Blackheart's POV:
How the hell is this mortal still alive?
I made sure to trap him in demonic chains, create an entire dimension who's concept is to distort time-space continuum, a fucking black hole! The Soul Crystal should've broke the bond between him and the Spirit of Vengeance. So... how?
Standing before me was Duncan, but... why can't i feel a damn thing?!
His presence, his demonic and angelic energy, nothing! It's as if he isn't standing right in front of me. If it wasn't for the visual confirmation... i would have not noticed his arrival.
But what i'm more concernced about is... why is my body shaking?
I have a heart given by Absalom, the first Nephilim in creation, a heart made from Corruption itself.
I absorbed the souls that still lingered in this world, their sins empowering me far beyond any Hell Lord. Millions over millions of souls, i was feeding of their sins.
Lastly, The Darkhold, The Book of the Damned, constantly giving me power, unlimited power! Enough power to bring this world down with a mere snap of my fingers. Enough power to erase this realm! Power over the concept Life and Death, over the concept of Creation and Destruction!
So why isn't my body able to move?! Why am i frozen in place?! Why does this mortal's mere gaze makes my insides feel like they are being twisted by a blazing claw!? My heart feels like is being squeezed by a flaming skeletal hand!
Is this... FEAR?
No matter!
3rd POV:
As per Duncan's arrival, everyone felt a wave of relief. He scanned his surroundings, seeing everyone beaten and bruised, crippled, even dead, he frowned for a mere second, before regainind his dark smile.
Blackheart, ignoring his instincts that were srceaming at him to run as far as he could, chuckled as he spread his arms widely, as if welcoming Duncan.
Blackheart: "About time you arrived Duncan, i was just about to kill yo-"
But Blackheart couldn't even finish his sentence, why? Duncan merely walked passed Blackheart ignoring his existence all together. Blackheart stood frozen in place.
Instead, Duncan walked towards Ashley who literally fell on her butt.
Duncan crouched down, and gave Ashley a headpat while having a small reasuring smile. From within Duncan's palm, light blue amber's surrounded Ashley, healing her wounds.
Ashley: "Hey... mind if i... sit this one out...?", she groaned.
Ashley didn't even wait for an answer, exhaustion taking her over, she fell unconcious. Duncan gently laid her down on the ground.
He wishes that he could heal everyone at the moment, but Blackheart won't just stand and let that happen.
Duncan narrowed his eyes, looking at Blake's unconscious figure, he could feel something familiar, she was a Rider, and not the good kind.
Duncan turned around and took a few steps towards Blackheart, who audibly gulped.
Duncan's smile gone, only to be replaced by a stone cold expression.
Duncan: "Blackheart, you won't be able to find rest, not even in death."
Blackheart startled by Duncan's statement, wasted no time and dashed, breaking the sound barrier. He reached Duncan in a tenth of a millisecond. Blackheart made a claw swipe, breaking half of Duncan's face and skull, followed by punching two holes through his chest.
Duncan sighed in disappointment, he grabbed Blackheart's wrists making the demon stumble back.
Duncan's flesh started to burn, light blue holy fire set ablaze his entire body. His leather clad attire now gone, replaced by tight bodysuit, obsidian like claws growing from his fingertips, his skull having spike like crowns, two devil hornes adorning his forehead. The King form, fused with the Angel Rider. The Holy King of Hell if you may.
Duncan merely pushed Blackheart back. Looking around a little, Duncan arrived at a conclusion.
Zarathos: 'This planet won't last if we fight here.'
Zarathos already read his partner's mind, Duncan averted his gaze at the Moon.
Duncan: 'That should do.', he thought to himself.
Duncan directed his gaze upon Blackheart once more, making him flinch.
Duncan: "Let us move elsewhere, a place more desolated."
Blackheart: "Hah! Those are words reserved for tho-GAH!"
Blackheart's sentence was cut off by Duncan, who merely appeared in front of him and grabbed his face.
