The fire crackled in the hearth, and the gentle whistle of the kettle on the woodstove added to the radiance of the small, one room house. On a bed in the far corner of the room, accross from the burning logs, a body stirred. Sitting up and pulling the covers from his person, Multex gasped for breath. Though such wasn't even nessicary for him, for once, he found himself in a stifling haze. His brow soaked, chest heaving, reality slowly returned to his waking mind. As bits and pieces of realization struck at his thoughts, his gaze slowly traveled downward in self inspection. Both of his arms had been neatly bandaged, and his entire chest seemed to be in a makeshift cast of gauze and tape, scented by something that smelled similar to hydrogen peroxide.
"So, how do you like my handywork?" Multex's gaze turned upward to meet that of an elderly gentleman; one with a bushy moustache, greying eyebrows and hair to match. But what stood out was the most apparent feature. A spherical body of almost exact similarity, save the skin tone which was an earthen brown in contrast to his shade of night black. Staring into the warm face smiling down at him, the agent was dumbfounded. "Mister..Prechofka? Where..where am I-AGH!" the agent winced as pain shot through his front.
"Woah, easy there my boy! You have to take it slow; your body's not yet strong enough for anything quick." the aged man stated, crossing over and taking the kettle from it's burner. As he returned, Abram Prechofka continued. "If it wasn't for those special metal bones of yours, you realize you would be long in the grave by now, eh?" Multex blinked, surprised by this news. "Dead?..But, I was feeling fine. Just some chest cramps-" He was cut off the gentleman's hand, raising in a silencing gesture. "Your entire rib cage was bent in upon itself a good three inches. If you hadn't come with those internal repair things, the damage may have been greater. But, than heavens you did."
The agent quietly watched as the man poured two cups of the steaming water and added a tea bag to each. "Still five cubes, Tony?" Multex's eyes nearly grew wider than either side of his face. "You KNOW?! But..HOW??" Mr. Prechofka only smiled cheerily. "But of course, my dear boy, but of course. You do recall that your brother works as my assistant, don't you?" It took a moment, but finally, realization swept over Agent Multex707 for the first time. "I'm..home. This is Winterville, isn't it??" he questioned, gripping the doctor's shoulder in urgency. "But of course. No other town has the honor of sharing our name, Mister Verdemere."
"I'm..back home again.. I'm in old mister 'prechefy's' house, drinking his specialty tea. The last time I did this was...back when I was here to tell Roger what happened.." Multex closed his eyes in disbelief.
"So..roger told you the whole thing then?" he asked, eyes still shut. Taking a sip of his drink, the elderly gent nodded. "Yes, told me the day we found you out on the tundra. Tony...how has it been? I've never heard of such a story in all my years, and I must know." The agent shook his head, slowly sitting up a bit more against the stinging pain. "Hell. My life has been hell on earth for five years now. I mean, I love my job, I never need to worry about money again, but..it's been an endless string of battles. Win or lose, strongest fighter out there or bottom of the barrel, I haven't had a break from it since. It was another bloody fight that brought me here.." he trailed off abruptly.
"What the hell am I doing?! I can't tell any of these civillians about the fact that they're no longer home sweet home, but in a mirror world! I must follow regulations...can't tell anyone a thing. Not even...my friends.."
"Eh? What's wrong lad? You look like someone just died or such." Looking back up, the Agent took his cup from the doctor, putting on a half grin. "No, I'm fine. Just...glad to be back." he replied, taking a drink. Mr. Prechofka thought for a moment, then shrugged to himself. "Ah. So you were out fighting on the tundra? What was possibly out on that nothing-stretch anyway?" Multex felt himself in the peverbial snare at the question. Afterall, exactly what would he do out on a frozen desert? But, in the midst of such a paradox, reason suddenly shone through with stunning clarity.
"I was out challenging the Zehdevyah Tribe to convince a certain rogue that I shared his beliefs. Bit of the old 'treat your enemies like your friends' tactic." Multex winked. This had the old doctor on the edge of his seat. "The Zehdevyahs? The nomads of legend??" Multex nodded in confirmation. "The very ones." "You mean, you actually engaged in a challange against the 'warriors who know no equal'?" Again, agent 707 nodded. Old Mr. Prechofka could only whistle. "We-hell...your brother told me a lot about your adventures, but I guess you have to hear these things in person, eh? Hey, I have proof you did this one! I treated wounds that could only be made by somebody of that epic might."
