Chapter
4 – Unintentional Enemies
Tonight is the night I meet Azeria
and my other “fans”. Chief Raymond and the police are on standby to arrest
anyone if needed, and my friends, especially Darcy, eagerly await the results
of the meeting. I go to where they are, an atrium that’s attached to a school
that’s recently been condemned in the middle-class area of Meridian. There, I
find Azeria and what seems to be a hundred or so people here, eagerly awaiting
me. Some are even wearing shirts with my image on them and have signs with
affectionate messages on them for me, as if they can’t wait to say those words
to me. Everyone cheers for me until Azeria calms them down so we can get to
business.
“See? You have your own mini army
here that’s willing to do what you want, and this doesn’t even count those who
couldn’t make it here because of work or distance to Meridian,” Azeria says.
“Hmm, and yet, I can read in your
souls that you don’t all follow my example,” I say.
“Your example hasn’t been affected
as it usually has. You need to do things like you did in your first year and be
ruthless to criminals and evildoers of all kinds.”
“You want me to be ruthless? You
want me to ceaselessly and excessively punish, while executing many and sparing
few like I used to?”
The crowd cheers in approval, not
knowing what they’re asking for, so I give them what they want. Everyone here
faces Divine Judgment. Most are confused by what is happening and why, while
others understand and think they can endure it. People are beaten to death by
their demons, torn apart by visions of themselves trying to replicate what I do
to criminals, eaten by flesh-eating vermin, drowned in suspended water, shot in
every part of their body, cut by invisible blades, and more. Some are able to
repent and pass the test, while others hold onto their delusions that their
actions have been justified.
As for Azeria, her body has been
slowly falling apart and turning to mud as she resists the need for repentance.
Her legs are gone, and her arms fall apart soon after. She tries to get some distance
from me, but is unable to move. Walking over to her, I pick her up and hold her
body in my arms.
“You got what you wanted. What now?”
I ask.
Azeria struggles to smile, “To be
honest, I’m fine with this result. Part of me knew that I was a scummy person,
and there were people here who just wanted to kill people they didn’t like and
cause chaos. So, thank you. I now know my hero won’t hold back against anyone,
even those who say they’re on his side.”
Azeria’s body completely turns to
mud as she dies in my arms. The police bust into the area and only start making
arrests once the chaos dies down. My friends show up as well and tell me they
were keeping an eye on me. Raymond was holding back the police until he heard
screaming and then sent them in afterward. Lancetto, Klinge, and Darcy have
been using their allies to convict Azeria’s followers of their crimes of
murder, theft, and torture. I give my friends a simple thanks for their help,
and I will always appreciate them. I then travel outside to a dark place where
no one will see me and transform back into my normal self.
Looking back at the school I was
at, I breathe in and out now that the latest trouble of the week is dealt with.
I’m sure the calm won’t last that long, and there’ll be a new problem next week
or tomorrow, most likely. I then start my walk to my car, until I see Darcy
racing toward me from the school.
“Are you okay, Darcy?” I ask.
“Yes, but are you?” she asks back.
“I’m…fine.”
“Are you really?”
I rub my face, think about it for
another second, and then admit that, “I guess I’m not as fine as I think. That
was harder for me than it looked. I prayed that most of them would repent. I
even prayed that I would be punished in some way. Maybe…maybe even have my
powers taken away.”
“Don’t say that.”
“I know I shouldn’t. God gave me
these powers to do good, and I have been doing good. At that moment when people
were being judged and brought to repentance, part of me wanted to be judged so I
could see if I was doing something wrong. I’ve tried using my powers on myself,
but they didn’t do anything to me.”
“Of course they wouldn’t. You try
to live a virtuous life, and go to confession and do penance when you sin. What’s
there to punish?”
“I don’t know. My blindness or idiocy
at what God is trying to tell me.”
“Those things aren’t sins.”
“They can be if you do them willfully.
Speaking of which,” I say as I hold Darcy’s hands and look into her eyes. “I’ve
been willfully trying to avoid the love you’ve been showing me. We’ve probably
been in a relationship this whole time in your mind, but I’d like to make it
official now. What do you say?”
Darcy blushes and smiles.
“Let’s seal it with a kiss.”
She then closes her eyes and
puckers her lips at me. I kiss and don’t pull away from her, even as she holds
the kiss for longer than I’d like.
“So, does this mean I get to sleep
with you from now on?” she asks.
“Tch. Wait until after we get
married.”
“But I’m sure your parents won’t
mind having me over again, so we can tell them that we made our relationship official.”
“Then they’ll start wondering about
when the marriage will be and talk about grandchildren again.”
“I’m fine with that and will arrange
the details with them.”
I can only shake my head and laugh
with Darcy as I think about my future with her and this city. There are still
many challenges to face, some of them will test me on lessons I thought I already
learned and problems I thought were already solved. Nevertheless, I have to not
let the struggle of life get me down, because just as gold is tested in fire, men
are tested in the crucible of humiliation and adversity, and dealing with
aggressive women, in my case.
The End
No comments:
Post a Comment