Side Story The Goddess

[Takumi]

"Get down!" Ferdinand roared as he leaped between Ashe, Luthor and the oncoming blast. His great, armored shield took the brunt of the blast, the the force behind it was enough to crack the rocks at his feet. A smokey shock-wave scattered the Chosen. The force of the sudden blow was enough to render a them unconscious for a moment or two.

The sounds of the battle continue to boom overhead. But they were more muffled than they had been before. It was as if you were listening to them from the bottom of a swimming pool. A high pitched tone was ringing in your ears. A blurry and reached from the smoke and the flames.
View attachment 5098
"Ashe, now is no time for sleeping," Gilbert words warbled through the distortion. He pulled the Archer's arm over his shoulder and dragged him to his feet. He did his best to carry the archer away from Luthor and his ilk. "We need to move."

Out of the corner of his eye, Ashe could see Ferdinand's still body lying in the dirt. A pair of Goddessian medics were peeling back layer after layer of his armor in order to assess his wounds. The tried to check for a concussion. They asked his name. He didn't respond.

"Damnit! We're loosing him!" One of the medics roared. "We can't treat him here!"

"What will it take?" Luthor snapped.

"A miracle." The medic replied in confusion.

"Good. Get him inside the Temple. Ferdinand has chosen to offer his life to our cause on the one day that miracles are on the table..."

As the Medics prepared to move the Armored Knight, a pair of Goddessian soldiers dragged the wounded Jester towards the Tomb...

@Takumi @Jeremi @Lucky

Before Mother could take in the destruction she had caused, a flaming fist struck her jaw. The force of the blow sent her soaring a little higher about the battlefield.
"HA!"
View attachment 5099
Her attacker roared. The next thing she knew, a wave of a ki was burning across her flesh.
"Guess I'm loosing my touch..." The Councillor puffed. "That should have been enough to knock you out for sure. Guess I'm going to have to try a little harder." Son crackled his knuckles and lowered his stance once again. His forehead furrowed. "I was hoping to avoid this, Mother. I thought you'd have the restraint to keep to foes your size... But you've left me no choice. I won't let you hurt those people." A spark of thunder danced across his body, "You're fighting me now!" In a flash of gold, Gohan soared through the air towards his foe.

@Jeremi @Crunch

"You're blunt, Beau. You don't mince your words." The Goddess smiled. "I've always respected that about you. 'Purpose' is weighted word. An action's 'purpose' is determined by the one who performed it. I supposed you'll have to ask Kolin about that. And you'll have your chance shortly, worry not. Or, at least, you could ask yourself that question. Why did you choose to stand by me, Beau? Why did you come here?"

The Goddess stifled a laugh with the back of her hand.

"I doubt my answer has satisfied you. I hate answering questions with more questions. If you're looking for the simplest, bluntest answer imaginable, here it is: now that I am free, any 'debts' you might think you owe me have been paid. I gave you life. You did the same to me. Now that I am free, we are no longer debtors and debt-collectors. We are equals. Partners. Now that I am free, I can lend my power to reshaping the Mutliverse. I invite you and your fellow Chosen to join me, Beau. Tell me. What injustices would you like to see erased?"


"This form... it unnerves you, doesn't it?" The Goddess frowned. "I'm sorry. This was supposed to be a momentous day. A day of celebration. It shouldn't be marred by mistrust."

The Goddess opened 'her' arms wide.

"Consider this a gesture of Good Will..."

The Tomb shook once again. That old emerald light flooded from Kolin's eyes and mouth. The Butterflies that had flown from Hearts' body swarmed her. A wave of warmth flooded the Burial Chamber. From the heart of the cloud, Kolin stumbled. She feel the the ground. She was alive, but not quite awake. The Goddess emerged a moment later. She was just as beautiful as she had once been. She stared down at her ghostly fingers. She ran them across the fabric of his pale burial gown.

"Does this put you at ease, my child?" The Goddess whispered softly. "I apologizes. The Temptation to return to the flesh was... alluring. I pray that you shall forgive me..." She knelt down beside Kolin's unconscious body and kissed her forehead. "I pray that you will forgive me too, my daughter..."

The Mental Plane-
View attachment 5100
"And exit... a door... or a passage way or a..."

Ding

"An elevator?" Ego queried. His eyes dissected the mysterious emerald elevator that had appeared before him. It's doors slid open. The alluring song of a choir could be heard humming inside. "This is... unusual..." He reached out to touch its cool exterior. "It's a way out. Or, perhaps, a way in would be a more accurate way of describing it. The Goddess has left your body... Strange. These sort of illusions generally come in threes..."

'Gill' shook his head, banishing the thought.

"No. I am certain. The Goddess has relinquished her hold over you. This elevator should leave you straight back to the control room. I'm certain of it. I suppose this is where we part ways, Kolin, though I doubt this will be the last time we meet. If I am to give you one parting nugget of wisdom, I would like it to be this: when journey began, upon this snowy plane, you placed your faith in a stranger. Your path seemed clear. Simple. Clean. But today, you have reached a crossroad. The path you must travel is no longer clear. But no matter which path you take, you must march down it with conviction and confidence. This journey began with a leap of faith. The time has come for you to take one more..."

@Yun Lee​

Ashe tensed, eyeing Luthor from the corner of his eye, about to say something when the blast came.

"Ferdinand do-!" He cried out before the force of it sent him flying back, smoke and light nearly blinding him as the very ground shook from the tremors of the shockwave. He wasn't sure if he hit his head at any point, but his vision swam for a second, muffled voices trailing behind annoying ringing like a buzzing fly in his ears.

Blinking, Ashe's brows furrowed as Gilbert spoke to him. Was he sleeping? When did he sleep? Last he remembered was Ferdinand and pain-

Oh shit, oh fuck. Ferdinand! His eyes flicked this way and that, trying to scan the area before they quickly caught a glimpse of the medics trying to check on the redhead. For a second, he felt a small bout of panic.

"Wait...I can...I can heal him." He garbled out, trying to keep track of Ferdinand as his own heartbeat started to pulse loudly in his head. The least he could do was try and help Ferdinand after what he just did. Whether he did it for Ashe or Luthor or not, he had to try.

"Gilbert, I can heal him..." He spoke, and his eyes stung pretty bad. He hoped he wasn't crying right now or else he wouldn't be able to see any clearer than he did now in probably the next five seconds.

@Sark

---

"Thank you, it does. I can forgive you, though Kolin's forgiveness I'm not sure about. I do not know her well." Silque said in relief, her shoulders relaxing. Though when speaking of Kolin, there was an emotion there, briefly, but it was gone as quick as it came. She wanted to get to know Kolin better, at the very least.

@Sark @Lucky @Yun Lee

 

[Capri]

"What... I-I'm not the one who did this! There's still p-people inside! Th-! K-Kolin! She o-opened the t-tomb and sh-sh-she caused this!"

It's obvious that Roman wasn't trying to fight, he merely wanted to go home. His eyes gave a look of fear, anger, and a look of pure desire to be believed.

@Sark​

 

[Sark]

Ashe tensed, eyeing Luthor from the corner of his eye, about to say something when the blast came.

"Ferdinand do-!" He cried out before the force of it sent him flying back, smoke and light nearly blinding him as the very ground shook from the tremors of the shockwave. He wasn't sure if he hit his head at any point, but his vision swam for a second, muffled voices trailing behind annoying ringing like a buzzing fly in his ears.

Blinking, Ashe's brows furrowed as Gilbert spoke to him. Was he sleeping? When did he sleep? Last he remembered was Ferdinand and pain-

Oh shit, oh fuck. Ferdinand! His eyes flicked this way and that, trying to scan the area before they quickly caught a glimpse of the medics trying to check on the redhead. For a second, he felt a small bout of panic.

"Wait...I can...I can heal him." He garbled out, trying to keep track of Ferdinand as his own heartbeat started to pulse loudly in his head. The least he could do was try and help Ferdinand after what he just did. Whether he did it for Ashe or Luthor or not, he had to try.

"Gilbert, I can heal him..." He spoke, and his eyes stung pretty bad. He hoped he wasn't crying right now or else he wouldn't be able to see any clearer than he did now in probably the next five seconds.

View attachment 5101
"No," Gilbert snapped coldly. He tightened his hold over the body's chest. "Luthor reached out to us. A psychic message. If Ferdinand has thrown his lot in with Luthor's Goddess, then he's turn his back on ours. I can't save him from his cowardice, but I can save you yet! We need to leave-- Now!"

Gilbert did his best to restrain the struggling boy and he marched away from the blast-zone.

"You'll thank me for this someday..."

@Takumi

"What... I-I'm not the one who did this! There's still p-people inside! Th-! K-Kolin! She o-opened the t-tomb and sh-sh-she caused this!"

It's obvious that Roman wasn't trying to fight, he merely wanted to go home. His eyes gave a look of fear, anger, and a look of pure desire to be believed.

"Jeez, you're selling out your friends? That's cold!" Kamin chortled. "I mean, you struck me as a coward from the start, but this? This really confirms it. You're about as spineless as they come!"

Kamin crouched down beside him, her hands still glowing with light.

"How about we make a deal? You see Hearts thinks- or, thought- that you Chosen guys had a bit of the Goddess' power flowing through you. Something to do with your resurrections or something. I want it. Gimme it. Do that for me, and hey, I might let you go. Sound fair."

@Capri ​

 

[Jeremi]

"Get down!" Ferdinand roared as he leaped between Ashe, Luthor and the oncoming blast. His great, armored shield took the brunt of the blast, the the force behind it was enough to crack the rocks at his feet. A smokey shock-wave scattered the Chosen. The force of the sudden blow was enough to render a them unconscious for a moment or two.

The sounds of the battle continue to boom overhead. But they were more muffled than they had been before. It was as if you were listening to them from the bottom of a swimming pool. A high pitched tone was ringing in your ears. A blurry and reached from the smoke and the flames.
View attachment 5098
"Ashe, now is no time for sleeping," Gilbert words warbled through the distortion. He pulled the Archer's arm over his shoulder and dragged him to his feet. He did his best to carry the archer away from Luthor and his ilk. "We need to move."

Out of the corner of his eye, Ashe could see Ferdinand's still body lying in the dirt. A pair of Goddessian medics were peeling back layer after layer of his armor in order to assess his wounds. The tried to check for a concussion. They asked his name. He didn't respond.

"Damnit! We're loosing him!" One of the medics roared. "We can't treat him here!"

