FSE

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Disclaimer: The following will contain homosexual individuals and relationships and will involve interpretations of deities from various religions. No offense is intended. This is copyrighted to me (mewjen(at)ymail.com), so no using it without my. This is a work of fiction.

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Hours earlier...

"There's no point fighting this. I am your desire. I was created from your anger...to change it...into grief. Now mourn." My clone whispered those words before it ran off, and they were on a loop inside my head, as I chased it from rooftop to rooftop.

I almost caught up with it several times, but it kept giving me the slip by creating even more clones to taunt me. It did not help that it was taking a very indirect path to the jackal. I was half-tempted to call Anubis, just so I could stop running and just lay a trap for it. But it felt like I could not. I wanted to meet him and show him that I did not care that he previously loved Set. But how could I do that and inform him that I accidentally sent an assassin after him?

"Run, run, run. You can't catch me. The jackal is done. Don't you see?" its latest copy sang, as I landed on the next roof.

"Where are you?" I said darkly.

"I'm before thee. But so are three." And two more appeared at his sides.

"You are annoying," I stated drawing my sabers again.

"You tried that. You brainless bat." The leader stepped back, and let the other two lunge.

"You are impervious to my powers, but what about brute force?" I thrust my sword into the left's chest and used my momentum to pull out and slice into the other with both blades, causing each to shatter into piles of ash. "Now will you face me?"

"I cannot. But you can have what you wrought."

It smiled, before I threw my left saber through it.

"Aw. I liked him," another said from behind me. I turned, but it held up its hands in surrender. "Five blocks east. Ten blocks south. Ground level. Back alley. Five minutes. " And it dissolved in a dark cloud.

I did not hesitate. I pulled my blade out of the brick wall it stuck to and took off into the sky. I spotted the location quickly. "Now that does not look like a trap," I commented sarcastically. But it was not as though I had a choice.

It was a dead-end alley, with a narrow access path and eight-story apartment complexes surrounding the open space. It was littered with various pieces of abandoned furniture and whatnot that would hamper mobility, and with the height of the buildings, escape by flight would require climbing. At least anyone planning something would share those limitations.

I landed slowly, scanning under the overhangs for my quarry.

"Thank you for coming." The voice came from behind, as a wall of blacken ash created an impenetrable barrier around the alley, with hundreds of clones climbing out of it.

They were on me in an instant. They had no weapons and lacked any fighting style, but their sheer numbers were overwhelming. As soon as the first was in range, I started slashing one after another, after another, taking down two, three, four at a time. I flapped my wings viciously to keep them from clustering at my blind spot. None that approached stood a chance, but there was always two more to take the place of their fallen brethren. I fought my hardest, keeping them at bay, but I could not maintain my ground. They forced me to dodge and retreat every few minutes to a new position, giving them an opening as my focus shifted to navigating the maze of objects.

It was also quickly becoming apparent that my power drove theirs, and with every new creation, they sapped more and more of my energy away. Despite my prowess at fending them off, it was becoming increasingly harder, forcing me to back away more and more often. I had lost count of how many I defeated, and my breathing was becoming haggard. I felt my wings scrape against stone walls, as they backed me into a corner. I did not look to see if the ash barrier was still present or not, but I could not tell by the light touch.

"Stop this!" I shouted. "You cannot kill me, and I will not let you hurt Anubis!"

"Then should I kill Set instead?" He moved forward from the center. I cannot explain how I knew, but this one was the original.

"You are not going to harm anyone!" I stated firmly.

"You think you can stop me?" he asked. "I am made from you. Can't you see that? You always hated them. Set and his willingness not to care about consequences. Anubis and his ability to find hope. Set, always pushing you, never happy with your affections. Anubis, the friend in constant, never-ending need, stealing our family. Set almost destroyed us with his price. He wanted everything we had, and when we failed to meet his ridiculous demands, he moved on to our whore of a best friend. Why should he have a family that loves him, when ours only saw us as a means for power? For our whole life, we've been behind someone else. Always trying so hard, just to fail. They made fun of the way we spoke, and we changed for them, but still they laughed. Our mother abandoned us, and they still laughed. Our father, dead, and still they laughed.

