The Dawn of Destruction, Chapter 21

                                The Dawn of Destruction

Interitus 1 – Book One

            Chapter Twenty-One

 

            As the silent darkness began to fade, the world finally slowed its perpetual spinning. On hands and knees, Seth slowly dragged his body out of the shallow waves and onto the shore of San Diego. He sighed and rose to his feet, and as he did, he stared at the starlit horizon that marked his defeat. His clothes were soaked and pressed against his skin. His head was throbbing, but it no longer distorted his tentative grip on reality. Every time he let his mind wander, the salt and blood in his mouth reminded him of his failure.

As he stood on the shore beneath the starlight, Seth realized it was a miracle that he survived; his unconscious body could have easily fallen into the ocean depths. He took a deep breath and spit out the blood in his mouth, but when he moved his gaze to face the north, he saw a single silhouette standing upon the beach. He could tell by the way she stared that she had watched him wash ashore. As he slowly crept closer, Seth noticed that her soft eyes were open wide. She watched the glimmer of dancing starlight and shining moonlight on the ocean behind him. Seth splashed cautiously toward her, worried that her semi-familiar face was not a coincidence.

            “I guess my fears have been confirmed; my sisters are still alive,” the girl whispered.

            Seth heard these words and sighed. He prepared his right hand since Destruction was the only weapon he had left. He was certain that this woman was faking discontent with the sisters of Creation, most likely so that she could finish what they had started. But with no energy left and no friends to support him, Seth relaxed his arm and chose to accept it.

            “Hello, Creation. I suppose… this is the only way this could have ended,” Seth said, staring into the soft eyes of his enemy. He saw a glint of recognition in her gaze.

            “I am not going to kill you; I cannot fathom the idea. I am only here to survey the havoc my sisters have wrought. Naomi did not… intend for me to exist. I am the guardian of what she never knew she had; I am the sister for whom she would never consciously Create a body. I am Arisa, the avatar of Naomi’s conscience. I am the accidental tenth piece of Naomi.”

            “So… you aren’t gonna try to kill me? You aren’t gonna wipe out Destruction? Why are you against your sisters? I don’t understand,” Seth said.

            “Because I am the conscience she never knew she had,” Arisa answered.

            Seth decided to trust her because he really had no other choice. If she were telling the truth, then she was his only hope to ever fight back. And if she were planning to kill him from the start, then he could not do anything about it anyway. Since he had planned to die as soon as he saw her, Seth figured that there would be no ground lost if she killed him. But if she were to help, then at least he still had a glimmer of hope.

            “If you really don’t like the damage they’ve done, then why are you here? Isn’t every passing second an opportunity to stop them?” Seth asked.

            “Because they plan to converge after sunset tonight. They will call Naomi back to this world because they are still weaker in this fragmented form. I learned this when we flew over the field of ashes… before I broke away from them. I want to reappear suddenly during their convergence, so I can lodge myself in Naomi—so I can cripple her at a critical moment from the inside. That is, if you’re willing to fight her again,” Arisa explained, averting her eyes from the sparkling shoreline while Seth considered her proposal.

            “I… I hurt so much. I’ve lost so much. I lost everyone. Truly, I can’t think of a single person I have left. But I know I have to fight, because this is a lot bigger than just me. So let’s go. Let’s do it. I don’t think Felix is gonna join me; he’s either been killed or absorbed. It’s a miracle that your sisters didn’t absorb me as well,” Seth muttered, recalling Zheng’s fate.

            Arisa nodded and said, “We still have some time before the convergence. Do you have anywhere you’d like to go first? I don’t think there’s much sense in preparing a battlefield against Naomi.”

            “You’re sure as hell right about that. Any fight against her seems to be on her terms. But I do have one thing I gotta do. Felix left his dog by the mountains, and I’m worried about it, even though Felix said it would be fine on its own. It’s just that I would feel a lot more comfortable if I retrieved the dog and brought it with me. At least for now,” Seth explained.

            “That’s really sweet,” Arisa said while averting her eyes, though they lit up every time he mentioned the dog.

            “Problem is, I have no ride… again. No phone, no shoes. And I don’t think any taxis are driving around this time of night,” Seth said.

