The ballet of blood cast in silhouette by the white dwarf reminds Captain Infinity of lifes ephemeral nature. Each droplet drifting from his wound bonds with another, its existence both ending and beginning continually. He admires the ironic beauty birthed by his death. And as his eyes drift closed, he wonders if the Entity is watching; if he even cares? Or is his death another numberthe 10th in a series? Whatever the Entitys motives, he will never know, but in his final moment, he utters for all to hear:
Captain Infinity: Mari . . . Mari wanted Alex . . . wanted him to know . . . she loves him.
From a man whose future-self would rise to command legions of heroes with his words, these last are no less poignant. Their simple message marks the passing of a hero who to the last thought of others above himself. Whether Angel or Alex will live long enough to receive it, he can only guess, but the one he least expected to comprehend its meaning memories every word. Lucifer follows the dance of his corpse as it revolves in a ring of blood toward its final destination at the heart of the white dwarf. So engrossed is she that Xerxes confrontation with her father almost falls beneath her notice.
Angel eyes his sword and armor floating behind Xerxes and weighs the probability of his survival in retrieving them. His brother has ever proven a formidable opponent, but without these items the danger he poses multiples interminably. But before he can reach a decision, Xerxes spots the sword himself. He slides the blade from its sheathe and dangles it teasingly in front of Angel.
Xerxes: A token for my master.
Angel: The Root of All Evil will never returnthe Lord outcast him long ago.
Xerxes: How wrong you are little brother. He has already risen.
Angel: Ive heard your speech through the gateway in the coliseum and I swear to you, if Syn has returned Ill cauterize the wound before it bleeds.
Xerxes: Heheheh . . . Havent you wondered where this creature comes from?
Xerxes motions to Lucifer with Angels sword.
Angel: Id guessed she was Kokos daughter, but I cant imagine how.
Xerxes: Think, dear brother, think.
Angel: I would never willingly propagate with a daemon.
Xerxes: Thats right.
Angel: What are you implying?
Xerxes: You were raped.
Xerxes last word rolls off his tongue with a spiteful delight and he savors every nuance of anxiety infecting his brothers face.
Angel: What?
With even more venom, Xerxes adds:
Xerxes: She took you, brother, against your will to the depths of the 8th circle and there forced you to cum inside her. Ive heard you squealed like a bitch in heat when she rode your phallus raw. Did it feel good, brother? Good to play bottom to a 4 year-old pussy?
Angel: Thats a lie!
Again Xerxes points Angels sword directly at his daughter.
Xerxes: Theres your proof! Can you deny it?
Angels eyes meet Lucifers, but she cannot maintain contact. This tells him everythingshe hates him for the futility that spawned her, yet fears him for the love he spurns. Much like her heritage, her very emotions are a paradox. Never knowing which path to followgood or evilshe embodies neither. She is merely a vehicle thrust upon an unsuspecting world to either destroy or salvage as the moment dictates.
Xerxes: As you can see, Syn is already here. Who do you think raised your daughter?
Angel: No . . .
Xerxes: When Lucifer turned six, Syn trapped her with Koko in the Corridor.
Angel: I dont want to hear anymore.
Xerxes: You never loved her, Angel. Never even tried to rescue her.
Angel: It wasnt me . . . I cant be held accountable for actions Ive yet to commit.
Xerxes: Thats right, brother. Justify your neglect. Im certain Lucifer will forgive you for abandoning her.
Lucifer emotes nothing throughout the exchange, yet inside she crumbles. So many memories shes tried to bury Xerxes now exposes to the one person she would never want to know. It hurtsit hurtsthe only pain that can.
Angel: What do you hope to accomplish here, Xerxes?
Xerxes: I intend to destroy you, but not at my sword, that will come later. First Ill torture you with the truth until you beg for death. Do you want to know what Koko did to Lucifer?
Angel: Please dont . . .
Xerxes: Cut her . . . mutilated her . . . as only Koko could. Her wounds only healed years after her powers manifested. And each day that passed, Syn opened a window to earth so Lucifer could watch you happily ignore her existence, as you grew closer to Sarah Carpenter.
Angel: No more!
Xerxes: Only the beginning! Ive described Lucifers physical agony, but emotionallyoohhthats much worse. Can you imagine it, Angel? Ive never tasted such succulent suffering! Hatred swells in herit drips from every pore. Even now she can barely contain it.
