Original Stories Fan Fiction ❯ Capricious Infection ❯ Act 27: Karkatta ( Chapter 27 )

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Capricious Infection

By: Revamp

Act 27: Karkatta

XxXxXxXx

“I thought you were dead.” That's what he had heard, or maybe it was what he assumed. Most everyone had been destroyed who were older, even people in their senior class had all died, so why and how did Dove make it through the apocalypse alive?

“You would,” Dove sighed. “Guess what, though? What you see is what you get, so her it is, the total package. Pretty off the record stuff that's going on here. Too bad this reunion is anything but happy.” As far as she was concerned, they were enemies and she needed that Time Sword to rewrite the past and give the Arcanes and the humans their planets back.

“This is your…sister?” Oz thought that was the right term, but human family systems eluded him.

“Yeah, my older sister,” David confirmed. “How she survived, I'll never know.”

Dove's glasses glinted as a serious expression crossed her face. “Let's just say that I have a purpose left in this world,” her pink-haired friend from the future was right, and how she was acting on her destiny.

“You have no involvement in our matters. This is between the Cut Throat Crew and the Dius-“ Pregmacia's speech was interrupted.

“That's a pretty bitchin' statement, but I am a member of the Cut Throat Crew,” Dove jerked a thumb to her chest proudly. They had been through a lot together and she was happy to consider herself the first human member of their great group of freedom fighters.

“What? Why?” David couldn't understand why she would want to join them. Maybe she did it out of desperation, or maybe they brainwashed her. That had to be it. She couldn't have joined because she wanted to.

“I owe these guys a lot, and they saved my ass, so I'm sticking with them.” Nothing would change the way she thought about the group of Arcanes. They were like family, and she wouldn't just abandon them because her brother didn't agree with their ways.

“Are you even aware of what they're trying to do?” Her brother questioned her motives. They might have saved her life, but they couldn't be trusted. They wanted to screw up the new paradox they were trying to create.

Dove arched an eyebrow and folded her arms over her chest. “What? Get your sword? Yeah, I know all about that. Don't give a shit, though. This world is a dumpster, and if it's really going to tend, then I'm living out my life with a bang. I can finally be myself.” Apparently David was the one who was behind on the times. In this dying world, she was free from the vices of humanity, a great harbringer of a renewed paradox if she could get her hands on that ruby.

“They're just using you.” After they get the Blood Ruby, they were probably just going to dump her on her ass. Dove needed to listen to reason, not their idle words.

“We're all pawns, get used to it,” she shot. How did he know that the Dius were being completely honest with him? At this point, they were just chess pieces on a crumbling board. Whoever made it over to the other side won, and they would get rid of their pieces accordingly.

“Why are you doing this?” Man, was she ever being stubborn.

“These are my friends. They're cool as fuck dog people. Anyway, we've got an agenda to meet. I'm sure we'll meet again,” Dove looked to the member she was closest to out of the group, “Spades.”

Spades nodded and snapped his fingers as the group teleported away.

“This bites,” Tony growled.

Lannad looked to David and Oz with worry. “What do we do?”

“There's nothing we can do. We just have to wait until my sister comes to her senses,” David knew Dove more than anyone else. She was loyal and would follow those she believed to be friends until she was viciously stabbed in the back. For all he knew, the Cut Throat Crew probably found her in the chaos, just like the Dius had found them.

If that was the truth, they really were powerless to help her.

“Something tells me that won't be easy, especially if she sees them as allies.” This was clearly a case of one side versus another in Oz's opinion. Sometimes things really were just black and white. This was one of those cases.

“Hey, Oz.”

“You're wondering if I can help convince Dove not to side with the Arcane, right?” Oz had a feeling he knew what David was getting at.

“It was on my mind, but who knows how long she's already been around them.”

Oz looked thoughtful for a moment before he said anything. “I think Spades realizes things that his fellows do not. I can only hope that they wise up to the truth of the events taken place on this planet. However, it will take a lot of change for all of them to get past their enslavement.” As much as they fought for a cause, it was a lost one. The group was still in their stages of denial, so right now, nothing would convince them to abandon their mission. They would definitely be back for the Blood Ruby.

