-The End Of The World-
-Dimension 1-
The Blightridden-
I-99, 2028-
“Wake up.” The Director demands. Bright snaps his eyes open, and jumps up. His veins burn and glow black under his skin. He twitches and aches, his body burning. “M-My DNA…” He says, bending over. He falls to his knees and screams in agony. He closes his eyes to hide from the pain, but it follows him behind his eyelids. He collapses to the pavement, the scorching hot asphalt melting to his skin. He writhes in pain and almost passes out. Suddenly, it stops. It no longer hurts. Bright opens his eyes, examining his body. His veins are still black, and his eyes still glow dimly. But the pain’s gone. Instead, an itch has emerged. Kill. he wants to kill. To hurt people. He wants to spread his infection. His Blight. Bright jumps up and runs towards the nearest town, hoping to find some survivors to torment.
“Easy now, who goes there?” The guard asks aloud. Bright groans, a strange gurgling coming from his mouth. He looks up at the guard and spits black bile at him. The guard cries out in pain and falls back. Other guards quickly gather around him to see if he’s okay, and they’re spit on by the guard. Soon, the whole guard force is infected. Bright enters the town, and smirks. “Take them out. All of them.” The Director whispers in his ear and Bright nods. “Yes, Sir,” he says with a hearty smile.
Possible Solution-
Hanover, 2028-
“Look, all I’m saying is it’s been a month. I can’t keep finger-blasting myself while I wait for either of those schmucks to appear!” Cass shouts. Gears shakes his head. “First off, I did NOT ask to know what you were doing while watching the cameras, and secondly-” He’s interrupted by Lucy entering the room and yawning loudly. “What’s with all the shouting? A Demon’s gotta have her beauty sleep, for fucks sake.” She says, annoyedly sitting down at the table. Gears looks over at her and slides her the folder resting before him on the table. “Take a gander.” He says. Lucy looks up at him, confused. “‘Take a gander’? Fucking really?” She asks in disbelief. Gears shrugs. “It’s how I talk,” He says firmly. Lucy raises an eyebrow at him. “Yeah, if you were unfortunate enough to be born in the Midwest,” She says with a sly grin. Gears rolls his eyes. “Whatever. Just read up and prepare to discuss a solution.” He says. Lucy smiles as she reads. The smile slowly fades as she scans the pictures attached. People with black veins tearing each other apart. Standing alone in the center of the photo, taken from an intersection camera: Harold Bright, a twisted grin spread across his face. Black ooze drips from his eyes and mouth and down his fingers. Around him, survivors attacked civilians with the same black ooze pouring from their orifices. Lucy’s spine gets a chill sent down it, and she tosses the folder back onto the desk. “What the fuck is that?” She asks, a hint of fear in her voice. Cass looks her in the eyes. “The Blight.” She says sternly. “The end of this world.” Gears finishes. He looks into Lucy’s eyes, now glowing red in fear. “He’s no longer Human. Hell, barely even Bright now. He’s a monster like the rest of them.” He says. “I propose this: A Quantum Lock. Keeps him trapped in a single second, repeating over and over, ad infinium.” Gears explains. Lucy and Cass nod, following along to the best of their abilities. Gears sighs. “I’ll go find Frost. He’ll understand.” He says, quickly leaving. Cass shrugs at Lucy, and she returns to her cameras.