"What will it take?" Luthor snapped.

"A miracle." The medic replied in confusion.

"Good. Get him inside the Temple. Ferdinand has chosen to offer his life to our cause on the one day that miracles are on the table..."

As the Medics prepared to move the Armored Knight, a pair of Goddessian soldiers dragged the wounded Jester towards the Tomb...

@Takumi @Jeremi @Lucky

Before Mother could take in the destruction she had caused, a flaming fist struck her jaw. The force of the blow sent her soaring a little higher about the battlefield.
"HA!"
View attachment 5099
Her attacker roared. The next thing she knew, a wave of a ki was burning across her flesh.
"Guess I'm loosing my touch..." The Councillor puffed. "That should have been enough to knock you out for sure. Guess I'm going to have to try a little harder." Son crackled his knuckles and lowered his stance once again. His forehead furrowed. "I was hoping to avoid this, Mother. I thought you'd have the restraint to keep to foes your size... But you've left me no choice. I won't let you hurt those people." A spark of thunder danced across his body, "You're fighting me now!" In a flash of gold, Gohan soared through the air towards his foe.

@Jeremi @Crunch

"You're blunt, Beau. You don't mince your words." The Goddess smiled. "I've always respected that about you. 'Purpose' is weighted word. An action's 'purpose' is determined by the one who performed it. I supposed you'll have to ask Kolin about that. And you'll have your chance shortly, worry not. Or, at least, you could ask yourself that question. Why did you choose to stand by me, Beau? Why did you come here?"

The Goddess stifled a laugh with the back of her hand.

"I doubt my answer has satisfied you. I hate answering questions with more questions. If you're looking for the simplest, bluntest answer imaginable, here it is: now that I am free, any 'debts' you might think you owe me have been paid. I gave you life. You did the same to me. Now that I am free, we are no longer debtors and debt-collectors. We are equals. Partners. Now that I am free, I can lend my power to reshaping the Mutliverse. I invite you and your fellow Chosen to join me, Beau. Tell me. What injustices would you like to see erased?"


"This form... it unnerves you, doesn't it?" The Goddess frowned. "I'm sorry. This was supposed to be a momentous day. A day of celebration. It shouldn't be marred by mistrust."

The Goddess opened 'her' arms wide.

"Consider this a gesture of Good Will..."

The Tomb shook once again. That old emerald light flooded from Kolin's eyes and mouth. The Butterflies that had flown from Hearts' body swarmed her. A wave of warmth flooded the Burial Chamber. From the heart of the cloud, Kolin stumbled. She feel the the ground. She was alive, but not quite awake. The Goddess emerged a moment later. She was just as beautiful as she had once been. She stared down at her ghostly fingers. She ran them across the fabric of his pale burial gown.

"Does this put you at ease, my child?" The Goddess whispered softly. "I apologizes. The Temptation to return to the flesh was... alluring. I pray that you shall forgive me..." She knelt down beside Kolin's unconscious body and kissed her forehead. "I pray that you will forgive me too, my daughter..."

The Mental Plane-
View attachment 5100
"And exit... a door... or a passage way or a..."

Ding

"An elevator?" Ego queried. His eyes dissected the mysterious emerald elevator that had appeared before him. It's doors slid open. The alluring song of a choir could be heard humming inside. "This is... unusual..." He reached out to touch its cool exterior. "It's a way out. Or, perhaps, a way in would be a more accurate way of describing it. The Goddess has left your body... Strange. These sort of illusions generally come in threes..."

'Gill' shook his head, banishing the thought.

"No. I am certain. The Goddess has relinquished her hold over you. This elevator should leave you straight back to the control room. I'm certain of it. I suppose this is where we part ways, Kolin, though I doubt this will be the last time we meet. If I am to give you one parting nugget of wisdom, I would like it to be this: when journey began, upon this snowy plane, you placed your faith in a stranger. Your path seemed clear. Simple. Clean. But today, you have reached a crossroad. The path you must travel is no longer clear. But no matter which path you take, you must march down it with conviction and confidence. This journey began with a leap of faith. The time has come for you to take one more..."

@Yun Lee​

That blasted Luthor! Next time though. Seeing what was going on below them, however. Gohan found that his opponent hadn't even tried to block his attack and she was sent crashing towards the ground landing with a hard enough force to crack the ground right next to the tomb entrance.

Whoever this boy was he had some power in his fists. "My gripe is with Luthor and Luthor alone!" She shouted into the sky at Gohan. "But if you wish to face a monster..." She planted herself firmly by the entrance making it hard for anyone to get by. It was if she...? "You will face Big Mother in all her glory! Come little monkey! Show me what you can do!"

@Sark @Crunch

 

[Yun Lee]

Kolin's eyes opened at the sound of the noise. An elevator in her mind...? How unusual. But truly, if it was as Ego said, if it was her way out...then so be it. She wanted answers, and the only way she would get them was to awaken and face the Goddess herself. "Farewell," she said to Ego, taking the first step towards the ledge and entering that elevator. Whatever awaited her outside, in the world...it would determine her convictions. If opening the tomb had in fact been the right choice. If the Goddess could leave her body after taking it...perhaps desiring a host was not her ulterior motive?

@Sark​

 

[Takumi]

View attachment 5101
"No," Gilbert snapped coldly. He tightened his hold over the body's chest. "Luthor reached out to us. A psychic message. If Ferdinand has thrown his lot in with Luthor's Goddess, then he's turn his back on ours. I can't save him from his cowardice, but I can save you yet! We need to leave-- Now!"

Gilbert did his best to restrain the struggling boy and he marched away from the blast-zone.

"You'll thank me for this someday..."

@Takumi

"Jeez, you're selling out your friends? That's cold!" Kamin chortled. "I mean, you struck me as a coward from the start, but this? This really confirms it. You're about as spineless as they come!"

Kamin crouched down beside him, her hands still glowing with light.

"How about we make a deal? You see Hearts thinks- or, thought- that you Chosen guys had a bit of the Goddess' power flowing through you. Something to do with your resurrections or something. I want it. Gimme it. Do that for me, and hey, I might let you go. Sound fair."

@Capri ​

"But--he--I-" Ashe tried to force out an explanation, wanted Gildert to understand that at the very least Ferdinand saved his life. Though Gilbert's words got Ashe to quiet a moment. He took a breath as he waa held tighter, blinking to try and clear his vision.

"He saved my life Gilbert, the least I can do is try..." He reasoned through the buzzing and the muffled background noise and his still pulsing heartbeat that made his head throb.

The moment Luthor dragged Ferdinand inside the tomb, there was no telling if he'd make it. He wanted to help his odds, he needed to.

"Where...where are we even going?" He blurted out as his brows pinched in confusion.

@Sark

 

[Sark]

That blasted Luthor! Next time though. Seeing what was going on below them, however. Gohan found that his opponent hadn't even tried to block his attack and she was sent crashing towards the ground landing with a hard enough force to crack the ground right next to the tomb entrance.

Whoever this boy was he had some power in his fists. "My gripe is with Luthor and Luthor alone!" She shouted into the sky at Gohan. "But if you wish to face a monster..." She planted herself firmly by the entrance making it hard for anyone to get by. It was if she...? "You will face Big Mother in all her glory! Come little monkey! Show me what you can do!"

@Sark @Crunch

"Your gripe was with Luthor," Gohan snapped as he came in to land. "But the moment you attacked those people? You earned a gripe with me. Guys like us? We can't just swat as people with a fraction of our power. We have a certain responsibility--"

Gohan slowly raised his palm over his forehead. Light began to swarm it.

"-So don't think for a second that I'm doing it for him! I'm doing it for all those people you'd have heartlessly slaughtered!"

In a flash, Gohan began to advance. With a roar, his pushed his palm forward, sending the energy in his hand surging forth in a long blazing beam.
View attachment 5102
"Masenko!"

He followed up his blast with a King-Hit to Mother's gut. He carried the punch through until the pair were sent tumbling through the Tomb's out wall. As Mother's body passed through the white stones, a large segment of the aging Temple fell in upon itself. A wave of white dust washed over the clearing.

"Breached!" Eric called out across the battlefield. "We've been breached! Fall back into the Tomb!"

Several flying demons took point across the Tomb's roof. They gripped the ledge with their pale claws an unleashed streams of fire across the battlefield.

"Press on!" Luthor retorted. "To me, my Goddessians! This is our chance!"

"But--he--I-" Ashe tried to force out an explanation, wanted Gildert to understand that at the very least Ferdinand saved his life. Though Gilbert's words got Ashe to quiet a moment. He took a breath as he waa held tighter, blinking to try and clear his vision.

"He saved my life Gilbert, the least I can do is try..." He reasoned through the buzzing and the muffled background noise and his still pulsing heartbeat that made his head throb.

The moment Luthor dragged Ferdinand inside the tomb, there was no telling if he'd make it. He wanted to help his odds, he needed to.

"Where...where are we even going?" He blurted out as his brows pinched in confusion.

@Sark

"There's a barricade not far from here--" Gilbert replied, hunching over to avoid the stray bullets and arrows that danced overhead. "It's a pile of fallen pillars. After the Goddessians turned on us, we needed a place to regroup. If we hurry we can still--"

[BANG]

Gilbert's body went limp. His body weight came crashing down upon Ashe. From behind him, he could here the sound of a large, single-shot rifle being reloaded. His a groan, the figure dragged Gilbert's body to the side.

"On your feet--" Captain White muttered, wiping the blood from his Secularist Uniform. "Now we're even." He reached down towards the Archer.

"You alright, Ashe?" The Captain brushed the mud off of Gilbert's axe and passed it to his ally. "Lean on this if you need to. Say what you want about the sonova bitch, he was right. We need to move. I doubt your friend will last much longer."

@Takumi

Kolin's eyes opened at the sound of the noise. An elevator in her mind...? How unusual. But truly, if it was as Ego said, if it was her way out...then so be it. She wanted answers, and the only way she would get them was to awaken and face the Goddess herself. "Farewell," she said to Ego, taking the first step towards the ledge and entering that elevator. Whatever awaited her outside, in the world...it would determine her convictions. If opening the tomb had in fact been the right choice. If the Goddess could leave her body after taking it...perhaps desiring a host was not her ulterior motive?

@Sark

"Good morning, my beautiful girl...." The Goddess smiled down at Kolin as her eyes slowly fluttered open. "It's okay... yes, everything's okay now..."

