The Shadowverse

by Francesca Gallo

  Sonovan stood up quickly and paced to the entrance. His fingers brushed his chin as he contemplated. “I know what has transpired.”

  Johnny stood up and furrowed his brow, dirty blond hair strewn in an untidy bunch.

  “What are you talking about?”

  “Titan had likely told her to destroy her past. If what you said is true, that means the only past to kil … is her father.”

  “What would that accomplish?”

  “After that, she could be broken. That was the plan. Titan wanted her broken, to forget the only man she had ever loved.”

  Ryan’s eyes burned with anger. In fact, they had never seen him so full of rage. “No!”

  he screamed in a paroxysm. “I’ll kill him myself!” A kickboxing dummy nearby blew apart in his fury. A single punch made it dust.

  Rose struggled to balance herself. She glared at Sonovan. “This is your fault! You were the one who opened the Xun to our universe a mil ennium ago! Why? To satisfy your depressed, selfish life?!” she spat in a frenzy of anger, arms flailing about in animation. “Yeah, I heard the story. You killed all those bugs that were released. But the time vortex! You alone are responsible! If you had never committed such a sin, my father would still be alive! Even my real parents would still be alive! Everyone that monster ever came across would still live. Damn you!” She advanced toward him to discharge her wrath, but Ryan stepped in the way, blocking her path. He held her back with his strength.

  “No, no one needs to be hurt, Rose.”

  “Get out of my way, Ryan,” she hissed, glowering at him.

  Despite her resistance, he held her steady. “No, I can’t. Please, come with me.”

  Sonovan lowered his head. He knew she was right. What he had done. Why was he so foolish? The pure Ooris of the Shadowverse bathed him, made him stronger than anyone in history, yet at what cost? “I know, Rose. I know. You are right. It was my doing. The blood of countless peoples is on me. Because I was foolish. I was selfish. In every sense of the word, I was wrong. Guilty on a tril ion counts.”

  “Yes, you are!” she spat.

  “Rose, I beg you,” Ryan replied, “Come with me.”

  Because of his gentleness, she released herself. He nodded in satisfaction and brought her to the cliff outside. She backed out, eyes locked on Sonovan as if prey, but the man did not fret or turn away. His eyes locked on hers as well. Hmm, he is strong, she noted.

  The breeze cooled them as they both sat on the edge as the night fell upon the mountains of Herook. Stars shined as the Milky Way’s arms stretched out across the sky. Now is Ryan’s turn to comfort.

  Marveling at the view for only an instant, Rose found a spot to sit on the cliff. Ryan lay adjacent to her, cross-legged, just as Sonovan had imparted to him. For some time,

  neither spoke. When he sensed she had calmed down a bit, he then began. “Look, I know you feel hatred. But you have to listen to me right now. It will get you nowhere.

  And yeah, I know the feeling.”

  Without glancing, she replied, “No, you don’t. I don’t think you could.”

  “I never told you.” She glanced at him inquisitively, and he prodded forward with a story of his own. “You ever wonder what happened to my Dad?”

  She now turned to him, for he had piqued her interest. “I thought he just stayed home a lot.”

  Shaking his head in reaction to her response, he exhaled in sorrow. “No. Here’s what really happened. As you know, I was an only child. One day, my parents took me out for a ride. I was sixteen, and my father was driving. My mom sat in the back, and I in the front passenger seat. Out of nowhere, a piece of shit car hits ours. My Dad, uh, my Dad didn’t…he didn’t m-make it,” he said, his voice cracky. A tear seeped from his eye and fell to the ground like a piece of lead. “And worse, the driver was drunk. Turns out he had gotten a promotion and celebrated with alcohol. We were the ones who were affected by his mistake. We were innocent—innocent!

  “Only my mother and I made it out. It was the worst day of my life. For months, I promised myself to murder the guy who crashed into us. I even had a plan devised. But she found out because I had it saved in my documents. I was stuck without the revenge I craved so much. And you know what? Even to this day, the anger resides in me. It’s in there. It was al that bastard’s fault. If only he hadn’t gotten the promotion, or if we had not gone for a ride that day. Such smal things came together perfectly to cause that to happen. To this day, I have never drunk a drop of liquor. I made a vow to never drink.