"If this is business as usual, why do I feel so lousy about this bluff.."
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Three days later...
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Time seemed to pass remarkably fast in Multex's eyes. Though he was strictly bedridden by doctor's order, for once, the agent actually felt no objections to being called off duty. Mornings were spent watching the good doctor attend to his numerous appointments; many of which ended with the child due for a check up wanting to say hello to the famous "Agent with Atittitude" before heading back to their own homes. Afternoons were a time where Multex's strategic senses were put to the test against Mister Jennings; the local chess master known even in villages as far south as the only village to have a bit of summer in the northern Globeston hemisphere, Idoul.
But by far, evenings were the best. Over a hot cups of tea the two men would share their stories. Multex completing the details of missions his brother had spoke of to the doctor, filling bits in that had been left out. Mr. Prechofka telling about what had been happening in town since Multex, or more correctly, Tony Verdemere's departure for the big city of Kazi. For once, life was looking pretty good.
It was the morning of the fourth day that the doctor finally released Multex. He was well enough to be up and about, though his chest was still under constant, throbbing waves of pain. As he stepped into the frigid temperatures, he hardly even shivered. After all, he had grown up for fourteen years in the constant chill; this was hardly new to him. With each step stirring up the low crackling of his boots sinking into the snowy streets, the agent made his way towards a middle sized house near the center of town. As he treked through the deep snow, he took in all the sights and sounds. Apparently, not much had changed since his childhood there, for sure enough, all the odd little quirks he had grown so fond of during those younger years remained perfectly preserved. True, some of the houses were in need of some repair, but still they stood where they had always been.
"Well, look who's wandered back home!" a voice called out from a ways ahead. Pausing momentarily, Multex only stared from a distance. Then, slowly, he slogged over to stand accross from a young, grey skinned being, also akin in shape. The two said not a word, but only embraced for a time. Finally, the white skinned man spoke, an odd smile on his face. "So the hot headed fighter has bitten off a bit more than he can chew, eh?" Releasing his hold on the other, Multex only laughed, shaking his head. "Hell no. Don't you remember? I'm the strongest agent on the planet; nothing can beat me. I simply let them have a head start before I bashed em senseless!" he winked. The other man grinned, rolling his eyes. "Nothing changes you, does it?" "Nope." the agent replied with a shake of his head, "Always gonna be the best and funniest guy out there."
The two men only grinned at each other for a while, saying nothing but exchanging much with their expressions. "It's good to have you back, little brother." Multex nodded, winking again before replying. "Gotta look out for all you guys back here you know? Including that hopeless poet of a big brother I've got. Eh, Rog? Since mom and dad died, I can't help but worry about how things are back home occasionally." Roger Verdemere grinned warmly, waving towards the house behind him. "It's great to have you back, but we best be going inside before Rita gets to wondering where we are. We can talk over something to warm the blood from this chilly climate."
And, with a nod, Roger Verdemere and his brother, long away from home, Anthony, stepped through the small doorframe into their house. And, as the thick, pine carved door slammed shut, a figure could be seen approaching in the distance. The wind tossed his cape wildly behind him, while the wind howled through the holes in his odd, ornate helmet.
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"It's so good to see you again, Tony! You keep us up here wondering as to what you've been up to since your move to the big city. Whenever you come to visit, the whole town's talking about your exploits for weeks to come as well." Rita, Roger's wife, smiled. Multex nodded, taking a long drawn drink of his tea. "Glad to hear I give everyone back here a change of conversation topics now and then. Say, how's the little guy doing?"
Almost as if on cue, there was a thumping on the stairs above, followed by the stomping of small feet towards the kitchen. Before anyone could object, the little boy had taken a seat in his uncle's lap, grinning up eagerly. "Hey uncle Multex! Where've you been??" young James questioned. "Eh, been around back on the job. Showing the new fellows the ropes, and keeping the bad guys behind bars where they belong. How about you, big guy?"
"Well, nuthin much. Just been home 'cause Henry has the flu and Donnie is out on the sled team with his dad. Oh! And I lost a tooth last week, see?" The last part was a bit slurred as the youngster displayed the gap where one of his canines had been until recently. Multex grinned and patted his nephew on the back. "Well, that means you're growin up. Pretty soon we might have another tough guy in the family, like your pop. You'll have to ask him about when he wrestled sometime!" Multex winked to his brother. As the youngster was continuing his flurry of questions, there was a knock at the door. Excusing herself, Rita moved into the hallway and the sounds of the wintery gusts could be heard momentarily.
