Chapter Text
Osaka Tower stood looming on the horizon. Helicopters buzzed around the massive building like flies. There. There the Beast would be able to show the world that the extraordinary exist. Soon, everyone would know Kevin's pain. Once David Dunn, The Overseer, recuperated, they would finish their battle in a place where all would see. The Beast began to bolt in the direction of the tower, but a small hand seized his wrist.
Looking back to find Casey was the brave one squeezing his arm, the Beast growled, "Release me."
"Let me talk to Kevin Wendell Crumb." She pleaded.
The Beast flinched, shaking his head. "No!"
Casey fiercely pulled him into an embrace, holding on tight.
"Release me!" The beast snarled, more desperate.
"I need to talk to Kevin Wendell Crumb!"
He could crush Casey if he wanted to. He could pry her arms away or throw her across the parking lot. Yet, he couldn't, and he didn't want to. Casey was pure, and his kindred spirit. He, the unstoppable super being, was weak for this girl's empathy and touch.
"Release me..." the Beast whimpered, knowing that he would not be able to resist her any longer, and that if Kevin came out into the light they would all surely die. "He needs me!"
Casey held on tighter, refusing to let go of the creature that once ripped her leg open, intending to eat her. The Beast had instead liberated her, allowing her to set herself free from the true monster of her life, her uncle.
"Kevin Wendell Crumb!" Casey cried.
The Beast twisted and twitched in Casey's arms. He didn't want to relinquish the light, but he had too. He was powerless against her. It was time for the Beast to sleep.
Casey could feel his muscles relaxing, growing smaller. The visible veins underneath his skin disappeared, and his soft blue eyes returned. Kevin had taken the light.
Casey let go of Kevin, stepping back to look at his face. Their eyes met, and soon both were full of tears.
"Hey... Casey..." Kevin whispered, joy slowly spreading across his face.
Casey nodded, smiling back at him. "The Beast listened to me, you have control of the light now! It feels good, doesn't it?"
Kevin squeezed his eyes shut in relief, pushing more tears from them. Casey's hand came up to cup the side of his face, imploring him to keep looking at her.
"Will you stay in the light with me, for a little while?" Casey asked.
Kevin nodded yes. His own hand came up to squeeze hers.
A sudden dread washed over Casey. From the corner of her eye, she could see a bright red light shining through her hair. She turned to face it, leaving Kevin open. Casey spotted the sniper laying on top of a nearby van. Before she could react or step back to block Kevin, a bullet tore through the air. She looked back to see Kevin with a pained expression on his face. They both looked down to see a hole in his abdomen pumping out hot blood.
Casey's eyes widened as Kevin began to drop, but she swiftly caught him and lowered him to the ground safely. He could now lay comfortably in her arms. Kevin looked up at Casey, who smiled down at him like an angel. Tears from her eyes fell onto his face.
Across the parking lot, Elijah Price was dying on the cold pavement. His mother kneeled by his side. Dr. Ellie Staple had moved back after admitting to Elijah that he had been right about everything. All that he believed in was true. Little did the doctor know, Elijah had one last card to play. For now, though, it was time for him to die. His eyes locked onto his mother, her loving proud gaze was unwavering.
"...I'm not a mistake, Mama." Elijah said triumphantly, fresh blood seeping from his mouth and nose.
"You were spectacular." Mrs. Price praised.
Relief came to both of them when, while still smiling, the life left Elijah's agonized body. The mastermind behind so much death, had met his end at last.
By the destroyed water tank, David Dunn gagged and choked as he laid on the soaked ground, unable to stand. Boots squishing against the wet grass approached and surrounded David. Roughly, one man dragged David across the grass and onto the pavement by a deep pothole filled with water. Before David could manage to push himself up, the man began dunking him. In between forced gulps of water, David could see Dr. Staple approaching. The Doctor rushed over and crouched down beside the Overseer. She outstretched her hand.
"David, take my hand!" Dr. Staple commanded.
Struggling, David managed to reach out and grab ahold.
With a bright flash of light, David's vision was transported momentarily into the past. He immediately recognized the Doctor dressed in white. She was sitting at a restaurant table. After a group of people left the building, the restaurant became dead silent. Dr. Staple stood up. She began to speak of her plans to rid the world of super-powered individuals.
Back in the present, David stared in shock at the Doctor, releasing her clover-tattooed wrist.
"I wanted to save you! All of you!" She cried, "Superheroes can't exist in this world! If I had convinced you... you could have lived! I'm sorry."
Standing up and walking away, Dr. Staple did not look back as the men continued to drown David.
