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Chapter 15: Mortality

Day 25

This was in no way a brain overload.

This was a brain meltdown.

His son, Sam Wolfe, was actually a No One! Not just any No One... but the most powerful No One in existence!

Sam was R3 the Writer of Reality!

Jason just couldn't stop staring at his son's face... Some part of him thought it was just R3's ability to mirror the person his audience wanted to see the most... But... then why would he call him 'dad'?

Was that really his...?

He reached out with a shaking palm... "Sam..."

Sam took his hand and helped him to his feet. "Yeah dad, it's me."

Heart pounding against his chest, Jason had to reach out and touch Sam's face with his own fingers. It felt... it felt real. The silky fur... the golden blonde hair... even the crystal-like scent. Everything was so real...

Wait...

"Oh crap..." he whispered, taking a step back. "I died didn't I? I actually died."

Sam's face fell and he raised one eyebrow while lowering the other. "No, dad. You didn't." His brilliant smile returned. "It really is me! I am R3 the Writer of Reality."

There was that brain meltdown again.

"What is the meaning of this!?" D8 exclaimed, leaning forward in his throne. "You surely cannot be this abomination's child! You are Jacob Reaper! You were born on another reality that was not Enria!"

Sam chuckled and turned his sapphire-blue eyes towards D8. Jason couldn't deny that those eyes were his son's... It wasn't just a case of him seeing what he wanted to see.

This was his son!

"How do you think I became the Writer of Reality, D8?" Sam replied, lifting a hand towards his chest. "I was born from the light and darkness of two people on Enria and raised in another reality. While I grew up as Jacob Reaper, my heart was bound by its connections to Enria. To my fathers."

Jason's mind slowly began returning to proper functionality.

"So... There were two of you...?"

Sam shrugged while breaking into a grin. "Sorta. When I learned about how you were born, dad, I knew I had to act. I had to remind everyone - Advocate and No Ones alike - that we're all mortal. So, I split myself into two. My heart was put into Enria while my body and mind remained on Naught as R3."

"That's impossible!" D8 ranted. "We would have noticed if you had done such a thing!"

"And yet you didn't," Sam chuckled. "You just weren't looking. None of you were. You all assumed that the empty shell sitting on the throne was a complete R3 because he looked the part. Mortals, especially No Ones, are not just about the power, prestige or the fact that we've obtained the right to our own realities. We all have hearts. If you judged that the creature on that throne was a true No One - an incomplete being without a heart - then I pity you, D8."

D8 looked annoyed... even terribly insulted. But it was hard to tell since he was just a chunk of armour. Jason, on the other hand, felt like he had been played... again.

"What did you do with your heart...?" he asked softly, feeling the hurt rising up in his chest.

"I sent it to fulfil what it was meant to do," Sam replied with a smile. "My existence was tied to Enria, dad. I had to send my heart to you or I would never have been born. I deposited my heart in an orphanage. I never had parents here on this reality except you and Brett, dad. I grew up alone until you came and picked me up."

Jason shook his head in disbelief. "But Sam - you... You seemed so sincere when you told me about your parents..."

Sam nodded. "The heart remembers all its connections regardless of time and space, regardless of status memory and regardless of reality."

That's right...

"My heart kept all of my connections even if I didn't have the memories to fit them."

The pieces started falling into place...

R3 - Sam - had to enter Enria for two reasons: to ensure Enria survived the Malefactor Invasion and so that all existence survived as well. R3 was tied with the creation of the No Ones and thus basically all of existence... if he wasn't around, no one of them would exist. Dan would never have become a No One and thus Jason would never have been born... once again returning to the fact that R3 would never have been born either...

If Sam hadn't been there to give Jason advice... Jason would never have reconciled with Brett... and they wouldn't be standing now...

"If you were so closely tied to this reality why did you not simply say so?" D8 barked. "None of us would have attacked!"

"That's a lie."

D8 looked taken aback by the simple accusation.

"Your vendetta against Dan has driven you to make rash decisions, D8," Sam said, eyes narrowed. "While I credit you for aiding in my creation, you can't go on being a No One carrying the sort of view on mortals that you do now. You can't go judging an entire reality on a personal basis against a single mortal. If you have a problem with someone, take it up with them. Don't involve an entire reality."

"But Dan has corrupted Enria! Your world!"

"His 'corruption' led to my creation!" Sam roared. His voice shook all of Devastation, causing Jason to stumble again.

Having only seen his son angry once before, Jason was surprised. This wasn't just his son... this was his son all grown up...

D8 sank back into his throne.

