The Flame of the Crimson Rose

"I found her Cole. She-She was really messed up and got hurt really badly. Last I saw her she was unconcious but alive. Will figured she would survive though and said he'd take her to the other resistance members. We should have her back, and she should be ok-or at least she will be."

'Thank God,' Cole thought as the burden of which he hadn't been aware of lifted from his spirit. He nodded to Addison and mouthed a silent 'Thank you.'

"So that unconscious girl Will handed over to a Resistance member was Susanna? Mind if I ask who she is?" Elsie was beaming as always, in that respect she reminded him of his sister, which made him smile.

"She was part of our original team, she was our healer. They kidnapped her right after we lost her boyfriend Nathan to Ea." Cole's eyes dropped as he remembered that horrible moment. It was the first time he had spoken of it since then, and part of him wished he hadn't.

Bit Nathan was the other reason he was here, to stop the bloodshed. To stop the Order, to stop the King.

"It seems all clear so far... I'm ready when you guys are."

"Caleb's right, there's no time to lose." Cole put his hand on Elsie's shoulder as he passed and followed Caleb up the stairs. His heart was heavy with foreboding, but his footsteps remained determined, driven by justice.

 

"Caleb's right, there's no time to lose."

Cole marched up the steps to where Caleb stood. Caleb slapped Cole on the shoulder.

"You know, I've just had a thought; what do we do after all this? Somehow I don't think I can just move cities and get back to my exams. Will I hide my powers? No doubt after this there will be a public backlash against them. Will I become a super hero? Will life ever be normal? Will all our powers disappear after we beat the king?."

Caleb shook his head with a sad smile, "What are you going to do Matey?" he asked Cole.

 

Addi saw Cole get a fleeting look of relief before he mouthed 'thank you' to her. With a little nod she mouthed 'you're welcome back. He then turned to Elsie who it seemed was only just figuring out who they were talking about.

"Would be handy to have a healer about when we go up to take on the big boss. Oh, and I can't wait to see Rocky again..." I laughed with glee, "Although in a break from tradition, I just want to talk to him when I see him, rather then cut him to pieces, or blow him up. I think I should if I have time."
She smiled slighty at his little speech. It felt so wonderful to just relax for a little bit.

"Hopefully there will be a mind blowing plot twist although I hope I don't turn out to be your brother Addi. That would be creepy. Hmm for the first time in my life I'm kind of hoping the 'And it was all a dream' card to be played."

Addi suddenly stiffened in his arms. She had thought about Gage for a long time, what with the heat of the battle and all. But Caleb's mention of brother caused her memories of what had happened to come rushing in. Caleb let her go, and she stumbled back a few steps, not changing how she was standing.

'Snap out of it, ok?' In her mind she tried to get herself back, 'this is not the time, so SNAP OUT OF IT!' From the stairs Caleb's voice drifted back to her, giving her something else to focus on.

"It seems all clear so far... I'm ready when you guys are."

"Caleb's right, there's no time to lose." Cole quickly followed. Slowly Addi forced herself to push the memories from her mind in order to follow Cole.

 

A full two inches of snow now rested upon the top of the Fenien Building. Alex enjoyed the snow, it reminded him of better times. Images of roses, ice skates, a beautiful woman, and a hospital bed filled his mind. Times from before. Alex's mind was returned to the present by the steam curling into the air from where the heat from The Rock was melting away nearby snow. Even though the air was thick with snow, and the ground layered thick, the stone melted all of the snow nearby. Not a single flake graced the King's skin.

The group of friends didn't meet any resistance as they chatted and proceeded up the last floors to the roof. It bothered Candice and Will, who had been expecting further fights, but Chalybs knew better. He had only met the King once or twice, but he understood that the King wasn't the kind to horde himself up behind further soldiers. He simply didn't need to. So, when the group reached the final door, Chalybs walked right past Will and Candice, who were preparing to burst through, and simply opened the door. They weren't greeted with gunfire, or battle cries, or hell fire. They were greeted by nothing more than a snowy rooftop and a young-man. He didn't wear the typical villain wardrobe of designer suits or crimson capes or night black armor. He wore a simple leather jacket and blue jeans. He wasn't special. He looked like any other civilian. Except for the lack of snow. No snow fell where he sat, it all melted or evaporated.

