There used to be a few tangents where he talked about his past life experiences like his mother's scottish terrier, but they were edited out as part of an effort to streamline the story and make it less longwinded.
Diabolical [DC Comics/Harry Potter SI]
- Thread starter f0Ri5
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There used to be a few tangents where he talked about his past life experiences like his mother's scottish terrier, but they were edited out as part of an effort to streamline the story and make it less longwinded.
Chapter 11
Arthur found himself standing in the hallway, feeling distressed. "I don't think this is a good idea, Mr. Nelson." He said, barely managing to stop his voice from trembling. He surreptitiously glanced around, trying to see if there was anyone or anything nearby --- there wasn't. It was a small relief that he didn't see any mirrors, because he was sure they were purposed for surveillance.
The tutor scoffed. "Come now, young man --- I'm sure your mother is eager to meet you after your lesson. You don't want to keep her waiting, do you?" He asked rhetorically. In reality, he wasn't paying much attention to Arthur --- he was deciding which path he would take. 'What do you think, Nabu?' He asked inside his mind.
The spirit replied immediately. 'THAT FOUL PRESENCE LIES NORTH --- DO NOT PERTURB IT.' It commanded stoically.
Kent made up his mind. 'To the south it is, then.' He thought, strengthening his grip on the boy's shoulder before turning and walking down the hallway. He didn't intend to drag the youth into danger --- he really was only planning to look around. After all, it was impossible for him to do anything when he didn't know what he was up against.
Meanwhile, Arthur was feeling faint. He didn't understand why this fellow was being so insistent. 'Is he looking to steal something?' He thought, but then he dismissed it. It wouldn't be sensible to drag him along, if that was his plot. 'I was going to look around, at some point, when the damnable butler wasn't with me. Now is as good a time as any.' He decided, yet he couldn't help but be afraid.
They walked in silence, for a time. Arthur hadn't a clue where they were --- after breakfast concluded, the butler had led them through an unusual door. He was certain he'd never seen this part of the mansion. His goal remained the same --- he wanted to know where the library was. However, he wasn't sure how to go about finding it. 'Damn, I really don't have a clue. The only thing I can do right now is keep an eye out.' He thought sourly.
Eventually, Kent spoke, after they'd been walking for few minutes. "To inherit a place like this --- some people have all the luck!" He remarked good-naturedly. It sounded like an innocuous comment, but, in reality, he was fishing for information. 'This boy should be normal --- if he wasn't, Nabu would've mentioned it. However, it's possible he knows something.' He thought to himself.
Arthur fought to keep his expression neutral. 'Some people have all the luck, indeed --- the only problem is, it's the wrong sort!' He thought despairingly. However, he didn't voice his misgivings. "Haha, I guess I am lucky." He said, laughing dryly. He didn't know how else to respond.
Kent smiled plainly, but thoughts were swirling behind his eyes. The blue-bloods were notoriously interested in archeological relics, and they frequently sponsored digs and expeditions. Thusly, he'd been exposed the high-society youth. Compared to them, Arthur was decidedly odd. "I believe you said something about only arriving yesterday…?" He asked casually. Of course, he hadn't missed that tidbit. If the child had indeed not grown up in this environment, then his lackluster response was even more interesting.
Arthur felt this guy's questioning was a bit suspicious, but he had nothing to hide. "That's right. I grew up in Dublin." He said quietly. The manor's grand, endless hallways had a heavy atmosphere that made him lower his voice instinctively.
The scholar's eyes flashed. It was all very strange. "That's interesting. Do you mind telling me about it?" He asked. It seemed like the kid barely knew more than he did. However, this was his only lead, so he had no choice but to follow it.
Arthur was silent for a moment, but in the end, he spoke up. It wasn't some big secret anyway. "My mother and I were living under hard times, so she decided it was best if we returned to the family estate." He said simply. He didn't think Jane would mind if he shared this much --- he didn't say anything about their personal problems.
Kent hummed to himself. "They are hard times, aren't they; fortunately, your situation improved. Ah, but I apologize for prying into personal matters." He said, giving Arthur's shoulder a squeeze. 'That's even more remarkable --- he came from a poor background, yet he seems unfazed by it all.' He thought, sweeping the grandiose decorations with his eyes.
Meanwhile, Arthur felt like he wanted to smack the man over the head. 'If it seems like such a great deal, maybe he should ask to be adopted!' He thought angrily. If it'd been up to him, he would never have accepted this 'inheritance'!
While they were talking, the two arrived in front of a large doorway; it was familiar to Arthur. He and the butler hadn't come this way, but he'd discovered what this type of door represented from observing the manor --- a threshold between wings.
Kent's expression was one of bafflement. "Goodness, it really is difficult to find your way in here. If only a few of the doors were left open --- that way we'd be able to identify the rooms." He said, gripping the brass doorknobs with both hands before turning them.
Arthur watched as the large, wooden panels were pushed apart. Through the gap between them, he saw the next area. It wasn't what he'd expected --- a marble archway stretched onwards, connecting to a different part of the mansion. It was a bridge-like structure with exquisitely detailed railings. A similar pair of doors sat at the other end.
Kent whistled involuntarily. "Would you look at that --- your ancestors sure hired one hell of an architect." He said, sounding impressed. He'd been all over the world --- what hadn't he seen? Yet, the look of the white, engraved marble took his breath away. 'Keeping it from discoloring must be a headache.' He thought to himself. However, he suddenly realized that it was probably some kind of enchantment.
Arthur was similarly dumbstruck. He only regained his composure when Kent patted him on the back. "Let's go --- if we look over the edge, we should be able to see the garden." He said, steering the lad towards the entrance.
The two carefully made their way onto the bridge. It was enclosed; sporadic pillars supported the sloping roof. The only thing they could see through the gap between the ceiling and the railing was mist --- it was the same gloomy weather as yesterday.
Kent was frustrated. 'I was hoping to catch a glimpse of the estate's grounds, but this fog isn't letting up.' He lamented.
Abruptly, Nabu spoke inside his mind. 'IT IS AN ARTIFICIAL CONCEALMENT --- THIS DEMESNE HAS MANY UNKNOWN PROPERTIES.' It said, sounding vaguely peeved.
The scholar felt a frown tugging at his lips. He took the statement for what it was --- an admission of ignorance. Nabu's spotty memory was something that grieved them both; it wasn't the first time he'd been stumped in the face of a novel sorcery --- it didn't happen frequently, but when it did, it wasn't a good sign. 'What are you suggesting?' He asked uneasily. All his confidence came from the ancient spirit --- over the years, he'd become used to it having all the answers.
It only took a moment for Nabu to reply. '…I FIND YOUR LACK OF FAITH DISTURBING, NELSON. PALTRY TRICKS WILL NOT SUBDUE A LORD OF ORDER.' It said with a voice like steel.
Kent didn't know whether to laugh or cry. The being's pridefulness was both a boon and a curse --- the reason for the latter was because it would never retreat, not even when the odds were stacked against it, although they seldom were.
The man's gaze unconsciously flicked to the boy walking next to him. '…but that would be difficult, unless I were willing to leave him behind.' He deliberated. He knew himself well --- he wouldn't be able to do it. 'Have you detected anything odd about the boy, Nabu?' He asked internally. He'd assumed the child was normal, but the spirit's silence wasn't necessarily a confirmation.
'…A FOREIGN PRESENCE HAS INFILTRATED HIS BEING. HOWEVER, IT IS CURRENTLY DORMANT.' It said, after a short pause.
The archaeologist was barely able to reign in his anger. The predation of children was something he'd forever be unable to stomach --- from the boy's own 'family', no less! However, he knew his perpetual companion didn't share his views. If it had, he wouldn't have been 'hired' for this position.
Meanwhile, Arthur was equally disappointed by the poor visibility. Mapping the area was an objective that proved continually elusive. "I suppose we'll just have to keep looking around." He said quietly.
Kent hummed in affirmation, but didn't say anything else.
The man and the boy walked in silence. The act of crossing the archway was somehow surreal --- it was like walking over an old bridge, one that had been forgotten long ago. The only audible sound was that of their heels clicking against the stone.
The construct was larger than it seemed --- it took them about thirty seconds to make it to the other side. Before Kent opened the two doors, he gave the bridge one last look. 'It really is a magnificent structure.' He thought. While he pondered, Nabu scanned the room behind the doors for anything anomalous. After the scholar had received confirmation that it was safe, he entered, with Arthur trailing behind him.
His first impression of the new area was, well… he didn't really have one. It was so dark inside that he couldn't see a thing! "Goodness, but it's as black as pitch in here." He whispered. "It's a shot in the dark, if you'll pardon the pun, but I don't suppose you have any matches on you? We might at least be able to open a window, while the flame lasts." He said to Arthur.
There was no reply.
Kent frowned inwardly. "Arthur, buddy, if you don't speak up, I'm going to think you're dead." He said half-jokingly.
It was a different voice that replied. 'THE CHILD IS NOT HERE.' Said Nabu, in a tone that sounded grave.
The archaeologist was confused. 'I could've sworn he was behind me. Is he still outside?' He asked inside his mind.
'THERE WAS A SPATIAL DISTORTION. I DID NOT DETECT IT INITIALLY, BUT I'VE BECOME CERTAIN --- THESE DOORS ARE DISJUNCTING. THEIR OUTCOMES ARE UNDEFINED.' The spirit said with certainty.
Kent was alarmed. Nabu had caught on to the trick the second time, but the fact that this place had managed to fool him once was already beyond imagining. 'Do you mean to say that Arthur and I were sent to different locations?' He asked.
Nabu didn't reply, but the thirty-year-old sensed the spirit wasn't interested in spelling things out for him. 'I'll take that as a yes, then.' He said, feeling peeved. However, his companion's rudeness was the least of his concerns --- there was a possibility that the separation was a magical fluke, but Kent didn't buy it. He got the feeling that they were suspicious of him --- in retrospect, his decision to snoop around on the first day may have been a bit hasty.
'This kind of work really doesn't suit me.' He thought and not for the first time. He preferred a more direct approach --- Nabu was the same. Neither of them had an aptitude for undercover work; he'd have been glad to contract a helper-or-two, but the spirit didn't play well with others. It was also notoriously awful at avoiding collateral damage.
'A low-light sorcery would be useful right now.' He commented pointedly. Immediately, the blackness cleared away --- it was replaced by a barren room, cast in different sepia hues. Kent would've preferred to avoid magic, but he couldn't take the chance. Who knew what lurked in the darkness? Of course, Nabu didn't need light to perceive, but Kent didn't want to leave the spirit to his own devices. Two heads were better than one, after all.
He gave the place a quick looking-over; it was a barren, square space, surrounded by four stone walls. They looked weathered and old and were unpainted. It only had a single door --- Kent glanced over his shoulder and, as he'd suspected, the entrance behind him had disappeared. He'd experienced all sorts of oddities since he'd taken the role of Dr. Fate, so he didn't panic. 'I have no choice but to check that door. There's nothing else in here.' He decided before walking over to the exit.
He tuned the rusty, old handle, but it was locked. 'Damn!' He said, swearing inwardly. They definitely tossed him in here on purpose! He had no way of escape, aside from sorcery. However, if he did use that method, they would know he wasn't an ordinary scholar. 'It's a simple strategy, but undeniably effective. What the hell am I supposed to do now?' He wondered. He didn't ask Nabu for advice --- he anticipated an answer along the lines of 'WE HAVE WASTED ENOUGH TIME.' before it melted the door into glowing slag.
However, to Kent's surprise, Nabu defied his expectations.
'FOOL, HAVE I NOT MADE IT CLEAR ALREADY? THE PRESENCE WITHIN THIS REALM MUST NOT BE AGITATED.' It said scoldingly.
The archaeologist felt shock and fear! Was there really something here that could challenge Nabu? The moment he had that thought, he sensed a simmering anger, coming from his companion.
Nabu eventually spoke, after a few moments' silence. 'WHEN THE CAPTORS ARIVE, WE WILL OBSERVE THEM BEFORE DECIDING OUR NEXT COURSE OF ACTION.' It commanded. After it'd said that, it went quiet and Kent wasn't able to get anything else out of it.
Wearily, he stuck his hand into his pocket and pulled out a carton of cigarettes. It was hallway to his mouth before he realized he didn't have a way to light it. With a snort, he stuffed it back into his jacket.
"…Nelson? Mr. Nelson, are you there?" Arthur whispered, trying and failing to get a response from his tutor. He'd slipped in behind the guy, but the room was so dark that he couldn't see his hand in front of his face. 'Shit, I knew this was a bad idea!' He thought, feeling the onset of panic. However, he couldn't completely blame the man. Because of his own wants, he hadn't tried very hard to dissuade him.
Trying his luck, he stuck out a hand, reaching for the doors that should've been behind him. He'd actually planned to hold them open, but they were weighted and, given how large they were, they slipped from his fingers and slammed shut before he could help it.
The only thing his fingertips touched was smooth wall --- predictably, there was nothing there. 'In the future, when I have the ability, I'll burn this place to the ground! If two bricks are left on top of each other, I won't be satisfied!' He swore to himself.
Arthur started feeling along the wall, seeing no other way. He wasn't sure what'd happened to Mr. Nelson, but there was nothing he could do about it. The best thing was to get out of here as soon as possible. 'I'll come back for him once I've gotten my bearings.' He said to himself, even though he knew it was a lie.
Eventually, he found a curtain and he hurriedly started pulling on it. However, he wasn't able to accomplish anything. It was like when he woke up in the middle of the night, having entangled himself in the blankets --- no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't get them right again.
'Dammit, what's going on here?' He asked, cursing inwardly. He decided to feel around for the window --- if he got hold of the latch, he'd open it. Finally, he found it, but he wasn't able to find the handle.
After a few frustrating minutes, he gave up. 'This mansion was built to mess with me.' He thought angrily. He decided to leave it be. Carefully, he shuffled forward, staying behind the curtain --- he doubted it would do much for him, but he liked the idea of having some concealment.
Suddenly, the tip of his shoe struck something. A loud noise followed, like a stack of pots and pans toppling over. Freezing in his tracks, Arthur felt his face contorting into a grimace. 'Oh, come on!' He thought. He didn't believe for a second that the racket had gone unnoticed --- his luck was much too awful for that.
Indeed, the moment the last, clattering sound had faded, he heard a voice speaking from somewhere nearby! "Come out from behind the curtain." It commanded. Its tone was dry and unpleasant, like a corpse recently exhumed.
Arthur recognized that voice --- it was one he was more afraid of than any other, given that it was the source of his trouble. He didn't move a muscle --- he couldn't, even if he tried.