"This should serve as a lesson to you, D8," Sam growled. "I could simply have recovered my heart after my creation. I had what I needed." He turned his eyes towards Jason, the light shining through his sapphire-blue eyes and warming Jason's heart. "But I chose to stay because all mortals are ruled by their heart.

"People like you, D8, who hides behind their station and power and claim they are doing what is 'right for all' are liars. You have to be honest with yourself, trust your heart. It'll lead you in the end."

Jason's eyes widened... and his heart expanded.

R3 had split himself from the very beginning... Sam was born a short while after Jason's birth... They had practically existed in tandem. However, when Jason and Brett reconciled with one another and Sam's essence was born, R3 didn't need to keep his heart on Enria. There was no purpose. He had what he wanted.

But he still chose to stay.

Not because it had any tactical value.

But because his heart wanted him to.

He chose to stay with me...

"This should serve as a lesson," Sam said, smiling brightly. "I was mortal, just like everyone else on Enria. My mind and body excused itself from the affairs of the No Ones to show you all that I was not going to influence events as a No One. All the decisions I made, all events I partook in were all as a mortal, all as an Enrian.

"I will admit that my mind and body did offer a few bits of advice to my dad when he was in trouble," Sam said, grinning and rubbing the back of his neck bashfully. "But it wasn't anything major. Just telling him what he already knew."

Jason blinked in puzzlement. "What?"

"Reason," Sam chuckled. "I was Reason too."

Crack!

His son had been in his head!

Something told him he should've seen that coming... Mostly because that little 'subconscious entity' did look like R3 after all...

"That was where you were hiding," D8 murmured darkly.

"It was," Sam replied with a nod. "I didn't just live on Enria through the eyes of my dad but also as an Enrian. My ties to this world aside, I judge it very worthy of existence." He held out a hand towards D8. "There's no need to continue this, D8. Enria doesn't need to get in the crossfire of your little vendetta against Dan. You've already compromised Dan's chances of seeing the end of Jason's natural life since you shot him."

Jason's heart felt a stab of pain at the reminder and he winced softly.

Dad...

"Don't let the rest of Enria suffer for your pettiness. I've lived and died on Enria. I know what it's like to suffer and live as one of them. They have their hardships and their turmoil but they all stand firmly together as one. The bonds that they share make them strong and worthy to continue their stories as they see fit. I had hoped that my life and death on Enria would teach all the No Ones the true meaning of mortality.

"We are all the same. We have a mind, a body and a heart. But we are all mortal. We all carve our paths in the sand, we walk beside one another and take steps to our future one door at a time. We make mistakes but that doesn't mean we can't go back around. When we have the connections we share with those around us..." Sam turned back to Jason, his smile bright and genuine "... we will always find our way to that last door which will lead us home.

"Our hearts will lead us there."

Jason felt tears welling up in his eyes.

Sam - R3 - was right... He always was.

Mortality... Mortality meant that they were all the same. They were all connected by that one chain and their constant journey to the future.

"You have become a sentimental fool." D8 slowly rose from his throne. "You have become soft in your time as one of the Enrians. You cannot see that they deserve to be destroyed! Dan's corruption has seeped into the planet! His ideals has turned an entire reality against us! This abomination" - he pointed at Jason - "turned them against us!"

Sam rolled his eyes. "If your home was in trouble, you'd fight back."

"That is besides the point! They now know of us! They will turn against us! They must be destroyed!"

Slowly, Sam's chain-wings spread and he gently lifted off the ground. Brilliant light began encircling his armoured hands. "I see... So you've got your heart set on that then? Even with the other No Ones having learned from not only my example but also Jason's?"

D8 straightened. "Yes."

What!?

Jason was livid!

Even after all that... even after knowing that all the No Ones were against him... D8 was still going to destroy Enria! He heard Devastation powering up for another shot...

His heart jumped.

Was Sam going to sacrifice himself again for Enria!?

No!

I won't let that happen!

Jason gripped Zenith and Nadir.

"Fine." Sam winked at him. "Come on, dad. Let's save our home."

That brought a grin to him and Jason got to his feet, clutching the two weapons Sam had given him.

"Bring it on!"

D8 let out a roar of defiance, the eight wires on his back lifted him up into the air until he was at the very centre of the chamber. Loud, mechanical clicks fill Jason's ears as the mechanical walls all suddenly burst open and countless gun barrels were suddenly levelled at them.

Oh shit...

"I will take your advice, R3!" D8 shouted. "I will follow my heart! And my heart is telling me to destroy Enria! I will not let anyone get in my way! Not even you!"