The King stood. Eyes glaring with Hellfire, body rippling with Crimson Flame. His voice roared out, carrying a level of power and authority that no human should ever have to hold.

"I guess you're here to stop me." The King spoke with contempt for the group. He truly viewed them as villains who were trying to stop him from saving the world. He truly, honestly believed it with all his heart. He was fueled by a passion. A full and complete passion. Encompassing love and hatred, all the passion a man can muster.

Crimson fire roared out from his body, the group could feel the searing heat, even though it did not melt the snow. An blood crimson flame that would burn only the living.

"I won't let you."

 

"I won't let you."

"WAIT! Wait wait wait!!!" Caleb bellowed.

"I'm getting tired of killing, and getting especially tired of dying. Can't we just sit over a nice pot of hot tea, and have a good sit down, discuss our mutual differences, and goals, and see if we can come to some sort of arrangement?"

Caleb's body tensed waiting for further attack, "Pretty Please? At least explain some stuff, or reveal a plot twist."

 

"You want to talk?" Laughter tinged the King's voice as he spoke. Not maniacal or insane laughter, but regular sane laughter. "Then let's talk. I'll go first. I am going to burn away all life from the face of the Earth. Which, coincidentally includes you. You see, my goal is to kill every last one of you. If you'd like to help, please just walk off the side of the building and I'll be on my way.

 

"Then let's talk. I'll go first. I am going to burn away all life from the face of the Earth. Which, coincidentally includes you. You see, my goal is to kill every last one of you. If you'd like to help, please just walk off the side of the building and I'll be on my way."

"But Why?" Caleb asked. "For every evil asshole on this earth theres a dozen more decent peaceful people!"

Caleb took a hesitant step forward, "Come on. Your smart. What do you think will happen after you murder everyone? Does that make you a good guy? Defenseless children, heh, good job. And after we're all dead everyones happy? We all have a big heaven party? Wake up! What your comitting is genocide! And at the end, everything will be gone. All the good, along with all the bad."

 

"All the good, along with all the bad. Yes. I think it's you who needs to wake up. There is no good left. The good of our world has been shattered. No one would call the shards of a broken vase scattered across the desert a vase. You would not call the mutilated body of a loved one, scattered across the ocean and scavenged upon by the body feeders, your loved one. In this world there remain broken shards of the mutilated corpse of 'Good', but 'Good' itself is long dead. So I will destroy all the good, along with all the bad as you say. Once the world has been wiped clean, cleaner than even the Great Flood, no trace of 'Bad' will remain. We will not rejoice in heaven, or in the afterlife of any kind. There will be no repentance for us. But we will have destroyed 'Bad' once and for all." King spoke with a commanding voice, rage burning in his eyes. He remembered Rose, that dark night in the park, and her cries. Did they not understand? Evil had to be eliminated. Once and only once it was destroyed could the world begin again. Adam and Eve began in love but fell into evil. The Flood failed to eliminate that evil. But he would complete what the flood could not. He would destroy all life so that only good and love could remain.

 

"Think of it this way. Good people fight evil people right? In our minds, you, and all the order are the bad guys. And without hesitation we fought against you, against evil! Don't you see! The world has billions of people who would fight evil! And one more thing. One very very important thing. We have the means now to eradicate evil. Our powers. Our gifts. We can destroy evil whilst preserving the good! I can read anyones mind, and immediately tell whether they are good or not. hundreds if not thousands more will have abilities like this. Please. I am suggesting we use tact, we surgically remove evil from the planet, using our powers. Your method is like... is like, the world is a tainted cake... shut up it works, and to make it better, you smash the whole thing with a sledgehammer. Please understand. You have a whole Order! And if you are really the good guys, surely you can put a stop to evil, without harming good!" Caleb begged.