Abruptly, the room lit up, as if by magic. The boy blinked rapidly --- the sudden change stung his eyes. Abruptly, the curtain was drawn aside --- the figure standing there had an appearance like a skeleton with faded, blonde hair that was almost grey.
Arthur was as still as a statue. It seemed to take an eternity for him to find his voice. When he did, he spoke. "Hello Grandmother." He said, trying to sound as polite and repentant as possible.
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Chapter 12
Arthur's eyes were still blurry, but after blinking a few times, he got rid of the worst of it.
He gave the space a quick once-over. It was a bedchamber, princely beyond imagining, but that was a running theme at this point. There was soft gold and red velvet, white ivory and dark ebony. If it'd belonged to the queen herself, he'd not have been surprised.
The old woman regarded him coolly. "That girl is waiting for you in the garden." She said.
Arthur sensed a hint of rebuke in her tone. 'Is that really the issue here?' He wondered dumbfoundedly. After everything that'd happened, he didn't see why she'd bring up something so irrelevant.
'More importantly, what the devil was she doing alone in the dark?' He asked himself, but he decided that there was no value in judging these people by normal standards. For all he knew, she didn't need light to see in the first place.
"I'm sorry, Grandmother. I got lost." He said.
Her lifeless eyes drilled into his. It gave him goosebumps. "…I will take you to her." She said, although it sounded more like a command than a statement.
Arthur nodded meekly. He thought of asking her what'd become of Mr. Nelson, but decided against it. It was like asking a murderer where they'd stuffed the corpse of their victim. At best, he'd just be irritating her. At worst, he'd find himself joining Kent, wherever he was.
She extended a hand towards him. "Follow me." She said simply.
He looked at the offered palm with confusion. 'Does she want me to hold her hand?' He thought stupidly. It seemed a ridiculous gesture, coming from her.
While he stood there, not knowing what to do, the ghostly woman abruptly reached out and interlocked her arm with his. He couldn't feel her skin, they were both wearing long sleeves, but he imagined it would've been cold and dry.
Numbly, he let himself be led out of the room. Her close-proximity had a stunning effect, like a predator's growling had on its prey.
"Have you been well?" She asked suddenly. There was a note of concern in her voice.
Her question rang unpleasantly in Arthur's ears. Rather than feeling touched, he experienced a sense of dread. She reminded him of a farmer, checking the health of her cattle. "Yes, thank you." He said, barely managing to keep the unease out of his voice.
She lightly patted his arm before responding. "I'm glad to hear it. If you've any problems, you may tell me any time." She said graciously. Her tone was uncharacteristically emotional.
"Yes, of course." Arthur said hoarsely. 'My biggest problem is you lot! If you really want to help, you should go die in a hole somewhere!' He thought. The feeling of helplessness was simply unbearable. Never before had his life rested so completely in the palm of another. It magnified his hatred and fear of his new 'family' even more.
After they'd walked for a bit, his grandmother spoke again. "I apologize for leaving early this morning. Something urgent required my attention." She said softly.
Arthur had to fight to keep his expression neutral. 'Is she making small-talk?' He thought doubtfully. He had no idea what was going on in her head. "It's all-right." He said plainly. He didn't let his true feelings show. He worried that, if he acted impolitely, he'd be 'disciplined'.
"How was your breakfast? If there's something you'd like, I'll have the servants prepare it." She said charitably.
The youth decided to go with the flow. Whatever she wanted to talk about, he'd oblige her. It wasn't like he'd a choice. "I enjoyed it very much." He said honestly. The food was the one thing he couldn't complain about. It was good to the point of making him forget his unpleasant situation.
His answer apparently didn't satisfy her. "Isn't there something else you'd like to eat?" She asked insistently.
Arthur tried to think of why she was being so pushy. 'Is she trying to trip me up somehow?' He wondered. He couldn't come up with any ideas.
Out of the corner of his eyes, he noticed that she was staring at him. He decided to give a random answer. "If it's not too much trouble, I'd enjoy some pancakes." He said cautiously, observing her reaction. When her expression remained passive, he inwardly sighed in relief.
"I will speak to the maid." She said. "How about your clothes, are they to your liking?" She asked, changing the subject. She looked him up and down before reaching over to fiddle with his shirt.
Arthur's emotions were complicated. 'If she wants to act the kindly grandmother, then I'm afraid it's too late.' He thought decisively. After what he'd been through, it was impossible to believe that her intentions were good.
'What if she's not acting?' A little voice asked, somewhere at the back of his mind, but he promptly smothered it. Entertaining that idea was frankly too dangerous. He couldn't afford to let his guard down.
"They're very comfortable." He said, lying through his teeth. The old metaphor of wearing a monkey suit came to mind, although that wasn't what he had on. He'd have preferred a tuxedo to this archaic ensemble.
Suddenly, the she did something that Shocked Arthur to the bone. She smiled. He'd have expected a smiling corpse to look terrifying, but she wore the expression naturally. More than that, it suited her.
"That's the third time you've adjusted your vest." She said, looking down at his hand. He had the corner between his fingertips and was tugging on it.
Arthur chuckled awkwardly, realizing that she'd told the truth. "I like the feel of it. The fabric is very soft." He said, coming up with an excuse on the spot.
He almost wished the butler was escorting him. The manservant never tried to converse, likely because he felt it was beneath him. However, it was safer, since Arthur didn't get an opportunity to put his foot in his mouth, like now.
Abruptly, he felt his grandmother separating her arm from his before putting her hand on his head. "What a dishonest grandson you are, yet Jane spoke so well of you in her letters. It's a pity." She said disappointedly. However, contrary to her words, she started petting his hair in a manner that could only be described as 'affectionate'.
Her long, sharp nails trailed over Arthur's scalp and he felt her fingers brushing against his neck. Her skin was cool and smooth and, to his surprise, it was actually a pleasant experience. He felt the tension draining from him and some of his wariness dissipated.
"I hope you'll continue doing your best." She suddenly said in a cryptic tone. "You've done well until now." She continued, giving his head one last pat before she took his arm again.
Arthur didn't immediately catch her meaning. 'She must be referring to the 'rite-of-passage'.' He thought a moment later. 'However, her encouragement is worthless. I have no choice but to do as I've been doing, anyway.' He thought with some frustration.
"Yes, Grandmother." He said obediently. He was unsure what else to say to her.
She gave his arm a squeeze. "…and I'll speak to Fetcher. Those clothes need adjustment." She said, sounding upset on his behalf.
Needless to say, Arthur didn't know what to think of her behavior. Her personality seemed to have changed greatly since their first encounter.
Sighing, Jane clipped an oxblood rose with a pair of scissors before putting it in a basket. "Three-o-clock has come and gone, yet he remains absent." She said over her shoulder to Ms. Squint, who stood behind her.
"Perhaps his tutor is keeping him." The maid said coolly. She looked the same as yesterday, down to her clothes and hairstyle.
"I don't know. Arthur has always been an excellent student." Jane stated worriedly, but then she gave an embarrassed smile. "I'm always fretting over him like this and every time things turn out fine." She said self-deprecatingly.
After a moment's silence, the head maid replied. "…it is a mother's nature to worry for their children." She said quietly.
Jane looked up at her with a raised eyebrow. "Do you have any children?" She asked, suddenly feeling curious.
When the woman heard Jane's question, she froze. "…don't be ridiculous! I'm far too busy to have children. I don't see why you'd ask when you already know the answer." She said testily after regaining her composure.
Jane was stunned. The response wasn't anything less than an outburst, given who it'd come from. It was singularly out of character for the maid. "I apologize." She said timidly. "I shouldn't have pried."
Ms. Squint exhaled slowly before replying. "You've always had an active imagination, ever since you were a child. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised." She said, implicitly rebuking Jane.
Jane laughed anxiously. It seemed her guess was incorrect, after all. "Well, you raised me, didn't you?" She asked, although she immediately regretted it.
Ms. Squint fidgeted where she stood. "…don't be foolish, girl. I'm not your mother." She said, almost angrily. Clearly, she'd caught on to Jane's implication.
Jane's expression crumpled. She hurriedly looked away, not wanting the other woman to see the tears welling in her eyes.
"…we are. They should be around here." A female voice said from somewhere nearby.
When Ms. Squint turned her head to look in its direction, Jane surreptitiously wiped her eyes. "Is sounds like Mary and Arthur." She said, changing the subject.
The maid's shoulders tensed when Jane said her mother's name directly, but she didn't say anything.
A few seconds later, a boy and a woman appeared among the rosebushes. "Your mother is over there." Mary said, pointing Arthur in the right direction before turning and leaving.
After thanking her, Arthur walked over to the other two women. 'What was that about?' He wondered, thinking about what his grandmother had said to him just a moment ago.
"You must remember, I would never harm you." She'd said insistently.
The youth was so stunned by the abrupt statement that he'd not been able to think of a response before she'd left. He shook his head inwardly. He had no way to determine whether she was being truthful or not.
Jane stood up from the curved bench she'd been sitting. Smiling, she opened her arms and embraced him. "How was it?" She asked, putting her chin on top of his head.
"It was fine." Arthur said, speaking into her chest. It was a standard response, one that every child had repeated to their parents a thousand times over.
Jane separated them, holding the boy at arm's distance. "Why don't you tell me something in French? I heard you're learning it." She said mischievously.
Arthur rolled his eyes. "I would, but I'm concerned for your ears." He said.
Jane wasn't letting him off that easy. "If you don't, how will I know if you studied properly?" She asked with fake concern.
"You can always ask Mr. Nelson." He said decisively. '…good luck with that, though. It's likely his body is in a landfill somewhere, becoming compost for the roses.' He thought sardonically.
Jane's eyes lit up and she clapped her hands together. "That's a wonderful idea. We should invite him for tea, so we can get to know each other." She said happily.
Arthur expelled a puff of air through his nose. His gaze involuntarily travelled to Ms. Squint. He was sure she knew of Kent's situation, so her reaction would be informative.
Jane likewise glanced expectantly at the maid. "I'm sorry to trouble you, but would you invite Mr. Nelson to join us for tea?" She asked politely.
Surprisingly, the woman response was accepting. "I will do so." She said plainly.
Arthur watched her leave, feeling conflicted. 'It seems I was wrong. Maybe he's one of theirs, after all?' He wondered. If that was the case, the tutor's survival could be explained, otherwise he had no idea what was going on. 'Another mystery to be added to the ever-growing pile, I suppose.' He thought.
"Sit down and have some tea." Jane said to him, having done so herself.
There were two benches with a metallic, coiling table between them. Its frame had a vine-like motif, appropriating the surrounding environment.
Arthur was planning to sit across from her, but she patted the spot on her right, so he obliged her. After he'd taken a seat, Jane poured his tea. It was plain, but with a dash of milk, according to his tastes. For a while, they sipped their beverages in silence.
"It's a beautiful garden, isn't it?" She asked after a few minutes.
Arthur wasn't particularly interested in the hobby, but he nodded anyway. "It's very impressive." He said, although 'intimidating' would've been a more accurate description. It was as enigmatic as the rest of the estate and about as navigable as the Amazon rainforest.
Jane put her hand on his shoulder, bringing him closer to her. "When I was a girl, I spent every spare moment in here." She said with reminiscence.
Arthur was reminded of Jane's weird sensibilities. Anybody else, including himself, would've been too afraid to step foot in the labyrinthine garden. Was it a child's natural fearlessness, or was the reason more unnatural? 'Kids are pretty stupid, though.' He thought, not ruling out the possibility.
Jane lifted her hand from his shoulder and pulled on his cheek. "What are you thinking about, Mister?" She asked playfully.
Arthur had an sudden impulse to stick out his tongue and lick her fingers, so he did just that.
His mother reacted like she'd touched a slug. "Ew!" She exclaimed in mock disgust before releasing him with a giggle.
"I was thinking I'd like another cup of tea." He said, looking at the empty porcelain in his hand. While he was in thought, he'd completely drained it.
After she'd poured him another, Jane replied. "Don't change the subject, Arty. Are you trying to keep secrets from your mother?" She asked with pretend sadness.
The boy barely managed to keep the discomfort off his face. The question was depressingly close to the truth. 'More importantly, are you keeping secrets from me?' He wondered, feeling uneasy. However, he didn't voice his doubts. "I was thinking that you look pretty today. Don't call me 'Arty', though." He said with half-seriousness.
Jane made a 'pfft' sound before bursting into laughter. After she'd calmed down, she patted his back, clearly in a good mood. "You should save the flattery for your future wife, big boy." She said teasingly.
Arthur made a thoughtful sound. "Where do I find one of those?" He asked, sipping his second cup of tea.
Apparently, that question gave Jane some trouble, because she frowned. "…I wish things were different, but unfortunately your grandparents make the rules." She said glumly, referring to the fact that he was being homeschooled.
Arthur gave her a placating wave. "I was just joking. I don't really care." He said truthfully. Why would he care about girls when he hadn't entered puberty yet?
Sighing, Jane rested her elbows on the table before putting her chin in her hands. "I'm sure you don't, but as your mother, I worry about your future." She said seriously.
The youth raised an eyebrow. "You shouldn't. The time of arranged marriages has come and gone." He said plainly.
Jane rolled her eyes. "You know that wasn't what I meant. However, if you're going to pick one yourself, then why don't you tell me what type you'd like?" She asked with sudden enthusiasm.
Arthur was exasperated. He almost regretted complimenting her, since it'd led the conversation down this road. "I really have no clue." He lied, feeling too uncomfortable to discuss the topic with his mother.
Jane's lips curved into a smile, looking like she didn't believe him. "Aww, you're embarrassed, aren't you? Don't worry, no matter what you say, I won't make fun of you." She said generously.
The youth turned his head, smushing his face into the crook of her neck. "This conversation is over." He said decisively.
Fortunately, his mother did continue to pester him. Reaching for his head, she stroked his hair. "…bear with it, for the time being. Your grandmother won't keep you cooped up forever." She said, getting to the heart of the issue.
Her words drew a frown from him. He couldn't help but think back to his conversation with the woman. 'I'm not sure what her true intentions are.' He thought frustratedly. 'Maybe I should ask her when I get the chance?' He wondered. He didn't want to drag Jane into whatever this was. That meant he had to ask one of the others if he wanted to know more.
'Is it really a good idea, though? They'd know I was on to them. However, they don't seem to be hiding their true nature. Rather than that, I get the impression that they just couldn't be bothered to explain anything to me.' He contemplated, unsure of how to proceed.
'If I do ask, then who would be the best choice?' He wondered. He immediately ruled out the butler. Out of the three, the manservant seemed the most sinister. He was polite, but it was only a veneer. Underneath it, Arthur detected a deep-seated maliciousness.