            Arisa said nothing. She walked slowly across the starlit sand until she reached a long street that ran parallel to the ocean. She held herself firmly and concentrated on the empty space before her. A slick, bright cherry-red, Ferrari California Convertible materialized on the road shoulder. Seth’s jaw completely dropped.

 

            “Holy shit! Wow! I totally forgot you could do that! This’s incredible! Can I drive it?” Seth raved as he jumped over the door and landed in the driver’s seat.

            “Yes, please do… just Creating that much took a lot out of me,” Arisa panted, collapsing into the passenger seat.

            While Arisa fought to catch her breath, Seth put the key in the ignition and twisted it. As soon as the engine started, bright blue headlights unleashed a crystalline ray along the beachside street. Seth shifted the car into drive, pulled his right foot onto the gas pedal, and then pushed the car into motion. They turned at the next intersection and then shot away from the coast, heading due east until Seth found a street that he recognized.

With every streetlight and city block he passed, Seth noticed some changes in the girl sitting beside him. Her breathing slowed to a more relaxed state as she gently fell asleep, but the more he looked at her, the easier it was to tell that she had come from Naomi. After all, they both had long, beautiful hair. Although not identical, the structures of their faces were clearly similar. They both had an impressively large chest. As she sat with her eyes closed and her lungs fighting for breath, Seth found it hard to concentrate on the road ahead because she was so gorgeous.

            “I’m sorry to wake you, but why did it wipe you out to Create this car? Whenever Naomi would Create anything, matter or energy, she would only get a little tired,” Seth said.

            “I only have the powers… of just one-ninth of Naomi’s Creation… so the amount of energy I spend… whenever I use Creation… is much more draining. I suspect that all of us… all of us sisters… have specializations with the Creation power… that are designed to reflect… the piece of Naomi… that we represent…. For example, since I am her conscience… a part that she’s probably tried to kill… a million times in her life… I am better with regeneration… so Creating a heavy piece of machinery like this… knocked me out. I just hope you don’t need… me to Create anything else… though I would be willing to try,” Arisa whispered between breaths, weakly smiling as she tried to explain.

            “That’s good to know, but you don’t have to Create anything. You didn’t even have to Create this car, so thank you. I hope you get your breath back soon.”

 

            But because Seth was distracted by the girl sitting beside him, he drove through a red light; this caused another car to slam on its brakes and honk. Under normal circumstances, Seth would have been too embarrassed to keep driving, but instead he and Arisa laughed at his disregard. After minutes of racing along at a speed that dwarfed the limit, Seth saw a familiar street name on a nearby road sign. It was the same road that the taxi driver had taken to reach the mountains.

            “You know, it’s probably not safe to drive this fast,” Arisa laughed.

            “Maybe! But it’s a crime to have a car like this and not drive fast! Besides, if we were any slower, I couldn’t watch your hair fly in the wind!” Seth said with an entertained smile.

            “It does feel pretty good. It’s funny because I can… kind of fly, but this still feels so much better,” Arisa replied.

            The red tip of the morning sun finally pierced the edge of the eastern horizon. But because Seth raced so quickly toward the Cuyamaca Mountains, the sun once again became hidden behind them. After this, the moon and the stars were the only lights illuminating the road. Arisa slid over in her seat and placed a small fraction of her weight on Seth’s arm. He smiled when he felt her warm touch on his arm. It offset the cool autumn temperatures that surrounded the vehicle.

            As they drove, the foot of the nearest mountain finally became distinct from the hills that scattered the horizon. After several more minutes, Seth saw the dirt road that led to the cavern where he had met Felix and Zheng. He coasted along the dirt road until the car arrived at the cave entrance. Seth shifted the car into park and pulled the key out of the ignition.

            “Skipper! Are you here?” Seth shouted into the cave.

            The golden retriever quickly emerged from the cave in an enthusiastic sprint, bouncing its long hair with every step. It ran up to Seth and Arisa with its tongue hanging out and its tail wagging. It friendlily licked Arisa’s hand. Her face immediately transformed into a warm smile, so she stepped out of the convertible and crouched to pet the friendly animal.

            “What a lovely dog,” Arisa said.

