Chapter 22 - Paradox

Paradox

    I stood up straight, and looked around to the destruction caused. Much of the destruction was only within the shield Drako made. Speaking of which, he quickly recalled it, obviously wanting that energy back. His powers were doing work to keep him alive, but he had neglected himself in the fight, and now his body was getting back at him for it. He floated down into the now even larger crater, landing on one knee and nearly collapsing. It would take him a bit to recover.

    The physical injuries weren’t the only thing that were causing him pain. His mind must also be a warzone. His conscious side probably fought for every single string of sanity he could gather, attempting to keep the selfish and greedy thoughts away. They didn’t seem to bother him much, most likely because he had prepared himself mentally for today. Then I realized he was shaking, and realized that it may not even be himself that was the issue.

   We had been coming here today, hoping for a fair fight against Heaven’s Wrath only. Instead, we fell for a trap, and now Marie, Tom, and Jefferson were dead. He may have defeated Eliza, but there was a crushing burden on him, which was to always protect his men. He had failed. His fear of his own power caused their deaths, and there was no one else to blame. He didn’t know if I was dead or alive, but I didn’t know if I should show myself at this moment, or wait for the grief to subside.

    I saw movement in some of the surviving rubble, and realized that under it was a surviving survivor.

    *Marie!*

    She was alive! I stared at her with wide eyed disbelief. How in the world had she survived? She rolled a huge stone off herself and groaned.

    She looked over in my direction. She opened her eyes, and looked at me like I was some terrible, awful ghost. Her eyes widened, her eyes hollow, as if I was a ghost, and apparition standing infront of her.

    She opened her mouth to speak, but words failed her. I stayed silent, too stunned to figure out what to say, but knowing what she was going to ask, and the right answer.

    She finally gathered and mustered the strength to speak. “Mind explaining how the hell you’re alive?”

    I didn’t know what to say, so I reflected the question back, “I dunno, but I do know that there’s no way you would’ve survived. You first.”

    She began to get up, but wobbled a bit. She chose to sit instead. “No point in denying it now, huh? Well, you must know. I'm Gifted, just like Damien. Or Drako, whatever. I only have normal healing and augmented strength, so it was pretty easy to hide. It was only enough for me to barely survive though. Now, mind explaining how your scrawny behind managed to survive a whole nuclear holocaust in our own backyard?”

    I looked down. What should I say? That Catastrophe had given me magical powers to go *pew pew* with little shields that could survive a True Gifted’s energy blast? “I’m… also a Gifted.” That’s all I could say. But I was sure I was just a Gifted. You wouldn’t catch me testing out my theory though, not knowing if I had any healing or strength properties.

   She looked skeptical. “Well, good in a way, I guess. You’re alive, so that matters.” She looked down. “I’m guessing Tom and Jeff didn’t have the same luck.”

    I looked down as well. “No, they didn’t.”

    She lowered her head, speaking quietly, “This wasn’t supposed to go like this. It was going to be an easy mission. But that blazed Eliza messed it all up, ugh! And she’s probably alive, wreaking havoc on other innocents for our mistakes…”

    I perked up at that, interjecting, “She’s dead, Marie. Drako killed her.”

    Her mouth went wide open, and she stammered for words. “No-n-n-no! How?”

    I pointed in the general direction of Eliza’s corpse and Drako’s grieving body. “Drako found her weakness, and eliminated her.”

    “Nice.” Was all Marie could say, not even looking in my direction.

    Drako had not gotten up from where he was, but he seemed to only be upset now. His crying had stopped, and he focused on… something. I realized I felt it too. Something dark coming, and it wasn’t going to be pretty.

    “*Crap*.” I said. “Hide Marie! He’s coming!”

    “Who?” She asked.

    I almost felt weak to my knees.

    “It’s Heaven's Wrath. He’s here. No point in hiding now.”

    “Well well well, little gifted. You have caused me a lot of trouble. So much so, that I felt obligated to come here. It was going to come to this sometime, as my creation was so often exposed to the public, I should’ve seen it coming. Its weakness would have soon been discovered. Oh well, so be it. Now little Gifted, explain to me in a single sentence, why I shouldn’t end you this instant.”

    This was not the voice of Heaven’s Wrath.

    I looked up to see three figures over Drako; one in black, ominous clothing, and the other in white, godly looking clothing. The one above had dark, comfortable clothing with her stylized leggings and slashed, clawed jacket over a simple shirt. She carried with herself a large set of wings, which I imagined were most likely cosmetic (Gifted had no use for such wings). I imagined she was the leader, for the other 2 gifted seemed to be protecting her.

