RECAP:

I patted his arm, wincing again at the sudden movement. "Thanks, pal. I mean, I could've died if I didn't get out of that jeep so technically you were second away from killing me—"

"Shhhh. Don't disturb the peace and the peace won't disturb you."

I gave him the stink eye. "Hey, that sounds like a stupid line I'd say. What are you doing, stealing my dialogue and all?"

My inner beast shrieked, and my knees hit the ground.

"Vhalerie?" Trent yelled.

I released a howl, my mind crashing against the beast as it rattled and shook inside of me. Trent stumbled back at the abrupt sound.

"Vhalerie, what are you doing?!"

My beast forbid me to answer.

Because something else was calling to it.

ARCHER'S POV

I heard it howling in the distance.

I smelled the moss crawling up the walls, tasted the last of my salty beads of sweat and felt my nerves vibrate.

I viewed the specks of water trickling into my mouth.

I broke away from the chains that I forced myself in, feeling the grasslands of the Heroes squish beneath my feet. A tail swoosh behind me, my bones breaking and mending into an unknown figure.

My white eyes were dipped in ocean blue, swirled of a grey fog to then be devoured by the colour black. The same black that matched my soul.

Hell answered my prayers.

+++

Chapter yikesidontrememberitsbeensolong

VHALERIE'S POV

"It's happening." A gleam flashed across Trent's eyes, captured by the sounds of haunting war cries.

"What—what—what do—" My voice fought to be heard, but the beast sunk its fingers into my bones and grabbed control of my vocals.

"Let it take you." Trent took a few steps back, disappearing with into the rest of the blurs that collided with one another.

I stumbled sideways as the inner beast seeped into my heart, blackening what I thought was the darkest colour my soul could go.

The Medallion around my neck glowed, it burning into my chest.

The magic of this creature turned my body inside out; sticky bones popped out of my skin, multiplying down my ribcage and hip bone. A scream left my scratchy throat as feathers spread across my back.

Scales grew past my arms, snaking around my legs like tight armor. This new weight dragged me down as my knees hit the grass, palms next. Nailbeds cracked and talons quickly developed, ten sparkling hooks flaring past my feet and hands.

The cry of another beast shook my bones, it setting off a new fire that roared in my chest. My inner beast cried out towards the call as it shook my ribcage like a prison.

My body was its prison.

But the beast made me its slave.

The wind howled and blew my hair up, it twirling like a hurricane before it dissolved into black feathers and midnight blue scales.

My throat closed, a black fungus growing up my throat and coated the walls of my mouth.

Teeth split in half, fangs rising on both bottom and top rows.

Human shouts crashed in and out of my ears, washing over my nerves before drowning my body in the echoed screams that followed.

Were they my screams? Someone else's?

I flinched, looking around, but the blurs intensified. I dug my talons into the ground, and dragged myself to my feet. The feather scaled wings was like a second body part attached to my back, it chained to my spine and weighed me down like an anchor.

I cracked my spine back, flinging my wings out and felt every bone in my body click at the rebirth of my beast.

This wasn't the beast I had conversations with, or befriended.

In very many cases, this was the monster that would destroy everything.

"Get back, you dummy bears!" Trent yelled.

I thought he meant me at first until the ants in front of Hero Academy were advancing. I squinted, zoning in on my mother. These insects were my people. Heroes.

Humans.

They swarmed around my feet, some in awe and others packed with weaponry. My wings flapped, sending a gust of wind that forced them to step away.

Orders came from soldiers and they prepped their canons in the distance to fire. I stretched myself forward, swooping my wings down again and the canons hit the wind like toys, spinning away into the ocean.

I took a step, feeling the crack of human skulls crush under my toes.

More orders shouted towards the sky, and before I could step forward, another cry shook the skies.

I jerked my head around, wings slapping across the ground.

A beast the size of me rose from the hills, it dressed in armour made of scales and metallic bones that covered their shoulders and knees.

Horns the size of trees shot past their forehead and thighs, claws growing past their knuckles.

"Wolverine much?" Trent coughed, before sprinting to the beach.

