The Campfire

Night One Hundred And Seventy Three

Age 1981

"What the hell did you do!" God screamed his voice ripping apart the nearby landscape. His hands came out as he grabbed the six year old boy by the throat and slammed him into the wall. "What the fuck did you do! Answer me you little shit!"

All around them was nothing but a black void. In the distance the Earth as well as the moon could be seen. Only a couple of planets could be seen in the solar system though. And most notable though. The sun was gone.

"You actually went and attempted to break the sun!" God roared. "Are you stupid? If I hadn't sent it to the void at the last second it'd be gone! Do you have any idea how much power I'm using keeping all the planets going without a sun? I literally have to be the center of gravity for who knows how many things! You're lucky I can put it back before any serious damage was caused!"

Row's expression was blank as he stared at the man who was choking him. For a moment the crest on his chest seemed to light up. "Get off of me."

God felt himself be hit by an invisible force as he was suddenly flung back slamming across the ground, and making him gasp out. He looked up his eyes wide. For a moment his liquid suit shattered. It was only for a second, but that short time was enough to show an old man. He looked to be in his hundreds at least. Snow white hair, and ruby red eyes... The next moment though his suit pulled back up.

"You..." God hissed out. "You're... Those cells inside of you... It's not just mine... I get it now. You're worse than anything else. Pure Chaos. You're a Dreamer, with the power to make anything you dream of into reality. Power like that." A golden aura began to manifest around his body taking the shape of a massive golden dragon which wrapped around the entire dead planet the two were standing on. "I can't allow you to live. For the good of the multiverse. You must die."

Row stared at the beast a small smile growing onto his face. "I was told to kill you... They said if I do I can finally get a real family. Not one made up. My made up family is nice to though? Do you want to meet them?" He asked as his Crest glowed. And for a moment millions of life forms all ranging in size began to appear on the planet as the kid summoned every single thing he could.

***

Age 1991

The Void

"W... What the hell!" Row yelled slamming his hand into the wall. "This doesn't make any sense!" He screamed out.

"You're a dream." Otoko said walking towards the sleeping ten year old boy. "Does it have to."

"B... But how!" For a moment he stopped. He slowly looked back at Hero who was still on the ground holding his bleeding right side. "Don't tell me..." Row fired forward grabbing Hero by the jacket as he glared at him. "Don't tell me! Did you make me!"

"I... I don't know? I... I couldn't have?"

"Truth is." Yume grinned. "I don't even know who made you." He ran his hands through the sleeping Row's hair. "The Master has been slowly waking up little by little... Row... The fake one I mean. He was made for two reasons... The first was as a way to store the Masters Emotions. And the second was a way to tell when the Master would awake. If I had to take a guess on who made you... I'd say you both made Row here."

"T... They both did?" Row asked shocked.

"It's just a guess though. Hero could have made you so he'd have someone who understood him and could talk to him. Or the Master could have made you. Or maybe they both dreamed you up and you're a fusion of their dreams?" Yume shrugged.

"I... I'm not... I'm not real?"

Otoko frowned as he stared down at the boy. "So you're the one who killed Labby." He hissed.

"That's right." Yume smirked. "It started a while back. Hero here, was attacked by his... Well I was gonna say mom, but she's not really his mom. Ms. Law simply provided some DNA. Whatever the case the female Hero Law helped begin the process of waking up Row. He was up for a moment but decided to go back to sleep. However as he began to drift off he saw it. Everything Hero had did. And he realized how much he hated his creation. So he began to wake up. He went into a girl named Ken's mind, and killed the Labby there. He then later on talked to her. After that though he went back to sleep, and began to process of fully waking up, and getting ready to erase Hero Law. Around that time, was when the fake Row was made, and he first talked to Hero. Hero never even got a chance to talk to Row, as the first one he saw, has always been the fake. If I had to take another guess I think it's likely this was done to distract Hero."

"D... Distract me?" Hero asked gasping out.

"Yes." Yume nodded. "You see... You could have stopped Row, and put him back to sleep long ago. But now he's at a stage where that isn't possible. He's going to wake up. But before then, the fake was made. He was made to believe he was the real Row. That way you'd be distracted on him."

"I... I refuse to accept this." Row screamed out. "No way in hell I'm a fake... I... I can't be. I'm real. I'm real!"

