71 Chapter 65: Warnings from the Devil
I'm back. *Undertaker intro for epic entrance*
And with a fanservice chapter of something you guys asked me for.
By the way. The other time I watched the He-Man and the Masters of the Universe series on Netflix and I felt again like when I was a kid. It was great. But then, I thought a lot and, at least I, have never seen a fic on this site or others, about this universe. He-Man is a great character, but no one writes about that. That's sad.
Then I realized that DC Comics has the rights to the character since they bought him. In short, He-Man belongs to DC. So yes, guys, He-Man is going to be in this fic. I already have a cool and logical idea to introduce him into the story.
Place your bets. He-Man vs Ghost Rider. I wonder if Grayskull's power makes him invulnerable to hellfire....
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"talking"
'thinking'
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New York, February 28, 20:57, 2017 (5 months after the fight with Doomsday)
Edgar POV
Silence.
Such an overwhelming silence was felt on this night, as we waited for our long awaited date. Next to me, cigarette smoke was being produced from none other than John Constantine, who was accompanying me tonight. We were both in an alley where no presence could be felt.
The alley was nothing special. One of the many alleys that the great city of New York presented, where vagrants and some people with many nocturnal adventures, frequented. Even my heightened senses could smell the distinct combination of urine, vomit, blood, rotten food, and other fluids of dubious origin.
A wintry chill was felt, as the night wind rushed through the city. Even though February was saying goodbye to the winter season, it was still considerably cold. However, even though my touch was so developed that I could feel even the slightest change in temperature, I didn't mind this wind one bit.
My leather jacket, which I was wearing tonight, was the one I always wore when I transformed into Rider, and whose temperature always remained ideal for me.
Honestly, on a night like tonight, the only thing I would like to do is to be in Diana's arms. But today's date was very important. And even if I didn't like where we were, it was something I'd been looking forward to for a long, long time. Something like the bad smell wasn't going to stop me from my purpose.
"Ready, it's 9 o'clock" John indicated, as he flicked the cigarette butt to the floor and stepped on it with the sole of his shoe. "Remember. This place is special and very private. Keep an open mind and don't cause trouble, or we'll never be able to get back in again"
"I understand, John" I replied to my smoking friend. "You've already explained the rules of the place to me, many times. I won't make any fuss. At least if I'm not provoked..."
"Sigh. This last is what I fear" I could sense mixed feelings towards me from John. I understood why he felt them, since, from what he had told me, the place we were going to, was a place frequented by many demons, vampires, werewolves and other supernatural beings that I would normally destroy.
However, that was not all. The place we were going to, was a place where beings of immense power also frequented. We were talking about beings on the level of Trigon or even more. Certainly, I understood why John was so worried.
I wanted to reply, but when I wanted to speak, a door materialized right in the brick wall, which previously did not feature such a door. Clearly, there were hints of powerful space magic related to this door.
From my touch, I could intuit that the door was a simple wooden door, with a metal hinge. Nothing 'special'. But in magic, the less "special" something seemed, the more powerful or dangerous it turned out to be.
John straightened his trench coat and adjusted his disheveled tie a bit, and I simply untucked my leather jacket, and we walked through the magical door.
As we entered, I could feel an abysmal change in the atmosphere. The place felt so comforting and welcoming. Through my senses, I could feel dozens of people talking harmoniously while drinking beer, wine or other beverages.
However, my eyes did not deceive me. These 'people', who were chatting harmoniously, were only disguises to hide their true selves. These people were creatures of the night who would normally wreak havoc or succumb to their most depraved desires.
Demons. Vampires. Werewolves. And other beings of immense darkness. In this place, however, they behaved like any normal people, drinking in a regular bar. But this was no ordinary bar. This was a very special bar.
This was the Oblivion Bar.
The Oblivion Bar, was a supernatural bar created hundreds of years ago to house beings of all kinds so they could have a place where they could feel 'normal'. A place to escape the routine and enjoy a good drink and a good chat.
That's why John warned me not to fight. Not that you couldn't fight or much less. But if you did, you'd be banned for life from the place. And you could never come back, even if you wanted to.
This bar, from what John told me, had a kind of conscience. Not only was it located in a pocket dimension where time and space ran differently, but the doors that materialized, like the one John and I entered, only materialized once in a certain place, and for a fairly short time. Not only on Earth, but also in Hell and Heaven.