[BOOM]

Mother and Gohan crashed through the ceiling.

"That's right... everything is okay..."

[BOOM]

One of Mephisto's larger demons came tumbling through one of the side walls.

"Shhh shhh shh... don't rush yourself up... take your time..."

[BOOM]

A control explosion blasted a hole in another part of the Temple's wall. Luthor emerged, his medics in tow.
"Goddess!" He howled, dragging Ferdinand across the stones. "Goddess! We need you!"

"There's no need to be afraid, I'm here..."

[BOOM]

Urien kicked a hole in another part of the wall. His suit was torn and tattered. His bronze skin was small dents littered across it.
"Luftor!" He slurred. "Get bayk here!"

Through the growing cracks in the Temple roof, the Chosen could hear the cries of circling Wyvern Lords and Pegasus Knights. The Knights of Seiros were closing in.

"Well..." Mephisto whispered. "This is quite the family reunion..."

@Jeremi @Takumi @Lucky @Crunch @Yun Lee @Capri​

 

[Crunch]

[BOOM BOOM BOOM!]

Chunks of sculpted marble upon the Temple's roof suddenly blew apart into clouds of white dust, hulking shadows dropping into the innermost chamber with heavy thuds. Those who had experienced the takeover and subsequent corruption of Hell recognized these grotesque giants as they rose from their kneeling positions and silently raised their flesh-twisted bolters towards the nearest targets in the room, angered wheezes hissing from their vox modulators.

"There you are, whore."

Eliphas the Inheritor parted the sea of twisted ceramic and deranged faith with a mere wave of his hand. The Apostle emerged from horde like a blackened lighthouse, stopping just at the front of his squad. His Crozious remained gripped in his hand, dripping in fresh tribute to the Bull God. And in his other hand was a Fellowship soldier, windpipe crushed beneath the Inheritor's steel grip and steam still rising off the red meat that was once his shoulder.

View attachment 5103

"I am glad you have gotten the chance to live once more, Goddess. It will make crushing your head into a red paste all the more satisfying for me. The men who grovel for your favor, " his thin, hidden eyes drifted towards Luthor. "have not nearly satisfied the Gods' thirst."

The lord scowled, hurling the boy's body aside like a chew toy. It made a wet popping noise upon slapping against a pile of rubble. A gun quickly filled the Inheritor's empty hand as he tilted the barrel of his Melta towards the shimmering woman. The scene, from his view, would be sealed within the deepest recesses of his mind for all time to come hereafter.

There she was, floating there. Fully restored and eager to do Her works upon the worms who grovel and squirm at the sound of Her voice. All of this death and chaos was spent in the service of a single woman who claimed the right of Goddess despite everything she has done. Failing those who serve her. Demonstrating no power worthy of one who calls herself Goddess. Nothing of substance. And yet, She still lives. And again She is drinking from the well of glory on the backs of those who honor Her.

Eliphas' breathing grew ragged as he stared at the woman. His grip on the Crozius tightened.

An eager chaos marine lurched ahead, taking aim at the Goddess. With a howling roar, Eliphas swung his Crozius in a wide arc, the spiked head crackling with Warp energy as it smashed the Word Bearer's helmet into his torso. The giant fell to the ground with a heavy thud with jets of blood spewing from his cracked armor.

Eliphas' voice came as a hushed growl as he stepped over the corpse. "The truth is, my original purpose for being here was to slay the Goddess for eternity and bring this petty war to an end for the benefit of my associates.

"But now all I must do is see to it that the last word you gurgle from your throat is my name."

"Pay for your insolence at last."

The Inheritor's final word was a whisper. Eliphas hurled himself towards the woman with reckless abandon. Whether or not Kolin, or Luthor, or Mephisto, or Big Mother, or anyone had attempted to stop him, the armored hulk raised his bloody mace into the air and was poised to bring it down atop the Goddess' exposed head.

@Jeremi @Takumi @Lucky @Sark @Yun Lee @Capri


​

 

[Yun Lee]

"...ngh..."

Kolin's vision was hazy. Her mind was clouded. Everything felt like so much to wake up to. The serene beauty of the Goddess contrasted with war, and death, and...and chaos. And him. The madman in the bloodred armor. A wild cannon even less stable than Mother. His little speech gave Kolin the opportunity to wake up. To come to her senses. To realize what he was planning to do, though it didn't take a genius to know that with how he spoke of her.

This journey began with a leap of faith. The time has come for you to take one more..

One more leap of faith. One decision that could change everything. Turn the tides for not just this war, but for the Fellowship as they knew it. Then, she had reacted out of emotion, of fatigue, and had made a choice without thinking it through. But this was a decision she made now, knowing full well the consequences she could bring along with it.

"The truth is, my original purpose for being here was to slay the Goddess for eternity and bring this petty war to an end for the benefit of my associates."

Kolin got to her feet. Right on the edge.

"But now all I must do is see to it that the last word you gurgle from your throat is my name."

A leap of faith was what she needed.

"Pay for your insolence at last."

It was time to jump.

Eliphas swung.

Kolin raised her hands.

Cold white energy flowed from her hands.

And then...

"Freeze."

@Crunch @Jeremi @Takumi @Lucky @Sark @Yun Lee @Capri​

 

[Jeremi]

"Your gripe was with Luthor," Gohan snapped as he came in to land. "But the moment you attacked those people? You earned a gripe with me. Guys like us? We can't just swat as people with a fraction of our power. We have a certain responsibility--"

Gohan slowly raised his palm over his forehead. Light began to swarm it.

"-So don't think for a second that I'm doing it for him! I'm doing it for all those people you'd have heartlessly slaughtered!"

In a flash, Gohan began to advance. With a roar, his pushed his palm forward, sending the energy in his hand surging forth in a long blazing beam.
View attachment 5102
"Masenko!"

He followed up his blast with a King-Hit to Mother's gut. He carried the punch through until the pair were sent tumbling through the Tomb's out wall. As Mother's body passed through the white stones, a large segment of the aging Temple fell in upon itself. A wave of white dust washed over the clearing.

"Breached!" Eric called out across the battlefield. "We've been breached! Fall back into the Tomb!"

Several flying demons took point across the Tomb's roof. They gripped the ledge with their pale claws an unleashed streams of fire across the battlefield.

"Press on!" Luthor retorted. "To me, my Goddessians! This is our chance!"


"There's a barricade not far from here--" Gilbert replied, hunching over to avoid the stray bullets and arrows that danced overhead. "It's a pile of fallen pillars. After the Goddessians turned on us, we needed a place to regroup. If we hurry we can still--"

[BANG]

Gilbert's body went limp. His body weight came crashing down upon Ashe. From behind him, he could here the sound of a large, single-shot rifle being reloaded. His a groan, the figure dragged Gilbert's body to the side.

"On your feet--" Captain White muttered, wiping the blood from his Secularist Uniform. "Now we're even." He reached down towards the Archer.

"You alright, Ashe?" The Captain brushed the mud off of Gilbert's axe and passed it to his ally. "Lean on this if you need to. Say what you want about the sonova bitch, he was right. We need to move. I doubt your friend will last much longer."

@Takumi

"Good morning, my beautiful girl...." The Goddess smiled down at Kolin as her eyes slowly fluttered open. "It's okay... yes, everything's okay now..."

[BOOM]

Mother and Gohan crashed through the ceiling.

"That's right... everything is okay..."

[BOOM]

One of Mephisto's larger demons came tumbling through one of the side walls.

"Shhh shhh shh... don't rush yourself up... take your time..."

[BOOM]

A control explosion blasted a hole in another part of the Temple's wall. Luthor emerged, his medics in tow.
"Goddess!" He howled, dragging Ferdinand across the stones. "Goddess! We need you!"

"There's no need to be afraid, I'm here..."

[BOOM]

Urien kicked a hole in another part of the wall. His suit was torn and tattered. His bronze skin was small dents littered across it.
"Luftor!" He slurred. "Get bayk here!"

Through the growing cracks in the Temple roof, the Chosen could hear the cries of circling Wyvern Lords and Pegasus Knights. The Knights of Seiros were closing in.

"Well..." Mephisto whispered. "This is quite the family reunion..."

@Jeremi @Takumi @Lucky @Crunch @Yun Lee @Capri​

"Doing this dooms an entire multiverse and not just a few fools of Lu-." The demoness was once again hit and pushed as she fell through the temple walls only one thought was rolling through her mind. Was it all worth it? To once trying to play the heroine in the story and being pushed back every step of the way?

As she landed from the assault her size shrunk to a more sizeable seven feet. Her defenses were completely open any blow would be the finishing blow. "If slaying me is what you truly wish," The battered and bruised Big Mother called out to Gohan. "Then do it, but promise me you will stop Luthor. None will be able to escape his zealotry. Even if the Goddess can not be killed her most devout follower is another matter."

@Sark @Jeremi @Takumi @Lucky @Crunch @Yun Lee @Capri

 

[Sark]

And then...

"Freeze."

"Pay for your insolence at last."

The Inheritor's final word was a whisper. Eliphas hurled himself towards the woman with reckless abandon. Whether or not Kolin, or Luthor, or Mephisto, or Big Mother, or anyone had attempted to stop him, the armored hulk raised his bloody mace into the air and was poised to bring it down atop the Goddess' exposed head.

The Goddess' eyes widened a little. She felt... surprised? It had been a long time since she had felt surprised.
Eliphas' betrayal? It wasn't hard to anticipate. Expecting him to toll the line was wishful thinking... still, his potential had been great. It was a calculated risk. The possibility of failure had never escaped her mind.
Izana's death? It was tragic, truly, but Big Mother had always been something of a wild card. The War in Hell? It would have happened eventually. The Secession of the Secularists? The Civil War? She could see them coming from a mile off.

She had chosen her Chosen well. Each had played their part perfectly. No matter how brief their time together might have been, they had all played a hand in her resurrection, whether they realized it or not. It had all happened just as she had predicted it.

And yet, the Goddess, despite her foresight, had been surprised.

Oh, to be alive...

"Thank you, Kolin." The Goddess smiled honestly. She placed her hand upon the woman's shoulder and stepped around her. "Thank you for standing by me..."

Her eyes bet those of the frozen Inheritor. She pressed her forehead against his.

"And thank you, my Eliphas. Without you, none of this would have been possible. Defending the Citadel, Conquering Hell... you helped move my pieces into the positions they needed to be in. You gave my Chosen something to despise in Blackheart's wake... if it weren't for you, they might not have come here. So, from the bottom of my heart, I thank you..."

