Valorverse-Rain Arcadia, free from Hate, but not his Pain.

[True Grave]

Listen to Rain's theme while you read?

Rain Arcadia stands in an open field in Paris, France. His eyes are sad in a remorseful way. Tears silently fall from his eyes and down his cheeks. There is a small, sad smile turning up the corners of his mouth. His posture and body language is strong. He is resigned to death.

His hair is brown and short. His eyes are a warm brown. His height is 5'8". His weight is 150 pounds. His build is average with little fat or muscle. His skin tone is pale Caucasian. His appearance is so unremarkable as to be forgettable.

That would be the case if his purple Soul Aura wasn't surging around him. He is Soul Screaming, tapping into his most deeply held belief. Free of Hate, it is 'I must pay for my murders with my life'. His Soul Energy is directly tied to his negative emotions. Ironically, he is most powerful under the mindset of righteous sadness. His Soul Energy is rising without end.

His Soul Aura is getting so powerful that he can't avoid disturbing the earth. Shockwaves are emanating from him. They alone could kill a normal human by stopping their heart through shock. The gods, Old and New, take notice. Will you come to the Universe of Gods and fight us? We welcome you.

But Rain does not have that ambition. He wants to die, but who can kill him? He stands and waits for his executioner.

"I'm sorry, Scott. Use your fist of justice to avenge the innocent souls that I have murdered."

The more his power is resisted, the greater it grows, so who...who could possibly kill him?

 

[True Grave]

Rain Arcadia is 25 years old. He wears an unfitted black graphic T-shirt, baggy blue jeans, and worn out tennis shoes. He dresses like a kid because he was never taught by his debilitated mother or dead father how to dress like a grown man. No one in his neighborhood or school cared to reach out and he never went to them due to embarrassment and shame. All of his other family was dead and neither his mother nor he had any friends. Given that his powers can only be activated by negative emotions, it seemed his destiny to become Hate.

 

[True Grave]

Listen to Lithuel's theme while you read?

What if Lithuel had only been knocked out by Hate and confronted Pain for a rematch?


Lithuel winged into the air, passing through the hole Rain blew in the wall to escape. He used Soul Energy to increase his speed further and rapidly caught up with Rain. Rain turned around and fired multiple energy blasts at his pursuer. Lithuel slalomed around them while charging angelic Soul Energy into his right arm. It solidified around his right arm and he threw a right straight aimed at Rain’s nose. Rain’s Soul Aura hardened in response to the threat, stopping it cold.

The halfling held his ground, not pushing forward or giving an inch. Looking into Rain’s eyes, they were completely different from the deeply unsettling eyes of Hate. These eyes were the complete opposite. They didn’t want to kill but invited death. Lithuel felt sympathy rather than fear. The only word that came to mind when looking into his eyes was Pain.

“You know, motherfucker, we don’t have to fight. You can surrender and we can work something out, you know?”

Rain closed his eyes and smiled softly before hanging and shaking his head.

“I must die in order to atone for my mass murder. That is justice!”

“It doesn’t have to be!”

Pain raised his head and looked into Lithuel’s eyes with resignation and conviction.

“It does,” he said in a strong voice.

Free of doubt but full of sadness, Pain’s power exploded and rose without end. Lithuel solidified both angel and demonic power on his arms before punching Pain’s Soul Aura rapidly in order to gain ground. As he pushed forward, it hardened and resisted without limit. Pain’s power was operating in direct opposition to his wishes and without his direct control.

The only way to break through was for Lithuel to Soul Scream. Tapping into his hatred of oppression, his angelic Soul Energy rose without limit. It was catching up to Pain’s Soul Energy Level but was still far behind. He punched through the Soul Aura faster, but then started punching just to hold his ground rather than move forward.

“RAIN!!!” he screamed from the bottom of his soul.

Lithuel’s caring reached Pain and injected some happiness into him against his will.

The faltering sadness was the opening he needed. Lithuel rapidly punched through Pain’s Soul Aura while grunting in exertion. With nothing standing between them, Lithuel threw his right arm back and it solidified with all of his angelic Soul Energy.

“There is another way!!!”

As he screamed these words, Lithuel delivered a body uppercut to the solar plexus of Pain with everything he had. The breaking of the sound barrier and the shockwave occurred just as Pain folded around his fist.

Lithuel’s Soul Aura disappeared. After pulling his fist back, Rain face planted into the grass. Involuntary survival instinct had caused his head to turn to the side, so Lithuel checked his pulse. It was strong, so Rain would be fine when he woke up. Lithuel collapsed on his ass, sweating and panting.

“You’re definitely going back into that storage tank, you crazy bastard,” he said with a smile in his voice.

 

[True Grave]

Listen to Spirit Rider's theme while you read?

What if Eric Coverdale/Spirit Rider had gotten to Pain first?


Spirit Rider summoned his motorcycle with a wave of his hand and quickly mounted it before shooting quickly through the hole in the wall made by Rain's escape. His Soul Energy augmented his speed and he raced through the air in a blur of green. Rain turned around and fired multiple energy blasts at his pursuer. Spirit Rider slalomed around them while charging green Soul Energy into his motorcycle. It solidified around his motorcycle and he attempted to ram Rain in the face. Rain's Soul Aura hardened in response to the threat, stopping it cold.

Rider cooly regarded Rain.

"What happened with you and Scott? You two seemed to be vibing well."

Rain smiled sadly.

"I don't really know who you are, but if you fight for justice, you must kill me. It is the only way to atone for my murders."

Rider shook his head.

"No can do, amigo. The boss frowns on killing mortals."

Rain's eyes never left his nor did his sad smile ever waver.

"I guess I'll have to force you to. That is all I can do now."

Rider sighed in annoyance.

"I guess if you won't surrender..."

He extended his right palm, turned the palm up, and flared up with a green Soul Aura as he gathered all of the wind and oxygen within their surroundings into his palm. Pain began grasping his throat with both hands as he choked. His Soul Aura stopped expanding but held firm and solid.

"Well, shit," Rider said as he realized that he needed to work fast before Rain suffocated to death.

Rider began Soul Screaming, tapping into his most deeply held core belief. His green Soul Aura exploded out of him with intensity and force. Rider twisted the throttle of his motorcycle and rammed Rain's Soul Aura at full speed. He carved through it until the Soul Aura itself began intensely resisting him. Rider realized that it was time to hold absolutely nothing back.

"GET OUT OF MY WAY!!!"

Rider's short black hair stood on end. An F-5 tornado was unleashed in all of its violent and intense power. Rider thrust his right arm forward with the palm out, which turned the F-5 tornado into a wind tunnel that relentlessly traveled forward. The tornado fused with his Soul Aura and drilled through Pain's Soul Aura before sending him tumbling around in a circle. Rider hurriedly calmed the storm, using the gentle breeze to set him softly on the ground. After returning oxygen to him, he rode over to check on him.

Rider checked the pulse of the unconscious Rain. It was strong and he was breathing evenly. He gave Rain a relieved smile.

"You stubborn bastard."

He picked Rain up by the shirt and slung him over the back of his bike. Rider then twisted the throttle, slowly turning around to take him back to the Shadowgreen storage tank.