Otoko let out a small sigh. He raised his right arm as it glowed and changed into Hero's drill arm. "Well whatever the case I'm ending this damn brat here and now-"

"You must not touch the Master." Yume announced jumping between Otoko and the sleeping Row.

"Wasn't really asking." Otoko grabbed the fake Yume by the head with his left arm as it became a solid black flame color and the black and red flames poured out as he used his Hades ability and fried the man to ash in a single attack. He stepped past the remains the black flames covering his drill arm. "And now you die!" He yelled slamming his drill down.

"...No..." It was a quiet voice that came out of the boys mouth but it was loud enough to shock everyone to their core. "I don't."

The entire room exploded into a ball of flames as everyone was flung back Hero felt himself crash into the back wall, as Otoko went flying past him. Row was still in the bed but white tendrils were forming out of him as black flames exploded off of him and began to cover the room. They washed over the fake Row who began to scream in agony as he began to be broken down into nothing...

"H... Hero." The man who had cursed his name, and wished death upon him so much said. "P... Please... Help me!" He cried out as the flames covered him up. "I don't want to be erased into nothingness! I don't want to be unreal! I want to live!" Row, the one who had been there with him ever since the weight of the world first felt like it would be to much, the one he had gone to whenever he had a question, the one he had began to consider. Maybe... Just maybe. They could be friends. Or even more than that. Brothers.

"R... Row." Hero tried to push himself up with his left arm but it gave out as he fell face first to the floor. His vision began to get heavy... And he felt his eyes close as darkness over took him. "R... Row..."

"You know... You've really grown."

He felt it. The heat of a flame. But not the black flames. Through his closed eyes he could see an orange glow.

Slowly Hero opened them. He stood in... Well a Void. But this one was pitch black rather than red. In front of him a campfire rested. A man could be seen hunched over the fire warming himself up. He turned around to face Hero, and for a moment Hero felt his heart drop, as tears began to roll down his face.

"It's been a while hasn't it... Son?" Piero asked his smile growing. "Why don't you have a seat-" He was silenced when Hero wrapped his single arm around the man. For a moment Piero set there before slowly a small came onto his face and he patted Hero on the back. "There, there... I've missed you to."

"I... How? Oh God am I dead?" Hero asked sitting up.

"Not yet." Piero turned back to the fires and patted the log he set on. Slowly Hero took the seat. Both were silent for a moment. "So... You're Hero Law right? You ain't really my Row..."

"Y... Yeah." Hero said bowing his head.

"I got the basics of it... I went and did something stupid. Left my dream to Row. And he went and did something stupid passing that dream onto you right?"

"T... That's right." Hero nodded.

"You'll need to forgive my son... He's a bit... Over the top. He didn't have a fair life growing up. Than again neither did you. Nor me for that matter." Piero looked up to the black sky above as he let out a sigh. "Still... You've done a good job."

"I... I haven't though." Hero said looking down at the ground. "I had to kill someone... I failed to save everyone in front of me."

"Just because you've failed doesn't mean you've given up." Piero said shaking his head. "I don't even think you get... Just how many people you've gotten to save. More than me. That's for sure. A world where Humans, and Bestia Macht can coexist. A world where no one is in danger. A world with peace. I knew such a dream would never happen. But still... It was such a beautiful dream I couldn't help but want to chase after it. But in the end I was to much of a coward to pass down that dream... Save everyone in front of you... I thought it would the right thing to tell Row. But it was to much. To much for anyone. But you know Hero. I think you have a beautiful dream as well."

"Y... You do?"

"Yeah." Piero's smile grew for a moment as his eyes dropped down to look at the fire. "A world where you can save your friends. A world where you can give your friends the power to save others. A world where there's a big pretty blue sky up above. One with no smog clouds. I think that's a fine dream. But I got to say... You've been running away haven't you."

"I..." Hero stared down at the ground for a moment tears running down his face. "I have. I murder North Glacious, to see if I could do it. See if I could bring myself to take a life. I tried to tell myself I did it for Irene. I killed her brother so she wouldn't have to see the sorry state he ended up in. But in the end that was a lie. And part of her knew it... I closed her off... And... before then to. Kitsune and I had trouble using our Rival Bond because of my emotions. So I closed him off to. Than Light, and Ken. I even closed off Mary when I found out she was alive. Before then to... I ran away from Leena because I didn't understand her love. Not just her. Lucy. Ken. Max. Shelly. All of them. Even Row... I just can't seem to stop running. I was even unable to save my little brother. I really am I coward."

