he did nothing to help. He couldn't do anything, and that sounded about right, the situation now mirrored the way it always did. With that done however, he fell to his knees, hitting the ground hard and feeling the overall strain he had put on himself. Forcing himself to his feet, Sean gritted his teeth and bore whatever ran through him. ”Lets dance.” He said producing a handle, and from it slide a slender blade glowing a brilliant yellow. If he was going to die, he would give this guy hell to kill him.

by **Zell** October 22nd 2014, 2:37 am

"How I've waited for this moment!" The Lych said. The Barrier fell and when it did, just as the first moves were made. "Enough!" the voice barked. In an instant everyone was frozen again. The Lych turned to see a black coat dusting the ground, advanced armored plating with a glowing Visor. Dressed as Ouroboros but looking like Zell he stood there, proud perhaps. Perhaps he was calculating, condescending even as The Lych looked to the male and chuckled. "You never cease to amaze me...You're back." The Lych said. Zell shook his head and then looked back to his family with a smile and then stepping forward. He and the Lych were literally five feet away, no less, and Zell spoke again. "Michael, I love you son. You've taken me through better and worse. You've weathered the storms of life this long, and you will endure. Never forget Michael, fight for what you believe in. A man unwilling to fight for what he want, deserves what he gets." Zell said before his eyes moved to Fera and little Shael. "Shael, stay strong and take care of your dad. I fear you're the smarter of the two now, Follow your heart, but think with your head boy. Fera...for the love of God, keep the voice of reason in this family. I'm proud of both of you...and I'm sorry I couldn't be more of a grand father for you." He said, then he looked to Shael. "Shael...look at me son. I've followed the path of self-destruction for years. I learned with Michael that... son, you're no good to anyone dead. You think you die a martyr, a man of love...but all it gets you is hatred and isolation from the ones you love most." He said tearing up as he looked over his family with a smile, turning as he looked to little Jordan.

"Jordan...my son...you're my son. Don't believe it for a moment that you are any part of Michael. You are not who you are born from...from one Freed construct to another. Never lose that love in your heart Jordan...it's the only light this family has. When it feels like you can do nothing to help anyone, just remember...I'm watching over you. I love you my boy." He said looking to Sean, not hiding tears, but not sobbing. "And you...You crazy ass son of a bitch. You've put me through the worst of it. But I'll be damned if you didn't give me the best of it too. Sean, This has been the best year and a half of my life, and YOU made me a better person. I was Ouroboros...and now here I am. Look at me Sean... when I was eleven I meant it when I said it... you saved me." He said, finally his eyes fell on Silus, who was already crying, the paralysis keeping him from sobbing or weeping. "I remember when you were just a little boy on my pant leg. I've watched you grow and prosper into the best young man you can possibly be. Sean may have saved me Silus...but you fought for me. When I was down and out you reminded me of what it means to be an Atterrius....what it means to be a Gene-Hazard...what it means to be a father. You saved me....you all have." He said as the tears stopped, his eyes fixated on the Lych.

"Well if that lovely rendition is finished we still need to summon Raziel to drop him in the portal to stop the Netherverse!" He said. Zell smiled and shook his head. "Oh...but I know how to stop the Netherverse. Just as I know how to top you. It took me a long time...but I'm finally willing to pay the price." Zell said as he held his arms out. The Lych was facing him, it could be seen by the family though. Ender began to move, sparking to life as they glowed and a sharpened letter-opener like construct of energy peeked out form between the gauntlets that where pressed together. One gauntlet moved and looked as if it were holding a sword, the other moved as if it were taking a warriors stance. "Ya see, when you captured me I sent my son away. But I sent him away with something precious that needed to be kept from you." Zell said. Within an instant Ender threw the energy blade as Zell teleported right into The Lych and wrapped his arms around, him, holding him so that the blade could pierce through the middle section of the Lych's back...and then pierce through out the other side of Zell's. Zell's right arm reached around and grabbed the blade Imperium, but the hilt as he pulled out a little talisman, a gem encrusted amulet. The Lych groaned and moaned and in a moment, where there was once bone...there was flesh.