If you didn't have an appointment, it was very difficult to get there or know how to find this place.
When we entered, everyone stopped chatting and looked at us with hostility. A tense atmosphere was felt in the room as these demonic beings stopped drinking and looked at us with too much intensity. It seemed that, in a few seconds, everyone would turn to chaos.
However, that didn't happen as a man came out of the back door and made his way to the bar. When the man came out, everyone went back to chatting and drinking as before. The man turned to look at us and addressed John cheerfully.
"John, I see you didn't miss the appointment. I'm glad. It would have been bad if the door had disappeared without you having come in"
"Richard, it's nice to see you, too. I see you haven't changed a bit. The bar keeps you young and healthy"
"That's true. I've always said so. I don't take care of the bar. The bar takes care of me, hahaha" the cheerful man turned to see me and introduced himself. "Forgive my manners. I got so focused on John that I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Richard Occult. It's a pleasure, and you are..."
"Edgar Bones. It's a pleasure" I held out my hand and he held out his. "The place is amazing. Although my eyes can't see it, my senses tell me there's a lot of magic in the air"
"I know, John told me about your... 'special disability'. And you're right. Maybe this bar isn't Gemworld or Camelot, but it's certainly a magical place. And I can assure you that we have the best drinks on every existential plane. Can I get you something?"
"Beer"
"Tequila, please"
We both ordered something to drink and Richard quickly served it to us.
As the tequila went down my throat, I could feel a special burning in my vocal cords. However, the burning quickly changed to a feeling of calmness and relaxation. Whatever this drink had in it, it certainly started to relax me like never before. The taste was also very good. One of the best tequilas I have ever tasted.
"It's very good. What brand is it?"
"They make it at Gemworld. It's magic brand, haha. Everything here is. The function of this bar is for you to have a good night. And the drinks are a key part of making it happen. These drinks won't get you drunk like conventional drinks. And best of all, you won't have a hangover in the morning either. Something I'm sure John is quite grateful for"
"I'll drink to that, mate"
"I see a history between you..." I wanted to say. I felt that these two people were very good friends. However, from what John told me earlier, Richard was someone quite old. Maybe just as old as Kent was.
"I met John a long time ago. His grandfather was a friend of mine and introduced me to him. But at that time, John was 16 or 17 years old and... he was totally out of control. His grandfather was very concerned about his rampant behavior, the drugs and alcohol. He wanted me to take him in as my ward, but I didn't accept. I am not a teacher. And I felt that John needed to make mistakes for him to change his behavior. And I wasn't wrong. You're looking better, John. You've become a great sorcerer. Your grandfather would be proud of you"
I felt John become saddened by Richard's words. But he didn't deny his words. Actually, from what John had told me of his life, he was quite right.
"Sigh. You're right, Richard. I learned from my mistakes and got better. Now, although I can't say I'm an example to follow, because I'm not. I think I can say I'm a version that my sister and grandfather would be proud of. And that's good enough for me"
John turned to me and patted me on the shoulder "And Edgar was instrumental in making that happen. I owe him a lot, Richard...and that's why we're here today. We need to meet with 'him'"
"Yes, 'he' is expecting you. However, one more customer wants to talk to Edgar. He asked me to call him when you came in. He's a very important client and I can't deny him. Take it easy. It's nothing bad. It's just a chat"
John became thoughtful about this. I, too, began to wonder who this mystery person was. However, something seemed to change in John's demeanor as he opened his eyes wildly in surprise and turned to Richard.
"Don't tell me the one who wants to talk to him is-"
"Yes. The owner of this place"
"I thought he was in Los Angeles. That's the last thing I heard of him"
"He is, and he left me in charge of this place, but he came back today to look at certain things. When you came in, he called me and told me he wanted to see the Rider"
"Wait, wait, wait, wait, hold your horses. I don't understand anything" I interrupted their conversation. "Who is the person you are talking about and why does he know that I am a Rider?, I understand that there are beings that can sense my power, but... it's very suspicious" I asked. John was the one who answered me
"Sigh, he is... the creator of this bar. He's not a bad person, he's just someone... peculiar. And quite powerful. Relax, he just wants to chat. If he had hostility towards you, we wouldn't be in this place anymore"
"I see... All right. I'll chat with him" I concluded. I was very curious to know who the owner of this bar was. It takes powerful beings to create pocket dimensions. But John treated him as someone who even something like this was practically nothing. A being with immense power. I hoped this was all not a bad thing.