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

Thousands of guns fired at the same instant. Jason braced himself -

Sam lunged in front of him arm's spread out wide. A transparent, bluish dome of light appeared around them. Bolts of energy bounced harmlessly off the barrier, ricocheting back at the guns and tearing through their metallic bodies with ease.

"Dad! Go for it!"

Taking that as a cue, Jason shouted and surged forward. He burst through Sam's protective barrier, lasers snapping at his heels. A blast of light came zooming straight at him and he leapt into the air to dodge. His feet landed securely on a glimmering, bluish platform suspended a metre from the air. Refusing to stop, he kept putting one foot in front of the other, more and more platforms appearing in front of him as he spiralled upwards towards the unmoving D8.

"Away with you!" D8 shouted, the two proton cannons on his shoulders suddenly swivelling towards him.

Crap!

WHOOSH! WHOOSH!

Twin bolts of purplish light shot towards him.

Jason lifted his swords to block -

... and Sam was suddenly in front of him. His son caught both the beams, swinging them aside and redirecting them into the walls, destroying a large number of the still-firing cannons.

Grinning, Jason moved, rising to within fifty metres of the hovering D8.

"Die with Enria, Jason Wolfe!"

Spheres of crackling energy appeared all around D8, spinning rapidly in a tight circle before raining down at Jason one after the other. Sam appeared in front of the first one, lashing out with his glowing fists. A blade of light erupted from his fingertips, slicing right through the sphere and causing the energies to dissipate in a burst of stars and flecks of purplish lightning.

"Just ignore them, dad!" Sam shouted. "I've got your back!"

Jason nodded and kept running up the transparent staircase to D8

Forty metres.

Sam kept appearing in front of each sphere, slicing into them, never letting a single one hit him.

"Energy is mine to command!"

Constant bolts of lightning began arcing out from D8's three horns, snapping at Jason's heels. One bolt came within an inch of Jason's nose... But then Sam was suddenly there, gripping the bolt like it was a rope or a whip. His son tore the bolt away from D8 and swung it wildly around, slicing into the walls and tearing more guns off the walls.

Thirty metres.

Devastation's power-up sequence was growing louder.

They didn't have much time!

"Tear of D8's wires!" Sam instructed.

Twenty metres.

"You will never make it!" D8 laughed.

Ten metres.

Jason thought fast.

Nine metres.

He grit his teeth and flung Zenith straight at D8. The white and gold sword spun -

Eight...

SWISH!

Seven... Six...

D8 faltered in the air as one of his wires was severed by Zenith's golden blade.

Five!

Jason lashed out with Nadir, the black sword transforming into a black whip that securely wrapped around D8's chest. The black sword pulled him the last four metres towards the No One of Energy and he caught Zenith in midair as it passed D8. He retracted Nadir and swung both blades, slicing through the remaining seven wires. He crossed his blades, pressing them against D8's armoured chest and pulled them apart, drawing a heavy, 'X' shaped gash across the No One's chest and sending D8 crashing against his throne.

The Derelic_t_ smashed_right through_ his throne, turning it instantly to rubble.

Jason found secure footing on one of Sam's platforms and was slowly dropped back down to ground level.

It was far from over.

D8's body was suddenly encased in electricity and the No One rose into the air ominously. A globe of pure energy surrounded him, crackling and lashing out with thin bolts of lightning and barely even tickled Sam's barrier.

"Ernia will be destroyed!"

The proton cannons on D8's shoulders charged with energy and swivelled around to point in opposite directions. Twin beams of pure energy burst out from their barrels and D8 immediately began spinning, cutting a swathe of destruction in a tight circle.

"Amateur," Sam sniggered, holding up his right hand. One beam hit his barrier, not even causing a crack against the transparent field. Jason had to turn away slightly to keep himself from being blinded. Sam suddenly just clicked his fingers.

SMASH!

The beams shattered like multi-coloured glass, the shards crumbling to the ground.

"Perish!"

"Whoa!"

WHAM!

D8 surged forward, still encased in his shell of pure energy, slamming straight into Sam's barrier with enough force that it had actually caused a dent in the clear, blue barrier that stopped within an inch of Jason's nose.

Dang...

Sam rolled his eyes and smirked. "Really gotta have to resort to surprise tactics to best me, D8?" He made a crushing gesture with his fist.

D8's barrier instantly shattered and the No One tumbled to the ground -

Thud!

... only to have his throat caught by Sam.

"Watch this, dad," Sam said with a wink. His expression suddenly turned grave. "Door..."

