Argnew's Final Stand

Argnew stands in the ruins of a fallen Avel Caelora, taking a step forward towards the stars as an injured Korth looks on in horror. Tactus lays at his side, bleeding out—the years had returned him to human form, and his giant runes looked monochrome as it lay splattered against the night sky.

Lancelot, too, was preoccupied. The cries of his pegasus, Roach, could be heard far in the distance. The virtues had begun to enter the Avengers Manor—there was no stopping their attack. In front of their forms, the man in the black suit stood, his red eyes glistening against the moonlit night.

"You sought to defeat me. Now look at you—nothing but a miserable pile of limbs."

He kicked at Briska's unicorn, who sought her best to protect the unconscious form of her master with her back. She let out a whinny, and the man in the suit smiled.

"It's time I put you in your place, Avengers."

Argnew took another step forward. His gems glistening; reflecting pools of lunar energy that would steal away the eyes of a kleptomaniac as the gods stole the sun. A larger grin broke out on the man's face, which transformed into a chuckle, then a guffaw. Soon, the man had begun to maniacally laugh, his eyes nearly bulging at he watched Argnew's approach.

"Really? You?! The Starforged wants to fight me? You must be joking! I can't believe this—do you all see this? The weakest member of the Avengers thinks he has a chance!"

Argnew grimaces, "Joke all you want. You should know I find no pleasure in battle."

The man cuts off, starring Argnew down with hatred in his eyes.

"Come at me then, living rock."

They clashed. Argnew slammed into the suit-wearing man with the strength of ten boulders, his body shimmering into astral gold as his comet form went into full effect. Not once did he rage—he did not need to. His fists would do all the talking.

The man parried, side-stepping him with ease and kneeing Argnew in the gut. Argew gasped, the non-existent air in his lungs being lashed out as the man implanted oxygen into his veins and cast vacuum in the space that was left.

"How does it feel to be human, Argnew? Illusion magic is a trickery thing, you know."

Argnew coughs, the illusion assailing his mind like an aberrant vice. "You are shameless, Crimson King. But a fool in a Starforged court."

The man smiles, "I don’t get the reference."

Another kick. This time, Argnew coughed.

"Let’s make this a game, Argnew. I’ll count to ten—for every number I reach, another kick. If you live to ten, I’ll show you my most powerful move. Ready?"

"Fuck yo—gauaaaagh!"

The first kick, seismic in nature, implanted itself into Argnew’s gut with a sonic boom. The noise threatened to pop Korth’s eardrums as he shakily stood up, leaning on Rampage with bloodied form.

"Don’t do it, Argnew! You idiot! You’ll die!"

"Two."

Another slam. Blood erupted from Argnew’s mouth. An impossibility—but while fighting the Crimson King, anything was possible.

"You should know your friend The Mann sent me here to do this. We had a lot in common, you know—he liked suits. I liked suits. His Arisen even wore a suit. I expect to be paid in full for this job. Oh, where are my manners? Three."

Another kick. Argnew let out a reproached cry.

"Argnew! Get out of there! Teleport, you idiot! I know you have it! The cloak! Dimension Door out of here!"

Argnew, despite it all, turned to Korth with a smile.

"I cannot do that, Korth. After all, you taught me something valuable."

"What could be more valuable than your life, Argnew?!"

Argnew’s smile broke out into a grin.

"Friendship."

The Crimson King tsked, throwing his leg back and cracking his neck.

"Are you done with your soap opera, now? I’d like to get back to what I do best—kicking."

"Yes, we are just about done here, King of the Crimson Forest."

Argnew stood, his form once again sparkling amidst the twilight sky. The Crimson King tsked again, annoyed at his valiant form as Argnew took lumbering steps toward his opponent.

"No matter how heroic you try to be, you will die here."

At that, a thin silence fell over the ruins of Avel Caelora as Argnew looked up.

"I know that already, Crimson King. And I expect to take one down with me."

The Crimson King raised an eyebrow as Argnew stood taller, running at his suit-wearing form with all his might.

"I call upon you, my ultimate strength! Argnew—….Astral Celestia!"

The ruins erupted into a flash of light as Argew barreled to his target, his form vanishing and reappearing in quick succession. His comet-like speeds only grew faster, causing his form to flicker as afterimages took its place. The Crimson King, for the first time since the fight started, looked surprised as he backed up.

"Argneeeeeeeeew!"

"Do not worry yourself, Korth! I do this of my own free will!" Argnew screamed, slamming his fists into the body of the Crimson King. "One!"

"Aaaaaaugh—..!" The Crimson King let out an incomprehensible cry as his body was launched backwards through several pillars, slamming against the back of no less than nine concrete walls before coming to rest at the entrance to the manor. Argnew reappeared at that moment—his afterimage flickering to life in front of the fallen fey.

Argnew leaned down, grasping the Crimson King by the collar of his suit.

"This one is for the Avengers, King of the Crimson Forest."

"ARGNEEEEEEEEEW!"

Korth let out a monstrous cry into the heavens, his vocal chords stretching to their absolute limit. The ground shook from the pressure of his scream as a pillar in the distance cracked and shattered under its own weight.

Tactus stood with a grunt, grasping Ebony Beauty and slamming it into the ground in order to steady his breathing. After awakening and seeing the carnage in front of him, he realized all-too-well what was happening.

"I doubt Korth can understand me now, so Tactus, I’d like to tell you something."

Argnew’s form was glowing brightly now. An astral sky amidst a sea of stars. His form was almost blinding as he stood with the Crimson King in hand.

"Of course, Argnew. Anything you want." Tactus’s voice was scarcely a hoarse whisper as he looked up to his friend—one of the founding members of the Avengers.

Argnew smiled.

"I understand now. Fighting—...is fun!"

An astral explosion swept the land as Argnew’s core summoned the burning wrath of a supernova, annihilating everything in its path. An astral beam, launched from orbit, struck down onto the quickly evaporating forms of the Crimson King and the Starforged who proved him wrong. The night had rapidly turned to day, and the sound was deafening.

And the only thing that could be heard through the astral twilight—was Korth’s cries.