"Well, no more. Gone is waiting for our turn. Gone is our polite demeanor. We will take what we want. No more waiting for others. They can't move fast enough; we eliminate the annoyance. They talk too much; we silence them. They hurt us; we kill them."

I stood frozen, staring in horror at my echo. I remember feeling all of it. My jealousy of the world when I was young. My jealousy of Set and Anubis back then. My jealousy now. Every little annoyance, every trifle I had ever thought had turned into this creature.

"It just takes one," it whispered, now standing in front of me. "Kill the thing you love most...or the second, and this pain we feel can finally end."

"It is pointless," I whimpered in countering him. "The cycle is collapsing, not breaking. No one can die."

He grabbed my shoulder and pulled me close enough to whisper into my ear. "Maybe not the first time." Then he pushed me back, and there was no wall to catch me.

I fell for what felt like an hour. I should have been dead, or at least almost dead when I hit the ground. Instead, it felt like every atom had just stopped inches from the ground, before continuing from that state, leaving me crumpled into a pile, but left unharmed by the fall itself. Though laying on my wings was always discomforting, especially when I did not have time to warp a pocket dimension around them.

I was bathed in a bright light that poured from above me, obscuring how I had arrived. The room was too small for me to spread my wings and the opal walls were too smooth to climb. The dark floor only revealed my reflection. I had landed in what looked to be a small entranceway with only one exit available. Forward. Into the darkness.

I crept onwards slowly, and as soon as I crossed the doorway, the light disappeared. Turning around, so had the entrance. Turning back, I found the edges of the hall were glowing softly with a rather sickening shade of greenish white. The only comfort was that the width allowed me to stretch the soreness out of my wings, though the low ceiling required some considerations.

The hallway stayed visibly straight, but the shadows suggested there was more lurking out of sight. However, with no idea where I was or how I was sent here, I simply followed the path laid out for me. The hallway grew as I walked, until it was a massive square corridor. I took flight as soon as I had the clearance, and used my abilities to dramatically increase the thrust created by each flap.

I reached the end quickly, only to find an enormous prison cell with vertical bars thicker than my wingspan from floor to ceiling. I hovered in the center, peering into the blackness of the cell.

"Help me." The call echoed around me, sounding weak and pained.

"Who are you?" I asked cautiously.

There was the sound of movement and suddenly a head the size of the cell appeared in the darkness.

I would love to say that the movement of such a body caused gusts of wind, which caused me to lose my balance and crash to the ground. But no, the giant head was just an illusion of the imprisoned designed by a crazy architect, and so I fell out of shock. Nothing more. Just an utterly embarrassing moment of my life.

"Set!" I gaped, just before my wings stopped working.

This time the fall did some damage that required the use of my reserves, but I did not care. Compared to the desired to understand Set's presence, the energy required to heal myself in nearly an instant was nothing.

"How the hell did you get here?" I shouted.

The huge illusion of Set's head stared down at me, as though he was not two stories tall. "I don't know. You ran off and left me unprotected."

I cocked my head to the side, dumbfounded by this development. "Heh?"

"Your creation trapped me in here," Set stated plainly. "Now get me out."

I was still finding this hard to process. "How exactly did he do that?"

"I'm powerless. How else?" he replied. "If you could be so kind as to unlock the door, I would be forever grateful."

Maybe I am a bad boyfriend to have asked, but this seemed too farfetched. "Could you prove you are Set?"

He showed a flash of anger, before putting on a pouting face. "How can you question me of all people?"

"I am in someone's prison and you are a prisoner," I pointed out. "I think it is worth testing."

"You just used Osiris' spell, which required me to drag you to the hospital. After which, we were confronted by your creation, and you chased after it."

Well, I no longer felt foolish. "Thanks," I said and turned around, leaving in search of an exit.

I heard a deep familiar chuckle that reverberated around me. "You think I'm going to let you leave, Horus?"

"If Ra put you in here, I doubt you can get out," I countered, turning around to face the green-skinned man.

"You were always quick, my son," Osiris replied.

I gritted my beak at that. "I am not your son."

"Pretend all you want, but it doesn't change the truth," my stepfather replied lazily. "Your mother only cared about me. Your biological father is a nonfactor."