The man looked painfully like Zell, a goatee, older, wiser even, indigo eyes that were glowing as they looked into Zell's. "Hello Daddy." Zell grunted as he jimmied the hilt to cause them both tremendous pain. "P-please. Zell. Think about this. We are so close....we can Kill Raziel, we can finally be a family. I-I don't have to go anywhere...I can make it up to you. I WANT to make it up to you." The man said. Zell took the Talisman and pressed it against the Lych' neck. Zell was trembling, though eh didn't know why. "Why are you REALLY doing all of this?" He asked, the word really being emphasized, as the Talisman of Truth prevented anything but the truth to being revealed. The Lych...Ariel looked to Zell and nodded. "You. It was for you." He said. Zell winced as he dropped the Talisman and wrapped the other arm around his father. He wouldn't lie... he cried as he rested his head on his father' shoulder. Ariel closed his eyes and a single tear was shed. "Zell...it doesn't have to be like this son...It could be like you dreamed of when you were a boy, reading fairy tales with your mum." He said, hugging Zell. Zell sniffled and chuckled as he felt the Netherverse portal opening even larger, gaining on them, visible the ground opening. "One of the old fashioned happy endings." Zell leaned back to look his father in the eyes. "Yeah." Zell closed his eyes and shook his head, no longer crying as he placed his left hand on The Lych's shoulder. "Dad... We're the Villains. Villains don't get happy ending."Zell said, using the left hand as a firm pushing post he shoved The Lych...He shoved Ariel, his father, back and pulled his Blade in. Ariel turned to ashes and Zell stood there, his own blade in his chest. He turned to look back at the portal which faded away, no trace of ever having been. He smiled as he looked back to his family, and finally Silus...but then, just like that....Zell was taken by the wind, like a phantom of dust.

Imperium clattered to the ground, the Paralysis gone as they all resumed their motion. Silus ran out to Imperium and dropped to his knees, teary eyed as he held the blade. The name ZELL written in it slowly faded as the sword seemed to turn to liquid metal and fill in the name. Shael lowered his head, burring his hands into his pockets shaking his head left to right as anger welled up, Regal just watched, tears in his eyes for the sheer fact that everyone else was crying.

by **Arcana** October 22nd 2014, 3:21 am

Time slowed to a crawl as Sean prepared to die, knowing fully that he could not kill The Lych. Still, he would not die so easily, that much was certain. Knuckles clenched around the hilt of his weapon with a sickening crunch, followed by a lance of pain as he remember that his body was still feeling the strain. The sound of his heart was pounding in the back of his head, and he glared intently at the skeleton, but at the moment when conflict would spill over everything stopped. His limbs restrained by something, he was frozen again but it was not by The Lych it seemed, but something else entirely; by Zell. His breath hitched in his throat as he took the sight in, he was alive, Zell hadn't been killed. The question was how, and what he was doing here of all places. So he turned to them, and began to talk, but something about it felt....off.

It didn't take long however for Sean's brain to put things into place, he was speaking like someone who was preparing to die. Still, paralysis kinda put a dampener on trying to stop that, he could only sit there and watch while it happened, internally cursing his own inability to move. In the end he could do nothing, the blade sunk through flesh and bone, as The Lych faded away into the wind. It took only a moment for Zell to do the same, and within that moment the portal faded, and he fell to his knees. Pain lanced through his body, yet that did not slow him down too much, even with that he could keep going. The blade Imperium clattered to the ground metalically, a haunting ringing that flowed through him as he felt.....hollow almost.

His own blade clattered to the ground in a similar fashion, still glowing as the hot metal sputtered against the concrete. Everything had become so much white noise, grating against his eardrums until he felt a hand on his shoulder, a soft touch and he turned to see Fera being the one that had done so. In that instant, she looked familiar, much like his mother in how steely her expression was, but even he could see a small amount of moisture gathering at the edges of her eyes. Was she trying to comfort him, or keep him from falling into the chasm of despair? Still, the friendly hand was enough, though perhaps it was also the little Jordan that helped some, though his grief was more obvious. Small wet tears streamed down his cheeks, though found themselves wiped away by the sleeves of his jacket. However he did take note that he would be much better appreciated with someone else, Silus to be exact.

