Chapter 5.4: I'm So Sorry

"He has one," Clarence shouted. "Like the necklace! We need it!"

  Clarence changed his mind. No longer did he want Rikka's necklace, but he wanted what Ace had. "What if he breaks another window on the ship," Rikka mumbled. "I was afraid to change for that very reason."

"I was too," Levi groaned. "He probably doesn't even know what he's doing."

  A new kind of fear came over them as they worried that Ace would kill them all in his well meant attempt at saving their lives.

Invictus stood maginificent in his glowing white and gold armor, and his flowing iridescent cape. He stood, a god among mortals, seven feet tall, towering over even Levi at 6 ft 4.

His eyes glowed black, and no longer did he look friendly and happing, but like the living weapon he was meant to be.

  Confidence soared through his veins as he knew that everyone on the ship he was protecting was weaker than him. Their weakness made him stronger, literally, as the weaker someone around him, the sturdier his armor became, the taller and bigger he got.

He was invincible.

  Invictus' body shone even brighter, and a large shield covered him in a dome. Clarence glared and he pushed him straight up into the large chandelier. It did nothing to pierce his shield, as Invictus was truly untouchable.

  Everyone screamed as the glass from the large chandelier went flying. Clarence laughed and soon the pieces started flying towards his enemies, cutting their skin. Invictus flew towards him, light trailing behind him, screaming, using his shield as a battering ram.

Clarence scoffed, not afraid of anything, especially with the allure of power so close.

   Like a yo-yo, up and down Invictus was pushed in the ceiling and the floor. Pieces of ceiling went flying as Clarence laughed maniacly. With his free hand he flung them all out towards his enemies, further pushing them back and disorienting them.

  Still Invictus' shield would not break, and the sudden motion just made Invictus nauseous instead of wounded. Again and again Clarence's enemies tried to get close, but it was impossible.

  Kyle and Ryle ran towards him, but he simply increased the pressure, and their speed still could not work. Gabriel shot out hot beams of energy from his hands, but with a flick of Clarence's wrist they went flying back, right at him. He screamed in agony as he felt his flesh burn with the intensity of the sun.

Amy was too panicked to do anything and Mark stood in front of her, not wanting his own girlfriend to die like Ace's.

  The others had abilities that required a closer proximity, and they looked on in fear of both Invictus and Clarence, wondering which one would kill them first.

  "They are just persistent," Clarence grumbled. "Boys, turn your shoes on."

Levi watched, wary as their shoes all made a strange noise, and stuck to the ground.

  Clarence's eyes flashed brighter, and the entire room went up in the air. Glasses, fake plants, decorations, tables and chairs, people, the broken chandelier, a crippled David and Candice's corpse. They all rose into the air.

  "I love this part," Clarence moaned.

  Invictus knew at that height if they fell, they would die like Candice. Clarence simply relaxed, and let gravity do all the work. They fell back down, screaming accepting their fate.

  Invictus blinked and he teleported underneath them. Now that he and Ace were one they shared each other's abilities. He was unstoppable, and would leave the battle field the victor, decimating his enemies into mush.

  A large shield appeared above him and it caught them. It was gold and rectangular, and it floated in the air, letting off a dim hue.Clarence glared in disbelief, wondering what else he could do. It slowly lowered down and they all gasped, sweaty and shaking, grateful to be alive.

  Invictus, blinked again, and with all his strength, he punched Clarence in the jaw. He flew, straight through the open doorway. His body shout out like a rocket, but soon it came right back, never hitting the ground, as Clarence would not lose his only shot at true power.

  Clarence's eyes glowed red, and he pushed his own body back towards Invictus, screaming, using the force of his own attack cripple him. Everyone around Invictus got out of the way. He screamed, sounding more animal than man, the walls in the room shaking and groaning.

His cape was no longer beautiful and iridescent, but pure black and filled with rage.

All the broken objects and glass went for Invictus, but they were no use against his shield. He charged straight at Clarence, and grinned, knowing that he could win. Clarence flew at him, like a bullet, and threw a punch at his shield.

It didn't break.

  Instead it let out a shockwave, and Clarence grit his teeth in pain. Invictus was pushed back, yet again, and he barreled through the ship, crashing through walls, scaring passengers hiding inside cabins. His trajectory soon shifted, and like a cannonball he was pushed back the way he came, through the holes in the walls and Clarence screamed as he came towards him, wanting to win no matter the cost.

"I'll kill us all on this fucking ship," he bellowed. "I swear!"

  Invictus saw Clarence quickly approaching as he ricocheted towards him, and he simply blinked behind him. He smacked right into him from behind, the force of his shield killing him on impact.

  He flew like a ragdoll, his bones shattering, eyes popping out of his skull, and he slid on the floor, blood smearing everywhere. His body sounded like a wet sponge sliding across a kitchen counter top as it slid along the space liner's lobby.

  The friendly music from the TV, and the promotional company video played in the background as his crumpled body laid in a heap under the glow of the chandiliers.

  Invictus approached his body, unsure if he had truly died. He thought mortals were much stronger than they were, and expected a much longer fight. The adrenaline wore off and his cape turned blue. Guilt and shame washed over him as he knew in that moment he was not a weapon.

He was a security blanket, and he had hurt someone, the opposite of his very meaning of existence.

Invictus stared at his corpse and started to cry.

  People exited the ballroom, and were confused at his tears.

"I am so sorry," he cried. "So sorry."

Is he really crying over this man that almost killed us, Levi wondered. He's not like the others.

   Team 57 looked around and noticed that all of Clarence's men had run off, fearful and valuing their lives more than a necklace they couldn't even use.

  "Don't hate me," Invictus cried. "I had no choice."

"It.. it's okay," John mumbled.

They all were embarrassed for the gigantic man who stood taller than all of them, in large glowing armor, crying his eyes out.

"He… is he okay," Rikka asked. "Which one is he? I've never met him before."

"Neither have I," Harmonia whispered.

  Levi and Rikka's head snapped towards her direction at the same time and Harmonia squeezed her mouth shut, her cover almost blown.

One problem at a time, Levi told himself. I can force answers out of her later.

  Levi then remembered what happened when one was done using the celestials. They would become born anew in blood, bursting forth from the shell they borrowed, leaving the dead god's body on the floor.

Levi trembled in fear as he waited for Invictus to burst into chunks and cover them in tendons and bone from head to toe.

"Ace is going to change back," he whimpered. "Don't look."

Rikka and the others stared in horror, preaparing for the bloodbath that would come.