"Yeah... You are." Piero nodded. "I'm not about to sit here and tell you lies. Like how you're actually brave. You've been acting out of character lately. When you found out your life was on a time limit you didn't tell your friends. When you found out you were the child of God, you didn't tell your friends. When you found out you were part of a plot to kill God. You didn't tell your friends. You've done exactly what North did. You went and placed the worlds problems on your shoulders. Assured yourself you're all that's needed. You closed yourself off from your friends. Went and threw yourself in prison. Hid away all the facts. You're one big coward. A coward trying to solve the issues of the world with your power. But that's not possible... You never had power. You were a dream. Created by a ten year old boy who didn't understand right from wrong, and hated himself. You had all the cards stacked against you. And that's why. I'm begging you Hero Law. Ask for help. Don't be scared to ask for power. Don't take on the worlds problems alone. Because... You're one of the lucky ones who can claim to have good friends."

Hero stared down at the ground for a moment. "Maybe... But I lost my Equation and arm."

"So what? Make a new one."

"I don't think I can do that. My healing doesn't work on myself."

"And who the hell decided that. You? Me? God? Fuck God. He's an old asshole in a metal suit. Screw the rules. And if you can't screw the rules find a way around them! You can sit here. Being an idiot. Being alone. Running away from everything and trying to take on the world alone. Or you can use all that borrowed power, everything you got. If Hero Law can't win, than just become a version of yourself that can. Evolve. Fight. Win. Live. Love. Laugh. Enjoy life."

"D... Do you think I... Do you think I can?"

"I don't know. But neither do you."

"What if I fail?"

"Then you laugh. And get right back up. Or at least... That's what an Enforcer would do isn't it?" He grinned. "You don't even realize how blessed you are. Loving friends. And a good life. So smile Hero. Don't let that Despair cling to you. No son of mine is allowed to walk around without at least a spark of Hope!"

Hero let out a small laugh. Some of the color was coming back to him as he looked up. "You consider me a son even though we just met huh?"

Piero turned away once more. "I think it's time... I tell you why... Why I destroyed the lab. Why I caused all of this to happen." He stood up reaching into his bag and pulling out a small glass clown mask. The kind he always wore. It only covered his upper face leaving everything past his nose visible. The mask was just a plain glass white, with a red circle for one eye, and a black star for the other. Nothing more. He slipped it onto his face though. "I am Piero. The Clown Crest. A Member of the Dragon Clan. I betrayed God, and killed my own brother. I fell in love with a human woman, and decided to fight alongside humanity. You see... God is against humans. Or at least he's against these humans... He views you all as the ones who killed his world. Earth before the war. So he wishes to create a way to turn back time so he can stop this all from happening. Erasing your time from existence. Billions of lives would simply cease to exist. So Master Storm came up with a plan to get the world a better God, who actually cared."

"And he cloned God..." Hero said nodding.

"That's right." Piero nodded. "Using my daughters DNA, as well as God's DNA which I managed to get, as well as a few Crests, they began to clone God. But... All ended in failures. In fact the only one who was able to handle just my daughters DNA, and God's was Vil. Your little brother."

"And me right?"

"No."

"What?"

"More had to be added to you." Piero said turning away.

"Who?"

"I don't know." Piero gave a half hearted shrug. "All I know is two extra slices of DNA were thrown into you. One of them was added on purpose. But the forth... It was someone God hates more than anybody else... Whoever this person is, it made him so mad he decided Row must die. So... He came to me. He threatened my wife and daughter. Gave me no choice but to destroy the lab, and Kill Mr. Hyde so the clones would stop... Little did I know... He had already killed my wife, and my daughter was in the lab... I later died because of a broken heart, passing up my dream, and my love for humans to my son." He smiled.

Hero frowned for a moment. "I don't get it though... If God wants Row dead so bad why not just... Kill me? Or kill Row?"

"He 'wanted' Row dead. He still wants him dead but something has put a stop to it."

"And what's that?" Hero asked.

Piero looked at him for a moment. "In order to finish his plans and go back in time God would need a few things. The most important being the Heart. So Master Storm not wanting God to kill his weapon programed to location of the Heart into Row, than wiped it from his own mind. Row, is the one person, on the planet, who knows where the Heart is. A feat not even God can boast. Row... I'm unsure of how, has somehow been programed to always know where the heart is, and how to find it. God needs Row, so he can find the Heart."

