The Bloodline System

Author's Note: Do Not Unlock

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"Just do it," Stark mumbled.

[Memories Siphoning Has Been Activated]

As Gustav activated the ability, a rush of images and sensations flooded through him.

The first memory was Stark touching the ancient pamphlet, his fingers trembling as he made contact. Instantly, a deluge of visions cascaded into Stark's consciousness—visions now shared with Gustav.

The scenes were chaotic and intense: Gustav, riding the Warp Demolator, unwittingly triggers a cataclysmic event.

With the warp demolator instability which somewhat had something to do with Gustav's involvement in it's movement, a fragmented trails of ashyness breaks off from the pile and ends up appearing on Earth... The vertigon premises to be exact.

A corruption is unleashed, enveloping everything in its path.

Gustav finds himself ensnared, in the location he ends up after riding the arp demolator, unable to escape and come give assistance as disaster unfolds.

The Vertigon island is on fire. In order to stop the corruption from spreading further, the world comes together to wipe them out.

The lineage of the Vertigon family, once proud and influential, withers in the blaze, their legacy reduced to ashes.

A fragment of another memory shows a later scene—a devastated Gustav, his face etched with defeat and sorrow, carrying the lifeless body of Stark through the remnants of what was once a vibrant island. The weight of his failure, the destruction of a family he inadvertently caused, hangs heavily on him.

Gustav pulls away from Stark at this moment with a look of distress as his mind returns to the present.

"So It's true..."

"I told you. I needed you to see it—to understand why I did what I did. I couldn't let that future come to pass," Stark, breathed profusely while trying to recover from the siphon's toll.

Gustav stood in place with a contemplative look while the impact of the visions still toiled through his mind.

"While I get it... I can't just accept that outcome. There must be something that can be done to change it."

"That's one of the reasons I brought you here, away from the Demolator. Not just to protect my family, but to give us a chance to find another way. Together... I understand it is paramount for you to get to where the warp demolator is heading," Stark voiced with a hopeful tone.

"And if we can't find another way? What then? We sacrifice everything and everyone else just to save your family?" Gustav questioned with a tinge of annoyance.

"If it was you... What would you have done?" Stark asked while lowering his head.

This question caused a brief silence as Gustav pictured choosing between saving his loved ones and saving the world.

("Let's not pretend that you wouldn't fuck the world over to save your friends,") The system chipped in.

'Whose side are you on?'

("The side of reason.")

'You know the meaning of that word? Did you Google it?'

("...Fuck you.")

Gustav decided to ignore the system and turned to face Stark.

"You better pray that we find another way... For everyone's sake," Gustav tone hinted at accepting the collaboration.

Stark looked at Gustav, his eyes solemn, understanding the enormity of the choices before them.

"Thank you for giving me a chance."

...

...

...

As the Warp Demolator receded into the void of space, leaving behind a trail of cosmic unrest, Endric, Aildris, Falco, and Ria remained aboard their spacecraft, their faces etched with concern and confusion.

They had expected Gustav to appear at the last moment or something but his absence now cast a shadow over their mission.

Now the warp demolator was gone.

Ria staring out into the now calm space, broke the silence. "Gustav... He's definitely okay, right?" His voice carried a mixture of hope and worry.

"He has to be. Gustav's survived worse. But with his disappearance and without the warp Demolator taking him to where planet Humbad remnants is located, I'm not sure what our next move should be," Aildris chipped in.

Endric then recalled the mysterious being that had intervened during their most perilous moment. The figure's glowing silhouette had prevented a disaster, but its identity remained a puzzle.

Endric, rubbing his chin thoughtfully, ventured, "That being... could it have been Miss Aimee?—it reminded me of her."

Ria raised an eyebrow, skeptical. "Miss Aimee? Didn't she retreat to that planet she created after the IYSOP? Why would she appear here, and in the Warp Demolator, of all places?"

Aildris, nodding slowly, added, "It surely makes no sense for it to be her since that being appeared from the interior of the warp demolator... But then..."