She closed her eyes. Her smile faded.

"But job is done now, Inheritor. To place Kolin and Beau and Silique, the bravest of your former ilk, in danger like that... now that is something I cannot forgive... what fate shall befall you, dear demon? What punishment matches your crimes? Death or correction? Imprisonment or shame? What do you deserve, my fallen angel?"

The Goddess placed her finger upon Eliphas' forehead. As she did so, Ashe and Captain White entered into the chamber.

"Let's find out together, shall we?"

"Enough!" Mephisto snapped, emerging from the shadows. "Enough, alright? You've made your point, your highness. Let him go."

"Eliphas the Inheritor is a evil, Mephsito. He and his ilk have no place in the New World. The same goes for you, demon."

"Eh, I had anticipated as much," The Demon sighed. "Which is why I brought some insurance..."

View attachment 5108
"Can you blame me? Captain White? Do it!"

[Click]

Captain White raised his pistol to the back of Ashe's head.

"Sorry," He shrugged. "It's... complicated."

"Ashe!" The Goddess cried, surprised once again. "Release him, interloper!"

"That's not up to him!" Mephisto cackled. "You see, this has been a long time coming. Your initial instincts were flawless, oh mighty one. If the Chosen had left Eli to die at the Citadel, this mess might have been avoided. But you chose your Chosen a little too well. They were just too good. Captain, care to tell your tale?"

View attachment 5109
Eli loosened his grip on his pistol a little. Mephsito shot a finger in his direction. A tightened it again. He sighed and cast his eyes to the floor.

"It's like Scott said. Souls don't just 'escape' Hell."

"Not unless some sharp-toothed, sexy demonic fiend lets them go," Mephisto winked at Mother. "Fuck you, by the way,"

"Ever heard of 'The Champions of the Arena'? It was a reality show way back when. Bunch o' kids died, live on TV. You're looking at one of them. I wasn't old enough to drink. Too young to kill, but not too young to die."

"And what happened, Eli?"

"I got shot. Died in my sister's arms."

"And then what happened?"

"I received an offer I couldn't refuse."

"A second chance at life. Not the 'free' life you had so dearly hoped for, but life is life, and the dead are in no position to complain. A second life sword in service of yours truly."

"You're telling me that--" Urien snarled. "Son of a bitch!"

"Think about it, dear Councillors. Zamasu wasn't on the council during the attack on the citadel. He only acceded to the role in the stead of his mentor. There was no way he could have disabled the Citadel's defenses all on his lonesome. Not without help, at least."

"Who do you think it was the lead the demons to your location, Ashe?" The Captain muttered with pangs of pain in his tone. "Whilst you were picking the lock? Maddie's stupidity helped, sure. But the plan was doomed from the start. It was an ambush. I was never 'diverting' the enemy. I was signalling to them. Telling them to raise their guard..."

"So here's the situation." Mephisto grinned. "Oh mighty Goddess, your power is great. Incredible. Unimaginable. But you only just came back from the beyond. I think you're rusty. Still warming up. Can you say, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that you can save Ashe before my tortured soul puts a bullet in his head? Or perhaps..." He offered the Goddess his palm. "You could let my associate here go. Return Eliphas to me, and I'll return Ashe to you. He dies, Ashe dies."

"You underestimate me, demon." The Goddess thinned her eyes. "You underestimate my divinity."

"I underestimate nothing." Mephisto snapped in a strange, serious tone. The shade didn't look good on him. "The Godless leave here, alive, or you loose another one of your playthings. What will it be, your majesty?"

The Goddess remained still. Her eyes remained fixed on Mephisto. The slowly shifted over to Eli and Ashe.

"Will you risk it? And will you be able to look your darling Chosen in the eyes if you fail?"

@Yun Lee @Takumi @Jeremi @Crunch @Capri @Lucky

"Doing this dooms an entire multiverse and not just a few fools of Lu-." The demoness was once again hit and pushed as she fell through the temple walls only one thought was rolling through her mind. Was it all worth it? To once trying to play the heroine in the story and being pushed back every step of the way?

As she landed from the assault her size shrunk to a more sizeable seven feet. Her defenses were completely open any blow would be the finishing blow. "If slaying me is what you truly wish," The battered and bruised Big Mother called out to Gohan. "Then do it, but promise me you will stop Luthor. None will be able to escape his zealotry. Even if the Goddess can not be killed her most devout follower is another matter."

@Sark @Jeremi @Takumi @Lucky @Crunch @Yun Lee @Capri

Gohan's finger twtiched. A boxer's tell.
For a moment he considered it. For a moment, he wondered what it would be like to hold Mother's life in his hands. He wondered what it would feel like to surrender himself to his primal instincts.

He relaxed his muscles. His hair lost its rigidity.

"I'll... do what I can..." He clenched his jaw and kept his eyes trained on Mother, watching for a feint. "I can't make any promises. But I'll keep an eye on him..."

"Good..." Urien called across the chamber. "I rather like the sound of that. Now..." He beckoned Gohan with his finger. "Return the Beast to the Secularists."

"You know I can't do that, Urien. She's a Goddessian prisoner now."

"This is a war, boy. You lack the guts to kill her. You lack the facilities to hold her on a battlefield such as this. You can either watch her- without blinking- for the rest of this little show, or you can return her to us and relax a little."

"You know I'll never--"

"Mother!" Urien snapped, staring straight through Gohan to demoness. "Get over here. We don't have time to waste on words!"

"Urien!"

"Mother! Here! Now!"

@Jeremi​

 

[Yun Lee]

Eli. At the end of the day, the Goddess' warning about him all so long ago came true. But there was no time for I-told-you-so's, no time for anything but one thing only: Ashe's life needed to be protected, now. There were very few people here who were good in any way, who would bring about change in this world for the better. And this boy was one of them. If he was lost, then the Fellowship was lost.

"Goddess...let them go. Please." Was there any sense in asking a deity something so great? "Let them all rot in Hell. We've beaten them, have we not? There's no need to take a life at that cost..." Perhaps this, then, would be the true test of this Goddess' worth. If she would grant mercy to these monsters if it meant saving Ashe.

@Yun Lee @Takumi @Jeremi @Crunch @Capri @Lucky​

 

[Jeremi]

The Goddess' eyes widened a little. She felt... surprised? It had been a long time since she had felt surprised.
Eliphas' betrayal? It wasn't hard to anticipate. Expecting him to toll the line was wishful thinking... still, his potential had been great. It was a calculated risk. The possibility of failure had never escaped her mind.
Izana's death? It was tragic, truly, but Big Mother had always been something of a wild card. The War in Hell? It would have happened eventually. The Secession of the Secularists? The Civil War? She could see them coming from a mile off.

She had chosen her Chosen well. Each had played their part perfectly. No matter how brief their time together might have been, they had all played a hand in her resurrection, whether they realized it or not. It had all happened just as she had predicted it.

And yet, the Goddess, despite her foresight, had been surprised.

Oh, to be alive...

"Thank you, Kolin." The Goddess smiled honestly. She placed her hand upon the woman's shoulder and stepped around her. "Thank you for standing by me..."

Her eyes bet those of the frozen Inheritor. She pressed her forehead against his.

"And thank you, my Eliphas. Without you, none of this would have been possible. Defending the Citadel, Conquering Hell... you helped move my pieces into the positions they needed to be in. You gave my Chosen something to despise in Blackheart's wake... if it weren't for you, they might not have come here. So, from the bottom of my heart, I thank you..."

She closed her eyes. Her smile faded.

"But job is done now, Inheritor. To place Kolin and Beau and Silique, the bravest of your former ilk, in danger like that... now that is something I cannot forgive... what fate shall befall you, dear demon? What punishment matches your crimes? Death or correction? Imprisonment or shame? What do you deserve, my fallen angel?"

The Goddess placed her finger upon Eliphas' forehead. As she did so, Ashe and Captain White entered into the chamber.

"Let's find out together, shall we?"

"Enough!" Mephisto snapped, emerging from the shadows. "Enough, alright? You've made your point, your highness. Let him go."

"Eliphas the Inheritor is a evil, Mephsito. He and his ilk have no place in the New World. The same goes for you, demon."

"Eh, I had anticipated as much," The Demon sighed. "Which is why I brought some insurance..."

View attachment 5108
"Can you blame me? Captain White? Do it!"

[Click]

Captain White raised his pistol to the back of Ashe's head.

"Sorry," He shrugged. "It's... complicated."

"Ashe!" The Goddess cried, surprised once again. "Release him, interloper!"

"That's not up to him!" Mephisto cackled. "You see, this has been a long time coming. Your initial instincts were flawless, oh mighty one. If the Chosen had left Eli to die at the Citadel, this mess might have been avoided. But you chose your Chosen a little too well. They were just too good. Captain, care to tell your tale?"

View attachment 5109
Eli loosened his grip on his pistol a little. Mephsito shot a finger in his direction. A tightened it again. He sighed and cast his eyes to the floor.

"It's like Scott said. Souls don't just 'escape' Hell."

"Not unless some sharp-toothed, sexy demonic fiend lets them go," Mephisto winked at Mother. "Fuck you, by the way,"

"Ever heard of 'The Champions of the Arena'? It was a reality show way back when. Bunch o' kids died, live on TV. You're looking at one of them. I wasn't old enough to drink. Too young to kill, but not too young to die."

"And what happened, Eli?"

"I got shot. Died in my sister's arms."

"And then what happened?"

"I received an offer I couldn't refuse."

"A second chance at life. Not the 'free' life you had so dearly hoped for, but life is life, and the dead are in no position to complain. A second life sword in service of yours truly."

"You're telling me that--" Urien snarled. "Son of a bitch!"

"Think about it, dear Councillors. Zamasu wasn't on the council during the attack on the citadel. He only acceded to the role in the stead of his mentor. There was no way he could have disabled the Citadel's defenses all on his lonesome. Not without help, at least."

"Who do you think it was the lead the demons to your location, Ashe?" The Captain muttered with pangs of pain in his tone. "Whilst you were picking the lock? Maddie's stupidity helped, sure. But the plan was doomed from the start. It was an ambush. I was never 'diverting' the enemy. I was signalling to them. Telling them to raise their guard..."

