Day 89

(note: time skip. Six days after Rick has been reconstructed. 21 days after Rick's death.)

(Little Rat POV)

Today is a good day. The servants bring me baked nibbles and watered down wine for breakfast.

Why didn't I do this earlier?

My skills have brought me my deepest desires.

Chanti's still ignoring me but that's fine. She'll open up to me again soon. Her handmaidens wash and dress her. She is still as beautiful as when we met. Don't worry my love, I'll see to your every need until you are better. I wish she would respond as she used to in bed but I'm sure that will be fixed by time too.

I have a guest waiting in my parlor.

A young man, the son of my benefactor I think his name is Neel. Well, it isn't important. If he irritates me I can just kill him. No one will even blink an eye.

“Great master, my father requests your aid. The Senator Jinal is...” [Neel]

“I don't care.” [Tirmin] “It is your infighting. Just say how you want it done.”

The boy looks at me sharply. Am I supposed to care? You don't pay enough for that.

“My grandfather wants him broken. Not killed. He thinks himself untouchable.” [Neel]

“Permanently?” [Tirmin]

“He didn't say.” [Neel]

“Good. Then I can do as I like.” [Tirmin]

The boy rudely stood up and walked away, business done.

I wrap a claw in the hair of his scalp and press a sharp knife to his throat as he gets a few steps out of my front door.

“Listen you little twit: I could kill you right here. In front of your bodyguards and the people on the street and no one would do more than kick your corpse into the gutter. Since you don't understand the relationship between your family and me, let me spell it out. You are just the ones I let live to take control of this city. If I had a mind to do it, I could take control for myself. Understand? I rule in this city. Above your family. So if I see one more stupid, insulting look from you I'll claim those eyes. One more exit, without being dismissed by me I'll take your ability to walk. If you do something stupid you'll just die where you stand. Now run, you little fool. Run!” I let go, kicking him in the backside as he scrambles for his life.

So I need to deal with this Jimal? Fine.

I need to hurt someone right now.

One ape is as good as another.

**********************************************************************************************************************

Mystery Man POV

At the same time.

My food doesn't taste as good anymore.

The words of devotion and sacrifice of my pawns rings hollow.

Is this all I amount to?

The glorious me?

To be beaten around like a volleyball.

I thought the power I had was the strongest, because I am the real one.

That fake cheated somehow!

This isn't how it should be.

I glance around my throne room.

The trophies I hung with pride now lie smashed on the floor. My throne, cast from solid gold and draped with the soft furs of the virgin priestesses of that tribe of mink people I exterminated is shattered and buried in the wall over there.

I see people all around me with glares of contempt alternating with terror. They try to commiserate with me, but they know nothing. They are nothing.

Why do I even need them any more?

That shadow thing is coming.

That metal rat is coming.

Why is my heart beating so fast? Is this a panic attack?

What is this?

My awareness fades for a time.

I wake up some time later with blood crusting upon my skin, naked and trembling. There is no satisfaction, no desire or pleasure...

The silence is deafening. The only is sound the dripping of blood onto stone.

The dead are around me, under me, on top of me.

I fling them away with my power. The city center. That's where I am. I look at the bodies, torn apart under the force of my magic. I can't help but laugh.

After all, I was going to kill all of these people eventually.  It seems that unconscious I did all the hard work. I'm free. From here on, I'll go somewhere deeper: away from the rat. Now all I have to do is...

“You disgust me.” [Rick]

No, no, no, no, no, no, no!

I'm dreaming this. Must be.

“I had a Hell of a time tracking you down, bastard. Following the stench of those corpses you use as pack mules is a miserable way to spend a day or two.” [Rick]

I look at the rat and gape as I see absurd red-black metal and a form devoid of anything organic... and yet it still stands there smoothly stroking it's chin like a living thing.

“You know when we first met, I had flash-backs to people I knew. There's a deeper connection between us below the surface. I see that now. Your reincarnation, it isn't totally random. Like my own.” [Rick]

Of course it wasn't random, I'm a chosen one! A god among men!

“Are you fucking kidding, you brain dead automaton?!” I cry. “This is my destiny, forged with my own hands and magic!”

“Pfft. Magic? You are goddamn delusional after all. After all of this, all these Earth animals made into sentient people, all this ridiculous skill and class nonsense, you still think you're living in a fantasy? You deluded little idiot, you've read too many reincarnation fantasies. You're a dead person.  Your memories were placed in your silly little brain. But it seems they deliberately made you a moron.” [Rick]

If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

I stand, slowly as I raise my power to the limit.