Temporary Solution-
Hanover, 2028-
“FROST!” Gears calls out. Frost rushes towards the voice, clearly in distress. “Woah, easy now. What’s up?” Gears asks. Frost takes a couple of deep breaths and looks up at him. “Dragon… attacking Wolfrun…” He says between sighs. Gears smiles. “OF course he is. He knows that’s where I keep the solution to all of our problems.” He says. Frost looks at him, curious. “The Quantum Lock and The Gateway. The Gateway is like the Doorway Omega built, but less destructive and unstable. Made by professionals, really.” He says, looking proud of himself. Frost smiles. “Then Let’s go get Cass and Lucy and head out!” He says excitedly. Gears smiles and leads him back into the conference room. “Listen up, team!” he says. Cass and Lucy shoot him a side-eye glance. “Team? Might as well call us by name, since it’s just three of us.” Cass says. Gears looks down at her. “The fuck is your problem? You’ve been nothing but a snarky bitch these last few days.” He says. Cass flips him off. “Dude, I’m fucking leaking oil from places you don’t even want to know about, let alone see.” She says. Lucy leans over to him and whispers in his ear. “Robo-Period.” She says. Gears takes a deep breath to calm himself. “That’s fucking stupid. Anyway, we’re heading back to Wolfrun.” He says. Lucy jumps up. “Okay! Sweet! Back to where it all began!” She says excitedly. She runs to the door, barging through it with a loud WHAM. Cass sighs and stands up. “We’ll go deal with someone else while you nerds figure out the whole Quantum thing.” She says, slowly following Lucy. Gears sighs and leads Frost to the truck in the garage.
The End Of The Corporate War-
Wolfrun, 2028-
Lucy and Cass split away from Gears and Frost, who venture down into Wolfrun’s ruins. “Keep an eye out for the old HQ. it’s around here somewhere, I know it is.” Gears says. Frost nods, searching under a pile of rubble. A gunshot cracks the silence, and Gears feels a sudden warmth on his side. He looks down to find blood pooling on his shirt. “FUCK!” He shouts, rushing to cover. Frost crawls under the rubble, searching for the sniper. Gears motions for Frost’s attention, and once he has it, he points at the nearby skyscraper that collapsed across the highway. Frost nods, and slowly crawls around the rubble to a good vantage point. The sniper fires another shot at Gears, and he smiles. “Keep shooting at me, you dumb fuck…” He says to himself with a grin. Frost makes his way over to the building adjacent to the sniper’s spot and gives a thumbs-up. Gears shoots one back, and Frost looks around. He spots a single rebar scrap holding the whole building up. He smiles and kicks it away. The sniper notices this and shoots Frost in the stomach. He attempts to escape but is caught in the collapse of the building. Gears jumps out of his hiding spot and runs over to Frost, who’s attempting to stand. “I’m fine… check on that fucking sniper…” He says. Gears stands up, his eyes are full of hate. He slowly walks over to the sniper, drawing a combat knife from his belt. “I’m not telling you shit.” The sniper says coldly. Gears squats down over the sniper, half of his body pinned beneath the rubble. He smiles. “I don’t need to know anything. I just want to hear you scream.” Gears says with a sadistic grin. His eyes glow green, and he carves into the sniper’s skull. He screams in agony, and Gears laughs as he twists the knife. Frost stands up and decides to hang back to watch. Gears eventually stands up and cleans off his knife. He turns to face Frost, quickly hiding his grin. “You okay?” He asks, approaching the wounded scientist. Frost nods. “Oh yeah… walking it off…” He says, Gears helping him to his feet. “Come on big guy, let’s go find the warehouse. I hope there’s a medical kit in there.” He says with a grin. Frost nods. “Me too… me too…” He says as the two walk down the street away from the bombed-out building.
Altercation-
Wolfrun, 2028-
“And here it is!” Lucy says, gesturing towards a large building. A single window appears to have been blown out long before the Impact. “This is it, huh? Your first grand act of good?” Cass asks. Lucy nods. “Yep! Attempted to stop the Demonic Holocaust of 1980!” She says proudly. Cass scoffs. “Fat load of good that did. All that came of it is a pissed-off divine cockroach with a hate on for Demons and Humans.” She says under her breath. Lucy’s triangular ears twitch. “What?” She asks, turning back to face the ARC. Cass shrugs. “Face it. All you’ve done is poke a bear that’s capable of all of this.” She says, gesturing to the broken Earth around her. Lucy looks up at the red sky, and the green aurora borealis dancing across the sky. She takes a deep breath. “This is another chance. To finally take him out, for good.” She argues. Cass shrugs. “Hey, whatever you say. You’ve never been wrong before.” She retorts smugly. Lucy’s eyes glow red. “And what the fuck does that mean?” She asks, cocking her head to the side. Cass sighs. “You’ve been doing the right thing in your eyes for the last couple of years. Look what’s come of it: The Spencers, the Scorched Earth, and now this. A wild goose chase for a man who’s probably hiding somewhere in the People’s Republic of Alaska. Face it: He’s gone.” She rants. Lucy can feel tears forming in her eyes. “Stop it.” She says sternly. Cass continues. “All you've done in an attempt to make a difference is MAKE THINGS WORSE!” She shouts, scaring Lucy. Lucy’s eyes glow bright, and black ethereal wings appear from behind her back. “I SAID STOP!” She screams, pushing Cass. Cass flies into a nearby building, the green light in her eyes flickering, fizzling out. Lucy gasps, rushing over to Cass’s side. “Hey… HEY!” She says, shaking the ARC. Nothing. She stands up, noticing the oil pooling beneath the empty ARC. “Fuck… no… FUCK!” She says, rushing inside Dragon’s old office.