The beast roared and I noticed the familiar flicker of anger in its eyes. Tired, exhausted eyes that one reflected in my own eyes a few days ago.

That reflected even before then, but the day in the Villain Academy change room.

The eyes of a Citizen.

Archer.

My heart slammed against my chest, as my beast roared inside my lungs, shaking my insides cold.

How could I not figure that out? It was Archer all along.

The Beast of Citizens.

I set my foot down, trying to speak in English, but a growl came out instead.

I felt myself advancing on him, the human part of me pleading not to. But the animal instinct; the desire to draw blood and sink my teeth into his neck stretched across my brain like a plague It infected my mind and turned it into a thirsty killing machine.

Someone was going to die today.

His tired eyes grew wide, it swallowed by a blackness that both our souls shared.

His roar grabbed everyone's heart, pumping it to speeds that caught their breath. He charged forward, both of us running towards each other at powerful speeds.

Our heads smacked against each other, and my claws sunk into his shoulder. I pushed him down, smacking my skull against his. He flipped me over, slamming my back into the ground. The hill flattened, both of our weight sinking us into the grass.

His tail came swooping in, knocking my cheek as the spikes hooked into my skin. My head whipped to the side, pain rocking my head. Another smack whipped across the other side of my head, and I howled out in pain.

I used my wing to whack him off, sending him tumbling down the other hill.

I struggled to stand, the Earth shaking as I walked up. My blood tasted bitter and hot, it dripping across my chin.

Archer crawled onto his feet, and I flapped my wings up, flying upwards. I hovered over him, and his tail thrashed in the air to reach me.

I swooped under his tail and tackled him from the side.

I hooked my teeth into his neck and hurled him across the valleys, ripping a part of bone that now sat on my tongue. I swallowed it whole, tasting the flesh the stunk of blood and fear. It fuelled the adrenaline that pumped through my veins—yes, yes.

I flew towards the direction I tossed him in as the ground cracked as he landed on his back.

The talons on my feet scraped across his face and I swooped back down to come back around again.

He climbed to his feet in time to grab a hold of my wing and tossed me to the ground. My face smashed into the hill, dirt spraying across the land.

Cracks set off in my ear and I knew it wasn't from the ground. I screamed, the wind howling at my pain as the ocean waters churned at the big soundwave.

I flapped my other wing to break free but he grabbed onto the other one, starting to crush it into his fist.

Like strings breaking from a guitar, I could feel the bones snap in my wings and the burn of pain shoot up my shoulders and down my back.

A hot gust of wind swirled in my gut. The warmth spread up my stomach, and I opened my mouth. Flares of amber and gold attacked his face, flames licking his cheeks and nose. He released my wings, whacking off the fire off his face and I stumbled away, waiting for my wings to regain their strength.

He turned and whipped his tail around, cracking his spikes across my back.

I stumbled forward again, feeling the blood trickle down and around my scales, coloring my feathers bloody red.

If I killed Archer, the Beast of Citizens, the Heroes would win. History won't change and Heroes would still rule this filthy world. Nothing would change.

Right now—the Heroes sat on the throne and with them in command, they would keep Villains within their small, isolated properties and will refuse to help the Citizens, the bottom feeders of this world.

If this is what happens when the heroes are ruling, I refuse for this to go on.

His tail hurled at my head, and I heard a thousand more cracks in my head.

I—Beast of Heroes—was on the wrong side.

I pushed myself up one last time, and turned, quickly scaling towards the tallest hill. He stumbled after me, head tilted slightly from the lack of bone that I ripped off.

I made it to the top of the hill, and opened my mouth again, fire leaving my mouth until I felt another burst of heat hit my stomach. I coughed, and spread my broken wings out, touching the ends of the two hills across the valley. They flapped, and the heat wave shot up my throat again.

Lava spewed past my lips, spraying over the entire land. The hot slime crawled across the grass, it picking up speed as it descended down the hill. It stretched itself across any life as it swallowed moving creatures under its bright blanket of amber. As it suffocated and brought down life and rose death.

Archer roared and jumped up, running towards the ocean. The heroes rushed towards the ocean as well, some caught in the lava sweep.