Still paying half attention to his nephew, Multex tried to make out who the second pair of boots in the hall were, just as Rita returned. "Well, dear, it seems your brother was traveling and he brought a friend! He says he's your traveling partner, Tony. I never knew you traveled with a friend before." The agent was about to clarify that he indeed never traveled with anybody if he could help it, when the blood ran cold in his veins. The guest had just entered the kitchen, smiling cheerily and rubbing his arms to get warm. "But of course, Mrs. Verdemere! Why, I would have been here with Mr. Multex, if I hadn't needed to stop and replenish my supplies. Your brother-in-law is quite a fast traveler!"
...No...
Rita smiled kindly at the new face. "Yes, I hear from my husband he always has been. Right, Dear?" Rising from his seat, Roger nodded. "Ever since we were kids, Tony had a traveling instinct in him. Say, I didn't catch your name, Mr.?.." "Oh, my name is Havering. Sir Pseudo Havering. A pleasure to make your aquaintence, Mr. Verdemere!" Pseudo smiled, extending a hand. Multex couldn't move; could hardly blink as he watched his brother accept the gesture. "Likewise, Sir Pseudo. Always a privelage to meet a friend of my brother's. Rita, could you help me with the fire? Would you care for any tea, Sir?"
Havering smiled warmly as he replied. "Yes, I'd quite enjoy that. Thank you." As the Time Bender took a seat at the small table, Multex's wits finally managed to pierce through the dense fog of emotion. "Eh..Jimmy, would it be ok if I talked with Mister Havering alone for a little while? I need to find out some information from him; hush hush, top secret stuff for work." the agent said, putting on his best fake smile and winking. Understandingly, the boy grinned back, returning the wink as he clambered to the floor and raced out to watch his parents and the fire.
Havering grinned slyly to his rival, leaning back slightly. "Well done, agent. Convincing as ever. Amazing how you can dupe adults and children alike." Multex's blood was boiling, his fists clenched on the table top. "Look, you b******, I don't know what you're trying to pull, but I know we both know that neither of us is going to put down the acting until we step out that door. Now what the hell is your game!" he whispered harshly. The demon chuckled to himself, arching one eyebrow slightly. "Oh, so he does get the picture afterall. Hmm, and I thought I would have to explain that it would be recomended that you act properly while I am in this household you value dearly. But then again, you can't con a con-man, now can you?" he sneered.
Cursing under his breath, Multex was doing his best to restrain himself; though the shaking of his arms was fairly obvious to both of them. "...what do you want from me? If it's the diamond, no dice, scum." Havering chuckled once more, shaking his head. "Though that is a tempting offer, I have something in mind that will benefit myself, and allow you to hold onto that precious stone a bit longer." "No fricking way! I'd rather take myself out than help you, you manipulative little fiend!"
The familiar smirk appearing upon Pseudo's face yet again, Multex went silent before stating exactly what he thought of his rival. "Oh, I know you would. I've seen those pathes clearly. But you wouldn't want me to remove this guise of kindness in the midst of this village you treasure so greatly, would you?" The agent's heart nearly stopped at that statement. Havering's crafty grin widened. "You know I never bluff." Multex could feel any hopes he had to keep a handle on the situation tumble into endless depths.
...Dammit! Damn him!!...I walked..right into this...I'm trapped.." the agent's mind stung with the cold truth.
"...What do you want me to do?.." Multex finally asked, his voice but a murmur. The frightening smile that only Havering could deliver only drove the facts deeper into him, as if Pseudo were driving nails into his flesh. "Excellent decision, my foe, most wise choice indeed." the demon tapped his fingers together. "The ridge above this town; we shall discuss your end there as soon as we have finished our refreshments. ...Now do drink up, agent. You don't want to give the impression that something's amiss, correct?"
Slowly shaking his head, all Multex could do to keep himself from laying down in defeat was to sip at the drink before him; focusing only on that simple task, and shutting the world around him out almost completely.
