Chapter Text
Recommended Music: The Emperor of Man
5 Years Later:
The Entity remained where she was imprisoned, chained in a dark, windowless room, with only one flickering light source. A small electric light in the ceiling was her only companion. Alone, with nobody to turn to, and noone to work with, she sat, silent.
It would've been impossible to understand what her thoughts were before. After all, she wasn't human. But, she now understands why things turned out how they did. She was too rash. To quick to action. She was emotional, and that was her downfall. Her rumination was interrupted as the door to her cell opened, and a familiar face looked down at her.
She smiled, even against her chains. A bitter, sour smile, of pain and torment... as that is the source of all of it for her. "Izuku Midoriya. Come to bask in your victory, yet again?"
He was wearing grand attire. Completely over the top, the garments of royalty. However much time had passed, he still looked young, as if it were the day she was defeated.
His voice was calm, yet cold. They knew where each other stood, at least. "I don't need to. I'm reminded of it everyday. But that's not why I'm here. You mentioned before... other gods? One stronger than you. Is this true?"
"It was something I wish I was lying about." She admitted.
"I see..." She murmured, "Why am I still here?"
"You are still here, because you are a shield." Izuku explained, "While your other half exists, you two will still fight each other. However, I believe you are more..." He knelt down to her level, and stared into her eyes unflinchingly. "...reasonable."
"You took everything from me. Why would I ever help you?" she spat, partially out of hunger. There was little access to food, the emotions to sustain her. It had made the etherial being weak. And she hated weakness.
However... Izuku actually offered an escape from the prison of her own making. "Because I can give you another path. Sure, you used to be a being of torment, but I know what you really want. You feed off hope. Why be a symbol of fear, when you can be a symbol of hope, where your presence inspires it in all who see you? You can gain hope passively, but it will be a hard, arduous process. Would you want to try?" She thought for a moment. It was such a simple solution... but... how could she trust him?
"And you're just... giving this to me?"
He ignored the jab at his nature. After all, he had three chances to kill her, and didn't take a single one. Even with everything she subjected him to, and everything Earth had thrown at him before, he never descended to a killer's level. And his answer cemented that. "I am a believer in second chances. It would be easy to keep you here, especially after all you have done. Especially how you went after my mother and hurt Sadako... But I believe that you could be far more useful if given purpose, like you gave Adiris purpose."
She didn't have a retort to that, so she asked him, "What is with your regalia? That is new."
He smiled. It wasn't a joyous one, but a sardonic, uncaring one. "Ah, you noticed. Well, the world has changed. It turns out that people see me and my knights as heroes. Since I was the one to strike you down, they wanted me to lead, even eventually calling me "Emperor". It's almost reverence on par with religion." He shook his head, clearly displeased, but unable to honestly go against that. He did beat a god. He did wound another. "But that is to be formalized today. Since I'm being given an immense responsibility, including defending against godlike beings, I wanted to ask you more about them. In order to trust you, I need concrete information to work off of on these beings... Celestials. And the one far stronger than you. The Goddess. Mind telling me more?"
"Sure..." She smiled, realizing that this could be a perfect union. Between god and mortal, humanity works best together. And she could become a part of that. Even, potentially, a saint.
And so, she told him everything.
Danny Johnson was nervous. He had to place his trust in the two least trustworthy people. Jules Kostenko and Frank Morrison... while they had held out as the longest of the killers who did not betray the Entity, they had drawn attention to themselves, and now the world's Knights were after them. They couldn't stay here for much longer.
His hunch was proven right when he saw the armored individuals surround the premises. They had guns raised, and there were both women and men there. He called down to them as he ran downstairs. "Shit! We have to go! They're here!"
However, the Knights stayed still, waiting for something to happen. Something... and then the door broke down. Rushing downstairs, he found two of the "Knights". One man, one woman. Their armor was heavily customized, with the woman's being many colors, without a helmet. She had pink hair and a determined expression. The woman said, "Leave these two to me. Go for the other."
The man nodded, in his grey and gold armor, before turning to Danny, starting the chase, and withdrawing a mace.
So, Danny ran out, going through the back door, through the thicket that the Knights hadn't defended, and continued to run... until a tomahawk was embedded into his leg. Falling to the ground, he found that there was a girl in a white mask, with black hair. "Sh... it'll be over soon..." Behind her was the alternate head of the Entity, the Operator, otherwise known as the Slenderman.
"Let me come with you! I can be useful!"
She tilted her head, and static burst into their ears. "He doesn't see it that way. Goodbye." She struck him in the head with a tomahawk, then left, taken. Only leaving a black rose on the scene.
Suzie Lavoie knew this was a long day coming. Joey had given up, but not Frank and Jules. Seeing them hiding in this run down shack disappointed her. She had grown strong through new friends, and yet, they didn't change. The fog was gone. The Entity was gone.
She gave an ultimatum. "Frank Morrison and Jules Franchesco. This is your final time to give up. I'll be forced to take kill you if you do not comply by order of the Emperor of Man."
Jules spat, "Of course you were too weak to stay loyal."
Suzie sighed, "Jules... it wasn't about loyalty. It was about choosing a side. The Entity is gone. We can work out a new life for you if you just surrender."
"We loved our work." Jules spoke, speaking for the two of them. Frank nodded, not saying a word.
"But that job is gone. Times change. Please don't make me do this."
But... Jules and Frank didn't give a choice. They both tried to attack at once, and found that she was much, much stronger than before. She killed them both quickly, decapitating them with her sword in one quick blow. The other Knight came back. "What happened?"
"The Rose got to him first." he handed her proof.
"Damn it. Well, we'll report this to the Emperor. C'mon Steve. Let's go home."
Then he nodded, taking off his helmet, and they left, hand in hand.
After Izuku left the cell, he considered everything he'd learnt. Other godlike beings existed, and the worst of them, the "Pale Angel" was the one which concerned him the most. So, he strode back out into the sunlight, preparing a plan. Humanity will survive. It unified into an Imperium, which he would make sure would stand as long as Humanity would. He would protect them. That was his promise.
His other promise was to Sadako. After a long day, he returned to the Imperial palace, finding his wife in a beautiful Kimono, hand sewn by his mother. The two of them were chatting in the drawing room. He smiled as he went to join them. The world may be heading into a dark and dangerous future, but he could endure it with his now immortal family by his side.