            “Skipper, you’re gonna come with us. I’m terribly sorry to tell you: I got no idea what happened to your owner…. I hope he’s alright. If he was lost in the way I think he was, well, there’s a chance I can get him back. At least, I hope so,” Seth told the animal, but he glanced over to Arisa as if to state a request.

            “I’ll do my best to help stop her, I promise,” Arisa said, scratching the head of the now-somber canine.

            When Seth opened the door to the backseat, Skipper climbed into the car. Seth and Arisa then took their seats in the front, although the dog nervously poked his head between them. Skipper seemed to understand on some level that his owner would not be coming home. However, the dog postponed its sadness after the car started its engine. Skipper lifted his head into the wind as Seth drove along the bumpy dirt road. Once they got back to the long road that ran toward the city, Seth accelerated the car even faster.

            “Where are we going now? Is there anything else you have to do?” Arisa asked, speaking slowly. She was clearly distracted by the beauty of the autumn trees as the rising sunlight brought life to the leaves.

            As he scratched the back of his head, Seth confessed, “I have another stop to make. You see, uh, a friend of mine was badly injured in that underground fight. I want to visit him again before our next fight.”

            “That’s so sweet. Is there any chance he can join us?”

            “I’m afraid not. He’s in a coma that the doctors say is irreversible. They think his body’s in a vegetative state, and his brain might even be damaged. As far as we can tell, he can’t even process his surroundings. I know he doesn’t blame me for this, but he should because it’s definitely my fault. I’ve lost everyone trying to stop Naomi,” said Seth, mumbling to cover his breaking voice.

            Arisa gently placed her hand on his wrist. As they started to approach the city, Seth noticed an increasing number of houses. Before long, the trees were replaced by urban eyesores. When they crossed into the city itself, the air smelled stale and putrid. They saw construction sites on both sides of the road. Even at this early hour, construction workers hammered away at metal poles and wooden frames; supervisors sleepily watched over them.

            A deafening roar sounded from behind the car on the left side, startling the dog and causing Arisa to throw her hand upon Seth’s. He gripped it tightly, taking his foot off the accelerator and turning his head over his shoulder. He watched an old structure collapse into the orange sand after being struck by a wrecking ball. Skipper soon settled down, allowing his tongue to fall from his mouth and into the wind. When Seth continued driving, he felt Arisa’s rapid heartbeat through her hand, but her face looked relaxed. She looked happy. Her palm and the bumps and ridges thereon felt comfortable in his hand.

            “It’s almost like you’re completely untouched by fear,” Arisa remarked.

            “What…? No, I don’t think that’s true at all. I think I only seem that way because I don’t have anything left to lose. The truth is that before all this, before I got my power and before things got so crazy, fear kinda stopped me from doing anything with myself. I was just sorta treading water. I wanted to be a coach, but I was afraid it’d mean giving up on my own dreams. I wanted to be a trainer at least, but I was afraid I’d get someone hurt. I’m afraid to die, I’m afraid to feel pain, and since you’re all I have, I’m afraid to lose you. I just think that there’s more important things in the world than what Seth Freeman is afraid of. It’s kind of like I’m living in the twilight—living between the life I want and what I know I have to do. It’s… odd. I’m a lot different than I used to be.”

            “Hmm. A vague canvas is a safe way to live, but I know it can be hard at the same time. What are you feeling right now?” Arisa asked.

            Seth explained, “I’m sure this sounds silly, but I’ll just say it anyway. I’ve always kinda thought of my mind as a swirling storm. The only options are to either be a puppet to every situation, or to become like a melting pot, to allow everything to just kinda seep together inside my head. I’m sure that makes no sense, sorry. I think it’s kinda always been this way. But beneath the surface of this melting pot, there’s something that makes me want to do the right thing. Even if it doesn’t always work out the way I want. There’s something buried in here, something I cannot at this point recognize. Sometimes it feels like I don’t even really know myself, or that I’m suppressing myself without even knowing it. I guess I just try to convince myself that it doesn’t matter.”

            “Then why are you telling me all this?” she asked.

            “I guess it’s because you’re the only one I have left. Even if it is just for a single day. You are my only link to the outside world from here.”

