Thetarune: Book One

Chapter Eleven | FINALE

TW: OFF-PAGE IMPLIED SUICIDE

The doors blasted open, the sound echoing on and on until it was practically deafening. It became operatic and haunting as the party entered the final chamber, like an old cathedral organ. They stood in awe of a room which went up so far the roof couldn't be seen, it simply faded into shadow. Catwalks and cables cascaded like cobwebs through the air, weaving and turning into a tangled mess. Giant industrial lights hung from thick cords which stretched down from heaven. A floor to ceiling window stood at the back of the room. It was frosted glass, making the outside world almost angelic. Computer systems lined the walls, illuminating the cavern with little points of LED light. A gigantic keyboard on the wall was clearly designed for this room's only occupant, but a dusty little desk stood in the middle at the end of a red carpet. Standing upon the tile floor, adjacent to the spanning computers, was Spamton J. Spamton. He was like a puppet, strung up with what appeared to be thousands of tiny green filaments. Slicked back greasy black hair flowed from a ghoulish face. Perfectly and disgustingly smooth skin stretched too thin over something inhuman and metallic inside him, almost like canvas. Funky bicolored sunglasses covered his lifeless pinprick eyes. His spear-sharp nose shot out ten feet from his face above a terrifying grin of razor teeth. He was a hundred feet tall, and even then he was suspended ten feet above the ground. He wore an extravagant black suit with pink and yellow highlights, his golden cufflinks glinting in the dim lights. His black striped white suit pants led down to stylish black shoes. Under his left shoe was the broken body of Susie, bloody and bruised. Her sword lie next to her, shamefully shattered into pieces. Her remaining hand weakly held a bent hilt. Spamton laughed, and it shook them all to their very cores. Kris' brain felt like a balloon in a wind tunnel.

"WHAT'S WRONG, K1D? DON'T HAVE THE [BLOOD'NGUTS] TO TAKE ME DOWN?" Spamton shouted, crushing Susie harder. She screamed, trying to crawl towards the party. She groaned as he thrust his heel into her stomach.

"H-help..!" She yelled, coughing up blood. They couldn't believe it. Spamton craned his head up. He laughed, his voice shifting genders and tones and pitches and ages like flipping through the channels on an old TV. His eyes flashed with static as he almost doubled over laughing.

"ARE THESE FRIENDS OF YOURS, K1D?" Spamton asked Susie. Ralsei shook with anger, knife in hand. He only tempered himself as he turned to see Kris face, stern with a look of I have a plan, don't do what I know you're thinking of doing.

"HEHAEHEEA! OF COURSE I KNOW YOU, MY [little babies]! YOU'RE THE ONES WHO STARTED THAT PESKY LITTLE [80 rpm] DOWN THERE!" He said, moving his foot back. Pulleys and motors screeched like bats as he moved, drifting limply in the air. His skin shined, reflecting like a white mirror.

"CATCH!" With a single screech and kick, Susie was slid across the ground blazingly fast. In a split second, she swept the legs of all three party members. Kris groaned, pulling themself up from the tiles. Rouxls bounced back, blasting a beam of light at Spamton. He dodged effortlessly and the beam dissipated against a far wall.

"HA! THAT ALMOST [TICKLED MY PICKLE]!" The beast chuckled, twanging his strings with a long segmented finger. Kris pulled Susie into a hug. She muttered as her broken body ached. She dropped the hilt from her right hand, and Kris' eyes widened at the sight of her missing hand. Sliced cleanly at the wrist, Kris felt ill. They examined it, Susie wincing and crying as she was moved.

"H-he did this to you?" Kris asked in a tiny voice. Susie looked away, nodded quietly as she wiped her tears. Kris crouched down, taking her stump in their hand. She made painful noises as the room flooded with green light. Slowly, her hand grew back from the stump. Fingers sprouted from the stump, nails emerging. She pulled it back, clenching her fist a few times to get the blood flowing.