by Wesley Brown
“It’s done,” Blink said.
“You…” was all Reaper could say.
“You didn’t have to do it,” Blink said.
“I didn’t want you to do it,” Reaper said. “I would have.” He took the scythe.
“But I did,” Blink said. He kept his eyes away from Reaper. His hand trembled, and he grabbed it with the other. “We still need to take care of Specter.”
“I can deal with Specter,” Reaper said. There was an eerie stillness. “Go home, Blink.” With no words, Blink was gone. Specter stood a distance from Reaper.
“I’m proud of him,” Specter said.
“You!” Reaper roared. He moved so fast toward Specter, it seemed instantaneous. Reaper could feel the combined strength of vanquished foes rise in him. Specter was not worried, until he opened his eyes down at street level. Reaper landed on top of Specter, and the force of his impact shook the block. People out on the street panicked and fled the area as rocks and dirt whipped past them. “He was just an innocent boy!” Reaper screamed as he pummeled Specter into a depression. Specter pushed Reaper off of him. The monster rose from the hole.
“Not so innocent now, is he?” Specter smirked. “Look at the evidence. Reaper. That boy has been using you to his own ends.”
“Enough words, creature,” Reaper said as his scythe shifted into a spear.
“He’s broken now,” Specter stated. “You won’t be able to fix him any more than Captain Teach or the Yeti. You couldn’t save your wife and son… not even Perseus.”
“Back to hell!” Reaper shouted, and threw the spear. It pierced deep into Specter’s chest. “And take your vile tongue with you.” The scythe took it’s natural form as Reaper pulled it back, slicing Specter diagonally.
“You… That will be the last time you ever!” Two halves of Specter spread apart and he dropped to the ground. He gasped and grunted.
“No. No more wounds,” Reaper said. Specter’s black, tar-like blood gushed from him and steamed as it sunk into the rock.
“Inferno,” Specter whispered. Reaper lifted the scythe over his head. Just before his stroke fell, Inferno materialized out of an explosion that threw Reaper back. Fire blew out of the hell steed’s nostrils. Inferno’s rocky hide flaked off into a vortex of fire and coals surrounding Specter.
“I will find you, Specter!” Reaper screamed into the fire. “This doesn’t end here!”
Chapter Fifteen:
Home
Having suffered an embarrassing defeat at the hands of Reaper, Specter returned to Phantasm’s Plane. Once in the hellscape his body repaired itself rapidly. He rose, steadying himself on Inferno’s back. As the atmosphere accepted him, he felt a pull. This sensation tugged at him until he reached the wall of fire Phantasm resided behind.
“You summoned me, my lord?” Specter asked
“Useless.” The booming voice of Phantasm spoke. “Pathetic.” Specter’s head dropped, ashamed. “You’ve failed me again.”
“No, my lord, this is all to one end.” Specter argued.
“What end? Am I not still in my prison?”
“Well, yes.”
“I grow tired of your schemes. You usurped my former right hand and campaigned that you could free me, yet here I rot.”
“My lord, I-I only need more,” Specter paused. “Time. Yes, more time.”
“Time!” Phantasm shouted and the plane shook. His enormous yellow eyes burned brighter than the flames before him. “It is my belief that the only time it is, is to replace you.”
“No! Do not cast me out, great and mighty Phantasm.” Specter begged. “It’s Death, he is still the key, the piece of the puzzle left to free you. I need only release him, then you will be free to enact your vengeance.”
“If you fail me again, I will take back all that I have lent to you.” Specter felt a tingling on his arms, it turned to pain as he fell to his knees. He looked as his metal flesh dusted away, revealing human skin. It boiled and popped in the heat of Phantasm’s Plane. White teeth formed behind his beartrap of a mouth.
“My lord, I swear, I will not fail. Please, restore me!” Phantasm let Specter’s wounds fester a moment longer before returning him to his nightmarish glory. Specter stood and straightened his hood.
“What do you need from me to be successful?” Phantasm asked. A sort of confidence exploded deep within Specter.
“My lord…”
***
January 1st, 1900, the start of another millennium and Reaper wandered the green countryside of England. In his travelling he found himself in a vaguely familiar place. Off in the distance, the Atlantic Ocean fell harshly on the rocks. Behind him on a hill was the ruins of a once mighty fortress. Reaper’s eyes widened. I know this rubble. Camelot. His gaze shot towards the base of the cliffs, then took off running. Heart pounding like it hadn’t in years. A kind of joy crossed him. What but to look upon a familiar face.
There was the cave he had once used to travel to and from Avalon. At the entrance to the cave Reaper called out, “Edeline!” His voice echoed down into the dark, but never came back to him. The sound of his steps bounced off the walls as he ran deeper into the dark. Before changing his eyes to see in the dark, there was a pale purple glow. He drew nearer to it, just to find Avalon on the other side of some hanging vines. The tranquility took Reaper in a powerful embrace. From his knees Reaper looked up and saw the endless night, sick with stars. Something was wrong, he touched his face. Tears?
“Reaper, it’s been some time.” Edeline said walking along a dirt path. “Tell me, did you find what you were looking for?”
“No.” Reaper answered clinching his jaw and keeping his head down.
“I’m sorry to hear that.”
“I wanted to do good, to be a hero, but that doesn’t go with what I am.”
“You still feel haunted by your demons, Death and Specter.” Reaper nodded silently.
“I just want peace now. I’m tired of fighting.”
“I would offer you sanctuary. I will fight your battles.” Reaper took a break from his sobbing to give her his attention. “Oh Reaper, you need not cry. You are in Avalon now; you will be safe here. Death is no match for me, and Specter will not stray so far from his master’s house.”
“After all this time, despite what I’ve done and what I am, you would still help me. Why?” Edeline smiled, her teeth shined like stars above them. She put out a hand.
“Because it is good to do a good thing.”
***
Blink arrived in his bedroom, greeted by the yapping of his minuet dog. The young man crawled into his bed and Isaiah nestled up to his rear. Tears raced away from Blink’s eyes. Isaiah hopped up and licked at Blink’s face. As Blink attempted to stop the affectionate barrage, he noticed the light shining through his window.
With Isaiah in hand, Blink rushed to the light. Could it be? He thought. At the push of a button the glass slid open, Blink’s head shot out. The sky was vibrant, birds were alive and singing. A breeze trespassed into Blink’s nose, filling him with a delightful sent.
“Amazing.” Blink said. “Isaiah, we did it.” The joy he felt was fleeting, as he was suddenly brought down with intense pain. He dropped the dog and gripped his sides. There was a small chip on his desk, he reached over, and inserted it into his eyepiece.
“Program, online. Mickey, at your service.” The artificial intelligence said.
“S-scan.” Blink huffed and puffed. “Temporal anomalies.”
“Error.” Mickey said. Blink slammed his fist down on his desk.
“What do you mean, error?” Blink screamed.
“Quantity of anomalies is growing exponentially. I cannot process.” Blink fell to the floor, drenched in sweat.
“Give me a year. Pinpoint cause of anomalies.”
“Error.”
“Give me something!” Blue flames blanketed Blink as his body seemed to fade in and out of time. “Did we lose?” He looked to Isaiah who was cowering under the bed. Th
rough the window Blink saw white and blue flashes as the timeline was being destroyed. “I’m sorry buddy. I think I have to go.” He put out his hand and Isaiah went to shake, but his paw passed through as Blink disappear.