Chapter 20 = The Woodsman
The Narrator:
Chapter 20 = The Woodsman…We find ourselves back in New Alexandria on Earth #8193, in the year 1982 A.D., as our attention is whisked away to the Turing Estate in the Pallisades, located in the richest part of the Sprawling Gardens. Here we find our dear Oskar Turning and his wife Artair M. Davies-Turing tucked snuggly in bed, their bodies entwined lovingly.
Artair M. Davies-Turing:
"Not that I don't enjoy wandering passionate hands on all my pleasure places, my dear Oskar, but you're not fooling anyone. We both know your attempts to mask your feelings have never really worked on me… I see the simmering tension in your eyes, and I feel the subtle trepidation in your touch.
Let me guess… strange emotions having Anya back in your life… our lives after so long?... Her returning from the dead with her new vendetta… her new crusade against evil to which we have tethered ourselves. Not to mention marrying Emma before even taking time to settle back into things here."
Oskar Turing:
"It's not fair how you can see right through me… but, yes. I mean, obviously, I'm so glad she's not dead, she's my best friend… Of course, I'm happy for her and Emma, and the crusade she is on is more than just… I'm all for it but…"
Artair M. Davies-Turing:
"You still love her… you'll always love her, and you don't want to make things awkward with them or risk hurting me… sound about right, my Osky Wasky?"
The Narrator:
Oskar averts his gaze as he nods and exhales in awkward shame.
Artair M. Davies-Turing:
"Well, let me put your mind at ease. I figured that's what's been wrong with you lately, and I already discussed it with them, and they both agree that you should stop worrying your adorable, golden-haired head about it. They know everything you are feeling, and it is fine, so stop worrying about making things awkward with them.
Now, as for the hurting me part… There is no need to dig up the worst night of our lives, but needless to say, I accepted your undying love for Anya long ago, and you know what? I still chose you… And I will always choose you. I don't regret it… I love you more than anything, and nothing can or will ever change that… So seriously stop this typical sad shtick of yours and fuck me so good I can't walk tomorrow, afterall… I already took the day off tomorrow in anticipation." (naughty seductive tone)
The Narrator:
Oskar spends the next few hours railing Artair into the mattress until she passes out from pleasure and exhaustion. Oskar tosses and turns, trying to join his lover in the nocturnal bliss of dream, but the sandman withholds his blessing. Unable to sleep, Oskar makes his way deep into the lower catacombs of his family estate, to the room of his ultimate salvation and his greatest guilt. As he reaches the metallic rune-adorned door, his parents' deathly screams flood his mind.
Oskar Turing:
"Stop it… please stop… I'm so sorry. I do not come for forgiveness or peace… I just need to feel close to you both for a moment… please." [soft, sad tone made from a mixture of grief and desperate need]
The Narrator:
His pleas bring sacred silence to his parents' phantom screams as he takes a deep breath and steps into the tomb-like ceremonial room, shutting the door behind him. He ghosts his hand mournfully over the sacrificial altars where his parents met their brutal… agonising end. His hands tremble as his finger tips gently trace over the crimson stains of their blood… blood willingly sacrificed so their child… so he could live a normal life. Tears fall, and his heart sobs as he remembers the immense pain burning in their eyes as they looked at him one last time. His spine tightens and squirms as the serpent of terror coils around it, as he remembers what came next… something unexpected… something horrific. He remembers his parents' bodies suddenly jerking back to life… savage and filled with homicidal bloodlust.
Thinking fast, Nathaniel rips open a portal and banishes Mr. and Mrs. Turing into the deep, dark vast of the multiverse. A shard of Oskar's heart, his soul was stripped from him in that moment as the creatures that were once his parents were taken from him. A shard he can never get back… deep down, he knows he will never be whole again.
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Narrator
Six Years Later… 1988… The glaring silver light of the full moon shines down upon the derelict attractions and leering shadows that litter the abandoned Lower-East Wharf. To some, a place of long-faded pleasant memories and to others, a Sodom by the sea of long-passed decadence and debauchery. Surrendering itself to the slow rot of time and the governance of rats. A ghostly memorial to the city's younger days.