With all of his strength, Sean pushed himself to his feet, letting a pained hiss slip through his lips as another wave of pain would lance through him. Jordan moved to heal him, but Sean stopped him with a motion of his hand. ”I...i'll be fine.” He said, voice seeming to crack ever so lightly, but coming under control just as quick. He didn't want to cry, not yet atleast, had to be strong for a little longer. Walking towards Silus, he placed a hand on his shoulder softly and knelt down, looking to the male and hugging him, not really noting any sort of protest.

by **Zell** October 22nd 2014, 7:53 pm

"Yeah Shael...don't die. You're no good to anyone Dead. Hold on a sec, Brb Gonna go DIE." Shael roared as he threw a fist into the street-light. The sheer force toppled the structure onto a black Cadillac. He closed his eyes and seethed as he walked over to the car and watched it as the alarm went off. With a calming sigh he shook his head. He turned to move away, turned and proceeded to punch the car, tearing through it easily with the sheer force he exerted. While he continued to batter and turn the car into scrap metal, Regal found himself surprised by the turn of events and he just watched, as he moved up to Silus, though Sean had beat him there.

Silus cried softly. He didn't want to cry, he wanted to be strong. But to hear that he was killing Zell worst of all and then hearing Zell say that he, Silus was a gene-hazard like him, and how Silus fought for him. Silus felt nothing but even more inadequate. Silus fought, Zell fought... in the end fighting for this family only caused loss. Silus was tired of fighting. He couldn't help but think that maybe Zell was too. Maybe Zell was hoping he'd die for them to unite. Silus' heart skipped when he felt Sean nearby. Silus forced himself into Sean and nuzzled to settle in there. It wasn't Zell...it wasn't the same...but it was just as good. If Zell were really watching as he said he was, Silus guessed he'd be smiling. Silus heard a little voice give a slight cough. When anyone looked it would revel Regal. "I uhm. I-If you want me to I-uh, uhm. If you want I can make you forget." He offered. Shael perked up as he looked back to Silus and Sean, Silus looking intently at Regal for a moment.

"N-n-no. I don't wanna forget." Silus said as he rested against Sean with his eyes forced shut, trying his best to deny that anything had changed.

by **Arcana** October 22nd 2014, 8:09 pm

Sean didn't cringe when the young male buried himself against him, as it was something that he would have expected from him. After all he had lost his father, crying would have been something that you should have expected, and now likely he needed someone. Who better than his other parent, even if Sean had a feeling it would not quite be the same, he could only do what he could, even if that was not much. No, Silus wasn't the only one tearing up, it seemed that any attempts not to were somewhat futil, not that he could blame himself. Believing someone died, only to have them return and die on them was not the most settling of experiences. He was partially aware of the sound of a certain Atterrius raging, breaking things, and overall acting as one would expect. His anger was understandable, no one could deny him that much.

Fera however somewhat distanced herself from the situation, silently watching the pristine black Cadillac be reduced to nothing but a mess of destroyed metal. Shael stood beside her, somewhat worried about his uncle, but not enough to say or do anything, now just in that small form of his clinging to Michael like he used to. Not that he could appreciate the sentiment, memory being somewhat of a haze, but there was some significance within this moment, and that much he knew. Alot had been lost, and the cost for that wpuld be found out soon enough.

by Sponsored content

Archon to Ashes (Invite Only)

Archon to Ashes (Invite Only)

Re: Archon to Ashes (Invite Only)

Re: Archon to Ashes (Invite Only)

Re: Archon to Ashes (Invite Only)

Re: Archon to Ashes (Invite Only)

Re: Archon to Ashes (Invite Only)

Re: Archon to Ashes (Invite Only)

Re: Archon to Ashes (Invite Only)

Re: Archon to Ashes (Invite Only)

Re: Archon to Ashes (Invite Only)

Re: Archon to Ashes (Invite Only)

Re: Archon to Ashes (Invite Only)

Re: Archon to Ashes (Invite Only)

Re: Archon to Ashes (Invite Only)

Re: Archon to Ashes (Invite Only)