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The arctic air surged over the frozen crests that the southern cliffs formed; high and overlooking the town far below. The long undisturbed permafrost that lay there was now covered in a trail of two sets of footprints. On one side, Multex stood, muscles tensing and untensing; almost crying out for vengence. And accross from him, Pseudo Havering simply smirked. His arms crossed and cape flowing with the cold winter chill, the demon grinned slyly.
And the two may have stood there for heavens knows how long, if it wasn't for the patience of the agent giving abruptly, causing him to call out across the wintery din. "Damnit, what the hell's your game?! You drag me out to the middle of nowhere, and then just STAND there? Grinning?? Stop toying with me already, you relentless nightmare!!" To this, the Time Bender simply scoffed. "My dear Multex. Mr. Verdemere. I do have a task of which I need you to perform...but I have decided to make a slight alteration." Multex could only clench his teeth to keep from saying something that might only prove to provoke his foe into something that would cost him greatly in the end. This fine detail hardly escaped Pseudo's keen eye, however, and it only succeeded to widen his smile.
"I've decided to give you another chance to live up to your repuatation; a shot at redemption..and a slight wager perhaps. If I win, you will work for me for a time. No complaints or objections. But if you live up to your abilities...then I may just drop this whole matter and let you be on your way." Almost instantly, Multex was assuming his fighting stance in response. "Good, good. I would expect no less from someone of your calibur." Havering chuckled. Mentally, the chuckle was a laugh of delight, however, as all was going exactly as he had planned for.
And, with a sudden blast of heat from the rapid formation of two pulsing auras, the melee commenced. To say the fight was above the par of their last would be a tremendous understatement. No, it was far from it. This time around, neither combatant was holding back. Though neither utilized their weapons during the bout, it was none the less ferocious in intensity. Multex's Rage Force aura blazed with a blinding vengence; each punch smashing it's way home into havering's chest. But it seemed for every blow he landed, Pseudo countered with an attack of double the power he had exerted. This only enraged the agent further, sending him to his utmost limits, unleashing technique after technique as he tried to whittle down his unrelenting opponent.
To any observer, the spectacle would have been a grand show. In the long run, the entire match had been rather confined. Neither of the two had moved more than two steps back at most, and had nearly instantly regained their ground with a rushing counter attack. Both were now sporting harsh bruises and a few injuries that were bleeding slightly, staining the snow below their feet green. But, despite these factors, the match only plowed on harder. However, at one point nearing the fifteen minute mark, a knee to the face sent Multex rolling backwards a good twenty yards. And, as the agent got to his feet, there was a noticeable change to the fire-like aura surrounding him. The vibrant reds that usually were predominant seemed to be littered with shades of black.
"At last! The game begins! Now we show his true colors.." Havering grinned to himself. From this point on, his startegy changed noticeably. Right as the agent was about to clock him clean in the face with the Gravik Punch technique, Pseudo defty fell to a crouch and swept Multex's feet out from under him. The force of the enhanced punch, as well as his momentum, was enough to send Multex sprawling...hard. Havering could see the black glow progressing as the Agent rose to his feet. It was nearly dominating the entire RF aura now. And, it was slowly becoming noticeable where it counted. It was in the agent's eyes.
"Come on! One would think you could put in a better effort to save your own home town from being wiped off the face of the earth. So why don't you stop playing and fight me?" Pseudo called, even going as far as to turn his back on his foe, arms akimbo. He snickered as his senses relayed the message of the gesture's effectiveness in pushing the agent further into a fury. Dodging yet another punch aimed for the back of his helmet, Pseudo's eyes danced with hidden glee at what he saw. Multex hadn't crashed down upon his front like before, but had instead executed a blindingly fast hand flip, then landed in an almost primal stance, teeth bared. The aura that surrounded him was a cruel shade of black; it's depths seemingly endless, generating darkness in the face of the white terrain. It was the moment Pseudo had been waiting for.
With an astounding display of speed, the Time Bender had traced an ornate pentagram in the snow around him in the span of a moment, and it now shone with a dark radiance. "Noch rehvaht, servaht-queintek Ryjulian revivectae!!" the demon bellowed, thrusting out both hands towards the agent. With a dull rumbling, and a low reverberation of the demonic tongue, the pentagram's light flared to blinding brilliance. Almost simultaneously, Multex felt as if his skin had been submerged in acid. The burning sensation grew by the second and soaked into his pores; racing through his veins, gnawing at his metallic bones, and screaming through every nerve in his body. It felt as if he were falling into a chasm that had sprung from the recesses of his own mind; the blackness overtaking him. He didn't even feel the cold as his face impacted with a dull crunch against the snow covered ground. It was all beyond his world now.
