Epics of Noche 4, Asylum

EON CH 32 - ACT 57, LIGHT OF DAWN

PILLAR OF CORRUPTION.

1777, APRIL 03rd, SUNDAY 11:25pm.

Corruption consumed the ocean like bacteria in a petri dish. It spread like an infection as white tendrils writhed for miles and miles. A sky of ivory flame atop an oil-black ocean. As the destruction grew all Noche could do was watch.

The hydra had been defeated and everyone had made it back to the helicopter. By now it was reaching the edge of the asylum's territory and the storm clouds had opened up to reveal a night sky. The blonde's eyes lingered on the stars that had finally become visible. She could even make out a few constellations between the gaps in the dispersing clouds.

"Was the asylum always covered by a storm?"

"Yesh. The ashylum hash a weather machine," Rust said. "Kept the watersh choppy and shky turbulent."

"Why are we using a helicopter by the way?" Noche turned to the old general. "When I was brought here the twins simply threw me over their shoulder and ran here at supersonic speeds."

"We had a few reasons," Shaylin interrupted. "Approaching via helicopter was less suspicious, my hacking tech could have been damaged at super speed, and Alice's augment isn't as strong as yours."

"Worst case scenario we generals could take Medusa and abandon y'all," Trio smiled.

"Trio!" Medusa yelled. "We are not abandoning anyone."

There was a clapping sound and everyone turned to Vida. She was slapping her bare feet together and grinning like a fool.

"It's baaaaaack," she sang.

Noche turned to countless massive whirlpools all across the ocean. Dozens of pillars of water exploded into the sky and each one had the force of a world-shaking volcanic eruption. Noche's expression was stunned speechless at the sight before her. Not seven, not ten, but fifty heads. Half a hundred surrounded the helicopter in a cage of flesh large enough to be a small continent.

Surprisingly a good portion of the heads were covered in corruption. Its flesh was unable to regenerate fast enough to keep up with the sheer absolute destruction of the white flame. Everyone in the helicopter tensed as they took in the sight.

In synch, all the hydra mouths opened and blue light gathered in their maws. The generals tensed prepared to jump as white fire ignited in Noche's left eye socket. She ignited a good twenty heads in a fraction of a second as the four generals blocked the attacks on the opposite end. The chaos was so overwhelming that no one noticed the yellow dot rocketing across the sky like a shooting star.

Raven floated below the clouds and stared at the asylum; in his hand was a brown newspaper cap. He stared at the prison for about a full ten seconds before turning to the wriggling wall of flesh the size of a country. The strongest bird of death raised his right hand and a small sparkle of white fire danced around his fingers.

The resulting blast was blinding – it was as if hundreds of nukes had gone off at once. A pillar of corruption about fifty thousand square miles in diameter. A beam that could encompass the entire Create continent. A tower large enough to make the planet look like it was a golf ball sitting on a white tee.

All fifty hydra heads were encased in white fire with room to spare. Even Noche's new left eye couldn't compete with the sheer power Raven just unleashed. It was as if the spear of god had struck down in a blaze of radiant fire.

Yet somehow their little helicopter was spared as they hovered in a white void. Everyone was speechless as the ivory flames died down. The hydra was gone. The asylum was gone. The ocean was gone. All that remained was a bottomless black pit with water cascading towards the void.

Raven floated above the gaping maw and held the brown newspaper cap. He raised it to his mask and stared for a moment. Then his arm fell limp to his side and he allowed the mask to fall from his grip. It danced in the wind before falling into the roiling ocean.

At the helicopter everyone was speechless, shocked; even the generals seemed to be stunned. Raven turned towards the direction of the helicopter and despite the distance seemed to stare straight at it. The air exploded as he moved at supersonic speeds.

The generals prepared for a fight as the bird of death arrived within a hundred feet of the vehicle. He stopped causing a massive shockwave of air to rattle the helicopter. Shaylin and Medusa managed to stabilize it as he stared at the group.

Without showing any signs of hostility he approached the helicopter until he was within thirty feet of its open doors. Then he locked eyes with Noche as she leaned out the opening. She glared at him as he levitated there.

"You saved us," she said. "Why?"

"If I wanted to hurt you, what could stop me?"

Noche ground her teeth at that response. "Why are you here?"

"Revenge... You could say."

She kept glaring as the two maintained their deadlock. Without a word, Raven turned around and took off like a ballistic missile. Noche's gaze followed the bird of death as he disappeared into the distance. Her eye lingered on the sight for a long time before returning to the crashing ocean and the spot where the corruption pillar had hit.

"Corruption is powered by hate," she thought. "How much does he have to have caused this much destruction?"

She turned her gaze to the rest of the helicopter. Shaylin was shaking and Medusa was wiping sweat off her forehead. Mary and Alice were both pale and even the Generals appeared uneasy. Noche closed her eyes and returned her focus to forcefully regenerating her drive.

The next six hours were silent as the helicopter flew above the waters. Noche was resting as the Create continent came into sight. She had long recovered her drive and pondered how much she now had.

She was the first person to escape the asylum — so how much would two years of constant drive usage cause her to gain? As if the thought triggered a reaction, Medusa called out her name.

"Noche. What are your intentions once we get back to Cross?"

The blonde paused for a while.

"I intend to take down DeathTech and kill Edward," she said. "As long as Cross plans to do the same, I see no reason to stop working with them."

"And what of you, Mr. Starnight?"

Boots raised his head.

"I intend the same."

"I see," Medusa continued to stare straight ahead. "Baxter?"

"TimmMmy and I have noooo intentions of partaking in this war any longer," he said. "We wi-wi-will stay true to our deal, but once we're done, we're going to hide sommMmewhere in the NeverAfter forest."

"The NeverAfter forest? Why there?" Noche interrupted.

"I know the forest well. I can find a sa-safe place for us there."

"Is this true, Timmy?" Medusa asked.

"Aye. It's true," he said. "I eard about dis war an I no wan any part of it."

"Alright," Medusa said. "Once we land, we'll find some accommodations for you both. Then we'll see what Baxter knows about DeathTech. Then we can go from there."

Noche took in a deep breath and stared at the ocean waves. It had calmed down from its chaotic turmoil under the asylum's storm-filled sky; now it was a calm blue.

"DeJaVu," Noche muttered as she flew closer to home.