unknown area. Can’t find in existence.
A figure stood on a cliff overlooking a desolate world. Was wrapped in a worn cloak concealing his appearance. Behind him on the cliff was a massive circular arena like area.
(AN: for those who might have trouble. It’s the arena for the final main fight in Dark Souls 3. Soul of Cinder arena.)
Flowers as well as rusted weapons of all kinds were spread about. The sun for the world mostly black with a ring of red fire on the edges of it. The sky a depressing gray of ash and storms. This was a very hostile world. Which is why it doesn’t hold a place in Existence.
The figure looked up. Seeing what ast the sky to see small bright lights in the empty void. Those weren’t ordinary stars. Those were the lights of Existence. All of them. He doesn’t bother counting. Doesn’t need to. He focuses on a particular light out of all of them.
“Cript never learns. No matter the Existence he is always the same.” The figure said. Able to see what goes on in that Existence.
“He has always been like that dear.” A female voice said. The figure doesn’t look behind him. Already knowing who it is. “You’ve always despised that about him right?”
“He is arrogant without even knowing. It’s a shame those three are now following the same path. Oh well. If it comes to it our son as well as the others will have to do.” He said.
“Our son. He goes by John now right?” She asked. “He truly has potential. Ben, Zeke, and Eclipsa kinda ruined theirs. They’ll just have to prepare the hard way.”
She said.
“The easy way. The moment Cript became immortal in any Existence is the moment he lost potential. To be frank he never had real potential since it’s basically handed to him by…Nexus.” He spat the last word out with venom.
“Calm down Dear. We don’t want to give ourselves away. Not even She can find us thanks to you.” His wife said.
“I think it’s time for me and Cript to officially meet. Not here mind you, but in Existence itself.” He said.
His wife laughs and gives a happy clap. “Oh what fun! I haven’t seen you get serious in a long while.” She then thinks for a bit. “What about Max?”
“He is up to something big. He found a certain workshop of a long dead admin. He is on the brink of...completing something big. We can’t interfere though. We must let our sons act freely.” He turns back to her. “Besides. After what Cript put him though over nothing but both a stupid test and his own impatience he deserves it.”
“I know dear. And that different timeline version excuse won’t work. We know better.” She said.
“It’s a shame a few admins are going to die soon. Especially since one just gained life.” He said. He walks past her and opens a portal. “Let’s get this over with.” He walks through the portal.
“This will be good to watch.” She said as she follows.
unknown world in Existence
The figure was on an uninhabited world. No life anywhere. Didn’t need to worry about breathing. Good. No bystanders.
His wife was on a cliff with some popcorn and soda. “It’s been so long since he fought serious. Although that doesn’t make him weak in the slightest.”
The figure pulled out a sword. A red coiled sword that’s tip was red hot from the heat.
He took in a deep breath. “CRIPT!!! I KNOW YOU CAN HEAR ME! BRING YOUR SELF AND THE ONES KNOWN AS ZEKE,BEN, AND ECLIPSA HERE! WE HAVE THINGS TO DISCUSS, AND SOMETHING TO SETTLE! YOU CAN EVEN BRING ____ AND THAT NEXUS LEADER IN YOU WANT!”
The shout echoed throughout the Existence. He took his sword and plunged the tip into the ground with his hands resting on the handle. “I will be waiting.”
The wife in the distance smiled. “Time to see how this goes. Although. If any part of Cript believes that the threat to come can be defeated by just gaining more power like he has…” Her eyes then glows a deep purple void. “He won’t stand a chance.”
Some time had passed, the figure sitting on a stone waiting. Finally in a flash of Code, Cript appeared. "This is pretty deep inside the void. Impressive." Cript said, looking around at the area. "I have to say… pretty twisted looking. Yes that was a pun."
“Alone then. That’s fine.” The figure said pulling the sword out of the ground before making it disappear with Code.
"You call me into one of the voids deepest pits to… fight? Clear use of Code but… you're not an Admin."
“Code isn’t exclusive to admins. All you need is the knowledge of how it works. And not just to fight.” He said.
"Would still be pretty taxing on someone who isn't."
“Was at first, but not anymore. Like breathing really, or any muscle you train. Still. I would think at least Jericho would follow given the ‘destiny’ you two share.” He said.
"We share a Destiny yes, but not all of our secrets are told between us just yet. Who are you? You're existence here is abnormal. You weren't born in the void… she was though." Cript said, head turning to the cliff. "The Void Conduit. Pleasure."
“Hi.” She said sitting in a chair with popcorn. “Your getting your ass kicked.” she said as it was a fact with a smile.
"Yet I'm still standing." Cript replied. "Not many would call me, especially me, to a fight without reason. That's why I came just to talk."