I didn't know how to stop, but the anger and fury that came with this lava helped my body recover. I could feel my back heal, feathers growing out as well as scales the covered my wounds.

I didn't want to stop the lava from killing thousands. This was what was supposed to happen. This was destiny.

This was my nature.

Archer reached the shore and turned around again and roared. A pause of a heartbeat passed between us and he charged forward, into the lava and an eerie shriek of pain shot across the sky. The lava swarmed around his ankles, but he kept charging towards me and into the growing mountain.

The lava crawled its way into Hero Academy, crashing through the glass windows and flooded the halls and bodies that were left sleeping.

I spewed out more, flapping my wings up. The gust of wind shot him a step back, but he pushed harder through the lava. It devoured his ankles, reaching to his knees now. He advanced more as his scales burnt off along with several parts of his knees.

He fought against the treacherous heat and I kept firing, and as he was a few feet away, I flapped my wings again in hope to shoot him away. I couldn't move my legs, the lava and healing consuming all my energy. I didn't have to stop and run. I had to do this. I had to stand my ground.

I combined the fire churning in my stomach, spitting out both lava and fire, coating his face and body. I watched as chunks of flesh burned off, melting with the rest of the lava that pooled across his feet.

He leaped up, lava splashing across his face and drove the horn attached to his forehead through my chest. I felt it break through my skin, drive through my heart and out the back. A scream hit my core as the lava chugged across his shoulder and down his back, burning off half his face and his chest. My wings shot up, catching fire as flames roared across my body.

Everything cracked and he drove his horn further, a blackness dotting over my vision. I stumbled back and his hand caught me, holding me there as death slowly took its turn.

The Medallion around my neck flashed in the sun, it glowing with the rest of me.

Finally—the Heroes have lost. Their precious beast has fallen and their kingdom has crumbled. The Citizens will pick up the pieces, rebuilding this world into something much greater and healthier for all races; Heroes, Villains, and Citizens.

A soft roar left my lips before complete darkness swallowed my vision.

Heaven answered my prayers.

+++

Pink clouds. Lots of pink clouds.

I opened my eyes wider, and felt my body warm and gooey and...dewy. I touched my chest and cheeks and stared across my human legs. I was normal. I listened for the beast, and heard silence. What was going on? Where was I?

Holy fuck—was this heaven?

I wiggled my legs and then toes in case they weren't working.

They moved. That was a relief.

I slowly stood up, a bit wobbly of course, but I was careful to see if anyone was about to jump me.

I was here.

I was where?

This had to heaven.

Right?

A pink blossom tree sat in the middle of the meadow in front of me. A meadow? A meadow. Endless rows of pink flowers and tall grass that brushed my thighs. And sitting under that tree was Roger.

Roger?

Roger.

Fucking Roger.

He glanced up from the sandwich in his hands and waved.

I stared down at him from a distance, unsure if that fat was real or maybe it was just my imagination. "Did you gain weight?"

"I love how that's the first thing you say after you see me in the afterlife. Did I gain weight?" He snorted. "Obviously. I mean, have you seen these impressive rolls?" He grabbed his fat and shook it like jello.

Like fucking jello.

"Can't believe while I'm out there saving the world, you're fucking eating a sandwich," I said.

"Yeah, well, I wasn't the one who lit me on fire." He coughed and did an obvious thumb point to me.

"I can't control my body. I'm a teenage girl."

"Excuses."

I was torn between slapping the shit out of him or taking his sandwich to eat. I was fucking hungry—fighting and shit. Like, exhausting as fuck, man.

I took a step forward and Roger shrieked. "Don't!"

With one foot hovering in the air, I frowned. "What? What's wrong?"

"Booby trap!"

"I don't like trapping my boobs. Boobs should be free!"

"No, I mean angel booby trap!"

"Angels should be able to free their boobs too! What do you mean?"

"Don't put your foot down!" He stood up and put his hand forward, as if that would stop me.

"What? But I have bad balance!" I whined.

"Just don't or else—"

"Look, I can't hold this up for much longer"—I sneezed and set my foot down.