“Brave words from a rat bastard. Last time you ran like a little bitch from me. I don't see your fucking shadow here. I'm going to rip off that smug head and shit down the neck hole.” [Mystery Man]

Yet... why is he so calm?

“One final question. You probably want me to know it, anyway. What is your name? Your name on Earth.” [Rick] “There are so many billions it could be, but the personal way they made my experiment suggests that this place is far more insulated than I initially suspected.”

Who am I?

“I'm John. John Henry Welsh. Not that I give a flying fuck who you are, rat boy.” [John]

Wait... that damn rat is laughing.

“What the Hell is so funny?!!” [John]

“You don't know ridiculous this is. Well, I am glad at least. I was scared for a minute you were my dead brother or that psycho killer... but instead, you're just another version of me. How, utterly ridiculous.” [Rick] “John Henry Welsh is my name too. I should have expected this, I'm not the first clone. But how disgusting it is, to see yourself become the next Hitler from a secondary perspective as one of the oppressed.”

He's still fucking laughing!

“You aren't me, you stupid vermin!” [John]

“Of course not...” He glances down. “...pencil dick. I'm more like an alternate version, the better you. But you know what really amuses me? I'm going to commit suicide now.”

…

I rush at him with my haste spell active and try to crush him with my full power. I've seen men crushed into meat juice from a blow half of this, I expect there won't be more than dust remaining.

Except... he catches the punch with his open palm. And survives intact. Strange, since even the corpses in my way didn't.

“What?” [John startled]

“I worked out what it was you were doing. Your 'magic'. Damn idiot. It's just kinetic energy manipulation. Sure you're bringing out a force that'd equal a small nuclear bomb in a confined space. I just have access to energy and manipulation abilities of the same scale.” [Rick shrugging] "I perfectly countered your out put."

That's not possible. You're just some stupid robot making rat.

“Oh yes, I forgot to mention. I'm not alone.” [Rick]  

Oh shit... she's here too. No wonder he could do that.

“I don't see the ghost bitch, where is she hiding?” [John] “She couldn't kill me last time. She won't now.”

The rat's laughing again. Not good.

“First of all, she went easy on you because she didn't want to vaporize me in your little tussle, last time. This time she won't need to because she's right in plain sight you know?” [Rick]

Uh... where?

“You moron. Here. Me. She's my body, you idiot. God, you'd think someone made from my mind would still be more intelligent than this...” [Rick]

That weird metal... it's her?!

“Also, I know it's kinda wrong to say... but thanks so much for killing everyone here. I haven't detected any living person in the room since I arrived. You were very thorough. I would have hated to catch all of the innocent people in the crossfire, but monster that you are you killed them without mercy or remorse. So now there is only you and I.” [Rick shaking his head] “Oh and my 'daughter' Zephyr. Sorry baby, didn't mean to exclude you.”

Wait no... this is bad, isn't it?

“So, ass-hole version of me; how about we have a little experiment... for science!” [Rick]

Oh shit...

“The old man in charge of this place tells me the rooms directly above and below us are empty and sealed off just like this one. Yes, I know. I'm going to aim directly down. Stop talking already.” [Rick]

What is this?

“I mean I COULD blow you to Hell with the force of a thousand suns but that would seriously wreck the world, you know?” [Rick] “And anything less than a massive nuke you're going to survive... so I figure why take that route? I mean it's hardly surgical but this should be quite interesting...”

The world flashes blinding white, impossible white black and then eerie blue. A gale of immense power springs up in that instant.

I look up and that blue light is coming from a hole in the floor below us. The ground is gone and we're falling.

Wait... no I'm flying... no I'm floating, really fast. What is this?

“So... before the air runs out and I can't hear you, because vacuum doesn't convey noise... here's where you live. On a tiny little pock mark on a flat planet, that adjoins millions of others. All of them circling that delightfully azure star. Go have a nice close look, before your air runs out in space and the star eats you like a treat. Asshole.” [Rick watching]

“You'll die too!” [John]

“I don't need to breathe or eat. I could live in vacuum for millennia.” [Rick] “But I have other places to be. I hope you have a few minutes worth of air in that bubble of energy with you, I want to see you beg before you die.”

What we learned:

John = Rick + Insanity

Little Rat... he's fallen even further.

Poor Chanti. The experience has sent her into a catatonic state.

Suicide never felt so good.

The end is near.

Side note: Sorry the chapter was so late, Crab chapters and The Witcher 3 ate into my time. Each chapter will probably be later than usual as Rick ties up loose ends in the story and moves to confront the creators of the Labyrinth.