“A few reasons really. A few personnel. But that’s not to be revealed yet. You haven’t proven yet.” He said
“Well ya your still standing. Fight hasn’t started yet.” The woman said. Throwing a piece of popcorn in her mouth.
"I don't have anything to prove." Cript said.
“On the contrary..” the figure vanished with He cloak falling to the floor. “You do.” He said behind Cript before he was thrown into a distant cliff.
Cript, picking themselves up, began shaking off the rubble. "Ya know. That did hurt. But if you wanted a fight, sorry. I'm not fighting. Whatever reason you have, I'm sorry, but this… I have other concerns at the moment."
The figure. Standing in a full armor set.(Firelink armor. Hard to describe XD)Walks till he was ten feet away.
"The list can just go on and on but my main concern is stopping my son from making the biggest mistake of his life."
“Your son? I don't remember one of your kids going rogue, or is it someone you see as a son?” The figure questioned.
"Max. Something about me I don't exactly talk about are how when one of my others, be them from another timeline or Nexus made like me, dies, their memories flow right into me. It's hard to explain, but in one timeline I was… alone. Wives, family, friends and kids… all gone for countless years. I was passing by a village and saw this kid, homeless and hungry. A rare thing there. I took them in, educated and trained them. They were talented I'm everything… I had found my successor… the one who could kill me… unfortunately, there was this disease… Madness, live too long and you, well, go mad. Karma for the Immortals. He lost his family, world… then me. The me there went Mad. He killed them, then… left. The me there came back, to pass our power to them but… he was gone. He hates me with all his being, and I can't blame him, but on his current path, he will side with the Void Mother if it means a chance at killing me. She will kill him. I can't let that happen, no matter how much he hates me."
“I know all that already.” He said.
"Then you know why I can care less for this pointless 'fight.'"
“I wasn't finished. I know of the you who did lose control, but purposely gave into madness hoping it would push Max into being the one. You took everything from him. Because you got impatient.” He said.
"They… I had hoped, to find out if Max could kill me. Selfishness drove that choice, and it's a sin I will carry forever, for my eternal life, but that's no reason for me to give up on him."
“That's actually related to a personal reason here.” He said. Before Cript could ask he felt a fist hit him. The figure was in his face slugging, but before he sent he flying. Cript notices two things. One, the blood red glow, a familiar glow were an eye would be, and a very, very familiar power. “I can't forgive what you did to my blood.” He sent Cript through the cliff. Vaporizing it and making him dig a massive trench. Cript got up after a second with the figure not far from him.
"Your...blood…" Cript said, his eyes shifting to a pure blackness with a red pupil. Suddenly, the figure had Cript's hands around their neck, and we're several miles away and skidded across the ground. "You're the worthless father of Max! Where were you when he was crying from Nightmares at age six?!" Cript slugged them, the impact cracking the ground. "Where were you when he would spend hours a day for years trying to remember their last name?!" Another slug, another large impact crater. "Where were you when he would cry himself to sleep on the holidays wishing he could just remember your faces?!" Cript hit dead center on the helm, not breaking but cracking it. "Where were you when he fell in love?! Married?! His first born?! I screwed up and took it from him, but you were never even their to begin with!! If you had been dead at least it would have been an excuse!!!" Cript said, this time their punch coated in code, smashing the figure in the chest, breaking the torso piece and causing quite the gash. "I fucked up but at least I was there to be his father… compared to me, you are the one with an eternal sin here."
“Gave up ...you think we gave up?” The figure asked. Grabbing Cript's arm. Gripping it very hard. “You wouldn't understand what we had to do for our kids.” He said. Getting up while pushing him back.
"Kids?" Cript said, backing up a bit. "Maybe I don't know your motivation, but I know the pain of growing up.never knowing your birth family, your mother or father. I met my father and killed the son of a bitch… or tried to at least… slippery leach… but I never got to know my mother. She gave me up to keep me from what Nexus built me for, I don't remember her smile, her face or even her voice. All I had of her was an old teddy bear that burned up with my childhood home. That is a pain Max and I share, but even so… I would have gladly spent my whole life with her on the run to at least be with her than having no memories of her. I understand why she did it but… to leave a child with no memories or monuments of who you are… at least I had that bear while it was around, Max had nothing, not even proper rags when I found him. You're despicable."
“Your right. Max had nothing when you found him, but for how long was he like that? We didn't just drop our kids in the streets. We left them with people to watch them. One found a family. Max unfortunately was tossed out. We couldn't do anything to help.” He said as he grappled with Cript, both pushing against each other.
"The villagers said Max appeared suddenly out of nowhere. They said he was on the streets for three months before I arrived and the family that tried to take him in almost sold him on the slave market."
