Playing with Fire [COMPLETED]

35 ~ portals and pains

Pain and All-Maker bring me to an arena.

I am limping, as there is a deep gash in my leg, where green goo leaks from it. I am hot all over and shaking. I can't even breathe right. There's something wrong with me. I know it, as do Pain and All-Maker.

There, standing not far away from me, is Time, Destruction, Fear, and Erasmus and his people. Time holds a cylindrical object in his his, and when Pain shoves me to the sandy ground, he grins. I notice then that Destruction and Fear also carry those cylindrical things, but I'm not sure what they are. I'm sure I'm about to find out.

All-Maker steps between me and them, and they raise their arms above their head.  "This is to be a wonderful occasion, my friends. One where we will finally be rid of those who have been trying to stop our efforts. A momentous occasion indeed. Now, my dears, release your prisoners. I'd like to see them."

Destruction opens the object in their hands, and a bright flash of purple light shoots from the object, and Death appears, laying on her stomach, her head bowed. Wings draped over her like a cape, she raises her head and looks at Destruction, who ignores her gaze.

Fear releases his prisoner next, and the flash of white light reveals Rogue, who whirls on him, punching him square in the jaw. I'd be lying if I said that didn't bring me some strange satisfaction. Rogue shoves Fear, and he snaps his fingers, and red and black energy surges from the ground. It wraps around her arms and waist, and pulls her to her knees.

"Oh, you fucking coward! You can't look me in the eye and face me like a warrior? You can't actually look at me, because if you do, you'd admit to yourself that this is wrong! You're a traitor, Fear!"

"Do shut up," he says, and a band of red energy wraps around her mouth, silencing her.

Time releases his prisoner next, and I stare at Ruin as he appears in a flash of golden light. He is hurt badly, and I can feel all the wounds he feels. All the pain he bears. And it breaks my heart to see him like this. His hand on his ribs, silvery-scarlet blood leaking between his fingers. His face is mottled and bruised, his lip is split.

And his wings.... they are clearly broken.

"No!" I scream, pushing myself forward, dragging myself toward him. He hears me, and starts to drag himself toward me. Our fingers are inches away from touching when Pain grabs me by the hair, and shoves me back away from him. Ruin screams, rage pouring off him in a palpable sensation that feels terrifying and wonderful in equal parts.

"Well, this is turning into a spectacle already." All-Maker walks up and kicks Ruin as he lays on the sand, bleeding and gasping with wheezing, wet breaths.

"Leave him alone!" Death screams.

"Oh, come now," says Pain. "You really underestimate us if you think you're just gonna get away scot-free."

"Let us go!" Death screams. "Stop this madness! Now!"

All-Maker laughs.  "Where is your sense of adventure?"

All-Maker walks around us, raising their hand, and a shimmering light is carved out of the air. The shimmering light morphs into a tear in the air, one that widens until it is big enough for someone to go through.

"Time to see if you're truly fate-bound."

Fear and Time grab hold of Ruin, and they drag him over to the portal. I scream, thrashing against the energy that All-Maker and Pain have created to hold me in place. Ruin looks at me, his brown eyes glowing faintly orange. He smiles, his lip cracking open and bleeding once more. Then, he is thrown into the portal.

The energy holding me down then fades, and I stand up, getting ready to fight the next person who touches me. But before I can, I am also thrown into the portal, and the last thing I hear before I am thrust into a rainbow of color, is Death screaming my name.