Chapter 72: Revelation

 

(Aden's P.O.V)

"Vandal Savage." I spat out the words. The Mastermind behind all the shit happening in the Young Justice timeline. Atleast anything associated with The Light, that is. He was a merciless, power hungry mad man with intellect to match his ruthless nature.

Savage spared me a glance then dismissed me just as quick. It stung. I comforted myself that soon that dismissal would turn to despair as I became the Light's worst nightmare. I was not going to let their selfish agenda for power claim innocent lives if I could help it. Personally, I just looked forward to smashing his face in.

"Oh, seems like you're more popular these days as opposed to last time, Savage. Even the younger generation knows you."
Lucifer chuckled in mirth while curiously studying Savage. The other man made no comment. I got the feeling that he was desperately trying to come up with a plan to account for Lucifer's presence.

Lucifer got up in a flourish and turned to Maze.

"Maze dear, why don't you show the boy around while I entertain our newest guest."

I was about the refuse but the look on his face brokered no room for argument. Fuck. I wanted to stay and listen. To learn how the King of Hell knew Vandal Savage.

Maze patted my shoulder and addressed me,

"Come on kid. I got better shit to do so lets get this done with."

I sighed and spared one final look at Tommy, standing beside Savage. Something was going on and I hated not having all the answers. I complied to Maze's request and followed her out of the room. The way she stalked the hallway in ager however, comforted me that I wasn't the only one annoyed at being left out.

Luckily...I threw a critical look at the sexy Lilim walking infront of me and smiled... maybe I could get my answers to some of the questions that had been bothering me. Maze was probably the closest person to Lucifer. If anyone knew what he was planning for me...then it would definitely be her.

(General P.O.V)

Vandal's face was set in stone. Serious. Fully aware of what and who he was was dealing with. His memories took him back to the past, where he had first encountered this being. It was in Nazareth during the crucifixion of Christ, the son of God. Vandal had been chasing a way to gain more power for the eventual clash with Klarion once more. The Lord of Chaos had already been the cause of the sinking of Atlantis and the battle between Babylon and the creature Starro. Two kingdoms…no empires, that Vandal had largely built with his own two hands. At this point it was inevitable that the Witch boy, Chaos incarnate would be back.

Savage wanted payback. And so he had journeyed from Mesopotamia to Israel, following rumors of the presence of a prophet, the first true one in a while. Others touted him as the son of God and Savage was intrigued. Could this prophet be similar to him and his spawn? Could they have access to strange abilities granted to them through triumph over adversity just like his own rebirth? Or were they the same as the Witch boy, an elemental and fundamental aspect of all that is. Savage had had no idea. Just a hope.

A hope that had been ruthlessly destroyed when he came upon the crucified body of the one they called, The Son of god. And Savage had been disheartened and disappointed.
"What is the use of your power if you cannot save yourself?"
He had muttered blasphemously, standing on a hill overlooking the three crosses. The weather that had been grey, violent and oppressive had instantly stilled for him. Time had stopped on that hill and Vandal had found everything frozen, unmoving. Even the droplets of rain falling down onto the ground had similarly stalled in midair.

Savage had briefly thought it was Klarion. But then, the lack of chaos following the action, banished that reasoning. The Witch boy would revel in the death of everyone present first and foremost. Such were his ways. Then Vandal had briefly entertained the thought of it being the man who was crucified. Looking at his awful state however, Vandal understood that even that was incorrect.

He blinked and beside him, a figure stood gazing down at the proceedings. Vandal had been momentarily shaken to his core by the aura exuded by this…being. The being was draped in a white robe that hid his sculpted physique, shining an iridescent light, with two shining, white wings connected to his back. He was hovering an inch above the ground while the wings gently flapped in the air.

The wings disappeared into wisps of glowing flakes, leaving behind a shimmer in the air. The godly man gently stepped foot on the ground. Vandal took a few steps backwards, eyes wide at the impossibility of such a perfect being existing. It went contrary to all that nature was. To all that he knew and had seen. He wondered what could have created such perfection. For that is what this new stranger was. Perfect.