Duncan: "I said, let us move elsewhere... you petulant child.", he spoke in a raspy yet bone chilling voice.
From Duncan's back a pair of wings unfolded, which shortly were enveloped by Holy Fire. A sonic boom was heard as Duncan simply took flight with Blackheart in his grasps,
Duncan set his sight upon the Moon, which he decided that will be their fighting grounds. But he made a little miscalculation at the speed that he was flying with.
As Blackheart made contact with the surface of the Moon, Duncan drove his body into the center of the planet, but he didn't stop there. Duncan pushed Blackheart until it reached the other side of the planet, making a hole in the Moon.
Which resulted into it's total destruction. The Moon shattered, only rubbles floating in the void of space remaining.
Still flying at high speed, Duncan threw Blackheart at another planet, one that was at least ten times bigger then the now non-existend Moon. The planet seemed mostly composed of... sand.
Blackheart, who just became a meteorite, made impact with the planet, it's surface made of sand turned instanstly into glass. Well now most of the planet was sand and glass at the moment.
Blackheart lifted himself up from the crater that was dozens of kilometers wide, grabying his own face, he couldn't comprehend what just happened.
Blackheart: 'What was that?... it must've been a fluke! That's right! A fluke!', he thought chuckling to himself.
Duncan started to descend upon the planet, the sand beneath it's feet turned into glass. His blazing wings folding into his back.
Crossing his arms, Duncan gave Blackheart a death glare.
Duncan: "You reached Mephistopheles's strength, how unfortunate... for you."
Blackheart didn't even have time to react as Duncan disappeared out of it's sight. In an instant Duncan appeared right in front of Blackheart, delivering a strong punch to the gut, which put a dent in Blackheart's stomach and spine. Blackheart felt his own insides turn into mush, his bones trembled at the impact. Blackheart fell to his knees holding his stomach, blood was coming out of it's eyes, ears and nose.
But the worst pain was... the souls that he absorbed, which one by one seemed to burn away by Duncan's flames.
Blackheart believed that he was hit with Hellfire unfused fist, but the color of Duncan's flames said otherwise.
Duncan: "Gonna cry now?", he tilted his skull.
Enraged, Blackheart rose up to his feet. He delivered a strong punch to Duncan's jaw, followed by a kick to the gut, sending him in the air.
Blackheart jumped and grabbed Duncan by the legs, then proceeded to slam him into the ground, over and over and over and over and over again. Each time Blackheart slammed Duncan in the ground, the planet seemed to tremble.
Blackheart the grabbed Duncan by his vertebrae and started to drag his skull across the ground.
Finding a more durable sand gathering, akin to a mountain, Blackheart threw Duncan into the mountain. Wasting no time Blackheart dashed donning a sword in his hand and started to impale Duncan numerous times.
Stabbing his sword in Duncan's chest and impaling him, Blackheart started to bash his skull.
Blackheart brough his hands together, dark demonic energy gathered into hid hands.
Blackheart: "JUST FUCKING DIE ALREADY!"
Blackheart brought down his fist at high speed, right into Duncan's skull. The whole planet seemed scorched by the chaotic demonic energy. Shortly turned into glass, the planet shattered.
The forced behind the punch send Duncan crashing into another planet, one red in color, with a more rocky landscape, rivers and vegetation. Sadly for the planet, Duncan came crashing like a meteorite, erasing most of landscape and vegetation.
From Blackheart's back a pair of demonic wings formed, he quickly followed after Duncan.
Blackheart descended near the crater where Duncan is supposed to be. But he was shortly met with a surprise.
Blackheart: "No body? Where the hell is he?!", he grumbled to himself.
Blackheart then grabbed his stomach and stumbled a little, the damage done by Duncan still hasn't healed yet.
Blackheart: 'Damn it all! He would've killed me in one hit?'
A sudden chill ran down Blackheart's spine, he started to look around frantically.
