Apocalypse Wow! 2! - Part 2, Chapter 18

Disclaimer

The following is a work of fiction. Any real names, real events, non-original content, or likeness of celebrities are used in a fictitious and parodic manner. All other character names and events are fictional and any resemblance of real names or events are purely coincidental

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN: JUNE – VISITORS AND INTERLOPERS

Dean Williams sat on the beach of a mountain lake. The sun was setting and the waves of the lake gently crashed back and forth. He was also holding baby Mercy in his arms, gently singing to her. Dean then sat Mercy on his knee so the infant can watch the setting sun. Ryan Jeffries then showed up and sat beside Dean.
“Hey Ryan, how’s it going?” Dean asked as Mercy fussed until Dean cradled her in his arms again.
“All right I guess. Bumped into Amy recently. She told me that she’s shocked that you’re actually doing something with the child since you ignored her all those times.” Ryan said back.
“Well you know why that went down the way it did,” Dean said defensively.
“Yeah, but still, doesn’t fully explain why you now show an interest in her.”
“She’s the only thing that is still here that can keep me relatively sane. Karen may never wake from her coma and god knows when I’ll see Faith again. Hell, she may barely remember who I am.”
“But she may wonder why her little sister has different color skin…” Ryan said.
Dean interrupted “… What? We adopted her. You think Shiloh asks Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie why she has a bunch of black brothers?”
“Possibly. Don’t know. Never really pay attention to them.”
“I thought you could see everything?” Dean asked.
“No, you’re thinking about Santa Clause,” Ryan replied back with a deadpan manner. “You do realize you’re going to have to give her up soon, right?” Ryan stated to Dean while looking at Mercy, who was now peacefully asleep in Dean’s arms.
“Why is that?” Dean asked.
“Because the powers that be want it to go down like that, yo.” Ryan said
“You know I’m getting rather pissed at these powers that be!” Dean said with frustration.
“Well, did they make you fuck Amy?”
“No.”
“Did they make you and Karen try and rescue Kevin?”
“No.”
“Did they allow Amy to die?”
“No.”
“See, you’re angry at the wrong entity. You should maybe talk to someone else and air your grievances.” Ryan suggested.
“And who do you suggest?” Dean asked.

Dean Williams then woke up in the same situation he was in the many times this had occurred: asleep in a chair holding onto Karen’s comatose hand. Now his surroundings have changed since everything was relocated to the bottom of the badlands of Alberta. Now they were protecting the Gate of Osiris from Jason Saxon. None of this made sense to Dean, who still remained in a daze caused by his continual abuse of anti-anxiety medication. Dean wiped some drool that dribbled onto his chin as he looked around the room. It was slowly coming to one year when everything changed in his life. And to think he had it all before then. Now here he is, wife is in a coma, both of his daughters – illegitimate and legitimate – are gone now, and his career as a writer is probably over now.

Jericho sat on a rock formation up on the surface near the entranceway to the Gate of Osiris’ home. He stared into the distance and watched the sun set down on another day. While the hard part of finding the Gate of Osiris before the Corruptors did was over, perhaps the hardest part was yet to come with keeping it out of their hands and out of the hands of Jason Saxon. Vedder walked into the scenery and approached the sitting Jericho.
“It can’t be good news, right?” Jericho asked his fellow greycoat.
“What makes you say that?” Vedder asked back.
“Because lately all you have brought me is bad news.”
“Once again, the Council is concerned in your handling of Willow.”
“In what way now?” Jericho asked with frustration.
“Word is that Willow had made physical contact with one of our guests.” Vedder said, referring to Willow and Lucas’ romantic tryst last month.
“Well, if you had bothered to look into it further, you’ll know nothing major was said by her and no major damages to the time stream occurred.” Jericho answered defensively.
“Also, word has it Faith made contact with her father a couple months ago too.” Vedder stated.
“Faith assured me she acted on her own volition and did nothing to damage the time stream. I am confidence in her being the more level-headed one amongst the four of them.” Jericho once again said defensively.
“Perhaps this confidence you have in her may be clouding your judgment. Clouding it to the point where they could do serious damage and you will be powerless to stop them.” Vedder warned Jericho.
“Trust me, I have learned from my past indiscretion when Willow first elicited those feelings from me. Feelings of an… almost human nature.” Jericho said with a sigh.
“Perhaps then the four of them should be put into the hands of one who is not easily tricked into feeling emotions. Perhaps apprehending Willow and making her see the error of her current path should go to one who has nothing emotionally invested in her.” Vedder suggested.
“We both know that Willow has made it explicit that she will only talk to me from this point on.” Jericho said. “Perhaps it is time for me to exhibit something that people call… ‘tough love’… on Willow the next time she tries to act out.”

Doctor Sarah Bellum walked around the vacant warehouse that has been her home for almost a year now. But she did not walk on her own terms. She felt something jerking her head upward and from the skyline she could see hundreds of Viisks, surrounding the walkways of the rafters. Sarah also saw Jason Saxon, using her as a marionette puppet who moved to his own delight. Suddenly, hundreds upon hundreds of dead bodies fell from the rafters, being tossed down by the Viisk. Sarah felt blood lightly splashing onto her as Saxon made her pick up a vial of napicin sulfite from the ground. A stream of blood ran past Sarah’s feet as she looked at her hands, which were covered in blood as well. Sarah was then forced to do an about face to turn and face Sloane, sitting upon a throne made from various severed limbs. Sloane walked down towards Sarah and stared right into her eyes. “Victory is life!” Sloane said to Sarah as she shoved her down into the sea of corpses that now filled the floor of the warehouse.
Sarah Bellum abruptly woke up and looked around startled at her surroundings. She had fallen asleep during another observation of the now common ritual of the Viisk returning from a battle and receiving their napicin sulfite as their reward for victory. Sarah probably could do the whole “victory is life” spiel in her sleep as she had heard many times over. “I got some work to do,” Sarah told one of the soldiers who watched over her, almost as if she needed their blessing to carry on with her indentured servitude. Sarah made her way back to an office that had become somewhat her only place of sanctuary in this maddening world. As Sarah opened the door, she noticed a woman sitting in her chair – feet kicked up on the desk and eating a carrot. Unbeknownst to Sarah, this woman was the future version of Willow Brody-Toroshenko.
“Ehh, what’s up doc?” Willow said as she took another bite of her carrot, imitating Bugs Bunny.
“Who the hell are you? I’m getting security!” Sarah said as she went for the door again.
“Hey, relax Brainiac, I’m on your side,” Willow said as she stood up from the chair and tried to reassure Sarah that she meant no harm. Willow added “Seems like we have a common dick who gave us both a bad rash.”
Sarah made a disgusted face and said “Disturbing visual metaphor notwithstanding, what are you referring to?”
“Jason Saxon. He’s taken your family away from you and he’s done the same to me” Willow stated.
“So, how do you intend to help me?” asked Sarah. Willow then pulled out a small test tube from her coat pocket and tossed it to Sarah.
“Mix this with the next batch of treats you make for his dogs there,” Willow said referring to the napicin sulfite used for the Viisk. Willow then walked by Sarah and handed her a piece of paper and told Sarah “Keep this on you. It may become useful in case your life is endangered.”
“Will I see you again?” Sarah asked.
“In time perhaps.” Willow said with a sly smile as she walked down and eventually phased out of the scene. Sarah opened up the piece of paper, which was neatly folded. The contents of the paper contained a map. A map to the locale of Project Looking Glass, or rather the Gate of Osiris – which Sarah was unaware of its actual name.