  “But one day I realized there was more to it. If I held onto the anger, the rage, only I would be burned.”

  She was awestruck and saddened by his story. “How did you keep such a thing beneath your personality?”

  “It’s like Sonovan once told me. Desire. I no longer wanted to be plagued by the hatred, so I did something about it.”

  “I envy you.” She placed her hand on top of his fingers, dwarfed by the size of his.

  He glanced down and swal owed.

  “You can too. You know, when we found out you were taken by that monster; those were some of the worst moments of my life. I was frightened nearly as much as when my father was killed.”

  Her eyes widened. “You were frightened? For me?”

  “Uh, yeah,” he responded hastily.

  Without hesitation, she started to lean in. He gulped because he knew what this entailed. Those YouTube videos had better not fail me now, he thought.

  Just when something was brewing between the two, Johnny zoomed in, shocked to see it. “Whoa, whoa, whoa, am I interrupting anything?”

  Ryan gulped again. Rose rolled her eyes, smirked, and helped him up this time. “Uh, no? Yes? I don’t know,” he stammered.

  “Real y Johnny? Now?” she groaned.

  Johnny held up his hands in defense. “All right, sorry. I was just checking to make sure you weren’t impaling him or something.”

  She giggled despite still gazing at Ryan. That hammered the signal into Johnny’s dense head, so he instinctively discerned he should leave. They were both standing now. Without warning, she planted a kiss on his cheek. Ryan froze, mentally concerned and debating how a literally fiery girl could make him freeze. “That is my way of saying thank you. Thank you, Ryan. Thank you so much.”

  Stunned, Ryan’s voice cut out. A minute was needed before his dazed brain could process her move. “Uh, wow. T-That was so—”

  “Don’t ruin it by being yourself,” she cut in, rolling her eyes.

  He couldn’t help it. He burst out laughing. “Wel , I did go through psychic hell to get you back, so I think I deserve it, honestly.”

  “You did great.”

  “You knew?”

  “I still saw everything.”

  Inside, Rose met up with everyone in a more civilized fashion. She even met the one she had wel -nigh attacked. “I am sorry for what I said to you, Sonovan.”

  Placing a soothing hand on her shoulder, he said, “Never apologize for the truth, Rose. Every word you spoke was nothing but the truth—not lies. A truth I have been burdened with for a millennium. And to add to the list, I am sorry for your father. But I know we can build a relationship.”

  A few teardrops oozed out of her eyes. She wiped the drops off with her hand.

  “Every one of you is my only family now.”

  “Thanks, Rose,” Johnny replied. “We’l take care of you,” he looked to the others,

  “together.”

  “Oh, I think Rocky here has the care part already covered,” Dustin chuckled. “Too bad I missed it.”

  “Ugh, say goodbye to that money I had bet,” sighed Sam.

  Rose tried to ignore them and glanced to Jane, who kept quiet, as always. “Well, uh, Jane! How have you gotten by?”

  “I’m trying my best.” She was much smal er than Rose. “And I don’t think my best is enough.”

  “You can’t be that way. Insecurity is a terrible thing. I learned that.”

 
; “Talking about learning, what is Titan’s plan?” Johnny interjected, hoping to skewer off from that conversation. He believed he should be the one who had to bolster Jane’s prowess. And he still wondered why the hel he thought that way.

  Rose sat down on the ground, and the rest, including Sonovan, did as well. Her eyes were far away. But there was also a deep fear inside them. “This is one of two reasons why he did not want me ripped from his grasp. Then you would find out.”

  Johnny furrowed his brow. “Find out what?”