"I like being nine! It hurts Casey! Make it stop hurting!" Hedwig moaned, looking to Casey with big frightened eyes.
"Hedwig..." Casey sobbed, shaking her head.
Casey held his bloody hand tightly. Refusing to let go of her captor turned friend. She desperately wanted to make it stop. Sweet Hedwig didn't deserve to feel such pain. Surprising herself, she realized she didn't want any of them to die. Not even the Beast. Casey didn't expect the police that came in to just shoot him like that. She figured they'd try to arrest him instead. Regardless, because of her actions, he was dying. They were all dying.
His facial muscles twitched, and a different set of eyes were now looking at Casey.
"Casey... we need to clean these dirty pants! They're covered in blood... ah!" Dennis groaned.
Casey's lip trembled. To the end, Dennis's compulsion to be clean still concerned him more than his fatal injury.
With a jolt, another identity took the light.
"Ladies and gentleman... Patricia!" The announcer stuttered before closing his eyes. With a sense of urgency, they then snapped back open, and Patricia locked her eyes with Casey.
"N-never doubt... never doubt that I believed! I always believed in him!" Patricia said, fighting back tears.
Casey smiled at Patricia, and for a brief moment, the woman smiled back.
Kevin returned to the light suddenly, his accent letting Casey know it was unmistakably him.
"They're so scared Casey." Kevin said.
"Don't be scared." Casey weeped.
Kevin turned to face Casey fully. His eyes were gentle as they gazed into hers. His red lips parted and a smile crept over his face.
"You're really my friend?" Kevin asked, searching Casey's gentle brown eyes. She nodded.
"Then I'm gonna hold the light until the end. Until the very end." Kevin promised.
Casey's face twisted in pain as she held him. She didn't want to accept that he was going to die in her arms.
"It's not so bad being in the light." Kevin gasped, finding himself reaching a state of calm he had never felt before.
Casey's smile dropped when Kevin went still and his hand let go of hers. The brightness in his eyes was gone.
"Kevin? Kevin!" Casey pleaded, shaking him lightly in a desperate attempt to resurrect him. Realizing there was nothing more she could do, fresh tears began to pour from her eyes. She placed a kiss on his forehead, saying goodbye, and hoping that this last comforting touch could guide them safely to wherever their souls would go next.
Successfully drowning David Dunn, the men who surrounded him began to back off. Joseph Dunn sprinted across the parking lot to his father's side once the men let him out of the van he was being held in. Devastated, the young man fell at his father's side, screaming as he held onto him. His father, the unbreakable superman, no longer had a beating heart. His lungs were full of water. Joseph beat the ground furiously before standing up to shove away the men that drowned his dad. He then attempted to preform CPR on David, but as he tried, the men began to pry him off.
As Joseph struggled to break free, two men lifted David's body off the ground and began carrying him away.
"No! That's my dad! That's my dad!" Joseph shouted.
Dr. Staple walked into view with an apologetic expression on her face. "I'm sorry Joseph, but the world can't know."
With those cold words, she walked away, following the men as they carried David's body into a van. Joseph could see Elijah's body was already inside it.
A man placed his gloved hand on Casey's shoulder, pulling her attention away from Kevin's body.
"We need to take him." The man stated, leaving no room for protest.
Casey complied, she set Kevin gently against the ground before standing up. Shivering and holding herself, Casey watched as more men came over and lifted Kevin up. They carried him off towards a van on the other side of the parking lot. Casey followed them until she found herself standing beside Mrs. Price and Joseph Dunn. Once they were all together, and the doors of the van slammed close, Dr. Staple turned to face them all.
"Speak of this all you want. No one will believe you. Heroes don't exist anymore."
Casey, Joseph, and Mrs. Price all stared contemptibly at the doctor. Dr. Staple turned on her heel and marched back into Raven Hill Memorial. The van drove away.
---
Inside the van, Kevin's body was still bleeding, and water trickled out from David's mouth. Elijah's body was set on a stretcher in between them both. While Mr. Glass was truly dead, unable to survive his extreme injuries, both Kevin and David's bodies were still clinging to life. Inside Kevin's brain, most of the alters were asleep, having accepted death. All but one, the Beast, had let go. The supernatural animal that existed to protect Kevin refused to fail his divine purpose. With this last bit of brain activity, Kevin's body began to twitch. His muscles grew and dark veins appeared. The stress of the change pushed more blood from his body, but by this point the Beast was awake. With a growl, he pushed himself upright and looked down at his wound. He winced from the pain, but quickly turned his attention to David.