 

Sarah:

Finally, the King. She had heard so much about him, how he lead the masses of the lunatic Order. But now looking at him he didn’t seem so frightening.

Until he spoke.

"I won't let you."

The flames that erupted from him, made Sarah wince and shield her face. This was not going to be easy. There were precious few mechanical devices on the rooftop. She could use parts of the building itself but she had found machines to be much more versatile and useful. Sarah stepped behind Chalybs while Caleb carried on arguing with the boy with the red flames.

Cole:

‘Damn it Caleb, I can’t decide whether to be pleased or annoyed with you. For once you decide to try and use your head instead of rushing into fight, and you have to pick to most insane maniac ever to try to reason with.’

Cole was confident that the arguing wasn’t going to work, but it was buying them some time. He casually edged around to the villain’s side and waited for an opportune moment.

Finally, they would have the chance to end this. To stop the bloodshed and avenge all of those lives, including Nathan. Cole swore he wouldn’t let them down.

 

Out of the corner of Caleb's eye, he saw Cole and the others edging into ideal attacking positions. Even if the talking didn't work they would have an advantage. He strode towards The King, until he was face to face with the ordinary man. The heat rolled off him in waves, causing the air to wobble in front of Caleb. He took the Kings silence as his words having an effect.

"And reading your mind now, I see a woman. A pretty thing. Her name... R- Rose. Nice name second favourite after Lucy- Wait no. Thats Vanessa.... Hmmm, bugger it, Lucy first, Rose second, Vanessa third, anyway, point is, you've lost this Rose. And your pissed at everything... And looking back, what I read in Ea's mind makes sense! He was never loved! And he was angry at the world... This isn't humanity being evil... This is you, unable to cope with your loss... Looking for someone to blame... Someone to take it out on. Sir, we've all lost people, mothers, fathers, brothers, friends, lovers... But we keep striving on. Thats what makes us good people... Thats what makes us string. Sir... I know there is good in you, your not evil... Misguided perhaps, but what you believe is that you are doing good... Drop this genocide rubbish... Help US to rid the world of evil. We have the means, and we have the will, and we can do it surgically, with no good guys hurt on the way..."

 

It seemed the King hadn't even begun to move before his hand was clasped tightly around Caleb's throat, already burning the skin of his throat, heating the air to a sickly hot and thick soup.

"You scum are not even worth to speak her name. All of the good in this world died with that Angel. And still you speak of surgery and saving the good! All of you have blood on your hands! And some of you enjoyed it! And you! You hold Chaos inside you! You tried to kill your own friends! Chalybs holds Warfare incarnate! You speak of good when you are all murderers! No matter how much 'Good' you accomplish, you still hold some evil within your hearts. Even now!--" The King reached a fist out at the sneaking Cole, flame engulfing it "--Amongst our speaking your friends set themselves to attack! Hypocrites who come speaking of good when they sneak around the backs of others, preparing for murder!"

 

It was hard to speak with an arm around his throat, but Caleb managed to gasp, "And you don't have blood on your hands? An entire city doesn't count? Think, if we're murderers, what does that make you? A great sacrifice for the greater good? Thats what you believe right? And that great sacrifice is merely the death of every human. We believe in a sacrifice for the greater good, and our sacrfices were killing you accomplices. I'd say that makes our sacrifice lesser, and our goal just as just, therefore meaning we are more good than you."

His eyes narrowed, "Rose sounds like a wonderful woman, and the world is no doubt poorer for her loss. But ask yourself, is what you are doing what Rose would want? Would Rose want you to kill every man woman and child, because of her death. I think she would be ashamed of you. I know I would. Stop now... For I think that you know Rose would not want this."

 

They reached the rooftop without meeting any resistance of any kind. It was good, but eerie. As they walked Addi wondered who the King was and what he could do-obvioulsy he flet the need for no protection and that thought scared here. Eventually they reached the door that led out on to the rooftop. Standing there was an ordinary looking man except for the fact that no snow touched him, and his eyes burned with a hateful, passionate fire. Crimson flames danced all along his body and when he spoke his voice was filled with an authority and an order that Addi couldn't believe was housed within one body-but then this was obviously not an ordinary person.