  “His true plan for Earth.”

  ~~~

  Solis had not left Titan. He stood by the recovering Emperor. And then, out of nowhere, the shield dissipated and his eyes popped open, shining like the sun. “Where are they?” Titan bellowed, searching in haste. He could not lose them. Not again. Not

  when he had basical y beaten them. Twice. Yet, my nemesis finds a way to save them again. Incredible.

  “Gone, my lord, but not for long.”

  “What do you mean ‘gone’?”

  “Back to Herook.”

  “So they are below us.” Titan meandered toward the outlook point, the transparent barrier providing a gorgeous view of the planet below with its clouds, oceans, and landmasses.

  “Yes.”

  “I did not anticipate their rapid increase in power. How could I not?” he lamented, picking up the wreckage. “And now, I am sure they know my plan. This is the one thing I feared! I failed. My power was not enough to destroy them when I had the chance. Oora is with them, that conniving beast.”

  “My lord, there is little to worry. Leave them. There is no way to stop us. Though we cannot jump into hyperspace by a bridge since the power is still in renewal due to Justice’s escapade to kill her father, this ship is the fastest in the universe. We will outrun them before they even step on theirs.”

  Titan gazed down at the planet. “What you say is true. But, send a squadron to them.

  Fly close, lock on, and completely obliterate their location.”

  “Already done. The 2.4 Squadron just await my orders.”

  “Good. We must move quickly. The end is near. Set course for Earth.”

  He bowed and headed out, but Titan stopped him. “Also, I want criminals on board to come here as soon as possible. I will personal y end their suffering. I must let out my rage.”

  Solis nodded once and left the room. Alone, Titan viewed the effects. His throne was destroyed, his ceiling in ruins, and the wal s were close to col apsing. A team of attendants were on their way, thankful y. “That which is necessary, that I wil do.”

  CHAPTER 32

  ESCAPE

  Rose sat back, recollecting. “Titan only invades planets and adds them into his massive empire. But he only raids planets which need aid. Corrupt and suffering worlds, such as Hallux and Corsic. Then there are undeveloped worlds with unintelligent inhabitants. These he leaves alone, because they are not classified as a civilization.

  When it advances, he is there to fan the flame.

  “But his plan for Earth is much different. It is not to destroy them or to invade. The plan is to use humans. He has taken some from Earth and tested them. He claims you have some kind of spirit.”

  “Whoa, what? What do you mean?” Sam asked.

  “Elaborate,” Johnny requested.

  “A spirit. He says it is some form of a trans-dimensional energy. Apparently, he has one too.”

  “And how would he know al this?”

  “It makes sense. His knowledge of the universe is boundless, as I told you,” Sonovan replied. “This - This is why he wanted Earth so badly the first time I fought him,” he realized. Finally, after al this time, it made sense. “Because of the special trait humans, like myself, possess. But I destroyed him before he had enough time to investigate further. It is all coming together.”

  “Right. And he cal s it ‘the answer.’ Basically, he wants to become everyone. The idea is to utilize a machine he has already built. First, the machine will expose the Shadowverse to our realm. It will flood the planet with an outburst of the Shadowverse’s energies. Ooris, they call it. Once the whole atmosphere is encompassed by energy, he will shoot his consciousness into the machine. And here’s the worst part. Once that happens, everyone is doomed. His spirit will enter our bodies, and he will become each and every one of us. Or we wil become him. I don’t know. The sheer power he will possess will even grant him the ability to morph the bodies into himself.”

  “Are you actually tel ing me he’s going to pull a move like that? Holy shit. We’re al screwed,” retorted Dustin.

  “How is that possible? How could he become everyone?” Jane questioned again.

  “It’s his power. All of them will be connected to each other through one consciousness.”

  Sonovan said nothing throughout the rest of the explanation.

  “And why does he want to do this?” Ryan asked.

  “Yeah, that’s a big Q. Why the hell would he want to do that?” Sam added. Dustin nodded in approval.

  “Because then it will be easy for him to control the entire universe. And also, he can subsequently use any amount of Ooris at will.”

  “Just what I needed to hear,” Johnny muttered.