Climbing over Elijah's body, the Beast then crawled on top of David. Being as gentle as he could be, the Beast began pressing David's diaphragm, pumping the water out from his lungs. He breathed air into his mouth, restraining the urge to bite his enemy. Finally, David jolted and heaved. He began to sputter up water. The Beast eased David onto his side so he could continue to cough.
When David spit out the last bit of water, he looked back in astonishment at the Beast.
"Why in the hell did you save me?" David said shakily.
"I need you to help me now." The Beast said, gesturing to the bleeding gunshot hole in his abdomen. "We can finish our fight later. Both you and I, our lives are not meant to end just yet."
David nodded, agreeing with his adversary. There was no way he was going to die without seeing his son again. The Beast too, seemed to need something more, or else how could he have such a strong drive to live? As much as David wanted to finish the Beast off and prevent further bloodshed, David understood that he owed The Horde one.
"Ok, hold still. I need to get the bullet out."
David reluctantly reached into the wound with his fingers and fished around for the bullet. The Beast all the while let out inhuman growls in agony. Finding the bullet, David pulled it out. By this point nearly the whole floor of the van was covered in the Beast's blood.
"Now we need to get you out of here. You're still going to bleed out completely if we don't cauterize the major blood vessels." David said seriously.
The Beast grinned darkly. He moved away from the van doors. David Dunn stood up. He looked down at Elijah's body and let out a heavy sigh. "Sleep well, Mr Glass."
David ripped off a shred of Elijah's coat, stretching it into a more pliable consistency, and tied it around the Beast's waist to stall the bleeding. David then turned his attention to the doors. With several powerful hits, the van doors flew off the back of the vehicle. David heaved as he slung the Beast's arm over his shoulder. The Beast was growing tired, but had enough in him for one last attack.
The van screeched to a stop, having noticed its doors were flying down the road. Five armed men exited the van and marched to the rear, guns at the ready. To their surprise, they were met with only the sight of David Dunn laying on the ground.
Confused, they were unprepared for when the Beast lunged out from under the van and attacked three of them at their legs. Distracted, the remaining two men didn't noticed as David reared up and struck both in the kneecaps. With all the black clover society guards momentarily down, David Dunn and the Beast made their escape. They dashed off the road and into one of the many alleyways of the industrial section of the city they were in.
---
A day later, Mrs. Price, Joseph, and Casey each received the security footage from Raven Hill Memorial. Soon, they met up and posted everything online. Together, sitting at the train station, they watched as the world took notice. Now, despite their grief, a glimmer of hope sparked in their hearts. Their loved ones had died so that others like them could rise. The world now saw that superheroes were real. Elijah's plan had worked.
That night, Joseph was sweeping the Dunn Home security store when he heard a thud at the door. Alarmed, he cautiously peered around the corner to see a tall shadow blocking out the light of the street. The shadow's outline looked like that of a tall man in a rain poncho. Joseph could feel his heart stop.
"Dad?" He mouthed in disbelief.
Rushing to the door, Joseph unlocked it and David Dunn fell into his son's arms.
"How?" Joseph cried, "Dad how are you alive?"
"The Beast," David said, "He revived me."
"Why?"
"Because he needed me to save him, so I did. We broke into an empty apartment. I used a blow torch to cauterize his gunshot wound. He's very weak right now. His injury will take at least a week to heal with his abilities. He promised he wouldn't try to feed for a while. We're not done fighting, but for now we're at a standstill."
Joseph nodded, taking it all in. "I love you so much, dad."
"I love you too, son."
---
Across town, Casey rested comfortably in her foster home. She shared a room with two little foster siblings, Sadie and Emily, who both had crashed hours before Casey entered the bedroom. Crayon drawings on the walls and a soft yellow night light in the room reminded Casey painfully of Hedwig. She curled up in her bed, hoping that she could join the kids in sleep, but her mind was restless. Casey couldn't stop thinking about Kevin and their last moments together. He had no idea the sacrifice he made would benefit the world as it had. Casey tried to take solace in the fact he was finally at peace and free from pain, but she couldn't help wish that he could be there to see the success. Kevin Wendell Crumb, despite the awful things his alters had done, was a good person. To tell him how she had put her uncle away was a true moment of beauty shared between them. Casey would've never known that feeling if it weren't for him.
The world was now awake to its potential, and knowing that more heroes would rise gave Casey enough relief to finally shut her eyes. Her foster siblings all took great joy in knowing that comic book characters could be real. Casey tried to let that joy spread through her.