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Blured shapes slowly fell into their respective places; gradually piecing together the puzzle of his waking visions. By the small clock in the corner of his electronic eye, Multex could see it was well after 11:00 PM, Eastern Globeston Time. It had been nearly 12 hours since his bout with Havering.
Havering...he...beat me. I..lost...
Realizations quickly sliding into place, Multex was now aware of the sturdy, metal chair he was sitting in. He didn't have to struggle to guess that the restraints on his wrists and ankles would be just enough to prevent a Rage Force aided escape. That would have been the first aspect Pseudo made sure of. All he could do was to sit and wait. Time passed. A single window provided the only source of light in the chamber; it's blinds closed, yet still open enough to give anyone a view of the blood red skies above. Slowly, the low sound of footsteps approaching became evident from somewhere behind him, and the agent readied himself for the worst.
"I'd be lying if I said I wasn't the least bit nervous about this moment; these minutes were fated to occur, you know."
The voice was unmistakeably Pseudo's, yet, somehow it had a different quality to it. Multex felt the hands gently rest on either one of his shoulders, unnerving but strangely reassuring in their grip. The heated remarks on the tip of the agent's tongue slowly fizzled into nothingness, almost beyond his will. "This is a key moment for the both of us, Multex. Moments that will have a lasting impact on history for the rest of existance. For this is the time of an alliance that shall never be matched in comparison. Two forces of evil, as different as yin and yang, white and black, shall be uninted in a pact that brings about the awakening of the end. That which all have strived for since creation. The goal is so close now...I'm shaking in awe that this is actually happening. Right here, right now."
"What's your game, Havering. What's this all for? The artifacts, this planet, bringing all here that you did; what are you after, you sick bastard?" Multex flatly asked. Immediately, pain seared through his shoulders. It felt as if knives were being pressed deeply into his flesh, trying to touch the metalic bones under it all. "Why do you stoop to the name calling?! Why do you become so cliche like the rest of them when we are both above that? It pains me to see how those mortals have twisted what you once were, Rhyjulian. How they've poisioned your mind.." Havering trailed off, the pain suddenly leaving the agent's body. But something had struck a nerve even more effectively to Multex than the loss of control on his captor's part.
Catching the breath he suddenly found himself in need of, Multex gasped out the words that had risen many questions within him for ages. "Who..is Rhyjulian? I..I know that name...it means something to me...it's in my head. Who is he?!" There was a long pause from behind him. After what seemed like an eternity of silence, the Time Bender spoke once more. "One of the greatest generals in the service of the Great Whyr Rhoh Tin in the wars against the Magi Council. A warrior who will always be remembered for his remarkable skill...both as a fighter, and as the Great One's strongest advocate. It was said he single handedly responsible for the tides turning in the Great One's favor near the end; the very soul of the demon spirit of greatness mowing through the mortals like the infidels they are. He was...spectacular.."
The once dark area in Multex's mind slowly stirred, the light's presence becoming dully clearer. "What...happened to him?" he found himself asking, strangely concerned. Pseudo apparently was a bit choked up, as the agent could hear several slight breaths before he could reply. "He fell to one of the Magi's strongest; the servant of the Creator, the Justivahn. He..didn't even see the attack coming. The cowards finished him while he was in the midst of an ambush. From that day on, the Great One lost ground..until finally they sealed him away. It was the beginning of the hard times.." the demon once again trailed off into his own thoughts. Multex could feel the words as they formed now, fixing themselves into sentences that would somehow clear the haze away. He could feel it to the core of his being, and so he spoke that which came to mind abruptly. "What made him so powerful? Why was Rhyjulian valued above the rest?.."
How fast the Twilighter's mood shifted was remarkable. It was as if those words had been the specific combination that Havering had been waiting to hear all his life. The sly grin spread accross his face and he gently tightened his grip. "So...the time is upon us already? Hmmm..I should have realized that with you, it would have been sooner than I had expected. It's funny that you ask about that which made Rhyjulian so crucial, for the answer is the first step down the road to your awakening. But you'll understand that shortly indeed. Now, let the fun begin."