Duncan: "Hey! Dirtbag!"
Duncan grabbed Blackheart by the shoulder and turned him around, where he was met with a punch to the face. Duncan coiled chains around his knuckles, he delivered a quick combo to the neck, chest, liver, jaw and the face of Blackheart.
Blackheart once more fell to his kness in pain.
Duncan: "So that's how you act? You throw a tantrum when you meet someone of your caliber?"
Blackheart's body was suddenly surround by a dark aura. Raising his fist, he quickly rushed towards Duncan, which caught his fist quite easily. Glancing behind himself, Duncan noticed how the fauna started to wither away, the aura emanated by Blackheart's strikes were poisonos.
Using his free hand, Blackheart once more tried to deliver a powerful blow to Duncan's jaw, but Duncan once more caught his fist.
Duncan tightened his grip on Blackheart's fist, making him kneel while grunting in pain.
Duncan kneed Blackheart in the lower jaw, a sickening crack was heard.
Duncan summoned a chain and coiled it around Blackheart's neck. Whistling, the Hellcycle appeared from a torrent of flames, Duncan mouted the demonic looking bike while holding the chain coiled around Blackheart's neck.
Duncan: "Let's go for a ride!", he roared.
Duncan revved the engine of his Hellcycle, as he started riding Blackheart was slammed numerous times in any kind of obstacle can was in their way. Trees, hills, mountains, luckily, this planet seemed desolated of life, otherwise many lives would be taken as an aftermath.
Duncan increased his speed, leaving only many blazing trails in it's path, making rings across the planet. The speed with which he was riding was melting and reshaping the ground.
Blackheart having enough being treated like a ragdoll, grabbed the chain around his neck. He quickly planted it's feet in the ground, but failed to notice that Duncan let go of the chain, thus Blackheart tripped and fell face first in the ground.
Duncan did an 180 and rammed with it's Hellcycle righ into Blackheart.
Blackheart managed to grab the Hellcycle and threw it in the air, Duncan rolled on the ground just in time.
Wasting no time, Blackheart dashed towards Duncan, their fist collided, making the ground beneath them crumble, the debris flying from the force of their blows.
Exchanging blow for blow, the battle between Duncan and Blackheart started to change the landscape itself. What once seemed to be a forest filled with vegetation, rivers and mountains. Changed into a scorching desert, the ground akin to brimstone and embers rising up from it.
Blackheart grabbed Duncan by it's horns and delivered a knee to the skull. Duncan firmly planted his feet on the ground before using his horns to ram into Blackheart like a bull, he then tossed Blackheart in the air.
Blackheart's wings unfolded, making him stop mid-air, a vein popping on his forehead, he clenched his fist until blood started dripping from his palms.
Blackheart: 'FUCK THIS! AS LONG AS I KILL DUNCAN! THIS UNIVERSE CAN GO TO HELL!'
Blackheart's body started to swollen, red veins going across his whole body started to appear. The wind started to pick up, gravitating towards Blackheart, creating a vacuum. The crackling of electricity followed by an overflow of chaotic demonic energy, which was gathering around Blackheart's body.
Duncan: 'Is he trying to...'
Zarathos: 'He wants to destroy this realm!', he was quick to finish Duncan's thoughts.
Stars started to detonate, the realm itself began to tremble, dimensional rifts opened one by one.
Seeing that Blackheart was gona destroy the entire realm... Duncan crossed his arms.
Blackheart roared as he detonated the gathered demonic energy. A light which blinded anyone started to spread across the world, but it slowly started to dwindle.
Blackheart was bewildered, he was sure that he made no mistakes in trying to erase this universe. But a strained grunt answered his questions, as the light dwindled, Blackheart widened his eyes. Duncan took a hold of the explosion and contained it between the palms of his hands.
Blackheart: "T-that... s-should've rivaled... the big bang...", he couldn't contain his astonishment, yet fear lingered in his voice.