“Maxella really wanted to make them suffer when she learned, but like I said we couldn't get back to that place.” He said.
"Maxella?" Cript asled, looking at the void Conduit. "So you're Max's mom… how do you smile at all watching this fight? Replaced your love and motherly instincts for a sadistic desire for some payback?"
She was silent for a bit. “Honey let him go for a bit.” The figure jumped back suddenly making Cript stumble a bit from the sudden retreat from the grapple. He then saw her standing a foot from him. “I know you can't die, but accuse me of something like that again, and you will wish it was the Void Mother you were facing. There are some abilities that not even you can overcome. Mine is special. You can't imagine how hard or how much it hurt to just stand by and do nothing.” She said before appearing back at her spot before. Smile still there.
Cript looked at her for a bit, then smirked. "So there is a mama bear there after all. Good to know. So now I know why you hate me, and I for one just layed out all my reasons for hating you, mainly you." Cript pointed at the figure. "She I actually like now."
“Understandable. She can make Vincent wet himself when pissed, and that ability. Well he would beg for death.” He said.
"To hear that demon beg for anything is a scary thought. Now, there is just one thing I've been trying to put my finger on ever since taking Max in. Seeing you and her… I can see he has his mother's eyes, and talent for threats, but his talents in magic, code, his speed at learning and understanding… I only ever saw that in my own kids. A level no normal person alive in that timeline could have possibly had… but what I always found the most interesting was his body type once he grew up… it was pretty identical to mine.. and yours I see… You're the M.I.A. C.R.I.P.T. experiment, aren't you? Hi brother."
The figure was silent before reaching up and taking his helmet off. The face and hair was similar, but the color was ash white and a huge scar over his blind right eye. “I go by Kross.”
"... And just like that, you beat me by sheer looks… seriously you look fucking terrifying! Nexus knew you were alive but not where. So, this where you've been the whole time?"
“One, I'm a damn puppy compared to Maxella when pissed-”
“YOUR DAMN RIGHT!!” She yelled.
"Lyra would like her… she doesn't have a crazy harem fetish right?" Cript asked.
“She threaten to castrate me and make me eat it if I even looked at another girl in a little more than friendly way.” Kross deadpanned.
Cript sighed. "Thank God… so only I got the crazy. That aside… how did you vanish?"
“Wasn't easy, but Nexus can't track what isn't in Existence itself. Or any Existence for that matter.” Kross said. “There are actually some worlds out of existence that are very dangerous. Even to admins and deletes. Great training grounds.”
"Sweet. Okay, now that aside you summoned me here knowing about what Max Is going to do right? Question is, are you going to allow him to side with that monster?"
“Max has already started. He isn't going to side with her. He wants to surpass her.” Kross said.
"Surpass the first Mother? Even for you think that's kinda… crazy, right?"
“Your life is in the definition of crazy.” Kross deadpanned.
"So you know when I say it's crazy… it's crazy…"
“Loop” Kross said.
"That ability is just a legend… it's not is it?"
“He found an old workshop for that admin with notes. With his new Virus ability he was able to finish it. As well as unlock his own Generation with training. Notes on it where there so it helped.” Kross said.
"You two can not be okay with this right?"
“We're not, but it's not our place to stop him.” He looks to see Maxella looking down. “That's for Katame.”
"Okay what bullshit says you can't? Wait… you look like me… I'm pretty much his trigger so this would be his worst nightmare finding out…"
“That as well.” Maxella said. “He is far gone as it is. Any further an not even his Kings will be spared.”
"Fan fucking tastic… there has to be some kind of hope for him."
“There isn't. He sadly inherited our stubbornness and with his hate. The only one that can face him is Katame.” Kross said.
"Katame? Your… other son? Wait who is older?"
“Katame Akuma. One eyed Devil it means due to his left eye bearing the Psychopath eye. And Max is older.” Kross said.
“But you know him...as John.” Maxella says.
"John? As in the same kid who cosplays as John Corvo from Dishonored and who's very same Hollow I… basically raped as a chick for a kid?"
“Few things. One,-” Maxella started before slapping Cript into the ground. “It's Corvo Attano. Two,- she then stomped him further into the ground. “While a little funny I don't like any kind of rape. Be happy I'm not feeding you your own nuts.”
"Lyra beat you to that three years ago…" Cript muttered. "Fetish six hundred and four…"
“She really needs a non-fetish hobby.” Maxella deadpans.
"I blame my own idiocy. I left her alone with a voice activated computer in my office for a few hours back when we first got married… came back to a PC opened to six hundred porn sights, her nude, drunk and very self pleased three hours later…"
“You start backing out slowly when you saw that?” She asked.