'The old ghost expressed her goodwill, but if Jane is telling the truth about the maid's care for her, then I find that far more persuasive.' He thought, feeling surer of his pick. After all, actions spoke louder than words.
He resolved to speak with Ms. Squint, when he got the chance.
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Good stuff, cant wait to see whats the reason for all this weirdness, i do have some theories, but this chapter trew quite a few into doubt and created some new ones, i have hope for Arthur
Wonderful, the story's really picking up now. Great to see one of my favourite DC characters being the first crossover element and it'll be interesting to see a younger Kent given the time period right now. It's also good to have confirmation this is a classic "mysterious outsider entity" situation without completely giving the game away.
Chapter 13
In the darkness, there was a sudden sound. It was the noise made by a key, scraping against a lock. Kent listened with mixed emotions as the mechanism shifted and the doorhandle was turned. 'The moment of truth has arrived.' He thought apprehensively.
The old hinges creaked, a telltale sign that these chambers were seldom used. The threshold opened and a thin orange light shone onto the floor before a figure stepped into the room, holding a flickering lantern. The soft glow illuminated her outline and the lower half of her face.
Without hesitation, Kent launched into his planned performance. "Thank God, I'm saved!" He yelled joyfully, jumping to his feet. He practically ran over to the maid, looking like he wanted to give her a big hug.
Ms. Squint seemed taken aback by his reaction. When the scholar arrived in front of her with his arms outstretched, she shifted the lantern until it was between them."…Mr. Nelson, stop." She said emotionlessly.
The man's expression was embarrassed, like he hadn't realized what he was trying to do. "Oh, I'm sorry. I'm damn scared of dark spaces, if you'll pardon my French…" He said fearfully. "…and I don't understand how I got here!" He exclaimed.
He carefully glanced at the maid's face. The top-half was shrouded in darkness, revealing only two white, porcelain spheres. 'Those blank eyes are horrifying.' He thought. She was blind, or so he'd been told, but that excuse was so awful that he felt they were insulting his intelligence.
The maid regarded him for a moment before she extended a hand and opened the door all the way. "The mansion is old and full of hidden passageways. I suggest you refrain from wandering around unsupervised. It was fortunate that I was able to find you, this time." She stated with severity. "Now, come with me."
Kent's expression morphed into one of surprise. "It was like a nightmare! I knew there had to be a reasonable explanation, but it was like I'd just appeared in here." He said, seemingly relieved that it wasn't so. "I couldn't find the way back, no matter how hard I tried. I traced the wall, but I was only able to find that single locked door. It didn't make any sense!"
Frustratingly, Ms. Squint didn't comment on his observation. Instead, she changed the subject without even trying to assuage his worries. "The miss has invited you to join them for tea. That was the reason I went looking for you." She admitted.
While they were talking, they'd made it out of the room. One of Kent's eyebrows twitched, noticing that the hallway was made from the same stone as his cell. "I'll have to thank lady Mary, then. She may have accidentally saved my life, haha!" He said, laughing good-humoredly.
The maid corrected his false assumption. "It was Ms. Jane that invited you. She is Arthur's mother." She said plainly.
Kent looked pleasantly surprised. "That's great, I'd hoped to meet her. Arthur was such a polite, clever kid that I'm curious about the person who raised him." He said enthusiastically.
Thinking of something, he spoke to the maid. "That's why I left with Arthur in the first place, you know, but we must've gotten separated at some point. I was so shocked to find he was suddenly missing! Could it be that he'd told you where to find me?" He asked curiously.
"No." The maid said, not elaborating any further.
Kent was certain a question mark had appeared in the middle of his forehead. Of course, he was sure they had some mystical means of surveillance, otherwise they wouldn't have been able to find him in this huge house, but a normal person wouldn't know that. "How did you know where I was, then?" He asked, feeling a bit upset. If anyone else had been in his shoes, they'd still have a lot of doubts.
"I'm very familiar with the estate's layout." Ms. Squint stated, as if the answer was supposed to be sufficient.
Kent felt a vein throbbing near his temple. 'Did you forget you were supposed to be blind? That explanation isn't worth jack shit!' He thought irritably. She wasn't even trying to sound believable. However, he wouldn't call her out on it because they weren't ready to start a conflict yet. Nabu was busy doing God knows what, so until the spirit had given the all-clear, he'd continue to buy time for them.
He decided to fish for more information. "If you don't mind me asking, how long have you served the Grimms?" He asked inquisitively.
"Always." She said, giving a monosyllabic answer.
At this point, Kent realized her interest in the conversation was at sub-zero levels. "That's very impressive." He said dryly. He probed her a few more times, but it soon became clear he wouldn't be getting anything out of the doll-like woman. With no other recourse, he resolved to let their dialogue die its natural death.
Predictably, Ms. Squint remained silent for the rest of their journey, leaving Kent's mind to stew in its own thoughts.
About thirty minutes had passed since Ms. Squint's departure. It wasn't that odd, given how massive the place was, and Arthur supposed that reanimating a dead body wasn't a quick thing either. Imagine his surprise when Mr. Nelson showed up, trailing behind the maid while looking as chipper and healthy as ever.
"If it isn't my favorite student!" He said cheerfully when their eyes met.
Arthur gave him a once-over before he stood and replied. "It feels like I haven't seen you in ages, Mr. Nelson." He said honestly. The persistent, gloomy weather really messed with his sense of time.
The tutor smiled, but there was a glumness hidden within. "It does, doesn't it? I'm sorry about what happened, I suddenly found myself separated from you. Even now, I don't understand it." He said, sheepishly adjusting his spectacles.
To Arthur, his words appeared to be truthful. 'We seem to be in the same boat, Mr. Nelson.' He thought. He was just as clueless about what'd transpired, but he was certain it was on the 'super' side of 'natural'.
Not to be left out of their conversation, Jane stood and introduced herself. "Hello, Mr. Nelson. I'm Jane, Arthur's mother." She said, politely extending her hand for a shake. "Did you two get lost on your way here? I wouldn't be surprised, it's happened to me before." She said, glancing between them.
Kent smiled and gripped her palm. "It's a pleasure and please, call me Kent." He said. "Yes, we did. There was a dark room and, well…" He started before stopping, unsure of how to continue.
Jane gave an airy laugh. She'd gotten lost countless times and had needed Ms. Squint to come to her rescue, so she didn't need him to elaborate further. "Fortunately, you were able to make it. I was looking forward to meeting you." She said honestly. "Please, take a seat, although the tea has gone cold. It was a spur-of-the-moment invitation, so I didn't think far enough ahead." She said apologetically.
Kent hurriedly waved his hands in front of his chest. "Don't worry about it. I'm the one who should be sorry, since I'm interrupting your mother-and-son time." He said earnestly. However, despite his words, he still took the offered seat.
Ms. Squint, ever the professional maid, addressed the poor hospitality. "I will stop by the kitchens." She said dutifully.
Jane's expression turned guilty. "Please, I didn't mean to send you off again. I'd prefer if you stayed to chat with us." She said genuinely.
The maid politely refused. "Mr. Nelson has come all the way from America to teach Arthur. The least we could do is provide him with a warm cup of tea, don't you think?" She asked rhetorically.
Of course, Jane had no answer to that.
Since she'd be making the trip anyway, Kent decided to take advantage. "I'd prefer coffee, if you have it." He said. He heard 'very well' and, after the maid left, it was just him plus the mother and son.
"I hope Arthur didn't give you any trouble." Jane said, glancing between him and the boy.
Kent shook his head. "Oh no, he was the perfect student." He said honestly.
Jane smiled. She always enjoyed it when someone spoke well of her son. "I'm glad. His teachers always complimented him, but you're a different sort altogether." She said, referring to Kent's excellent education.
The scholar was quick to refute her words. "Don't think too highly of me, miss. There are people far more learned than I." He said humbly.
Jane made a thoughtful sound. "I was able to read your resume. It's nothing short of spectacular." She said.
Arthur listened on as they chatted, feeling like he'd become a third wheel. 'I'll have to ask Mr. Nelson tomorrow, when Jane's not around.' He thought, wondering what exactly had happened to the man after their abrupt separation. However, that brief misadventure was nothing more than an idle curiosity. More than anything, he wanted to return to his room so he could mess with the tablet.
Eventually, the maid returned, carrying trays of beverages and snacks. It was remarkable, how she managed it all by herself, travelling to and from the kitchens. At least, it would've been if she was a normal human woman.
Arthur wasted no time, devouring the biscuits and bite-sized-sandwiches with ravenous fervor. He wasn't going to be polite, since his survival depended on it. Unfortunately, his Potentia didn't rise, since the quantity was insufficient.
The gathering dissolved about an hour later. As always, the maid escorted Jane, while Mr. Fetcher came for Kent. Surprisingly, Mary made an appearance, inviting Arthur to go for a walk. The boy found it frustrating, wanting nothing more than some privacy. However, he didn't dare refuse.
It was only later that evening, after his dinner with Jane, that Arthur was able to return to his room, escorted by the butler, as was their usual custom.
The youth had all but given up on his plan to map the manor. After what he'd experienced today, he realized that the doors didn't lead to fixed locations. 'Their destinations could be random, but it's more likely someone's manipulating their outcomes.' He thought glumly.
He and the manservant had exchanged farewells before Mr. Fetcher drifted out into the hallway. The last Arthur saw of him was his eyes, burning like two coals, before he dissolved into the shadows. 'Creepy fucker….' He thought, cursing the man inside his head.
When the door had swung closed on its own, he sighed in relief. Having interacted with his grandmother, the maid and the butler, he could say with certainty that the latter was the most unsettling of them all.
When he roused himself from his thoughts, he found that he'd been staring at the carvings on the dark, polished wooden door.
'But this imagery is really messed up.' He thought. In the middle of the swirling lines, engraved into the door, was an upside-down figure, laying in some kind of coffin with its arms folded. Countless tubes were embedded in its flesh, to the point where it was impossible to tell where it began and they ended.
The image-within-a-pattern style made him feel nauseous, so he eventually looked away. 'Since I can't figure it out, then forget it.' He thought. 'What I need to do right now is see if I can increase my 'Maleficia'.' He decided. Having made up his mind, he climbed on top of his comfortable, oversized bed and closed his eyes. Without wasting any more time, he opened the tablet.
Immediately, he looked at his Potentia, which had risen to [ 0.6 ] after this evening's dinner. 'Even if I mess around, I should still have enough to defend myself.' He thought. Decisively, he concentrated on his Maleficia, which was still at [ 0.35 ].
When he did, he experienced a strange pulling-force near the base of his skull. The best way he could describe it was like holding onto a ball while a child was trying to take it from you.
'This weird feeling should be related to the tablet.' He concluded. After deliberating for a few seconds, he decided to risk it. 'Nothing ventured, nothing gained.' He thought before he deliberately 'let go'.
The moment he did, it was like two electro magnets attracting each other. That clump of energy that'd gathered somewhere in his mind was pulled away and, in return, something else replaced it, like a rubber band snapping into place. Immediately, the tablet underwent a change.
'Potentia [ 0.6 ] –> [ 0.5 ]'
'Maleficia [ 0.35 ] –> [ 0.5 ]'
It felt like there was a soap bubble inside his skull, expanding until it pressed tightly against the bone, and that wasn't even the worst of it. When it'd gotten to the point where he was sure his juiced brains were about to run out of his ears, it abruptly burst. 'It's just like that time!' He thought, referring to when he'd absorbed the 'Libre Maleficia'.
Suddenly, an intense, burning pain assaulted his senses, like a brain freeze in reverse. He felt hot liquid gushing from his nose, eyes and ears. Within seconds, it had become so overwhelming that he was unable to string two thoughts together. Just like last time, the experience ended as it had begun, with him toppling over before passing out. It was a small mercy that, this time, he had a soft bed underneath him instead of a hard floor.
Time passed, yet the candle on the bedside table didn't go out. It continued to burn dutifully, emitting a soft, orange glow without any smoke. Arthur's sleeping form was illuminated, still unconscious from the trying ordeal.
It was disturbing sight, the way his face was dyed with blood. Long, red trails started at the corner of his eyes, running down his cheeks. His nose, mouth and chin were similarly covered. The thick plasma matted the long hair that came down to his neck, as well as his clothes.
Unfortunately, his suffering was not yet over. Three hours after he'd fallen unconscious, it started. At first, it seemed to be nothing more than a twitch, like a jumping muscle. However, it soon escalated until the skin all over his body was faintly trembling.
It looked like he was about to have an epileptic attack, but then something grotesque happened. Thin, netlike veins, thick as pieces of twine, sprouted all over his body. It was like he'd contracted some unfathomable disease, yet his skin didn't become swollen or discolored. Instead, he seemed to be getting paler, like his blood was being siphoned away.
When it'd gotten to the point where every inch of him was covered in fine, root-like structures, there was a sudden burst of movement inside his flesh. The veins came alive, like a bag of leeches, madly wriggling and writhing under his skin. His body was like a puppet, being jerked around by countless strings.
It went on for ten, twenty, thirty minutes, throughout which Arthur remained unconscious. It soon became clear that the things were growing, thickening as they infiltrated every corner of his being. However, when they approached his brain, the tablet reacted. A glowing word was chiseled onto the surface and it emitted a burst of energy, accompanied by a decrease in Potentia, to pacify the outbreak.
This time, it was not completely successful. While the tendrils encroaching in on his mind were obstructed, the rest of the abnormal growth continued. He was like fruit, being drained of its moisture, shrinking and shriveling until there was nothing left but a desiccated corpse. When nothing remained except skin and bones, the parasites had become as thick as snakes. Arthur's body was beyond horrifying to look at, having turned into a paper-thin bag, barely containing the abominable, bloated creatures.
When there was nothing more to consume, they froze, lying still and unmoving inside him. At this point, anybody with eyes to see would've been able to tell that he was dead. Everything inside him had been devoured, except for his brain. He was nothing more than a sack of skin, housing a slither of parasites.
However, without warning, the Vermes suddenly burst apart, like a bundle of vines untwining. In the blink of an eye, they'd divided a hundred times over, instantly inflating his body, like a blowing air into a balloon. His organs, muscles, nerves and tissues were reconstructed out of countless alien fibers.
As his metamorphosis neared completion, the growth slowed. The whole process, since the first manifestation, took about an hour to complete. When it was done, he looked as he had before, but with a few differences. His skin, which had been pale, was now as white as porcelain. In fact, every part of him was flawless, from his nails to his hair. However, it was a lifeless perfection, something that appeared artificial, like a mannequin or a doll.
In the darkness of his unconscious mind, the tablet hovered. He wasn't able to see it in his state, but that didn't stop the text on its surface from being rewritten.