Duncan felt his whole body being torned to pieces as he kept a hold of his world destroying explosion, if he had any flesh or organs at the moment, they would've been evaporated thousands of times over, he could only thank his healing factor for staying in one piece. Bringing his palms together, he finally crashed it into his hands.
Feeling a sudden weight being taken from his shoulders, Duncan fell to one knee, panting heavily, the flames around his skull became weaker.
Blackheart quick to notice Duncan's state, begane to charge another explosion. Sadly for him, he was quickly interrupted by a spear through the chest.
It may look like an old spear that would break in an instant, but Blackheart's agonizing scream said otherwise. The Longinus, The Spear that pierced Christ body.
Blackheart felt his own insides burning away, making fall down. Duncan jumped and caught Blackheart mid-air, he took a hold of the spear and pulled it out of Blackheart's chest. Duncan then grabbed Blackheart and threw him as hard as he could into the ground, making the ground itself shatter and crumble at the impact.
Duncan then threw The Longinus straight into Blackheart's stomach, impaling him into the ground. Duncan then came crashing from the air, stomping on Blackheart's face.
Duncan then grabbed Blackheart by the face and lifted him up, he then took the spear out of Blackheart's stomach and put it aside.
Duncan then punched Blackheart throught the chest, but no wound was made, as if his fist passed through an illusion. In fact, Duncan was looking for something else, once he took a hold of it, he yanked it out of Blackheart's chest, The Darkhold.
But, Duncan startled, dropped Blackheart, The Darkhold started to shake violently, until it shattered, literally. Thirteen glowing red orbs were floating in the air, fragments of The Darkhold. Duncan managed to catch in time one of the orbs, which in return took the form of the book, but the other twelve fragments, flew through dimensional rifts, to another worlds.
Duncan quickly put aside the Darkhold Fragment, he marched furiously towards Blackheart and grabbed him by the neck, bringing him to eye level.
Duncan: "What. Did. You. Do?", he asked in a dangerously low tone which became of eldrich nature from his fury.
Blackheart: "Hehe... M...Ma...Making sure... th...that no one can have it..."
Duncan slammed Blackheart's head into the ground, he then continued to punch him in the face over and over and over again. Until Blackheart's demon form broke, returning his human visage. Blackheart became significantly weaker now.
Duncan kicked Blackheart in the ribcage sending him flying across the ground, until he crashed through a few pillars of stone, it took an entire mountain to stop his crash.
Duncan started to walk towards Blackheart, slow and menacing, just like a predator toying with it's prey. Just like a wolf cornering his next meal.
Blackheart took a few wobbly steps, his holy was in an agonizing pain, but he couldn't feel it. His fear overcame the sense of pain. His whole body was shaking, he could feel that if he took another step he would fall to his knees. The worst of all was that he couldn't feel Duncan's presence, he knew that the guy with a flaming skull was coming, but didn't know when and how. His heart rate spiked up once he caught a glimpse of a ethereal blue flame on the horizon.
Duncan in one quick motion took out his revolver SIN, and shot Blackheart's shoulder, tearing his left arm off. Falling to his knees screaming, he clenched the place where his arm was supposed to be. Blackheart shakingly looked up with tears falling from his eyes and saw Duncan towering over him.
Blackheart: "...w...what k...kind of monster... are you?", he shakingly asked with a fearful look.
Duncan grabbed Blackheart's right arm and lifted him up.
Duncan: "The Ghost Rider.", he calmly answered.
Duncan then started to burn Blackheart's right arm, as slowly as he could, but the Holy Fire made quick work as usual.
Blackheart, who was now armless, fell flat on his back, tears stained his face and snot flowing from his nostrils like a river. Blackheart looked at Duncan with a pleading look.
Blackheart: "N...NO! PLEASE! LET ME LIVE!", he desperately shouted
Duncan put his foot above Blackheart's left knee, he then stomped on it, crashing and severing Blackheart's left leg.
