The Adventures Of Disney Duchess: Shapes & Rifts

10 - Disney's Dead?

Rift woke up in an unfamiliar room. There were no windows, nor any sign that he was in the DSA HQ. Instead, there were Christmas decorations and several screens, each displaying different images. Every screen was showing a scene of destruction. Buildings burning down, streets littered with dead bodies, and people crying in pain. Some scenes showed people running for their lives while others showed people killing each other.

"Welcome back, Liam." A voice rang clearly in his head.

The last thing he remembered was being taken by the soldiers and brought here. He tried to sit up, only to gasp in agony as he felt his entire body throbbing. His chest was feeling heavy and his lungs burned.

"Where am I? Where are we?" Rift groaned.

"This is where you belong." The voice replied.

Turning his head, Rift saw the figure standing behind him. It was like an apparition, but no, someone was actually there. Dark, black hair. Pale skin. Long, sharp features. Eyes that seemed to pierce right through Rift. Even dressed in a white lab coat, this person looked terrifying.

"Doctor Disney?" Rift asked, struggling to look up at the mysterious figure.

"Indeed," He chuckled. "I'm afraid you've lost."

"Where... Where's Belle?" Rift gulped. "What did you do to her?"

Doctor Disney placed a finger on one of the screens, causing the image to zoom in on one specific building.

"Do you remember this place?" The doctor spoke as he nodded his head. "It's called New York City... The city that never sleeps. But not for long, eh?"

"You killed her!?" Rift shouted, his voice cracking. "You killed my best friend!"

"You shouldn't have tried running away Liam." The doctor said, tapping the side of his head. "Or else, your sister would be fine."

"Sister? What, no! I can't and won't believe you!" Rift raged. "Why are you doing this to us?! What is your problem?"

"My problem?" Doctor Disney laughed. "You're forgetting who I really am, Liam. You see, the world isn't going to survive much longer without me. The people need me more than ever before."

"Why won't you just stop this!?" Rift exclaimed. "People will know what you did! They will know about all the sacrifices you made!"

"Everyone deserves a second chance, don't they?" Doctor Disney explained. "For instance, look at yourself. I thought you'd be dead by now, but instead, you survived and returned alive. Don't tell me it's because of your powers. No, something else saved you, didn't it? Your will to live!"

"Will to live...? Will to live!?" Rift screamed. "What do you mean by that!? That's just-"

"You always hear people saying 'life is short' or 'live every day like it's your last.' Well, that was exactly my plan! I wanted to make sure everyone knew how precious life is. How important it was to spend time with the ones you love and appreciate everything you had. So that, when you went to bed at night, you could sleep peacefully knowing that you lived your life to the fullest. Isn't that why you kept living? After all, your friend is still out there suffering... EVA, wasn't it?"

"I-I-I..." Rift stuttered, feeling tears welling up in his eyes behind his helmet.

"There you go..." Doctor Disney said, smiling. "I've always enjoyed watching people break down. This is probably the first time since we met. Now, let's talk about the future. About the new world that's coming. You'll be happy to know that you're the key player in this whole thing."

"I don't want to hear any of this!" Rift shouted. "I refuse to accept what you're saying! I'm not going to allow you to tear apart this beautiful world!"

"Ah, but you already have," Doctor Disney pointed out. "You've been indoctrinated into believing that you've got what it takes to be a hero. And although you might think otherwise, your actions today have proven that you're ready to stand up and fight for those you care about. Yes, you're a good guy. So, I suggest you listen to my offer before you end up like that pink woman."

"Like Ruby!?" Rift screamed. "Don't say that! She's different from me!"

"No, she isn't." Doctor Disney declared. "You're both the same, outcasts in society. Quite ironic that the world's first superhero group has that as their name. Everyone has to start somewhere though, right?"

Rift fell silent, unable to refute the doctor's statement. He couldn't deny the fact that he was an outcast in his own world. A weirdo that no one understood. In fact, if he had looked different, Rift would have given up on being a hero a long time ago.

"So, what do you say?" Doctor Disney asked, looking Rift straight in the eyes. "Work for me, the DSA and AIM... Forget all about Belle, and the experiments on you will stop! Yes or no?"

"Yes!" Rift cried. "I'll do whatever it takes! Just tell me more about Belle!"

"Hmm, excellent!" Doctor Disney smiled. "Oh and fine... Don't worry about her. Her sacrifice won't be in vain."

"She... sacrificed herself?" Rift gasped. "But she didn't have to do that!"

"That's what makes her so special, Liam. Because even though she knew what would happen to her, she still chose to fight for you. To give you a proper chance in the world."

"I can't believe she's dead..." Rift cried. "Fine... I have nothing else to live for..."

"Good decision." The doctor replied. "Now then, let's get you fixed up."

-

"Alright, Rift. Everything should be okay now." Doctor Disney said, walking back into the room after Rift had been patched up by the man. "The doses have taken care of all the damage caused by the fights, we'll have your first mission soon..."

"First... mission?" Rift asked. "Doctor... I thought you said I was going to be a hero..."

"Sorry, I lied." Doctor Disney smiled. "I think you're much better suited to the role of a villain."

"What!?" Rift exclaimed, shocked by the sudden revelation. "Why would you-"

"Because that's what I like best about you, Rift." Doctor Disney explained. "Your heart's in the right place, but you lack the means and skills necessary to protect the world. You have potential, but you're not cut out for heroism. You can't run at fast speeds like that Freight-Tale, you can't summon shards of ice like The Golden Edge and you most certainly can't transform into a dragon like one-half of The Death Siblings... It's sad really, considering you were made to be a great hero."

"I-I can't believe you'd say that!" Rift yelled, feeling betrayed.

"Take it easy, Rift." Doctor Disney said calmly. "It's true that you were meant for heroism. But I also understand that you would get overwhelmed quite quickly. You're too stubborn to accept defeat, but that only makes you more susceptible to manipulation. Plus, I'm sure you feel some sense of guilt over Belle being down?"

"Of course I do!" Rift exclaimed. "You killed her! What do you expect?"

"Exactly," Doctor Disney nodded. "That's exactly why I need you to become a villain. You're too hotheaded to be a real hero, and there's no way you could keep yourself from killing everyone around you. A villain is perfect for you, Rift. You see, the world needs villains. They're the ones who make heroes look good. Without them, we wouldn't have the motivation to save ourselves."

"I guess..." Rift stuttered. "...Your right."

"Exactly..." He smirked.

His phone would vibrate suddenly, causing Disney to grab hold of it. Pulling it out of his pocket, he turned it on before viewing the device. A dark smile grew over his face.

"Ah, your first mission, seems we have a newbie hero on the block!" The villainous professor smirked. "And he goes by the name, Mushu..."