"Showered her off, sobered her up and burned the PC…"
She nods before walking away, but not before giving him one last stomp.
“She really hates rape.” Kross deadpans. “Doesn't matter if your male or female. You rape. Your on her list. No matter the ‘reason’.”
"Lyra's total opposite sex wise." Cript grumbled.
“Would you rather she be the same as her?” He questioned.
"No, because then you would know my sex filled hell." Cript said, getting up. "So, next question, what exactly is keeping you two here anyway? You afraid of something? Someone?"
“Maxella’s ability that we mentioned. It's able to be stolen, and you don't want Vincent with that ability. Not even you or lord can escape it.” Kross said.
"Stolen? Wouldn't that imply she has to… die?"
“Normally yes. But I had an. Unfortunate run in with the mother. She wasn't able to finish me, but I can't keep a true hold on this power. You just have to use code and know what to look for to steal it now.” Maxella said. “I was lucky to be alive.”
"So, where are you two standing now? With us and your other son, or are you just going to sit idly by again, watching as at some point in the near future, your two sons will be fighting each other to the death?"
“If it comes to it I'll help. Especially if it means knocking Vincent down, but we can't actively help besides training someone from here back at our home.” Kross said.
"Maxella?" Cript looked up at the Void Conduit. "You can open void portals into the other Mother's creations, right?"
“Simple. Especially after training with my one eyed teddy bear there.” She said making Kross twitch.
"Ha!" Cript laughed, much to Kross's dismay. "Well better than Lyra's pet name for me. That will be more than enough help. But..m if you two want, I could bring John here. He deserves to know the truth."
Maxella shook her head with a sad smile. “Not yet. Hollow is still training him. Like we instructed. He and his kings need to complete their training and soon.” She looks at Cript with a sad look again. “ as for Max. Kross already said he has started...when was the last time you seen the admins guarding Mother and Believe?”
"Ben and I just left there to explore… admittedly it's been a few months… but if she was gone or dead that creation would not be standing still."
“How are supposed to be related?” Kross said smacking his face. “You should know that Max isn't that dumb. He isn't target Mother, but the admins. He is a Delete after all.”
"... Their code would have gone right back to her then."
“Not against his Virus. He has basically what he needs to not only completely erase an admin but even transfer their title and abilities to others. Making pseudo admins that have their strength but not their responsibilities.” Maxella explained.
Cript, hearing this news… gripped their first… hard. "That leaves two questions left. Kross… when the time comes… who will bury Max? The man who raised him? The man helped conceive him… or the man who will kill him?"
“That's is unknown. I'm not even sure both will survive the coming war. They are strong and extremely potential.” Kross said.
"John will survive. Unlike Max… John has something worth fighting for. Now… last question…" Cript said, looking Kross right in their eye. "Did you… at least, know your mother?"
“No. Not memory or momental. Not a thing.” Kross said.
"Then, when we face Vincent, and we know we are the one who will face him, let's get some payback for our mothers deaths. You know as well as I do… her blood is on his hands."
“That's a fact. Unless Maxella gets to him. That ability will take care of him for us.” He stated.
"Better not. That bastard needs to pay. And I wanna collect."
Kross nods. “That he does.”
Path to Mother a few hours ago.
A small childlike figure was seen breaking apart into nothing. A vacant expression on their face. A figure stood over them spoke.
“Now the Admin of Death truly knows death. A shame Cript went and wasted his time for this.” He said holding the heart Cript gave her. He covered it in Virus and sent it to his place. Might become useful later. He turns towards a cloaked person standing not far from him.
“So how is the new power?” He asked
A female voice came from the smaller person. “Great! Can't wait to test it.” She said.
“In due time. Return back home with the others. I'll be back soon.” He said.
“Of course. Emperor Max~.” She said with longing at the end. She walked through a portal and it closed.
“ ‘Sigh’. That woman will be the death of me. Ironically now.” Max said. He looked at the door that lead to Mother. ‘Not yet. I'm not ready.’ He thought.
He opens another portal and walks through it.
Unknown workshop
Max enters the workshop. Finding this was a major boon. He and his Kings are much stronger now. It once belonged to a certain admin of abilities. Now abandoned until he found it.
He walks up to a desk and sits down on a chair next to it. He pulls out some papers. Files.
He found these and copied them from a Nexus vault. While they didn't make sense at first the more he went over them the more he uncovered.
“Project D.R.E.A.M...This might be what I've been looking for.” Max said.
He looks over to a large test tube holding something floating in its waters and chemicals. “I wonder how everyone will deal with you?” He wonders about the project. He does know this.
Even Cript as he currently is will be hard pressed by this…
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