Hero stared at the man stunned for a moment. "So... Could I find the Heart?"

"I don't know. If I were you though I wouldn't go looking. Once God finds the Heart, or at least who has it, then he won't need you anymore. He'll kill you for sure."

"R... Right." Hero nodded.

Piero let out a hum and looked down at his wrist for a moment staring at a watch. "Well... It'd seem my times coming to an end." He stepped forward and took off his glass mask placing it over Hero's face, as well as running his hand through the boys hair. "Good luck kid. I'm counting on you. Please... Keep the humans I love so much safe. Create a world with a blue sky. Save your friends. And most importantly. Don't be scared to ask for help."

"W... Wait? Was all of this real? Are you really Piero? Or are you just a dream created from my crest? Are we just in my head?"

Piero seemed to give a chuckle. "That crest really is strong you know. Use it well." He turned away from the boy but stopped for a moment. "Oh and... Of course we're in your head. But does that mean it's unreal?" Cracks began to appear around them and in a single instant Hero was no longer standing in that black void. Piero allowed a sigh to escape his lips as he folded his arms. A small smile crossing onto his face. "When you see God next... Kick his ass for me kid. I'll be rooting for you. Oh... And please take care of my son."

Hero set up back in the burning room. The screams of the fake Row filling it up.

"Looks like he's not doing to good." Otoko said said crouched down to Hero. "Must be a painful way to go huh? That sleeping brat, even napping, is able to copy my powers... Man we didn't have busted Attributes like that in my world." He laughed.

Hero ignored him as he began to sit up a groan escaping him. "I... I'll save you Row." He announced gritting his teeth as he slammed his head to the floor and began to push himself up. He hadn't even noticed but his body was covered in debris from the room, as well as burn marks and wounds. His entire left side had a gapping hole in it. Chances were he'd be dead soon. Plus the amount of blood he lost...

"I don't think you can move with wounds like those." Otoko casually said giving a shrug.

Hero gritted his teeth as his chest lit up. 'Focus...' He thought to himself. 'I'll recreate what was lost...' He clenched his teeth so hard as the Crest began to wildly glow and a green flame like substance seemed to cover him for a moment.

'Screw the rules.'

Those had been Piero's words...

But no matter how hard he focused he couldn't recreate his lost arm, or his bones, or blood. It wasn't working. He managed to create another white marble, his Equation, but he wasn't able to recreate his body... He couldn't make his parts back...

'And if you can't screw the rules find a way around them!'

Hero's eyes opened as his right eye began to bleed and the iris inside of it began to flash before being replaced by an emerald green. Suddenly an arm stabbed out of his right side as well as a new side growing. Otoko's eyes went wide when he saw it. Hero grabbed his Equation, the new one he just made, and re absorbed it into his new arm. Steam began to pour off of his body as his wounds began to heal and his hair seemed to almost change.

"Steam?" Otoko asked. His nose twitched for a moment and his eyes filled with rage. "Wait a second... This smell... You couldn't replace your body parts with your own so you... You recreated my right arm, and my cells! You've added my Seraphin DNA to yourself, and patched up what was broken with me-"

Hero's right arm changed into his clawed form, only it was a lot bigger and more green flames were coming off of it. He rammed it into Otoko's face, dozen of white pipes jutting out of the back of his arm and pumping out a wave of air as he threw Otoko back.

He then turned and began to walk into the black flames. Row was still screaming as his body was being broken down.

"Row..." Hero said sadly. "I can't save you from that. But... I can at least insure you won't fade away to nothingness... We'll likely never get to talk again, but I wanted to tell you... I had fun. It was good getting to chat with you. I'm sorry for being rude... The only way I can stop your existence from shatter is to absorb you. You'll be broken down and fused into me. I'll live on through you. And I promise you. When I get the chance I'll God, and the Real Row who did this to you."

Row's screaming got louder as he dropped to his knees.

Hero reached out placing his hand on the top of his head. "Goodbye... Brother."

There was a flash of green light as the dream that was the fake Row Law, was pulled back into Hero's Dream crest being reabsorbed into his body. Hero shook for a moment as he got all of Row's memories and his final thoughts. He had been made to hold all the things the real Row didn't need or want. Things like Love... Fear... Desires.

Hero bowed his head for a moment. He raised his hand up slapping it through the air. There was a moment of cracks around him for a second.

And when he opened his eyes he saw the black polluted sky of Earth...