My Weekly Gag Villain Job is Pretty Fulfilling: Chapter 18

My Weekly Gag Villain Job is Pretty Fulfilling: Chapter 18

…

Commissioned by Arksoul

…

Interlude: Chroma Scarlet: Aine Campbell

…

Two minutes.

The world watched a ray gun powered by a volcano and composed by one of the most feared super-villains fires at the moon.

Dr. Lumen held onto his volcano fortress for years. Any attempt to capture him ended with failure. He perfected a form of esoteric energy blast and used geothermal energy to give him enough firepower to instantly kill anything that wasn’t over the horizon of his island. Governments around the world decided to pay him off rather than try to take him down, and so he was considered neutralized even as he built larger forms of his weapon with the funds he was given.

Multiple superhero teams failed to defeat him. When approached by stronger foes, he threatened cities with a ‘curved shot’ and negotiated after showcasing his ability to somehow bend his energy blasts. His profiles all stated that he was a megalomaniac who desired public approval. Someone who wanted to prove his ideology correct to the entire world. That arcologies enslaved people to the whims of governments which were increasingly becoming more automated, and that in a few decades everyone will be ruled by a new aristocracy held up by legions of vat-grown cyborgs.

So, he fired upon the Shadow Legion to showcase his strength and ability while the rest of the world could only watch.

Two minutes later he was destroyed.

Ten minutes later the damage done by his laser was gone.

To say that there was some civil disorder as a result would be an understatement.

“How’s everything going, Pa?” I popped back into human form at home.  He was at the living room and his tweed jacket was off. In a dress shirt without a tie and leaning forward at the screen, I could tell it wasn’t good. “That bad?”

“Dr. Lumen is a well-known villain. Someone even grade schoolers here about. A boogeyman raised up to be as threatening as possible to validate paying him off. Some of his ideas are even carried by radicals, even if they don’t stand behind him.” He spoke carefully and clearly. No accent, like he was teaching his international class instead of talking to me. That meant he was stressed. So, I sat and listened. “The Legion just defeated him on international television in two minutes. It’s like fearing a devil all your life, then the moment it raises it hand towards a monster looming over your house, it gets squashed like a bug.”

“So, riots, then?” I asked with a nod.

“Riots, panic, and stockpiling. The neighborhood’s safe thanks to the wards, but there’ll be protests in the arcologies. A lot of the voices saying we should pay a tithe will get louder. We paid Dr. Lumen off, so why not his killer?” The simple and brutal logic of it made me scowl, but I couldn’t deny it. It was the simple and straightforward. People were going to rush for it. But the right answer to situations like this one was rarely simple and straightforward. “My contacts say that the government will try for it. Just a few tons of grain for security. Meanwhile, they’ll be building your obelisks starting off in arcologies. Those can stop that gate from forming, right?”

“Right. They will.” Pa seemed to breathe a bit easier at that and leaned back into his chair, before taking off his glasses and turning the screen off. He took a breath. With that, I decided to let loose the hounds whether for good or ill. “We’re thinking about bringing the Palace of Light out. It’ll attract their attention.”

Pa stilled at my words before shaking his head.

“No. You shouldn’t. Not even if arcologies start falling.” I knew he’d say that. We all knew that what our families would say. He moved out of his chair and held onto my shoulders. “I know that you want to help and do good, but you can’t risk yourselves or that repository of knowledge. We lose the palace and we lose everything.”

“Pa… people are going crazy everywhere. They’re not even fighting or resisting the Legion itself. It’s just their presence and that’s driving people mad. We’re supposed to help people.” I told him. It was hard to see what was happening all over the world. Wherever the light shined, there were people huddled in their houses, in temples prayers, or protesting their officials. Just as many were wreaking havoc. Some were trying to steal food and trying to find a way to contact the Legion to ensure their personal safety. “I don’t know how we can anymore.”

“That… that is because there’s no good solution. In all the other worlds, the Legion devoured or conquered most of the population. They swept through nation after nation and left only a few that the Sentinels could protect. They were a force of nature… not an opponent in a war.” He took a seat beside me on the sofa and kept an arm on shoulders. He was worm, despite the winter season and even without his jacket. He was more agitated than he let on, but he stayed calm for me. “Aine, you’re not responsible for the entire world or everyone on it. You’re meant to defeat the Legion. As harsh as it sounds, you need to look past the chaos and focus on what you can do… and the best thing you can do is keep preparing for your assault, while keeping the palace hidden.”

I did my best to steady myself, but suddenly… in the corner of my senses there was something there in the corner of my house.

I transformed immediately and put myself between her and father.

“Aine?” He asked, before going still. His hand went to his service revolver’s box, but he paused as she just stayed standing in the darkest corner of our home. “Do you know her?”

“I do, but I don’t.” All my senses screamed at me to run, to take my father to the palace, and for us to leave now. However, the white-haired pale young woman with bright yellow eyes stared us both quietly, while clad in deep black. “I think she’s part of the Legion of Shadow.”

I lied to my father.

I knew that this girl was beyond even the ‘general’ that we met.

The leader of the entire legion stood before me with a blank gaze before raising her my way with an open palm.

There were no words, but it was obvious.

Surrender to us.

The Light flashed around me, filling me with warmth, and I lowered my guard. This was dialogue between the two primordial and powerful entities. It has happened before, but with us standing on opposite sides. The Light bid the Shadow to cease after it was defeated. It promised it quiet solitude in peaceful realms. Each time it refused and left to regather is strength and find another world to overwhelm.

However, many times over, the Light was given no choice and forced out of a realm when it was defeated.

This was the first time that Darkness offered surrender.