What happened next was, as Multex later commented, the most disturbing sensation he had ever been subjected to. It felt as if someone had cut off his circulation, causing his body to go numb, but at the same time had applied hot coals to his skin in an attempt to scald him to death. A dull, stabbing pain began to spread in the back of his mind making all thought impossible. The only things he could effectively do were to watch and to listen. "Rhyjulian was reknowned for his fighting skill. Every man in every one of the mortal armies knew of his talents. And there wasn't a demon alive who wasn't jelous of his natural born gifts." Havering grinned to himself. "You see, we twilighters are quite a remarkable demon race. Not only are we the elite, the sorcerers, and the socialites of our dark species, but we have another card in our favor as well. Each and every one of us is born with a unique 'talent', so to say. For example, a good friend of mine has the ability to move about making not a sound in the process through a lingering silence spell field that is a natrual part of him. As for myself, I have been blessed with the ability to exist within numerous branches of the timeflow at once; retaining a conscious mind in each of my extensions. You should feel honored really, as this would be the first time any of you I have selected have been in the presence of my true self. This is also why I have remained out of your sight; the time for you to see me as I really am is not now." he paused, making sure that the ritual part of the process was taking hold.
Seeing that Multex wasn't going anywhere, Pseudo grinned as he continued. "Now, Rhyjulian was a lucky one indeed. His gift took him far in almost no time at all. You see, he earned his fame as the "Fury of Rhoh Tin" because he only seemed to grow stronger as the battle raged on. The power to use emotions of negativity to make oneself a living titan on the battlefield...sound familiar?" Though the pain was maddening, and not a muscle in his body wished to respond to his whims, Multex somehow managed to force the words out.
"But...how...why??" he strained, fighting for each word to be heard. "The passing on of a twilighter's abilities is quite common. We who follow the Great One in our actions and deeds petrify upon our life's end. And, upon death, our hearts solidify within the stone remains into a crystal of our essence. So, if someone was to find one of our crystaline hearts, it would fuse with them, passing our essence on and granting them our strengths and weaknesses. Upon the death of Rhyjulian, his remains were rushed into burial as the scavangers would just have loved to get their hands upon his heart. Only his immediate family knew where his body was laid to rest...thus, being his older brother, obtaining the diamond heart of Multex Rhyjulian was hardly difficult." Pseudo chuckled, idly grasping at thin air in his hand.
"But, I soon learned the single flaw in all my planning." he continued, his smile dissappearing, and a frown of intense displeasure taking it's place. "I had overlooked the most important law of nature; a body can not hold more power than it is resistant to, lest the mind become corrupted and insanity sets in." The demon throated a growl as his mind drifted back to times long ago. "I could hardly begin the extracting process without going mad to the point of nearly comitting suicide to escape the intensity. The diamond contained too much raw, dark power for me to find a stable tapping ritual, so another plan was needed. I had to find a way to build my resistance...the become so strong that no energy source was too much for me to handle with the proper patience and method. So, I reaved a few souls during the war. Mortal wizards who I took off guard, and whose power only added to my own. I progressed quickly, murdering so many of their masses with my Magikal prowess, that I became the stongest of the race under the Great One."
Pacing away, yet still keeping behind the chair and the agent's line of sight, Pseudo idly traced a finger along an odd statue of a figure that looked somewhat similar to himself. He smiled. "Eventually, I moved on to the weaker demons. A few traitors in the midst of the Great One's forces; Myrealiks and half-bloods mainly. Finally, it got to the point where I could slay a fellow from my own species without batting an eye. At this point, again I tried to make the power of my brother my own." Havering shook his head slowly. "I got further along then when I frist attempted, but still, something about the strange force fought back and forced me to give, or lose my rational mind. But I had made progress, it seemed, so I continued down the path I was on, and expanded."
With a slight smirk, the twilighter glanced over to the chair once more, taking delight in every aspect of Multex's painful mental awakening to the reality of it all. "I found that with my 'Multi-Conscious' abilities, I could divide myself into numerous projections, then send them out to conquer while I remained in control through constant meditation here. None could stand to my whims. It took millenia, but near the end of it all, I was in control!" Multex's numb, yet stinging flesh suddenly felt a chill as a portion of the haze was wiped clean, and the light of the truth shone clear as day. "You...you..want to...destroy...humanity!!" he gasped through clenched teeth. Havering's grin became a picture of vile hatred and cruel laughter towards that which he despised.