            Arisa said nothing. Instead, she smiled contentedly, unsure of exactly what to make of Seth’s revelations. But as the car slowed down and approached a large building on the horizon, Seth started to change. His blue eyes still had the same profound look as before, but in them Arisa sensed a growing sadness.

            When the car came closer, Arisa realized that the building was a hospital. The car slowed to a gradual halt as Seth found his way through the busy parking garage. He parked at a strange angle between two other poorly-parked vehicles. After shutting off the engine, he took a deep breath and opened the door. He grimaced when he looked at the pavement, but Arisa giggled and Created a pair of sneakers.

            It was about 7 AM by the time Arisa and Seth reached Phil’s hospital room, though Skipper waited in the car. Seth tried to stifle his tears as Phil lay motionless on the hospital bed. While the doctor had tended to his physical wounds, the damage to his brain and his chances for survival were just as hopeless as before. Arisa sat in a chair in the corner of the room so that she would not disturb Seth’s visit, but he had not said a single word. He stood over Phil’s body for a few minutes in silence before sitting down to rest. After all, it had been over twenty-four hours since his last minute of real sleep.

            His slumber was satisfying, but his dreams were turbid. They carried Seth into various scenarios of recurring anxiety and outright failure. He flashed through many ominous dreams, but in each of them he had the comfort of Phil standing by his side. Because of that, the nightmares were bearable—a welcomed break from reality, even. At least there, the crises felt surmountable. Even in these dreams where he stood downhill from demons, he had hope because Phil was with him. Even in situations where Phil and his knives were useless, his presence alone made it all okay.

            When the time finally came, it took Seth over thirty minutes to wake up. He kept stirring in his sleep, trying to stand up, and then falling asleep again. When he finally woke up and climbed to his feet, Arisa sat beside him with her eyes open. She smiled as Seth started to process where he was.

            “You’re pretty easy on the eyes first thing in the morning. Or… afternoon,” Seth sleepily said.

            “Thank you.”

            “Wait, what…? What was it that I said? I’m sorry,” Seth yawned.

            “Oh, nothing,” Arisa laughed.

            Seth smiled politely in return, but then he walked over to Phil’s bed once again.

            “Well, I’m afraid I gotta get going. Wish me luck, man, this is gonna be one hell of a fight. I really don’t know… if I’ll ever see you again,” Seth said, turning to the door.

            But before he walked through the doorway, Arisa placed her hand on Seth’s shoulder. He turned around and watched as her soft face slowly transformed with realization. In a sudden movement, she pulled Seth back into the hospital room, gave him a sudden embrace, and then ran over to Phil. She tugged on Phil’s shirt for an instant, and then she placed her right hand on his stomach and her left hand on his head.

            An unusual glow illuminated Phil’s body. Seth’s mind fell silent as he remembered that Arisa said that she specialized in regenerative Creation, particularly the kind that Naomi used to recreate herself after taking substantial damage. So since Arisa could recreate herself, it only made sense that she could help regenerate someone else.

            The heart rate monitor registered an acceleration in movement. Another machine emitted several beeps instead of white noise, and Phil’s hands started lifting from his side. His chin slowly rose through the air; his awakening was finalized by the separation of his eyelids and lips.

            “Man, Seth, how you always be gettin’ hoes?” Phil sleepily groaned, pulling his elbows back to support his weight.

            “Phil! You’re awake! Oh my god, it worked!” Seth said.

            “I just healed him, and he calls me a hoe. Great,” Arisa muttered.

            “How’s it been, y’all? I admit it, I missed yo ass like a little bitch, man,” Phil laughed.

            Because of the wailing machines and beeping alarms, a doctor ran into Phil’s hospital room. He quickly assessed Phil’s physical state, although he deliberately avoided interrupting the reunion. The doctor was clearly confused by Phil’s awakening.

            “Man, I missed you so much! I thought I’d never see you again,” Seth said, making no effort to hide the tears surfacing in his eyes.

            “Yeah man, there was all these hoes up there dressed in white and one of ‘em said some shit ‘bout my guardian angel and God and shit, but they left me alone ‘cause I keep tryin’ to get some off them. How you gon’ tell me that my guardian angel ain’t know what to expect, draggin’ my spirit-ass around? It’s a damn shame,” Phil said, shaking his head.

