Chapter 195 - Bloody Christmas (1)

[Where are the other heroes? Why are they not helping!?]

[As you can see right now, Riley Ross is fighting the monsters alone!]

[We have reason to believe that he was the one who flew the others away. Is this an act of sacrifice for someone so young?]

[Riley Ross is…]

The news reporters were starting to go crazy as Riley continued to fend off the attacks of the monsters; each time, just avoiding them by a hair's breadth. Some attacks even go through and connect, causing Riley to move back several meters away.

From the view of the news reporters, Riley was trying his utmost best in trying to survive– pushing himself to continue to fight as long as he could. But alas, no matter how strong he was, he was only one man… one boy.

Each of his steps took him nearer to the city as the relentless attacks continue to rain down upon him; leaving him nowhere to escape as each of the attacks that he manages to dodge was enough to change a part of the terrain– and that was just from a single monster.

[They… they are getting closer to the street! Why are the people not evacuating!?]

[There are too many people celebrating the holiday! This might turn disastrous. Why aren't the sirens going off!?]

[Won't someone get this boy some help!?]

[W… what's this? We are receiving reports that it's just here. There are other places where these mysterious monsters have appeared!]

[N… New York? There are also monsters there? This… this just in…]

The voices of the reporters started to panic as their phones started to ring; containing information that was enough to widen their eyes. The reason why no superheroes were responding in LA was because monsters also started spawning from different parts of the country.

[What… what is happening on a day that is supposed to be of hope and celebration!?]

[What will happen to Riley Ross!?]

[The military, at least the military should…]

The voices of the reporters continued to panic; the one being 'chased' by the monsters below, however, had a smile on his face.

With his last fight with Megawoman, he had to basically drag her with all of his might to make cities their battleground. Megawoman would always try to find a way to take their fight where no life could be found– their fight almost even passing through the atmosphere. But as soon as Riley starts pulling out debris, small asteroids, and satellites to the ground, Megawoman pushes him down.

But with her imperfect clones, Riley just follows them like rats about to commit slaughter– which wasn't a far-off description as they would certainly do so once they reach the street. Riley then looked back, just a few more and they would reach where the people were.

Even if it won't be him experiencing the slaughter first-hand, the people's screams should be enough to scratch the itch that had been growing intensely inside him. The strands of his hair were actually almost already standing up just imagining the sweet screams whispering in his ears.

"Megawoman," he then whispered, "At least this way, even if it's just your clones… you're going to experience what I do. Just for a moment– we will share a–"

And before he could finish his words, a red blur suddenly passed by him– moving straight towards the monsters that were following him and slicing them into pieces almost without any resistance.

"..."

The red blur's sudden attack only halted as it reached Aerith– who caught the giant sword that was used to cut her sisters into pieces.

"..." Riley then slowly turned his eyes towards the owner of the sword, only for them to reflect the glistening red armor he was wearing– a familiar red armor worn by one of the Pope's personal guards, the Crimson Paladin.

And even with his arms trembling, his helmet slowly turned towards Riley; almost looking at him from head to toe.

"I asked the Pope if we could stay for a few more days," The Crimson Paladin then muttered, "He agreed for the same reason why I wanted to stay– he recognized you."

"..."

"I followed your group from afar and watched. And I have confirmed my assumption to be true…

…You're Darkday."

***

"What… do they mean other monsters appeared?"

Back in the Reubens' office, Julius's eyes; which were as wide as they could be, were reflecting the news that was being shown on the dozen monitors in front of him.

"...Could it be a group of villains is also wreaking havoc?" Julius muttered, "...But they said monsters. How–"

"Kek."

And before Julius could contemplate his thoughts, a small whisper of a chuckle entered his ears. He looked in the direction of the noise, only to see his brother almost trembling in his wheelchair as his chuckle slowly turned into fits of laughter.

"Archie?"

"I… I paid the Cloner," Archibald almost choked in his words as he looked Julius straight in the eyes, "I paid her to create more clones."

"What? Why!?" Julius's voice started to become louder as he returned Archibald's stare, "Are you… crazy?"