Ravollo's Playhouse rises out from the decayed and grim epicentre. A place whose sins brought the searing wrath of God to Earth that fateful night. The wicked heart of darkness around which the rest of the Lower-East Fun-Land once revolved. A ruined palace of avarice and carnality whose cleansing death by fire sealed the fate of the Lower-East Wharf in blood and tragedy. The harbinger of pain and despair that would soon come to dominate life for the citizens of New-Alexandria over the following years. Perched atop the Ravollo-Playhouse lurk two figures peering down through the skylight at the scene unfolding inside.
Commissioner Liza Eldrin
"Knight-Raven, come in! Knight-Raven! Do you copy?"
Anya Lothrin/Knight-Raven
"I'm here, Commissioner! Dues-Excess and I have eyes on the Woodsman,"
Narrator
Replies Knight-Raven through her suit's Sat-Comm System whilst using the suit's Scanning-Systems to check the skylight for any traps or alarms.
Commissioner Liza Eldrin
"And my son?"
Narrator
Presses Commissioner Liza Eldrin, trying to maintain her composure.
Oskar Turing/Dues-Excess
"Dax is here, and according to my suit's med-scans, he is unharmed. Any luck disarming the bombs?"
Narrator
Interjects Dues-Excess as Knight-Raven takes a moment to ready herself for the battle about to take place.
Commissioner Liza Eldrin
"Bomb squads have already located 6 of the 7 bombs, but we can't find the last one, and there are only 10 minutes left until the deadline. We need the location of the last bomb!"
Narrator
Explains Commissioner Liza.
Anya Lothrin/Knight-Raven
"No worries, Dues-Excess will free Dax while I go ask the Woodsman where he hid the last bomb,"
Narrator
Responds, Knight-Raven supportively.
Commissioner Liza Eldrin
"Save my boy and get the location of the last bomb STAT! The clock is ticking!"
Narrator
Presses Commissioner Liza Eldrin before closing the call.
Anya Lothrin/Knight-Raven
"You ready?"
Narrator
Knight-Raven inquires as she places her hand on Dues-Excess's shoulder for a moment before turning her focus to stealthily opening the skylight of the playhouse.
Oskar Turig/Dues-Excess
"Always. I've got the boy. You just keep the Woodsman busy!"
Narrator
Responds Dues-Excess as Knight-Raven nods. The two slip into the building, swift and silent, before parting ways to carry out their plan.
John Doe/The Woodsman
"About time! I was expecting you much sooner. Oh, and there really is no need to 'distract me.' Your friend is welcome to free the boy and get him out of here. After all, this moment is what really matters. I have been dying to meet you."
Narrator
Proclaims the Woodsman as Knight-Raven comes to a graceful landing within the dark shadows behind him.
Anya Lothrin/Knight-Raven
"What makes me so lucky?"
Narrator
Asks Knight-Raven, stepping from the shadows and entering a fighting stance.
John Doe/The Woodsman
"Oh, the secrets of the hows and whys belong to my master. I am merely an instrument of her will. A weapon to be wielded at her discretion against whom she wills and in this moment, at this juncture of eternity, that means you."
Narrator
Responds the Woodsman, turning to face his opponent as he offers a slight but respectful bow.
Anya Lothrin/Knight-Raven
"I'm honored."
Narrator
Muses Knight-Raven sarcastically as she utilises her suit's Med-Scanners to analyse the Woodsman for any potential weaknesses.
John Doe/The Woodsman
"You should be. The Witch-Queen of Hearts chooses my targets with great care. You must be truly special indeed."
Narrator
Responds the Woodsman, readying his fearsome battle ax.
Oskar Turing/Dues-Excess
"I've freed Dax! I'll be back after I get him to safety!"
Narrator
Chimes in Dues-Excess through the Sat-Comm Link between his suit and the Knight-Raven's.
Anya Lothrin/Knight-Raven
"Copy that. Make it fast,"
John Doe/The Woodsman
"Shall we begin?"
