Multiversal Mayhem: The Return

The demon and the time bomb

"A deal? What a lie. People just want my power."

Clack. Clack. Clack.

The noise of his own shoes were the only sound in the quiet household. Not even the walls creaked as the paintings soullessly stared at him and all his deformities.

Tremya was with Sam, who had once been someone called Observer? Tremya never said more about it.

Znaniye was sitting in Tiempo's favorite chair. The one that said "que su belleza y amor florezca". "May your love and beauty bloom" in other words. She was quiet and polite by nature, always in Kilos' strings. She'd only comfort him when Tiempo did not.

Tiempo... Tiempo was asleep after her most recent mental breakdown where she cried about Arthos. Cried and cried out for him, wishing for his comfort and his touch. Zelo was used to these moments, where she'd sob and hug him as close as possible because he was as close as she'd get to the comfort she ruined.

He walked into his room, decorated by Tiempo herself. The wall to the right was a bookshelf, full of books she'd read to Zelo. The room was windowless and small, kudos to Kilos for that, but Zelo didn't mind. The space was small and enclosed, comforting to him. Like a cat in a box. His bed was on the other side, only a full size due to his height but taking up most of the room regardless. Light blue blankets with light blue cloth on top and white pillows with blue dots. White strings with blue lines were painted on the ceiling, impossible to notice if it wasn't for the light black lines separating the lines from the background.

Zelo hated the strings on top, reminding him of his creation. Reminding him who his father was, as if Kilos calling him a monstrosity wasn't bad enough. Like his mother didn't hug him and sob while saying "Arthos... Arthos... please...". Arthos never heard her cries, never would. Never even knew about them. Never would ever know about them. The contact lens in his eye itched. He took it out, setting it on the tiny porcelain plate with that had flowers of despair painted on it. He sighed, letting his hair loose from the braid Tiempo put in. The last thing he wanted to think of was the one who requested his creation, something he never wanted.

"Aww... why so glum?" A voice asked teasingly.

Zelo jolted and grabbed the chain from his nightstand, wrapping it around the female's neck. She was the height of a twelve year old, but her actions suggested otherwise. Zelo let her go, holding the chain closely.

"Who are you?" Zelo snapped.

She smiled and stood on his nightstand, almost knocking over the plate and making it shatter on the ground. Zelo grabbed his contact, putting it in a sanitary bag and keeping it safe form the female's boots that had been heavens knows where. Black hair, light peach tan skin, black eyes, with one surrounded by a mechanical plate with three buttons. Green, yellow, red. She wore an oversized hoodie, black with squares on each end of the zipper. Blue, green, yellow, red. They formed some kind of logo, or were supposed to since the hoodie was unzipped. Under the hoodie was more black that just seemed to be a jumper of some sorts. Everything about her screamed "don't trust". From her childlike appearance, over-excited attitude, her mental state that was clearly older than her physical state, to the red glint in her eyes that read evil. He held the chain closely, ready to attack as soon as she tried something. She blinked and laughed, like the threat of death didn't even scare her.

"I'm not here to hurt you silly!" She giggled, as if this was a causal conversation, "I'm merely here to offer you a deal"

She held her hand out. Zelo stared at it. He knew this was what the adults did to seal the deal. The "you signed it". The "you agreed to it and now you can never go back on it". He stared at the hand. Her hand looked normal, besides from the occasional glitch here and there. He didn't trust it.

"What's the deal?" He asked.

"Ooo! You're a smart one! I like that!" She laughed, pulling her hand back.

Zelo stared at her, dead serious unlike her. Who kept giggling and laughing with that smile on her face. Eyes, full of heavens know what, with the only thing he could read being that red glint. She sensed his impatience and smiled, finally beginning to explain.

"You hate your father do you not?" She asked, tempting him.

He resisted, "Yes."

"He calls you a monster, doesn't he?" She asked, tempting him once more.

And once more, he resisted.

"Yes."

Her smile grew as she grabbed his wrists, "I can give you that revenge Zelo. We can kill the gods together. Zelo and Vera: The god killers! Don't you hear it already?"

She wanted his power. He wasn't surprised. He knew she meant nothing good. He was used to being the pawn. Yet that didn't mean it didn't hurt. Another reminder of why he was even alive. Why he was here. Merely a "life" to keep Tiempo alive, her one comfort besides death himself. They should just let her die. Let him die. Everyone would prefer that. Tiempo would be free of pain. Zelo would be free. No one would do that. Not as long as he held the power to shift reality if he felt like it. Kilos wanted him so he could keep Tiempo in his control. He was just a pawn, always had been. What she promised was not revenge, he knew that. He wished it was. He'd love to watch Kilos die. At his own hands? Even better. That was only a mere dream. As much of a dream as getting to know his true father. As being able to be loved in his arms like the loving father Kilos wasn't. If it weren't for Vera in this moment, he'd run to one of his sister's arms and cry. Cry while not saying a word. Because in truth, he could not. Not if he wanted to live.

A voice within him told him to snap back to reality and quickly moved his wrists out of Vera's hands. A small mound of goop and flesh stood on Vera's wrist. It hissed in anger as it pathetically reached in the direction of Zelo. Right for his own arm and up to his spinal cord. Zelo stared at the little thing before it crawled away hissing back into Vera's pocket.

"I never had a choice did I?"

She didn't respond. That friendly, child-like, smile was wiped off her face. It was replaced with anger. Silent anger.

Zelo grabbed the chain and wrapped it around her neck, "Come back here and you will be treated like an enemy. Shot and killed the moment you walk over the border. You got it?"

She shapeshifted out of his chokehold, coughing and glaring him. She opened a portal and left, not saying another word. Zelo sighed, putting the chain away and falling onto his bed. There, he sobbed. How much longer did he even have? He wanted to ask Tremya, to prepare but at the same time... he didn't. He didn't want to think about what he'd have to do next. What would happen to his mother. The mother he loved for how she loved him and despised for his own creation. Something he never wished for.

Zelo. It was a name Arthos helped her come up for when she was pregnant with Tremya before they knew what gender the baby was. Tremya if it was a girl, Zelo if it was a boy. Each day, each moment, each second with Arthos became Tiempo's stories. Ones Zelo heard again and again. Ones sometimes, he pictured as if he was there. Being comforted and cared for by his true father.