“Yeah, in a perfect world,” David replied sardonically. “Let's get some mother fucking story books out and write ourselves a happy as fuck ending.”

“There's nothing we can do for now but wait until Tarvos and Dante come back,” he held his arm out as swirls of smoke surrounded them. “It's time to go back.” They teleported out of sight, encased in a swirl of cinder and ash.

XxXxXx

Dante stood in the middle of raging flames that swept through the once beautiful town, reducing it to a pile of rubble as he watched with illuminated orange eyes. The bodies of the dead lay around him, scattered haphazardly across the earth. He looked at his dirty hands, covered in blood and debris. `I've done it.'

He panted heavily and slowly, his body was covered in sweat from the extreme heat. His scythe blade and chain dripped with the colored blood of the slaughtered, alien and human alike. `'There's no going back now. My only option is to embrace the chaos that lives within me. Ares seemed pretty scornful of me…so, something must have fucking happened between Diablo and him. There was that thing about Pregmacia as well. I'm going to talk to both of them and get some things solves, but for now I'm headed back.'

High above, Ares stood on the corner of his factory, laughing as he felt the adrenaline rush through his veins. The fires burned so bright that it bathed the underbelly of his massive factory. “Just look at it, the true sight of the Seven Circles of Hell!”

Tarvos sat on the ledge with one leg over another as he bent down, gazing at the blazes that illuminated his form in an orange glow. “It was a nice romp in the park, as the human saying goes. All of your precious corpses are being beamed up to your factory.”

“Now it will run better than before. I can successfully put forth my new supplies towards my next method of experimentation,” Ares smiled warmly at his stratos. “I owe it all to you, my dear friend.”

“I wish that you would help us out,” Tarvos' voice lowered a little. He knew the subject was a bad one to bring up, but at the same time, he wanted to prod him in that direction.

Ares crossed his arms and frowned. “Still insistent on my alliance?”

“We could gain a lot from you. I would like to spend more time with you.” While he was aware of why Ares didn't want to go, he hated making a relationship with someone and having to leave them. Now that they were committed to each other, they had to think about their relationship as well as both of their distant and free floating natures.

“Death is a product of war. We'll always be together as elementals.” It wasn't what Tarvos wanted to hear, but it was the only answer Ares could give him.

Tarvos shoved himself from the ledge and flew into the air and turned around, hovering around his stratos. “That's not what I meant.” Who did Ares think he was trying to bullshit? Of all the answers he could have given, that was the worst.

The muscled Dius frowned, annoyed by his partner's constant prodding. “I know. I told you I'd consider it, so don't be a nagging fuckass about it. I helped your precious Dante so you should be grateful,” he would have rather shoved him off of his Death Factory for all of the wrongs he'd committed as Diablo.

The reaper smiled. “I am,” he turned around and caressed Ares' face, feeling his smooth skin in his hands as their faces were brought together in a deep kiss. He pulled away slightly, talking as their lips brushed with each word. “Next time I come back, I'll make it worth your while.”

Ares blushed a deep shade of gray, frustrated by his seductive words. “Stop being embarrassing or I'll shoot your fluttering ass out of the sky with the Derringer.”

“I care about you, too,” Tarvos chuckled and started to fly off before he was stopped.

“By the way,” Tarvos turned around at the sound of his friend's lowered voice. “Good luck, and tell Oz I said hello.”

With a nod, the grim reaper disappeared into the skies.

XxXxXxXx

Oz stood in a dark place; it was completely black around him, which made his figure stick out against the pitch black around him. A figure steps out from a shroud of darkness nearby. They're another Dius, with short, pointed horns; one of them had a red bow tied around it. The figure was short and very lean with an asexual looking body that could either be a flat-chested woman or a feminine man. Black hair cut in a pixie cut framed their scowling face. Adorning their body was an oversized shirt with a large neck hold that hung off of one shoulder. It had horizontal, bold, purple stripes and it was cut short, revealing a small amount of their stomach. Gray cord pants adorned the bottom half of their body as they spoke.

“It's been a while.”

“Well, it's not another romp in the rumpus ass park.” Even their voice sounded like it could be either gender.

“I assume you're here on official business. You were never the type to call me up for a chat,” Oz noted the figure's act was out of the blue. It was obvious that they were worried about something, or someone.

