Epics of Noche 3, Limbo

EON CH 04

BIRDS OF A FEATHER.

1774, NOVEMBER 28th, MONDAY7:55 am.

Compared to the stark contrast of the night sky, Raven's yellow raincoat stood out stupendously. It was a beacon that held everyone's gaze captive. Every person on Shaylin's side froze as the man strong enough to fight a Cross general raised both hands.

"I surrender," he said.

Silence filled the gap between brain cells.

"What?" Mary asked.

Raven shrugged. "I surrender."

A grin cracked out onto Shaylin's face.

"S-Shaylin, s-should we do something?" Tak asked.

The ginger shook her head. "Like what?"

"W-Well... Could you make another robot that steals drive?"

"Why?"

"I-In case this is a trap."

"Two flaws with that reasoning. One, it takes time to make DriveMetal cause by its very nature it can't be created. Two, Raven's corruption could easily defeat a second Mother Noard," she said. "Besides... I think he's being genuine."

"She's right," Raven said. "Creeps attacked me too... I'm also kinda trapped here."

"And that means we should trust you?" Boots said.

"Dude, you know I'd never want to hurt you or Spark," he said. "Edward gave me orders. I did what I could, but I didn't have much wiggle room."

The orange-haired boy didn't respond. He only glowered.

"If I wanted to harm you, how could you stop me?" He asked. "Face it, I was being lenient."

"You're a corruption user, yes?" Shaylin asked.

The lead bird of death turned to her.

"Yeah?"

"You're an expert then?"

"I'd like to believe I am."

"I've heard people say corruption erases stuff from existence," Shaylin said. "Do they mean that figuratively?"

"No... Unfortunately, they mean that quite literally," he said. "I wondered the same thing when Edward first bestowed me this power. A quick use of Dove's omniscience clarified that. Matter and energy are destroyed on contact. Erased to absolute nothingness."

"When... When Creeps bit Jack... That black saliva was corruption, wasn't it?"

Raven paused. "It was. Beyond a doubt."

"Does that mean," she hesitated. "Jack was deleted from existence?"

"It does... The atoms that composed him are gone. If a time traveler could go back to the past, Jack would no longer be there," he said. "At least, the atoms that made his body in the last seven years or so. You know, it takes that long for every cell in the body to be replaced. Neat biology fact."

He paused with his hand pressed under his chin.

"I guess those atoms would be in other things if you go further back in time. Like an apple," he muttered. "Point is, the matter and energy that recently took the form of Jack are gone now. Forward and backwards in time. Erased from existence."