HROT 3: End of All Things

Prologue

Tony fell to his knees in disbelief as the unfathomably massive Creator let out a deafening groan and started to get up. NK Flo was still cackling maniacally in front of Harout. Suddenly, the horrific creature that had taken over Kyle Taylor, Tony's dearest surviving friend, noticed the danger behind him and snarled in surprise. NK Flo was impulsive, but not unintelligent. He recognized the dire situation and dashed off.

Tony still kept his eyes on Harout, barely even noticing that NK Flo had fled. Leon, Crunk, Dom, and Mewten stood beside him, gazing in equal awe and despair. Marie was a short distance away. The strange creature that had emerged from Hovermind's skull was sitting on her shoulder. A look more panicked than any Tony had seen on her was on her face. Harout was getting to his knees. One of the massive joints, the size of a moon, looked like it would land on the group if they didn't move. "GET OUT OF THE WAY!" Marie screamed.

Suddenly aware of the immediate danger they were in, Tony, Leon, Crunk, and Mewten started to sprint out of the way of the giant knee descending toward them. But as they ran, Tony glanced back. He saw Dom on his knees, gazing at the incoming danger in utter defeat. "Dom! What are you doing?!" Tony cried.

Dom slowly turned his head toward Tony. A look of complete hopelessness was on the Brit's face. After all the torture Dom had endured on Deckard, this was the final blow that he could not weather. Tony and the others could only watch as Dom was silently crushed beneath Harout as he knelt upon the great Bed.

"What do we do?" Mewten asked in terror. "We're all going to die!"

Crunk let out a long sigh. "Perhaps, in the end, this is what is meant to happen." The honorable eggheaded warrior barely clutched his club.

Despite his shock, Tony turned and saw Marie charging toward them. "We have to get to the ship!" she cried. "What are you all standing there for?!"

"There is no getting away from this," Crunk replied darkly.

"What the fuck are you talking about? Come on!"

"We won't be able to reach the ship before he kills us," Tony muttered as Harout drowsily struggled to get one foot out from under him.

Leon was surprisingly silent, even though he was typically the first to complain when a problem arose.

Harout suddenly noticed the cluster of five people gaping at him. He squinted as he examined the group. It looked to Marie like his eyes had locked upon the creature on her shoulder. To everyone's shock, Harout's eyes dilated, and a look of fear, or perhaps panic, spread across his enormous face. The Creator let out an ear-splitting roar and started to swing his hand toward them, as if to swat them like houseflies. Even Marie knew they would have no time to reach the Glass-LT before he obliterated them.

Tony felt a calm wave of acceptance sweep over him. Everything he had done to get here was forgotten in that moment. At least the suffering would end now.

Harout froze. The hand sweeping toward them slowed to the point where its movement was nearly indiscernible. Tony and the others stared in utter confusion. Then, Tony took in his surroundings and saw why: Leon was standing in front of the others, his arms outstretched, his muscles so tense that it looked like a vein on his forehead would surely burst.

Leon was holding back Harout.

But how? Leon's time-mending abilities had been all but completely exhausted when last the others had checked. What had changed when Leon had briefly split off from the others? How was he able to contain the most powerful being in the universe? "How are you doing that?" Mewten asked in shock.

The strain in Leon's voice was clear as he shouted, "Get out of here! Find a way to stop him!"

"How long can you hold him back?" Marie asked.

Leon's eyes shimmered as he finally came to understand his destiny. "As long as it takes."

Tony was still too dumbfounded to think on his feet. Marie grabbed him roughly by the arm and started to drag him toward the ship. The moment she grabbed him, however, the booming voice of Tony's deceased father, Tired Kitty, echoed in his head: "Save this place. Find Ronald Hill. He lurks hidden on HROT. He will show you how to become the man you need to be to stop this."

The next thing Tony knew as he regained his full consciousness, he was sitting in a chair on the bridge of the Glass-LT. Marie was scrambling to initiate takeoff. Crunk and Mewten were staring out the window, watching Leon's tiny figure hold back the most powerful being in existence. "How is he doing this?" Mewten wondered.

"I don't know, but we owe our lives to him," Crunk replied. "The whole world may owe their lives to him."

The Glass-LT rose into the air. An uncharacteristic fear was in Marie's voice as she said shakily, "I don't know where to go. I don't know what to do."

"HROT," Tony said hollowly, staring blankly out the window.

The other three turned to him in surprise. "Why would we go back when it's been decimated?" Marie asked incredulously.

"It's the only way we can stop this," Tony replied confidently. "Make for HROT. We don't have much time."

Scared and confused but trusting in Tony's judgment, Marie directed the Glass-LT away from Harout's Bed.

Down on the mattress, a silent tear rolled down Leon's face as he watched his companions depart to attempt to save the world. Now, Leon was the only thing standing between Harout and utter destruction. He knew the task that lay before him. He could only hope he was strong enough for the job.