"So here's the situation." Mephisto grinned. "Oh mighty Goddess, your power is great. Incredible. Unimaginable. But you only just came back from the beyond. I think you're rusty. Still warming up. Can you say, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that you can save Ashe before my tortured soul puts a bullet in his head? Or perhaps..." He offered the Goddess his palm. "You could let my associate here go. Return Eliphas to me, and I'll return Ashe to you. He dies, Ashe dies."

"You underestimate me, demon." The Goddess thinned her eyes. "You underestimate my divinity."

"I underestimate nothing." Mephisto snapped in a strange, serious tone. The shade didn't look good on him. "The Godless leave here, alive, or you loose another one of your playthings. What will it be, your majesty?"

The Goddess remained still. Her eyes remained fixed on Mephisto. The slowly shifted over to Eli and Ashe.

"Will you risk it? And will you be able to look your darling Chosen in the eyes if you fail?"

@Yun Lee @Takumi @Jeremi @Crunch @Capri @Lucky


Gohan's finger twtiched. A boxer's tell.
For a moment he considered it. For a moment, he wondered what it would be like to hold Mother's life in his hands. He wondered what it would feel like to surrender himself to his primal instincts.

He relaxed his muscles. His hair lost its rigidity.

"I'll... do what I can..." He clenched his jaw and kept his eyes trained on Mother, watching for a feint. "I can't make any promises. But I'll keep an eye on him..."

"Good..." Urien called across the chamber. "I rather like the sound of that. Now..." He beckoned Gohan with his finger. "Return the Beast to the Secularists."

"You know I can't do that, Urien. She's a Goddessian prisoner now."

"This is a war, boy. You lack the guts to kill her. You lack the facilities to hold her on a battlefield such as this. You can either watch her- without blinking- for the rest of this little show, or you can return her to us and relax a little."

"You know I'll never--"

"Mother!" Urien snapped, staring straight through Gohan to demoness. "Get over here. We don't have time to waste on words!"

"Urien!"

"Mother! Here! Now!"

@Jeremi​

Bless the monkeys bleeding heart. "Of course, your Highness." The last word was uttered with as much vitriol as she could muster as she stood up and looked over to Gohan. "The war you so desperately crave is against the Goddess and her puppets. Remember that, child."

Making her way towards Urien she whispered into his ear when she was close enough. "I sure hope your monkey brain is doing it's best thinking out a scheme that will put the genie back in the literal bottle."

@Sark

 

[Takumi]

"Your gripe was with Luthor," Gohan snapped as he came in to land. "But the moment you attacked those people? You earned a gripe with me. Guys like us? We can't just swat as people with a fraction of our power. We have a certain responsibility--"

Gohan slowly raised his palm over his forehead. Light began to swarm it.

"-So don't think for a second that I'm doing it for him! I'm doing it for all those people you'd have heartlessly slaughtered!"

In a flash, Gohan began to advance. With a roar, his pushed his palm forward, sending the energy in his hand surging forth in a long blazing beam.
View attachment 5102
"Masenko!"

He followed up his blast with a King-Hit to Mother's gut. He carried the punch through until the pair were sent tumbling through the Tomb's out wall. As Mother's body passed through the white stones, a large segment of the aging Temple fell in upon itself. A wave of white dust washed over the clearing.

"Breached!" Eric called out across the battlefield. "We've been breached! Fall back into the Tomb!"

Several flying demons took point across the Tomb's roof. They gripped the ledge with their pale claws an unleashed streams of fire across the battlefield.

"Press on!" Luthor retorted. "To me, my Goddessians! This is our chance!"


"There's a barricade not far from here--" Gilbert replied, hunching over to avoid the stray bullets and arrows that danced overhead. "It's a pile of fallen pillars. After the Goddessians turned on us, we needed a place to regroup. If we hurry we can still--"

[BANG]

Gilbert's body went limp. His body weight came crashing down upon Ashe. From behind him, he could here the sound of a large, single-shot rifle being reloaded. His a groan, the figure dragged Gilbert's body to the side.

"On your feet--" Captain White muttered, wiping the blood from his Secularist Uniform. "Now we're even." He reached down towards the Archer.

"You alright, Ashe?" The Captain brushed the mud off of Gilbert's axe and passed it to his ally. "Lean on this if you need to. Say what you want about the sonova bitch, he was right. We need to move. I doubt your friend will last much longer."

@Takumi

"Good morning, my beautiful girl...." The Goddess smiled down at Kolin as her eyes slowly fluttered open. "It's okay... yes, everything's okay now..."

[BOOM]

Mother and Gohan crashed through the ceiling.

"That's right... everything is okay..."

[BOOM]

One of Mephisto's larger demons came tumbling through one of the side walls.

"Shhh shhh shh... don't rush yourself up... take your time..."

[BOOM]

A control explosion blasted a hole in another part of the Temple's wall. Luthor emerged, his medics in tow.
"Goddess!" He howled, dragging Ferdinand across the stones. "Goddess! We need you!"

"There's no need to be afraid, I'm here..."

[BOOM]

Urien kicked a hole in another part of the wall. His suit was torn and tattered. His bronze skin was small dents littered across it.
"Luftor!" He slurred. "Get bayk here!"

Through the growing cracks in the Temple roof, the Chosen could hear the cries of circling Wyvern Lords and Pegasus Knights. The Knights of Seiros were closing in.

"Well..." Mephisto whispered. "This is quite the family reunion..."

@Jeremi @Takumi @Lucky @Crunch @Yun Lee @Capri​

Upon seeing Ferdinand, Silque moved to him, glancing over her shoulder briefly a small breath of relief left her at the sight of Eliphas being frozen.

"Let me see him, quickly." She spoke to Luthor and his medics. If allowed to, she'd check over the poor boy and get to work to casting Recover on him in hopes to give him better odds of survival.

The Goddess' eyes widened a little. She felt... surprised? It had been a long time since she had felt surprised.
Eliphas' betrayal? It wasn't hard to anticipate. Expecting him to toll the line was wishful thinking... still, his potential had been great. It was a calculated risk. The possibility of failure had never escaped her mind.
Izana's death? It was tragic, truly, but Big Mother had always been something of a wild card. The War in Hell? It would have happened eventually. The Secession of the Secularists? The Civil War? She could see them coming from a mile off.

She had chosen her Chosen well. Each had played their part perfectly. No matter how brief their time together might have been, they had all played a hand in her resurrection, whether they realized it or not. It had all happened just as she had predicted it.

And yet, the Goddess, despite her foresight, had been surprised.

Oh, to be alive...

"Thank you, Kolin." The Goddess smiled honestly. She placed her hand upon the woman's shoulder and stepped around her. "Thank you for standing by me..."

Her eyes bet those of the frozen Inheritor. She pressed her forehead against his.

"And thank you, my Eliphas. Without you, none of this would have been possible. Defending the Citadel, Conquering Hell... you helped move my pieces into the positions they needed to be in. You gave my Chosen something to despise in Blackheart's wake... if it weren't for you, they might not have come here. So, from the bottom of my heart, I thank you..."

She closed her eyes. Her smile faded.

"But job is done now, Inheritor. To place Kolin and Beau and Silique, the bravest of your former ilk, in danger like that... now that is something I cannot forgive... what fate shall befall you, dear demon? What punishment matches your crimes? Death or correction? Imprisonment or shame? What do you deserve, my fallen angel?"

The Goddess placed her finger upon Eliphas' forehead. As she did so, Ashe and Captain White entered into the chamber.

"Let's find out together, shall we?"

"Enough!" Mephisto snapped, emerging from the shadows. "Enough, alright? You've made your point, your highness. Let him go."

"Eliphas the Inheritor is a evil, Mephsito. He and his ilk have no place in the New World. The same goes for you, demon."

"Eh, I had anticipated as much," The Demon sighed. "Which is why I brought some insurance..."

View attachment 5108
"Can you blame me? Captain White? Do it!"

[Click]

Captain White raised his pistol to the back of Ashe's head.

"Sorry," He shrugged. "It's... complicated."

"Ashe!" The Goddess cried, surprised once again. "Release him, interloper!"

"That's not up to him!" Mephisto cackled. "You see, this has been a long time coming. Your initial instincts were flawless, oh mighty one. If the Chosen had left Eli to die at the Citadel, this mess might have been avoided. But you chose your Chosen a little too well. They were just too good. Captain, care to tell your tale?"

View attachment 5109
Eli loosened his grip on his pistol a little. Mephsito shot a finger in his direction. A tightened it again. He sighed and cast his eyes to the floor.

"It's like Scott said. Souls don't just 'escape' Hell."

"Not unless some sharp-toothed, sexy demonic fiend lets them go," Mephisto winked at Mother. "Fuck you, by the way,"

"Ever heard of 'The Champions of the Arena'? It was a reality show way back when. Bunch o' kids died, live on TV. You're looking at one of them. I wasn't old enough to drink. Too young to kill, but not too young to die."

"And what happened, Eli?"

"I got shot. Died in my sister's arms."

"And then what happened?"

"I received an offer I couldn't refuse."

"A second chance at life. Not the 'free' life you had so dearly hoped for, but life is life, and the dead are in no position to complain. A second life sword in service of yours truly."

"You're telling me that--" Urien snarled. "Son of a bitch!"

"Think about it, dear Councillors. Zamasu wasn't on the council during the attack on the citadel. He only acceded to the role in the stead of his mentor. There was no way he could have disabled the Citadel's defenses all on his lonesome. Not without help, at least."

"Who do you think it was the lead the demons to your location, Ashe?" The Captain muttered with pangs of pain in his tone. "Whilst you were picking the lock? Maddie's stupidity helped, sure. But the plan was doomed from the start. It was an ambush. I was never 'diverting' the enemy. I was signalling to them. Telling them to raise their guard..."

"So here's the situation." Mephisto grinned. "Oh mighty Goddess, your power is great. Incredible. Unimaginable. But you only just came back from the beyond. I think you're rusty. Still warming up. Can you say, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that you can save Ashe before my tortured soul puts a bullet in his head? Or perhaps..." He offered the Goddess his palm. "You could let my associate here go. Return Eliphas to me, and I'll return Ashe to you. He dies, Ashe dies."

"You underestimate me, demon." The Goddess thinned her eyes. "You underestimate my divinity."

"I underestimate nothing." Mephisto snapped in a strange, serious tone. The shade didn't look good on him. "The Godless leave here, alive, or you loose another one of your playthings. What will it be, your majesty?"

The Goddess remained still. Her eyes remained fixed on Mephisto. The slowly shifted over to Eli and Ashe.