            “Are you serious?” the doctor asked.

            “Hell no, but that’d be some funny-ass shit!” Phil answered with a wide smile.

            Phil stood up and gave Seth a huge embrace until the doctor gently restrained him. Seth and Arisa backed away to give him some space.

            “Don’t be shocked, I’m just doing a necessary physical assessment,” the doctor warned.

            The doctor placed his hands along the wound on Phil’s stomach, and then he lifted the gown to search for lacerations on his chest. However, when the doctor stepped closer, Phil exclaimed and jolted backward.

            “Calm down there, doctor gay-ass, jus’ who do you think you is? How you gon’ tell me it’s jus’ some necessary physical assessment to go grabbin’ me all over, man? Tellin’ my black-ass don’t be shocked, you the one that gon’ get shocked if you go reachin’ in the forbidden zone. Crazy punk-ass probably tryin’ get on my dick, man, what kinda hospital you running? Get yo ass outta here!” Phil exploded.

            Seth and Arisa glanced at each other. Arisa had an expression of horrific surprise, but Seth was doing all he could to hold back laughter.

            “I understand this procedure is uncomfortable, but-”

            “No, let me tell yo ass what’s uncomfortable! Some bony-ass-fingered doctor runnin’ his hands across my titties, man, that’s uncomfortable! I don’t know ‘bout you, but I rather not have another dude feelin’ me up, probably ticklin’ my balls and shit,” Phil shouted.

            Seth watched Arisa’s horror transform into laughter, almost like his laughter was contagious. She doubled over as she tried to suppress it. Seth watched with an amused look as the doctor gave up and exited the room altogether.

            “Let’s get up on outta here, man. All that bein’ unconscious got me hungry,” Phil said, walking out in the hall in clear contempt of hospital procedure.

            “So, this is your best friend?” Arisa asked Seth with a very amused grin.

            “Absolutely, and I wouldn’t have it any other way,” Seth said with a friendly smile.

            “Speaking of Phil, where did he just go…?” Arisa asked when she walked into the hallway.

            “Damn, he’s probably at the hospital’s cafeteria,” Seth groaned, and so he started running with Arisa trailing behind him.

            “Why are you running so fast? I can’t keep up!” Arisa said.

            As Seth quickly approached, he heard Phil yell at a terrified woman behind the cafeteria counter, “What the hell is wrong with you people? You think this some kinda sick joke?! You gon’ get me some damn chicken or pizza or somethin’ right now, or else I’mma put all y’all in the hospital! Or… more in the hospital!”

            Seth sprinted toward Phil to try to do damage control, but he knew from the start that it was hopeless. As soon as he saw his friend, Phil whimpered, “Seth! These punk-ass hospital workers is hidin’ the pizza! Why you ain’t got no pizza? Ain’t never asked for nothin’ else.”

            “I’m sorry, sir. Hospital protocol restricts us from selling potentially unhealthy foods to patients. My hands are tied,” the woman explained.

            “How you gon’ tell me pizza unhealthy? It’s got tomatoes and grains; that shit’s all vegetables! I eat it all day every day! Probably ain’t the smartest ‘cause I got that lactose intolerance and shit, and it still don’t hurt me! What’s real unhealthy is how yo ass tryin’ to starve a brotha just ‘cause he don’t eat what you eat. And I ain’t sayin’ it’s unhealthy for me, I’m sayin’ it’s about to be unhealthy for you if I get past that damn counter!”

            Two large security guards suddenly burst through the cafeteria doors and ran toward Phil.

            “Should we do something?” Arisa asked.

            “No. Worst case scenario, Phil gets tossed out. Not a big deal; it’s happened a thousand times before,” Seth laughed.

            Turning his attention toward Arisa, still completely unaware that two guards were now approaching, Phil said, “Hey girl, I don’t know if Seth went and tried to make a move yet, but we gon’ talk after I find me some food.”

            “Sir, you gonna have to leave,” one of the guards said with a deep voice, grabbing Phil by the arms.

            “No, man, hear me out! I can tell you a lover of good food jus’ like me, so we gotta watch out for each other! I saw they ain’t stockin’ any chicken or even pizza up in here, and it’d be real bad if me and you couldn’t eat,” Phil explained as the security guard dragged him toward the entrance.

