157. Cipher Beyond Part II ~Loss~

"Rick... we'll die," said Zed.

"Just keep away!" yelled Rick.

"That's not how you do this, Rick!" yelled Zed.

"What!?" asked Rick.

"Nasa Dyos ang awa, nasa tao ang gawa," said Zed.

"I'm sorry?" asked Rick.

"Nasa Dyos ang awa, nasa tao ang gawa," said Zed in Tagalog. "God pities, Man works. You can't just blame God for every bullshit that happens in your life. You can't just place him and think of him as a genocidal psychopath who controls everything in your life. Shit happens, Sanchez. Whether or not you believe in God, shit happens."

"So you're saying my wife died because of me?" asked Rick.

"You've been saying that to yourself your entire life, Rick," said Zed. "What happened to you isn't anyone or anything's fault. Shit happens. What's important is if you learn from it. If you become better because of it. You can't blame anyone, Rick. Or anything. I'm sorry."

"Then there is no meaning!" yelled Rick.

"THAT... IS NOT WHAT LIFE JUST IS!!! Meaning..." Zed spat on the ground. "It's more than just 'meaning'. It's about the experience of existing! Living! Breathing!"

"You can't just tell me to be happy," said Rick.

"You're right... I can't..." said Zed. "Because that's not what I'm trying to say right now. You're the guy with the ideas. What's your idea, Sanchez?"

Rick looks up and sees that most of the plants nearby had been dusted by the radiation.

"Let me talk to them," said Rick.

"You sure?" asked Zed.

"Yep," said Rick. "Get me in there."

"Hey, idiots!" yelled Rick in their thoughts. Rick is holding Zed's shoulder as Zed transfers Rick's thoughts into theirs. They didn't respond. "I know you're pissed... You want to blame someone right now... Well, you can't... I'll tell you what a wise wizard once told me in a much quicker and compact way... You couldn't control the situation then... And you can't change the consequences you received in the past.But you can control the situation now.What do you think is the best thing to do right now?"

"Kill Spazura," they all thought.

"Okay," said Rick. "G-Great start... *burp...* Did I just burp in my-? Whatever. But none of you are destined to destroy Spazura. Star, you can't control your powers. Do'Bumsha, you're too driven in anger. Spazura's going to kill you soon enough by using that anger against you. Or you'll destroy the whole solar system, and the others are literally just on the other planet. Steven, you're vital to the summoning of Bill Cipher. Get the hell away from him.Lord and Lei should be the only ones here."

"But-!" they all muttered.

"Stand down."

They all close their eyes, thinking. They thought about themselves... and what they're doing...

"Will the people you loved be okay with the three of you murdering billions of lives in their name?"

Kapitan Dirigma floats down. Steven shrinks himself. Star puts her wand down.

Spazura slowly regenerates as he growls softly.

"How... dare... YOU!!!" Spazura growled.

Zed snapped his fingers as Steven, Star, and Kapitan Dirigma are teleported away.

"How'd you get here, anyway?" asked Rick.

"Runes," said Zed.

"Smart," replied Rick.

"Why'd you keep Lei?" asked Zed.

"She's the only one who can calm Lord down," said Rick.

Zed sighs, facepalming. "What did Spazura do... that you didn't tell us about?"

Rick's hands trembled, as he grabbed his palms together to still them.

Spazura stares at Lord.

Spazura laughs.

"This is Lord Marvel?" he sneered. "Of Earth? I thought I killed all the Fortisites on Earth!"

"You didn't kill two... or... three... actually," smiled Lord.

"No! I spared one because my father urged me not to kill him... Then I killed the woman," smiled Spazura.

"Who?" asked Lord.

"I believe her name was J'Nena J'Nanu..." said Spazura. "Odd name for a Fortisite. It translates to 'Lady... of... Marvel...' Ah... Oh, dear..."

"My mom died from cancer," laughed Lord. "I think."

"Do you know what I even am?" smiled Spazura, as he morphed back into his first form.

"A bogus loser?" asked Lord, smiling mischievously.

"I am the child of a dream demon, Bill Cipher," said Spazura. "A hundred years ago... Yes? No... No, no... It was thirty years ago. Thirty-four years ago to be exact... I found my father's prophecy... That after my father returns to this world, I will be killed by a man of marvel. 'Marvelous' is a common name for Fortisites in the 4th World. I asked several scholars and learned that yes, indeed. They were speaking about a Fortisite. So... I traveled into your little planet and blew it up with my finger... But then! But then... I found out about three Fortisites still living. One of them, I turned into my slave. The other? I left that one alone since my father urged me to do so. The third? I poisoned her while she stayed in her sleep. I heard she got awfully sick and fell into an ill trance in her planet's hospital. Then, she grew weaker and sicker, vomiting blood constantly until she died in a puddle of blood..."

"Lord?" Lei turns to Lord, who is crying. "Lord."

"That's exactly how she died..." Lord's hands were trembling. "You killed my mom?"

"It was honestly pathetic how she was gargling in that filth you Fortisites call blood-..."

"DORA!!!"

*SPLAT*

Spazura is blown thousands of meters away as he coughs blood out of his throat.

Lord appears behind Spazura as Lord grabs him by the neck.

Spazura vomits blood. "Wait...-!"

"DORARARARARARARARARARARARARARA!!!" yelled Crazy Diamond, as Lord Marvel blasted his fists and Crazy Diamond's fists all over Spazura.

*SPLAT SPLAT SPLAT SPLAT SPLAT CRACK CRACK*

Lord hammers Spazura down to the ground as Lord beats Spazura over and over.

"No... please, wait!" sobbed Spazura.

