#96

The Emperor is shocked and intimidated by Fox's sudden appearance. He has learned, in his long days of being two people at once, how to control his flinching, and so he does not flinch. He, does, however, sweat, and his sweating becomes stronger once he feels the raw power surrounding his Master. It crackles as The Unscene does, and he knows then that the deed has been done. Universe-Beta-4 is no more.

What makes the Emperor intimidated is that the Inspector has never shown up directly in the throne room. He's announced his arrival and appeared via the portal or the main hangar. It makes sense that he wouldn't use the portal after Imperial Central was destroyed, thus rendering most if not all of the portals inactive, but clearly the power balance has changed. Still. He controls the Empire directly, and not Fox, and as such he has nothing to fear—for the Inspector does indeed still need the Empire for certain operations.

“My Lord!” the Emperor says. “You've returned!”

Fox merely nods, with all three of his heads. He reached over and presses a button, which deploys a seat intended for those debating the holder of the throne. As he seats himself, the Emperor looks over at his flanking Crimson Guards, nervously. They have not registered Fox as a threat, and he figures their reflexes should have reacted to an extra being so suddenly flashing into the throne room. It's as if they knew Fox was coming. Then he recalls that his Master can sense his thoughts, and he is no longer protected by the split thinking of his clone. He is entirely by himself.

It is now that the Emperor takes note of Lefty Sinister, who has ceased even angrily groaning and has instead resigned himself to bleeding and being chomped. His blood is steadily dripping onto the royal carpet that leads up to the throne. “My Lord,” the Emperor says quietly. “Who...is that?”

“An enemy of ours,” the voice of Puck the Vulture squawks. The voice doesn't have the same whimsy as it once did, instead sounding very tired.

“I see. Um. If I may ask, my Lord...was the Beta-4 operation successful.”

“It was,” Puck then says. “Things have...changed, Kai.”

“Because of your absorption? I've been informed our devices at Tower 3 are active in response to that...”

“The secondary device will be triggered soon also. I have moved our plans ahead. The Beta-2 operation is also finished.”

The Emperor chokes. “What?”

“I took a division of the army to Earth-Beta-2, and activated the Ultra device at the Earth's center. It is presently destroyed, with the intent of the explosive's transmission code soon triggering the end of its universe.”

The Emperor says nothing. He wasn't expecting this...or was he? He can't remember properly now...there seems to be some sort of contradiction.

“Once that universe falls apart, I'll take its energies as well. But I'm not sure I'm...ready...”

“Ready, my Lord? Are you...” His tone becomes significantly less formal. “Are you alright?”

“No. No, I am not.” Fox stands up, and begins to stare at nothing in particular. “I grow closer to becoming something else, Kai. Something like what your namesake, the doctor, once became before his allies slew him. Or something like another son of mine, or another brother of yours, who became different. One who lies beyond my auspices, with nothing but a skull mounted on his shoulders.”

Lefty Sinister allows himself a single pain grunt before simply going back to limpness and bleeding. He figures that at least he's keeping Mack Greasy from talking.

“My senses are altered; I could uplink with your mind and show you what I'm seeing now, but it would likely drive you mad. And I can feel that my existence is distorting both space and time on this planet. I can feel many surviving minds being driven to anxiety or worse just by the fact that I'm standing on Earth. And my mind is attempting to wrestle with all this.” He looks at the Emperor. “You will be my anchor, Kai. You will keep me mortal long enough to confront your namesake, your brother, and their army of children. They are strong, Kai; they have the benefit of having never been heroes before. The weariness present in heroes—the weariness that I feel now—is absent in them, though they feel inclined to pretend they have it. They have the youth that will destroy antiquity. For even now I slip back in time, and become...ancient. Somehow.”

None of this is making sense to the Emperor—or did he say that already?

“Very well, my Lord. This Earth will yet be your flagship. And I am yet your servant.”

Fox says nothing, then, for a very long time. In fact, he will not say anything until The House arrives, with the party in it. Instead, the throne room is filled with the sound of chewing, and an occasional grunt.