"Well, John. 'He' is waiting for you in private room 4. And Edgar, the boss is waiting for you in the back. When you come out, I'll escort you to where John is"
"Yes, thank you"
With that, I headed off to where he was telling me to go.
Walking, I arrived at the only room that was in the back. When I opened it, I was greeted by a male but velvety voice. A rather magnetic voice. Even his English had a posh British accent.
"Hello, Mr. Bones. Or would you prefer Edgar?" said the smiling man. "Forgive me for interrupting your arrival at my bar. I know you have an important meeting. But when I noticed you come in, I didn't hesitate and wanted to meet you. I'm always curious to know who is the new Avatar of my little brother, Azael (Zarathos)"
"Excuse me, but you are..."
I thought this person would be someone powerful. But talking about Zarathos being his little brother only indicated one thing. This person was an archangel. But when he introduced himself, that's when I realized he wasn't just any archangel. He was the most powerful one.
"Oh, my god. Forgive my rudeness, I didn't introduce myself" the man stood up and held out his hand to me. "Lucifer Morningstar. It's a pleasure to meet you"
'Well, shit'
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General POV
"Lucifer Morningstar. It's a pleasure to meet you" said a rather handsome man.
His features were finely chiseled. As if God himself had carved them. Well, actually, maybe he did. His hair was black, and his eyes were blood red. His beard was finely trimmed and his hair neatly combed. He wore an elegant suit that only highlighted his handsome features. In short, he was the man every woman, and even some men, would want.
Next to him, seated in another armchair, was a beautiful brown-skinned woman. She wore a rather revealing leather outfit. However, she barely glanced sideways at the newcomer to the room, as she was concentrating on sharpening two knives together.
This woman was Lucifer's right-hand woman and 'bodyguard', Mazikeen. A superior demon, daughter of Lilith. And the one who is known as the demon executioner. When Lucifer wanted to kill someone, she was the one he sent. That's how good she was.
"Mazikeen, don't be rude, and say hello to our guest"
"Mmm, nice to meet you" Mazikeen said gruffly and continued sharpening the knives. Edgar thought nothing of it.
"Forgive her, Edgar. It's nothing personal, that's how she behaves with everyone. She's got a fierce temper, but she's very good at what she does, if you know what I mean" Lucifer said while making a murderous gesture. "Besides, you see what they say. Women with fierce tempers, in bed are the most daring"
"Shut up, you idiot, or I'll shove this knife up your ass" replied Mazikeen as she threatened Lucifer with her knife.
"See, I told you it wasn't personal. It's always like this. Now, sit down, please, Edgar. Join me in my drink" Lucifer sat down and motioned for Edgar to sit next to him. He then proceeded to pour him some Champagne he had in a bucket of ices and offered it to him.
Edgar didn't refuse him. Come on, he was the devil himself. Edgar was an ant next to someone like Lucifer. He had to be careful around him.
"Lord Lucifer, may I ask why you called me?"
"Call me Luci. My friends do. And I told you, I was curious who my brother's new Avatar was. And I like what I see. You have a lot of potential. You'll be a good opponent against that four-eyed, Trigon"
"You know about Trigon?"
"Please, Edgar. I know all about hell. I know it's threatening to come. And that's bad. You see, I have a lot of business right now that will be affected if Earth is destroyed. His arrival does not bode well"
"Then help me. Trigon, to you, is like an ant. You can kill him easily"
And that was true. Archangels were beings of immense power. But even among them there were hierarchies. They were all quite powerful, and had unique abilities that made them stand out. But there were only two of them that were superior in EVERY way. Fighting. Intelligence. Power. EVERYTHING. And those were Lucifer and Michael Morningstar. Both twins and the first archangels ever created.
It was said that combined, their power could rival God himself. The other archangels could against Trigon, that was for sure. But to defeat him easily, only Lucifer or Michael could accomplish.