Xerxes motions to the abrasion on Angels shoulder.
Xerxes: How much more proof do you need?
Theres nothing Angel can saythe truth has been evident since the moment he gazed into Lucifers eyes. At some point in the future, Koko will rape him and spawn a bastard child whom he will abhor. But as an angel shaped from his Fathers love, could he really abandon Lucifer to the fate Xerxes described?
Angel: II
Xerxes: No defense? Its too late anyway. When youre dead, Lucifer and I will advance to the Entity and with his destruction Syn will replace him as the master of Limbo.
With that, Xerxes tosses aside Angels sword and replaces it with his katanas.
Angel: You would attack an unarmed combatant? Have you no honor?
Xerxes: No. I shed honor along with my wings. Goodbye, little brother.
Angel: Wait! Xerxes! Dont do this!
In an instant, countless millennia traverse Xerxes memory faster than the slash of his bladesso many of them spent in combat, where did it all start? Amidst the chaos he can barely discern the day he walked through Heaven with his true love, Divinity. They held hands as cherubs darted overhead and the clouds gently caressed their feet. She spoke to him in a voice that could melt his heart even now:
Divinity: Xerxes, I have to tell you something.
Xerxes: What is it my beloved?
But her tone was only pretense for the blow. It came swifter and deadlier than any opponent he had ever fought on the battlefield.
Divinity: I dont love you anymore.
Xerxes: What?!?!?!
She dealt him no mercy that day. Her words would shatter his angelic heart long before Syn twisted it into his daemonic core.
Divinity: Weve been growing apart for one hundred years now. You know this is true.
Did he? Did he know? Or was Divinity merely justifying her treachery? No matterhe could find no rebuttal and only tightened his fists to withhold his anger.
Divinity: Please dont make this harder.
Xerxes: But were perfect for each other.
Divinity: No, were not.
Xerxes: Just give it a chance.
Divinity: Ive already given it a year.
A year! A trifling year! By angelic standards, she may as well have given him no more than a second before her heart so easily strayed.
Xerxes: Please! Were soul mates. Weve known each other since the dawn of time.
Divinity: Im sorry, Xerxes.
Xerxes: Is there another guy?
Divinity: There is one Ive fallen in love with, but I dont know if he feels the same way.
Xerxes: Who?
And after having already shattered his heart, she dealt the final blow and utterly twisted his soul with the horror of her revelation. Somehow he knew all along, but her words struck him like thunder:
Divinity: Angel.
No matter how often he replays this scene in his mind, it never ceases to hurt. And now after so many failures to seek vengeance against his brother, he has him within an inch of his blades. So close he can see the shock in his eyes, smell the escape of his breath, even taste the perspiration saturating the space around him. Hes absolutely convinced of his victory until his blades overrun their aim and Angel slips away as quickly as the blood leaking from his neck. Somehow hes more surprised to glimpse Lucifer wielding her fathers fiery sword than he is to see his own body float into view severed at the neck. Its a shallow thought that passes through his mind as his life expires, but he cant help noticing how much like Divinity she would look without her daemonic features. And with Xerxes life goes his masters planalthough the future will still suffer the Age of Syn, the daughter of its most notorious catalyst has ensured it will never spread beyond the earth.
Angels eyes dart between Lucifer and Xerxes corpse as he searches for the most appropriate response. His emotions settle on the boundaries of sorrow and joy, for on the one hand, hes lost his brother, but on the other, hes gained a daughter. But what caused her to save him when Xerxes so convincingly detailed the horrors of her childhood? He had even convinced Angel of his guilt for her suffering. As before, her features reveal nothing and she remains frozen in her killing posture. The sword shines brightly in her clenched grasp.
Angel: Was Xerxes telling the truth?
Slowly she nods.
Angel: Then why?
She lowers the sword and withdraws her wings inside her back, reducing their light source to the white dwarf. Like this she looks no more than a vulnerable sixteen year-old girl.
Angel: I must know.
Her lips part, unveiling her fangs as a grim reminder that she is by no means a simple girl, and she at least attempts to speak. The words come with difficulty, but she manages them.
Lucifer: Call me Lucy.
Angel: Okay . . . Lucy.
Lucy: Feels good.