Dragon’s End-
Wolfrun, 2028-
“Fuck… Fuck…” Lucy mumbles to herself as she runs up the staircase. She arrives at the door to Dragon’s office, somehow still standing. She gently opens it, shining a flashlight inside. A laugh bounces off the torn and burnt walls. “Glad you could make it,” Dragon says, swiveling around in his burnt office chair. Lucy stiffens. “Look. I don’t have time for this. I need to find your tools or a key to the maintenance bay.” She says, looking around frantically. Dragon claps his hands, and the door behind Lucy slams shut. It locks, and a chair appears before her. “Take a seat. Let’s chat.” He says, his eyes glowing white. Lucy looks at him. “What the fuck are you?” She asks. Dragon smiles. “I’m the next level of Humanity. Evolution, in the flesh. Angel blood pumping through Human veins.” He says, gesturing to his arms. They run black, the same as Bright’s. “You’re an abomination,” Lucy says. Dragon sighs, standing up. “No, Lucy. I’m better than that. I’m a guide to the Aether. Heaven itself calls my name. But I wanted to ask you about a few things. Hell, mostly.” He says, slowly circling around her. Lucy takes a deep breath. “Ask away.” She says. Dragon smiles. “Who runs Hell, and how can I take them out?” Lucy smiles. “Lucifer Morningstar. Fallen Archangel, born from the murder of another. An Angel formed out of Hate. Spite.” She says. Dragon nods. “Archangels… so Heaven is real. Angels aren’t aliens, just… Other Humans?” He asks. Lucy shakes her head. “Nope. Angels are better than all of us. Archangels, you should fear. Now, a Fallen Archangel…” She trails off, building intrigue. Dragon leans in close. “Go on…” He says. Lucy smirks. “Fallen Archangels are rabid dogs. Lucifer appeared from nowhere and killed the previous ruler. He’s running the place with an iron fist, and he doesn’t take prisoners. You can’t kill him.” She says. Dragon smirks and laughs. “Sure about that? What if-” He’s cut off by a fist protruding from his chest. Lucy jumps up, and Cass smiles at her from behind Dragon. “Heya, babe.” She says, her eyes glowing gold. Lucy looks at her in amazement. “H-How?” She asks. Cass smiles. “Used up the last of my reserve battery to heal. This is it, though. No more second chances.” She says. Dragon turns to face her over his shoulder. “No more second chances?” He asks. Cass nods. “Damn straight.” She says, grabbing his spine. His eyes widen “Lucy-” A sickening snap echoes around the room, and Dragon falls silent. He looks down, and suddenly the black liquid fades from his veins. A disgusting scream comes from his mouth, and Cass lets him fall. Lucy looks at her, and she nods. “He’s all yours. I was wrong. Make a difference, dear. Take out this Neonazi scumbag, for good.” She says. Lucy smiles and prepares to stomp down on Dragon’s head. “P-Please wait… l-let me help y-you...” He says. Lucy stops for a moment and kneels down. “What’s up?” She asks. Dragon grabs a book from the nearby bookshelf. “T-This is the key to t-the maintenance b-bay…” He stammers. Lucy shrugs. “Don’t need to go there anymore. Thanks for trying, though.” She says, grabbing the book. She positions it between Dragon’s top row of teeth and the floor. She looks at Cass and smiles. She stomps down, and Dragon is no more. Black and red blood ooze from his head and back, and the twitching eventually stops. Cass smiles at Lucy. “I’m sorry, babe. I don’t know what’s wrong with me. Maybe meeting him after so long fucked up my wires or something, I dunno.” She says. Lucy hugs her. “It’s okay, I promise. I’ve had bad days too.” She says. Cass smiles at her, and the two head out of the office.
Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
Insanity-
Wolfrun, 2028-
Bright stumbles around the streets of the city, somehow making his way back to Wolfrun. “Heya, Doctor Bright! Remember me?” A man asks. He wears a nice suit, with slicked-back brown hair. “D-Doctor… Brenner?” Bright asks. Brenner nods. “That’s right. I’m glad my face still rests in your mind. Now, what the hell are you doing?” He asks. Bright shakes his head. “I… I don’t know…” He mumbles, grabbing the side of his head with one of his hands. He gasps, his veins pumping black ooze. “Fuck… what am I?” He asks. Brenner shrugs. “I’d ask the expert if I were you.” He says, gesturing towards a Demon sitting on the curb behind him. “Howdy, Bright,” Abraxas says. Bright falls to his knees. “No… you died. Both of you… You’re not real!” he shouts, jumping up. He runs away from Brenner and Abraxas, down an alley and onto another street. Jackson charges at him, shotgun in hand. Bullet holes riddle Jackson’s body, a stark reminder of how he died. Brenner and Abraxas chase him as well, both of them having wounds correlating to where they died. “Fuck… no!” Bright shouts, running away again. He rounds a corner, coming face to face with Gears and Frost. “NO! YOU’RE NOT REAL!” he shouts, running away from them. Frost looks over at Gears. “Fuck, he’s snapped.” Gears says in response. The two men chase after Bright as he runs towards their old HQ.
Frost and Gears enter the old HQ they once called home. Gears shines a flashlight down the hallway, landing on a sign that reads ‘Warehouse’. “Bingo.” He says, venturing forth. Frost turns on the facility’s lights, and the duo comes face-to-face with a massive machine resembling a doorway, as well as three large pylons. “These triangulate the Quantum Lock?” Frost asks, reaching out to touch one of the pylons. Gears nods. “Indeed. Let’s get these bad boys set up outside, and hopefully Lucy and Cass find their way here soonish.” He says, hauling the second pylon outside after Frost. As they set up the three pylons, two women approach from the distance. “HOWDY!” Lucy shouts, waving at them. Frost waves back, and Gears nods. “Good,” he says, plugging in the final pylon. “Good news, guys!” Cass says. Gears looks over at them, intrigued. “Oh? What’s up?” he asks. Cass smiles at Lucy. “Tell him!” She says. Lucy clears her throat. “I killed Dragon. For good.” She says loudly. Frost’s face lights up in happiness, and Gears smiles. “Good fucking riddance, finally. Took us, what, forty-odd years?” He asks. Lucy nods. “Yup! I got him! Cass and I tore his spine in half and curb-stomped him!” She says. Frost looks taken aback. “Wow, you really went the extra mile, huh?” He asks. Lucy nods. Gears clears his throat. “Now listen up, guys. These pylons triangulate the Quantum Lock. I’ll need a large power source, as well as bait to lure him in. Cass, you are my battery, okay? And… Lucy. he knows you the best, you can serve as bait.” He says. Lucy raises an eyebrow. “And what will you and Frost be doing?” She asks. Gears smirks. “Making sure you don’t fucking incinerate the moment I flip the power switch.” He says. Lucy widens her eyes. “Huh?” She asks. Gears claps his hands together. “Good! Now, places everyone!” He calls out.