The first visible change was his Potentia, having decreased from [ 0.5 ] to a pitiful [ 0.1 ]! Nevertheless, the second change was far more interesting. Under the first heading, Particularia, a new word had appeared, replacing one of the others that'd been written there. Physica and Magica was gone and, in its place, Vermes was inscribed. That wasn't the end of it, since its value was triple what their total had been!
Potentia [ 0.1 ]
Particularia
Vermes [ 1.5 ]
Proficiendi
Spontanea Evocatio [ 0,1 ]
Maleficia [ 0.5 ]
It was only after two hours had passed that he finally opened his eyes. They were clear and lifeless, glowing with a rusty hue, the color of dried blood.
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Well... that could charitably be described as "not good".
I'm going to guess that his brain being spared that fate is vitally important, meaning he's an eldritch being now without having lost his human mind to either madness, slavery, or an inhuman mindset.
The man with "tubes" flowing from him makes a lot more sense now as -in a rather "Resident Evil" style- apparently his family are leech-people made up of eldritch parasites that infiltrate through looking at carvings of them and then spread and grow by consuming magical potential until they start consuming the physical flesh and outright replacing it.
I'm fairly sure Kent will consider it a personal failing he wasn't able to stop this transformation when he discovers it as I doubt Arthur will be thrilled at his new state. His first thought will likely be vampire and it's not comforting that that supposition would actually be better than what he actually is now.
It's of great interest that it appears to have collapsed his physical health and magical pools together and tripled the combined value, so he'll be "casting" with his health pool and lose magic when injured, which suggests the interchangeable "stuff" his physical body and magic is made up of now is both the material of his body and actively holds it together and makes it function.
I suspect disease, poison, and scrapes won't be a concern for him going forward.
I'm going to guess that his brain being spared that fate is vitally important, meaning he's an eldritch being now without having lost his human mind to either madness, slavery, or an inhuman mindset.
The man with "tubes" flowing from him makes a lot more sense now as -in a rather "Resident Evil" style- apparently his family are leech-people made up of eldritch parasites that infiltrate through looking at carvings of them and then spread and grow by consuming magical potential until they start consuming the physical flesh and outright replacing it.
I'm fairly sure Kent will consider it a personal failing he wasn't able to stop this transformation when he discovers it as I doubt Arthur will be thrilled at his new state. His first thought will likely be vampire and it's not comforting that that supposition would actually be better than what he actually is now.
It's of great interest that it appears to have collapsed his physical health and magical pools together and tripled the combined value, so he'll be "casting" with his health pool and lose magic when injured, which suggests the interchangeable "stuff" his physical body and magic is made up of now is both the material of his body and actively holds it together and makes it function.
I suspect disease, poison, and scrapes won't be a concern for him going forward.
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Chapter 14
Within seconds, the strange color faded until Arthur's eyes regained their light-brown hue. The boy in question was laying perfectly still, like a mummy in its crypt. His body felt extremely unfamiliar to him, to the extent that it was worse than when he'd been reborn as a baby, ten years ago. He felt light and thin, like an empty jar. He was struck with a premonition that, if he moved, something utterly unexpected would happen.
It took him a while to notice the spinning black shape in the corner of his vision. When he did, he focused on it until the tablet appeared in his view. The changes written on it shocked him to the bone! 'What happened while I was unconscious?' He wondered, feeling highly disturbed. 'My 'Physica' and 'Mystica' were completely replaced by 'Vermes'!'
Abruptly, he felt information flooding his mind. His increased 'Maleficia' had brought with it new understanding! 'I vastly underestimated the parasites!' He realized. They weren't like leeches at all, rather than that, they were more like larvae. 'Their purpose wasn't simply to feed off their host, but to replace them completely!'
Like a caterpillar longing to take to the skies, the Vermes desired a bridge to the physical world. It was nothing less than a metamorphosis, using their host as a living cocoon to create a material body! 'How insidious! It preserves the appearance of its sacrifice as a form of camouflage!' He realized. 'Fortunately, the tablet prevented my mind from being overtaken, but what could've provoked the outbreak?'
He simply had no clue. However, what worried him the most was whether or not the transformation was complete. As of now, his mind was still his. However, if the changes weren't over, then he was in big trouble, since he barely had any Potentia left!
Slowly and carefully, he lifted his right hand and held it up to his face. It looked like a human hand, but there was something extremely alien about it! 'Are the servants the same type of creature?' He wondered. Feeling dreadfully curious, he decided to look at his reflection in the bronze mirror.
However, the moment he pressed his hand against the bed to stand up, there was an enormous cracking noise, like a tree trunk bursting open! The frame collapsed underneath him and, on reflex, he leapt to his feet.
When he did, he experienced an unfathomable situation, like he was barely connected to the earth. He suddenly flew towards the wall like a cannonball, smashing through one of the bedposts and into the wardrobe.
It was like a bomb had gone off. The floor, which he'd touched with one foot, splintered and burst into chips and shards, exposing the cracked stone beneath the wooden paneling. Needless to say, the piece of furniture fared no better! The wardrobe, impacted by his shoulder, practically disintegrated into sawdust. He promptly collided with the wall behind it, cracking it like it was made out of chalk.
When the ruckus had settled, Arthur found himself sitting on his butt, wearing a flabbergasted expression.
Needless to say, he was clueless as to what'd just happened. Dazedly, he tried to pick up a shattered plank, but it crumbled in his hand like a dry leaf. Carefully, using the least amount of strength possible, he stood up. He felt like he'd suddenly been transported to the moon, with how much gravity's hold on him had weakened.
'This is simply ridiculous!' He exclaimed inwardly. It was obviously because his body had transformed into whatever he currently was. 'Still, the 'Vermes' only have a total value of [ 1.5 ]!' He felt certain that, even if his Physica had increased to that level, the effect wouldn't be so exaggerated. 'I guess the human body can't be compared to a supernatural organism.' He concluded.
Suddenly, there was movement in his peripheral vision. His eyes flicked towards it and he saw the door to his room drifting open. Before he could react, a single black, leather shoe stepped through the entrance. A familiar figure was revealed, one he desperately would have preferred to avoid.
"What on earth happened in here?" Mr. Fetcher asked, taking in the destroyed surroundings.
Arthur felt an intense, murderous impulse well within his chest. 'Why is this bastard here?' He thought angrily. He hadn't gotten the opportunity to acclimate to his metamorphosis yet! 'Fuck, the villain isn't supposed to show up right after I get my superpowers! I need more time!' He thought furiously.
To his surprise, the moment the manservant made eye-contact with him, the fellow froze, like he'd just seen a dead relative come back to life. In the blink of an eye, his face underwent rapid changes, to the extent that it was impossible to know what he was feeling.
It was disturbing to look at in a way that was difficult to explain. Like a wolf in sheep's clothing, the skin he was wearing seemed unable to keep up with his chaotic emotions. His flesh was a puppet, yanked around too violently by its controller.
Arthur found the butler's glowing eyes were locked with his. They were hungry and desperate, to the extent that it seemed he wouldn't be able to control himself. The youth retreated involuntarily until his back was touching the shattered wall.
"Oh dear, oh my…!" Mr. Fetcher said, prowling towards Arthur. He was like a sexual predator, having caught a glimpse of a prepubescent child.
Arthur was sure that, if he still had a human body, he'd have broken into a cold sweat. Instead, he felt his flesh becoming unsettled, like a pile of snakes being exposed to an open flame. Fetcher was giving off a threatening aura that perturbed his new, alien constitution.
Abruptly, the manservant's hand shot out, trying to grab Arthur by the arm. It happened so quickly that he couldn't react, but his new body was a different story. On instinct, he retaliated, crouching and striking in a single movement. His hand impacted the butler's wrist, emitting a sound like a hammer striking an anvil.
Predictably, the butler wasn't human!
Astonished, Fetcher held his hand in front of his face. There were cracks all over his 'skin' and a shadowy substance was leaking out of it. It was both vapor and fluid, like liquid nitrogen at room temperature.
He tenderly cradled his hand to his chest. Suddenly, his lips trembled and a single, black, oily tear rolled down his cheek!
"How can this be? It's barely been two days, yet it has progressed to this extent!" He whispered under his breath. However, contrary to what one might expect, his voice was rapturous, like Jesus had personally descended to take him to heaven. "Oh, my master, the time has come at last!" He started rambling like a madman, crying, shivering and laughing in a profoundly disturbing way.
At this point, Arthur was pressed so tightly against the wall that the leftover stones were audibly groaning, like they might collapse at any time. The butler was a ticking bomb, primed to explode at any moment. Arthur felt that the slightest movement might set the creature off.
Abruptly, Fetcher lifted his head, locking gazes with the youth across from him. His eyes were completely black. "You must come with me immediately!" He said distortedly, hissing like a viper.
"If you touch me again, you're dead!" Arthur said emphatically. He was ready to go all out, right here, right now!
For the first time, the look of pure pleasure was wiped off Fetcher's face."…why would it say that? Could it be…? Something isn't right!" He said to himself, sounding absolutely horrified by his own suspicions.
Suddenly, without warning, the manservant's shadow boiled and surged, like hot metal tossed into a pot of water. Strands of black ribbons shot towards Arthur, writhing across the floor and broken furniture!
Arthur was moving before he knew it. He burst through the rubble behind him like it was a pile of sand, flinging stone, mortar and wood in all directions. The debris shot out into the hallway like grapeshot fired out of a cannon, smacking into the walls and shattering the windows. All at once, the deathly manor was filled with a cacophony of noise.
'IT IS TIME.' Nabu said suddenly.
It startled Kent where he was sitting at his table, reading a book about classic architecture. Dawn hadn't broken yet, but he was already awake. He couldn't rest easy, knowing they were in enemy territory.
The scholar's eyebrows rose, practically touching his hairline. 'We've only been here a-day-and-a-half!' He thought disbelievingly.
Surprisingly, the spirit provided him with an explanation, contradicting its usual dismissive attitude. 'THEY INVITED YOU INTO THEIR DEMESNE. IT GRANTED YOU CERTAIN PRIVILAGES. I TOOK ADVANTAGE OF THEM.' It said plainly.
Kent rubbed his forehead in confusion. 'I don't get it.' He though with frustration, but he quickly got over it. There was something else he was far more curious about.
'Never mind that, though. Have uncovered the source of that signal?' He asked inwardly, referring to the mystical phenomenon that'd attracted Nabu in the first place.
The entity was silent for a moment before replying. '…I HAVE.' It said cryptically.
A few long seconds passed while Kent waited for it to continue. When he'd finally run out of patience, he opened his mouth to probe Nabu further, but was suddenly interrupted.
'…THAT SIGNITURE IS MY OWN.' It said conflictedly, after a period of deliberation.
Kent wished he'd been drinking something, so he could've spit it out in surprise. 'What the hell are you talking about?' He asked disbelievingly.
However, he didn't get a reply. Instead, he promptly found himself being shoved into the back seat as the spirit took over his body.
If someone had been looking at Kent, they would've been shocked to the core! It was like an expert method actor, changing character through body language alone. His laid-back attitude vanished completely and a smoldering intensity, intimidating to look at, took its place. Kent Nelson was gone, replaced by Dr. Fate.
The manifested entity's eyes were like two bronze rings inside a forge. Rapidly, their color shifted from a plain brown to something resembling molten metal. However, it didn't stop there. Like twin suns coming into existence, they flared a blinding, golden light.
Just as suddenly as the light had arrived, it disappeared. When the room became visible once more, it was empty. Its occupant had vanished into thin air!
Arthur's eyes rolled around in their sockets, desperately trying to find an avenue of escape. The butler had gone berserk, dissolving into a mass of grasping shadows, like an enormous black hand. No matter what, he couldn't let himself be caught!
'I can't fight him in here!' He thought decisively. The atmosphere inside the manor was hostile, like thousands of needles hovering above his skin. There was danger everywhere, ready to smother him within an instant.
With a violent 'Bang!', Arthur smashed into the wall on the other side of the hallway. For a long moment, the structure held, doing its best to resist his abnormal constitution, but then it cracked and shattered like an eggshell.
'I'm out!' He though with relief, gazing down at the labyrinthine garden that stretched into the mist. However, before he could celebrate, something inconceivable happened! The shadows that were pursuing him leapt into the open air, defying all logic! 'Are you kidding me? Shadows don't work that way!' He exclaimed inwardly, feeling outraged and cheated.
Like a black bolt of lightning, the darkness struck, seizing him before pulling him back into the mansion. He struggled with all his strength, but it was useless! His feet had no purchase, so he was unable to exert force in the opposite direction.
Left with no other choice, he gathered his strength for a single, overwhelming blow. "Die!" He shouted, feeling both fear and anger with equal intensity. He poured all his energy into his palm before unleashing it towards the center of the black mass.
However, something happened that he hadn't intended at all! He'd planned to launch a physical strike at his enemy as soon as he was in range. Instead, an invisible, rippling force was emitted from his hand, tearing apart the walls and scattering the shadows. It only travelled a short distance before it destabilized, bursting open into a mass of unseeable tendrils that wreaked havoc on the surroundings.
Unfortunately, it wasn't nearly enough to incapacitate The Fetcher, a name only a few select enemies had learned, yet hadn't lived long enough to spread. The blackness bloomed open, exposing a pair of glowing, yellow eyes, like those of an octopus. The black ribbons that were torn quickly thickened, regrowing until they were stronger than they'd ever been!
The moment Arthur's gaze locked with those two sulfurous orbs, he felt an immense pressure on his mind, like lead weights were being piled on top of his brain. The tablet immediately reacted, expending his last Potentia to defend him against the mental attack. In an instant, the weight vanished into thin air and the monster reeled backwards, blinking frenziedly while black blood dripped down its bulbous head.
Still, such an insignificant defiance amounted to no more than a headache, and it quickly rallied before restarting its attack. This time, Arthur's mind was peeled open like an orange without offering the slightest resistance. The Fetcher had stuck a straw into his brain, sucking on it until it got the information it wanted.
Needless to say, the process was extremely unpleasant. Unable to help himself, Arthur screamed like a pig being slaughtered. Suddenly, just as quickly as it started, the process stopped and it spoke into his mind.
"It is incomplete!" The monster shouted, like a toddler who had their toys taken away. It started raving madly, but Arthur was unable to make out what it was saying. Its thoughts were so foreign that it was impossible to make sense of them.
However, before the monster was able to calm down and think of a solution to its 'problem', there was a sound that could only be described as ten-thousand lightning bolts striking at the same time, accompanied by a concentrated flash of light, like a massive laser going off. It was so overwhelming that the monster leapt backward on instinct, releasing Arthur like a prey animal vomiting out food to lighten its load.
