NeShattered Post 21 continues the battle between Shattered Gebohq and The Last True Answerer from NeShattered Post 20. The world of NeShattered alters to accommodate their fight, so they appear atop of two skyscrapers and leap to attack each other between the chasm. They both fall downwards and land, painfully, in an alley. In the alley, TLTA attempts to cut Shattered Gebohq using Gossamer, but the sword becomes lodged into the wall, allowing Gebohq the opportunity to beat up TLTA. TLTA gets a surge of strength when he cries out against Powerplayers, like Shattered Gebohq, and slams Gebohq with Equitas Deux. The two of them end up strangling each other in the road until Gebohq summons power of the Never-ending Story to blast TLTA away. Eventually, TLTA is able to get up and drags Gebohq back into the alley to get his weapon, intending to finish Gebohq off for good and become the new caretaker of NeShattered. Gebohq manages to insist that TLTA would be the worst to lead the NeS as he presumed to change other Writers against their will. TLTA realises this is true, but becomes dedicated to his only recourse - to kill Gebohq anyway. Gebohq, however, manages to avoid this death blow and smashes TLTA's face into a car windscreen, slicing his face. With the last of his strength, TLTA knocks Gebohq back to the ground in the alley. Finally, TLTA reaches a decision and retrieves his sword, but rather than use it on Gebohq, his holds it to his own chest, prepared to kill himself. Gebohq then pleads for him not to do it, insisting that they had all made mistakes, whether it is Powerplaying or trying to change others, but to kill himself would kill the Story. Instead, he offers TLTA the chance to join him.
Post[]
*The fight is as brutal as they come. Both men are fighting in the extremes of emotion -Gebohq, a man pushed to the edge, unable to back down, and TLTA, his anger at the turns of events pushing him to the brink of sanity.
As they run toward each other, fists clenched tightly enough to induce white knuckles, the landscape shifts and swirls to better accommodate them. They are atop two separate skyscrapers, in blackest night. Fine rain mists down on them as they approach the respective edges of their buildings, and with no hesitation, jump. They come together in the night with bone-crunching impact, screaming obscenely at each other, grasping at each other's throats. Like fallen angels, the two disappear into the mist and rain, blinded to the world as they are to each other, struggling as they plummet. There is no redemption, no reconciliation for either - only pain.*
Gebohq: Uhhhh....
*He is lying in a desolate alley, his fall being broken slightly by the shared impact of the two opponents. Dimly, his eyes flutter, and strain open. The rain still pours, and across the night lightning bolts continue to streak-*
TLTA: Ohhh...
*Gebohq is suddenly aware of TLTA, who has landed badly further down. With great effort, the NeS leader gathers himself, rises and turns-*
TLTA: DIE!
*Gossamer bites through the air, toward Gebohq, who ducks. The blade shears above his head, into a brick wall effortlessly, where it catches and lodges. TLTA roars and tries to pull it out. Gebohq, gritting his teeth, steps in and punches the back of TLTA's head, sending it hammering against the bricks. TLTA staggers backward, bleeding from his temple.*
Gebohq: DON'T SCREW UP MY STORY!
*He rushes over, spinning and kicking TLTA in the chest, who flies back into the street beyond. Geb, arms pumping, eyes narrowed into slits in the ever-increasing rain, gives chase.*
Gebohq: YOU WILL DIE-
*He lunges at the prone form of TLTA, who snarls and kicks his leg out, catching Gebohq in the windpipe. Gebohq chokes, and clutching his throat, stumbles sideways, further into the street.*
TLTA: DEATH! DEATH TO ALL POWERPLAYERS!
*He springs to his feet, and with all his might, swings Equitas Deux at Gebohq's face. The blow from the heavy shield breaks Geb's nose, and he lets out a loud moan of pain. TLTA screams in rage and brings the shield in an upward swing, catching Geb on the chin and lifting him far into the air. Geb comes down on a car windshield, shattering it into spiderweb-cracks.*
TLTA: DEATH TO YOU ALL!