"Stop, my friend. Even if I wanted to help, I can't. My hands are tied. I can't get involved in these universal affairs, or my father might punish me. Even Azael is quite bound and can only give you some of his power transformed into what you are. We may be beings of immense power, Edgar. But we have no freedom. The time I tried to have freedom and stage a rebellion... well, I was defeated in combat. I can do nothing more"
Edgar wanted to sigh at these words.
"However, what I can give you, my friend, is a warning. Trigon is not the only thing coming. You must look to the sky that threatens to fall. The Gods want to reconquer their ancient land. You must be careful or it will be too late"
"What do you mean by that...?" wanted to ask Edgar, but was interrupted by a ringing tone.
"ring, ring, ring"
[Detective Chloe Decker]
"I'm sorry, Edgar. But our time has come to an end. Bye, bye"
Lucifer snapped his fingers and Edgar teleported out of the room.
Lucifer, seeing who was calling, straightened up and coughed a little.
"Hello, detective, did you miss me?"
"Lucifer, where are you?, there's a dead guy on Rodeo Drive, get over here right now!"
"Detective, is-"
"Pip, pip, pip, pip, pip, pip"
'She hung up on me. This woman deigned to hang the devil... I love it!'
"Hey, Maze. Dead guy on Rodeo Drive. You coming?"
"Yeah, why not"
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Tamaran, while this was going on
A smell of death and destruction could be felt in this place, as scattered bodies littered the ground.
However, even though these bodies looked humanoid, they had a noticeable difference from humans, as the skin of these beings was orange. Also the blood scattered on the ground was light purple. But that did not make the scene here any less gory. This could only be described as a carnage.
This place was the planet Tamaran. A planet smaller than Earth, but much more developed technologically speaking. A militarily developed planet, with many years of history of conquest, which had made it a force to be feared throughout the galaxy.
And all that history had been completely destroyed today. And all at the hands of a single being. A being with a power like no other in the entire galaxy. A being that wherever he passed meant only one thing. Death.
That's right, this planet had been destroyed at the hands of Darkseid.
At this moment, Darkseid sat on a throne in his ship, as he watched boredly, on a holographic screen, the spectacle of how his forces of Parademons, Furies, and New God followers, destroyed and decimated every resistance this planet had posed.
Not even a couple of hours had passed, and already the planet had become a completely different place than the great kingdom it was just a short time ago. The forces of Apokolips were simply too overwhelming.
Darkseid looked bored. One might even think that he didn't care one bit about the carnage that was happening on the battlefield. But this was not true. On the contrary, at this moment, he was going over every detail in his head and comparing it to all his experience that had occurred in the various parallel lives of his namesakes in the multiverse.
All with one purpose. To improve and be more efficient when the next fight happens.
That's why Darkseid was so feared. He was always improving. He was always learning from every little thing. He was always becoming more powerful.
The only reason he hadn't conquered the entire universe was for two reasons. The Green Lantern Corps, and the 'light' faction of the New Gods, who were in New Genesis, ruled by his brother Highfather, who was equivalent in power to him.
That is why he meticulously chose every fight and conquest to his credit. To strike at the most vulnerable moment so that no allied force of his rivals could oppose him. Like at this moment with this planet.
They had called for reinforcements from the Lanterns some time ago, but they had not arrived, as they were quite far away by the time they were alerted.
Unfortunately, by the time the Lanterns arrived, this planet would only be synonymous of death because of the amount of corpses and rain of blood that was in the place.
And all this, because Darkseid was on a mission. Looking for his great purpose for which he was born. That is, to find the famous anti-life equation. An artifact/machine/object left by the primordial universe that said it could lead a being to have the same power as the creator God himself.
And Darkseid wanted it. He longed for it with all his heart.
He was powerful when he became a multiversal being. But he wanted more. He wanted to be the most powerful in the entire multiverse. And to do that, he needed to find this object.
All his thoughts were interrupted when an older looking woman, clad in warrior armor appeared before Darkseid. It was Granny Goodness, leader of the Furies, and one of Darkseid's right hands along with DeSaad. Kneeling, she said to him.
"My lord, the conquest is over. The royal family has been assassinated, and the remaining resistance is a matter of a few minutes to succumb to the new generation of special Parademons we have created. It has been an abysmal victory, my lord. Also, we have retrieved the pieces that you requested and have stored them in the Fatherbox data. The map of the anti-life equation is being recreated more and more"
This was the reason Darkseid was attacking these planets. These planets had pieces of a 'puzzle' or 'map' that led to this powerful weapon called the anti-life equation.