"I guess you're here to stop me. I won't let you."

"WAIT! Wait wait wait!!! I'm getting tired of killing, and getting especially tired of dying. Can't we just sit over a nice pot of hot tea, and have a good sit down, discuss our mutual differences, and goals, and see if we can come to some sort of arrangement? Pretty Please? At least explain some stuff, or reveal a plot twist."

Addi couldn't believe it, Caleb was actually fighting not for action, but for peaceul talk, diplomacy, not killing. Obviously those near-death experiences had had an effect.

"You want to talk? Then let's talk. I'll go first. I am going to burn away all life from the face of the Earth. Which, coincidentally includes you. You see, my goal is to kill every last one of you. If you'd like to help, please just walk off the side of the building and I'll be on my way."

His accompanying laughter was calm, normal. It was that more than anything that scared Addi she realized. This man was no physco, he knew what he was doing. She listened to the rest of their conversation, but quickly realized it was hopeless. She wanted a peaceful resolve just as much as anyone, but the King's eyes continued to burn with that intesnse, all consuming passion. It didn't matter what Caleb said, he wouldn't budge-nothing could shift him from his beliefs.

"You scum are not even worth to speak her name. All of the good in this world died with that Angel. And still you speak of surgery and saving the good! All of you have blood on your hands! And some of you enjoyed it! And you! You hold Chaos inside you! You tried to kill your own friends! Chalybs holds Warfare incarnate! You speak of good when you are all murderers! No matter how much 'Good' you accomplish, you still hold some evil within your hearts. Even now! Amongst our speaking your friends set themselves to attack! Hypocrites who come speaking of good when they sneak around the backs of others, preparing for murder!"

Without warning one arm shot out and grabbed Caleb around the throat, partially choking him, whilst the other reached for Cole. Addi clapped her hand over her mouth, stifling a scream of fear. This couldn't happen, she couldn't lose anyone else. She had already lost Gage, potentially her mother, she had even lost her father in a sense-though that had been years ago, but every one still hurt. Addi couldn't deal with losing her friends, and she especially couldn't deal with losing Caleb.

With more force of will that she had eve realized she possesed Addi jumped into her sub-concious; into the creation floors below them. Her eyes became it's eyes as it straightened up and walked quietly out the door and up the stairs. With a sudden bang, the door too the roof flew open and the robot flung itself over their heads landing right behind the King, it's massive hand going around his neck.

"Let them go...now" A gravelly, menacing, disjointed voice came out of it, slightly off from the word's Addi was speaking in her mind.

 

Caleb's eyes bulged under the King's grip. To Sarah's amazement, Caleb continued to talk. It seemed that the boy was incapable of being quiet even when his life was being strangled.

"You scum are not even worth to speak her name. All of the good in this world died with that Angel. And still you speak of surgery and saving the good! All of you have blood on your hands! And some of you enjoyed it! And you! You hold Chaos inside you! You tried to kill your own friends! Chalybs holds Warfare incarnate! You speak of good when you are all murderers! No matter how much 'Good' you accomplish, you still hold some evil within your hearts. Even now! Amongst our speaking your friends set themselves to attack! Hypocrites who come speaking of good when they sneak around the backs of others, preparing for murder!"

"I haven't said anything about good," retorted Cole, "You-"

Just then the roof door burst open and something leapt over the resistance team. The robot landed heavily next to the King. Sarah immediately recognized it as one of Addison's creations. It grabbed the Kings neck, just as he had grabbed Caleb's.

"Let them go...now." it growled.

At the ground beneath the robot, Sarah saw cracks in the roof-top floor made by the hulking machine's impact. The damaged concrete floor gave Sarah an idea. It would be risky, and she would have to time it just right, but it might work.

Moving out from behind Chalybs she slipped behind the robot and into the King's blindside opposite of Cole.