“What are the terms?” I spoke to her simply. Pa looked at me with surprise, before reaching for me with concern. “Know that even if we surrender, humanity most likely won’t. They’ll oppose you every step of the way and we’ve given them much already.”

Instead of words, I saw what the Shadows offered and almost fell to my knees.

Peace in its own twisted sense.

Humanity allowed to persist and act in its current state, but without the Sentinels every human will be given the choice to continue living or simply surrender to endless respite. I saw souls gathered from bodies and secreted away to vast chambers. Consciousness persisting in endless rest. No pain, no hunger, and no toil. Just eternal rest for whomsoever chooses. The Legion of Shadow will rule over the planet, and wait.

Wait while humanity is surrounded by threats and worn down.

They will wait and keep the choice open for all, while moving onto other worlds to do the same as humanity fell apart.

“Dear God in heaven.” Pa whispered under his breath. I realized he was included in the shared dream. “What are you?”

He stared at the young woman and for a moment I met her yellow gaze.

Behind those eyes was the Legion of Shadow’s almighty will. The declaration that all the good of reality did not outweigh all its suffering.

That it was better to encase all in eternal rest and stagnation rather than try for what might be better.

Then, I realized why the Light chose me as the leader of the Sentinels.

“We haven’t lost.” I burned away my worries and concerns and met her gaze. She looked at me and tilted her chin questioningly while lowering her hand. “Don’t get ahead of yourself. You just have the advantage. Not the victory. We’ll keep fighting because we believe in our own ideals. That people should strive to be better and that we can reach greater heights.”

The worlds the Light left behind are paradisical. They have forged from their struggles great civilizations where people work together to expand across their realm. Magic and technology combined to give people better lives, allow them to traverse to other stars, and find plenty. What were once singular countries with the Legion of Shadow battering their walls, there were now empires spanning the stars. They might have problems, but they were addressing them, working to be better, and moving forward.

The Legion of Shadow offered peace at the cost of eternal stillness.

“So, your offer is appreciated and we’ll hear you out in the future, but this isn’t the end. Not even close.” The entity began to fade into shadow and disappear. My refusal still hung in the air. No. My belief that a better future is worth fighting for remained. Not even a moon covered in Shadow was going to change that fact. “We’ll be seeing you when we retake our moon.”

For a moment, a faint smile flickered across the still face of the young woman, before a final thought was shared with us.

Her general on one knee giving her the world.

Silence filled my living room for a moment, before Pa broke it.

“For an entity of shadow and ennui, that girl sure is a romantic.”

I couldn’t help it.

I had to laugh.

What kind of man can capture the heart of such a creature?

…

“Uh, who’s she?”

“Our boss.”

“The leader of the Legion of Shadow.”

“Huh.”

Alex stared at Lia for a bit before shrugging and just taking a seat at the table. Lia was sitting at the head, while I was at the right. She had multiple tubs of gelato open and was steadily working her way through it all. Some Imps helped when she didn’t like a flavor very much, but she was going through them without much issue.

“So, does she only eat ice cream?”

“Gelato.” I corrected, before shaking my head. I got a napkin and wiped Lia’s face clean of some melted droplets and she closed her eyes and allowed me to work, before she got back to eating. “And, no. She eats plenty of other food. She just likes gelato the most. You can eat all the food that you like all the time now, too.”

“Yeah, but I don’t want to get sick of it.” Alex shook her head and took a seat next to Ebb, who was across from me munching on poke. After weeks of sushi, Ebb was finally branching out onto something else. He seemed to have a thing for raw or just-cooked fish. “So, is she just here to eat some ice cream or do something else?”

For some reason, Alex raised and eyebrow at me and waggled it.

No clue what she meant by that.

“She usually just stays in the sanctuary double-checking everything is working as intended. No one having nightmares or anything awful. It’s magic, but we want to make sure.” Alex blinked at my explanation and gave a nod. She had some pizza today and it was laden with extra toppings. She had to slide it off the card board onto her plate and get a knife and fork. It was basically impossible to lift off the table. It got Lia’s attention and Alex was quick to give her the plate before making another one for herself. “I mean, she can play games and have fun through the Imps, so usually she just stays in place and controls from afar.”

“Alright, sounds about right. So, she’s just here because she wants to be.” Alex accepted with a nod, before looking over at Lia. She paused before she spoke again. The pizza slice covered in multiple ounces of meat, cheese, and vegetables just slid off the plate down into Lia’s waiting mouth and disappeared. She chewed and swallowed within a few moments. It was cartoonlike. Or, rather, Imp-like. Despite the outside appearance, Lia’s body was just solid shadow like the rest of the Legion. “So, boss, if you don’t mind me asking: why go through all the trouble?”

Lia tilted her head to the side inquiry at the question, while I just helped myself to some fried rice and pork chops.

“I mean, you can just lord over the place. Sell your services to highest bidder, or just rule over the planet. Let people come to you for peace, or just die fighting. Why go with complete annihilation from the start or go for the delayed, instant death?” Alex considered her pizza before taking a bite and mashing through it. A moment later she chugged down a whole can of soda. She was getting used to taking advantage of her infinite-stomach. “Seems to me that you can just take over a country, use it, and spread out and let problems come to you while you’ve got the advantage.”

Lia considered the question for a moment, before letting a simple memory flow through all of us.

War, bloodshed, and suffering in astronomical amounts. Frenzied efforts of mortals in factories to try and fight no matter the cost. Lia ruling over a silent and dead kingdom as the mortals who ‘accepted’ her did nothing in the end.

In the end, it just prolonged suffering while the few slinked away.

I grimaced and so did Ebb, while Alex grunted.

Being monsters outright was better than that.