"I'll do it," Riley replies, "I'll erase Gene."

"I'm not helping with that," I glare, "I gave up on my genocide long ago. I won't allow anyone to be erased. If you're going to do this, I will have to stop you. Besides, it's clear he's recovering from his trauma. He can be saved, and even though we won't get much screen time there, we need all the help we can get in the canon series if the Author is going to win whatever war is going on there."

I heard all of that, and he has a point, but I think we should. Gene is a threat.

"Hold up," Manny steps in, "stop. Let's think rationally. Satan is our ace. He can't roll against Satan. Without Satan we don't stand a chance."

Hold up.

Hey Ash?

"Yeah?" Ash asks, walking down the streets of the dying town, its decay ever slowly spreading through the town like a plague. The air is stale and uneasy. The buildings, with some exceptions appears to be on the brink of collapse, one particular exception is a restaurant, fancy, themed after Heaven with gold and white being the main colors where Phoenix and Gene are.

We need you to settle something.

"Let's hear it," Ash smiles.

If Gene could be redeamed, would you still erase him?

"I dunno," Ash shrugs, "probably, but I'd be willing to reconsider if necessary."

Thanks.

"Look," Riley glares, "I'm doing this, with or without you."

"He's your father!" Manny exclaims.

"He is a mad man," Riley retorts, "now I'm doing this. Goodbye."

Riley flees, and Manny prepares to go after her.

Let her go.

"What?" Manny asks.

This is her story now, your arc and Ash's arcs are basically done, especially if Ash doesn't erase Gene and joins the Author's army.

"Is that the plan?" Ash asks.

Oops, you heard that. Satan's in, are you?

"I mean," Ash shrugs, "I may have originally been those who erased Edgar, but if that's what the world needs, I'll put that aside, but I need to know that we can trust the Author."

More than Reaper in that timeline.

"OK," Ash replies, "I'm in."

I'd say, "I resent that," but you're not wrong about my canon self being insane.

Yeah.

Let's see what Riley sees, maybe she'll reconsider.

I give Riley my font.

I get a table at the only good place to eat still in business, obviously where Gene is. He's on the other side of the joint. I could attack right now, and it'd be over. I could throw his soul into the void and shatter it like glass...

I slowly work my way closer to him, working my way towards him by blending in with the others, angel waiters and customers of many races as I get closer. I overhear their discussion...

"You actually wrote that?" Phoenix laughs.

"Yeah," Gene chuckles, "and that's how Riley was conceived."

"You still got those pages?" Phoenix jokingly asks.

"I do," Gene admits, "but Sour didn't want them getting out, and letting them read it now would just be disrespectful."

"You miss them?" Phoenix asks.

Gene grabs their hand and smiles, "not now that I have you."

Well that's adorable. Still though, gotta stop him before-

"Can you do me a favor?" Gene sighs.

"What's wrong?" Phoenix gently touches his face, "are you OK?"

"I..." he sighs, "I need you to save Riley."

What?

"What?" Phoenix asks.

"In my throne room," Gene elaborates, "under the cushions of Sour's unused throne, there is a concentrated sphere of pure magic that will allow you entry into the canon timeline. I want you to go there and take Riley with you. This timeline is dying. I want you to take her and leave before it's to late."

"What about you and the others?"

"Hold on," Gene gets up, "I sense a font."

Gene rolls perception...

He rolls a eight.

"My intention was never to save this world," Gene sighs, "it was to allow a group of readers to manifest and let them fall to this world. Let their manifestations live just long enough to have a will to do so, then destory this world. My final vengeance as a malevolent God. But... I can't do that to the one I love and my daughter. Please, the concentrated energy is just enough to escape. It's what's left of my brother. Take it, and save my daughter."

Riley thinks.

Is it really worth erasing Gene?

Ho don't do it...