"Will you risk it? And will you be able to look your darling Chosen in the eyes if you fail?"

@Yun Lee @Takumi @Jeremi @Crunch @Capri @Lucky


Gohan's finger twtiched. A boxer's tell.
For a moment he considered it. For a moment, he wondered what it would be like to hold Mother's life in his hands. He wondered what it would feel like to surrender himself to his primal instincts.

He relaxed his muscles. His hair lost its rigidity.

"I'll... do what I can..." He clenched his jaw and kept his eyes trained on Mother, watching for a feint. "I can't make any promises. But I'll keep an eye on him..."

"Good..." Urien called across the chamber. "I rather like the sound of that. Now..." He beckoned Gohan with his finger. "Return the Beast to the Secularists."

"You know I can't do that, Urien. She's a Goddessian prisoner now."

"This is a war, boy. You lack the guts to kill her. You lack the facilities to hold her on a battlefield such as this. You can either watch her- without blinking- for the rest of this little show, or you can return her to us and relax a little."

"You know I'll never--"

"Mother!" Urien snapped, staring straight through Gohan to demoness. "Get over here. We don't have time to waste on words!"

"Urien!"

"Mother! Here! Now!"

@Jeremi​

The moment he felt the press of the gun against his head, Ashe stilled, eyes widening and face going pale as his gaze flickered from Mehpisto to the Goddess and back as they spoke.

Eli. At the end of the day, the Goddess' warning about him all so long ago came true. But there was no time for I-told-you-so's, no time for anything but one thing only: Ashe's life needed to be protected, now. There were very few people here who were good in any way, who would bring about change in this world for the better. And this boy was one of them. If he was lost, then the Fellowship was lost.

"Goddess...let them go. Please." Was there any sense in asking a deity something so great? "Let them all rot in Hell. We've beaten them, have we not? There's no need to take a life at that cost..." Perhaps this, then, would be the true test of this Goddess' worth. If she would grant mercy to these monsters if it meant saving Ashe.

@Yun Lee @Takumi @Jeremi @Crunch @Capri @Lucky​

Ashe had no doubt that if he tried to attack Mehpisto, he have a bullet in his skull before his attack hit home. He closed his eyes and took a breath as Eli spoke, frowning deeply. His eyes opened and he toom note that Mephisto seemed to be controlling Eli.

"Working for someone like Mephisto doesn't seem worth not having control over yourself." Ashe said quietly.

Silque, from where she was kneeled beside Ferdinand's injured form, watched everything warily as she kept her hands over the ginger's chest, warm light of the Recover spell still covering her palms as she did what she could for him.

@Sark @Yun Lee @Lucky @Jeremi @Crunch @Capri

 

[Crunch]

The Goddess' eyes widened a little. She felt... surprised? It had been a long time since she had felt surprised.
Eliphas' betrayal? It wasn't hard to anticipate. Expecting him to toll the line was wishful thinking... still, his potential had been great. It was a calculated risk. The possibility of failure had never escaped her mind.
Izana's death? It was tragic, truly, but Big Mother had always been something of a wild card. The War in Hell? It would have happened eventually. The Secession of the Secularists? The Civil War? She could see them coming from a mile off.

She had chosen her Chosen well. Each had played their part perfectly. No matter how brief their time together might have been, they had all played a hand in her resurrection, whether they realized it or not. It had all happened just as she had predicted it.

And yet, the Goddess, despite her foresight, had been surprised.

Oh, to be alive...

"Thank you, Kolin." The Goddess smiled honestly. She placed her hand upon the woman's shoulder and stepped around her. "Thank you for standing by me..."

Her eyes bet those of the frozen Inheritor. She pressed her forehead against his.

"And thank you, my Eliphas. Without you, none of this would have been possible. Defending the Citadel, Conquering Hell... you helped move my pieces into the positions they needed to be in. You gave my Chosen something to despise in Blackheart's wake... if it weren't for you, they might not have come here. So, from the bottom of my heart, I thank you..."

She closed her eyes. Her smile faded.

"But job is done now, Inheritor. To place Kolin and Beau and Silique, the bravest of your former ilk, in danger like that... now that is something I cannot forgive... what fate shall befall you, dear demon? What punishment matches your crimes? Death or correction? Imprisonment or shame? What do you deserve, my fallen angel?"

The Goddess placed her finger upon Eliphas' forehead. As she did so, Ashe and Captain White entered into the chamber.

"Let's find out together, shall we?"

"Enough!" Mephisto snapped, emerging from the shadows. "Enough, alright? You've made your point, your highness. Let him go."

"Eliphas the Inheritor is a evil, Mephsito. He and his ilk have no place in the New World. The same goes for you, demon."

"Eh, I had anticipated as much," The Demon sighed. "Which is why I brought some insurance..."

View attachment 5108
"Can you blame me? Captain White? Do it!"

[Click]

Captain White raised his pistol to the back of Ashe's head.

"Sorry," He shrugged. "It's... complicated."

"Ashe!" The Goddess cried, surprised once again. "Release him, interloper!"

"That's not up to him!" Mephisto cackled. "You see, this has been a long time coming. Your initial instincts were flawless, oh mighty one. If the Chosen had left Eli to die at the Citadel, this mess might have been avoided. But you chose your Chosen a little too well. They were just too good. Captain, care to tell your tale?"

View attachment 5109
Eli loosened his grip on his pistol a little. Mephsito shot a finger in his direction. A tightened it again. He sighed and cast his eyes to the floor.

"It's like Scott said. Souls don't just 'escape' Hell."

"Not unless some sharp-toothed, sexy demonic fiend lets them go," Mephisto winked at Mother. "Fuck you, by the way,"

"Ever heard of 'The Champions of the Arena'? It was a reality show way back when. Bunch o' kids died, live on TV. You're looking at one of them. I wasn't old enough to drink. Too young to kill, but not too young to die."

"And what happened, Eli?"

"I got shot. Died in my sister's arms."

"And then what happened?"

"I received an offer I couldn't refuse."

"A second chance at life. Not the 'free' life you had so dearly hoped for, but life is life, and the dead are in no position to complain. A second life sword in service of yours truly."

"You're telling me that--" Urien snarled. "Son of a bitch!"

"Think about it, dear Councillors. Zamasu wasn't on the council during the attack on the citadel. He only acceded to the role in the stead of his mentor. There was no way he could have disabled the Citadel's defenses all on his lonesome. Not without help, at least."

"Who do you think it was the lead the demons to your location, Ashe?" The Captain muttered with pangs of pain in his tone. "Whilst you were picking the lock? Maddie's stupidity helped, sure. But the plan was doomed from the start. It was an ambush. I was never 'diverting' the enemy. I was signalling to them. Telling them to raise their guard..."

"So here's the situation." Mephisto grinned. "Oh mighty Goddess, your power is great. Incredible. Unimaginable. But you only just came back from the beyond. I think you're rusty. Still warming up. Can you say, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that you can save Ashe before my tortured soul puts a bullet in his head? Or perhaps..." He offered the Goddess his palm. "You could let my associate here go. Return Eliphas to me, and I'll return Ashe to you. He dies, Ashe dies."

"You underestimate me, demon." The Goddess thinned her eyes. "You underestimate my divinity."

"I underestimate nothing." Mephisto snapped in a strange, serious tone. The shade didn't look good on him. "The Godless leave here, alive, or you loose another one of your playthings. What will it be, your majesty?"

The Goddess remained still. Her eyes remained fixed on Mephisto. The slowly shifted over to Eli and Ashe.

"Will you risk it? And will you be able to look your darling Chosen in the eyes if you fail?"

@Yun Lee @Takumi @Jeremi @Crunch @Capri @Lucky


Gohan's finger twtiched. A boxer's tell.
For a moment he considered it. For a moment, he wondered what it would be like to hold Mother's life in his hands. He wondered what it would feel like to surrender himself to his primal instincts.

He relaxed his muscles. His hair lost its rigidity.

"I'll... do what I can..." He clenched his jaw and kept his eyes trained on Mother, watching for a feint. "I can't make any promises. But I'll keep an eye on him..."

"Good..." Urien called across the chamber. "I rather like the sound of that. Now..." He beckoned Gohan with his finger. "Return the Beast to the Secularists."

"You know I can't do that, Urien. She's a Goddessian prisoner now."

"This is a war, boy. You lack the guts to kill her. You lack the facilities to hold her on a battlefield such as this. You can either watch her- without blinking- for the rest of this little show, or you can return her to us and relax a little."

"You know I'll never--"

"Mother!" Urien snapped, staring straight through Gohan to demoness. "Get over here. We don't have time to waste on words!"

"Urien!"

"Mother! Here! Now!"

@Jeremi​

A second had passed, and the Goddess was still breathing. Something had gone wrong. Eliphas snarled like a caged animal as his eyes drifted downwards. A rising plume of transparent crystals lay at his boots, trapping them in a thin barrier of ice that the Inheritor's eyes slowly tracked back to Kolin - her hand outstretched in a challenging pose and particles of frozen dust drifting off her palm. As the realization came to him, his mouth flew open beneath his helm, a howl of rage rising in his throat before the wall of ice shot upwards across his armor. The dull servos in his ancient shell halted all at once, as did the empyrean energies powering them now. Eliphas could not move.

He could still see her. She was floating there, gently pressing her head against his helm like a lover. Her voice speaking down to him as one would to a child. The Goddess' eyes were the only thing Eliphas was capable of seeing in his state. Even as she spoke, the Goddess could feel the heat rising beneath the surface of the ice, the Inheritor's piercing red eyes still glowing as he stared at her with insurmountable contempt.

Even the freshest Space Marine could shatter ice like tissue paper. An ancient Space Marine of the Inheritor's caliber could have Kolin's throat crushed in his gauntlet within seconds. He could do neither of these things because the Goddess was still breathing. She was always keeping him there, mocking him for his inheritance of Blackheart's role.

Even with her finger against his head, ready to enact judgment if he attempted to break free of this ice, Eliphas was plotting, always plotting.

[chik-chik!]

A gun barrel barely shorter than the entirety of Kolin's head pressed against her back.

View attachment 5110

"RELEASE LORD ELIPHAS AT ONCE."

Hulking shadows silently emerged from the darkness one by one, each aiming their own particular Goddessian and Secularist in the chamber with their bolters. It took a vast amount of patience for the marines not to open fire on every non-believer in their sight. Still, the Dark Apostle demanded that they take whatever measures necessary to ensure his retreat. Blessed with the cunning of Tzeentch, he was, and the Word Bearers were to heed his word as law.