Duncan then put his foot above Blackheart's right knee, he then stomped on it, crashing and severing Blackheart's right leg.
Duncan then put his foot above Blackheart's crotch, much to his horror.
Blackheart: "...n...n...NO... PLEASE! I WOULD DO ANYTHING! PLEASE! ANYTHING BUT THIS!"
Duncan: "I'm punishing you accordingly to your sins and besides... you cannot bring an angel back... not after what you did to her."
Blackheart looked at Duncan with a pleading look, filled with tears, but then it dawned on him.
Duncan: "Your scent was all over Laila..."
Duncan raised up his leg and then stomped Blackheart's crotch with enough force to create a crater. Duncan just shot Blackheart's left arm, burned his right arm, crushed and severed both of his legs from the knees down and crushed his pelvis, balls and dick... yet Blackheart was still alive.
Duncan then grabbed Blackheart by his neck and lifted him to his eye level. As they made eye contact Blackheart already knew what was coming, The Penance Stare. Blackheart thought that it wouldn't have any effect, then he remembered, he consumed the souls of this world. As The Penance Stare made it's effect, Blackheart felt, hundreds, thousands even millions worth of years of pain in a second. As Blackheart's eyes became brimstone, Duncan grabbed something from his coat and then threw the body on the ground. Duncan looked at the ancient scroll in his hand before putting it away.
Duncan turned and started to walk away, but unbeknownst to him, whatever remained of Blackheart's body sunked into his shadow.
Duncan: "It felt good to let it loose, even just a little.", he mumbled to himself.
Zarathos: 'We got rid of a problem, just to get another, The Darkhold fragments...'
Duncan: "Let's worry about those later, we have to go back to the others."
Duncan called out to his Hellcycle, who wasted no time by appearing from within the ground from a rift made of flames.
Mounting his bike, Duncan took off, ahead of him opened a circular portal made of holy fire. As he passed through it, Duncan found himself at the entrance of Mantle.
Duncan changed back to his human form, this made him lose his balance a little, using that much energy in such short amount of time drained him a little. Regaining his footing, he continued to walk inside Mantle, as he arrived he noticed a few medical Bullheads landing.
Medics jumped from the ships in order to help the wounded.
Duncan's figure was quickly noticed, some were happy to see him, they instantly knew that the war was over, but some not so much.
Harriet especially, she lost her team leader and a team member. Once she noticed Duncan, she marched towards him, ignoring her injuries, a vein popping on her forehead.
Harriet: "THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT!", she yelled in Duncan's face while grabbing his collar... she had to jump to grabe his collar, she is short.
Everyone was taken back, but Duncan had an emotionless look, he was expecting such treatment, after all, no matter how much you try, you can't please nor save everyone.
Harriet: "WHERE WERE YOU ALL THIS TIME?! HUH?! PEOPLE DIED BECAUSE YOU WEREN'T HERE! LOOK AROUND YOU! LOOK AT THEM! WHERE WERE YOU WHEN THAT MANIAC ATTACKED! YOU SH-"
*SLAP*
Many gasped at Duncan's action, Harriet stood frozen, not expecting to be treated as such... to be slapped. But Duncan at the moment had no intention listen to another's complain.
Duncan: "Did you calm down? Good, did you lost your mind, 'cause i'll help you find it. You yell in my face about people dying like i'm the one that killed them. But... where were you? The soooo~ prestigious Spe Ops? You were nothing but a liability. The only reason that you are alive is because Blackheart took your pain as entertainment. Now move, i have a job to do, 'cause unlike others... i can't afford to complain, grieve or mourn, i have to keep moving foreward."
Duncan silently mover foreward, towards the injured, glaring at the medics, they moved aside.
Duncan crouched beside Ruby, he placed the palm of his hand on her face, slowly light blue embers floated around her, her eyes completely healed.
He then moved to Yang, Duncan put his hand on the stump of her right arm, shortly a hand made of flames grew, as the flames disipated it showed Yang's arm good as new.