    Heavens Wrath *was* here. I could see the small sun looking aura he carried with him. He smirked at the gawking Drako, seemingly very satisfied with the crouching figure of a broken Drako. I wondered to myself whether there was some form of past rivalry, as Drakos gaze hardened into animosity as soon as he met Heavens Wrath’s eyes.

    The other was a feminine shape, and I could see it was a woman. She, was *terrifying*, and her dark clothing only exemplified this. A strange, black-purple mist surrounded her, and her hands were covered by a phantasmic set of claws, which I imagined would hurt more then their immaterial stature would let on.

    “I see the confusion on your face, Gifted, so allow me to introduce myself. My name is Paradox, and you will have the honor of having me place the nails of your coffin. I am the most powerful Gifted you have met yet, and the most powerful you shall ever meet. Because your grave, will be specifically marked at my feet.” This came from the

    Drako looked far from impressed. “You speak too much and show too little. Fight me it you truly believe you will come on top.”

    *No!* Draco launched himself at the mysterious figure, leading with his fist at her exposed midsection. I didn’t know whether she was bluffing or not, but she was accompanied by two other Gifted, one of which happened to be Heavens Wrath, one of the strongest True Gifted I knew.

    The dark figure seemed to dissipate into a fine dark mist, as she flew forward at a much faster pace them Drako could ever muster. She appeared behind him without a word, and before he could even turn, materialized and kicked him hard on the upper part of his back, then slashing thrice at his exposed back with her claw-like hands.

    Draco stopped momentarily, his arms reaching to his back at his exposed, bleeding skin. He didn’t even pay attention to the He then launched himself off the balls of his feet, diving face first towards Heavens Wrath.

    Paradox laughed. “Oh Gifted, but you had trouble fighting only a mere fraction of my power. It was so little in fact, that I nearly died laughing every time you nearly died. Of course, you’re also very cunning, and you saw through my attacks to my weakness. Truly, I applaud you.”

    Drako seemed exasperated now. “We have never fought.”

    Paradox smiled a very satisfied smile. “But you have! The one you call Eliza, she was not real. Well yes, she is real, but her true form is locked away, far from here. The one I created, was simply a creation that mimicked Eliza’s attacks, and multiplied them by two. So congratulations, you beat someone of roughly twice your strength. You’re still no match for me.”

    Something inside me melted at hearing what Paradox had just said. Eliza was *alive*?! Had she been kidnapped, forced to hide and watch helplessly as a creation created after her power went around murdering ruthlessly? Did this mean my Eliza was still alive somewhere? Could I rescue her, maybe force Paradox to tell me where she was?

    I hadn’t been paying attention, but then I came back to my senses, and heard something awful.

    Drako had stood up, his injuries still healing. “Well, if you could put your cocky side aside, maybe I could believe you. In other words, prove it.”

    “Little Gifted, you have no idea where you stand. You and the normal Gifted stand on a pedestal far above Humanity. But to you all, I am the God above. My power is incomprehensible to your measly power scales. You are nothing compared to me. I am what you can now call, a Legendary True Gifted. My powers are ultimate and unscaled, unrivaled and unthwarted. *You*, don’t stand a chance.”

    What ‘Eliza’ had said earlier, now made sense. Paradox was a Legendary True Gifted, whatever that meant. But if it meant what I think it did…

    Paradox was invincible.

    Drako, did not buy into what she sold. “Again, I don’t care for your words, I care for your actions. Prove it.”

    And Paradox did.

    Not even moving her hand, time stopped for a moment, before Drako, Heavens Wrath, and Paradox were placed above the crater. They seemed to be standing on, well, nothing.

    It was brain breaking. How? Was it a shield? Ice? Glass? Maybe some type of invisible material?

    Then I realized it was none, it was just an illusion of land that was probably being created by Paradox for Drako. That must be it, because Drako examined the ‘floor’, reaching in like he was picking up dust, but nothing was there. Paradox seemed to dissolve the illusion, and Drako fell nearly face first towards the crater.

    Paradox could create powerful illusions that appealed to all sensory details. Apparently, Drako could feel and see the fake floor, and even hear the dust falling, as his ears had perked up as he lifted his hand and slowly opened it.

    Drako looked confused, and Paradox spoke. “I boast of many talents. I can mimic others attacks, create fake Gifted, use my own illusion attacks, have exceptional healing, and control others under certain circumstances.”

    *What?!?*

    Drako seemed awed. “Impossible…”

    Paradox smiled. “Nothing is impossible Damien. Yet us being together, that would have never worked out. But we were so well together, it would hurt me to have to kill you. So I won’t.”

    Drako just sighed warily. “Why not?” He asked simply.

    “Because, love, I leave all the dirty work for Heaven's Wrath.”

    At this statement, Heaven’s Wrath flew in towards Drako, carrying two balls of light in his hands.

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