Angel: What does?
Lucy: So good to speak.
Suddenly, without warning, she gives Angle his answer by hugging him with more affection than hes ever felt before. She literally falls into him, nuzzling her head into his chest like a lamb finally returning to its flock after years lost among the wolves. Her whole body trembles uncontrollably as she sobs though tears do not leave her eyes. Yet what surprises Angel most is the tenderness of her graspa far cry from their earlier battle.
Angel: Its okay, Lucy. If youre sad, be sad. Dont hold it all inside.
Lucy: I cant . . .
Her voice trails off as she chokes on her sobs.
Angel: Cant what?
Lucy: I cant cry. The fire . . . it dissolves my tears.
Angel gathers her in his arms and holds her close. For a long time they stay like this, Lucy releasing years of tension and Angel offering her words of comfort. When shes finally able to speak without interruption, she begins:
Lucy: All Ive ever wanted was a father, but you were never there. Why did you leave me?
Angel: I wont defend myself. If I wasnt there, Im sorry. I wish there was time to make it up to you, but I need you to do something.
He gently unwraps her arms so theyre able to look at each other directly.
Angel: Kill me.
Lucy: Dad?
Angel: I wish I could live long enough to change the futureto repair the damage youve suffered, but at least we can do the right thing while theres still time. You are the most powerful being in this game and the only one capable of defeating both the Entity and the Demiurge in their weakened states. You must kill me to advance.
Lucy: No . . . dont leave me again.
Angel: It must be this way, Lucy. Please understand.
Lucy: Ive killed ruthlessly before . . . innocents even . . .but not you . . . not you . . .
Angel: Take my sword.
She glances at the fiery sword still in her hand and holds it for her father to take, but he declines.
Angel: Its yours now. Use it.
Lucy: You really are a martyr.
Angel: As you will be too.
Angel spreads his arms in the pose of the crucifixion.
Angel: Remember Captain Infinitys sacrifice. Remember mine. Leave it to the rest of the world will remember yours.
Lucy points the sword directly at her fathers heart . . .
Lucy: Ill remember.
. . . And she slides it through. The fire spreads throughout Angels body, disintegrating it entirely. As the last trace of him disappears, he imparts:
Angel: So will I.
With that, Lucifer lowers the sword in time with her head and waits in the emptiness of space for the Demiurge to send her to the next square on the board.
(TO BE CONTINUED)
Captain Infinity: Mari . . . Mari wanted Alex . . . wanted him to know . . . she loves him.
From a man whose future-self would rise to command legions of heroes with his words, these last are no less poignant. Their simple message marks the passing of a hero who to the last thought of others above himself. Whether Angel or Alex will live long enough to receive it, he can only guess, but the one he least expected to comprehend its meaning memories every word. Lucifer follows the dance of his corpse as it revolves in a ring of blood toward its final destination at the heart of the white dwarf. So engrossed is she that Xerxes confrontation with her father almost falls beneath her notice.
Angel eyes his sword and armor floating behind Xerxes and weighs the probability of his survival in retrieving them. His brother has ever proven a formidable opponent, but without these items the danger he poses multiples interminably. But before he can reach a decision, Xerxes spots the sword himself. He slides the blade from its sheathe and dangles it teasingly in front of Angel.
Xerxes: A token for my master.
Angel: The Root of All Evil will never returnthe Lord outcast him long ago.
Xerxes: How wrong you are little brother. He has already risen.
Angel: Ive heard your speech through the gateway in the coliseum and I swear to you, if Syn has returned Ill cauterize the wound before it bleeds.
Xerxes: Heheheh . . . Havent you wondered where this creature comes from?
Xerxes motions to Lucifer with Angels sword.
Angel: Id guessed she was Kokos daughter, but I cant imagine how.
Xerxes: Think, dear brother, think.
Angel: I would never willingly propagate with a daemon.
Xerxes: Thats right.
Angel: What are you implying?
Xerxes: You were raped.
Xerxes last word rolls off his tongue with a spiteful delight and he savors every nuance of anxiety infecting his brothers face.
Angel: What?
With even more venom, Xerxes adds:
Xerxes: She took you, brother, against your will to the depths of the 8th circle and there forced you to cum inside her. Ive heard you squealed like a bitch in heat when she rode your phallus raw. Did it feel good, brother? Good to play bottom to a 4 year-old pussy?