The discussion spiraled into theories and recounts of Miss Aimee's known capabilities and last known actions. Her legend as one of the universe's most formidable beings made her a subject of endless speculation.

Falco, trying to make sense of the events, suggested, "As much as it seems unlikely, who else could rip us away from the pull of something as powerful as the Warp Demolator? And then to dive back into it..."

"That's not something just anyone could do even if they were alpha ranked... and she is beyond that level of power," Aildris added.

Aildris initiated the emergency thrusters, the spacecraft's engines roaring to life as they attempted to aid Endric's telekinetic push. The combined effort caused the ship to tremble violently, straining against the immense gravitational force of the Warp Demolator.

"Thrusters at full power!"

Outside, the Warp Demolator seemed almost alive, its ashy, serpentine body writhing and expanding as it consumed the cosmic matter in its path.

The spectacle was terrifying—orbital bodies that had taken eons to form were now mere playthings in the grip of this celestial behemoth.

As the spacecraft struggled to maintain its position, the crew watched helplessly as the Warp Demolator's path of travel became increasingly erratic.

The situation aboard the spacecraft grew increasingly dire as the Warp Demolator's gravitational pull intensified beyond Endric's capacity to manage.

His telekinetic shield shimmered with strain, the protective energy waning as the colossal entity grew even larger, its ashy tendrils swirling menacingly closer.

Endric face contorted with effort and sweat beading on his brow, gritted his teeth. "I—I can't hold it much longer! It's too strong!"

He didn't have this much struggle splitting an entire planet but who knew something like this could be so difficult.

Endric wanted to make sure direct contact was not made because none of them were aware of what effects it would bring but as things were...

"It's growing! We're not going to make it if it gets much closer," Aildris announced with a tone of urgency.

The crew braced themselves as the spacecraft began to shudder violently, the edges of the Warp Demolator's ashy trail licking the outer hull, enveloping them in darkness.

It seemed as though they would be consumed whole by the cosmic phenomenon they had sought to intercept.

Falco was preparing to head out there and brace the warp demolator with his bare body so as to push them from harms way but Aildris and Ria were not having it.

There was no way he'd be able to handle such.

Suddenly, a miraculous sight unfolded.

From the heart of the ashy chaos, a brilliant silver glow emerged, its radiance piercing through the darkness like a celestial beacon. An ethereal being, its form obscured by the intense luminosity it emitted, approached the spacecraft.

The crew watched in awe and confusion as the glowing entity reached out with what appeared to be arms of pure light.

With a graceful, powerful motion, the being pushed against the spacecraft. The force of its intervention was gentle yet firm, countering the pull of the Warp Demolator with a precision that seemed beyond the capabilities of any known entity.

"What in the universe is that?" Falco couldn't hide his shock.

As the being exerted its influence, the spacecraft felt the oppressive ashy grip loosening. Slowly, but with undeniable strength, the ethereal figure maneuvered them away from the belly of the Warp Demolator. The ash receded from the hull, revealing once again the stars beyond.

The silver being, its task seemingly complete, gave one last push that sent the spacecraft into a stable path away from the destructive path of the Warp Demolator. As it withdrew, the glow around it pulsated warmly and almost reassuringly...

...

...

[ A Day Ago ]

"Just check my memories if you think I'm lying. The visions will prove my claim," Amidst heavy breaths Stark suggested.

Gustav's grip on Stark's neck loosened as he contemplated the suggestion to delve into Stark's memories.

The revelation that Stark knew about his rarely used ability to siphon memories was unsettling.

This power, known to wreak havoc on the mind of the person it was used on and it seemed Stark knew more about the existence of the Outworldly than he thought.

Stark's insistence and the gravity of the situation prompted Gustav's acceptance. He never spared his enemies but he was looking for a reason to give Stark the benefit of the doubt.

Gustav placed his hand firmly on Stark's temple while Stark braced himself, closing his eyes in anticipation of the invasive probe.

"This is gonna hurt," Gustav stated with an emotionless tone.