The boy himself felt like a massive hammer had just hit him over the head. His mind immediately snapped back to the present situation. He wasn't able to take advantage of the brief respite, because The Fetcher quickly grabbed him again before shrinking them both down into a black dot that promptly vanished, like a squid squirting ink and making its escape.
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That's... Not good.
Chapter 15
A lone figure was floating down a strange hallway. It was like an enormous funhouse mirror, with silver walls, floor and ceiling, made out of a quicksilver-like material. On the many surfaces, the individual's appearance was reflected. By all accounts, he appeared human. It was only his feet, hovering five inches above the floor, and his gold, glowing eyes that elucidated his abnormal identity.
'Weren't you saying that we needed to be careful?' Kent asked, referring to Nabu's earlier comments about a dangerous presence, lurking in the estate's northern section.
'It cannot act against us.' Nabu said, not elaborating further.
However, Kent wasn't satisfied with that much. 'Why not?' He asked persistently.
The entity must've detected that Kent wasn't going to let the matter rest until he'd gotten a satisfactory answer, because it soon provided its reasoning. 'Three years ago, it attempted apotheosis. The outcome was failure. The resulting echoes destabilized this demesne, allowing its location to be detected. Currently, the presence is undergoing deviation. It must exert constant effort to maintain its existence, or face dissolution.'
If the scholar was in control of his body, he would've furrowed his brows. 'You're telling me that the thing in charge of this place tried to become a god, but didn't succeed. Not only that, but it injured itself and is now basically useless?' He asked, trying his best to get to the heart of the issue.
'That is not entirely incorrect.' Nabu said. The words were as much of an affirmation as it'd ever given.
For a moment, Kent was lost in his thoughts. 'What did you mean when you said it was your signature?' He asked, shining a spotlight on the thing bugging him the most.
'I do not see how that claim was confusing.' It said impatiently. 'As for why my signature is here, I do not know.'
Kent sighed inwardly. He guessed that, if Nabu had lived for billions of years, it wasn't inconceivable that it'd forgotten some things. That was likely the reason for its current ignorance.
While they conversed, they arrived in front of a single, large mirror. Silvery vines crawled around its border, framing a piece of flawless metal as high as two people. The image on its surface continued on forever, catching the reflections of the countless mirrors around it.
The entity locked eyes with its illusive counterpart before turning and flying in a different direction. This wasn't the portal it'd been looking for.
Disturbingly, the 'Dr. Fate' on its surface didn't copy its actions. Instead, it stood completely still, like a statue! Suddenly, it stretched out a hand, putting the tips of its fingers against the surface of the mirror, pushing through it!
However, the 'thing' that rose out of that sinister mirror wasn't a copy of Dr. Fate. As soon as it crossed the border, its appearance became grainy and distorted, like a TV between signals.
When it'd completely extracted itself, it extended a hand towards the Doctor, fraying its fingers into countless black hairs. In the blink of an eye, the space inside the area was distorted, becoming long and drawn out like a string of gum. The tendrils covered the distance instantaneously, like a flashing shadow.
Any normal wizard would've been doomed to a fate worse than death, sealed in the mind-rending mirror dimension until the end of time. Unfortunately for the creature, it wasn't facing a normal wizard, and a simple spatial manipulation wasn't nearly enough to capture its foe.
Abruptly, a single glowing eye was turned towards it. It was like two parallel realities had suddenly merged, one in which the Doctor was distractedly wandering the halls, and another in which he'd been looking over his shoulder the entire time!
A beam of light, blindingly white and overwhelmingly hot, struck the strange monster. For a moment, it seemed to resist the overpowering attack, but then it promptly dissolved, like an aspirin in a glass of water.
The searing energy seemed to hang suspended in the air until it suddenly collapsed into a massive explosion of light and heat that tore the surrounding space to nothingness.
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It was early morning, so Jane was in her bed, drifting in and out of consciousness. Since returning to her family home, she'd decided to make up for lost times, sleeping in whenever she got the chance. However, it wasn't meant to be.
One moment, she was dreamily rubbing her cheek against her satin pillow and the next, she was violently flung against the wall, like an empty bottle tossed by a drunkard. It wasn't only her, the room's contents were sent flying, like the clothes inside a tumble-drier.
Shards of stone and fragments of wood smashed into Jane, piercing her skin and crushing her bones. Something solid impacted her head, turning her vision completely red.
After an indeterminate time, her sight slowly returned to her, like a roll of old film developing in a red-room. She was unable to feel her body but, looking at the hand that lay within her field-of-view, she saw that her fingers were completely mangled.
"Miss? Miss!"
When her hearing returned to her, she noticed the voice of Ms. Squint, calling her from somewhere nearby. She replied on instinct, but only managed to produce a painful, wet cough.
There was a crashing sound, like rubble being moved. Suddenly, the slab of stone that'd been covering her body was lifted away. Jane tried to move her head, but she couldn't budge an inch. Rolling her eyes instead, she saw the maid's familiar figure looming over her.
When Ms. Squint's usual stoic expression morphed into one of horror, Jane knew her condition was bad.
"How is this possible?" The maid whispered under her breath, seemingly in disbelief. Abruptly, she extended her hand and a few smoldering, wooden beams were cleared away. A creepy-looking doll was unearthed from the rubble, completely unscathed.
The maid shoved it under one arm before bending over and scooping up Jane's broken figure. "You foolish girl, you promised to keep it with you." She said scoldingly, but her voice sounded weak.
In an instant, the two of them inexplicably flashed through the manor. With each step, Ms. Squint seemed to cover a hundred yards. It couldn't have been more than a minute later that they arrived in front of the black, rusted gate at the estate's entrance.
However, when the maid tried to cross the border that led to the outside, a powerful force shoved her away. It was like trying to press two magnetic poles against each other. The closer she got, the more strongly she was repelled.
Seeing that she was unable to leave, she set Jane down on the grass. "Miss, I can't come with you." She said sadly. Taking off her coat, she draped it over Jane's shoulders. After she'd ensured the doll was secure, she turned around. "If you can, you must escape. If not, wait until I return."
Countless overlapping voices whispered inside Ms. Squint's mind. She had no choice but to defend the manor. She couldn't disobey The Keeper's orders, not even if she wanted to.
Suddenly, her body transformed into countless black ribbons, swirling into a single black dot that abruptly disappeared.
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Arthur experienced a strange sensation, like being stretched out into a long strand of hair. He'd no idea how long he was stuck in that unfathomable space, but the next moment, it cracked around him, like a mirror shattering into a thousand shards.
Instantly, he was free. However, his situation could literally be described as 'out of the frying pan and into the fire'. He felt like he'd been dumped into a furnace, because a massive, suffocating wave of heat suddenly struck him. It was so hot that he could feel his skin melting and sloughing off his bones, like liquid wax.
That wasn't the end of it, as he was hurled in a random direction at high speed, like being flung off a motorcycle. His back collided with something incredibly hard. The material wasn't destroyed, instead it was his body bursting open, as if he was an egg striking a rock.
His eyes were already open, but he could barely see anything. The surrounding environment was red-hot and glowing, like the inside of a forge. The only thing he could make out was two shapes, hovering in the air.
One of them was in the shape of a man, shining like a golden statue. The other was black, with a long, dark fabric draped over its head and shoulders. Its frame was abnormal, like the skeletal figure of an animal, standing on its hind legs. From underneath its cowl, two curved, ebony horns protruded, with many swirling, writhing patters carved on the surface.
A sudden movement to his left drew his attention. An octopus-like thing was wriggling and writhing on the stove-top floor, releasing a vaporous smoke into the air. Its suffering gave Arthur immense satisfaction.
'Die, you fucker!' He though vengefully. He had no clue what was going on, but he guessed that golden figure was responsible for this. He'd have to thank it, if he got the chance.
Suddenly, the smoldering cephalopod contracted into a ball and leapt towards him! He wanted to scramble backwards, but his body wasn't under his control.
For the first time, he caught a glimpse of his legs and torso. He'd dissolved into countless silvery tendrils, similarly wriggling in an effort to escape the searing heat. They were melting in front of his eyes like plastic tubules.
However, they produced a weird, translucent liquid that perpetually reconstituted itself into more tendrils, although they appeared to have less size and mass with each iteration. Abruptly, changes started appearing on the tablet.
'Vermes [ 1.5 ] –> [ 1.4 ] –> [ 1.3 ] –> [ 1.2 ] –> [ 1.1 ]…'
Before the monster could grab him, the golden figure leisurely extended a hand. The movement appeared slow, but in reality, it was near-instantaneous. A single, glimmering particle, like a rainbow-colored mote of dust flew towards The Fetcher, faster than a falling star.
However, the black, skeletal figure interfered. A bony, talon, more a claw than a hand, intercepted the attack. It grasped it between its black, metallic fingers, smothering the mote into nothingness, or so it appeared.
For a moment, the shimmering light disappeared, but then it returned, stronger than ever. Beams of energy shot out from between skeletal fingers, growing more intense by the second.
Suddenly, a voice spoke. "A LOWLY CREATURE, CRAWLING IN THE DARKNESS, CANNOT HOPE TO RESIST A LORD OF ORDER." It stated regally. The sound was indomitable and mighty, as if uttered by a living god.
The last word was still hanging in the air like a ringing bell, when another explosion went off. This one was far more powerful than the last. Before Arthur could even register what was happening, most of him had already been vaporized. It was like standing at ground-zero when a hydrogen bomb went off.
'Vermes [ 1.0 ] –> [ 0.9 ] –> [ 0.8 ] –> [ 0.7 ] –> [ 0.6 ]…'
The only reason why he didn't die immediately was because the octopus had flung itself over him, enclosing his body. The Fetcher tried translocate them both, but it simply wasn't fast enough. The only thing it managed to do was preserve its ward. However, its true mission would remain forever unaccomplished.
Before it died, it uttered a final, mournful cry.
"Master!"
Not even the strange fractal room, made from a black, glassy material, was able to survive the supernova. For a split second, it held, but then it suddenly collapsed, evaporating into dark smoke.
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From a bird's eye view, it could be seen that much of the mansion was in shambles. Even the few parts that were still standing were clearly damaged. Fire was everywhere, infusing the persistent mist with acrid smoke.
Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately, the estate's ordeal hadn't ended. In fact, the worst had yet to come. The sound of crackling flames, crumbling stone and splintering wood was soon overwhelmed.
The fragile shell of earth underneath the chateau split open, as if it was hatching a primordial being of flame. The entire space was instantly reduced to nothing when an enormous pillar of magma shot into the sky, erupting like a volcano.
With an enormous 'Bang!', everything within ten miles was wiped off the earth. Buildings, gardens, trees, soil and rocks turned into dust, like they were grabbed and crushed by a colossal hand.
However, at the outskirts of the domain, that powerful energy encountered something smooth and invisible. A massive, unseeable bubble enclosed the property, obstructing even the violet-shifted light from escaping.
Unfortunately, Jane wasn't outside its borders. She couldn't leave, not without knowing what'd happened to Arthur. She had no idea what was going on, but she resolved to wait until Ms. Squint returned. Honestly, she couldn't have gone far, even if she'd tried. She was sure one of her ankles were broken.
When that beam of solid, red light shot into the sky, the puppet pressed tightly against her chest abruptly changed. Countless glowing letters appeared on its glassy eyeballs. The script crawled out of its sockets and onto Jane's body, like a mystical tattoo.
When the wave of force slammed into her, she was flung into the air, but was otherwise left unharmed. The only exception was her eyes. The red light was so bright and intense that it overloaded her ocular nerves. It was like a case of arc-eye, but a thousand times worse. If she lived through this disaster, she'd never be able to see again.
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Chapter 16
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A black shadow shot out of the pillar of red-hot slag. Despite the fact that it'd sustained a head-on attack of overwhelming magnitude, it was nearly unscathed. The only sign of damage could be seen near the smoldering corner of its long, black cloak.
However, it wouldn't be allowed to come and go as it pleased.
In proverbial eye of the storm, a golden figure hovered. No living creature would be able to look directly at it, since it was glowing white-hot, like the surface of the sun. However, if some other means of observation were used, it would be possible to see the outline of a man, about six-feet tall.
Suddenly, a gem-like something flashed in the center of its chest, emitting a solid beam of multi-colored energy. At a speed that was nearly instantaneous, it followed the dark entity's zig-zagging movements with uncanny accuracy, like a laser-guided homing missile.
Within a fraction of a second, it was nearly boring into the creature's back. Abruptly, the thing's sinister, fanged skull turned, looking at the approaching ray. In its empty eye sockets, two pinpricks of green light flared into existence!
Defying all common sense, the incoming attack slowed down, like a hundred-meter Olympic athlete running head-first into a wall of water. Not only that, but the sky itself seemed to become dim and grey, like a shadow cast over the earth. The Keeper took advantage of the opportunity, retreating towards the estate's outskirts, which was still enclosed by an immovable, translucent barrier.
When its escape was near, the golden figure extended a hand and its eyes flashed. New energy beams projected from the tip of each finger. Some of them shot straight ahead while others changed direction, penetrating into the dry crust or flashing into the overcast sky.
The nefarious creature had no choice but to defend itself. Its gleaming, black jaws separated and it breathed out a dark gas that somehow appeared viscous. The stuff quickly coated its body, like some kind of slime. When the beams struck from all directions, much of the energy was dispersed into the environment, like a thunderbolt striking a Faraday cage.
The reflected, shimmering beams cut through the ground like it was made out of jelly. The structural integrity of the mantle underneath them must've been compromised, because it suddenly crumbled and sagged into itself, like a sinking ship.
Despite its defensive measures, The Keeper wasn't able to avoid damage for a second time. Much of the black film had dissolved like chalk in a vial of acid. The exposed bone underneath was damaged, judging by the countless hair-fine cracks running across the surface.
When it attempted to flee for a third time, it suddenly discovered the golden figure had already closed the distance! A shining palm was already approaching its body, faster than a falling star. It would be the coup-de-grace, shattering The Keeper's vessel into a thousand pieces.
However, before the final blow could be delivered, someone intervened. Just as Nabu had appeared behind the monster, another entity had appeared behind him!
It was an old man sitting in a wooden wheelchair. His head limply tilted to one side while his hands flopped loosely over the chair's armrests. He was wearing a set of gray sleeping clothes and a pair of woolen slippers on his feet. An embroidered handkerchief was stuffed into his shirt-pocket. In flowing, red letters, a name was written.
'Johannes Valdemar Grimm.'
Although, if one looked closer, it would become clear he wasn't an old man at all! Rather than age, his sallow, papery skin and his thin, faded hair seemed to be caused by some unknown illness. If he was healthy, he wouldn't have looked a day over thirty!