I glanced around in danger, scoping for some killer or some crazy ass hunting net, but silence arrived by my side. "Nothing is happening..." I whispered, glancing over my shoulder.

Roger let out an annoyed groan and shoved his sandwich in his mouth. "Give it five minutes and they'll be here!"

I frowned, looking around the grass to see if there was a caution sign or a big X or some string I pulled on that I didn't feel.

"Oh. There it is. A big pink X." I stared at it under my foot. "Really, how could I have not seen that?"

"Don't know, but you got both of us fucked. I've been trying to dodge those angels since I got here."

I shrugged and trudged over beside Roger and plonked down under the cherry blossom tree. "So how's death doing for you? Honestly, I'm surprised we made it to Heaven. What did we do to deserve this?"

Roger winced as he swallowed. "Ha. Okay, you won't believe this but, we're not actually in Heaven?"

"This is Hell?" I glimpsed around, admiring the meadow and pink grass and clouds. "It's pretty nice here. Cleaner than the school bathroom and it smells better than most places on Earth."

"No, we're not in Hell either," Roger corrected.

I frowned. "Where are we then? The life between Hell and Heaven—where the unchosen bad/good people go?"

He shook his head and plonked down beside me. "No. We're in the Medallion."

I stuck my bottom lip out in confusion. "Huh?"

"You know that Medallion the witch gave you a while back? The cute necklace you religiously wear? Okay, well, instead of letting me float to my death, it sucked up my soul as you burnt me to crisp and stuck me inside the necklace." He nudged my elbow. "I guess it sucked your soul in too."

I blinked back and stared down at my chest. The Medallion was gone—I was inside of it?

"How's that possible, muffin?" I asked.

"You think I fucking know? It's like, magic shit we're talking about. Anything can happen." He pulled a sandwich from his underwear and took a bite. "See? Magic. I couldn't do that on Earth." He started chowing down on that salami, mustard dripping across his shirt.

"You disgust me," I said.

"You fucking love it when I eat sandwiches. Hey, where did you put my ashes anyway?"

"In a sandwich bag. But now that I think of it, I probably should've put it in a trash bag."

Roger offered his sandwich and I twisted my face in disgust. "That came from your pants, you freak," I shot.

"Eh, more for me." He bit down on it and I shivered.

"So what's gonna happen when the angels arrive?"

He swallowed and wiped the crumbs across his mouth on his arm. "Well, they are actually guardians of the Medallion. Us getting sucked into their Medallion is kind of an intrusion and there isn't much room in this necklace thing. So I guess as invaders, they kind of have to kill us."

"And how have you been defending yourself?" I asked him, touching his stomach that went over his pants.

"Running."

"Wow. You've been running this whole time? Must've been some intense Temple Run shit up in here."

Roger wiped his brow across the back of his hand. "You have no idea."

"So... does that make us dead?" I stared up at the pink clouds, it endless as it just passed us by and came back.

"No. I don't think so. We're like in that spot between not being alive or dead. Like, we're sitting on that line no one speaks of."

I scratched my head and stared across the meadow. "Is there a way escape from this Medallion? Like an exit button? A 'your ride ends here' sign?"

"Well," Roger started. "Let's think about it. If there are guardians in there, they must be guarding something. That something could possibly be an exit?"

"Genius!" I slapped him a high five and he smiled.

"So we have to figure out where this door is..." Roger sighed and took another bite. "God, thinking really burns the carbs."

"Oh, I KNOW. Like, there is so much work put into everything I do. It sucks." I glanced around and saw several dots approaching us. "I'm assuming those are the angels?"

"Or they could be flying monkeys. I mean, it's happened before."

I shrugged and glanced around the skies. "Hey, Medallion!"

"What are you doing? Medallions don't talk," Roger exclaimed.

"Yes. It whispered to me all the time when I was alive," I replied, waving my hand in his face to shut him up.

"What if it were the angels whispering to you? Medallions can't speak."

"Oh, but they can suck in souls?"

"Yes."

I cupped my hands and screamed into them. "Hey Medallion! Wanna show us the exit to your cozy home? I feel like we've overstayed our stay, if you know what I mean."

