Chapter CLV: Destination – Caelum ~Multehx

C.R. walked over to Havering, having calmed Jaded down greatly and had helped Kenzo to calm down. He looked at the Time Bender, not saying a word. Havering just stared out a window into the blackness of space. He tapped his boot restlessly and exhaled in exasperation. The Rip Watcher quirked a brow.

“What’s the problem?” he asked.

Pseudo closed his eyes and shook his head. “Nothing…”

C.R. persisted and finally, Pseudo opened his eyes and looked determinedly ahead.

“Things are going horribly astray.”

“Like how?”

Havering looked at C.R., pointing at Kurayami. “Like that…MONSTER! If you didn’t notice, he’s infected with the Pure Hatred Rage Force!”

C.R. whistled through his teeth.

“Yeah, ‘at’s not good, but we can deal with it.”

Havering frowned. “It gets worse.”

C.R. hesitantly inquired as to how he meant now. Pseudo closed his eyes again, folding his arms.

“The Council is rapidly going stronger.” He opened his eyes, looking half disgustedly at the crew. “These weaklings might hold some power when united, but that’ll mean diddly-squat when we confront the foes.”

“Hrm, you say it so sure of your words; how can you?” C.R. inquired.

Pseudo rubbed his chin then shook his head. “Because, though I hate to admit it, they have a master of the strategic mind making their plans for confronting us; they know this crew’s pros and cons, and they’re setting the handicap on us to its fullest limits. Remember, we’re not fighting mortal foes, Rip Watcher.” He glared. “These are fellow Twilighters; strong ones at that! They don’t fight with honour; we demons fight to win, and you know it as well as I.”

C.R. sighed and nodded. “Yes, I have to admit that…but you said they have a master of strategy making their final plans; you mean Malachai?”

Pseudo chuckled and shook his head. “While wise and mighty is he, Malachai is not the one we should tread lightly around. No, there’s someone undermining him, making him think along the lines that will lead to enacting this person’s scheme.”

C.R. nodded and thought, then asked, “By undermining…it’s not you, is it, Havering?”

Pseudo laughed hard, putting a hand near his mouth instinctively. “Oh, Rip Watcher, you know me better than THAT I would hope!” he said between breathes “Else your forces won’t stand a glimmer of a CHANCE against me upon my revival!”

C.R. frowned slightly and Havering took on a more serious manner, though still smirking.

“No, I would not be the one. To be disgracefully half-resurrected and turned upon by those who did my will, a true insult! I have no wish to aid them in any way.”

“Hmm, yes, I figured that, but it would be a nice cover-up for ulterior actions that would serve to hinder us with some event of proportions to stop us cold that we’d never expect.”

Havering held up a finger, sneering. “That, dear Rip Watcher, is truly fiendish thinking indeed. I congratulate you on perceiving something so heinous, you would make a great mastermind if you simply changed sides and swore allegiance to me.”

C.R. smirked and shook his head. “Fat chance, Havering.”

Pseudo grinned and shrugged. “A person can try.”

Nothing was said between the two for a few moments, then C.R. looked back at Havering.

“Say, how would you counteract this plan of theirs anyway?”

The Time Bender smiled evilly. “That is your first step on getting on the road to victory there.” He turned, pacing back and forth. “But, as for a plan, quite simple. You could always just aid in my revival-” he looked over with a smirk on his face, “however, I know you’re too smart to even bring me to such a powerful position again, so we go with the second option.”

“Which is?”

“Catching them totally off guard with a move they weren’t expecting.”

“And what do you say that would be?”

Havering grinned evilly, folding his arms behind his back as he stopped pacing. “We don’t try to save any more Creation’s Weapons.”

C.R. blinked in utter confusion. “I think all this time in the un-physical plane has made you a bit air-headed, Havering.”

Pseudo turned to him, looking even more serious. “No, no, seriously; if you wanted something, and you knew you could achieve it by getting another thing, wouldn’t you assume your competition wanted that second thing to achieve the main goal as well, or one very akin to it?”

“Yeah, basic economics there, but what –“

“I’m getting to that. So, the Council’s current goal is obtaining the Weapons, right?”

“Yes…”

“And, if we, the people who wish to attain these to stop them suddenly ‘give up’ in obtaining them, then it’s inclined to take them off guard, am I right?”

A smile slowly spread across C.R.’s face. “Yes, and by doing that, they begin to get unsure if getting the weapons is really the course of action, or if we haven’t just discovered a better way, thus they’ll halt their advances on the Weapons as well! Havering, you’re insanely brilliant!”

Pseudo grinned smugly, dusting the knuckles of his gloves on his shirt. “Yes, quite literally on both accounts.”

A thought hit C.R. suddenly. “Hmm, what’ll we do once we’ve done that?”

Pseudo nodded to himself. “Then, we go after the near final Weapon. One of the truly powerful ones that would slay nearly any of our forces with its dark power in a one on one match, which I assure you, is the style of combat awaiting us.”

C.R. frowned in thought. “Alright, but do you know where this thing is?”

Havering nodded promptly. “I could give latitude and longitude to within a foot or two, and the defects with the case it’s in that are visible to the naked eye.”

C.R. looked surprised to say the least. He finally managed to ask, “You mean, you’ve seen it??”

Pseudo nodded, matter-of-factly. “Yes, many times.”

“When?”

“Back in the days of being the Twilighter Ambassador, before they stripped my title and perks away when it was found that I was a maniacal evil mastermind with intentions of multiversal conquest and a near infinite reign of power absolute.”

C.R. rolled his eyes.

“Yeah, that can be a drag on anyone’s day. Uptight jerks,” he muttered, heading towards the engine room. He stopped halfway, looking back. “Where is it?”

Pseudo looked over, a confident look on his face. “The second universe, Caelum, twenty kilometres due east of the demon capital city; the mountain range to be specific.”

C.R. just looked at Havering for a moment before grinning slyly. He turned fully around.

"You know, there's no reason we should disrupt the current course of this thing. Also, I say we let them think the Spectrum is still headed for more of the Weapons; I say, let em get stronger- I'm confident in our abilities! ‘Sides, you could use a showing of the true power of the good guys."

He smirked and Havering mumbled. As if on cue, Ian walked up to the two and nodded at C.R. Pseudo glanced at the two, then snapped his fingers. The trio vanished in a blast of purple fire.