He hurled D8 into the air and unleashed a spectacular spinning kick that send D8 hurtling towards the other side of the room. A big, black door appeared in the path of D8's flight, flinging open and shutting the instant D8 was past its frame. A second door sprang into existence right behind Sam and that sprung open. D8 hurled through it. Sam spun completely around -

WHAM!

And drove his fist into D8's chest, sending the No One flying past Jason. Another door appeared in his path, opening only to shut and disappear the instant the No One of Energy was hurled through it.

Jason jumped back as D8 was tossed over and over again through doors around his son in a circular formation. The Derelict would burst from a door only to cross paths with Sam who would send him flying through another door.

WHAM! WHAM! WHAM!

Sam's pace increased until he was a complete blur of motion.

Jason was getting dizzy just watching him.

Suddenly, Sam leapt into the air, skeletal chain-wings spread. A door sprang open above him.

"...to..."

D8 came hurling through that door and Sam seized his throat.

A final portal opened beneath him, lying flat on the ground. The circular gateway was jet-black and as it flung open, dazzling light sprang from its confined, almost blinding Jason.

"... Eternity!"

Sam hurled D8 straight down, hurling the No One straight through the door.

SLAM!

The door's portal shut close and disappeared.

Jason blinked the stars away from his vision.

"That was fun!" Sam laughed.

"Is it over...?" Jason asked, blinking away the tears.

"Nope."

A tremendous, frustrated roar cut through the silence and D8 appeared in a burst of energy back at the centre of the room. His proton cannons were heavily damage, appearing unable to fully function. One of them had its barrel completely melted shut.

"I will not be defeated!"

D8 held a rather small, unassuming handgun in his hand and pointed it at Jason and Sam.

Jason smirked.

You've got to be kidding me.

All that and he's pointing a handgun_at us?_

BOOOOOM!

Jason's heart almost stopped when his world was suddenly encased in pure white and he was knocked to his back by the sheer force of the blow. Immeasurable G-forces pressed him against the metal floor of Devastation, attempting to turn him into a wolf-pancake. Deafening roaring filled his eardrums and it felt like the sound alone was liquefying his brains. His lips were pulled back by the force. He tried to scream but his voice was drowned out by the blast.

Slowly, the roaring faded... and the white light with it. The stars persisted for a long moment as did the awful feeling of the world shaking. He saw Sam standing above him, arms crossed in front of him and a faint grimace on his face.

"Wow... Gotta admit, that was pretty strong, D8," Sam said, with a slight, nervous laugh. "I might be getting a little rusty."

Jason wasn't too disoriented to register that. "What!? Are you telling me D8 could actually win!?"

Sam shrugged. "Hey, we're all mortals, right? We all grow and develop."

"You're not making me feel better!"

"Die!" D8 roared. "Both of you!"

He pulled the trigger -

Time seemed to slow...

"Dad," Sam said softly. "Let's end this."

Nodding slowly, Jason instantly pushed himself off the ground, leaping to his feet in one, deft move.

D8's tremendous beam of pure energy surged forward from that tiny, handgun, hurtling towards them like a wall of white death.

Jason spun towards Sam just as he son turned to him, his son's hands cupped together. He leapt into Sam's palms and was hurled high into the air, leaping far over the beam. Sam summoned a door behind him and jumped through before the beam could engulf him.

Soaring through the air, Jason gathered his two swords. Zenith shattered into its ten shards and on some unspoken command, they hovered around him like a shimmering, white halo. Jason seized one of the shards and hurled it straight at D8.

THUD!

D8 staggered as the blade cut into his chest.

This is for Chris...

THUD!

... for Kevin...

THUD!

... for Robin and Warren!

THUD! THUD!

For all those people that died...

THUD! THUD!

... and all those people I love and care about...

THUD! THUD! THUD!

Jason dove straight for D8, plunging Nadir straight into the No One's helm and digging it there deep. They both crashed to the ground, D8 breaking his fall.

But he was far from done.

He tore Nadir from D8 and the core of Zenith. The nine remaining shards of the white blade sprang from D8's prone body and hovered in the air around them. Jason swung the blades in his hands upwards, sending D8 soaring into the air. Light erupted from both his swords as they merged into one. Beams of pure, white light sprang from each of the shards hovering around him, fusing into a single weapon.

Power like he had never felt before surged through his body as the combined swords sprang forward into a single, glorious, white sword ten metres long! Its shimmering light basked the entire chamber, illuminating every corner and filling all with its warmth.

... this is for Enria...

