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I knew I wasn’t normal
And don’t get me wrong, normal is a very loose term in this world of super hero’s and villains, but I don’t mean it a super power type way. I mean it in a fundamental truth type way. Even the oldest memory I can remember has me be influenced in a way, guided to the most desirable outcome.
Be it a gut feeling whispering to me to take a left instead of a right that would’ve ended up at a cape fight, or choosing to pick a lottery ticket that just seemed right. That lottery ticket won me $3000.
What I’m trying to say is that I’m not normal, normal people don’t have a voice helping them, a voice urging them on, a voice telling him to conquer and slaughter them as is his right as a C’1@3.
…. So yeah. I know I’m not normal.
And I’m okay with that.
___________________________
It was chaos.
The endbringer sirens went off what felt like minutes ago but was hours, me and mom where huddled in the local shelter, listening to the sounds of battle outside. Even this deep underground you could still hear the screams of dying capes.
Endbringers, one of every man’s worst fears, beings only meant to cause destruction and death in whatever city they attack every 3 months. Be it the one eyed hero killer, the Behemoth with radiation and nuclear fire or the horridly beautiful hope killer, the Simurgh and her song that drives those who hear it insane. Or in our special case, the Leviathan, the city killer. A lizard like monster that controls water.
The shelter was filled with the crud of baby’s and small children, too young to understand what was going on. The adults were quiet, trying to hush the children as if the endbringer could hear them. I knew it didn’t matter, after all we were too deep to be heard rig-The sound of flesh striking metal ringed throughout the shelter.
Oh…
Crap
The crying got louder with adults joining in this time. Dear god I didn’t want to die! There’s still so much I wanted to do and-a hole appeared above us.
Malignant green eyes stared down at us and all was quiet
And then he closed his fist
Screams escaped mouths and where silenced just as quick as half of the men, women and children exploded in a burst of red gore. I felt warmth appear to my left and Deargodnopleasebsyonebuthershesallihaveleft.
My head turnt to the left and I saw naught but a pile guts and bones in a Sea of red.
My mom was all I had left. She was the one who comforted me, the one who held me and told me it was okay after a day at hell in Winslow. She was the one who told me that I’m okay, that Its okay to be different that no matter what they said Im not a freak.
And
She
Was
Gone
My mind broke, and I screamed, a scream that tore apart Timespacerealitycrumbledand-
Suddenly I wasn’t there.
I was in an empty space devoid of everything, light, space, gravity. Everything. Everything but the figure I front of me.
It hurt to look at them, the closest I could describe it as was a scaled creature, similar to that of a dragon but at the same time it was a gaseous creature but at the same time it wa-
Container
And suddenly I understood.
“It was you.” It was a statement, not a question for I knew with absolute certainty it was them.
Yes
The gut feeling.
“Why?”
The choice I was so sure was right.
I can’t very well let my container die now can I?
The urge to conquer.
“Why have you brought me here?” This being was content with just making sure I lived a comfortable life, why would it summon me now?
Like those parasitic entities, I could only communicate with you in a time of suffering, of grief. A time of anger. And now I offer you a choice.
An image appeared behind this monstrous being
You could decline the offering I am about to present to you and survive this event, forgetting all that had transpired here. You could live a life of the mundane and average, content to wallow in your own grief of not being able to save those you love until the day you die.
The image showed me doing exactly that. Living an average life with an average family always wondering what could’ve been if I had just done something, anything to save her.
Or
The image changed
Live the life of a conquer, one befit of a host strong enough to contain me. A life of glory, where songs will be sung in your honour. A world where everyone knows your name, be it through fear or worship.
The image showed me in an unfamiliar form, slaughtering armies and taking over the world. Bit by bit, piece by piece.
I pondered, for neither was truly desirable. To have a family and a job would be good, but I would not want to wonder on ifs and buts, to always look back but never forward. To conquer and be known by all sounds amazing, but the bloodshed to result of it sounds horrible. I could not decide, each had its cons and each had pros… but what if
“What if I chose both?”
The entity tilted/twisted/rotated its head.
Oh? Just what do you mean, container?
“What if I did a bit of both, what if I conquered those who opposed me, but lived a life of love and support on the side, a normal life?”
The being was silent for a moment, then threw its head back and laughed/cackled/screeched.
My word! I have not met a mortal as interesting as you since Szarekh! And even then he was so focused on killing those wretched old ones that he never even considered a different option for his people!
The being was silent for a moment, it’s non-existent shoulders still shaking from laughter.