Suddenly, a spasm wracked his body and he jolted and jittered in his seat. Just as abruptly as it'd started, it stopped. When it did, the mysterious man abruptly cracked open an eye! In an instant, everything changed.
Concepts like good and evil, light and dark, as well as life and death broke down into a homogenous soup. The world stopped making sense, like the rules and regulations that underpinned it and was responsible for its normal function had suddenly vanished.
Not even the Doctor was able to remain unaffected. A mind-rending force descended onto him, like a devil palm, covering the sky and smothering the earth.
For a split second, the glow in his eyes dimmed, but then it flared again, brighter than ever! His metallic, white-hot figure heated to unimaginable temperatures, shifting until he was emitting a pure, ultra-violet hue.
Day turned into night as the sky turned black and countless stars, like a heavenly treasury, appeared above the earth. Time seemed to speed up as they moved, drawing silver arcs across the black expanse. Just as quickly as it started, it stopped, revealing a single, glittering diamond, brighter than all the others, hanging directly above the Doctor's head.
"FATE HAS INTERVENED!"
With that powerful declaration, he called on the power of the star. A bridge of pure light formed between him and it, connecting them instantaneously. The barrier around the estate vanished, as if it was a pricked soap bubble.
The dark, all-encompassing hand collided with the beam.
It was difficult to say what would happen when an unstoppable force met an immovable object, but one thing was for certain, the collateral damage caused by such an event would be unimaginable.
It was a small mercy that the location was remote and that the population of the surrounding area was low, because not a single living creature would survive the blast. Wooler, Belford, North Charlton, Alnwick, Embleton, Bellingham, Haltwhistle, Jedburgh, Kelso and every other township within a fifty-square-mile radius was wiped off the earth forever. Not even Newcastle was left unscathed.
The loss was simply incalculable.
When the rolling tsunami of energy, heat and force swept to where the sky met the horizon, one golden, glowing figure was revealed. It floated alone, looking up at the sky. Thick, black clouds, roiling like the surface of a dark ocean, had already formed. Lighting flashed, striking the glassed, concave earth, which was now as glowing-reflective, like the surface of a red mirror.
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A few moments ago.
When Dr. Fate first attacked the keeper, and the dark dimension that served as their battleground collapsed, Arthur was sent flying by the blast.
It was difficult to say why his trajectory overlapped with Jane's. Maybe it was because the doll shielded her from much of the blast that the boy was able to 'catch up', or maybe it was because his new, alien body was desperately searching for a way replenish itself. Regardless of the reason, it resulted in his timely survival and her untimely demise.
The woman's body, shielded by a thin, flickering film of light, was laying underneath a pile of burning logs, branches and leaves. The sound of the explosion was still hanging in the air when countless silvery tendrils suddenly shot out of the steaming smoke. As it was, the ward protecting her was nearly exhausted. It only managed to resist the assault for a moment before sparking and fizzling out, as if it was a toaster dropped into a tub of water.
Jane didn't even have the opportunity to scream. Like a thousand piercing needles, they embedded themselves into her flesh. Through every translucent, slivery tube, a strange substance was injected into her, liquidizing her organs and killing her instantly. Then, the tendrils pulsed rhythmically, like a heart beating in reverse. With every contraction, her essence was drawn out of her and into the tubes.
Within seconds, she was completely emptied. Nothing but a bag of skin, enclosing a collection of damp, greasy bones remained. When there was nothing left of her, the tentacles abruptly withdrew into the grey smog.
Some distance away, Arthur was laying unconsciously. His appearance was grotesque – aside from his head and the upper half of his torso, his body had fused into something resembling melted plastic. The most disturbing part was his chest – a vertical slit split the skin open and hundreds of wriggling tendrils squeezed through it, like toothpaste out of a tube. They were gradually discoloring, shifting hues from translucent silver to light pink, then to deep crimson.
As Jane's plasma was extracted into his chest-cavity, his state improved. The wax-like substance that constituted his abdomen and limbs was revitalized, sprouting minute appendages like the feelers of a sea-anemone. With every second that passed, they lengthened and thickened. When they reached a certain size, they started to twist and weave, forming new tissues. Before long, his legs, arms and abdomen had regrown, looking none the worse for wear.
It was good that he managed a timely recovery, because the next disaster wasn't far away. At that time, the one-sided battle between the keeper and Dr. Fate already resumed. Despite the explosions going off in the distance and the oven-like temperature around him, the youth didn't wake. It was only when Johannes Grimm finally made his appearance that a reaction was drawn from him. He didn't regain consciousness, but the unprecedentedly malicious aura, emitted by his grandfather, pressed down on him like a demonic hand.
His fight-or-flight response went haywire and his new, grotesque body immediately sprouted more feelers. They sunk into the dirt below him, twisting and turning at high speed, like hundreds of power drills. When the third explosion happened, containing as much power as a fifty-megaton nuclear warhead, he'd already burrowed three hundred meters into the earth's crust.
However, he wasn't completely shielded from the fallout. The force alone, shunted into the soil by the blast, was so enormous that it exceeded that which a natural earthquake could produce. Faster than he could burrow, the earth above him was excavated. It was only through sheer luck that he managed to break through the wall of an enormous cavern. When he did, the tentacles contracted and expanded, like interwoven rubber bands, flinging him into the darkness with a 'snap'!
The cracks, spreading through the rock above him, suddenly expanded. Hundreds of thousands of tons of minerals were hurled into the abyss as a section of the Eurasian plate, on which the British Isles rested, shattered like a porcelain dish. A blooming cloud of fire, hotter than the inside of a furnace, followed afterwards.
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While the golden figure of Dr. Fate hovered above the roiling earth, watching the unprecedented destruction, a voice suddenly spoke inside their shared mind.
'What have you done?'
It was Kent Nelson. His tone was soft and quiet, but his horror and despair were clear.
The outcome of the brief conflict was truly apocalyptic. The simmering earth, broiling air and black, sulphurous clouds rendered the geography unrecognizable. It was like they'd been transported to some far off, ruined planet. Even now, the earth was still trembling and shivering, like an injured beast.
Nabu didn't reply. Instead, he descended until the tip of his right foot touched the glowing-red glass underneath him. When he did, cracks spread across the surface like a spiderweb. It shattered into millions of tiny, dust-like particles before being swept away by the scalding, gale-force winds.
Unbelievably, an enormous sinkhole was revealed, hundreds of yards in diameter. The spirit didn't dally, it immediately descended into the dark portal. Its glowing, resplendent figure contrasted starkly with the blackness underneath, like a god journeying into hell.
'Answer me, Nabu!'
Kent's voice was pained and desperate. His mind was in chaos. Not only was he unable to understand why his companion would commit such an atrocity, but he was also shocked and traumatized by the power it displayed. During their previous battles, Nabu had never used such horrifying means.
Once again, his demands were left unmet. When he attempted to speak again, he found that he was unable to project his thoughts – Nabu had completely sealed him off! Left with no other option, he stewed in impotent rage and ignorance while they headed into the bowls of the earth.
After some time had passed, a golden glow became visible, faintly shining in the distance. As they closed the distance, a dark shape was vaguely outlined. It was truly massive, like an antediluvian structure, from millennia past. Across its surface, endless, gleaming scripts flowed in a style of text that was awe-inspiring despite its indecipherability.
It was a massive black pyramid, so enormous that its size seemed to remain the same, even when the doctor suddenly increased his speed. Miraculously, it was slowly rotating, like a rhomboid-shaped planet. The strange runes were inscribed on its gleaming, obsidian surface, like words written on black glass with a golden pencil.
When ten minutes had passed, one side of the pyramid had turned to face them. Under the light of the runes, many occult, swirling patterns could be seen. Kent was unable to glean any understanding from them, but Nabu was different. Like a message, hidden within the chaos of white noise, a figure revealed itself to the spirit.
It was vaguely humanoid shape, laying upside down with its arms crossed in front of its chest.
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A black shadow shot out of the pillar of red-hot slag. Despite the fact that it'd sustained a head-on attack of overwhelming magnitude, it was nearly unscathed. The only sign of damage could be seen near the smoldering corner of its long, black cloak.
However, it wouldn't be allowed to come and go as it pleased.
In proverbial eye of the storm, a golden figure hovered. No living creature would be able to look directly at it, since it was glowing white-hot, like the surface of the sun. However, if some other means of observation were used, it would be possible to see the outline of a man, about six-feet tall.
Suddenly, a gem-like something flashed in the center of its chest, emitting a solid beam of multi-colored energy. At a speed that was nearly instantaneous, it followed the dark entity's zig-zagging movements with uncanny accuracy, like a laser-guided homing missile.
Within a fraction of a second, it was nearly boring into the creature's back. Abruptly, the thing's sinister, fanged skull turned, looking at the approaching ray. In its empty eye sockets, two pinpricks of green light flared into existence!
Defying all common sense, the incoming attack slowed down, like a hundred-meter Olympic athlete running head-first into a wall of water. Not only that, but the sky itself seemed to become dim and grey, like a shadow cast over the earth. The Keeper took advantage of the opportunity, retreating towards the estate's outskirts, which was still enclosed by an immovable, translucent barrier.
When its escape was near, the golden figure extended a hand and its eyes flashed. New energy beams projected from the tip of each finger. Some of them shot straight ahead while others changed direction, penetrating into the dry crust or flashing into the overcast sky.
The nefarious creature had no choice but to defend itself. Its gleaming, black jaws separated and it breathed out a dark gas that somehow appeared viscous. The stuff quickly coated its body, like some kind of slime. When the beams struck from all directions, much of the energy was dispersed into the environment, like a thunderbolt striking a Faraday cage.
The reflected, shimmering beams cut through the ground like it was made out of jelly. The structural integrity of the mantle underneath them must've been compromised, because it suddenly crumbled and sagged into itself, like a sinking ship.
Despite its defensive measures, The Keeper wasn't able to avoid damage for a second time. Much of the black film had dissolved like chalk in a vial of acid. The exposed bone underneath was damaged, judging by the countless hair-fine cracks running across the surface.
When it attempted to flee for a third time, it suddenly discovered the golden figure had already closed the distance! A shining palm was already approaching its body, faster than a falling star. It would be the coup-de-grace, shattering The Keeper's vessel into a thousand pieces.
However, before the final blow could be delivered, someone intervened. Just as Nabu had appeared behind the monster, another entity had appeared behind him!
It was an old man sitting in a wooden wheelchair. His head limply tilted to one side while his hands flopped loosely over the chair's armrests. He was wearing a set of gray sleeping clothes and a pair of woolen slippers on his feet. An embroidered handkerchief was stuffed into his shirt-pocket. In flowing, red letters, a name was written.
'Johannes Valdemar Grimm.'
Although, if one looked closer, it would become clear he wasn't an old man at all! Rather than age, his sallow, papery skin and his thin, faded hair seemed to be caused by some unknown illness. If he was healthy, he wouldn't have looked a day over thirty!
Suddenly, a spasm wracked his body and he jolted and jittered in his seat. Just as abruptly as it'd started, it stopped. When it did, the mysterious man abruptly cracked open an eye! In an instant, everything changed.
Concepts like good and evil, light and dark, as well as life and death broke down into a homogenous soup. The world stopped making sense, like the rules and regulations that underpinned it and was responsible for its normal function had suddenly vanished.
Not even the Doctor was able to remain unaffected. A mind-rending force descended onto him, like a devil palm, covering the sky and smothering the earth.
For a split second, the glow in his eyes dimmed, but then it flared again, brighter than ever! His metallic, white-hot figure heated to unimaginable temperatures, shifting until he was emitting a pure, ultra-violet hue.
Day turned into night as the sky turned black and countless stars, like a heavenly treasury, appeared above the earth. Time seemed to speed up as they moved, drawing silver arcs across the black expanse. Just as quickly as it started, it stopped, revealing a single, glittering diamond, brighter than all the others, hanging directly above the Doctor's head.
"FATE HAS INTERVENED!"
With that powerful declaration, he called on the power of the star. A bridge of pure light formed between him and it, connecting them instantaneously. The barrier around the estate vanished, as if it was a pricked soap bubble.
The dark, all-encompassing hand collided with the beam.
It was difficult to say what would happen when an unstoppable force met an immovable object, but one thing was for certain, the collateral damage caused by such an event would be unimaginable.
It was a small mercy that the location was remote and that the population of the surrounding area was low, because not a single living creature would survive the blast. Wooler, Belford, North Charlton, Alnwick, Embleton, Bellingham, Haltwhistle, Jedburgh, Kelso and every other township within a fifty-square-mile radius was wiped off the earth forever. Not even Newcastle was left unscathed.
The loss was simply incalculable.
When the rolling tsunami of energy, heat and force swept to where the sky met the horizon, one golden, glowing figure was revealed. It floated alone, looking up at the sky. Thick, black clouds, roiling like the surface of a dark ocean, had already formed. Lighting flashed, striking the glassed, concave earth, which was now as glowing-reflective, like the surface of a red mirror.
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A few moments ago.
When Dr. Fate first attacked the keeper, and the dark dimension that served as their battleground collapsed, Arthur was sent flying by the blast.
It was difficult to say why his trajectory overlapped with Jane's. Maybe it was because the doll shielded her from much of the blast that the boy was able to 'catch up', or maybe it was because his new, alien body was desperately searching for a way replenish itself. Regardless of the reason, it resulted in his timely survival and her untimely demise.
The woman's body, shielded by a thin, flickering film of light, was laying underneath a pile of burning logs, branches and leaves. The sound of the explosion was still hanging in the air when countless silvery tendrils suddenly shot out of the steaming smoke. As it was, the ward protecting her was nearly exhausted. It only managed to resist the assault for a moment before sparking and fizzling out, as if it was a toaster dropped into a tub of water.
Jane didn't even have the opportunity to scream. Like a thousand piercing needles, they embedded themselves into her flesh. Through every translucent, slivery tube, a strange substance was injected into her, liquidizing her organs and killing her instantly. Then, the tendrils pulsed rhythmically, like a heart beating in reverse. With every contraction, her essence was drawn out of her and into the tubes.
Within seconds, she was completely emptied. Nothing but a bag of skin, enclosing a collection of damp, greasy bones remained. When there was nothing left of her, the tentacles abruptly withdrew into the grey smog.
Some distance away, Arthur was laying unconsciously. His appearance was grotesque – aside from his head and the upper half of his torso, his body had fused into something resembling melted plastic. The most disturbing part was his chest – a vertical slit split the skin open and hundreds of wriggling tendrils squeezed through it, like toothpaste out of a tube. They were gradually discoloring, shifting hues from translucent silver to light pink, then to deep crimson.