Jason leapt into the air, swinging his blade at the airborne D8.

WHAM! SWISH! SHING!

He unleashed blow after blow. Spinning cut, overhead slice, uppercut, jab-jab-jab, circular cleave, diagonal slice and finally...

Jason jumped past D8, bringing his sword above his head as he soared above the prone No One.

"This is for all mortals!"

BOOOOM!

*****

To all on Enria, a dazzling light suddenly erupted from somewhere high above the cloud cover. This light cut through the clouds, breaking their ominous shadow over the entire planet. Devastation's dark visage was soon illuminated by the light from the inside.

A thunderous roaring filled the ears of all, heard from all the way across the planet, across the stars and to every corner of the universe.

_Devastation's_form shuddered... and crumbled.

The dark, metallic face of the castle was dissolved into the light, each crumbling fragment of the castle completely engulfed in the blinding embrace of the illumination.

A wave of light washed over all of Enria, sweeping across the reality and leaving a trail of soft, white, glowing feathers in its wake.

As the light faded, twinkling stars were revealed between each of the feathers. The clouds that had loomed over the planet of Enria for so long had vanished...

... and the starry night sky was revealed at long last.

*****

...

Thud.

Jason landed on his feet in a plane of endless white.

He was breathing hard and his injures were finally catching up with him... Weakness was threatening to close his eyes permanently... but he was determined to end this battle. Swinging around, he readied his sword to face off against D8...

... all he saw was an empty suit of armour resting on the ground.

What...?

"It's over, dad."

Sam stood beside him, frowning slightly.

Why isn't he happy...?

"You don't look happy..."

Sam offered him a faint smile. "No matter how much you plan, no matter how much you hope, mortal fate shall and always be in mortal hands. I can only write my own story and through my own tale, I edit the tales of others. No matter how much I edit others' tales, however, it is their story to write." His eyes turned to D8's armour. "There will always be a chance people won't follow the path I set out for them. I had hoped D8 would see things my way after I became the bridge between the No Ones and mortals... after I existed both as an Enrian and a No One...

"But of course... he didn't follow..."

Jason suddenly felt fear grip him. "Did I just...?"

Sam shook his head. "No. You didn't kill him. He's severely injured, that's for sure. It'll take some time for him to recuperate. But you drove your point home. If a mortal, an Enrian, can rise up to defeat even him, then it is clear that he is not as infallible as he thought. He was wrong... he knows that now." Sam grinned evilly. "Still not gonna let him off the hook for endangering my dad, of course."

He strode over and picked up D8's helmet. "I was thinking of using the 'Punishment of a Thousand Pickle Jars."

Jason blinked and inclined his head to the side. "That's that?"

Sam's grin broadened. "I was thinking of stuffing a part of D8's armour into pickle jars. One for each jar. There will be pickles in there as well. And since D8 was one of those No Ones that don't like homosexual relationships, I bet he's just going to love the symbolism."

...

Jason just couldn't help but laugh. Imagining a No One in that kind of punishment... It was fitting... a bit cruel but certainly fitting.

Then his mirth faded as he stared at his son.

"You've got a lot of questions, right?" Sam asked.

"Yeah..."

A door sprang up from the whiteness behind Sam. "Let's go talk somewhere a little more comfortable."

They passed through the door and Jason was instantly hit by a wash of familiarity and the same chilly air of the world that he loved. He saw Newroads stretched out before him as they stood on his favourite cliff edge. The same cliff edge that Brett took him to and where he had gotten married. Sam sat down on the edge of the cliff, gazing out into Newroads.

Jason sat down beside him.

"I'll start from the beginning," Sam began. "My story is a weird one, dad... it has two beginnings... and where one ends, the other begins. The start of my physical memory, my mind, begins in my home reality of Mortaelis. That's where I was 'born by natural means' to a pair of timber wolves, Isaac and Rebecca."

Wait a second...

"Weren't those -?"

Sam held up his hand. "Let me finish, okay, dad?"

"Alright..." Jason murmured begrudgingly.

"I went through hell in Mortaelis... Don't know really how it began... but somehow, someone found the thing that binds all existence down. This is before EX. There was an order in all existence before the No Ones. Mortals rose up and wanted to take that power for themselves, to bind existence. Myself and some others stopped them... but that power was shattered. Existence itself was unravelling before our very eyes.

"The person that would become EX sacrificed himself to become the new cornerstone of all existence. He still stands here and now, holding all of us together by that one connection that we all share: mortality. I promised him that I'd take care of him and that one day, I'll set him free. That's what I'm trying to do. I'm trying to make sure everyone gets their own realities, that they become the rulers of their own existences so that not only will EX be freed but so that if an existence - a reality - was ever threatened like it was in my world... it won't affect all others."