After all the anger towards Anubis and Set that was used to create my shadow, it was strange to feel anger again, as Osiris pushed my buttons. "Well, if you will excuse me. I must be leaving."

There was another reverberating chuckle. "And here I thought you had another motive for coming."

I did not want to reveal that I was tricked into coming here, but his comment gave me pause.

"Like reversing the spell?" he continued.

"Why would you create something to do this?" I demanded. "I didn't even hate you when you gave me that spell."

Once again, he chuckled at me. "I always wanted your need for vengeance to be my weapon. The killing-the-thing-you-love-most was just a safety measure to make sure you didn't betray me."

"How do I end this?" I shouted.

"Let Anubis die." The green face twisted into a broad smile. "Though I would rather you go after Set. Anubis can be dealt with at any time."

"I will kill myself, before I let either of them come to harm," I retorted.

"By all means, try," he purred. "It's pointless. The cycle is collapsing, not breaking. No one can die."

I recognized my words being thrown back at me and started to scan the area for the ashen cloud. "So you set this up."

"Oh no," Osiris cooed. "You did. All on your own, I might add. I just saw my chance." He smirked. "Bring him forward."

I watched a layer of dust fall from the walls and coalesce into a black twister. I turned, and before I could even take a step, chains of ash flew from it and trapped my hands and legs, pulling me into the cyclone. I felt the ash coating my body, as it wrapped itself around me, trapping me inside.

"It would be easier for you if you did not struggle, Son," I heard Osiris say from his cage, as though that would stop me from trying to pull my limbs free of the cloud. "I tried to warn you."

I yelled out in pain as electricity surged between the particles, using my body as a conductor. It took several jolts, before it found the correct area to target, leaving me paralyzed, as it finished engulfing me.

I tried to fight, but the sheer strength it had tore through my muscles, as it walked me to the center of the bars holding Osiris.

"Place your hand in the center." Excitement filled Osiris' voice. "Now push forward three notches. Sixty degrees to the left. Two hundred to the right. Forward one notch. Seventy-nine right. One-ninety left. Three-seventy-three right. Five notches. Forty-two left. Grab it, and pull it back."

I was forced to follow every command, and on the last, I squeezed down on the metal plate and it molded around my hand. I was almost afraid it would take my hand, as I pulled back, but it just reformed, becoming part of the bar once more.

The hallway and cell immediately started contracting, as the chamber became normal-sized and Osiris' head shrank, as his body faded into existence. The bars then sank into the glossy floor, hiding their presence.

"Well, come in already," Osiris gestured to the empty chamber.

I was forced to walk forward, and as I crossed the threshold, Osiris walked out.

"Leave him," Osiris commanded, and the ash flew from my body, as my shadow reformed next to his master.

As soon as I was free, I rushed to the opening, but I was stopped by a barrier that threw me back, as the illusion was rebuilt around me, so I was now the giant head, staring down at Osiris, as he stretched out his joints.

"Finally," he groaned. "I thought I would never have legs again."

My evil essence bowed. "Now I must complete my task before it is too late," he said, before standing up and moving closer to Osiris. "But remember the deal. I want to remain...alive." Then he flew out in a whirlwind.

"Of course," Osiris replied, despite the other leaving. He then stared up at me. "You really should not let your anger grow so out of control. I could not have imagined that you could create such a will that it would desire freedom from you and its fate. He could make an excellent replacement for you. Too bad Isis will never part with you, though the jackal's loss will be an accident she will learn to forgive. Now where is she?"

I turned my gaze away from him and kept silent.

"Pouting are we?" Osiris chuckled. "Are you forgetting I'm out here? With everything and everyone you hold dear?"

"You have already stated that you are going after Anubis," I said with feigned disinterest.

"You are the one after him. Set on the other hand." He conjured a smoking image of Set. "I control how much he will suffer." He crushed his hand around the image.

"Leave him out of this," I warned.

"His involvement predates yours," Osiris countered, while testing out his powers. "I may have been trapped for several," he added a dark emphasis, "eons. But I'm back. And I will finish what I started."

"You have no power over this era. There are too many for any god to rule," I cautioned.

"Oh that, I have already thought about," he replied cryptically. "Where is Ra keeping Isis?"

