Prologue: Hero.
The world burns in blinding light.
Requiems of screams and everblazing flames covers the land of Neo England.
Titanic constructs of steel walks along the desolate wasteland, uncaring of the flames around them.
Crack
A sound of breaking that resounded over the lands, followed by shattering of space itself.
A dark void emerges from the fragmented parts of reality, allowing a being to emerge from it.
The thing resembles a human, pale skin and golden hair, along with slender and feminine build, It could be considered beautiful by Old Humanities standard, that thing though, lacks any ‘humanity’ a sentient being should have.
The steel Titans turned their metallic heads towards the invader, readying their weapons for the inevitable confrontation.
The thing looked at them with contempt, as if they–even with the sheer difference in size–would be no match for It
Unfortunately for them, It is right, the pilots of the Titans know it too, nonetheless, the Titans still stood ready, unwavering to their duty as the elites of Neo England.
[May the Stars Align]
Spoke a mechanical voice, one pilot's final plea before their demise.
Blinding light began to converge at the being's hands, aiming at the Titans.
Booooooom
A beam of energy flew at the Titans as light blinded the world.
…
…
…
Moments pass as the light began to dim.
And for a levitating man to appear before the unharmed Titans.
A Hero has arrived.
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Dressed in white suit, the man held a card depicting a familiar beam of energy on his hand. A smile flashed on his face as he said.
“Disintegrate”
The card blazed in silver flames as hexagonal constructs of light suddenly appears, creating a beam of light that shot towards the thing.
Surprised at the interruption, the thing tried to dodge, only for the beam to follow and home to It.
Screeeech.
The thing screamed as the beam struck It erupting in white flames and vanishing with the wind.
The man turned his head towards the Titans, giving them a slight nod.
The steel Titans returned the gesture, slowly walking away.
All in a day's work.
The man thought as he watched the ‘elites’ depart, calling them weak would be overstatement given that they are nothing but gigantic fodder.
The man looked at his suit, finding a deck of cards hidden within it, the hope of mankind.
[Crests]
A power granted by a higher being, wether be they spirits, demons, or gods, mankind did not discriminate.
A blessing and curse.
It is a power given to resist the invaders, a power given too early, since humans managed to destroy themselves before the invasion even began.
When [Crests] first appeared, it ignited a war, a series of wars in fact, leaving them weak against the invaders, the [Crests] made a few stronger but led to the world being weaker.
Thinking of this, the man shook his head.
If only he can change that.
Wishing for the impossible, the man looked at the Eternal Night sky.
A curse from those things, a fog that covers the entire world, blocking all sunlight.
The man closed his eyes, dreaming of the good old days.
It was a time of peace, of indifference.
Yet now here he is, playing Hero, defending the remains of a world from otherworldly invaders that want a piece of it.
He was a hero even before Apocalypse came, defending what he thought was right.
But knowing of this future, it makes him wonder.
Did he do what is needed?
Opening his eyes, the man is greeted with a scene that made him understand what true fear is.
Fractures appeared in the sky, a spiderweb that hangs above the world.
The Heavens cracked
The man thought he lived in a post-apocalypse.
But when the sky shattered
He knew.
Things will go way worse.
*****
The world is destroyed.
Standing at the Moon, the man gazed at the star that Earth has become.
Those things–Elves did not wish conquest, but rather, total annihilation.
The man–Chase, stood still, ignoring the lack of gravity and floated without moving an inch.
“Now what?”
He had failed to protect world, too weak to make a difference alone and too strong to die like everyone else.
“Good question.”
Said a deep voice that seemed to come from the Abyss.
Well, that's because it did come from the Abyss.
Chase’s shadow trembled, it's movements beginning to differ from him.
“Is there a way left?”
He said to his shadow, hoping for the mysterious existence to still have a way to make everything right.
Moments of silence passed as he waited, and after the longest moments of his life, he was not disappointed.
“There is always a way……with the right price.”
A price, of course there is always a price to pay.
“I'm willing to pay whatever.”
There is nothing left of him, wether he can pay it or not, he will have to hear the offer first.
“I can send a message to your ‘past’, and allow you to talk to your younger self”
Chase is taken back to say the least, he heard of divination to gain information from the future, but to send one to the past…..that actually doesn't sound too impossible in hindsight.
“And the price?”
No matter how good a something is, he must know if he could even pay it.
“Do..…not let those damnable Elves have their way ever again, do everything, everything, to make sure that this will never happen again.”
Chase stared at his shadow, surprised by the its demand, he expected something way worse from this guy.
“It's not up to me you know.”
Yes, if they could affect the future by changing the past, then it would be for ‘past’ him to decide, not him.
“No matter.”
Chase closed his eyes, his decision set to stone.
“Deal.”
*****
Images flash before his eyes.
Scenes of destruction, death, and despair. There is one detail that stood out the most.
The world burns in blinding light.
It showed the future in a span of moment, a moment that lasted for eternity.
As sudden as it came, the images stopped, replaced by a man in prestine white suit, looking at him with a smile.
“Greetings.”
Said the man in white, giving him a graceful bow.
“Who are you?”
He said, confused of whatever that it is happening.
“I am your father's son.” The man said with a smirk, uncaring of the confusion he just caused, after a brief pause, he continues.
“I am not the first of heroes, but I am the last.”
“I walked the path of righteousness, and that led me to the end.”
“I am strong, stronger than any man should be, yet I still lost against those things.”
“I stood as the symbol of hope, shining amidst the land of the dead.”
“You are my past.”
The man paused for a moment, looking though his soul.
“Never allow me to be your future.”
“For mankind needs no Hero.”
“If you wish for a chance to change the end.”
“Take.”
“Slay.”
“Rule.”
“Don the mantle of the Villain.”