Subsequent Fall Part 46: Malice

As the shuttle landed on the surface, the sky was white, touching the ground felt like standing on molten rock. James rested his foot lightly on it as it was too hot. Astrid led the way as Airsoft, Angel and James all sat on the outside of Zeta. Beacon's radius covers them for a full ten meters around it.

"What are we supposed to be looking for exactly?" Airsoft looked around as the darkness struck out onto the Beacon's sphere. Doing nothing but scratching the outside of the bubble with the tendril as the ground was revealed to be a yellow brick road. They all looked terrified at the ground as it parted. Angel, James and Airsoft hopped onto the road as it kept opening forward for them. The darkness on the outside waving for them to move forward.

"It's not just me that is getting the creeps from this place is it?" Astrid asked as Zeta's screen flashed with a thumbs up. The other three in the middle were almost freaked out at this point, until they looked around and saw a throne of void.

"Ah, I figured he would not have the gall to come here, and yet, bits of himself are in each and every one of you." A voice came from nowhere and everywhere surrounding them as they all formed up and surrounded Airsoft. "The naive Astral thinking he can escape his fate is cute, and yet darkness is what will consume him."

"Why don't you shut your mouth and show us where you are speaking from!" James shouted out as laughter was heard all around him. He covered his cat ears as he fell to his knees, the pitch of it was driving him crazy as the others looked at him, fearing his pain.

The void around them slowly took form, hundreds of thousands of figures now stood separated before them. On the throne, one figure sprouted up as his figure looked just like Astral's. "Because you asked so kindly." The man on the throne snapped as the laughing stopped. "He sent his strongest members besides himself, how interesting." 

"Who are you?" Angel asked as Airsoft raised his free arm to get in between her and the figure. James felt woozy as he slowly stood upward. Astrid grabbed him and felt his forehead as it was scalding hot.

"I am what they call Overlord. The one true ruler of the Astral symbiote, or, what happens after they become corrupted by its power, I am every single person before him, and once he dies we will become faceless again, his powers would be very important to get ahold of." Overlord stretched his arms out as Zeta was recording everything.

"What you see beside you are the Fallen. The embodiment of each previous host to the symbiote." Overlord twisted his body several times over and pointed all around them. "Even if you kill us, we will always come back, you can't just kill an idea unless the original dies as well."

They all stopped speaking to let him rant. "Oh, here is the better question? Why haven't I killed you yet?" They all got ready to fight as James curled over in pain. Angel went to his side to help him. "Well, other plans are in motion currently, and as strong as I am, I don't need to make their lives easier."

Angel drew Astral's rifle as the lightspeed round burned a hole through Overlord's shoulder. "Keep talking about this plan, how much do you know?" Angel held the rifle steady as Airsoft held Beacon with both hands, scared that he couldn't protect everyone here.

"Such a demanding lady, much like his little wifey he has. But I sense that you are different than she is. She is one of us as well. You are one of his many children." Angel was caught off guard as it didn't click for her, Airsoft understood.

"As for these plans, the trap is set by just existing, I have no clue when they plan on attacking, but they will swarm you and your forces all at once. An all out war with all of your forces on full power. Not much could stop it, right?" Overlord turned into a snake as he balled up.

"The Seventeen are also sending their apprentice after you all, due to killing their lowest member." Angel realized who that was as Airsoft realized they had all their information they needed. "During that attack, is when we will reclaim Astral, I won't use any of my forces versus you, there will be plenty of others for you to take on."

"How many forces are coming back after us?" Airsoft pointed Beacon directly at Overlord aboard the throne.

"More than enough to overwhelm you merc boy." Overlord's tongue stuck out. "You can try your best, and even with all the forces you have aboard that space station, it would be a stretch to hold out forever. Let alone when all of the forces collapse at once." Overlord stretched upward. The snake like textures and scales blending in with the shadows around him as the area became dark.

"I may have shared too much. That seems like a mistake that I get to consume you all after all." Overlord tensed up before trying to pounce on the five of them. Astrid grabbed his jaws with her hands as Airsoft slammed Beacon down into the ground. A flash of light was seen as the flame went out. The barrier dropping as Beacon disappeared. They all realized this was the end.

A white light enveloped the planet as all the void evaporated into smoke. Astral stood aboard the bridge of the Merle with Beacon in his hands as they looked down to the planet and saw that it was cleared of void.

Airsoft looked around as James popped up. "What happened? I don't remember much after the laughter." Airsoft took a sharp breath of relaxation as he was alright.

"Zeta, we need to send that footage as fast as possible to Astral, if he hasn't seen it already." Airsoft pointed up to Zeta as he took off with a boom. Soaring as fast as he could back to the Red Merle. Astrid looked around and saw the lack of void.

"So that is the fallen? What Astral doesn't want Adam and Jaimie to become, and what he is saving himself from." Astrid kicked some of the loose dirt on the ground as they walked back to the shuttle following the yellow brick road of where they came from.

Once they made it back to the shuttle and took off to get back to the Red Merle the line of he had many more kids kicked in. "Airsoft, how many siblings do I have around the universe?" Angel asked as James was sleeping.

"That is a question that I don't have the answer to, but from the sounds of what he said, more than just you two delicate children." Airsoft smiled as he saw three other cruisers go to the other planet that was in turmoil.