Temporal Lock-
Wolfrun, 2028-
Lucy wanders down the streets, alone. “Bright!? Come on out, I wanna talk!” She shouts. Eventually, something stirs in an alley nearby. “A-Are you… real?” He asks, creeping out of the shadows. He resembles a Zombie, his hair matted and bloody, and his skin aged and ghoulish. “Yeah, let’s go back to the old HQ. I got the others waiting. I have good news.” She says, slowly approaching him. Bright backs away. “NO! I need some proof. Proof you’re real.” he says. Lucy sighs. “I killed Dragon a few hours ago. Ripped his spine in half and smashed his teeth on a book. I’m me, can we go?” She asks. Bright ponders for a swift moment and nods. “Let’s get going,” Lucy says, leading him out of the alleyway. He follows her out into an intersection where the pylons hide behind lamp posts. “Almost there…. NOW!” Lucy shouts, and Cass shoves both of her hands into a generator. Gears flips the switch, and Frost aims a device at Bright. He screams in pain and thrashes around. He sends black ooze everywhere, splattering on Cass and several parts of Gears’ device. Cass cries out in pain, and Gears runs over. The power for pylon three starts to lower, and Bright can slowly move once more. “FUCK IT!” He shouts, shoving his arm inside the generator. His eyes glow green, and the power levels rise once more. Bright screams one last time, and eventually falls silent. One last word slips past his lips: “Director…” He says, freezing in time. Frost rushes over to help Gears out of the machine, and Lucy runs over to Cass.
“Hey, you good?” Frost asks Gears, who’s lying on the ground. His arm’s burnt, but he nods. “Fine… check on Cass.” He says. Frost shakes his head. “Lucy’s on it. Here, let me help you the same way you helped me earlier. Patched me up and whatnot.” He says with a smile. Gears nods, smiling back. They head back down into the facility as Lucy tends to Cass. She lies on the ground, her eyes smoking and her arm completely blown off. “H-hey, Babe.” She says, noticing Lucy next to her. “You gonna be okay?” Lucy asks Cass, who struggles to stand. “Yeah…. No, probably not.” She says, falling onto her back. Oil leaks all around her, and she laughs. “Look at you… crying over a m-machine…” She says weakly. Lucy sniffles, wiping a tear from her eye. “I’m not crying… and you’re more than a robot.” She argues. Cass smiles. “A truth and a lie, huh? S-Sure, I’ll play one… last… game…” She says, sparks flying from her neck. She looks up at Lucy. Lucy, her eyes now red and puffy, cries over Cass. “No. I mean it. You’ve grown into such a good Human. You’re kind, smart, and honest. That’s how I know you’ll be okay…” Lucy says quietly. Cass chuckles. “L-Look at me, dear. I’m missing an arm. I’m sparking like never before, and I’ve l-lost enough oil to take c-care of the same car for t-twenty years…” She sighs. “Listen to me. M-Mourn me, but don’t y-you DARE get h-hung up on me. Move on. Y-You deserve to find a nice, smart young woman… Do it… for…” She says, her eyes faint glow finally shutting off. Cass’s head hits the cement with a dull thunk. Lucy looks down at her, smiling. “Cass? Do it for… you?” She asks, the smile fading from her face as Cass doesn’t answer. “...” She sits in silence for a moment. “...Cass?” She asks, to no response. The fans inside of Cass keeping her cool slowly wind down, and the heat that usually protrudes from her vents slowly stops. Lucy stands up, wiping more tears from her eyes. “Goodbye, Cass. I hope I can see you again… one day…” She says, hanging her head low for a while in silence.