There were millions of galaxies, planets, stars in the universe. If Darkseid wanted to find this weapon, which was said to be hidden in the most guarded corner of the galaxy, then he needed to piece together this whole 'map' to find it.
"I'm glad to hear that, Granny Goodness. I must also congratulate you. The furies had an exemplary performance. Well done"
"My lord, your words are not worthy of hearing my ears. You are too kind. We all work on your behalf, my lord"
"Well, then we'll talk about your bounty on Apokolips. Also, I want the royal princesses, who are said to be more powerful than the average Tamareans, to be indoctrinated and join the furies. They will be a great addition to my forces in the future"
"My lord, about that... I have news to tell you" Granny Goodness began to say in a dubious tone. Darkseid narrowed his eyes when he heard this tone.
"Speak, NOW" Darkseid told her as his eyes began to glow red.
Granny began to tremble and feel unparalleled fear. Cold sweat ran down her back as she tried to find the best words to say to her master. As benevolent as he could be to his servants, he could also be cruel and merciless. Everyone respected him for his strength, but they also feared him.
"My lord, we have captured the elder princess, named Komand'r. But the younger princess, named Koriand'r, I fear has escaped in an individual capsule. The younger princess is the one who is said to have great power and was born with the so-called 'spark of life', which is said to be inherited every 10 generations. Warriors with that power have unparalleled strength and power. Unfortunately we were not able to interrupt her escape"
"Then you have failed"
"AHHHHHHHHH, NO, PLEASE, MERCY, AHHH"
Darkseid launched an omega beam at the kneeling woman. As the beam touched Granny, she began to scream in pain, as all her skin began to transfigure and melt from this power. She screamed, pleaded and begged for her martyrdom to be ended. Darkseid after a couple of seconds of torture, granted it.
"Do not fail me again, Granny Goodness. This is the last warning I give you"
"I won't, my lord. I promise" Granny begged for his forgiveness, to which was granted by Darkseid. Though her skin was all destroyed and her wounds were horrible, still, this did not matter to her. She was alive and that was enough. On Apokolips, there were machines to reverse these wounds caused by her master.
"And where did this princess escape to?"
"My lord, reports tell us that she made her way to space sector 2814, specifically to the underdeveloped planet called Earth"
"Earth... you speak of that planet where Steppenwolf lost the Motherbox and the hundreds of Parademons that accompanied him"
"That was a disgrace, My Lord. And disrespectful to your name. If you like, we can plan a raid and conquer said planet-"
"No" Darkseid cut her off. "Earth is not as simple as you think, Granny Goodness. Your prejudices will bring your doom. That place has little history and underdeveloped weapons, but my experience tells me that place contains beings with a fairly high evolution factor. My instincts tell me that, in the future, that planet will be the center of the new galactic order"
"So, what do we do, my lord?"
"Nothing. The Guandians and Green Lanterns guard that sector and its environs. We can do nothing but admit our failure. At this time, let us return to Apokolips and plan our next incursion, which is a more complicated planet than this one. That is, the fighter planet Thanagar. The next piece of the map is there"
"Yes, my lord. I will report our departure"
With that, the disfigured and wounded Granny Goodness shot off to announce their departure. It was all over now on this planet. Even the planet had become so inhospitable that the survivors, if any, would not have the means to live long.
However, Granny Goodness' words stayed in Darkseid's mind. Specifically about Earth.
He had various experiences of his other versions losing and winning against the 'heroes' of that planet.
In some versions, he destroyed Earth or conquered it for himself. In others, he lost because of his arrogance against beings whose strength rivaled him like that so-called Superman.
However, that was in versions where the Earth was more advanced and developed. Where it was worth conquering. Not at this time.
Besides, at this time, his strength had not reached its peak. He had yet to consolidate his power further and become more powerful. So that in the future no one would be his rival.
However, he knew that. Earth was special. There was something that told him that in the not so distant future something would make him go and conquer it. And when that happened, no one would be able to stand against his power.
'Earth, wait for me and get ready. I will be there soon. And when I am there, Its end will come'
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AN:
My P@treon
TioIroh99 (9 chapters ahead)
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