            Seth, Arisa, and the other security guard followed closely behind, listening to Phil spew a flurry of profanity at the unamused security guard. The other guard, however, laughed and not-so-subtly recorded Phil’s tirade with his phone. After they emerged from the hospital, the security guard tossed Phil onto the sidewalk and stepped back inside. The other security guard waited by the door as Seth and Arisa followed their friend.

            “Pretty sure we’re not allowed to throw out hospital patients, but your friend clearly doesn’t give a fuck,” the other security guard laughed, stepping back inside.

            Phil stood up and looked around the area with wide eyes. He took a deep breath and sighed as he finally started to relax. But before he could start walking anywhere, Arisa suddenly dropped to the ground in a crouching position. As she faced the sinking sun, her eyes opened wide, and her fingertips dug into the concrete.

            “I think the ceremony’s starting soon,” she whispered, and then she jumped upright. Arisa then took off running toward the parking garage.

            Seth realized that the sun was close to setting. With only a half-hour left until sunset, he had to get Arisa to the beach with enough time to interrupt her sisters’ plan. Therefore, he sprinted toward the parking garage, and though Phil was confused, he followed his friend while holding up his gown.

            “Yo, Seth, where we goin’? What she talkin’ about?” Phil shouted as he ran.

            “We’re running to our car! Arisa needs to get back to shore! Long story short, Naomi split into nine pieces, well ten, but she made Arisa by mistake. The nine pieces are gonna converge, and Arisa’s gotta be there when it happens! Take her down from the inside,” Seth shouted, confusing a bystander who was caught in the verbal crossfire.

            Phil nodded and ran toward the parking lot, although he did not know which car they were running to. When he saw Seth and Arisa sprinting over to the Ferrari, his face transformed with total excitement.

            “Now I don’t know who you think you is, but if this car is here ‘cause of you, then you my new favorite person! Seth can go to hell,” Phil said to Arisa as he jumped into the driver’s seat.

            “Well, thank you, but I’m not really able to Create another… so I want Seth to drive,” Arisa sheepishly replied.

            “You want him to… maaaan… I knew it. I knew even before Seth told me! I knew you lookin’ jus’ like Naomi wasn’t no coincidence! I was all like, hot as hell and Japanese too, there ain’t no way she ain’t related! Bitch, how you gon’ tell me I can’t drive? The only reason you see us bein’ pulled over all the time is ‘cause the police is racist! Still better than an Asian driver, anyway,” Phil said.

            “Please stop calling me a bitch,” Arisa groaned.

            “You right, you right. Pops is always gettin’ on me for using that language. It’s a damn shame, but I’m gon’ work on it just for you. Until I get it fixed, I’m jus’ gon’ call you, ‘Hey you with the big-ass titties,’ how’s that? Or maybe I’ll just call you, ‘That girl that look like that other girl but made a great-ass car I ain’t even allowed to drive,’ or some shit.”

            “Phil, your mom took away your car just last year for challenging a policeman to a race after you crashed into mailboxes. Multiple mailboxes. so maybe you shouldn’t drive,” Seth said, interrupting Phil’s feud with Arisa.

            Phil laughed and said, “…You a hater. Besides, I don’t wanna be runnin’ all around town in this breezy-ass hospital gown, showin’ off my ass to everybody. My boys is gonna think I’m workin’ the streets or some shit; it’s a damn shame. Can you make me clothes? Make sure the shorts is real stretchy ‘cause my dick shredded my last pair, y’know?”

            Arisa sighed, lifted her right hand, and Created a jacket and a pair of shorts. While she intended to make more, she had exhausted herself from sprinting, so she chose to conserve her energy. She simply mumbled her annoyance, but Phil thanked her profusely. He then laughed and climbed into the backseat with Felix’s dog.

            “Ain’t this dog belong to that Mexican dude who tried fryin’ our asses? Why we got this? We holdin’ him hostage?” Phil shouted as Seth and Arisa climbed into the vehicle.

            “Well, it’s a bit of a long story… but I’ll tell you on the way,” Seth said, backing out of the parking space.