Accidents Made Right 1: Pistanthrophobia

17 years before The Split

Swirling blades lowered a metal box onto a platform, connected to a police station disguised as the barracks for our troops.

Almost immediately after we were landed, I yanked open the doors and stepped out, before walking away.

“S-Steve… where are you g-going?”

“Does it matter?” Isabelle asked.

Ignoring her… and Rowan, I walked to the door, and went inside. I went all the way back to my room, each step seeming to lengthen the time it took to get there.

Once I was finally in my room, I tore off the only remaining parts of my suit, and plopped onto the bed.

With a long, hefty sigh, I said “I wish I died there.”

…

Why?

“If I can’t even beat Alexander on my own… how will I possibly honor my parents memory?”

Who says killing Robert will do that?

“I don’t know what else they could possibly want.”

…

There’s one idea…

Instinctually, I looked at the dresser. At a specific, barely closed drawer.

Without thinking, I stood up, walked over, and pulled the drawer out, showing a red rose.

I began to well up with tears, having to be reminded of that day… why was it so bad a day? Even my parents dying didn’t feel as heart wrenching as… that.

Maybe I just have a more recent and therefore more painful memory of it?

Tap. Tap. Tap.

I stared at the door, and yelled out “Go. Away.”

The door slid open anyways, and Issac, after a moment, walked in.

I sat up and stared away from him, at the swords dropped chaotically against the dresser, like I had treated them with the utmost disrespect.

Issac sat down next to me, about six inches away. His breathing slowed at an incredibly low pace, meaning he was trying to calm himself.

Honestly… my senses have always been extraordinary, even when compared to people like Rob Freeman. But even so… I could hear someone’s heartbeat from another state. That is just absurd.

“You gonna speak, or just to make things more awkward,” I asked, clearly wanted to be left alone.

Issac’s heartbeat accelerated.

“I… to be honest, Dylan wants me to keep you from this quest for revenge. Yeah, Knightmare needs to die. But…”

I perked up, and stared at Issac perplexed.

“How did you know about Knightmare? Wait… you implying you know he’s Robert too?!”

Issac nodded.

“How?!”

“It’s… complicated. Look…” Issac placed his arm on my shoulder, staring deep into my eyes as his heartbeat raced and his skin trembled.

“I don’t get why you see us as parents, when we’re just replacing your own. But believe me when I tell you… I made a promise to keep you safe. And that’s what I’ll do, no matter what.”

…

“Thanks.”

Issac said nothing.

“And… you’d not have to worry about… making me feel like you’re replacing them. You… I do care about you. The both of you…”

Heh, Pemo chuckled, as I thought about what I’d say next.

“But the only way you’re gonna get rid of these fears is by hugging me for once.”

I outstretched my arms, and Issac slouched back. But then… just when I thought he wasn’t gonna hug me back… he pounced forward, hugging me with the brute force of a grizzly bear.

Wheezing, I yelled out “Okay… jeez! I said hug me, not crush my lungs!”

“Eh, tomato, potato.”

…

“Goddammit. I know you’re supposed to go report to Cooper, but… ugh…”

“Right…” I immediately released the hug, and stood up.

I went to leave, but Issac said abruptly “By the way, one last thing… don’t fuck things up between you and Rowan.”

Without saying anything, I turned back to the door, and walked to the elevator.

A couple minutes later

”OF ALL THE IRRESPONSIBLE… I gave you a simple fucking job. Go unnoticed. And what did you do?! You blew up an entire fucking factory!”

Cooper slammed his fist into the desk, cracking it down the middle with enough force that chunks of wood flew across the room.

“Sir… I had to. Especially since I managed to kill one of his best warriors. Alexander, his son.”

“That won’t fucking matter since the entire fucking news will be on this shit! The shit I’d have to clean up if the news starts making people thing Americans attacked Egyptians…”

Cooper sighed, covering his head with his face and nodding his head disapproved.

“You’re supposed to be the greatest human on the planet. Incredible strength, potential for infinite intelligence, and unrivaled senses. So why would you possibly do something a stupid as that?!”

Cooper turned around, looking out the glass as he tried to figure out what to say next. When he turned back to me… I saw, only for a fraction of a second, a little bit of black hidden behind his suit.

“You know what? Never mind. Please tell me you at least found out where Robert is hiding.”

…

“The Roman Coliseum.”

Sighing, Cooper said “Alright… I guess I can trust your unit with going after him. But you’re not going alone. I’ll send you all to the closest Italy government facility, so you can join their forces to fight him.”

I said nothing.

“You waiting for me to tell when you’re moving out? Okay. You leave tomorrow. You’re dismissed.”

…

“Did you hear me?! Get out of here!”

“You think you’re clever, don’t you… Knightmare?”

Cooper gave a mad laugh, and walked around the desk to meet me face to face.

“It’s always good to know I can never overestimate you. But… before you try to murder this form of mine… consider this.”

“I already know what you’ll say. And yes. I can’t hurt you right now. But at least now I’ll be able to stay ahead of you.”

“Cooper” walked back to the other side of the desk, pulled his chair back, and sat in it.

“Wanna know why I wanted you dead? And before you answer, I honestly don’t know. But deep, deep down… there was this temptation… likely from Fear, or as you call him, Raen. I’ve always figured that temptation has been because you’re, well… a reincarnation of Hope, but… there’s something different about you.”

“Spare me your bullshit lies. You really trying to imply you’ve killed a bunch of us reincarnations before?”

“Actually… no. Haven’t killed a single one yet,” Cooper corrected, swinging around like a child on his thick leather swivel chair.

“But I’ve still spent a few thousand years fighting two specific reincarnations… and that, need, has always been different compared to now.”

…

“Why tell me this? Aren’t we supposed to me enemies?”

Suddenly, with Cooper facing almost directly away from me, the chair stopped.

“Yes. But you’re the smartest person around. Even more so than me. If anyone could figure it out… it’s you.”

I curled my fist, my blood lighting on fire just with the thought of helping my parents’ killer.

“Why would I ever help you?”

Hesitantly, Cooper got from his chair, turned around, and stared me dead in the eyes.

“So… has Rowan told you the power Grim Reapers have over souls, and how they each govern their own universe and all that bullshit empirical crap?”

“Yeah. He told me as much as you told him.”

…

“So… I assume you’ve deduced this universe is mine?”

“It makes sense,” I shrugged.

“Well… there’s something you may not know. Once a person with a soul dies, their soul goes to their Grim Reaper, into a little pocket dimension within that Grim Reaper, allowing for those souls to experience anything they ever wanted to do.”

My eyes widened, since an idea of what he could possibly do manifested itself.

“Every Grim Reaper can temporarily take souls from their pocket dimension to communicate with them. But that’s all the less powerful ones can do. Ones as powerful as me, however… we can make them physical and visible. But it ends up lasting for much less time.”

“Basically, what I’m saying is, even though this contradicts everything I’m trying to do… if you help me figure this out… I’ll let you see your parents. One. Last. Time. I won’t do this again. I may even use what they say to you against you, in whatever ways I can. But I feel this just big enough that I should give you this choice.”

…

“I’ll… I’ll think about it.”

“Don’t think too long… oh, by the way. You won’t have to talk to me as you figure it out. You can just do it yourself, and I’ll have my ways to know if you are.”

Not knowing what to say, I walked out.

I don’t trust him, I told Pemo.

Yeah… me neither. But… he sounded like he meant it.

He’s a psychopath, and a born liar.

You don’t know that…

What’s that supposed to mean?

You’ll find out 100 books later.