As Jane's plasma was extracted into his chest-cavity, his state improved. The wax-like substance that constituted his abdomen and limbs was revitalized, sprouting minute appendages like the feelers of a sea-anemone. With every second that passed, they lengthened and thickened. When they reached a certain size, they started to twist and weave, forming new tissues. Before long, his legs, arms and abdomen had regrown, looking none the worse for wear.
It was good that he managed a timely recovery, because the next disaster wasn't far away. At that time, the one-sided battle between the keeper and Dr. Fate already resumed. Despite the explosions going off in the distance and the oven-like temperature around him, the youth didn't wake. It was only when Johannes Grimm finally made his appearance that a reaction was drawn from him. He didn't regain consciousness, but the unprecedentedly malicious aura, emitted by his grandfather, pressed down on him like a demonic hand.
His fight-or-flight response went haywire and his new, grotesque body immediately sprouted more feelers. They sunk into the dirt below him, twisting and turning at high speed, like hundreds of power drills. When the third explosion happened, containing as much power as a fifty-megaton nuclear warhead, he'd already burrowed three hundred meters into the earth's crust.
However, he wasn't completely shielded from the fallout. The force alone, shunted into the soil by the blast, was so enormous that it exceeded that which a natural earthquake could produce. Faster than he could burrow, the earth above him was excavated. It was only through sheer luck that he managed to break through the wall of an enormous cavern. When he did, the tentacles contracted and expanded, like interwoven rubber bands, flinging him into the darkness with a 'snap'!
The cracks, spreading through the rock above him, suddenly expanded. Hundreds of thousands of tons of minerals were hurled into the abyss as a section of the Eurasian plate, on which the British Isles rested, shattered like a porcelain dish. A blooming cloud of fire, hotter than the inside of a furnace, followed afterwards.
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While the golden figure of Dr. Fate hovered above the roiling earth, watching the unprecedented destruction, a voice suddenly spoke inside their shared mind.
'What have you done?'
It was Kent Nelson. His tone was soft and quiet, but his horror and despair were clear.
The outcome of the brief conflict was truly apocalyptic. The simmering earth, broiling air and black, sulphurous clouds rendered the geography unrecognizable. It was like they'd been transported to some far off, ruined planet. Even now, the earth was still trembling and shivering, like an injured beast.
Nabu didn't reply. Instead, he descended until the tip of his right foot touched the glowing-red glass underneath him. When he did, cracks spread across the surface like a spiderweb. It shattered into millions of tiny, dust-like particles before being swept away by the scalding, gale-force winds.
Unbelievably, an enormous sinkhole was revealed, hundreds of yards in diameter. The spirit didn't dally, it immediately descended into the dark portal. Its glowing, resplendent figure contrasted starkly with the blackness underneath, like a god journeying into hell.
'Answer me, Nabu!'
Kent's voice was pained and desperate. His mind was in chaos. Not only was he unable to understand why his companion would commit such an atrocity, but he was also shocked and traumatized by the power it displayed. During their previous battles, Nabu had never used such horrifying means.
Once again, his demands were left unmet. When he attempted to speak again, he found that he was unable to project his thoughts – Nabu had completely sealed him off! Left with no other option, he stewed in impotent rage and ignorance while they headed into the bowls of the earth.
After some time had passed, a golden glow became visible, faintly shining in the distance. As they closed the distance, a dark shape was vaguely outlined. It was truly massive, like an antediluvian structure, from millennia past. Across its surface, endless, gleaming scripts flowed in a style of text that was awe-inspiring despite its indecipherability.
It was a massive black pyramid, so enormous that its size seemed to remain the same, even when the doctor suddenly increased his speed. Miraculously, it was slowly rotating, like a rhomboid-shaped planet. The strange runes were inscribed on its gleaming, obsidian surface, like words written on black glass with a golden pencil.
When ten minutes had passed, one side of the pyramid had turned to face them. Under the light of the runes, many occult, swirling patterns could be seen. Kent was unable to glean any understanding from them, but Nabu was different. Like a message, hidden within the chaos of white noise, a figure revealed itself to the spirit.
It was vaguely humanoid shape, laying upside down with its arms crossed in front of its chest.
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Advance chapter(s) for $1 on my Patreon.
I'm a little surprised that the 'upside down figure' isn't ringing any bells. I don't think a single person across the six-ish platforms I posted this on has been able to guess it. I mean, he is literally the big magical bad guy in the DC universe, arguably even more so than Trigon.
Is he a one-off or otherwise tasteless character that got retconned in the later versions of DC that you are reworking into something worthy of the lore he was given?
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I'm not aware of a retcon, but yes he hasn't appeared that much. If you say who you're thinking of, I'll decide to confirm or deny.
If you're thinking of the beyonder, then no it's not him.
If I can give another hint, he's pretty new, as far as I'm aware... which is probably why nobody knows about him. However, he is without a doubt a big deal and he's also very much related to doctor fate and one other big magical character which I wont name, because it would be a dead giveaway.
It's the upside-down man.
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Chapter 17
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'What is this thing?'
Kent Nelson's internal voice was quiet and fearful. The colossal rhomboid shape, like a massive, black diamond, completely exceeded his understanding.
As he observed the strange, glowing letters, flowing across the obsidian surface, he was suddenly struck by a revelation.
'Where you responsible for this, Nabu?'
He couldn't help but think back to the mystical 'signature' the entity had detected. It was what'd led them to the Grimm estate in the first place. Nabu had said it was 'his own'. Now that he was staring at the resplendent inscriptions, Kent recognized the similarities to his companion's usual style.
However, after a few moments of silence, he received no response.
'Damn, I almost forgot he shut me out!'
Left without a choice, he could only observe the structure through their shared vision.
'How big is it, and how big is this cavern?'
He was both awestruck and terrified. In all his time spent as an archeologist and a professor of ancient history, he'd never encountered anything like this. From his study of mankind's mystical past, he knew much of their knowledge was lost, but no matter how he wracked his brain, he couldn't imagine the ancients were ever capable of producing something like this.
The cavern itself was a curiosity as well, given that the structure seemed to float in the darkness without touching the floor, walls or ceiling. It was difficult to estimate its size without something to compare it to, but as they approached the spinning rhomboid, Kent guessed it was around seven hundred yards long, from top to bottom.
Suddenly, his gaze was attracted to an anomalous area on the surface of the black pyramid. On one of its eight sides, the flowing, golden script was blemished. More accurately, the symbols were bent and warped around a point, revealing the only area free of any inscription.
Nabu seemed to have noticed it as well, because the entity immediately accelerated, heading for the oddity.
When they arrived in front of it, something incredible was revealed—other strange symbols were inscribed there, in the form of a ring. They seemed to be holding back the golden text, like some kind of seal.
'THE CULTISTS HAVE INFILTRATED THE TOMB!'
Nabu's involuntary exclamation revealed both anger and distress.
Kent's curiosity had grown to such an extent that his outrage over the earlier calamity was almost forgotten. Right now, he was willing to lower his head as long as it meant getting some answers out of Nabu.
'Can you hear me, Nabu? If you're willing to, please explain what the hell is going on here! You said this thing is a tomb, but for who, exactly?'
Surprisingly, the spirit actually responded. Maybe it didn't care that much about him kicking up a fuss in the first place.
'THE LAST SCHOLAR OF COLUAN.'
The entity's tone was grave.
The archaeologist didn't recognize the name at all, but he was happy about the fact that he was no longer being shut out.
'Who the hell is he? Why is his tomb down here, and why did you inscribe it with these strange symbols?'
Kent's head was full of so many questions that he felt like it was about to burst open.
Nabu didn't respond immediately. Instead, he floated over to the gap. It was difficult to see from far away, but now that they were in front of it, something surprising was revealed—a hole, in the shape of a hexagon, had been created on the surface of the pyramid. It stretched into the interior for an indeterminate distance, like a long shadow.
Without hesitation, Nabu went inside.
'THE SCHOLAR'S ORIGIN IS NOT OF THIS WORLD. BEFORE THE FIRST HUMAN WAS BORN ON THIS PLANET, HIS PEOPLE WERE ALREADY TRAVERSING THE STARS.
THE MINDS OF COLUAN WERE UNMATCHED EVEN THEN, AND FOR A TIME, IT SEEMED NOTHING WAS BEYOND THEIR REACH. HOWEVER, ALL THINGS MUST COME TO AN END. DESPITE THEIR GENIUS, THEY WERE UNABLE TO AVOID THEIR DOOM.
THERE WAS ONE AMONG THEM WHO REFUSED TO ACCEPT THE INEVITABLE. HIS MIND WAS EXCEPTIONAL, MORESO EVEN THAN THE REST OF HIS KIND. TO DO THE IMPOSSIBLE, HE SOUGHT KNOWLEDGE WHERE KNOWLEDGE WAS BETTER LEFT ALONE.
UNFORTUNATELY, WHEN HE EMERGED FROM HIS SECLUDED LABOROTORY WITH A SOLUTION, VRIL DOX… WAS THE LAST SCHOLAR OF COLUAN.'
Nabu's tone was incomparably sober as he told the brief story of the one who lay entombed inside the black pyramid.
'He's never this forthcoming with information. Perhaps he's trying trying to give context to his actions from earlier? I'm not sure. However, one thing is certain—if Nabu is this worried about the pyramid, then the guy inside probably isn't totally dead.'
There was another issue—the implications of a relic, produced by a civilization capable of making the vast cosmos their playground, wasn't lost on him.
What would happen if mankind got a hold of something like this? How would they interact with an artifact more technologically and thaumaturgically advanced than anything they could've ever imagined?
He didn't know. However, what he did know was that, whenever a more advanced civilization interacted with a less advanced civilization, the short term outcome was nothing less than disasterous. History had proven that to be the case.
'IT IS FAR MORE SERIOUS THAN THAT. WHAT LAYS INSIDE THE TOMB IS SOMETHING CAPABLE OF BRINGING ABOUT THE DESTRUCTION OF THE UNIVERSE ITSELF.'
Nabu's words made Kent's scalp turn numb.
'How is that possible? What exactly… is this guy?'
Silence stretched as Nabu remained quiet. Eventually, he replied.
'WHEN VRIL DOX REALIZED THE LIMITS OF MATERIALISM, HE TURNED TO MORE… IMMATERIAL PERSUITS. HIS GENIUS, ALONGSIDE HIS DISREGARD FOR MORALITY, TURNED HIM IN TO A MYSTACIST WITHOUT EQUAL. IT WASN'T LONG BEFORE HE EXPLORED THE VERY NATURE OF REALITY ITSELF.
THIS IS SOMETHING YOU MUST UNDERSTAND, KENT NELSON—OUR WORLD IS SIMPLY A REFLECTION, A MIRROR IMAGE OF ANOTHER. AT THE BOTTOM OF OUR UNIVERSE IS A DARK SEAL, SEPERATING US FROM A PLACE OF NIGHTMARE.
IN HIS SEARCH FOR KNOWLEDGE, THE SCHOLAR DUG TOO DEEP. WHAT HE RELEASED INTO THE COSMOS WAS SOMETHING THAT COULDN'T BE ALLOWED TO EXIST. A TERRIBLE WAR FOLLOWED, INSIGATED BY THE FORCES OF ORDER TO PURGE THE EVIL VRIL DOX HAD CREATED. IN THE END, WE WERE VICTORIOUS. I PERSONALLY SEALED HIS CORPSE INSIDE THIS FORTRESS—IT BECAME HIS TOMB.
WHY IT IS HERE, I CANNOT SAY. AFTER I SEALED IT, I PLACED IT IN A LOCATION NONE BUT I SHOULD BE ABLE TO ACCESS.
HOWEVER IT APPEARED HERE, IT IS CLEAR SOME SCAVANGERS HAVE CHANCED UPON IT. TO MAKE MATTERS WORSE, THEY SEEM TO BE ILL-NATURED.
I MUST SECURE THE TOMB, NELSON, NO MATTER WHAT THE COST.'
When the final, ominous sentence was spoken, they arrived at the other end of the tunnel. It was sealed off by a hexagonal door, made out of six triangles. On its surface, many patterns were carved, indecipherable to Kent's eyes, but not to Nabu's. The entity could clearly see the image, hidden within them. It was the same, coffin-like structure, with many tubes entering and exiting it, like the one present on the surface of the pyramid.
When the light of their glowing form shone onto its surface, they discovered something that struck them both dumb—a familiar, boyish figure hobbled towards the door, like a zombie. Its was naked, having had its clothes burned off by the earlier explosions. Also, much of its skin was damaged and thin, silvery wires could be seen through the gaps. It almost looked like a robot.
It only took a second for Dr. Fate to recover from its torpor, but when the entity shot forward, illuminating the tunnel like a burning firework, it was already too late.
A thin, pale hand touched the surface of the door. When it did, countless dark-purple lights flared into existence, running along the swirling patterns, like an enormous, glowing circuit. In the blink of an eye, the boy vanished, leaving the good doctor behind to stare helplessly at the inert portal.
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It was natural for water to flow downwards, from frozen mountain caps into streams and rivers, only to eventually end up in the ocean. In time, that same water would evaporate, forming clouds that would blow over the land, back to the mountains from whence they came.
Perhaps it was just the way of things to return to their origin, given the passage of time. Or perhaps there was a different explanation for why Arthur, despite his unconscious state, had journeyed into the depths of the black pyramid.
Through inscrutable hallways, he wandered. He passed rooms, filled with unknowable devices, machines and McGuffins, things not even his modern knowledge would help him understand. All the while, it was not him doing the walking, but his body alone, made out of innumerable silvery tendrils… or wires.
It could've been minutes, hours or days when he finally reached his destination. It was impossible to tell the time inside the mind-warping space of the pyramid, like infinite fractals, breaking apart into shards, splinters and slivers. Each plane was more intricate than the last, as if it was all taking place inside a Mandelbrot set.
At last, Arthur made it into the heart of the tomb, where a coffin was laying, upside-down. It was a reverse shape, larger at the bottom, but growing thinner towards the top. The casket had no lid, so it was possible to see the corpse inside. It was humanoid, but inhuman. It seemed to have once belonged to a living creature, but was more like an organic machine—a perfect fusion between metal and flesh.
When Arthur's body neared it, the silvery wires inside him suddenly shot towards the coffin, piercing through his skin like a storm of needles. They surged into the corpse.
Its chest was already split open, exposing its metallic ribcage, like a grasping claw. The chest-cavity was filled with mysterious, withered organs, appearing completely different from that of a human. However, the silvery wires bypassed the dry flesh. Instead, they travelled into the corpse's spinal chord, following the pathway of bone until it reached the empty skull. There, it found a piece of black glass, fused into the frontal section of the skull.
Suddenly, a message appeared on the black tablet inside Arthur's mind.
