Darksiders: The Survivors

Chapter 4 - Strife the Scout

Atop a large skyscraper that had still been under construction, an long iron bar hung from a crane, creating a bridge between buildings. The crane still remained intact, even after the apocalypse, but to many, it never ended.

That was what Strife believed as he sprinted across the bar towards the summit of the other tower. The bar creaked with his movement and he knew the chain would not last much longer. As Strife stopped in his tracks upon reaching the other side, he clutched the two pistols in their holsters, ready to draw once a gurgling sound came out of the corner of his ear.

It was never really over, he thought and waited for the attacker to appear, but the sound did not repeat. Strife sat on the box-shaped fan on the roof, contemplating the view. He had lost track of how long he had been on Earth and a lot had happened since then. The story of War's crime did reach him, and he made the choice to look into the matter his own way. He simply lied the Charred Council that he was attending to other matters.

***

Strife had heard stories about humanity's role in creation, his mission with War to find out what Lucifer was up to to corrupt the Balance, led to one thing after another, demon lords here, crazy angels there, and Strife realized Lucifer saw humans as a grave threat and wanted to corrupt them as well.

When the worst part of the End War appeared to be over, he made his way to the Maker known as Ulthane in disguise as one of them, and began rounding up human survivors. Eventually, his very own sister Fury showed up and began to, reluctantly, help out too.

Strife didn't reveal himself to his sister and regretted doing so, even after she found out the truth. It was not until she was escorting the human survivors to safety did he show himself.

After that, Strife and Ulthane had lured the Destroyer and his forces away from Haven, hoping to prevent it from being destroyed. When more angels arrived, the Destroyer retreated to parts unknown. Strife remembered fighting alongside of Ulthane, the Maker was a persistent one, for the Black Hammer, and as the two traveled together, and it was there that they conversed about War's false crime. It was also there that Ulthane confessed his part.

"Horseman, it was Abaddon, he made me break six of the seals, leavin' the seventh in his possession. They wanted to start the End War sooner and to defeat Hell faster. I've chosen exile to pay for my role in it. Would have told yer sister but she'd soon as strangle me over it than listen."

Strife was known to be the most humorous of the four, while still displaying some maturity. That day, he had told Ulthane that he would not harm him for his mistake and set off to find his brother and inform him of his innocence. But, by the time Strife returned to the Council's realm, War was nowhere to be found, and Strife feared the worst that the Council had sent him into Oblivion. The mere thought of that enraged him, thus Strife told a white lie that moment that he would do the assignment they gave him and find Death while at it, but he knew his older brother well enough that wherever he had gone, he was doing something about this as well. Unless of course, Death was still trying to build his home in the world of ashes again.

Unable to locate War and not wishing to be tracked easily by any of the Council's spies, he left his two revolvers in the care of the Makers before leaving on his journey. He also requested that no one follow him, for he did not wish to be found by any being of creation while he searched for answers. Many forgot what he looked like because of his ability to disguise himself as not just humans, but angels and demons as well. But, as soon as they saw those two pistols, did they know it was him, regardless of his form.

It was not until Strife came to the world of ashes did he feel a power coursing through him and then it was when he knew that the seventh seal had been broken, in a flash he was sent back to the Third Kingdom and continued his search for War. His brother was innocent and framed, this much he knew, but he had a feeling something else was being kept from him. He had found his two pistols Mercy and Redemption at his side once again upon his return, Mercy was the most powerful while Redemption was better at long-range and Strife really hoped the Makers took care of them in his absence.