"RELEASE HIM, OR THE WORD BEARERS WILL KILL EVERYONE IN THIS ROOM," the marine gurgled again, pressing the bolter closer to Kolin's back. It was unclear whether he was speaking to Kolin herself, or the Goddess. "MAKE YOUR CHOICE BEFORE WE MAKE IT FOR YOU. AS THE DARK GODS WILL IT."

@Yun Lee @Takumi @Jeremi @Sark @Capri @Lucky​

 

[Sark]

Bless the monkeys bleeding heart. "Of course, your Highness." The last word was uttered with as much vitriol as she could muster as she stood up and looked over to Gohan. "The war you so desperately crave is against the Goddess and her puppets. Remember that, child."

Making her way towards Urien she whispered into his ear when she was close enough. "I sure hope your monkey brain is doing it's best thinking out a scheme that will put the genie back in the literal bottle."

@Sark

"I never took you for the comedic type, Mother." Urien spat. "Look at what we are up against? We're going to war with an absolute power. We let the Godless play their trump cards. We pray to the True God. We pray to live another day. We pray for a miracle, or, better yet, for no miracles at all..."
View attachment 5129
"It's over, Mother. I'm out of tricks."

Ashe had no doubt that if he tried to attack Mehpisto, he have a bullet in his skull before his attack hit home. He closed his eyes and took a breath as Eli spoke, frowning deeply. His eyes opened and he toom note that Mephisto seemed to be controlling Eli.

"Working for someone like Mephisto doesn't seem worth not having control over yourself." Ashe said quietly.

Silque, from where she was kneeled beside Ferdinand's injured form, watched everything warily as she kept her hands over the ginger's chest, warm light of the Recover spell still covering her palms as she did what she could for him.

"It wasn't a matter of choice," Eli muttered. "It was a matter of life and death. A life in Hell is better than no life at all. If I worked with Mephisto, it would never be 'Game Over'. Never."
View attachment 5120
"That was the case." His pistol drifted over to the side a little. The barrel shifted over Ashe's ear. His movements were slow. Meticulous. "If only someone hadn't pulled the pin on his operation. He lowered his tone so that only Ashe and himself could hear. "If only someone hadn't freed all the souls in Blackheart's realm... whilst I was inside..." He rested his extended arm atop of his shoulder. Whilst Mephisto's pack was turned, he closed his eyes and took aim. "I've got one last debt to pay, then then the slate is clean."

Upon seeing Ferdinand, Silque moved to him, glancing over her shoulder briefly a small breath of relief left her at the sight of Eliphas being frozen.

"Let me see him, quickly." She spoke to Luthor and his medics. If allowed to, she'd check over the poor boy and get to work to casting Recover on him in hopes to give him better odds of survival.

The moment he felt the press of the gun against his head, Ashe stilled, eyes widening and face going pale as his gaze flickered from Mehpisto to the Goddess and back as they spoke.

Ashe had no doubt that if he tried to attack Mehpisto, he have a bullet in his skull before his attack hit home. He closed his eyes and took a breath as Eli spoke, frowning deeply. His eyes opened and he toom note that Mephisto seemed to be controlling Eli.

"Working for someone like Mephisto doesn't seem worth not having control over yourself." Ashe said quietly.

Silque, from where she was kneeled beside Ferdinand's injured form, watched everything warily as she kept her hands over the ginger's chest, warm light of the Recover spell still covering her palms as she did what she could for him.

The Medics stepped back and let Silque do her magic. Literally.

Ferdinand's body went stiff for a moment. A moment later, he let out a deep, heaving gasp.

"Gah!" He cried as he sat up abruptly. "Where am I? What--"

His eyes painted the scenery. The Goddessians. The Godless. The Secularists. Guns were drawn. The lines were being carved in the sand.

"Oh... By Seiros..." He gasped. "Things are going---"

"Brilliantly... all things considered..." Luthor whispered, crouching down beside the pair. "With every passing second, the Goddess' power grows. Our people are safe, for now, and the longer this stand off persists, the better our odds become. It may not look like it, Ferdinand, but the war is won. Welcome back to the land of the living, and to a Brave New World. For the former, thank Silque. For the latter, thank the Goddess."
View attachment 5122
"I..." Ferdinand replied morosely. "Thank you, Lady Silque. If it weren't for you, I don't know where I'd be. If the Gods are walking the Earth, I don't what's waiting on the other side..."

Eli. At the end of the day, the Goddess' warning about him all so long ago came true. But there was no time for I-told-you-so's, no time for anything but one thing only: Ashe's life needed to be protected, now. There were very few people here who were good in any way, who would bring about change in this world for the better. And this boy was one of them. If he was lost, then the Fellowship was lost.

"Goddess...let them go. Please." Was there any sense in asking a deity something so great? "Let them all rot in Hell. We've beaten them, have we not? There's no need to take a life at that cost..." Perhaps this, then, would be the true test of this Goddess' worth. If she would grant mercy to these monsters if it meant saving Ashe.

@Yun Lee @Takumi @Jeremi @Crunch @Capri @Lucky

The Goddess breathed slowly. She returned to that familiar, tranquil state .

"You are wise beyond your years, my child." The Goddess smiled. "So very, very wise..."

She snapped her fingers. The ice that trapped Eliphas vanished. It didn't melt. It didn't crumble. The ice had been there one minute, and the next?

It ceased to exist.

"We're not in the business of trading lives. We're in the business of saving them. Better yet-- we change them."

"Democracy at its finest." Mephisto grinned. "Hell thanks you, Kolin. You are wise, indeed. Now, Captain White?"

Mephisto raised his left hand and let his wrist swing back limply. His fingers slowly uncoiled. A beat. He snapped them back into a fist.

"Kill him."

A gunshot rang out across the chamber.

Mephisto touched the best of his jacket. It was wet.

"Oh, you Son of a Bitch..." He muttered as he stumbled to his knees. "You dick..."

His face struck the floor of the Temple.

"Thank you for the Escape Clause, Mother." Eli threw his arms back. He pressed the smoking barrel to his lips and sniffed deeply. He threw his arm to the side and bowed. "The Game is, at last, done. We are all free men now."

"In my presence, your Dark Magics are purified." The Goddess hummed. Two surprises in a single day. The Chosen her become curious creatures in her absence... "You cannot save yourself now, demon. Bleed. Die. Die like the mortal you are..."

Content that she had put the fear of the Goddess within Mephisto, she knelt down beside Eliphas.

"A conquered mind would have been tiresome to invade... but the pawns you have brought before me, Inheritor? They do not scare me..."

The Goddess closed her eyes. The Chaos Marines would hear a sweet voice singing in the back of their heads. The music that accompanied her song grew louder! Louder! Louder!

"Leave! I shall afforded you no more grace!
"I command you! Go! Leave this place.
"Run away! Run away! Go save yourselves!
"Or, on my noble command...
"Turn you guns upon yourselves!!"

Those who stayed would find a dark compulsion bubble up within them. They would find their fingers twitching. Every second they stayed in the Goddess' presence, their guns drifted closer and closer to their temples.

"How does it feel, Inheritor? To watch your toys break before you? Would you to call some more? Perhaps I will make the next batch sing and dance for me. Is there a particular song you'd like them to move to?"

@Jeremi @Crunch @Yun Lee @Takumi @Capri @Lucky​

 

[Takumi]

"I never took you for the comedic type, Mother." Urien spat. "Look at what we are up against? We're going to war with an absolute power. We let the Godless play their trump cards. We pray to the True God. We pray to live another day. We pray for a miracle, or, better yet, for no miracles at all..."
View attachment 5129
"It's over, Mother. I'm out of tricks."


"It wasn't a matter of choice," Eli muttered. "It was a matter of life and death. A life in Hell is better than no life at all. If I worked with Mephisto, it would never be 'Game Over'. Never."
View attachment 5120
"That was the case." His pistol drifted over to the side a little. The barrel shifted over Ashe's ear. His movements were slow. Meticulous. "If only someone hadn't pulled the pin on his operation. He lowered his tone so that only Ashe and himself could hear. "If only someone hadn't freed all the souls in Blackheart's realm... whilst I was inside..." He rested his extended arm atop of his shoulder. Whilst Mephisto's pack was turned, he closed his eyes and took aim. "I've got one last debt to pay, then then the slate is clean."


The Medics stepped back and let Silque do her magic. Literally.

Ferdinand's body went stiff for a moment. A moment later, he let out a deep, heaving gasp.

"Gah!" He cried as he sat up abruptly. "Where am I? What--"

His eyes painted the scenery. The Goddessians. The Godless. The Secularists. Guns were drawn. The lines were being carved in the sand.

"Oh... By Seiros..." He gasped. "Things are going---"

"Brilliantly... all things considered..." Luthor whispered, crouching down beside the pair. "With every passing second, the Goddess' power grows. Our people are safe, for now, and the longer this stand off persists, the better our odds become. It may not look like it, Ferdinand, but the war is won. Welcome back to the land of the living, and to a Brave New World. For the former, thank Silque. For the latter, thank the Goddess."
View attachment 5122
"I..." Ferdinand replied morosely. "Thank you, Lady Silque. If it weren't for you, I don't know where I'd be. If the Gods are walking the Earth, I don't what's waiting on the other side..."

The Goddess breathed slowly. She returned to that familiar, tranquil state .

"You are wise beyond your years, my child." The Goddess smiled. "So very, very wise..."

She snapped her fingers. The ice that trapped Eliphas vanished. It didn't melt. It didn't crumble. The ice had been there one minute, and the next?

It ceased to exist.

"We're not in the business of trading lives. We're in the business of saving them. Better yet-- we change them."

"Democracy at its finest." Mephisto grinned. "Hell thanks you, Kolin. You are wise, indeed. Now, Captain White?"

Mephisto raised his left hand and let his wrist swing back limply. His fingers slowly uncoiled. A beat. He snapped them back into a fist.

"Kill him."

A gunshot rang out across the chamber.

Mephisto touched the best of his jacket. It was wet.

"Oh, you Son of a Bitch..." He muttered as he stumbled to his knees. "You dick..."

His face struck the floor of the Temple.

"Thank you for the Escape Clause, Mother." Eli threw his arms back. He pressed the smoking barrel to his lips and sniffed deeply. He threw his arm to the side and bowed. "The Game is, at last, done. We are all free men now."

