Jack stepped through the charred
doorway of his former Boss’ office. The office was untouched by flames and was
just as flashy and awful as Jack remembered. “Jack my boy, such wonderful new
powers you have. I think we can work out a deal. You keep working for me and I
will forgive you for killing all of my guards” The Boss said calmly.
Jack
smiled, he grinned ear to ear as he walked forward slowly. “Deals? We are
making deals now?” Asked Jack, his smile still wide and frightening. He slowly
sat down on a crimson leather chair across from the Boss. Jack leaned over the
Boss’ desk and looked him in the eye. “You will forgive me? Forgive me? FORGIVE
ME?!” Jack said his voice jumped into a shout toward the end. Jack cleared his
throat and brushed his hair back. “You should be begging me to spare your life
and you sit here making deals? You should be asking ME to forgive YOU!” Jack
said, his voice jumping as he barely contained his anger. “I would never make a
deal with you, but I did make a deal with someone else. Someone who wants you
dead just as much as I do” Jack said as he looked the Boss right into his beady
dark brown eyes. “Who would have the nerve to send you after me? And while I am
asking questions, where did you get that magic?” The Boss asked. He didn’t move
from his chair, but he was slowly becoming uncomfortable.
Death
slowly appeared into view behind Jack. A floating cloaked skeleton holding a
scythe appeared as a response to the Boss’ question. Then a second later Death
was gone. Jack didn’t see Death but he assumed the Boss did by his changed
expression. All of the color drained out of the Boss’ face when he saw the Grim
Reaper.
Jack stood
up and lifted his hammer to strike but the Boss acted quickly and shot Jack
point blank with his shotgun. Jack froze and his eyes went wide. He had come so
far only to let his guard down for a second and to get killed by the same
person and the same gun that killed Isabelle. Everything seemed to slow as Jack
looked down to check for damage. As he looked down he saw the Boss was
horrified instead of pleased. Green flames spilled out of Jack’s chest and
stomach. The flames covered his torso instead of blood. Magical flames moved
across Jack’s skin but instead of burning him, they were healing the skin. The
flames that dripped to the ground burned a hole in the floor.
Jack looked
at the Boss and smiled “Death sends his regards” then launched forward and
grabbed the Boss by the throat. Green flames burned brightly in Jack’s eyes as
rage filled his body. Jack lifted the Boss up by his throat and hurled him
through the back wall. As the Boss’ body soared through the air like a rag doll
Jack lifted his hammer and then flung it forward. The hammer flew straight out
and hit the Boss, then engulfed the Boss in flames. The Hammer and the Boss’
body dropped to the ground with a thud. Jack couldn’t see where the Boss landed
because it was dark and also his body was sent out past the city limits.
Jack jumped
out through the hole in the wall down three floors and hit the ground. Jack
landed on his feet and took off running. This part of Dark city was the section
unlucky enough to be built on the edge of the Haunted Forest. Jack approached
the forest, which was swarming with spirits and weird glowing eyes that looked
on from every shadow. Jack didn’t want to go anywhere near that place.
“Halloween night is almost upon us Jack. Halloween is when the Haunted forest
grows restless and the spirits become visible and the monsters more aggressive”
Death whispered. The Haunted forest was always dangerous, but the development
of Dark city riled up the inhabitants of the forest and with Halloween
approaching the spirits were even more restless.
The boss
was standing on the edge of the Haunted forest, too afraid to run into the forest
to escape Jack, but too afraid of Jack to distance himself from the forest.
Jack approached “Not dead yet? Good, more fun for me” Jack said as he walked
closer, his hammer burned brightly as Jack approached. Jack lifted his hammer
off the ground and held it up with one hand. “J-Jack please, I can bring her
back! I can help you. Don’t kill me” The Boss said his human skin dripped from
his face revealing red demon skin. Small yellow horns poked out from under his
black hat and his eyes glowed yellow. Jack sneered and shot another blast of
fire at the Boss.
The flames
burned the Boss’ clothes and melted away his human disguise.
The Boss stood five feet five and was now in his true form.
He was still overweight but his skin was scaly and red, his mouth was a large
gaping maw and his eyes burned bright like fire. “Disgusting” Jack muttered.
The Boss pulled a black gem from his torn suit pocket. He smiled and held it
up. “I saved this gem for supernatural opponents, it cancels magic. Since magic
is holding you together right now, prepare to be torn apart. The Gem shot out a
blast of energy at Jack. Jack threw his hammer at the blast and jumped out of
the way. The Hammer and the dark blast collided and caused an explosion. Black,
red and green flames shot over Jack’s head as he lay flat on the grass. The
Boss was blasted backward into the Haunted forest.
“He’s going
to escape!” Jack shouted. “No, he is not” Death replied. The glowing eyes went
out and the spirits that floated around the trees rushed into the forest.
Everything that Haunted that forest seemed to move in on the Boss as soon as he
landed. Screams echoed out of the forest accompanied by the sounds of bones
breaking and meat being torn.
It was
over, Jack had his revenge, and the Boss was dead. Death appeared in front of
Jack in the form of a young woman. She was very pale and slender, she wore all
black and had long black hair that flowed into her black dress. She walked
toward Jack and smiled “You have done well” She said with a kind smile. Death
knelt down and picked up the Hammer with ease. “The stories this hammer could
tell…” She said as her voice drifted off. Death stared at the hammer as if it
was telling her all of its amazing stories.
“What do I
do now?” Asked Jack as he lifted himself up. “I want a peaceful life, I want to
be done with this nightmare. Am I even human anymore? What was that green fire
inside of me?” Jack added. Death sighed “The hammer’s magic kept you alive. MY
hammer kept you alive. Now that you have given it to me, you are as mortal and
human as before. Now you can go build your life. It is yours for the taking. Do
as you wish with this freedom. The mountaintop, the autumn forest, maple town
and even a black cat all wait for you in your future. The traveling and
building is up to you” Death explained. “Thank you, Jack” Death added with a
smile then vanished from sight.
Jack felt
sore, tired and hungry. Before he left Dark city forever he decided to pay a
visit to Old Carl and see if he could make him some food for old times sake.
Jack
stumbled as he walked back into the city, leaving the sights and sounds of the
Haunted Forest behind him. As he approached the city he saw a black cat with
green eyes. It was just a kitten, it was lost and alone and rummaging through a
garbage can for food. Jack walked up to the cat and put his hand out to pet it.
Despite living on the street, the cat was friendly and trusting enough to let
Jack pet him. Jack saw an old can of pumpkin puree in the garbage and smiled at
the dirty logo of a pumpkin patch. The black cat bit down on the can but then
reared its head back when it realized the can wasn’t edible.
“Would you
like to come with me? I’m homeless too” Jack told the cat. The cat mewed and
began to purr. “Have you ever been to the mountains? I hear they are lovely
this time of year” Jack said as he picked up his new cat and placed it on his
shoulders. “I am going to call you Karu, if that’s alright” Jack said. Karu
meowed.
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