Jason wasn't sure what to think... His son was incredibly noble... Sacrificing all eternity and happiness to ensure that everyone else could be happy. He couldn't imagine how long his son had been at this, working tirelessly to free EX.

"Then," Sam chuckled, "one day, my Librarian comes up to me and tells me he found a very interesting book. A book with my name on it. Now, I had my book at that point, if you remember. So I was curious what this second book was. Turns out, it was the... 'second beginning' to my story. It wasn't mine entirely but it was connected to me."

Sam turned to him. "It was your story, dad. It was Legacy."

Legacy...

My legacy to Sam...

"I read it," Sam said, smiling, his eyes cast into the distance. "And it turns out, I had to do a couple of things to make sure I actually existed. So I had to manipulate events here to make sure that I was born. Dan had already had you and Legacy was how I learned about your existence. I had to make sure things went according to plan but I also foresaw D8 trying to even the score with Dan after I sided with Dan. After all, it was Dan's problem, not his to interfere.

"I also realised that many of the other No Ones were getting a little drunk on their power. They were starting to think that whatever they did was 'right'. They made mistakes but whenever they did, they would claim they 'meant to do it'. Arrogance was showing in many of them and I had to remind them that they're all mortal."

"So you split yourself, to heart and mind and body," Jason concluded.

Sam nodded grimly. "It was to show them that if they could worship a shell that has no heart as a leader then they themselves were terribly flawed. At the same time, I would show them the value of the heart. It was my heart - Sam - that helped you save the world once and it was your heart that helped unify Enria against the No Ones.

"I'm sure all of them have learned this now. D8 will take a little while to absorb it but he will get it eventually."

Jason collected his thoughts and nodded slightly. "So you couldn't act..."

"... during this attack because if I did so outwardly, then I would be making my point moot. If an empty shell could forge reality for the better, then I would be telling the No Ones that they don't need their hearts. All mortals are ruled by their heart. While my mind and body held the power, my heart still controlled it. It was never a separate entity. It was me."

Jason glanced at his hands... and noticed they were shaking. "Did anything you feel...?"

Sam's hands suddenly wrapped around his own. "Dad, you have to believe me. Everything I said, everything I felt, it was completely genuine. I was just a heart then. Pure emotion. No mind to contradict it or control it. I wasn't like the other No Ones who let their minds filter their heart's words to alter their actions. I was - I am a heart that rules mind and body."

"Is that why you stayed...?"

Sam nodded faintly. "It would've been easy to just break away right after the Malefactor Invasion. I could've stood in front of all the No Ones, even D8, and showed them my findings. I could've cast my vote as well even if it would've ended with a tie and stalled the Apocalypse Protocol. But then... you asked me to live with you and... I... I just couldn't say 'no'.

"Sometimes, the path our heart takes hurts... and people suffer because of it. I'll make sure those people that perished lead happier lives." Sam winced and glanced away. "You probably think I make a horrible Writer of Reality..."

Jason turned to his son, reaching out and grabbing Sam's chin lightly. "No... I think you make a great one. Listening to your heart... You lived as one of us... and listen to your heart. If all the No Ones could've been like you, none of this would've happened."

Smiling, Sam said, "Thanks dad."

"One thing I don't get though..." Jason began. "You told me that day when I woke up after defeating Chris that you were my son... and you said you had two sets of parents..."

That made Sam chuckle. "All I said was that I was your son. I didn't say how. I also said I manipulated events so that I would have two gay dads after my 'biological' parents. Which is true. Remember, I'm the one that took myself from Envy. When I split myself in two, I dropped myself off at the orphanage. Isaac and Rebecca were never in this reality but I remembered them from the connections in my heart. And even if I didn't know it back then, you two were those gay dads I mentioned because those connections already existed before time began for me."

It was a sort of twisted loop...

R3 made Dan... Dan made Jason... and Jason made R3... who, in turn, make himself exist...

"And I thought my life was screwed up," Jason laughed.

Sam spun a finger aimlessly in the air. "Yep. I'm a regular screw-up. Who better to watch over all existence?"

Jason shook his head. "Okay... So all those times that you appeared to me but I could never see your true form...?"

There were countless incidents when R3 appeared to Jason but only appeared as a regular Enrian or even a bird. Jason was sure he had switched on his ability to see through a No One's disguise but he could never see R3...

