Written by: Epicstu Wyyvernwriter

Time’s Bell tolled, but no snow fell, “a dry heat,” Mad complained softly as she leaned against a tree. The sun was just rising when Mad walked around the tree only to have her own combat knife shoved in her throat. Mad wiped the blood off her knife, “there, now I was never here,” as she walked over five of her own dead bodies towards her second destination. No Mad ever made it to the first location.

*          *

“She cannot be my Warpriestess, although I would highly recommend her to you, Brother,” God said to the End.

“No thank you,” the End replied, “I have enough trouble with the one already.”

“She would make for a decent Agent,” Time suggested.

“I can not argue that,” God agreed.

“There are few Wyyverns who would align well with her,” the End rebutted. “She may become more trouble than she is worth if not properly assigned.”

Time smiled down at Mad. He had an idea, “leave that to me.” Resetting the timeline so all five previous Mads would be at the second location of the sixth Odessey with a bell’s toll, he continued to observe and access her resolve. An Agent’s must be cold and unyielding always.

*          *

Making her way toward the city carved into a mountain’s side, Mad was determined to do things right this time. She hoped and prayed that her pain would end soon. It did as a knife went through her spine and the last thing she saw was the first four of herself dead and on the ground before her, “Why?” She could feel the knife’s cold blade touch the back of her neck.

“To put an end to our pain,” said Mad and no Mad ever made it to the mountain city. She heard a bell toll and knew the third location would have her again, “the crossroads,” she thought to herself, “I must get there before they reach the gypsy camp just beyond.”  

“Oh, I think I might warn yourselves this time,” Time thought to himself. “I wish to see  how you handle prepared Marks, as Aleister calls them.”

*          *

A bell tolled, and Mad found herself face to face with four of herself, “What the?”

“Silence!” a low voice hushed, “you haven’t much time. You are waiting at the crossroads to kill you, all of you.”

“What a total bitch,” commented Mad. “Wait, did I hear you right?”

“Watch your language!” Mad snapped.

“Let me guess, you’re the second me,” Mad replied.

“Clearly I lost my manors before I hit your timeline,” Mad rebutted, “I bet you’re number four. Aren’t you?”

“Five, actually,” Mad glared at Mad.

“Wait a second… That makes you the one who decides to kill us all!” Mad pointed at Mad.

“Would everyone just get a grip!” Mad shouted. “You heard the little fennec fox with the fancy hammer..? Wait, where did he go?”

*          *

Mad walked casually toward’s the crossroads and was now in sight of them, “finally,” she thought to herself as she grabbed Mad’s arm as she attempted to aim her gun at her. She dismantled Mad’s pistol and drew her only to be countered and stabbed through the chest as Mad rolled around her to block an overhead swing. She countered it with a kick to the chest of the Mad who attempted it sending her down to the ground some distance away.

Ready to pounce on Mad and stab her through the heart, Mad found herself disarmed and punched in the face, “don’t do this,” Mad pleaded with herself. Mad wiped the blood from her mouth and spit before turning to glare at Mad and grab her by the throat. Bringing Mad to the ground, Mad screamed in her face as she bashed in Mad’s face with extreme prejudice.

The click of an empty trigger pull, “shit, I’m out of bullets,” said Mad as a rock struck her head. On the ground now and unable to stand back up, Mad’s vision was hazy as she watched herself try to stop herself from killing her. Beginning to fade into the darkness, she watched herself snap her own neck before coming to her to ensure she had passed.

“Ah!!!” Mad shouted as she tackled Mad to the ground only to be rolled off. She picked up a fallen combat knife, and Mad did the same. The two fought all through the otherwise still night until they had disarmed one another. They rushed in to punch each other, and both succeeded. A bell tolled, “it’s over. I am the first, and you will not get passed me. We will reach the castle of the king.”

“No you won’t,” Mad replied as she rushed in one last time. Mad charged in aswell with a left hook that never hit its mark.

“Our father’s knife?” Mad could not believe what had just been stabbed through her heart.