A chill crept through Casey late into the night. Cold night air swirled around her for a moment, but then was quickly replaced by a warmth. The feeling of strong arms wrapping around her and holding her washed over Casey. She figured a part of her longed to be comforted like that, but was confused by how real the sensation felt. A heartbeat could even be heard thumping against her back. Growing less foggy, Casey figured one of the children must have crawled into bed with her as they sometimes did. No, the hold was too strong. The body that curled around hers was too large. Casey groggily woke up. Her eyes were first able to focus on the soft yellow night light. Gradually, slow breathing came to the attention of Casey's ears. Each breath sounded deep, but also ragged and pained. Casey recognized the sound, and a familiar scent hit her nose. It couldn't be? The Beast and Kevin and all the others had died in her arms. There was no way it could really be them with her now.
"Casey." The Beast breathed, squeezing her tighter.
A dread began to bubble up inside of Casey. She could feel him clearly now. His undeniable presence filled up the whole room. She looked over to see Sadie and Emily still sound asleep, and let out a sigh of relief. Turning her attention back to the Beast, she could feel his lips against the back of her neck. He nuzzled his face into her hair.
"...Is it really you?" Casey asked quietly, "How are you alive?"
"We can't die, child. We must avenge the broken."
Casey was at a loss for words. Still in disbelief that the Horde had survived, Casey tried to pull the pieces together.
"How did you not bleed out?"
"David. The unbreakable man. He helped us." The Beast replied.
There was a pause. Casey thought carefully for a moment.
"Are you mad at me, Beast? Have you come to kill me? It's my fault you all nearly died."
The Beast took a deep breath, his exhale sounding like a big cat's purr.
"No. You wanted to help Kevin. We care greatly for you, precious broken one."
Casey's hand reached up to gently hold his. She could feel the Beast flinch, but eventually accept the touch.
"I am beyond happy that you all aren't dead... but I am scared. I don't want you to feed on the impure anymore." Casey whispered.
"I am too weak to hunt and feed. It will take a full week of me being in the light to heal rapidly enough. Once I am strong again, I will fight David in front of the world. Our battle will be glorious, and all will see that the broken are the more evolved."
"You know I will try to stop you." Casey said bravely, tears beginning to form at the corners of her eyes.
"Yes. That is why I am taking you now."
"Where?"
"To my temporary den. I want to make a haven for those who have suffered. I must protect the pure. I will start with you." The Beast spoke, uncoiling his arms from around Casey.
Casey turned to lay on her back and look up at him. He was smiling softly. His black, bloodied eyes seemed to twinkle in the soft light.
Casey could scream for help, alert her foster parents to the Beast's being here, but that wouldn't do any good. The Beast may hurt them, or they may hurt the Beast. Casey wanted no one she cared bout to be hurt anymore. She had no choice but to accept the Beast's demands.
"I will come with you," Casey agreed, "but we must sneak away quietly, without disturbing anyone."
She looked over to the open second story window and swallowed nervously. "Do we have to jump out of that?"
The Beast grinned, nodding.
---
Casey and The Beast managed to climb down the side of the building just fine, however Casey could see clearly that the injury limited him greatly. He hissed in pain as he landed on the ground with Casey holding onto his shoulders. She hopped off of him and he swiftly snatched her hand.
Together they walked many miles. They ducked behind parked vehicles and into alleys when cars would drive by. During this time, Casey noticed the Beast was wearing new pants. Simple grey sweatpants. Without color, his weakened state seemed even more apparent. The wound on his abdomen looked uncomfortable. The skin was charred from the rough blow torch cauterization.
"I'm sorry about that. It must hurt." Casey said, gesturing to the wound.
"I'm sorry about biting your leg before."
"It's ok."
They arrived at the industrial section of the city in the early morning. Casey was fading fast, and she leaned against the Beast as they walked together. The Beast did not mind. Although Casey's touch was dangerous, he couldn't deny that he enjoyed the comforting feeling.
A rust-covered half demolished warehouse came into view.
"There." The Beast pointed.
Once inside, Casey was surprised to see the space was mostly cleaned. All the debris was pushed to one side and blocked out a window. In the center of the space was a nest of torn up mattresses and sheets. The only light source was the faint streetlight peering in through the cracks in the barricaded window.
"Is the bedding clean?" Casey asked.
"I let Dennis take care of finding the bedding. They are clean." He said, "Now, let's sleep."
Casey was too tired to refuse the offer. They walked over to the nest and crawled in. The Beast resumed wrapping his arms around Casey as soon as she laid down. While the feelings she felt from his touch were conflicting, she still shut her eyes and fell asleep, trusting him. The Beast purred again, rejoicing in the fact that Casey was with him. His wound seemed to hurt less with her around. In a few minutes, the Beast too, fell asleep.