"You've got it! You're the first one to be able to see the plan, Tony, but I knew if anyone could, it'd be you!" he laughed, resting his hands upon his hips. "Yes, the doomsday for the mortals had been set. I had driven those who remained into shelter within those branches of the rip which still remained out of my grasp. But I had procured the IGS machine by that stage in the game, and my Infects were already purging the rip of the humans by the time the last of them had made it in. To think, the very thing I created to send my projections accross the multiverse was being used as a safehouse from me. Ironic, no?" he snickered, pacing the threadbare floor once more.
"It all came down to one last ditch effort of that thorn in my side, CR. He attempted to use the technology I had introduced to your world to put the mind of a man into the body of a machine to stop me at the source. I saw it coming a mile away, but I allowed it to occur just so that I could squelch their precious last hope in their faces." the demon laughed to himself. "Daniel Lindon, or 'Infinity-9' as he so titled himself, was quite an able combatant for his body's make. Not nearly enough to stop me, but he did bring about the grandest folley on my part yet." Pseudo's eyes narrowed. The scene replayed itself within the Time Bender's mind for nearly the thousandth reviewing since it's occurance. "The struggle was anything but long. I had him on the ropes in nearly fifteen minutes, his life's blood pouring from his metalic internals; not too different from your own I might add. But, in a last ditch attempt to land a blow upon me, that metal abomination lunged forward with a punch aimed for my heart. ...He missed entirely, and only succeeded in ripping my belt pouch from it's loop and sending it falling through the Spire. I presume it was caught in the time flow for quite some time, as the next thing I know, I'm getting premonitions about some punk teenager finding a diamond that is rightfully mine, and having it bond with him."
The final piece had fallen into play. A lifetime of questions was suddenly washed away in the span of one conversation, and the realization that the truth can be even more horrifying than ignorance dawned in the mind of Agent Multex707, the ex-Tony Verdemere, and the living re-incarnation of Multex Rhyjulian. It was the first time that all three lives converged in the mind of that single body, and certainly not the last. He hardly even felt the hand once more upon his shoulder, his heart pounding and mind tossing against a sea of pain and the new torrents of shock. "So, mister 'Anti-Hero', you now know what you've always wanted to; you know who you are now. The next step to undergo in my preparing you for your time of service is to embrace the truth. The real question, now, is will you do it willingly, or will I have to force you?" This was too much for the victim to endure. With a sudden return of influence over his body, Multex threw his limbs against the restraints wildly, flailing like a caged animal.
"NO! It's not true! I can't be!!.. I'm not..a monster!" he shouted, becoming more frantic in his efforts to escape. Pseudo simply shook his head. "But of course you're no monster. You are a Twilighter, a demon of elite birth and potential. For even if you didn't leave the womb as one, that diamond has made you born anew as one down to the blood level. Even if you removed it from your person, and albeit true that you are not Multex Rhyjulian for the most part, you'd remain a demon till the day you die. But you should not be so quick to deny this fact, rather than embrace it! Do you realize what a gift this is?? Your lifeline has been extended sevenfold! Why, you could go out and catch a disease such as the AIDS virus, or Cancer, or even the black plague and still live a minimum of five hundred years more! Your natural endurance and strength would remain at this level, if not improve with training if you had your precious NEWME system or not! And you have yet to awaken your true talents."
"NO! I don't WANT any of those things! I just wanted to live a normal life, with a normal past, in a normal for the most part existance!! I wish I'd never even heard of the Rage Force before, now! Just leave me ALONE!!" Multex bellowed, the red Rage Force aura now burning at it's full glow beyond his control. But it didn't stop there. No, instead the powerful, blazing aura grew in intensity; it's brilliant red hues darkening until they had been replaced by an endless blackness. And still the aura pushed on to yet a deeper level. Flares of blinding green fire leapt up among the darkness, crackling steadily. The pain had returned to the agent's body, now rending deeply into his waking mind and his subconscious alike. Pseudo couldn't help but smirk at the spectacle. "Your body and mind are both awakening now. As I said, you can't stop it. You can only lessen the pain by accepting the facts, or fight it, and see how long you can endure. That choice is yours alone to make."