"I. Never. Asked," I answered unhelpfully.

I expected him to be upset, but he just continued swirling different colored energies in the air, unfazed by my refusal to help him free my mother. "I guess I shouldn't expect forgiveness from Vengeance," he said offhandedly. "She did what was best for you."

"Killing my father-" I started.

He threw the plasma ball at me. "I am your father," he hissed in anger, as the ball was dissipated by the barrier.

"My stepfather nothing more," I retorted coldly, letting my distain color my voice.

"Keep pushing it, you little faggot," he warned, emphasizing the last word. The threat apparent.

I humphed at his slur. "You have not changed that much either."

"If I were you," he replied airily. "I would not be criticizing me, but rather I would be focusing on how I could correct my mistake."

I did not bother holding my tongue. "I have every intention of figuring out how to put you back in here."

He formed a dagger from the coalescing energies above his hand. "I was thinking of the targets you created." He weighed the blade in his hand, testing it balance. "I have your memories. Anubis, this Jaller, and you, all fighting your conditions until recently. When my law is returned, your crimes will be punishable again." He threw the dagger straight up in the air.

"You will never return to power," I retorted, promising myself the same. "Ra will stop you."

"Ra can't stop anything." The dagger fell, its blade mere feet above Osiris. "I defeated him once, and now, he is troubled with parental woes. He will have no desire to fight me, and I will claim this city." The dagger shattered against his shield. "Then the region, the world, and the universe. All will worship me again, and with power of so many this time, I will reshape the very foundation of this existence."

"You will never get the chance," I taunted.

"Stay out of my way," he offered almost gently, "and I just might cure you. Stay in there, and I might forgive your betrayal."

"I will never give up on Set," I stated firmly.

"You did once," he replied. "Why not again? It's not like you matter to Ra."

I pushed my personal distrust of Ra away, knowing that between them only one could be trusted. "Ra will never betray his promise."

"What promise?" He almost laughed. "The only one he would ever give that to is his son, and Anubis won't see him. Besides, why would he give up his power?"

"Because he is not like you," I stated harshly.

"I didn't steal your memories," he felt the need to point out. "Though I unequivocally approve. You have been too docile, forgotten every lesson I taught you. Ra is a tyrant that must be replaced with someone of vision. I am the rightful heir to this empire. Not my parents' murderers."

"Vision. Ha!" I yelled, showing my hatred. "How many times did you try to murder your own brother?"

"He lost his innocence," he retorted, "by his own actions. I am just trying to save him, and this time I will." He let the cryptic remark hang there.

Despite myself, I let my panic show. "You will never get near him."

"Ah, but thanks to you, he is defenseless now." He drew out the motion of swiping his hand in front of him, as my features washed across his form. "And all I need to do...is get close enough...to hurt," he teased, as his voice shifted to mimic mine, while he brought his arms in close, pretending to romance the air.

I felt my heart stop, as he draped my wings over my body like a cape. I saw the intent in his gaze. "I will not let you hurt him," I threatened. "I will never give up until you are back in this cell."

He smiled darkly at me. "I will never enter that cell again, and by the time Ra comes to free you, I will already be too far ahead for you to catch up. Set will have the family he demanded, and he will pay the price." He held my fist up at me. "This city will know my wrath in due time, and pray to me for mercy."

He spun around and walked off, dragging my wings across the floor.

"Come and get me, God of War," his voice echoed back to me. "I've had eons to plan this. I know every move you will make. Set is mine. You are mine. And when I fail to free my queen, my duty to leave you alive ends. Your strategies will fail. Your friends will die, if they dare to oppose me. Run. This is their only chance."

I wanted to shout, to refute, to retort. But nothing came to me, as I was faced with what I had done. Anubis was going to be attacked. Set was going to be tricked by me and held to his brother's whim. Jaller was about to lose his love. Ra, his son. My friends were going to lose the peace we fought for. And the world was subject to Osiris' struggle for power.

It could not have been more than a few minutes after Osiris left, when I felt a strangle hold on my heart. It felt like my power was being ripped from me. I passed out just as it ended.

"Set..." I whispered, before the darkness took me.

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Author's Note: Well, I hope this makes the previous chapter worth it.

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