“This is a major deal. It's about Calypso,” their voice lowered into a dire tone.

“So, she's found out what's been going on. I'm actually surprised that you would tell me about it, considering you're her messenger,” the Dius of Time quirked an eyebrow at his fellow. In this position, they could get into a log of trouble by going between sides like this. Such a thing was no doubt treason.

“Like I said, not fun in the rumpus ass park, it's not that she wants to punish you about this per se. She just wants equal opportunity and she's willing to do anything to obtain it. Several Dius agree with her, so they're forming their own little team. Soon, she'll make her move. I want you to know so you can prepare for an all out war of space and time,” the informant did their job of telling him what the current situation was. They knew of their position, and at the same time, they didn't want to pull themselves into the situation. That was why they needed to get to Oz in his own personal paradox, free from time spies.

Oz stuck his hands in his pockets and looked up, turning his back towards the other Dius. “What does she want with the Earth?”

“At this point, I'm really not sure. Either she wants it for herself or she wants to destroy it so she can create new space as per Paradox Law.” Something destroyed, something created. That was the law of space. If she had plans to destroy something then she would destroy what already existed to form her new creation.

“I had expected this. Who all does she have on her side?” It was a curious inquiry, but one he that would prove helpful if he knew who all he was up against. He could also try to sway anyone who hadn't already picked a side.

“Maya, Cenobia, and Dredge, I'm unsure of whom else. They consider you a felon, you know.”

“I'm aware of what would happen if I took this course of action…My only other question for you is whose side are you on?” Before the conversation went any further, this one needed to state their purpose. Oz knew better than to let the messenger have any more of an edge than what they would have.

“I'm here to find that out for myself. After all, I did play Twisted Land with everyone. I want to see the acne encrusted faces of these insignificant humans I had the displeasure of making the acquaintance of,” the Dius grumbled. It wasn't as if they wanted things to come to this. The last thing they needed was another squabble between the big-wigs who were higher up than they were.

Oz turned to the figure. “That doesn't make you trustworthy. Besides, I sense that you have ulterior motives.” They were a messenger. Information would be relayed.

The Dius waved in dismissal. “Psh, like what? What in the flying fuck would I give so much of a damn about that I'd make it a big show just to come here?” If Oz thought they were going to honestly go through all of this trouble just to spy on a situation they already didn't care about then he didn't know them well enough.

“The Grand High Messiah,” his voice was stern and knowing. Oz knew of this one's involvement with a certain grim reaper. That and he could not deny that their elements went hand in hand.

The other Dius put their hands on their hips and frowned. “That whimsical fuck? Yeah, right. Like I said, I'm not on anyone's side yet. I really could care less about this rotting piece of trash of a planet.”

“You should,” Oz pressed. This was going to be their future home when things were said and done.

“Not really,” the other Dius shrugged nonchalantly.

“This will be a deciding fate. A lot of races from all walks of time depend on my outcome. Just as they are the last of their kind, so are we and in order to set balance of the paradoxes, it will come down to one decision.” Oz held up a finger and his bi-colored shades reflected his fellow's image.

“The Balancer,” the other knew who would make the final decision in this war.

Oz case a gaze down. “Unfortunately, we'll have to involve him, but I think he's aware of everything. Perhaps he was even before he knew I was coming here.” After all, he did set things up with Rezzi and Tarvos, who were both on Earth and aware of their jobs before he had any involvement.

“This will be everyone's shit hole, won't it?” The other Dius crossed their arms and looked to Oz with question. They didn't want to live here. Why was this planet so special?

“Whether you want it or not, so you'll have to be forced to pick one side or the other.”

“Fuck my life.”

“That's about the size of it.”

“Okay, so tell me what you want for this place?” Might as well gather more information before making the ultimate decision. Something told them that this was going to be one long-ass discussion.

XxXxXxXx

Rezzi sat on a pile of debris, busily texting her contact, capriciouscarnage. She tried to keep her promise as much as she could and since Lannad had been onto her, she tried to pick more secluded places to do it in to avoid her snooping and questioning.

Hey, I have a question for you.

What now? Didn't I tell you not to annoy me constantly? Are you deaf AND blind?

I bet you hate the fact that my phone has special text-talk abilities for me.

Is that your fucking question?

No.

Then what the fuck is it? It had better not be a stupid fucking human inquiry that I have no time for. Do you even know how many irons I have in the fire right now?

Why didn't you tell me that you made our weapons?

Because you're all dipshits who can't use them correctly. I've already had to collect one of them from you. You know the one you left in the fucking Null Zone. You ungrateful moochers.

That must have been the Dimension Sword.

Ding! You win shit from me.

Since you made them, you are directly connected to us. I always knew that you orchestrated this.

Whoa, whoa, fucking WHOA! I didn't orchestrate shit. I can't, and don't you dare say it again, or you will go to human hell for lying…or whatever your religion dictates.

Tell me the truth. Who are you?

Someone who doesn't want to be part of your shit.

I want to know, and don't just ignore my texts or send me middle fingers.

Do you think I'm a pupa? How dare you call me immature!

< _ <

This requires a call, doesn't it?

Oh! I'd love to hear your voice again! We haven't talked since before I started playing Twisted Land. Let me get into a spot where I have good reception!

Good idea, like I want some fecal encrusted lobes tuning into our conversations.

Okay, I'm alone.

Capriciouscarnage sighed to himself in irritation as his system dialed the girl's cell phone number. As she picked up the phone, her face showed up on his screen.

“I'm here.”

“Really, dipshit? I thought you left. Fuck knows what I'd do without your brilliant deductions, Sherlock.” His gruff voice intoned over her speakers. It was young, yet harsh like a bad boy type.

“I missed the sound of your voice, bitter as it may be. It's pleasant to the ears,” Rezzi smiled on the other end of the phone as she complimented her eternally angry and sardonic friend.

A bright teal blush riddled the Dius' face on the other side of the phone. “F-Fuck y-you…”

The girl laughed a little. “You're welcome. So…capriciouscarnage, can you finally tell me your real name?” It was something that she had wanted to know since they had met and shared their ideals of the apocalypse.

It had been so long.

“I suppose I can, but I'll only tell you what I feel like vomiting out, because fuck you.” Anything was better than a negative, and the girl knew that this was as close to a positive answer as she was going to get.

“I understand, I'm just happy that I got you on the phone.” That in itself was a huge undertaking.

“My real name is Unwine Umbera. I'm a Dius and I have many powers, most of them involve justice, interrogation, weapons development and having a good sense of judgment. Like you, I share the sign of the Libra,” the once mysterious man revealed his name to her, and after thinking about it for a moment, Rezzi could do nothing but smile.

“Unwine, it fits you.”

“What were you expecting?”

“I've heard rumors that the Dius are gods. Can you confirm this?” Everyone was split on what they thought about it. She had her own thoughts and theories as well, but she wanted to hear from someone who actually knew.

“Nope, fuck you.”

“Hmmm…” He knew, he just didn't want to tell her.

“Stop racking your thinking organ over such things. They aren't important. You want to know about your weapons, right?” Unwine decided to change the subject, anything to get this nosey girl away from asking about their positions and meaning in the universe.

“It will help me understand mine a little more. I'm sort of afraid to fight with it.” Due to its massive powers, Rezzi knew that she had to be careful when using it or she could end up destroying everything they fought for.

“A weapon in idle hands is like a comb in the hands of a bald man, utterly disgusting.” More than anything, Unwine hated to see anything not go to the use that it was intended for. An object's sense of hell was never being used for what it was created for.

“You're philosophic all of a sudden,” Rezzi thought his comparison was humorous, though it held a great deal of truth to it. Weapons were meant to be used in a time of war, and by those means she wasn't doing the Dimension Shatterer any good by just carrying it around like an oversized accessory.

“Fuck you.”

“I should count how many times you say that phrase in our conversations,” his choice of what he considered compliments were eccentric and amusing. Rezzi knew that he only said it to be sarcastic or come off as tough.

“Fu…ugh.” Unwine clicked his tongue and made a defiant face as he curled his lips. “Do you want to learn about the weapons or not?” Enough with this idle chit-chat. It was time to talk business if that's what they were going to do.

“I do.”

“These weapons are more than simple magic devices. They are from my personal arsenal, which means I've used them all before. Namely in executions or before I got my current position,” Unwine explained as the blind girl looked at her weapon. To know that it had been used to take care of someone before was unsettling. Who knew how many heads the axe-like weapon had lopped off over the years?

