Armageddon: The Broken Man - ACT 1

Chapter 4 - To Die With Dignity

Chapter 4 - To Die With Dignity

//PERSPECTIVE//EXTRA//
>WAR

Dames really is an airhead. I mean, who just believes the random voice in their head with no question? Him, apparently, and I didn't really even have to push him to beat Liddel senseless.

It goes without saying that I really don't like Cadmus. He's a punk, a brat, really, and has a mouth big enough to fit an elephant.

Death seems to favor him over Alice, though, and I've got no idea why. Alice is a perfect candidate for ascension, with street smarts, actual mental stability, and enough sass to go around the block. She's a perfect fit for being a Death host, especially for Death's positive charge.

Do excuse my rambling.

Nixon's point of view was boring for a while, so I switched back over to Keira. She was on the bus, being hounded by her fanboys and fangirls into doing something idiotic. She was nervous enough to not notice me, and I didn't really mind.

I gave up on my positive hosts and swapped over to Damian. He's bound to be more interesting; he's constantly with Alice, and she's normally doing something cute, fun and/or insane.

They're just sitting on the couch, watching crappy rom-coms. Sure, it's obvious that there's a little cuddling going on under that massive, ugly blanket, but there's nothing else to it. He just has his arm loosely hugging her side, and they both have their eyes glued to the screen.

Hey, War. What's up? Where've you been?

His carefree tone kind of annoys me. I roll my eyes and approach him from behind the couch, silently mocking their cheesy movie.

"Oh, you know, I've just been working the normal hours. Just, uh," I muse, mocking his easygoing attitude. "You know, not watching horrible romantic comedies."

Come on, this one isn't that bad. And what was I supposed to do? She wanted romance, and I wanted to watch Sharknado.

"That movie is an abomination." I huff, plopping down on a shelf just behind them. "Why do people even watch it, honestly?"

It's popular because it's so offensively cheesy. You've got to appreciate the irony of it.

"Don't you have teenagers to take care of?" I scoff, and he replies with a mental image of Oliver and Scott opening the box to a new game console, set with a jumble of games.

We won't hear anything from them for about three days.

"Oh, smooth." I continue, admittedly droning on. "So now you've got plenty of time to spend with the lady?"

Yep, and it seems like we'll be pretty laid back.

"Lame." I huffed, rolling my eyes. "By the way, I'd live it up for the next two weeks. That's all that's left."

He stopped for a second; by the time he had something to say, I was already gone. 

Next up on my visit list is the rest of the deities. I've had to be separate from them for a while, simply because I've given myself so much to do. It's really the kind of work I wouldn't trust anyone else with, anyways. I wouldn't want anyone to take down my web of hosts.

Without a host, deities are half as strong as they are with them. And with each host after 2, we gain 50% more power. So, I'm constantly at 150% of my average energy range. I plan on gaining another host, too, as soon as possible. I need to be able to stand toe-to-toe with Chaos, because lately she's been getting a little more brave than I'd prefer.

"War, you're back!" Pestilence woops, tackling me to the ground before I can even fully solidify. "What've you been doing?"

I shove the giggling doofus into a tree, and his laughs only grow in volume. Famine inches into my field of vision, holding a small stone tablet between her pale, thin fingers. Her ashen skin is showing for once, and she's actually dressed like someone in the 21st century. Of course, she's taking after her hosts and only wearing a sweatshirt, bleached-out jeans, and tennis shoes.

"Hey, where's Death?' I ask, turning to Famine. She only stares back at me with her ever-blank golden eyes, silently formulating her answer.

"She's been frozen in place since about an hour after the last time you left." She answers, barely above a whisper. She utters the words with calm precision, vigilant as ever. "I can't fix it, and I've read every tablet at least twice."

"Take me to her. We were a pair once, so I might be able to help." I reply as calmly as I can, closely matching Famine's level of cool composition. "Besides, I'm better at deciphering tablets than you. You know how it is."

Famine taps her foot and as usual when she does the transporting, my head spins, forcing a mouthful of bile up into my throat. My face contorts a little as I gag and barely swallow.

She wasn't kidding. Death's just frozen in place, reaching for something beyond her arm's length. She's been placed on her back, so that she can rest on the cot. Her right arm reaches into the air, and the other is tucked around her stomach, clenching a fist around a slip of paper.

"The last thing she said was her line in the prophecy." Famine continues as I examine Death's petrified form, solemn and silent. "She messed it up a little. It was more like, 'silence, sorrow and darkness, bow to your king,' instead of-"

"Silence, sorrow and darkness, bow to your king." I mutter, feeling along Death's wrist for her abnormal pulse. It's still there, but faint; she's alive, at least. "That's an actual line, but I can't remember who it belongs to."

"It belongs to Ryn, now that you mention it." Famine answers, beginning to pace back and forth. "It shouldn't be possible for any of his magic to last after his deaths, though."

"Deaths? What happened to him?"

"Your precious Oracle used him for a soul insertion. She took both of his lives, and gave his energy to the Liddel boy." Famine explains, keeping at least most of the sarcasm out of her tone. "Afterwards, she proceeded to crash Foren's RS and PD systems."

"Wait, wait," I murmur, giving myself just a second to think. "Does Liddel have a current body on Foren?"

"Not a usable one. It's still rebuilding, and Rendan's lashings aren't helping his healing process." She answers, and I glance back to her. Pestilence has joined us by now, and he's finally looking serious.

"So Ryn — or Cadmus, we don't really know — could have been able to slip in here and cast a spell without us noticing." Pestilence cuts in just before I begin to speak. "We wouldn't have recognized the threat because of his new form, and now-"

"Ryn or not, he's got hell to pay. I don't give a damn if Fate was behind it, I'm changing Death back."