"In my presence, your Dark Magics are purified." The Goddess hummed. Two surprises in a single day. The Chosen her become curious creatures in her absence... "You cannot save yourself now, demon. Bleed. Die. Die like the mortal you are..."

Content that she had put the fear of the Goddess within Mephisto, she knelt down beside Eliphas.

"A conquered mind would have been tiresome to invade... but the pawns you have brought before me, Inheritor? They do not scare me..."

The Goddess closed her eyes. The Chaos Marines would hear a sweet voice singing in the back of their heads. The music that accompanied her song grew louder! Louder! Louder!

"Leave! I shall afforded you no more grace!
"I command you! Go! Leave this place.
"Run away! Run away! Go save yourselves!
"Or, on my noble command...
"Turn you guns upon yourselves!!"

Those who stayed would find a dark compulsion bubble up within them. They would find their fingers twitching. Every second they stayed in the Goddess' presence, their guns drifted closer and closer to their temples.

"How does it feel, Inheritor? To watch your toys break before you? Would you to call some more? Perhaps I will make the next batch sing and dance for me. Is there a particular song you'd like them to move to?"

@Jeremi @Crunch @Yun Lee @Takumi @Capri @Lucky​

Ashe was surprised, but glad that in the end, Eli didn't pull the trigger on him. That didn't make his heartbeat slow however, there was still the matter of the Goddess and Eliphas in the end, and not even he was sure what to do.

"Thank you, Eli." He found himself saying as he released a breath, and from the corner of his eye he took notice of Ferdinand alive and breathing and apparently well.

Silque removed her hands from the boy as he shot up, brows furrowed as she gently placed her hands on his shoulders.

"Take it easy, okay? I am glad you're alright, but magic can only due so much." She advised. Back home she played the role of the primary medic among Alm's group, she knew that sometimes just a potion or a spell wasn't enough to make sure that someone was completely healed. Plus, she was still getting used to using magic without her staff completely channeling it.

Her gaze snapped to Luthor then.

"If by brilliant you mean having a young boy's life threatened, then I surely do not want to see the opposite." She shook her head then, and sometimes she forgot that Ashe was only a few years younger than herself, like Alm and his band of misfits from Ram.

@Sark @Yun Lee @Lucky @Capri @Crunch @Jeremi

 

[Yun Lee]

Kolin raised her hands up and away from Eliphas, a innocent smile on her face. "But of course," she said. Of course, did it matter? Mephisto was dead, the souls in Hell freed, and the Goddess had the upper hand. Somehow her mistake had brought the best possible consequences, and so far the Goddess, sans the bodysnatching, was proving to not be nearly as malicious as she'd been built up to be. Once the Chaos Marines were out of the picture, though...would that still be the same story?

@Sark @Crunch @Takumi @Jeremi @Lucky @Everyone​

 

[Jeremi]

"I never took you for the comedic type, Mother." Urien spat. "Look at what we are up against? We're going to war with an absolute power. We let the Godless play their trump cards. We pray to the True God. We pray to live another day. We pray for a miracle, or, better yet, for no miracles at all..."
View attachment 5129
"It's over, Mother. I'm out of tricks."


"It wasn't a matter of choice," Eli muttered. "It was a matter of life and death. A life in Hell is better than no life at all. If I worked with Mephisto, it would never be 'Game Over'. Never."
View attachment 5120
"That was the case." His pistol drifted over to the side a little. The barrel shifted over Ashe's ear. His movements were slow. Meticulous. "If only someone hadn't pulled the pin on his operation. He lowered his tone so that only Ashe and himself could hear. "If only someone hadn't freed all the souls in Blackheart's realm... whilst I was inside..." He rested his extended arm atop of his shoulder. Whilst Mephisto's pack was turned, he closed his eyes and took aim. "I've got one last debt to pay, then then the slate is clean."


The Medics stepped back and let Silque do her magic. Literally.

Ferdinand's body went stiff for a moment. A moment later, he let out a deep, heaving gasp.

"Gah!" He cried as he sat up abruptly. "Where am I? What--"

His eyes painted the scenery. The Goddessians. The Godless. The Secularists. Guns were drawn. The lines were being carved in the sand.

"Oh... By Seiros..." He gasped. "Things are going---"

"Brilliantly... all things considered..." Luthor whispered, crouching down beside the pair. "With every passing second, the Goddess' power grows. Our people are safe, for now, and the longer this stand off persists, the better our odds become. It may not look like it, Ferdinand, but the war is won. Welcome back to the land of the living, and to a Brave New World. For the former, thank Silque. For the latter, thank the Goddess."
View attachment 5122
"I..." Ferdinand replied morosely. "Thank you, Lady Silque. If it weren't for you, I don't know where I'd be. If the Gods are walking the Earth, I don't what's waiting on the other side..."

The Goddess breathed slowly. She returned to that familiar, tranquil state .

"You are wise beyond your years, my child." The Goddess smiled. "So very, very wise..."

She snapped her fingers. The ice that trapped Eliphas vanished. It didn't melt. It didn't crumble. The ice had been there one minute, and the next?

It ceased to exist.

"We're not in the business of trading lives. We're in the business of saving them. Better yet-- we change them."

"Democracy at its finest." Mephisto grinned. "Hell thanks you, Kolin. You are wise, indeed. Now, Captain White?"

Mephisto raised his left hand and let his wrist swing back limply. His fingers slowly uncoiled. A beat. He snapped them back into a fist.

"Kill him."

A gunshot rang out across the chamber.

Mephisto touched the best of his jacket. It was wet.

"Oh, you Son of a Bitch..." He muttered as he stumbled to his knees. "You dick..."

His face struck the floor of the Temple.

"Thank you for the Escape Clause, Mother." Eli threw his arms back. He pressed the smoking barrel to his lips and sniffed deeply. He threw his arm to the side and bowed. "The Game is, at last, done. We are all free men now."

"In my presence, your Dark Magics are purified." The Goddess hummed. Two surprises in a single day. The Chosen her become curious creatures in her absence... "You cannot save yourself now, demon. Bleed. Die. Die like the mortal you are..."

Content that she had put the fear of the Goddess within Mephisto, she knelt down beside Eliphas.

"A conquered mind would have been tiresome to invade... but the pawns you have brought before me, Inheritor? They do not scare me..."

The Goddess closed her eyes. The Chaos Marines would hear a sweet voice singing in the back of their heads. The music that accompanied her song grew louder! Louder! Louder!

"Leave! I shall afforded you no more grace!
"I command you! Go! Leave this place.
"Run away! Run away! Go save yourselves!
"Or, on my noble command...
"Turn you guns upon yourselves!!"

Those who stayed would find a dark compulsion bubble up within them. They would find their fingers twitching. Every second they stayed in the Goddess' presence, their guns drifted closer and closer to their temples.

"How does it feel, Inheritor? To watch your toys break before you? Would you to call some more? Perhaps I will make the next batch sing and dance for me. Is there a particular song you'd like them to move to?"

@Jeremi @Crunch @Yun Lee @Takumi @Capri @Lucky​

The monkey was out of tricks huh? "Perhaps not, Urien." Big Mother looked around the area. At the rest of the Chosen. At Luthor. "Oh powerful Goddess." She bowed and postulated herself in front of the infinite being and for once she seemed genuine in her actions. "I wish to ask of you now that you are free." She looked up at her having seemingly become shorter to get the effect. "Will all living beings be equal under your rule?"

@Sark @Crunch @Yun Lee @Takumi @Capri @Lucky

 

[Crunch]

"THE VOICES! WHERE ARE THE VOICES?!"

The hidden whispers at the back of their minds vanished. The constant screaming and voices dimmed. Now she was there, speaking to them directly. The Word Bearers began to shudder violently just as the ice melted away from Eliphas' body, their wrists twisting slowly towards their temples. Where were the other voices? Where is that rapturous scratching at the back of their minds? This wasn't right. This is torment. Where are the sounds? WHERE DID THEY GO?

"Hmhmhmhm. Did you... truly expect to eradicate the influence of Chaos?"

Eliphas broke his silence at last. His helmet turned slowly towards the Goddess, eyes piercing her own with obvious amusement and contempt. The armored hulk lurched past her, speaking calmly even as his brothers threw their bolters and chainswords to the ground, now violently gripping their helmets and gurgling nonsense from their helms.

"A pity you fail to see the blessed visions that my brothers do. The non-believers call it 'madness,' but the only madness is in failing to see the power of Chaos. But that is what you do, is it not? Forcing believers to deny their faiths in pursuit of your favor... hmhmhm. I was mistaken. You are a lot like them after all."

Eliphas glared at the Goddess. "An oversized demon, only thirsting for power."

The Inheritor's gaze caught Mephisto's corpse. A deep, content laughter rose from his gullet. That was one problem taken care of. Now was the time for an exit. Eliphas raised his palm to the air, crushing it into a fist before any in the room could intervene. The Chaos Marines' intense shuddering intensified to the point of appearing as a seizure, but once the Inheritor cast his spell, their blessed fits ceased for only a moment.

And the gift arrived.

View attachment 5130

A chorus of howling screams turned to gurgled roars and shrieks of anger as Eliphas' servants rapidly mutated. Gouts of meat suddenly burst from underneath their ancient power armor, the metallic alloys that once composed their plate growing thin and fleshy in appearance. Their arms twisted inwards with a sickening snap of bones and torn muscle, growing into calcified 'claws' of pure bone instead. The vox units on their helmets grew small, bony growths that began to bite away at anything and everything they could sink into.

The Gift did not discriminate. It only brought Change. It only brought Chaos.

"I give them the greatest gift a servant of Chaos could give. And they will die as servants all the same. I leave you with this."

The air shrieked. The space in front of Eliphas' hand twisted inward before tearing open, revealing a swirling vortex of empyrean energy. The Inheritor would take his leave before any of his possessed marines attempted to scramble after him, his towering silhouette vanishing through the portal.

When the second passed, the portal ceased to be, and the Inheritor was gone. The possessed marines let out gurgling howls of rage, turning towards the person closest to them (they were dispersed around the room) and lunging towards them with their claws outstretched, intending to disembowel as much meat as they can before the Goddess eradicates them.

But no amount of divine power on her part could reverse the Gift of Chaos. Eliphas made sure of that.

@Jeremi @Sark @Yun Lee @Takumi @Capri @Lucky
​