Though more was said by Havering after those words, none were heard by the body barely being held down in the chair. The pain had grown too intense for the mind to even comprehend such concepts as 'missions' and 'sanity'. Such trivial things were shoved violently aside as that which had lie dormant in wait for this moment barged in with a vengence. They had a job to do, and if their host was willing or not, they would do it to the letter.
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Multex wasn't entirely sure what had occured hours previously. He had no recollection of blacking out from the pain, but obviously, he had somehow ended up asleep. A quick glance confirmed that he still remained in the restraining chair, but that the buckles had been removed. Experimentation with his limbs revealed the reason for this oh so clearly.
..Ah..damn...my muscles..burn like hell..
he groaned, letting his body rest in the chair once more. "Feels like quite a work out, doesn't it?" the familiar voice inquired from somewhere behind him. Multex snorted. "I'm not even going to ask what you did to me. I don't think I could take much more of this mental hell if you promised me a comfy vacation for the rest of my natural life. Just tell me what you want me to do already.." he muttered, disgusted that he was even uttering those words. Havering snickered, taking a sip of his chateau. "Some things never change. Well, if you want your new 'mission briefing' right now, who am I to protest?"
With a resounding snap of a gloved finger, the image of a planet faded into existance upon the far wall; right in the agent's sight path. "Zolott, in all it's splendor." Pseudo declared in a half hearted tone. "But who wants to hear the boring details anyway?" With a half chuckle, several colored dots appeared in various locations of the globe. "Now, each of the red lights indicates the location of one of the infects. The blue lights represent every one of my 'chosen' few, and the grey lights...well, let's just say they would be a few 'friends' of mine I have yet to introduce." the twilighter snickered. "As you can see, the Infects appear to be dispersing around the globe, heading towards the seven yellow lights. That is the stage of my plan that none but yourself, the Infects, and I know of. Your companions think I'm simply out to steal artifcats and increase my own power, while we know differently, don't we?"
"What would the yellow lights be for, if I may ask? Something valuable hidden in those spots?" the agent frowned in thought. "Quite estute, dear agent. Those lights would be a facet to my little scheme of great importance. A riddle I pose to you- Why do you believe I created this planet? Aside from the fact I was young and attempting to gain control of my abilities?" the Time Bender inquired, sipping from the snifter in his clutch. "To gather us all in one spot so that you could kill numerous birds with one stone is what I've come to gather. But seeing as how these seven dots mean so much to you, apparently there's something I'm missing, I take it."
A sly smile crossed the twilighter's face. "Correct again. This planet's existance serves a grand purpose in just being present. The yellow dots would stand for a rather ingenious little invention series of mine. I call them "Life Harvesters". Each is a device approximately three feet in height, and one and a half feet in width. Within a certain radius, these devices harmonize themselves with the natural balance of the planet's life force. Alone, they would do no harm to Zolott, but with the presence of inhabitants their purpose becomes clear. As the flora and fauna of this planet die, their life energies would naturally return to the planet itself. However, with my Life Harvesters in place, that energy is drawn in and stored by the machine before it can be reuninted with the planet. This simple process has been going on since shortly after zolott's formation eons ago, and now, my Infects are moving out to collect the first four of the batch and return them to me."
"You're siphoning the energy of an entire planet and it's people without directly making your presence, or any indication of your plot known. It's scary how you seem to be present in most everything behind-the-scenes.." Multex shook his head as much as his aching muscles permitted. Havering chuckled. "Yes, I keep my hand in pretty much everything really. But, as you must be wondering, let us discuss where you come into play." "Bout time.." the agent muttered, but Havering took no notice of this. "The Harvesters were placed in such a way that no area of the planet was left untouched. However, with the passage of time, and constant expansion of a growing world's peoples, and the placement of certain locations I have brought here for their resources; some of the Harvesterss now lie far under thriving towns, nations, and metropolis's. Now, I would simply move or level these obstacles, if it wasn't for the slight implication of how fragile these Harvesters can be to changes in physics of that scale. Hence I need a rather strong crew to do the "grunt" work before they can be excavated; removing bothersome towns and the like."
With a second resounding snap, the image faded and the footsteps crossed over to just behind the chair once more. "So, how does this new assignment strike you?" Multex frowned sourly. "Doesn't look like I have much of a choice."
"I rather like the way you phrased that response. You may go far if you keep that in mind." Pseudo grinned, turning and starting for the door. You'll go quite far indeed. The real game is just about to commence, and I foretell a *very* interesting beginning indeed.