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"Bear witness to this absolute point in human history. The divergence of beliefs. The originality of passive violence. Where men will stop using swords to fight their battles but instead opt for words, lies and deception. Where that which was given freely will be tainted by the selfishness that is inherent in all of you. His precious children. The ones he puts before everything else. Before us. Before...my brothers and...I."
The god's voice, for that is what Vandal thought he was, was unlike anything he had ever heard before. It was enchanting, sad yet fulfilled. Content with his toll. And heavy, very heavy.

Vandal briefly wondered what this entity had seen. Was it as much as he had? The rise and fall of humanity. death and life. Hate and love. shifting paradigms that had forced him to understand that nothing ever lasts yet everything was stuck in a cycle. A cycle that demanded humanity to adapt or disappear into the obscurity of the past. Just ruins with no discernible origin and bones with no history.

There was no fighting him. No reasoning with him. No convincing him. For the first time, the immortal man, The first metahuman was completely and utterly stumped.

"What are you?"

Vandal finally found his voice, directing his question to the handsome man. The man had smiled mysteriously, although the action packed any cheerful emotion. Savage could read that at least. A feeling of comfort came upon him. This proved the stranger was not at all alien. They could emote. Meaning Vandal could understand what they were and learn to live with them just as he had adapted to Klarion.

"That does not matter. For the sake of this conversation going smoothly however, call me Lucifer." The now named stranger turned his attention fully to stare at Vandal. Vandal gulped yet again. This presence...was overbearing. The light was too much! He took another step back and stopped. Anymore and he would fall off the edge of the cliff. Vandal contemplated, doing so and getting his body broken just to escape this...thing.

"You are different from your kind Vandal Savage. Something sets you apart. I can feel how old your soul is. It's quality. A sum of all your memories, knowledge and reasoning. Valuable."

Vandal got the impression that despite the complimentary nature of the statement, Lucifer was disgusted by him. Anger bloomed inside him. Just like Klarion, this figure sought to dominate him as well. To disrespect and disregard him. Typical.

"In all the important ways however, you are still the same. Arrogant, prideful, set in your ways, merciless to your own kind despite the bountiful nature of creation. You have lived for so long yet have nothing to show for it. Nothing to show for the greatest GIFT of all. Freedom. Free will. The ability to cast away choices given to you and make your own path. To escape the chains biding the rest. It's frankly insulting."

Lucifer's face had changed at that. A feeling of melancholy washed over him. Over his face.

"I will not ruin this day by unmaking you, human but I promise you this...the next time we meet will be your end."

Vandal's heart had skipped. His mind in disarray as he thought of the unfairness of it all. He remembered the same situation happening 10 millenia ago with Klarion. Rage unlike anything he had ever felt before set his face in a grimace. He hated being a pawn!

He would not be a pawn any longer! He turned to address the being and found himself alone in the hill once again. Staring down at the masses as the son of god was dying. That gave him pause. His anger while still burning inside him, gave him the clarity to go over Lucifer's words. He had said that Vandal had had access to the greatest gift of all. Freedom. Free will. The ability to cast away the given choices and make his own path. To escape the chains biding the rest.

The rest like...Klarion. It all made sense now. A revelation had been made to him. The perfect example of that revelation happening infront of his eyes. Despite the son of god possessing untold power, he was bound by fate to his own duty. He wasn't free. Not really. Despite Klarion having the capability to bring massive destruction and do what he wanted, he was bound to his inherent fundamental alignment, chaos. That would influence his every move. His every action. That meant he was also not free. Not really.

And even Lucifer, the way he had spoken to Savage told him that he coveted that same spark of freedom. To exist solely for himself without being bound by anyone or anything. So Vandal stayed on that hill for 100 days, going over every one of Lucifer's words until he finally understood it all.

He had risen up, with a new found power. The power of revelation. All these beings were bound by something. It was all a matter of strategically finding out what it was and exploiting it. Vandal Savage would never be the same again. That brief talk with the second strongest being in all of existence had changed him.

 

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