[Control Module Acquired: Integrating…]
At this time, the youth was finally starting to wake up. The changes on the tablet, bound to his mind, forced him into wakefulness. However, his rebooting consciousness was unable to make sense of what he was seeing.
'What the hell is happening…?'
As soon as he had that thought, the tablet abruptly expanded until it completely swallowed up all the space in front of his eyes. Countless scripts, like machine code, appeared one after the other. The microscopic symbols were written in an alien language that he couldn't make heads nor tails of. After a few moments, the mad rush of information ceased and all the code suddenly disappeared.
A new line of text, surprisingly written in English, appeared in front of his eyes.
'[ANIMA print recognized. Identifying user... success! Welcome, Vril Dox.]'
Arthur felt like his eyeballs were about to pop out of their sockets from surprise, but before he could do so much as twitch a finger, the corpse in the coffin suddenly jerked into motion. A surge of multicolored light shot out of its eye sockets and into his own, seemingly interacting directly with the tablet.
'[Control Module Override Detected. Initiating Merger!]'
In an instant, something inconceivable happened. Arthur's entire body abruptly dissolved into silver wires, like a rope fraying into threads. When he'd transformed into a wriggling, humanoid mass, all the tendrils suddenly shot into the coffin. After the last tendril had disappeared inside, a black, featureless lid descended from the ceiling, like a floating magnet. It landed on the coffin, sealing it and expelling pressurized air with a 'hiss'.
The entire room abruptly lit up in a retro-futuristic, ultraviolet color. Like a heart pumping blood into veins, circuits conducted energy towards the coffin from somewhere unknown. A strange, pulsating sound became audible, like the low, alternating hum of a generator. It was both high-pitched and low bass—if a human was present, the vibrations would've caused their brains to liquidate and flow out of their ears.
The coffin was lifted by an invisible force, rotating until it hovered upside down in the middle of the room. Sections of the glassy, black surfaces were transformed into rod-like structures, reaching towards the coffin like fingers. Simultaneously, they emitted arcs of ultraviolet light that struck the casket like bolts of black lightning.
Eons after his death, the time had come for the last scholar of Coluan to be reborn.
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Advance chapter(s) for $1 on my Patreon
'What is this thing?'
Kent Nelson's internal voice was quiet and fearful. The colossal rhomboid shape, like a massive, black diamond, completely exceeded his understanding.
As he observed the strange, glowing letters, flowing across the obsidian surface, he was suddenly struck by a revelation.
'Where you responsible for this, Nabu?'
He couldn't help but think back to the mystical 'signature' the entity had detected. It was what'd led them to the Grimm estate in the first place. Nabu had said it was 'his own'. Now that he was staring at the resplendent inscriptions, Kent recognized the similarities to his companion's usual style.
However, after a few moments of silence, he received no response.
'Damn, I almost forgot he shut me out!'
Left without a choice, he could only observe the structure through their shared vision.
'How big is it, and how big is this cavern?'
He was both awestruck and terrified. In all his time spent as an archeologist and a professor of ancient history, he'd never encountered anything like this. From his study of mankind's mystical past, he knew much of their knowledge was lost, but no matter how he wracked his brain, he couldn't imagine the ancients were ever capable of producing something like this.
The cavern itself was a curiosity as well, given that the structure seemed to float in the darkness without touching the floor, walls or ceiling. It was difficult to estimate its size without something to compare it to, but as they approached the spinning rhomboid, Kent guessed it was around seven hundred yards long, from top to bottom.
Suddenly, his gaze was attracted to an anomalous area on the surface of the black pyramid. On one of its eight sides, the flowing, golden script was blemished. More accurately, the symbols were bent and warped around a point, revealing the only area free of any inscription.
Nabu seemed to have noticed it as well, because the entity immediately accelerated, heading for the oddity.
When they arrived in front of it, something incredible was revealed—other strange symbols were inscribed there, in the form of a ring. They seemed to be holding back the golden text, like some kind of seal.
'THE CULTISTS HAVE INFILTRATED THE TOMB!'
Nabu's involuntary exclamation revealed both anger and distress.
Kent's curiosity had grown to such an extent that his outrage over the earlier calamity was almost forgotten. Right now, he was willing to lower his head as long as it meant getting some answers out of Nabu.
'Can you hear me, Nabu? If you're willing to, please explain what the hell is going on here! You said this thing is a tomb, but for who, exactly?'
Surprisingly, the spirit actually responded. Maybe it didn't care that much about him kicking up a fuss in the first place.
'THE LAST SCHOLAR OF COLUAN.'
The entity's tone was grave.
The archaeologist didn't recognize the name at all, but he was happy about the fact that he was no longer being shut out.
'Who the hell is he? Why is his tomb down here, and why did you inscribe it with these strange symbols?'
Kent's head was full of so many questions that he felt like it was about to burst open.
Nabu didn't respond immediately. Instead, he floated over to the gap. It was difficult to see from far away, but now that they were in front of it, something surprising was revealed—a hole, in the shape of a hexagon, had been created on the surface of the pyramid. It stretched into the interior for an indeterminate distance, like a long shadow.
Without hesitation, Nabu went inside.
'THE SCHOLAR'S ORIGIN IS NOT OF THIS WORLD. BEFORE THE FIRST HUMAN WAS BORN ON THIS PLANET, HIS PEOPLE WERE ALREADY TRAVERSING THE STARS.
THE MINDS OF COLUAN WERE UNMATCHED EVEN THEN, AND FOR A TIME, IT SEEMED NOTHING WAS BEYOND THEIR REACH. HOWEVER, ALL THINGS MUST COME TO AN END. DESPITE THEIR GENIUS, THEY WERE UNABLE TO AVOID THEIR DOOM.
THERE WAS ONE AMONG THEM WHO REFUSED TO ACCEPT THE INEVITABLE. HIS MIND WAS EXCEPTIONAL, MORESO EVEN THAN THE REST OF HIS KIND. TO DO THE IMPOSSIBLE, HE SOUGHT KNOWLEDGE WHERE KNOWLEDGE WAS BETTER LEFT ALONE.
UNFORTUNATELY, WHEN HE EMERGED FROM HIS SECLUDED LABOROTORY WITH A SOLUTION, VRIL DOX… WAS THE LAST SCHOLAR OF COLUAN.'
Nabu's tone was incomparably sober as he told the brief story of the one who lay entombed inside the black pyramid.
'He's never this forthcoming with information. Perhaps he's trying trying to give context to his actions from earlier? I'm not sure. However, one thing is certain—if Nabu is this worried about the pyramid, then the guy inside probably isn't totally dead.'
There was another issue—the implications of a relic, produced by a civilization capable of making the vast cosmos their playground, wasn't lost on him.
What would happen if mankind got a hold of something like this? How would they interact with an artifact more technologically and thaumaturgically advanced than anything they could've ever imagined?
He didn't know. However, what he did know was that, whenever a more advanced civilization interacted with a less advanced civilization, the short term outcome was nothing less than disasterous. History had proven that to be the case.
'IT IS FAR MORE SERIOUS THAN THAT. WHAT LAYS INSIDE THE TOMB IS SOMETHING CAPABLE OF BRINGING ABOUT THE DESTRUCTION OF THE UNIVERSE ITSELF.'
Nabu's words made Kent's scalp turn numb.
'How is that possible? What exactly… is this guy?'
Silence stretched as Nabu remained quiet. Eventually, he replied.
'WHEN VRIL DOX REALIZED THE LIMITS OF MATERIALISM, HE TURNED TO MORE… IMMATERIAL PERSUITS. HIS GENIUS, ALONGSIDE HIS DISREGARD FOR MORALITY, TURNED HIM IN TO A MYSTACIST WITHOUT EQUAL. IT WASN'T LONG BEFORE HE EXPLORED THE VERY NATURE OF REALITY ITSELF.
THIS IS SOMETHING YOU MUST UNDERSTAND, KENT NELSON—OUR WORLD IS SIMPLY A REFLECTION, A MIRROR IMAGE OF ANOTHER. AT THE BOTTOM OF OUR UNIVERSE IS A DARK SEAL, SEPERATING US FROM A PLACE OF NIGHTMARE.
IN HIS SEARCH FOR KNOWLEDGE, THE SCHOLAR DUG TOO DEEP. WHAT HE RELEASED INTO THE COSMOS WAS SOMETHING THAT COULDN'T BE ALLOWED TO EXIST. A TERRIBLE WAR FOLLOWED, INSIGATED BY THE FORCES OF ORDER TO PURGE THE EVIL VRIL DOX HAD CREATED. IN THE END, WE WERE VICTORIOUS. I PERSONALLY SEALED HIS CORPSE INSIDE THIS FORTRESS—IT BECAME HIS TOMB.
WHY IT IS HERE, I CANNOT SAY. AFTER I SEALED IT, I PLACED IT IN A LOCATION NONE BUT I SHOULD BE ABLE TO ACCESS.
HOWEVER IT APPEARED HERE, IT IS CLEAR SOME SCAVANGERS HAVE CHANCED UPON IT. TO MAKE MATTERS WORSE, THEY SEEM TO BE ILL-NATURED.
I MUST SECURE THE TOMB, NELSON, NO MATTER WHAT THE COST.'
When the final, ominous sentence was spoken, they arrived at the other end of the tunnel. It was sealed off by a hexagonal door, made out of six triangles. On its surface, many patterns were carved, indecipherable to Kent's eyes, but not to Nabu's. The entity could clearly see the image, hidden within them. It was the same, coffin-like structure, with many tubes entering and exiting it, like the one present on the surface of the pyramid.
When the light of their glowing form shone onto its surface, they discovered something that struck them both dumb—a familiar, boyish figure hobbled towards the door, like a zombie. Its was naked, having had its clothes burned off by the earlier explosions. Also, much of its skin was damaged and thin, silvery wires could be seen through the gaps. It almost looked like a robot.
It only took a second for Dr. Fate to recover from its torpor, but when the entity shot forward, illuminating the tunnel like a burning firework, it was already too late.
A thin, pale hand touched the surface of the door. When it did, countless dark-purple lights flared into existence, running along the swirling patterns, like an enormous, glowing circuit. In the blink of an eye, the boy vanished, leaving the good doctor behind to stare helplessly at the inert portal.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
It was natural for water to flow downwards, from frozen mountain caps into streams and rivers, only to eventually end up in the ocean. In time, that same water would evaporate, forming clouds that would blow over the land, back to the mountains from whence they came.
Perhaps it was just the way of things to return to their origin, given the passage of time. Or perhaps there was a different explanation for why Arthur, despite his unconscious state, had journeyed into the depths of the black pyramid.
Through inscrutable hallways, he wandered. He passed rooms, filled with unknowable devices, machines and McGuffins, things not even his modern knowledge would help him understand. All the while, it was not him doing the walking, but his body alone, made out of innumerable silvery tendrils… or wires.
It could've been minutes, hours or days when he finally reached his destination. It was impossible to tell the time inside the mind-warping space of the pyramid, like infinite fractals, breaking apart into shards, splinters and slivers. Each plane was more intricate than the last, as if it was all taking place inside a Mandelbrot set.
At last, Arthur made it into the heart of the tomb, where a coffin was laying, upside-down. It was a reverse shape, larger at the bottom, but growing thinner towards the top. The casket had no lid, so it was possible to see the corpse inside. It was humanoid, but inhuman. It seemed to have once belonged to a living creature, but was more like an organic machine—a perfect fusion between metal and flesh.
When Arthur's body neared it, the silvery wires inside him suddenly shot towards the coffin, piercing through his skin like a storm of needles. They surged into the corpse.
Its chest was already split open, exposing its metallic ribcage, like a grasping claw. The chest-cavity was filled with mysterious, withered organs, appearing completely different from that of a human. However, the silvery wires bypassed the dry flesh. Instead, they travelled into the corpse's spinal chord, following the pathway of bone until it reached the empty skull. There, it found a piece of black glass, fused into the frontal section of the skull.
Suddenly, a message appeared on the black tablet inside Arthur's mind.
[Control Module Acquired: Integrating…]
At this time, the youth was finally starting to wake up. The changes on the tablet, bound to his mind, forced him into wakefulness. However, his rebooting consciousness was unable to make sense of what he was seeing.
'What the hell is happening…?'
As soon as he had that thought, the tablet abruptly expanded until it completely swallowed up all the space in front of his eyes. Countless scripts, like machine code, appeared one after the other. The microscopic symbols were written in an alien language that he couldn't make heads nor tails of. After a few moments, the mad rush of information ceased and all the code suddenly disappeared.
A new line of text, surprisingly written in English, appeared in front of his eyes.
'[ANIMA print recognized. Identifying user... success! Welcome, Vril Dox.]'
Arthur felt like his eyeballs were about to pop out of their sockets from surprise, but before he could do so much as twitch a finger, the corpse in the coffin suddenly jerked into motion. A surge of multicolored light shot out of its eye sockets and into his own, seemingly interacting directly with the tablet.
'[Control Module Override Detected. Initiating Merger!]'
In an instant, something inconceivable happened. Arthur's entire body abruptly dissolved into silver wires, like a rope fraying into threads. When he'd transformed into a wriggling, humanoid mass, all the tendrils suddenly shot into the coffin. After the last tendril had disappeared inside, a black, featureless lid descended from the ceiling, like a floating magnet. It landed on the coffin, sealing it and expelling pressurized air with a 'hiss'.
The entire room abruptly lit up in a retro-futuristic, ultraviolet color. Like a heart pumping blood into veins, circuits conducted energy towards the coffin from somewhere unknown. A strange, pulsating sound became audible, like the low, alternating hum of a generator. It was both high-pitched and low bass—if a human was present, the vibrations would've caused their brains to liquidate and flow out of their ears.
The coffin was lifted by an invisible force, rotating until it hovered upside down in the middle of the room. Sections of the glassy, black surfaces were transformed into rod-like structures, reaching towards the coffin like fingers. Simultaneously, they emitted arcs of ultraviolet light that struck the casket like bolts of black lightning.
Eons after his death, the time had come for the last scholar of Coluan to be reborn.
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Vril Dox (Earth-One)
Vril Dox the First is the original Brainiac, a superintelligent villain from the planet Colu. He was intent on preserving dying societies by shrinking cities into bottles and gather their information to expand his own 12th Level Intellect. He was an enemy of Superman, who retrieved the bottled...
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'IRRUMATIO DETECTA! IMPEDIENS!'
Is it just me or did anyone else look up "irrumatio" and get really confused by the definition that comes up?
Is it just me or did anyone else look up "irrumatio" and get really confused by the definition that comes up?
Yeah... that was a big oopsie. I decided to leave it in just because it's way too funny not to.