*As TLTA approaches, shield ready again, Gebohq swings his leg around in a sweep that snaps his foe's wrist backwards, eliciting a scream of pain and his shield to drop. Through the pain, the will to just abandon his pursuit and drop to the ground, TLTA's anger returns, having never really left, like bile in the throat, venom on his lips. Through the agony he braces both fists and leaps on top of Gebohq, strangling him. Geb's hands snap into position around TLTA's neck and they roll off the bonnet onto the gritty, rain-soaked road, choking the life out of each other. TLTA's grip is firmer, though, and Geb feels the world start to sway and lose focus. In a final, desperate move, Gebohq makes a gurgled snarl and brings his NeS-given energy into his fists, pushing out into TLTA's chest. With a sound like a cannon, TLTA is propelled across the width of the road, hitting a signpost and snapping it in two, coming to an abrupt halt on the asphalt. TLTA groans, lying prone on the road; Gebohq, wheezing badly for air, does the same. After about half a minute, TLTA starts laughing.*
TLTA: This is it, isn't it?
Gebohq: I'd...say..*choke*...so.
TLTA: Then let's do it.
*Using the devastated signpost as a prop, he gets to his feet, limping over to Gebohq's unmoving form. Geb, still unable to properly breathe, cannot resist. TLTA grabs Geb by his collar and drags his bleeding, battered form painfully back into the alleyway. With a great effort, TLTA pulls Equitas out of the brick and stands, blade poised, above Gebohq.*
TLTA: I promise you, I'll take care of the NeS for you.
Gebohq: Never....not you...
TLTA: Why? Have I not proven myself by now?! Haven't I dedicated my existence to perfecting the NeS, protecting it from flaws?! AM I NOT GOOD ENOUGH?! ANSWER ME!!!
Gebohq: You....presumed to....change us. *cough* Writers are...who they are. You are...the weakest of....all of us!
*In that brief moment, TLTA's righteous quest is unmade. He realises his fault, his single flaw - in presuming to change those whose writings he disagreed with, he has elevated himself above them, thought himself better. In devastation, having lost everything, his mind resumes his single course.*
TLTA: DIE!
*He brings back his sword - as Gebohq throws himself forward, the lethal blade missing him by inches. Without missing a beat, Gebohq, spins and opens his fist, punching TLTA in the face with the remnants of the car windshield he had grasped. There is a brilliant explosion of glass, as TLTA's entire face - including his eyes - is perforated.*
TLTA: AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!
*In a final, convulsive rampage, he lowers his shoulder and tackles Gebohq straight into the brick wall. There is a wet snap, and several of Geb's ribs are shattered. Both of them, moaning in pain, drop to the ground, utterly defeated. Their blood slowly mixes in the trickling rain, beginning its long journey into the gutter. Slowly, the downpour builds to a crescendo.*
Gebohq: W-what...do we do now?
TLTA: Only...one thing for m-me to do...
*He elevates himself into a sitting position, and gropes around for his sword. Gebohq, defenceless, widens his eyes in horror. TLTA finds it, and uses it to help himself up. To Geb's surprise and shock, he brings it up, the blade's sharpened edge facing his own heart.*
TLTA: Promised...promised to always protect the story...so now I end my own evil...
Gebohq: TLTA, WAIT!
*TLTA's heavily lacerated face casts about for the direction of the voice.*
Gebohq: Maybe....maybe your death will help..maybe it won't....but you can't kill yourself, because...you'll be killing the story. We...we're here, you and I, because we love the NeS. Because we love to write. To better ourselves. Highemperor...he has powerplayed. As...as have I. And you yourself are guilty...of writing crimes. Killing yourself; that's a way out. There's another way, too.
TLTA: What?
Gebohq: Helping me.
*TLTA lingers a moment longer, feeling the blade's light weight, its reliability. He would be dead within moments of plunging it into his heart. It would be just. But...*
TLTA: "The worst loneliness is not to be comfortable with yourself".
Gebohq: Mark Twain[Ext 1].
TLTA: What do we do, now? Are...are we just going to bleed to death in this alleyway?
Gebohq: Let's just...keep writing for a while...
*And with that, their fragile grip on consciousness is lost, spinning them, twisting them into a land of dreamless sleep...and yet, maybe their is a long forgotten peace in their rest, despite it all.*
Notes[]
Britt's Commentary[]
"A small mistake occurs when The Last True Evil the Writer calls his sword Equitas. The sword is Gossamer, Equitas was the shield (replaced by Equitas Deux by this point)." ~ Britt's Commentary
References[]
External References[]
- ↑ Mark Twain article, Wikipedia.