New Destinations-
The Euphoric Plain, 2028-
Gears and Frost wait in the Gateway room, preparing the device to be used. Lucy walks in alone, and Frsot looks confused. “Hey, where’s Cass?” He asks. Lucy looks at him, her eyes still red from sobbing. He nods and looks back down at his work. Gears sighs. “I don’t know where ARCs go when they die, but I hope she made it to the big Cloud Server in the sky.” He says, plugging in the machine. The Gateway whirrs to life, and a black and orange rift generates within the metal arch. “Listen, guys. Someone’s gotta stay behind to ensure that Bright doesn’t slip through the temporal lock. You two go, find a new dimension, and make sure this never happens again. Understood?” He asks. Lucy nods. “Yes, Sir.” She says, throwing up a half-hearted salute. She walks over and hugs him tightly. “Thank you for trusting me.” She says, squeezing him. Gears nods. “I’m sure you’re honestly a good person. I hope you find Alastor someday. Go through that rift and make a difference, ya hear?” He says. Lucy nods and enters the portal. Frost steps up to him and smiles. “We had quite the adventure, huh?” He asks. Gears nods. “Fuck yeah, Frost. We did.” He says, patting him on the back. Frost waves at him and enters the portal as well. Gears takes a deep breath and sighs. “There. I did your fucking task. Happy?” He asks aloud. The Director materializes right next to him. “Yeah, fairly. I got a new busty Angel to fuck with and two new toys to torment as I please!” He says with a grin. Gears looks at him. “You’re sure nobody knows my true identity?” He asks. The Director nods, holding up a hand to silence him. “Relax, nobody even knows who the ‘God Of Time’ is, anyway.” He assures Gears. Gears nods and asks a final question. “Where’d they go?” He asks. The Director smiles. “Where I want them to go. Have some faith, Chronos. You did good” He says, vanishing.
Been Here, Done That-
Saint Louis, 1971-
Lucy emerges from the orange and black rift, noticing a much larger Gateway behind her. She looks around, skyscrapers lit up in the midnight sky. She looks to the ground, a newspaper nearby reading ‘1971’. “Getting a sense of Deja Vu…” She mutters to herself, stepping forward. A woman rushes up to her, waving her down. She wears a white tank top, stained in oil. Grey carpenter pants hold an assortment of tools hiding underneath her white lab coat. The Division 18 emblem is embroidered on the coat’s pocket, and the boots make a loud noise with every impact on the stone brick pathway. Her long, brown hair flows behind her as she runs towards Lucy. “Can I help you?” Lucy asks, cautious of the crazy woman before her. She pants, and waves. “Hi. I’m a doctor. Are you a Demon?” She asks. Lucy nods. “Uh, yeah, I think so. I got two horns and a tail, so…” She says. The woman nods and claps enthusiastically. “GOOD! I needed a Demon!” She says happily. Lucy cocks her head to the side. “Need a Demon?” She asks. The woman extends a hand, revealing a golden chain around her neck. Lucy follows it down to her cleavage, where a golden and purple amulet rests snugly between her breasts. Lucy shakes it, staring at the amulet. “I’m Lucy, and I’m guessing you’re… Doctor Bright?” She asks. Bright nods. “Yeperinos! Abigail Bright, founder and head of Division 18. Researching and understanding the paranormal!’ Abigail says. Lucy continues to stare down at the necklace, and Abigail blushes. “Hey, uh, Lucy, was it? Yeah, um… my eyes are up here…” She says sheepishly, and Lucy’s face runs red. “WOAH! Sorry, you just remind me of someone…” She says, waving her hands around. Abigail shrugs. “Oh well, you know how it is. Being a smoking hot chick with a good hefty rack and all, it’s hard to ignore.” She says. Lucy raises an eyebrow. “You think I’m hot?” She asks. Abigail’s face runs red. “What!? No!” She says, covering her face with both of her hands. Lucy chuckles. “Listen, take me back to your base. I can give you the rundown on Hell and whatnot.” She says. Abigail nods, leading Lucy back to the jeep she drove in on,
Things Yet To Come-
The Institute, ????-
“Sir, are you positive letting him go was a good idea?” Eris asks. The Director sighs. “Question me again, Eris, and I’ll have you sent to Metatron in that fucking prison. Or worse, you’ll be on recon.” He says. Eris nods. “I’m sorry, Sir. But Chronos is dangerous, we should really keep-” “Eris.” The Director says. Eris nods and leaves his office. The Director sighs, leaning back in his chair. He swivels around, revealing thousands of millions of screens surrounding his office on every wall. His office resides in the tower of a massive Panopticon, with screens showing thousands of universes. He leans in on Lucy and Abigail and smirks. “There you are… let’s see what mischief you can come up with…” He says with a chuckle.