Angel: Thats a lie!
Again Xerxes points Angels sword directly at his daughter.
Xerxes: Theres your proof! Can you deny it?
Angels eyes meet Lucifers, but she cannot maintain contact. This tells him everythingshe hates him for the futility that spawned her, yet fears him for the love he spurns. Much like her heritage, her very emotions are a paradox. Never knowing which path to followgood or evilshe embodies neither. She is merely a vehicle thrust upon an unsuspecting world to either destroy or salvage as the moment dictates.
Xerxes: As you can see, Syn is already here. Who do you think raised your daughter?
Angel: No . . .
Xerxes: When Lucifer turned six, Syn trapped her with Koko in the Corridor.
Angel: I dont want to hear anymore.
Xerxes: You never loved her, Angel. Never even tried to rescue her.
Angel: It wasnt me . . . I cant be held accountable for actions Ive yet to commit.
Xerxes: Thats right, brother. Justify your neglect. Im certain Lucifer will forgive you for abandoning her.
Lucifer emotes nothing throughout the exchange, yet inside she crumbles. So many memories shes tried to bury Xerxes now exposes to the one person she would never want to know. It hurtsit hurtsthe only pain that can.
Angel: What do you hope to accomplish here, Xerxes?
Xerxes: I intend to destroy you, but not at my sword, that will come later. First Ill torture you with the truth until you beg for death. Do you want to know what Koko did to Lucifer?
Angel: Please dont . . .
Xerxes: Cut her . . . mutilated her . . . as only Koko could. Her wounds only healed years after her powers manifested. And each day that passed, Syn opened a window to earth so Lucifer could watch you happily ignore her existence, as you grew closer to Sarah Carpenter.
Angel: No more!
Xerxes: Only the beginning! Ive described Lucifers physical agony, but emotionallyoohhthats much worse. Can you imagine it, Angel? Ive never tasted such succulent suffering! Hatred swells in herit drips from every pore. Even now she can barely contain it.
Xerxes motions to the abrasion on Angels shoulder.
Xerxes: How much more proof do you need?
Theres nothing Angel can saythe truth has been evident since the moment he gazed into Lucifers eyes. At some point in the future, Koko will rape him and spawn a bastard child whom he will abhor. But as an angel shaped from his Fathers love, could he really abandon Lucifer to the fate Xerxes described?
Angel: II
Xerxes: No defense? Its too late anyway. When youre dead, Lucifer and I will advance to the Entity and with his destruction Syn will replace him as the master of Limbo.
With that, Xerxes tosses aside Angels sword and replaces it with his katanas.
Angel: You would attack an unarmed combatant? Have you no honor?
Xerxes: No. I shed honor along with my wings. Goodbye, little brother.
Angel: Wait! Xerxes! Dont do this!
In an instant, countless millennia traverse Xerxes memory faster than the slash of his bladesso many of them spent in combat, where did it all start? Amidst the chaos he can barely discern the day he walked through Heaven with his true love, Divinity. They held hands as cherubs darted overhead and the clouds gently caressed their feet. She spoke to him in a voice that could melt his heart even now:
Divinity: Xerxes, I have to tell you something.
Xerxes: What is it my beloved?
But her tone was only pretense for the blow. It came swifter and deadlier than any opponent he had ever fought on the battlefield.
Divinity: I dont love you anymore.
Xerxes: What?!?!?!
She dealt him no mercy that day. Her words would shatter his angelic heart long before Syn twisted it into his daemonic core.
Divinity: Weve been growing apart for one hundred years now. You know this is true.
Did he? Did he know? Or was Divinity merely justifying her treachery? No matterhe could find no rebuttal and only tightened his fists to withhold his anger.
Divinity: Please dont make this harder.
Xerxes: But were perfect for each other.
Divinity: No, were not.
Xerxes: Just give it a chance.
Divinity: Ive already given it a year.
A year! A trifling year! By angelic standards, she may as well have given him no more than a second before her heart so easily strayed.
Xerxes: Please! Were soul mates. Weve known each other since the dawn of time.
Divinity: Im sorry, Xerxes.
Xerxes: Is there another guy?
Divinity: There is one Ive fallen in love with, but I dont know if he feels the same way.
Xerxes: Who?
And after having already shattered his heart, she dealt the final blow and utterly twisted his soul with the horror of her revelation. Somehow he knew all along, but her words struck him like thunder:
Divinity: Angel.
No matter how often he replays this scene in his mind, it never ceases to hurt. And now after so many failures to seek vengeance against his brother, he has him within an inch of his blades. So close he can see the shock in his eyes, smell the escape of his breath, even taste the perspiration saturating the space around him. Hes absolutely convinced of his victory until his blades overrun their aim and Angel slips away as quickly as the blood leaking from his neck. Somehow hes more surprised to glimpse Lucifer wielding her fathers fiery sword than he is to see his own body float into view severed at the neck. Its a shallow thought that passes through his mind as his life expires, but he cant help noticing how much like Divinity she would look without her daemonic features. And with Xerxes life goes his masters planalthough the future will still suffer the Age of Syn, the daughter of its most notorious catalyst has ensured it will never spread beyond the earth.
Angels eyes dart between Lucifer and Xerxes corpse as he searches for the most appropriate response. His emotions settle on the boundaries of sorrow and joy, for on the one hand, hes lost his brother, but on the other, hes gained a daughter. But what caused her to save him when Xerxes so convincingly detailed the horrors of her childhood? He had even convinced Angel of his guilt for her suffering. As before, her features reveal nothing and she remains frozen in her killing posture. The sword shines brightly in her clenched grasp.
Angel: Was Xerxes telling the truth?
Slowly she nods.
Angel: Then why?
She lowers the sword and withdraws her wings inside her back, reducing their light source to the white dwarf. Like this she looks no more than a vulnerable sixteen year-old girl.
Angel: I must know.
Her lips part, unveiling her fangs as a grim reminder that she is by no means a simple girl, and she at least attempts to speak. The words come with difficulty, but she manages them.
Lucifer: Call me Lucy.
Angel: Okay . . . Lucy.
Lucy: Feels good.
Angel: What does?
Lucy: So good to speak.
Suddenly, without warning, she gives Angle his answer by hugging him with more affection than hes ever felt before. She literally falls into him, nuzzling her head into his chest like a lamb finally returning to its flock after years lost among the wolves. Her whole body trembles uncontrollably as she sobs though tears do not leave her eyes. Yet what surprises Angel most is the tenderness of her graspa far cry from their earlier battle.
Angel: Its okay, Lucy. If youre sad, be sad. Dont hold it all inside.
Lucy: I cant . . .
Her voice trails off as she chokes on her sobs.
Angel: Cant what?
Lucy: I cant cry. The fire . . . it dissolves my tears.
Angel gathers her in his arms and holds her close. For a long time they stay like this, Lucy releasing years of tension and Angel offering her words of comfort. When shes finally able to speak without interruption, she begins:
Lucy: All Ive ever wanted was a father, but you were never there. Why did you leave me?
Angel: I wont defend myself. If I wasnt there, Im sorry. I wish there was time to make it up to you, but I need you to do something.
He gently unwraps her arms so theyre able to look at each other directly.
Angel: Kill me.
Lucy: Dad?
Angel: I wish I could live long enough to change the futureto repair the damage youve suffered, but at least we can do the right thing while theres still time. You are the most powerful being in this game and the only one capable of defeating both the Entity and the Demiurge in their weakened states. You must kill me to advance.
Lucy: No . . . dont leave me again.
Angel: It must be this way, Lucy. Please understand.
Lucy: Ive killed ruthlessly before . . . innocents even . . .but not you . . . not you . . .
Angel: Take my sword.
She glances at the fiery sword still in her hand and holds it for her father to take, but he declines.
Angel: Its yours now. Use it.
Lucy: You really are a martyr.
Angel: As you will be too.
Angel spreads his arms in the pose of the crucifixion.
Angel: Remember Captain Infinitys sacrifice. Remember mine. Leave it to the rest of the world will remember yours.
Lucy points the sword directly at her fathers heart . . .
Lucy: Ill remember.
. . . And she slides it through. The fire spreads throughout Angels body, disintegrating it entirely. As the last trace of him disappears, he imparts:
Angel: So will I.
With that, Lucifer lowers the sword in time with her head and waits in the emptiness of space for the Demiurge to send her to the next square on the board.
(TO BE CONTINUED)