Narrator
Responds the Woodsman with an excited grin. Knight-Raven moves first, leaping backwards to increase the distance between her and her foe as she unleashes a powerful high-speed volley of razor-sharp Raven-Blades. The smart-blades speed towards their target only to be deflected and disabled by several blocking-slashes from the Woodsman's ax.
Anya Lothrin/Knight-Raven
He's fast, I'll need to handle him more carefully than I thought.
Narrator
The Woodsman counters, evaporating into a churning plume of shimmering purple mist and streaking at Knight-Raven. She tries to dodge to the side, but the mist closes in on her as the Woodsman resolidifies with a bone-shattering upper-cut into Knight-Raven's ribs. Waves of pain wash over her from the point of impact. Growling with pain, Knight-Raven lets loose a potent plume of Paralysation-Gas from her right gauntlet. The gas spews directly into the Woodsman's face, with only his mask between him and the gas. The Woodsman throws Knight-Raven several feet, putting some distance between them. He snarls, trying to shake the effects of the gas from his brain.
Anya Lothrin/Knight-Raven
How is he still moving at all… no… no time to worry about that now.
Narrator
The Woodsman writhes and flails, trying to resist the muscle-deadening numbness flooding his system as Knight-Raven unleashes a devastating Impact-Blast Square in the Woodsman's chest. The blast knocks the Woodsman back several feet and sends his ax flying out of his reach as Knight-Raven presses the attack. She unleashes two bone-cracking uppercuts into the Woodsman's ribs. Eager to finish the fight quickly, she follows up with a devastating right hook to the Woodsman's face… only to have the monstrous brute of a man catch her fist at the last moment.
John Doe/The Woodsman
"Very good. I'm Impressed. This has been fun, but it seems our time is up… Until next time, Knight-Raven."
Narrator
Suddenly, a massive thundering boom erupts from beneath their feet, turning the world to darkness.
*****Three--Days--Later*****
(The Lothrin Estate, the Palisades, New-Alexandria, 1988 A.D.)
Anya Lothrin
"Ugh…shit! Ohh, my head… What the fuck happened? I feel like I got skull-fucked by a Terra-Smasher!"
Narrator
Moans, Knight-Raven weakly as her mind slowly returns to the world of the living.
Oskar Turing
"Yeah, a two-thousand-pound C4 explosion right below your feet will do that. Worse, actually. If not for your suit's excellent defences and my quick and decisive action, you, my dearest Anya, would be dead…. Whiskey?"
Narrator
Muses Dues-Excess as he strides over to Anya, pouring some whiskey into a glass and handing it to her.
Anya Lothrin
"Oh, fuck-fuck-fuck… That hurts!"
Narrator
Snarls Anya through gritted teeth as her damaged body punishes her for trying to sit up more in the bed. She takes the glass from Dues-Excess's hand and downs it in one swig. Oskar takes the now-empty glass from Anya and places it on the nearby bedside table before gently forcing his injured friend to lie back down.
Oskar Turing
"Now… Just lie back and rest. You sustained four cracked ribs, multiple fractures in your left arm and right leg, an acute concussion, and a cracked collarbone. Needless to say, you are not going anywhere anytime soon"
Narrator
Anya nods, too weak to argue.
Oskar Turing/Dues-Excess
"Emma is already preparing your supper, and she has been instructed to make sure you stay put in this nice cozy bed so that your body can heal. Consider yourself on vacation. I have already reached out to our friend Anko, and she has agreed to pick up some of your patrols while I cover the rest of your nightly crime-fighting duties for a while."
Anya Lothrin
"Thank you, Oskar. Where would I be without you?"
Oskar Turing
"Six feet under, I suspect."
Narrator
Chuckles Oskar as he briefly strokes Anya's cheek before standing up and making his way over to the door.
Oskar Turing
"Now, if you need anything… Anything at all. You or Emma can just give me a call. Day or night, I'll be there."
Narrator
Explains Oskar as Anya nods sleepily. Oskar leaves the room with one last warm smile at Anya. Anya relaxes softly back into the gentle embrace of her heavenly-soft bed, allowing sleep to take her once more.