"It's not gonna answer."

"Look up!" the voice whispered.

"Told you!" I screamed at Roger and bumped hips with him.

He stumbled backwards a bit, dropping his sandwich. "Nooooooooooo."

"Come again, oh great Medallion?" I hollered again.

"Look up!" it repeated. Wait—I knew that voice. That was...that was Trent.

I flashed back to the dessert where we obtained this Medallion. And then before I killed Roger, Trent was standing on the building...watching.

He wanted this to happen. He knew all along.

FuckingshitsticksonaBBQ.

For seven sins...

Trent wanted me to fight against the Beast of Citizens. He wanted me to kill Roger.

"I will break off this man's teeth and stick 'em through his eyes!" I screamed. "He used me! He wanted to overthrow the Heroes, and have the Citizens rule. So he rekindled that battle between Heroes, Villains, and Citizens, and made sure the Beast of Citizens would win between all three beasts."

The Citizens were just as bad as the Heroes...

Hells Bells, I had to get outta here!

I looked up, peeking past the clouds and suddenly it dawned on me. "Magic..." I whispered.

"Why are you whispering to yourself? I'm, like, right here," Roger said.

He opened his pants and pulled out another sandwich.

"Magic," I repeated and look down at my arms. I followed my gaze up to my shoulders and rolled them back, feeling the bones rotating. I shut my eyes, taking control of the bones and felt the flicker of heat rise from my chest and snake down my spine.

"What the fuck are you doing? You look like you're about to have the big O," Roger said.

I cracked my neck back, and felt my spine grow two separate bones, shooting out of my skin like ripping bark off a tree. Nothing smooth about that.

Bones burst from my arms, pink feathers growing past them until a colour that matched the clouds lined into beautiful pair of wings.

Roger took an abrupt step back, screamed and threw his sandwich at me. "What the hell are you? If you're a fucking angel, I swear to god, I will kill myself with a sandwich."

I stared down at him, a grin growing across my mouth. "I'm no angel, Roger. Nor hero or villain. Just a creature trying to get by."

"That was the worst final end of world redemption speech ever but o-kay, Miss dramatic." He rolled his eyes and pulled another sandwich out of his pants like it was no big deal.

"Dramatic? Whatever do you mean, sugar?" I asked him, batting my lashes.

"Don't start with me. I have a serious salami meat between these buns."

"That sounded so fucking sexual."

"Holyfuck. You're right."

A yelping call echoed from the distance and we jerked our heads up to see the angels swoop down with—

"Is that a machete?! The actual fuck is wrong with you people!" Roger put his sandwich up in protection as the blade cut it in half.

"Roger, this place is full of fucking magic. Use your imagination!" I yelled at him and flew up, beating my wings against the wind. I could feel myself effortlessly cut through the air, the weight of the beast out of my system.

Anyway, you knowing what this chubby boy did when I told him to use his imagination?

He clenched his fists, trembled in serious concentration with his eyes shut and suddenly, sandwich wings shot past his arms. Lunch meat, lettuce and a thin slice of bread flapped in the breeze as he stared up in triumph.

"You're so lucky there aren't any seagulls out here!" I shouted at him from above.

"Sandwich power!" he hollered and had a running start before blasting off with his new wings.

His fucking sandwich wings. Hells Bells...

I flapped harder, charging up towards the skies as I got closer to the pink clouds.

Roger wasn't far behind, squirting mustard out of his hands like Iron Man to boost himself up faster.

"That's disgusting," I told him.

"It's using my imagination."

The angels cried out in anger, charging towards us.

"Are we gonna make it?!" Roger cried out, trying to fly up faster.

"We better or we'll be angel food!" I beat my wings harder, and put my hands in front of my face as I broke through the pink cloud.

Then I kept falling... wait, falling? I opened my eyes and realized the ground was approaching fast...the green grass.... Hero High was right below me...

"We did it! We're on Earth!" I screamed.

"Unless we die at this impact, we won't stay for long!" Roger cried out, falling beside me.