One by one, Duncan healed all the injured, eventually he also healed Harriet.
Suddenly Blake started to wake up, her eyes glowing bright green. Duncan simply punched her in the face knocking her unconcious.
Duncan: "Winter! Got some handcuffs on ya?", he restrained Blake.
Winter at first flinched, but quickly composed herself.
Winter: "Yes, but for what purpose?", she handed Duncan the handcuffs.
Duncan: "You will see.", his glowing fiery red.
Duncan started to chant in enochian, shortly enochian sigils spread across the handcuffs, he then reinforced the handcuffs using his Hellfire. Duncan then handcuffed Blake with her hands behind her back.
Duncan then helped carry all the people that were unconcious in the ships. As one of the medics tried to lift Ashley's unconcious figure, Duncan let out a demonic growl, scaring the living hell out of the medic.
Duncan kneeled down, he bit his lower lip, unable to look at Ashley.
Duncan: 'I know i fucked up... i don't need people to point that out for me...', he thought to himself.
Duncan gently picked up Ashley and walked towards the ship.
The trip back to Atlas was mostly quiet. Qrow and Raven were standing next to Ruby and Yang, who were still unconcious.
Duncan kept an eye on Ashley, one wouldn't notice, but he had a solemn expression.
As the ships landed, the ones that were still concious helped move the others to the infirmary until they wake up.
Duncan moved with Ashley in his arms through the halls of the Atlas tower.
Zarathos: 'Duncan, she is gonna be okay. She is a fighter, you managed to heal all of her injuries, all she needs right now is a little rest', he tried to reasure his partner.
They moved them in different rooms, unable to fit all of the unconcious people in just one.
In the room was Ashley, Summer, Ruby, Yang and Weiss. Raven and Qrow were as well.
Duncan left the room, walking down the halls he was met with Ironwood, who had a knew cybernatic arm, he was escorting Blake alongside some guards.
Ironwood: "Duncan? I thought that you would be in the infirmary."
Duncan: "Yeah, well, we gotta take extra measures when it comes to Blake."
Ironwood decided not to question it further, just the look in Duncan's eyes told him plenty.
As they arrived at the cell, Duncan steped in first, much to Ironwoods and the guards confusion. Duncan took out a knife and made a small cut on his forearm, he then started to draw a sigil of restraint on ground from his own blood, he then added a few demonic runes for good measure.
They then put Blake in the cell, as they closed the door, Duncan then started to draw on the door and the wall nearby another set of enochian sigils.
Even if they won't be able to stop her for long, it will alert Duncan in case Blake tries to escape.
Sighing, Duncan wordlesly started to make his way back to the infirmary.
When he returned, Duncan noticed that Winter was there as well now, checking on Weiss.
Without much a word, Duncan took a chair to sit on, he took of his jacket and hang it on the backrest and slumped on the chair. He grabbed his flask and started to take big swigs from it.
Neither of them said a word, it was no need, each of them had someone to worry about. Qrow looked guilty, after all, it was his weapon that Clover was killed with.
Time passed and Winter was called back to Ironwood's office, reluctant she left her sister under their watch.
Shortly Qrow fell asleep, almost making him fall on the floor, but Raven caught it, she as well looked a little sleepy, the adrenaline during the fight started to wear off.
Duncan nodded his head at Raven and signaled her to take Qrow and go to sleep. Raven was a little reluctant, but she just noticed, Duncan never took off his eyes of Ashley since he returned from his fight with Blackheart. He always watched over her.
Raven: "You really do care of her, don't you?"
Duncan: "... i don't care what happens to me. I never really have. But i do care what happens to my sister."
Raven understood the message and looked at Duncan almost in a sympathetic way, she left the infirmary carrying her brother which was asleep.
Duncan was left all alone now, he took one more swig from his flask, before slowly putting his head in his hands.
This chapter's meme: