Viewing a single comment thread. View all comments

RavenLordx t1_j58zwnd wrote

When I heard the news, it was like a darkness engulfed the entirety of my existence. The first feelings I recognised were despair and disgust. Two feelings I haven't felt for the past 25 years. Since that day, I had never felt anxiety, worry or any sort of doubt about the future. Everyone, from the homeless man on the streets to the most powerful hero has a moment when they have some sort of doubt. A moment they felt abandoned and helpless. But not me.

At least not until tonight. Then feelings of rage started to overtake me. I had always considered anger to be beneath me. Lesser men lose their temper and solve their differences with force. That is what my father taught me, and I had never hurt another person in my life, no matter how much they had hurt or insulted me. And throughout my life, I had been the subject of ridicule and abuse numerous times. Most people are just animals wearing clothes, making pretend they are something more. They consider weak those that do not try to force their opinion or will on others. What fools, my worst nightmare has always been that I became like them.

That didn't change even when I received my powers. Had others been in my shoes, they would have probably conquered or destroyed the world. How void and empty goals, as void and empty is the man that has those dreams. No, I accepted the true gift my powers gave me, freedom. Yet now, all I could think of was destruction. All I could think of, was that I am becoming like them.

"Jason."

The voice interrupted my waking nightmare. A voice I had not heard for 20 years, yet I could never forget. How haven't I felt her presence approaching me? Was I so entrapped into my thoughts? Or perhaps I am that old indeed..

"Lady Dusk" I replied stoically, trying to keep my cool. She was breathtaking as ever, even for her age. Well, she always looked younger that she is, while life had taken its toll on me. If someone was to look at us here, in my dusty library, there is no chance they would have thought we are the same age.

"Please, Jason, don't call me that." she replied, with a hint of sadness in her voice.

"Alright Christine, my apologies. To what do I owe the pleasure?" I replied, staring at her and nothing at the same time.

Tears began to roll down her face, while her arms visibly started to shake.

"Jason.." she said with a trembling voice "I.. I am so sorry..".

"It was not your doing, Christine." I replied, trying to bury my feelings, at least for now, at least for her. She had been my friend for most of my life, perhaps my only true friend.

"No.. I.. I should have known! I should have been there! I can't even begin to.."

She grabbed and hugged me. For a moment I wanted to resist, but it seems that my egoism had died together with my daughter. She cried at my chest, and for a moment, I felt my eyes watering as well, before I came to my senses and got a hold of myself. I released myself from her embrace gently, and took a step back.

"It was not your fault, Christine." I assured her once more.

In another lifetime, we could have been happy. I knew Christine long before we gained our powers. We were 16 at the time, long before anyone in this world had any superpowers. What started as a playful rivalry, resulted in a short love affair and a long lasting, deep friendship. I could never understand why she always supported and believed in me, what she saw in me that made her admire me so much. But fate had other plans.

" I really do not get it! I mean, I have not been in the academy for some years because of the invasion, but still, I can't understand why they went so far for just a harmless prank.."

"Oh, please Christine" i cut her off "I did the exact same thing and got the same treatment from those government bootlickers that are you precious league. The only difference is, that they can't catch or kill me. What do you think is happening for the past 25 years?"

25 years, that is how long I had my powers. Others would have enslaved the world. Others liberate it. I just tried to help people and protest against the corrupt politicians amd bankers that rule this god forsaken world. The interdimensional invasion solidified their power and with the founding of the Heroic League, they were now unstoppable. I always hated violence, in all its forms. So even if I wanted to, I could not bring myself to go full out. I resorted to try and expose corrupt officials, but it seems that every time, everything was buried and I was portayed as a vandal. So, I decided to play the part

So then, I mostly used to blow up some ATM's and distribute the cash to the poor, rob a bank to help a bankrupt family pay their mortgage, put some itching powder on some banker's wig, dance on top of police cars, stuff like that. You can imagine what a ridiculous show it was to have a jolly chubby man tap dancing on top of a police car in the middle of protests, wearing my signature top hat and holding my trusted cane.

No one really payed any attention to me, until that time the president really got on my nerves, so I popped up while he was giving a big worldwide speech and took down his pants on live broadcast. Things went nuclear after that, with certain members of the league going after me with specific orders to kill me, as I later found out. That incident was 12 years ago, and I have layed low since then. Well, except some inappropriate graffitis on some posters with my signature on it. I had a daughter to protect, and since Maggie died giving birth to her, I was all she had.

My daughter, Jocelyn, always admired the Professor. While others considered him at best a modern robin hood, and at worst a vile prankster, she saw something else behind his actions. She saw someone struggling for the every day person, someone that protested against the corruption of the government and society, and tried to reverse the death of human compassion for some reason. Little did she know her old man was her idol. I thought keeping it from her was safer. God was I wrong.

I tried to keep her idealism in check, but has there ever been a teenager that listens to their parents? I was just an "old man that could not understand". Teenage rebellions are a nightmare. She started just like me, although I have to say she really did put a lot of thought into her operations. After all, she did not have any of my powers, she was just a normal girl. Well apart from her super high IQ that made her old man wonder how can a normal girl evade League members that could see through walls or had super speed, and pull the most elaborate plans every single time. Never did she hurt anyone, she was so much like me. Why would they..

"I promise you, Jason, I will do everythi-"

"You will do nothing, Christine" I cut her off "I will do now."

Her eyes went wide, a look that I had never seen in her eyes. Fear, in the eyes of Lady Dusk. Something that the invading legion of Marxes, the terrible 12, or Erthoc himself did not manage to trigger. I was stronger than all of them, truth be told, but it still perplexed me.

"Wha.. whhat do you mean, Jason..? What are you going to-?"

"Even my father would understand. I am sorry, but I have to go."

I cut her off once again. I had trouble holding on to my feelings, and as such, I had trouble holding back my powers. The last thing I wanted was to lose control of them when she was near. God, at least let me have that, let one good thing remain intact in this world, the last good thing in MY world.

"NO! I CAN'T LET YOU!" She screamed " They will, they, they will kill you!"

Then I felt it. A rage I had never experienced before. A surge of power that I could no longer withhold. And now, I was screaming

"WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT, THOSE FLIES COULD NEVER EVEN TICKLE ME. HELL, YOU ARE THE STRONGEST OF THEM ALL AND YOUR POWERS ARE JUST A PORTION OF MY OWN THAT I GAVE YOU".

Her eyes had become blank, staring at the floor, her entire body shaking.

"I AM THE PRIMORDIAL CHAOS THAT EXISTED BEFORE CREATION, THE DARK LIGHT IN THE ENDLESS NIGHT, THE CRIPPLING SHADOW THAT EXISTS IN THE MIND OF ALL MEN!"

She looked at the floor some more, then she looked at me. And that moment, for some reason, I understood. She would not try to stop me, and she would never try to fight me, not out of fear, but out of love. She was not afraid about her, she knew that I would never do anything to her. She was worried about me, and not because of the League trying to hurt me. She was afraid that I was finally broken, that the world finally managed to defeat me, to crush my morals and values, that I had started to become what I always hated the most. And the worst part is, she was right.

I started to walk away, out of my library. "Jason, please.." she muttered.

"Jason died tonight with Jocelyn. All that remains, is the Professor."

50

RavenLordx t1_j5rhhga wrote

PART 2

The Hall Of Justice was an imposing building. Located near the center of the capital, you could see it from almost anywhere in the city, only overshadowed by the pompous Parliament, once a symbol of democracy, now a mockery of its former self, where the heads of the Supreme Governmental Council held its meetings.

An extravagant paved road led all the way up the hill where the Hall was situated, with treelines at both sides of the road. One of the few green places remaining at the capital. Rumor has it that this particular road cost around 12 million to the government. Some spoke of laundering and payment for political favors, but those voice were quickly silenced, as is customary in those situations. And mind you, this was just the road leading to the Hall. The Hall of Justice itself was an architectural masterpiece, with clear roman and greek influences, it was supposed to be a grandiose and diachronic temple dedicated to justice. The hypocrisy of its symbolism was always infuriating to me, more so in light of current events.

I found myself at the entrance, where two huge statues of the ancient goddess of justice, Themis, were placed at both sides, as if guarding the passage. The road seemed way shorter that I remembered. Maybe I was too preoccupied controlling my emotions until I reached the hall itself. Not that it would make a difference. Of course, the hall is well guarded and I met many patrols on my way here, not that they payed me any mind. I amm good at not being seen when I want to, even if I pass right besides them. They have no way of knowing, unless I desire it. But as I entered the main hall, I thought that it would be only polite to let them know I am here. Manners maketh man, after all.

As I made myself perceivable to the rest of the world, the alarm went off and the defensive measures of the hall was were activated. All the exits and windows were locked with supposedly indestructible nebranian metal leafs. Nebranium was an extradimensional metal that was collected during the invasion. Other that its insane durability, it had the convenient effect of nullifying any kind of superpower the moment it made it made contact. The theory was, that as it was proved that the extradimensional radiation that washed our world through the rift was the cause for the creation of meta-humans, capable of possessing amazing superpowers, a natural insulator of that radiation, would decrease the powers of a meta human, as the radiation stored in their bodies was the cause of their powers. And it worked, well, at least for everyone else that their powers were gained because radiation. It never had any effect on Lady Dusk for example. Jee, I wonder why.

5 figures emerged, all of them fast, yet each one with its own speed. I recognised them immediately. The new all star New League Team, the pride of the Hall of Justice, the hope of all citizens of the capital, the murderers of my daughter. Nestrix the mind devourer, Jungle Boy, Machine gun Amy, Captain Echo Jr and JarHead.

"Well, well what do we have here?" Nestrix exclaimed with an ironic chuckle.

"What the hell is this JESTER doing HERE? Is this why you got me out of bed? For this SHIT?" JarHead commented, half asleep, half angered.

"Is there a reason you are here, Professor?" Captain Echo Jr calmly asked. He must be the serious one of the group, i thought.

"I just have a question." I replied "You killed a girl earlier tonight. Why?"

"Who? You mean Geniee?" Machine gun Amy replied.

"Her real name was Jocelyn. Now I will ask once again, and I want you to REALLY think your next words carefully. As if, your entire existence was hanging from it." Controlling my fury was becoming increasingly difficult. Years of meditation and training were soon to go straight to the trash bin.

"Because we FUCKING COULD you shitface, what is it to you?" Jungle boy finally said, visibly irritated by my inquiry.

"What Jingle boy means, is that we cornered a threatening adversary that we just could not allow to escape once more and cause more instability." Captain Echo interrupted "We did what we were obligated to do".

A tear fell across my cheek. My hands had began to shake, almost uncontrollably, and I was trying to hold off a scream.

"Oh I see what is going on here, mister Professor! Geniee was something to you! Was she your lil girlfriend, you old disgusting creep? Were you her daddy??" Nestrix said bursting into laughter.

HOW DEAR SHE??

In the milliseconds I was about to erase her from existence I felt a punch at the side of my face. A punch that came with the speed of light. Then came a kick, a stomp in the center of my face, equally as fast. This is interesting, I thought, regaining control of my mind.

"What are you doing here, trash? Why are you harassing my pupils?" Hyperion stood between me and the teen team. The leader of the League, and tutor on those young murderers, the face of the government. Dressed in his gold attire and cape, with his red mask that covered most of his head, except for the two things he was most proud of. His long, golden hair and his prominent chin.

"Your pupils killed my daughter. I am here to teach them the true meaning of the statues that guard the entrance of your hall."

"The statues of Themis?" He asked "What meaning would that be?"

"Divine Retribution. I am here to deliver it to everyone in this room" I calmly replied.

Hyperion and his pupils burst into laughter. "It is so hysterical when weaklings act as if they are strong" Jungle boy replied holding his stomach. Oh if only he could grasp the irony.

Hyperion moved again, with the speed a dark room shines when you press the switch. He threw two punches at my chest, and I felt my ribs shattering.

"You always were crazy Professor" Hyperion declared "You always thought you had some sort of power that made you invincible"

Then an other punch at my face, I tasted the blood as my chin, my nose, and half my teeth broke all at once.

"The only reason I did not squash you sooner, was because it would make Christine mad. I could never understand how she could even look at you, as much as date you, even if it was long ago."

Now a kick to the left side of my skull, I think I heard it cracking into pieces.

"I mean, have you looked at your face in the mirror?? When i heard that she used to date you we all thought it was a joke! I guess she came to her senses when we fucked. Well now that I gave you a make-over, maybe you would have a chance again huh?"

Hyperion and his pupils were laughing as if they had never heard a joke before in their life. I fell face first in the ground, I could not breath any more. My mouth was full of my own blood. Then a ray of light. I felt it melting my skin, and boiling my blood and organs. And then the world was engulfed in darkness.

9

RavenLordx t1_j5rnl9b wrote

Part 3

Hyperion could not believe his eyes. The face of his pupils was even more hysterically funny.

"H-how? How is it possible?"

"Oh, what do you mean?" I replied with a sarcastic smirk in my face. Oh I WILL enjoy this.

"I CRUSHED YOU ENTIRELY, THEN BURNED YOU WITH THE POWER OF A MILLION EXPLODING SUNS?? HOW ARE YOU LIKE NOTHING HAPPENED?"

"A million exploding suns? Come on, aren't you a little presumptuous there? And they call ME arrogant!" I laughed.

"What is this? WHAT IS THIS! What did you do?" he demanded.