"Right, sugar. Good point." I flapped my wings as hard as I could to steady myself and scooped Roger in my arms, diving down to arrive on the ground.

Heads looked up from the water, the line of lava stopping just at the start of the sand.

So there were survivors—thank the seven sins...

I swooped low and forgot how heavy Roger was for a moment, letting him slip out of my fingers and fall into the sand with a THUNK.

I followed shortly after, tumbling around the sand and felt a thousand grains of it get stuck between my wings.

I stopped tumbling and laid flat on my back with a groan. A small dot approached fast from the skies and my eyes widened, and I immediately rolled over. A loud thunk just missed my ear and I turned to see the Medallion land beside me.

I scooped up the necklace and put it around my neck, stuffing it under my shirt before anyone could see.

"Ughhh." Roger's groan made it across the beach and I ran over to him.

"You okay?" I bent down, brushing the sand off his cheeks.

He stuffed his hand in his pants and let out a wail.

"What, did you just find out there's nothing in those pants?" I asked him.

"No more sandwiches!" he sobbed and covered his face with both hands.

"There they are!" Trent screamed, pointing towards us. A herd of people ran over, sweat still gleaming off their foreheads and necks.

"Oh my god. People." Roger groaned. "Can I just stay here forever and not move. I don't feel like meeting new people."

"No, that means I have to be the only one to explain what happened," I said.

"And what's wrong with that?"

"Who will believe me? 'Yeah, so I didn't actually die and neither did Roger. This funky necklace a witch gave us in the desert saved our life by sucking our souls before they made it to Hell or Heaven—we have yet to decide—and kept us trapped with a bunch of crazy angels with machetes. Oh, and Trent used me so hold me back before I murder him."

"I'd believe that story," Roger said with a shrug.

"You'd believe anything," I said, glaring.

My mom and Trent rushed over, their own people or who was left of it anyway following behind.

"What happened?! I thought you were dead?!" My mom threw a hand up in outrage.

Trent nodded, uneasiness settling across his face. "Yeah, mind explaining the pink wings?"

All eyes rested on my wings, the feathers still broad yet light as hell.

"Where did you get those fabulous wings?!" Trent even added and brushed his hand over the feathers. "Softer than a babies bottom..."

My mom stomped her foot down. "What happened?! We saw the Beast stab you in the heart, and it held you for a moment before you dissolved into pink flames!"

"We had to fight angels and shit," Roger explained.

"An angel," she said.

"Yes, a fucking angel," I snapped. Trent's presence had me clenching my fists.

"Whose halo did you let up your ass?" Trent asked.

"Please tell me you didn't let him put a halo up your ass," my mother said.

"Amen!" said Archer.

"Don't even go there," my mother ended. "What is going on in this conversation?"

Wait—Archer.

My eyes met the young man as he moved through the crowd and stepped in front of me. Clothes tattered and torn, his exhausted eyes look even more drained and scales remained on his arms from his beast.

"Hey, hero," he told me.

+++

A/N:

That wasn't the last chapter—don't worry.

But WOW—okay. A lot happened. If you're confused: comment your concern, if you loved it: let me know in the comments so I can thank you and love you, if you hated it: give me constructive criticism if you feel like it.

Sorry for taking so long guys.

I just graduated from high school so final exams were crazy and then the after parties and prom and the July weekend—my summer is pretty nuts!!

I tried to make this chapter super long to make up for it. :)

PLEASE VOTE!

VOTING IS EVERYTHING. :)

Thanks so much for sticking with this story. Love you all and I can't thank you enough!

Archer as the Beast of Citizens (these are photos I found off of Google LOL)

Vhalerie as a Beast of Heroes (who breaths fire like a motherfuckingbadass)

Some fantastic fan art :)

ONE OF MY FAVE DRAWINGS OF VHALERIE😍💕

^^ Vhalerie 💕💕

^^THEY USED PEN AND INK FOR THIS HOLY CRAP GIVE 'EM SOME LOVE😍😍😍Honestly, my fave one.

If you sent me something, and I didn't post it--let me know!!  That way I can have it in the next chapter. :) 

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Love you lots.  Comment on the fan art that you liked!!