Chapter
4 – The Two Sides of Love, Mercy and Justice
The home of evil that we find
ourselves standing in front of is an abandoned Catholic church that is stitched
together with pieces of metal and stone. Its stained glass windows depict
actions of rape, murder, torture, and corruption, and the skins and bones of
the innocent decorate both the exterior and interior, which is strangely devoid
of guards. Instead, the only people in the broken church are the six primary
leaders of the sixth family, who all have horns protruding out of their bodies,
which are hardly hidden by the thin robes they wear. Immediately, our two sides
clash through mental and spiritual powers as the forces of good and evil face
each other down.
“Do you think you can save them?
Save us?” I hear their voices saying as if they were one being. “The measure of
our sins is too great. Look around you and see the greatness of our works. Our
influence has sent many to Hell, even the most innocent and virtuous men and
women have fallen because of us. Your prayers, penances, and powers can do
nothing to stop us. You might as well have killed everyone on your way here.”
“No! I know there’s still a chance
some may be saved, and yes, that includes you as well,” Polina says.
“Save your efforts for yourselves.
You’ll fall again into sin sooner or later. Your monthly need to go to
confession is proof of this, and that your God doesn’t care about keeping you
from sin, and our encounter is proof He is giving you to the Devil. Face it.
Humanity is evil and belongs in Hell with its true master.”
“We are more than our sins. We can
overcome them and become better people!”
“You’re all nothing more than
hypocrites, who pretend to be heroes when you’re just as villainous and evil as
we are, L’Obscurité! You’re too cowardly to grab power and control the world
like we do. At least, we’re honest with ourselves.”
“You’re wrong!” I say. “I am more
than L’Obscurité, my sins, and my virtues. I am Timeo Severe, and every part of
me is myself, and I embrace all of it and offer it up to God. You may define
yourselves and be honest about it, but you don’t know your true selves, who God
knows better than you do. Look within yourselves. You know how many times you’ve
changed your character and the masks you wear. I know you do it because I’ve
done the same, but the darkness and masks I embrace are of true justice and all
have my contain my true face. See and be awakened by the power of it!”
Our powers overwhelm the leaders of
the sixth family, all but one of whom die from either bleeding out internally
or having their heads explode from the internal conflict. The remaining leader
appears to be in a trance as the ideas he was taught to hate flood his mind, as
if he’s hearing them for the first time. He begins to cry and breaks off the
horns on his body as an act of penance, reaching out to the others in the sixth
family to encourage them to repent as well. With the repentant leader’s plan already
in mind, Polina and I use him as a conduit for our power to reach every member
of the sixth family in the undercity, urging them to change. As expected, some
comply while others do not, but at the very least, a few choose to change for
the better, and that’s what truly matters.
We don’t have much time to
celebrate our victory and accept the repentant leader’s wanting to join us, as
he tells us about a syndicate of superhuman villains invading Meridian and the shaking
caused by the battle on the surface. I try to bring those who want to help to
the surface as quickly as I can, and by the end of it, I must’ve brought a hundred
or so people up. This syndicate is here because of what I thought would happen.
The power vacuum left by the deaths of criminals, villains, cops, and heroes
made Meridian a prime target for powerful foes. They thought they’d establish a
foothold in the city, but they didn’t expect the resistance they’re facing now,
and are being killed or put into police custody. Thanks to the repentant
members of the sixth family, my apprentices, and helpful members of the Cadaverosa
family, the syndicate is dealt with within hours, and I hardly have to take
part in the fight. By the end of it, I go to my apprentices, who are glad to
have ended two threats to the city in one day.
“See? I told you mercy was the
right option to take,” Polina says.
Kane sighs and says, “Yeah, I have
to admit it.”
“Does this mean you’ll join our
group, our family?” Raziel asks.
“Hmm. I think I will, while still
being an officer, if that’s okay with you.”
“You have my approval,” I say. “We still
need to repair our relations with the city. Speaking of which…”
Because of the help we gave the
city in its time of need, Mayor Jeph removes our outlawed status with the
country and makes us legitimate heroes again, which includes Raziel, the repentant
members of the sixth family, and some of the people of the Cadaverosa, who keep
their true home a secret. With today’s battles won and our rewards given, I
bring my apprentices to my house for dinner.
Back in my normal form, I led them
inside while saying, “Darcy is probably beyond anxious to see us.”
“Mother is, knowing her,” Raziel
says before turning to Polina. “Try not to get involved when father and mother get
in fights or get frisky. Also, try to be on her side more than his.”
“You’re such a kiss-up,” Kane
comments.
“Why are you calling him and his
wife father and mother?”
“Darcy adopted us, so to speak,
because we live at their house. She’s kid crazy. Be careful with her,” Kane
says.
“I’m sure we’ll get along fine.” Kane,
Raziel, and I look at one another. “What? What’s there to look out for?”
Darcy opens the front door and immediately
looks at Polina with suspicious eyes.
“Hello, Mrs. Severe. It’s an honor
to meet you and be one of Timeo’s newest apprentices,” Polina says with a gentle
smile and a hand out.
Darcy grabs me, kisses me, holds me
close with her head in my chest, and tepidly shakes Polina’s hand. “Nice to
meet you, too. From what I know about your history, you have an interest in my
husband.”
“Just his career as a hero and
everything that he does for the city through his family’s legitimate
businesses. I assure you that it’s nothing romantic.”
“Hmm. I hope you’re right for your
sake. You can come in for dinner, but you’re not staying here. It’s not just
because my husband is here, but also because single men, like my two sons here,
shouldn’t live with a single woman before marriage.”
“You tried to do that before we got
married,” I point out, which Darcy pretends not to have heard.
“So, she isn’t going to be a sister
to us?” Raziel asks.
“No,” Kane and Darcy say.
“Well, thank you for your hospitality
anyway. I’ll be sure to listen to your advice.”
Darcy continues to gaze at Polina
before we go in and have dinner with my apprentices and actual children. My
legacy in Meridian feels even more solidified than before, with Polina being
part of my team, the deaths and repentance of the sixth family, and a renewed
status as a legitimate hero. The present has never looked brighter to me, as
the shadows of the past fade away, and the potential sunrise of the future
seems even more promising than before.
The End
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