Very well then Greg Veder! I accept your proposal! But know this, once you accept you will not be the man you once were. Oh you will still have your memories and such.
And before I could blink the being was in my face, its cold dead hole/eyes/sockets staring into my own.
But you will also have mine. Are you willing to accept over a millennia of death, slaughter and consumption?
I closed my eyes and asked a single question.
“Will I get to kill the bastard who did this, the bastard who killed my mom?”
The being grinned/smirked/smiled.
Yes
I opened my eyes, hardened with resolve and gave my answer, an answer that would change my life in unimaginable ways.
“Let’s do this then.”
And then I knew nothing more.
_______________________________
The Endbringer had breached a civilian shelter and brought even more chaos to what was already a veritable clusterfuck of a fight. The screams of the dying and broken filled the air along with blaster powers, pelting the Endbringer in a futile attempt to force it back. Brutes threw themselves at the beast only to get sliced in half by pressurized water while thinkers gave out orders and tinkers attacked from all ranges.
Brockton Bay looked more like a battlefield then the once proud city it was mere hours ago. With streets being flooded by the gallon full and buildings collapsing all around. If destruction could be personified, it would be this.
In the centre of it all, in a deep pit in front of a breached metal stood Levithan, 30 feet tall clad in green scales and razor sharp claws along with an eerily featureless mouth save for 4 eyes. 3 On one side with a single one remaining on the other.
Leviathan backed up and raised its fist once more, preparing to clench and snuff out every soul in that shelter. But before they could even think of doing that, a presence made itself known.
This presence was one of promised death, of total and absolute destruction. The Endbringer went stock still with its fist in the air, the nearby capes went unconscious, unable to handle the sheer pressure emanating off this unknown presence. Suddenly, without warning, a voice rang out.
“For 16 long years, We have slumbered.”
Silence, for that’s whats a being of this magnitude demanded. And then, a figure rose from the ruined shelter. A teenage boy with blond hair and eyes as green as the lightning crackling around them.
“And we have finally awakened, and we are angry.”
Wings sprouted from their back. Segmented wings of a silver metal that twisted and writhed, as if it was alive.
“Endbringer, you have taken something precious from us. And as a dragon, we cannot let that stand.”
A bronze shell appeared on its back with a tail twice as long as the boy emerging from it, tipped with a sickly green blade that seemed to warp reality around it. As the tail grew so too did metal, the same living metal as the wings began to encompass the boy until eventually his entire body was covered, with a hole remaining where his face should of been.
“Hear me Endbringer!”
A spear appeared in his right hand.
“We are he who has eaten a galaxy of stars!”
Arcane energy began to form in his left, bending the laws of reality to his whims.
“We are he who has endured the cruelty of this world!”
He began to float towards the Endbringer, who remained as still as the dead. The capes who have not collapsed in awe of the pure power exuding off this being could see something in the beasts eyes, something they never thought possible for it to feel, only cause.
Fear
“Hear me Endbringer!”
The god -for what else could it be- pointed its’ spear at the monster, trapping it in a green prism and ceasing all attempts at escape.
“I am Greg Veder!”
The Leviathan began to thrash in a desperate attempt to escape. It was futile, for you cannot deny a gods will.
“I am Mag’ladroth!”
Energy began to condense around the spear tip, twisting the very atoms that make our reality up to this beings will.
“Together, we are the VOID DRAGON!”
“And we, are your death”
White
That’s all everyone could see for miles as the energy at the tip of the spear left and sped towards target. And then the noise of reality being torn asunder filled the air, causing those to be near the initial firing go deaf from the pure sound being produced. But once more silence fell upon the field with only the sound of swaying water able to be heard.
Visions cleared and eyes opened to something they never thought possible. What once stood the beast who sunk Newfoundland and Kyushu laid nought but ash and dust on the wind. They didn’t want to believe it- couldn’t believe it. But after 5 minutes of silence they realized, he was gone for good.
The capes and civilians alike cheered and rejoiced for they stood a chance! They would not die a bloody death! They could fight back! As they celebrated survival and victory, the Void Dragon floated to the ground. With the living metal from his body receding leaving only the blond young man from before with a crown on his head and the wings in his back.
Legend, Alexandria and Eidolon, the triumvirate, floated down in front of the young man. Legend stepped forward in his blue and white body suit and asked the questions on all their minds.
“Who are you?”
The boy gave a small smile, a smile that revealed nothing but everything at the same time.
“As I said earlier, I am Greg Veder, I am Mag’ladroth, I am the Void Dragon”
“I am a star god, I am C’tan.“
And that he will be, now and forevermore. So is his will.