 

You can't convince them. No one could. They far to routed in the their own denial and desire for survival to think about the true greater good. The only thing to do know is to continue cleansing.

Then I'll rely on some of your strength.

Vicious light burst out from The King's clenched hand, followed by an upwelling of Crimson. Caleb was blown away, hurled back at the group. The hand clenched upon the King's hand was beat back, seemingly smashed aside by an invisible hammer.

The King readied himself to attack and be attacked in the next moments. He remembered the glaring sun on his skin, the sand of the desert scraping at his skin, the silence of too many explosions and rifle bursts. He sized up the enemies, calculating planning and preparing all at once. One behind, one on either side, eight in front. Far from outflanked, but faced with a sizable force. Seize the flanks, reinforce the front, keep an eye on each one of them. Also, the ground. The terrain was absolute in winning a skirmish. At least one of them out to have noticed, but many would not.

"I will not allow any of you to speak of Rose. She was good. She was hope. She would not, could not, do what I do now. But that is why it must be done. I will kill so that someday people such as her will never have to be concerned with evil. I am not good or perfect. I have evil. But when I am done, I will die. But I will not go to hell. Though not to heaven either. Because when I die, I will bring hell with me. You though, I don't care nor know whether you are destined for heaven or hell, but you will all die here."

Forceful Light radiated from his left hand, Crimson Flame from his right. He had a control of the terrain and a knowledge of their abilities. They would be allowed to make the first mistake, so that he could correct them.

 

Someone pulled Caleb to his feet, "So be it. Well I tried. Conscience, allow me to be a bloody thirsty bastard one more time." With that he charged the King with his machete, and a second later was hurled back again. This time burn marks were seared up and down his arms. Teeth gritted in pain he shouted to the others, "I have an idea! I'm useless at the moment! Keep him occupied."

After this Caleb dashed back down the stairs, thoughts racing faster than his legs.

"Chaos."

"Mmm?"

"Ever heard the line 'makin a deal with the devil?" Caleb asked.

"I like the sound of this," Chaos replied hopefully.

"I need my Aether. And the reason it changes randomly, is because I have you in their chaosing every thing up or whatever..."

"Yes..."

"I'm going to let you out. And you are going to run away. Go to some place in the middle of nowhere. Another planet, whatever. Just give us time to take this guy out."

"Your letting me go? Hahaha! Child you are naive."

"And your not stupid. If you go rampaging, you'll be torn apart at the moment. Your weak."

Chaos paused and then, "If you let me go, I will return in 10 years."

Caleb looked up at the roof, and cringed.

"I'm waiting child..." Chaos chuckled.

"Alright. Deal. When I let you go, get the **** out of here. Don't come back."

"In ten years... Hehehe oh what fun we'll have. When Addison, and all your other little friends find out that your not a hero... your a liar."

Caleb pinched the bridge of his nose, "Yeah. You got me there... But the King was right about one thing. There is such thing as the Greater Good. A small evil for a great good. And thats what Im doing. Im releasing you, so we can stop someone who wants to wipe out the entire planet."

"Even Im not that loopy child."

"Exactly."

Caleb balled his fists, and concentrating, expelled Chaos from his body in a large heap. The formless lump soon grew features, which grinned at Caleb.

"See you in ten years. You know in some ways, I'll miss you," Chaos admitted.

Caleb held out his hand, "Yeah, your like me. The comic relief villain, and your likeable enough."

Chaos shook it, then dissolved into the air. Caleb was left standing alone. He felt Aether welling up inside of him. What he was planning to do was unlike anything he had attempted before. Would it even work? Victor could do it, but something told Caleb that the King would see through any mere guise. He needed to do something more... real. Aether was present in everything, and manipulated anything. But even so, he was crossing planes with what he planned here.

Regardless Caleb conjured the memory of Rose that he had read from the Kings mind. He then willed the memory, to form in front of him. Aether rippled through the air, culminating in golden tendrils which flicked at the nearby desks and chairs.

"Come on," Caleb pleaded, "Come on."