  “And Earth is where he’s going.”

  “How do you know?”

  “Because I do.”

  Just then, a sound of rockets echoed in the distant night sky. “Wait! Quiet! Do you hear that?” Johnny hushed.

  “Hear what?” Ryan asked.

  Johnny held up his hands to shush him. The sound grew louder with each passing second.

  “I think I hear something now,” Sam agreed.

  “Oh shit,” Ryan said.

  Johnny bolted to the cliff outlook he had grown to admire. In the distance, he spotted several bright lights. “Oh no, that can’t be good.”

  “What the hel is that?” Dustin fretted, peering to get a better view.

  “Well, it’s not good.”

  Sonovan pulled out a small telescope he had acquired over the years. “It’s his forces.

  We need to abandon this place.”

  The lights stopped in motion and lined up in a row across the distant sky. Sonovan knew exactly. “We have to go. Now!” He sprinted into his own room and gathered a bag of vaccines, belongings, serums, his swords, and slung it around his shoulders.

  Everything else he left.

  In moments, the squadron of fighters fired at them. Everyone ran inside as the cliff broke off under the relentless impacts. Windows of glass and pieces of Sonovan’s dwelling fell apart. Explosions blew apart the walls of the encampment. There was nowhere to run, nowhere to hide.

  Looking below, Sonovan spotted the ship they stole in a heap of fire. Their only escape route—the only way off-planet—was demolished. Uncharacteristically, he gulped as it exploded into a pillar of smoke.

  “Sam, activate your suit! We need to teleport to the cave in the west! Do you see it?”

  he pointed to a hil to the west.

  “Yeah, I see it!”

  “Do it then!”

  Rose unloaded several balls of fire at the brigade, and a few made contact.

  However, the rest were still firing, and the once safe abode in the mountains had been uncovered, fire raining down on it. A screeching sound emanated from below their feet as Sam tried to activate the Echo.

  “The entire side of this mountain is slipping,” Sonovan revealed.

  “Sam, would you hurry up?!” Ryan implored.

  “I’m working on it! Shut up!”

  “It should be activated by now!” The groans of the mountain increased.

  “Echo, I need you to activate a portal to the hill right there! See it?”

  “Affirmative. Activating.”

  The sphere popped out of the ground. “Ready. Go!”

  The group slipped into it and arrived at the mouth of a giant cave. Rushing to glimpse the state of the mountain, they were horrified at the sight. “No!” J
ohnny screamed as he watched the hideout explode into pieces. “No! Goddamnit! No!”

  “Our ship is gone as well,” Sonovan said.

  Johnny turned to him. “You have got to be kidding me. Please tell me you are just kidding.”

  “Wait, what? Our ship is gone?!” Ryan agonized.

  “How are we going to get out of here?!” Rose added. “We’re screwed!”

  “I think they marooned us,” Dustin said.

  “Yep, we’re screwed,” Sam moaned deeply.

  Jane did not know what to say. Her silence spoke for her.

  “It’s over. Earth is finished.”

  Ryan let out his incense on the cave entrance, breaking the rock. Rose was about to do the same when Sonovan prevented her. “No. If you release your rage, they wil spot us.”

  “And now we are marooned,” Sam said. “It doesn’t matter anymore.”

  Out of nowhere, behind them, they heard footsteps inside the cave. “What was that?”

  Ryan whispered. They turned to look in.

  “Light up your suits,” Johnny directed. Ryan’s illuminated green, Rose’s red, Johnny’s blue, Jane’s gray, Dustin’s gold, and Sam’s white. “Is anyone there?”

  The rainbow of colors lit up the cave, but no one appeared. “Must be my imagination.”

  “It was not.” They jumped and whipped back around to see a figure in black sweatpants, a jacket, and a white, scribbled mask leaning on the wall. It couldn’t be.

  “Hello, I believe you are in need of my assistance.”

  Everyone surmised who he was. “Z,” Johnny addressed. “Who the hel are you? How are you even here right now?”

  “That is of no concern.”

  “You seem to say that a lot.”

  “You were the one who made Titan know we existed,” Ryan said to him. “Why?”

  “He would have come to Earth soon enough.”

  “What are you? Some kind of interstel ar policeman?” Sam asked.

  “No.”

  “Then you like messing with people,” Johnny cut in.

  “You see, I’ve done some really horrific things. But now I am giving back to the universe. And the number one priority is you—all of you.” He spotted Sonovan in the back of the group and nodded. “Hello again, Sonovan.” Sonovan nodded in response.