"I told you. I will bring divine retribution to everyone in this room. What you did to me was the retribution I brought to myself, my punishment for not protecting my daughter. I merely allowed you to harm me and used you as an instrument to my punishment. Now it is time for what is rightfully your."

"What is this joke? Fucking clown, I crushed you! I CRUSHED YOU. D-Didn't I??"

"Well, you did, and you didn't. Both statements are true. It is a bit complicated for someone such as yourself and it will surely go over your head. There is no point for me to try and explain it." I replied.

"Hahaha what is this damned clown talking about. I had enough of this." Nestrix said as she dashed herself before me. She put her hands near my head. "Now I will enter your mind, and shatter it from within. Goodbye Professor."

"I would not do that if I were you" I stoically replied.

Nestrix laughed as a purple radiation began to flow from her body to her hands. I felt that she managed to enter my mind, I felt her inside my head. Her laughter quickly turned into screams. Loud screams of pure agony as she fell to the ground. The rest of her peers looked flumbergusted and tried to help her. Blood began to flow from her eyes, now a solid white color, as if her mind was lost in an abyss. And indeed it was. Some doors are better left closed.

"What THE FUCK did you do to her, you bastard?" Jungle boy demanded as he struck me with all his force. Or so he thought. His punches were weak, they did not have the force they used to have. He tried to punch me again, but it was difficult to even lift his arms, it was a struggle on its own to make a fist. And when he finally managed to punch me. It felt to him as if he was hitting a solid wall with a fluffy toy. I do. Ot know what it was worse for him. His physical inability to even use his strengh, or the sudden realisation that even with all his might, he is unable to protect his peer. I let his try to hit me a bit more as I laughed, as his drained body tried its best to make a punch and hit me.

Then, Captain Echo Jr made his signature move. He gathered around him a force field, a concentration of an unstoppable force that bursts and then moves with the speed of sound. As he gathered the entirety of his energy, he charged towards me and bursted right in front of my face with all his power. Poor Jungle boy could not handle it in his state. Captain Echo started charging another force field ride besides me. "This is your end, Professor!" he screamed. I just grabbed the top of his head with my hand and turned it, smashing his neck and skull.

Then JarHead and Machine gun Amy charges upon me. Their weapons were made of Nebranium and so, they had a lot of confidence in themselves. JarHead stabbed me with his machete while Amy was shooting at me with her machine gun. I was done playing. I grabbed JarHeads arm. He started screaming as waves of energy overcharged his mechanical body, causing an explosion. I then sent a dark energy wave to Machine gun Amy. That was all it took. She did not even manage to scream. I doubt if she even realised that she was going to die.

A beam of light hit me again. Then again. Then a wave of punches and kicks, all of them with the speed of light.

"How is this POSSIBLE?" Hyperion screamed.

"I already told you. I merely allowed myself to be beaten by you. I hate repeating the same thing twice. Especially to ignorant fucks. My powers do not come from some sort of radiation. They existed long before that"

"It can't be. IT CAN'T BE! I AM HYPERION! THE APOLLONIAN EPITOME OF THE HUMAN RACE! THE GREATEST AND MOST POWERFUL! I HAVE THE POWER OF A MILLION EXPLODING SUNS! WHO ARE YOU TO DEFY ME?"

I closed my eyes. I thought of Christine, Maggie, my father, my daughter. I believe they would understand. I hope they do, and I hope they can forgive me. For I can't forgive myself for my weakness. They defeated me. I have fallen, I have become like them.

"I am the Primordial Chaos that existed before Creation. I am the dark light in the eternal night, I am the Crippling Shadow that exists in the minds of all men. And now, the light of your suns is out."

12

guinnesssynd t1_j598zpo wrote

That was awesome. Any chance for a part 2?

5

RavenLordx t1_j5a2cvk wrote

Yeah, I said to myself I would write part 2 if even one person asked for it. So I will write it later at night or tomorrow. Thank you for your kind words.

10

guinnesssynd t1_j5amr12 wrote

YAY! Thanks for writing something amazing!

3

RavenLordx t1_j5rnw3e wrote

Part 2 and 3 are up. Sorry for the tardiness but I jad a lot on my plate these past few days.

1

S1eepyZ t1_j5drcmq wrote

Could you notify me for it too?

2

RavenLordx t1_j5hr7bh wrote

Sure thing. I had some issues so I will write it tomorrow.

3

RavenLordx t1_j5rny7c wrote

Part 2 and 3 are up. Sorry for the tardiness but I jad a lot on my plate these past few days.

2