"They… everyone will pay for what they did," Archibald then whispered, "They will pay for not preventing my children's death. All of them just stood and watched as our future was massacred in cold blood."

"What? The one who killed our children is Darkday and Darkday alo–"

"No!" Archibald slammed his hand on his armrest; almost using all of his strength as he once again started coughing vehemently. After a few seconds, however, he calmed himself down as he looked at all the news being presented on the screens,

"Darkday is a child," Archibald's tone then became slightly sobered, "A child shaped by society…

…Society itself killed my dear Antoinette!"

"What!? Fucking bollocks!" The tone of Julius's voice became slightly high-pitched as he almost kicked his brother right there and then, 

"What kinda logic is that? Have you gone f'kin senile you fucking wart!?" Julius settled in cursing his brother instead; his eyebrows, as furrowed as they could be, "Our only goal here is to expose Riley Ross to the world!"

"..."

"Archie! Fucking answer me!" Julius then pulled Archibald's wheelchair nearer to him, "Why did you do something like…"

And before he could finish his words, the weight of his brother's head planted on his leg.

"...Brother?" Julius then slightly stepped to the side, only for Archibald's body to fall from his chair; almost like a doll that fell from a closet– lifeless.

"..."

"..."

A small but deep breath then escaped Julius's mouth as he closed his eyes. He stayed like this for a few seconds; his stuttering breaths, slowly becoming calmer with each second. Until finally,

"Fuck," he whispered as he gently lifted his brother back to his chair, "Why are you always leaving me alone to clean up a mess you made?"

Julius then shook his head as he let out another sigh, before patting his brother on the leg several times.

"MEGAN," he then said, "Terminate all the homunculi except the ones in Los Angeles."

[...]

"MEG–"

[No longer detecting Archibald A. Reuben's vital signs…

…Scheduling the upload of files relating to Darkday and Riley Ross.]

"...What?" Julius could not help but quickly stand up as soon as he heard MEGAN's words.

[Setting parameters to program and schedule the Contingency Phase.]

"Contingency Phase!?" Julius's eyes once again turned wide as he quickly rushed towards his desk, "I didn't approve that, abort! Abort!"

[Setting Alistair A. Reuben's vital signs as a parameter for the Contingency Phase.]

"Fuck, no!"

Julius tried pressing something on the desk; but whatever he was trying to achieve by doing so, it wasn't happening. The only response that MEGAN gave him was another monotonous set of words.

[Successful. Now deleting all core files.]

"What!?"

[System MEGAN… shutting down.]

"Abort!" Julius's furious tapping caused the entire desk to split in half; he did not seem to mind, however, as he even pulled a set of wires from the desk.

"MEGAN!?"

And no matter how many times he called for the AI, the only response he now receives was silence.

"...Shit," was the only whisper he could utter now as his eyes trailed back towards the news. He then grabbed the remote that was on the floor, turning it to different stations… foreign stations.

And seeing as they were all reporting the same thing, Archibald scattered the rogue clones all around the globe.

"Archie, just…

…what have you done?"

***

"You are Darkday."

Back in Los Angeles, the Crimson Paladin's eyes could be seen through the gaps of his helmet; the light on them, reflecting only Riley's fading smile.

This was supposed to be Riley's time to finally have something fun to do again… but now his new toys are being played by someone else.

"...I'm not Darkday," he then muttered; a very small hint of annoyance could almost be heard from his voice.

"There is no use in lying," a small vapor escaped from the Crimson Paladin's helmet, "I recognize your face from when you visited the Holy Palace– my eyes are able to see through even steel, much less your helmet."

"You have X-ray vision, knight?"

"I do," the Crimson Paladin answered as his hands began to tremble from Aerith trying to pull his giant sword away.

"...I'm still not Darkday."

"You–"

And before the Crimson Paladin could finish his words, a knuckle wrapped his entire body as one of the monsters he sliced shot her fist towards him as soon as it regenerated; the sheer force of the hit, enough to cause him to fly away several meters.

"Watch out," Riley then said with a monotonous tone as he stretched his hand towards the already rolling paladin, "See? You are wrong, Knight. I am not Darkday…

…Would Darkday even help and warn you?"