Slowly, very slowly, the sounds of the scuffle upstairs urging him on, a woman began to form in front of Caleb. He suddenly slumped to the floor, spent. He lay there for a while, before a cool hand touched his face, he looked up, his eyes meeting those of a stunningly beautiful woman.

"Hello Rose. We have quite a bit to discuss..."

 

Damn, I can't get near him it's too hot!

Cole wanted to come to the aid of Caleb, but before he could there was another surge of torturous heat.

The robot was flung violently back with a brilliant light that burst forth from the King. Addi's creation toppled over and fell on Sarah pinning her to the ground. In the next moment he saw Caleb thrown back and then go charging at the King once again only to be thwarted a second time.

"I have an idea! I'm useless at the moment! Keep him occupied."

Cole didn't think Caleb was a coward, but he wasn't too sure as he watched him run back down the way they had come. It didn't matter much anyway, he was right; he was useless in his current condition.

Sarah was still trying to fee herself from the fallen and flailing robot. Cole had to do something.

"Alright you sick freak, I've had just about enough of this. I don't care who Rose was or what happened to her, you just can't go on a homicidal rampage because your girlfriend dumped you."

With that he flung Slurps toward the living inferno with all his strength and darted to the side to rush in from another angle. Before he could move in, however, he saw Sarah finally free herself from the machine and run toward the King. She was clumsy and not terribly fast in her natural human form. Cole couldn't tell if it was a dive or a trip that sent her to the ground near the King, but he feared that it could be a fatal mistake.

A brilliant blue flash forced Cole to look away and a rumbling shook the roof of the building. Sarah was gone when he looked back the concrete roof on which the King stood was crumbling, cracking and heaving.

Two hands of concrete and rebar gripped the King by the feet as the floor finally gave way beneath him.

The King and Sarah, who was now made of gray stone and iron rods, began to fall through the hole she had created in the building-top. As they did Cole caught a glimpse of a girl he didn't recognize helping a boy to his feet on the floor below.

 

Elsie could only watch as the next events played out. Her thoughts spinning through her head, unsorted. She couldn't figure out a solution to this as Caleb and The King argued. Then, the battle was beginning, The King wasn't buying any of Calebs words and the group was already on the attack. Elsie was still ransacking her brain for an idea to help. They couldn't get near because of the boiling heat The King produced. So what could she do?

Perhaps a sort of shielding technique... I just know I can create a shield against that flamed energy of his, she thought, referring to the King. Although it'll take an amount so huge to even comprehend at the moment... but it could just work...

But before this suggestion could be expressed, Caleb had already gone at him to only be flung back, burnt.

"I have an idea! I'm useless at the moment! Keep him occupied." And off he went, back down the stairwell. Elsie frowned at his sudden escape. She took a step toward the exit, where just a moment ago Caleb had rushed through, but decided to face the King once again...

But mere moments later she felt a surge of energy coming from behind, down the stairs. She could smell the power, feel it tingle on her skin. Someone using an excessive amount of it.

And then the ground rumbled and caved in where the King once stood. Elsie was shocked at the unexpected occurence and peered on down. There, she too found a glowing woman helping up a boy. A familiar boy...

Caleb? But no, it couldn't be - the dark surges of chaotic darkness was absent through the now dim-glow of his energy. If it was him, then Chaos must've escaped. That was what Elsie thought impossible.

Turning away from that thought, though, Elsie decided to focus on the King once again; she knew this wasn't the end. Not yet at least. She glanced at the others, automatically bouncing on the balls of her feet, influenced by all the excitement happening. Then she looked on the scene below again, intrigued by the mysterious lady, yet the idea she was forming before was weaving through her mind once again.

 

Victor inwardly chuckled at the arguments for justification of good and evil, or simply the destruction of both. He knew, there was no evil. Only results, the things that let you survive in this world. But this maniac didn't realize that, so caught up in his own indignation was he. Instead, he wanted to destroy the world that had spurned him, because he didn't make the cut.