"Is because I wasn't whole," R3 answered with a smile. "You were just seeing the shell."

"Really?" Jason asked, with a faint smile. "Then why was it that one time in the Sea4 Club, I saw an older version of you?"

Sam grinned. "Really? You saw me?"

"Erm... yeah..."

Shrugging, Sam said, "I think that'd be because there was already a connection between us that cut through space and time. Remember my ability to appear as the person my audience wants to see the most?"

"Yeah..."

"Well, that's deeply tied to the connections a person has in their heart. I guess the connection between us was strong enough that you actually saw me for... well... me."

There was something incredibly heart warming about that.

Jason held Sam's hand tightly. "So... General timeline for those of us who aren't omnipotent beings that control all existence?"

Sam laughed, lifting a finger. "Okay... I was born on Mortaelis and became R3."

"Got it."

"I met Dan and made him F6."

"Right."

"Then Dan had you."

"Yup."

"I learned about my connections to Enria and split myself."

"Okay."

"I helped you during the Malefactor Invasion and thus played a part in my conception."

"Check."

"I then took my own heart and brought it back to Mortaelis where I would be born."

Jason nodded with a smile. "And the cycle starts again..."

Sam laughed. "Yeah... I know, I'm weird." He turned his gaze to Newroads. "But I'm glad it's out in the open, dad... Now I just gotta tell daddy..."

Remembering Brett, Jason leapt to his feet. "Oh god! Brett!"

Sam's bright laughter eased his worried. "Don't worry, dad. They're all fine. A little banged up but fine."

A bright, white double door with a blue crystal heart at its centre appeared in front of them, hovering a few metres from the edge of the cliff. A bridge made of those same transparent, blue panels appeared leading from the cliff to the door.

"They're waiting through that door."

Jason took a step towards the door... then stopped and turned back to his son. "You're not coming?"

Sam smiled sadly back at him. "My story on Enria is over for now, dad. I've neglected my duties long enough. I have to get back to work."

His heart gave a painful twitch. "But... you'll come back to visit, right?"

"Of course!" Sam laughed. "I'm not gonna miss out on seeing my dads. And who knows, I might need another holiday later. But you know..." Sam's features softened. "You could always stay with me... You've earned your right to your reality, this reality. Daddy has too. You could spend it here. You'll even get to see grandpa since your 'natural life' would have ended."

The temptation was there...

Jason switched his gaze from the door... to Sam...

It seemed like he was at a crossroads... the door to his final home rested right before him... and all he had to do was open it and step through...

To spend eternity with his family...

... or return to the shattered world that he had saved time and time again.

He had no doubt there'd be more trials ahead of him on Enria...

... but...

Jason shook his head and took a step away towards the white door. "Sorry, Sam. My story still has places to go on Enria. I've got lots more doors to open. Maybe later?"

Sam seemed sad but he smiled brightly and nodded. "Sure thing, dad. Oh!" His son pulled out Zenith and Nadir from his starry coat and tossed them to Jason who caught them easily. "You might need these. My overprotective dads need to handle their own swords."

Sam winked.

Jason stared at the weapons...

... and a realisation hit him.

"You really are a bastard, son."

Sam laughed and hiked a thumb over his shoulder. "Don't I know it. Bet you'll love our holiday home too."

Jason looked past his son...

... and broke into a grin.

"Thanks, Sam."

"Call me, 'Jacob', dad."

Jason shook his head. "Nah, you'll always be Sam to me."

Laughing, Sam shook his head and broke into that brilliant, darkness-breaking grin of his.

"See ya later, dad."

Epilogue: Doors

Dusk

They looked so peaceful.

Twins.

One a dragon and the other human.

Two couples watched the slumbering duo from behind the thick, glass window into the maternity ward of the Newroads National Hospital.

"Got names for them yet?" Jason asked, one arm wrapped round Brett tightly. His Rottweiler was resting his head on his shoulder, soft brown eyes watching the two babies through the glass.

"No," Robin sighed. "But I was thinking 'Kevin' and 'Jennifer'."

Brett chuckled. "They would've loved that."

There was a moment of silence.

Then Warren sighed heavily. "You'd think she'd take the time off her busy schedule to come see the birth of the girl that was named after her."

Jason laughed, and nudged his best friend's ribs. "Come on, Jen's got her work cut out for her. She's rebuilding not only all of Newroads but the whole goddamn world! Being Chief of Reparations isn't an easy thing, you know."

Warren rolled his eyes. "Fine. But I swear, she had better come to their first birthday!"

Turning back towards the two babies, Jason sighed.