“You father’s,” Mad replied as she let Mad with the knife still in her heart.

Mad hurried to the final location, “there’s still time enough left to end all this.”

*          *

“I’m not sure I approve of your methods,” God said to Time, “what is the point of making her go through all this?”

“You and I both know I am not forcing her to do anything,” Time replied.

“I doubt that’s what he was reffering to,” rebutted the End.

“Patience, Brothers,” Time assured. “Have I ever not known what was doing?” He waited a good amount of time, “your silence speaks volumes, Brothers,” he smiled down at Mad.

*          *

Leaving a trail of blood behind her from her battle against the Mad’s who almost made it to the city, Mad limped to the wall closest to the King’s chambers in the dead of night. Drawing her grapple gun and shot the wire to the frame of a window and tried to ascend, but the mechanism was damaged. “Damn it,” she grunted softly as she hoisted her self up carefully by hand.

In his bed chambers and having fun with three beautiful young women held there under threat of their families’ deaths, the King stopped to see, “who is huffing and puffing outside my chamber window?” Mad hoisted her body up onto the window sill and layed there a moment breathing heavily. “Who the hell are you?” he asked. Mad drew her pistol and shot him dead in response.

“Finally,” Mad struggled to get to her feet, “well, on with it. Let’s toll that Bell,” Mad requested impatiently and Time’s bell tolled again. This time the Man had a new eye socket before he could devour Ilean. Emptying every clip she had saved just for him, Mad screamed at him. One for every Mad that she had killed and then one more for every Mad who had lost Ilean to him. Pulling the trigger of a gun with no more bullets, Mad could hear Ilean’s voice, but as she turned Time’s Bell tolled yet again. “Ilean?” but instead Mad met with a little Fennec Fox with a, “what’s with the fancy hammer?”

“Congradulations, you failed,” the Fennec replied.

“Failed?” Mad argued, “what do you mean failed? Was that all just some kind of sick test?”

“Yes,” the Fennec replied as he started walking away. “A test meant for a Warpriest and you failed it. Just as I hoped you would.”

“What’s a Warpriest?” Mad questioned as she followed him, “and why would you want me to fail?”

“A Warpriest must carry out the Will of the one whom they worship,” the Fennec replied. “Not something you would enjoy, I gather,” the Fennec inspected her and smiled at her speechlessness. “A Wyyvern Agent is what you shall be.”

“Agent?” Mad inquired.

“A willingness to do what is necessary for the good of the Multiverse as a whole. No matter the cost,” the Fennec smiled, “but a Wyyvern Agent never works alone,” his bell tolled and Ilean appeared before them belching up the God Wyyvern’s skull, “she’ll drag you where ever she goes from henceforth. Now I am sorry, but I need you to avoid the reunion for the moment. You both are going to New Valhalla immediately.”

Ilean growled, “yeah, what’s new Valhalla?” Mad questioned for her.

“There are two rounds left until we need Ilean and yourself to run jungler,” the Fennec replied as he brought them to her knew, “I had the best mechanics in the Multiverse put her together, your old one was damaged beyond repair.”

“She’s solid graphene,” Mad gasped as she looked her new ax-cannon bike.

“And,” the Fennec gestured further on.

“Betty!” Mad ran to the exact replica, “well, you aren’t Betty.” She smiled, “but you’ll do.”

“Wait. What’s running a Jungler?” Mad suddenly found herself in the stands with cheering peoples from all conceivable walks of Life. She was as young as she had been when Ilean and her first met and she was wearing brand new gear. Looking down at a Fennec Fox, much taller than the last, Mad could feel comfort from his presence and Ilean growled. “He’s family, huh?”

“Welcome to the round I’ve personally been super hyped for,” an ecstatic announcer shouted over the speaker system. “Edward Michael Dimir Versus! The 300 men who once stood successfully against an army of millions. Alongside their King, Leonidas, the Spartans!”

Zesrial scoffed, “foolish Fox,” as she held back her tears. “One scratch and we will never see each other again.”