"RAUGH!!! RAUGH!!! RAUGH!!!" Lord blasted his fists at Spazura over and over.

"LORD!!!" yelled Lei, grabbing Lord's fist.

Lord punches Lei as Lei blocks his fist with a water bubble.

"LORD!!!" yelled Lei.

Lord spin kicks and blasts his leg toward Lei, but Lei grabs his foot and smashes him into the ground.

Lei uses water to stop Lord by chaining him to the ground.

"Lord! You wouldn't hurt people like this!" yelled Lei.

"Get out of the way," Lord coldly said. "He killed my mother."

"LORD!!!" yelled Lei, as Lord breaks out of the Spin-imbued chain of water as he curved around Lei and blasts a punch into Spazura, who was in the middle of standing right back up.

Lei grabs Lord's cape and throws him to the ground.

"Stand down, Lord!" yelled Lei.

"Why are you stopping me from doing this!?" asked Lord. "YOU'D DO THE SAME!!!"

"LORD!!!" yelled Lei. "IF ANYONE'S KILLING SPAZURA, IT SHOULDN'T BE YOU!!!"

Lord turns around. "HE'S A GENOCIDAL PSYCHOPATH, LEI!!!"

Spazura trembles in pain as he slowly steadied himself.

"What?" asked Spazura, softly.

"I'M THE ONE WHO IS DESTINED TO DEFEAT SPAZURA!!!" yelled Lord.

Lord turns to Spazura, who backs away.

"No, you aren't!" yelled Lei.

"What!?" asked Lord, turning around.

"You are! But..." said Lei.

"BUT WHAT!?" asked Lord.

"Rick... Rick told me. If you do this..." Lei sighs. "We lose."

"What!?" asked Lord. "Then... why are we here?"

"To stop Bill Cipher from coming to this world," said Rick. "Because if he comes... Stefan comes... Bill Cipher is what comes next after the Monster Emperor."

"But he hasn't come yet," said Lord. "Unless-..."

"I got a call from Miguel before the flight," said Rick. "They're fighting him right now... It's... All of it... It's happening..."

"But you can change all of that..." said Zed. "You can change that by not attacking Spazura right now."

"Then who will kill him!?" asked Lord.

"Someone who doesn't want revenge... Like Lei," said Rick. "Lei is the only one who had no actual connections with Spazura... A Zeppeli is supposed to aid a JoJo..."

"But I-!" yelled Lord.

"Hey... It's okay!" yelled Lei, grabbing his cheek.

"It's not! He killed my mother-!" yelled Lord.

"Yeah? Well so did Salvi..." said Lei, nodding. "And I didn't hunt him down..."

"Why didn't you!?" asked Lord.

"Because attacking him would start something big... But now Miguel started all of this, and he's counting on us to help him undo this..." said Lei.

"But he killed my mom!" Lord's lips trembled.

"This is bigger than you and me!" yelled Lei, grabbing his cheeks. "Bigger than our moms... Bigger than our own strengths... our own weaknesses... This is bigger than just 'avenging your mother!' It's not about that anymore! It's about saving the world!"

Spazura eyes a star at the back of Lord's shoulder.

"This... is all... your family's fault... Why my daddy is gone... Why my sister was killed..." said Spazura. "The sons and daughters of David and Bathsheba... Sons and daughters of Christ and Magdalene... Lord... Marvel... A filthy... Grimm... Hmhmhmhm~hm... Ha... Aha... Hahahahahahaha... AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!DIE!!!" his voice boomed.

Spazura transforms into his second form and roars as he charges toward Lord.

"LEI!!!" yelled Zed.

Lei blocks the attack as she exchanges multiple punches with Spazura.

"BUENA BUENA BUENA BUENA BUENA!!! BUENA!!!" yelled Lei, as she and her Stand exchanged fists with Spazura.

Lei tries to catch Spazura's tail, but Spazura managed to break her legs with a kick.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!" yelled Lei.

"What!?" asked Rick. "Why the hell isn't this working!? THIS IS SUPPOSED TO BE WORKING!!! I told her that his weak spot is his tail..."

Lei prepares Ultra Spin and blasts an attack toward Spazura's tail. But Spazura curves the bullet away as he opened his third eye.

"Shit... He can see the future..." said Rick, widening his eyes. "Why did it take me so long to realize this? He could see the Goddamned future..."

Spazura sneers as he dodges all of Lei's attacks perfectly.

Lord prepares to fly.

"Lord... Don't..." said Rick.

"I won't kill him," Lord said.

"I don't trust you," said Rick.

"I won't... KILL HIM!!!" yelled Lord.

Rick thinks for a second as he facepalms.

"Fine!" yelled Rick. "FINE!!! DO WHAT YOU DO BEST!!!"

Lord blasts himself toward Spazura and kicks him away, as Crazy Diamond heals Lei.

Spazura growls. "Prepare to die, filthy peasant Grimm!"

Lei blocks the attack and kicks him away.

"Your... father..." he growled. "Was the descendant of the Grimm who killed my... sister... MY... SISTER!!!"

"Something tells me you were pretty close," said Lei.

"RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAUGH!!!" Spazura roared at the top of his lungs as he began transforming once more.

"What the fuck is happening!?" asked Zed, backing away.

"His final form..." sighed Rick. "It's still happening. It's all happening... NO!!! This is time travel! It's easy! Change anything in the past, the future changes!"

"How many loops have you entered?" asked Zed.

"Enough that didn't change anything... I created... a machine... to stop Made in Heaven..." sighed Rick. "To loop time back to its original state... And here I am... forced to enter another Goddamned loop."

Lord and Lei face against Spazura's final form...