But something more than that fact caught her attention. “Your current position?”

“Don't interrupt me! You rude son of a bitch! Have you no manners?” The Dius reprimanded before going on. “Now, these are tools of mass destruction when placed in the wrong hands. That's why I have to go and fucking pick them up when you decide to ditch them. Your weapon is the Dimension Shatterer. You can use it to destroy and create voids in space, but there are lesser qualities to it. You can shatter the air or use magical attacks like waves, whips, wisps and beams. You can also summon things.”

Just then, an idea struck the girl. She knew just how to use her weapon in a beneficial way. “Could I create a void where we can meet?”

“When I feel like letting you. Are you done yet?” Unwine thought he told her that he had irons in the fire. Why did she insist on keeping him around for this nonsense?

“I think I am, but one more thing before I go.” Now what was it? What was this blind girl going to tell him this time?

“What now?” Whatever it was, she needed to hurry up and spit it out.

“When will I see you?” Her voice lowered into that tone that he hated to hear. It bothered the hell out of him to hear the girl utter things in such a voice of despair. Unwine couldn't help but feel a strike in his chest, as if someone had stabbed him.

“This again?” Despite that, he tried to push her away. Getting emotionally involved with someone was out of the question. He couldn't make the same mistake with her as he had with those of the past.

“I just…” Rezzi's voice lowered into one of sorrow and concern. “I really want to see you.”

“Don't get attached to me. I fucking hate that,” he didn't want to tell her those words, but Unwine had to keep her at a distance. As far as he was concerned, they were already too close for his liking.

“Sorry…”

“We will meet soon. I found out that I'm being pushed into your bullshit fest as we speak. I already promised that I'd see you first and foremost. What more do you want from me?” Honestly, what did she expect? When he said he was going to see her first, he meant what he said.

“I guess I just feel a little down. This gets to me more than I let it be shown,” Rezzi was always the one who held the group together. She was always the one who played it cool and was well put-together in the emotional department. The only time she let go was when she was alone, where no one could see her crack.

“What about the merry band of douche nozzles?” Surely her friends were more useful than that. Someone had to be pretty desperate to go to him for emotional support.

“I don't say much to them. I've always kept to myself. Having you around would help me. You and Tarvos are the only beings who know about the things I know. Having this knowledge and keeping it to myself…it's not easy,” Rezzi felt herself slowly falling apart. She tried to keep as much of her composure as possible to keep from seeming entirely weak to Unwine but she couldn't help it.

“Rezzi…” More than anyone, Unwine knew what it was like to contain the knowledge of the world and not be able to say anything about it. It was hard, and painful to know what was going to happen around you, yet not be able to tell a single soul.

“I can trust you. You say that you don't want me around, and that I annoy you or you think I look like someone chased a roach across my face with an ice pick or whatever it is you say, but you're the closest person to me,” Rezzi confessed. She knew that he didn't want to hear it, but she was slowly breaking apart and desperate for someone to lean on who would understand her. Unwine was her closest friend and most trusted confidant, and she only hoped that he wouldn't let her hit the ground when she fell.

The phone was silent as a storm of conflicting emotions brewed within the Dius. He felt his blood pumper beat hard against the walls of his chest, so hard that it was painful. Unwine was angry, frantic and freaked out all at the same time.

“Despite everything, I lean on you. You've been my pillar and I care about you.”

Unwine frowned.

“Please don't hang up,” Rezzi begged him, but to no avail. Unwine hung up the phone, leaving her sad form sitting on that pile of debris. The girl stood up after a long moment of silence as two words slipped from her black lips.

“I'm sorry…”

Removing her dark glasses, tears streamed from her disabled eyes and for the first time during the course of events, she wept quietly. All that could be heard against the breeze were sniffles and choked sobs.

After a few moments, her text alert went off. Checking her phone, she found a message from Unwine.

< 3 < 3

Squinting through the tears, she made out a blurred outline of hearts.

Later, Unwine received a text with a heart in return. His gaze was crestfallen and his eyes were shaded by his bushy, white bangs.

`Rezzi…if only…'

…To Be Continued