Zeus vs Zeus

Zeus took a seat atop the platform, facing the fountain, as the mist curled around him. He closed his eyes and let the feelings sear through him. The next moment, his eyelids slid away, and he found himself in a place that brought both nostalgia and abhorrence to his mind. Golden columns adorned his vision as he glanced down at the pure gold floor. The ceiling wasn't any different. Everywhere he looked, there was gold.

"I am even sitting on the throne, just like I always used to," Zeus sighed, the memories flooding back. It was incredible that the waterfall had such a strong effect on the mind, as everything seemed so real and genuine. In fact, it all felt too real.

"I could zap myself in the brain and come back this very instant, not bothering with this place," Zeus thought. Yet, he stopped. It was not because he wanted to stay in this place, but rather out of simple curiosity. Zeus wanted to see what his mind wanted to show him.

Placing his hand on the golden throne, Zeus stood up, realizing that he felt much bigger than before. The reflection in the gold showed him the reason: this was the body he owned back in Heaven. The notion of zapping his mind enticed him even more, but he resisted and walked away from the throne.

His bare feet touched the cold floor, and he continued walking forward, stopping only when the panorama of the entire Heaven opened up before him. However, it was not what he expected to see. The entire place was engulfed in fire, and he could see people burning within that crimson redness.

There were millions, if not billions of them. There were so many that he couldn't see the end, and people were piled upon one another in their suffering. However, humans weren't the only species present. There were dragons, magical beings, monsters, and even gods, all enduring the torment of the red blaze.

Zeus looked up and saw thousands of planets in the sky, all covered in the same redness. The scorching heat and screams of the people assaulted his eardrums. He heard curses and shouts directed towards him, wishing for Zeus to join them in their eternal suffering.

"Strange, isn't it?" Zeus heard a voice coming from behind, and he slowly turned his head to see his own clone standing there, the only difference being that the creature's eyes were red. "Can you imagine that you were the one who killed all these people?"

Zeus lazily turned his eyes back to the panorama in front of him. "Honestly? Since I ruled Heaven for such a long time, I thought there would be even more than this."

Zeus's clone took a stance right next to him, and both of them stared at the suffering of mortals. The clone opened its mouth. "Do you not feel bad seeing this? Does your heart not sting? The majority of these mortals died because of your mistakes or because they sought power beyond their reach. Yet, you are now doing exactly the same. You have stripped away all your power, abandoned your post, and now you wish to become a god once again?"

The clone turned to face Zeus. "You are a hypocrite and a tyrant."

"So, is this how it is? Shouldn't you be the evil side of me? Why does it seem like it's the other way around?" Zeus asked, his gaze still fixed on the people below. "And why are you stating the obvious? I know I am a hypocrite and a tyrant, but isn't it simply because I am stronger than everybody else? The stronger ones decide who lives and dies, and nobody can challenge them."

Zeus turned to face his clone. "The same applies to me now. If someone beats me, they can decide whether I live or die. Death is natural. So, no, I don't feel bad because if it were someone else in my place, nothing would have changed. Ruling with mercy is a joke."

Zeus turned back to the fire. "However, after becoming mortal, I have come to understand that life is fragile. If I were to be the king of Heaven again, perhaps I wouldn't be as ruthless and kill everyone without mercy, especially fellow gods."

Zeus's clone lingered for a while, and Zeus saw a smirk on its face. "You are changing, Zeus. I don't know whether it is in the right direction or not, but you are becoming much more decent. Before, it was difficult to even say a bad word about you without being murdered."

"Why do you talk to me as if we are friends? As far as I remember, it's my first time seeing you," Zeus frowned, seeing his clone walk down the stairs that led into the fire below. The clone lifted its hand in response, waving goodbye before stepping into the fire and disintegrating into nothingness.

"Damn, why is my other side acting so mysterious? I hope I don't become like that," Zeus smiled, but his voice hardened as he faced the cries of billions of individuals. Slowly, Zeus placed his hand over his chest and closed his eyes momentarily. This was a sign of respect in Heaven.

Zeus respected them for enduring such suffering due to his decisions as a leader. However, that was inevitable. Zeus understood that he had truly changed. Long ago, Zeus wouldn't have even blinked, but now the scene seemed somewhat overwhelming.

Was it a good thing or not?

That was for the universe to decide.

Snapping back to reality, Zeus zapped his mind and returned. Opening his eyes, the fountain came into view, and he turned around with a smile. "It was easy work. The clone didn't even fight me, probably because he was a weakling."

Killer B slightly raised his eyebrows. "I don't know what steroids you're taking, but you're definitely a different breed. I've never seen someone do this on their first try. Respect."

Gaara, on the other hand, had a different reaction. In fact, he barely registered that Zeus had stood up, as determination and conviction burned within his eyes. Zeus understood that the kid was ready, so he stopped talking and pushed him toward the fountain.

******

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