Some people don't, Victor knew. Some people become the dregs, or simply the mediocre shells that supported the giants of the world. And this, catastrophe, happened because this dreg had grown to be a giant, without working or struggling for it, like Victor had all of his life.

Suddenly, battle was met. Caleb was beaten back and then ran like a dog with his tail between his legs. The others dashed in to attack the King, to break him down. Indeed, they did bring him down, creating a hole in the roof which they fell through, giving the others a chance to close the gap and gain an uphill advantage.

I spurred the others on with a yell and ran to the lip of the hole, prepared to pound a stream of lead into the head of our target. But that was when I saw the woman, the beautiful woman who seemed to glow, helping up Caleb on the lower floor. "Who the hell...?"

 

The collapse wasn't a problem. Alex was expecting it. Neither was the golem. Intelligence had told him all of their powers. What he hadn't expected was how the golem was made. Even though he was grasped by the golem, he twisted as they fell, unleashing a blast of scarlet light at the golem. Which did... nothing.

I can not affect life, although the golem is composed of inorganics, it still has life. I cannot affect it, and you can not burn it.

They hit the floor below hard, again cracking the floor, and now the surrounding walls. The King had avoided the impact by twisting out of the way, but he was still trapped by the golem. He couldn't hurt the golem directly, but he could still be indirect. Using the scarlet light, he pulled two iron bars from the broken ceiling, and slammed them down at the golem's arms. His third bar, destined for the golem's head, was delayed. The King saw a glow from the corner of his eye.

The King froze. For there stood his Angel, Rose, returned from the grave.

 

Rose nodded sadly at Calebs instructions.

"If what you say is true, he isn't the man I once knew. He's a monster," she spat.

Caleb tilted his head with respect, "You're the one who can stop him. This is hard for you... but necessary."

Suddenly The King himself dropped down into the freshly blown hole in the roof. He stared agape at Rose, who met his atonished expression with a mask of icy coldness. She gracefully approached him, and looked him up and down with utter disdain written on her delicate features. She spat on him then began to speak, her voice uncaring, "For me? For me? You want to kill everyone, for me? You say this is just? Genocide? Butchering children? IN THE NAME OF MY MEMORY?" She glared at him, now seething with hatred.

"You disgust me. You rat of a man. You worm. You nothing. I regret every moment I ever spent with you. Killing people... for me... You think I would want this? Your ****ing stupid as well! I loved life, I loved people, even with all it's rubbish, it's worth it. There is good on this earth... And you would wipe it all because of my death... Your not even worth my hatred. Your nothing to me. Nothing."

 

"Your nothing to me. Nothing."

Oh boy, thought Sam, There's only a handful of ways things can go from here, and most of them are not good. He quickly sketched a line in the air - a rope - and tossed the end down the hole. "Hey, Caleb, grab on! I have a feeling things are gonna get really bad really fast down there. We need to get you out of there and get this thing plugged."

 

"Hey, Caleb, grab on! I have a feeling things are gonna get really bad really fast down there. We need to get you out of there and get this thing plugged."

"And compromise my identity as an insane psycho with a death wish? Never" The Kings body started to literally burn with emotion, "Although... my cowardice is beggining to actually catch up to me so I'll take you up on your offer." Caleb grabbed onto the rope, and was hoisted up by the others. Then he looked back down the hole to see how the surreal situation played out.

 

"Hey, Caleb, grab on! I have a feeling things are gonna get really bad really fast down there. We need to get you out of there and get this thing plugged."

"And compromise my identity as an insane psycho with a death wish? Never" Caleb had responded, but one good look at the King had him grabbing for the rope. "Although... my cowardice is beggining to actually catch up to me so I'll take you up on your offer."

Elsie jumped in to help pull Caleb out of the potentially disasterous scene. But as soon as he was up on their level she immediately pulled him back and out of earshot from everybody else, who were concerned with the scenario happening below.
"Hey there hotshot - I know you did something naughty~" she drawed out the last word playfully with a toothy grin, like a mischeivous girl who caught her brother breaking their mothers priceless vase. "Cough up, what happened to Chaos, huh?!"