Warren and Robin had decided to keep their children. It was a tough choice but one that Jason didn't mind. Ultimately, Jason knew that his real child was looking after them, watching over them all and making sure the world was safe.

Besides... one day, he knew he'd get to see Sam again.

Brett gently nuzzled him. "Come on, Jase... Let's go. We got places to be."

"Right."

They bid their goodbyes to Warren and Robin and left the hospital, driving through the quickly repairing Newroads. There were still lots of debris around but with the united efforts of superheroes and former-supervillains, everything as progressing quite smoothly. There were still several villains that sought to plunder and pillage but they were now severely outnumbered.

Conflict was always on the horizon but, as mortals, they would all make their own stories.

They had that right.

And they would always fight for that right.

The face of Newroads faded away as they sped up a familiar path through the mountains into the thick forests. The sun was rapidly setting behind the mountains casting a beautiful, orange-red shine upon the world as they reached the familiar cliff edge that held so much importance to them.

Jason and Brett got out of their car - Jason grabbing a bouquet of flowers - and headed up to the tall statue that stood at the edge of the cliff denoting a powerfully built wolf with six wings on his back. The plague on the statue read:

In Memory of Dan Phoenix Wolfe

Loving Father, Loyal Friend and True Enrian

A True Hero and Father to us All

Jason stood in front of the statue and rested the flowers at the foot of the statue.

"Dad... Wherever you are, thanks for everything," he whispered.

The past few years had been so much...

When Dan came and picked him up from Jen's place, everything had seemed to fall apart. So much hatred had boiled inside him as he resented Dan for ruining his life again. Then... doors seemed to open up for him as he opened up to his father... and new feelings poured out of his heart. Dan had been his rock, the person he had clung onto for support and he thought would always be a constant in his life. While that proved to be false, his heart would never forget his connection with his father. Regardless of time, space and reality, they would remain together forever.

Connor stepped through the door and they carved their path through the future together. Love had blossomed between them, a mutual attraction born from friendship and two lost souls that were struggling against a difficult world. Connor's sacrifice had taught him what true love was capable of. Even as Connor fought him as N9, the connections their heart made - the doors they has passed through together - could never be forgotten and their connection was reforged.

Robin entered the picture, cold, uncaring and steely. However, beneath that icy facade was a true friend who had helped them through thick and thin and stood beside them even as the world seemed to end around them. Her inner turmoil was revealed and through her confession, she and Jason had become closer, true friends who stood and fought together despite the odds and saved the world.

Kevin who had seemed so unsure of himself and fearful had eventually broken through the darkness of his own heart and returned to bring the world a small sliver of hope no matter how small. His redemption was certainly complete.

Jen... who had put on a brave face for all and even as she lost her brother, she seemed so numb. However, she rose up from the depression, thought of everyone else and was now the cornerstone to rebuilding the home they all shared.

Chris who had sought the world's end at one point but had felt the love of Dan returned as well to led the world the scant few days it needed to muster its strength and fight back against the odds. Jason wished Chris the best wherever he was and knew Sam wasn't going to let one soul fade into nothingness, especially not Chris.

Warren... a good friend who had once fallen into darkness but had been pulled up thanks to Robin's mercy and love. He was so unsure of himself and at the same time so sure of his sexuality but when things came down to it, love conquered all and his connections bound his heart to the right direction.

And of course, Brett... The sanity in his insane world. His one true love... his other half... and the man he would spend the rest of eternity with.

Jason's fingers intertwined with Brett's. The sun was setting far behind them and the lights of Newroads was starting to spark back into existence. No one would forget what had happened... The scars on the planet of Mortaelis would never be erased.

But no one would forget that they, the people of Enria, had stood up against the No Ones... had defied the odds, stood side by side regardless of race, religion, age, occupation or their destiny.

"We'll never forget," he whispered softly.

Brett gently wrapped a hand around his shoulders, holding him tightly. "Let's go, Jase. Enria still needs us."

Jason chuckle and turned to his mate, pressing his nose against Brett's. "If it's the same with you, though... I don't think I'm gonna be a superhero anymore."

His mate looked a little surprised but that quickly faded. "Gonna live off everything that you made as a superstar and more now that you single-handedly saved the world... again."

A grin crossed his features as he licked Brett's nose tenderly.

"Nah... I was thinking about starting a school..."

Brett raised his eyebrows. "A school?"

"Yeah. It'll be a new beginning. Not just for us..."

Jason turned back towards the glimmering Newroads... a smile on his face.

"... but for all of Enria."

THE END