Chapter Text
Chapter 40
"Api! Just stop! You're gonna kill yourself!" Gempa yelled but was quickly pulled aside by Solar just as a fireball whizzed past him.
"You just love underestimating me, don't you?!" Blaze growled, wiping the blood off his face, "I guess I just have to prove all of you wrong!"
"Api!" Ice yelled, trying to take a step forward but was immediately held back by Taufan, "Please, we don't have to fight. I know you're still in there-"
"Blah, blah, blah!" Flames ignited from Blaze's fist, "Can we skip all the drama and jump right into action?!"
"STOP!" Solar shoved RevBot to Gempa and in a blink of an eye was right in front of the other before he could try summoning more of his fireballs.
“Wha—”
He grabbed both his arms as his eyes gleamed threateningly, "Do you really think you could defeat us right now? It's five of us with powers versus you- who can barely throw fireballs without throwing up blood!"
Growls and hisses cut Solar off.
"Is that what you really think?" Blaze grinned, hands igniting with no warning that Solar had no choice but to let go and back off.
The others turned to the tree line, horrified to see glowing red eyes slowly appearing behind the trees that remained unscathed by the fire, surrounding the teens who quickly backed away.
"T-they're...?" Thorn trailed off, horrified.
"The Rhadamians that got hit by RevBot...?" Yaya held out her hands, fists glowing pink.
"Huh, looks like RevBot wasn't the only one who got drawn out by the fire." Blaze snickered before turning to Solar, "You were saying, Sol—'
"SINARAN SOLAR!"
Light blinded everyone for a moment and Solar transported, planning to knock Blaze out from behind.
Unfortunately, Blaze was just as fast as he blindly retaliated with his own attack.
"HEMBUSAN BERAPI!" He blew out flames in every direction, effectively causing the light manipulator to back off at the searing heat.
"Solar!"
Solar turned just in time to see the Reversed Rhadamians burst out to the clearing, leaping their way to them, crazed and rabid.
There was no time for a plan—
"Apungan Graviti!" Yaya raised both arms summoning a wide field to where the aliens were about to leap only for them to be suspended in mid-air.
Without a second to spare, Ying dove into the pink sphere, rapidly kicking her way through the enemies in break neck speed, "Tendangan Hiper Bertubi-tubi!"
"Tukaran Sayur-Sayur Ulam!" Gopal was quick to shoot the stray weapons from the aliens that managed to escape, transforming them into harmless vegetables and making them lose traction as they land uselessly by their feet.
Ais, Taufan, and Gempa stayed close behind their friends, keeping RevBot secured who would often try to squirm his way out.
"WHATEVER YOU DO! KEEP REVBOT AWAY FROM BLAZE!" Solar yelled back at his brothers and friends, turning back to Blaze just in time for him to block a roundhouse kick.
"Now why would you do that?!" His brother snarled before throwing a flaming punch, "If you just give that robot to me, I swear everything will be over!"
"Obviously," Solar grunted when he barely dodged the attack, "It's because I don't trust you!"
Blaze froze, before scowling.
In a blink of an eye a flaming whip appeared in his grip wrapped around Solar's wrist.
"You never did."
"AGGHH!"
Paralyzed by the burning pain, Solar was unable to avoid the heavy kick delivered to his side, sending him across the ground right next to his horrified brothers.
"BLAZE! STOP!" Thorn screamed, shielding Solar with his his vines as more fire balls headed their way.
Blaze snorted, "Stop? When the fun just begun?!"
As he said this, the reversed aliens they thought they had beaten were back on their feet leaping to deliver more attacks.
Yaya tried to slam the majority to the ground while Ying tried to keep the ones getting too close away from them with somersault kicks.
Gopal was doing his best trying to transform the barrage of never ending axes and blow darts with his powers but was slowly getting overwhelmed as one of the blades almost nicked him by the head.
"We need to get out of here!" Ochobot exclaimed, burying himself further in Taufan's arms in fear while Gempa pulled Ice behind him just as a dart whizzed past them.
"We're not leaving without Api!" Ice insisted, pulling his arm away before turning back to said brother who was endlessly throwing fireballs against Thorn's shields.
"We're getting overpowered." Solar wheezed in pain, flinching as he tried to move his injured arm and typing in a distress signal to Fang and to the station, "We're gonna need back up!"
"As if I'll let you do that!" Blaze snarled, finally summoning his chakrams to slice through Thorn's vines.
His brother yelped and quickly swung his hands towards Api, "Akar Pengikat!"
More vines erupted from the ground and lunged at Blaze who effortlessly weaved and dodged the attack, quickly slicing the ones that tried to grab him.
"LOOK OUT!" Solar yelled as Blaze leaped, hands raised— flames roaring wildly over his palms.
Thorn panicked then froze when he saw a familiar band coming out from the fire manipulator's pocket.
Could it be-?!
"Bebola Api Maxi-"
Thorn slammed both hands on the ground as he yelled, "Tiang-Tiang Duri!"
Huge pillars of thorns erupted from the ground almost slamming into Blaze who had to dismiss his flames with a scowl to avoid getting himself impaled.
"Getting arrogant, hah?!"
Thorn ignored him as he charged forward without a second thought, ignoring Solar's calls.
"Akar Berduri!" More vines sprouted along his path whipping towards Blaze who continuously tried to slice through them with his blades.
Thorn reached out a hand towards the thorn pillar— green tendrils immediately coiled itself around his arm and pulled him up in the air.
"Ikata Akar!"
Blaze looked up just in time to see more spiked thorns heading towards him, "Hembusan Berapi!"
The air shimmered with unbearable heat as flames coiled up the vines and incinerated them into ash in a matter of seconds.
"You'd think I'd fall for that?!" Blaze scowled when the ground below him suddenly erupted with roots and seized his ankles and wrists, effectively immobilizing him.
"Solar! Hurry!"
He looked behind him to see Thorn crouching on the ground, palms glowing green.
A flash of bright light snapped him back into focus.
He was done toying around.
Heat rippled through the air for a nanosecond— and it was the only warning that everyone had when fire burst out of him like an inferno.
Thorn screamed in panic as he tried to create barriers for everyone in the short window of time before the flames erupted in every direction.
Everyone and everything was thrown back by the sheer force of heat and explosion.
And in the center of it all was Blaze grinning like a maniac.
And finally… everything had gone quiet.
His eyes locked in on his fallen friends and brothers, ignoring the iron taste flooding in his mouth as he made his way to them.
Now... to take RevBot.
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Gempa's ears were ringing as he tried to blink away the spots from his eyes, his grip around RevBot tightening a bit, to make sure the power sphere was still there.
The air was humid and suffocating as he coughed and winced at the slight burns he could feel from his arms. He sat up and looked around his fallen friends who had been caught by the explosion.
He saw his brothers next to him, stirring a bit and the reverse Rhadamians seemed to have suffered the same fate as they too remained unconscious by the treeline.
Gempa's breath hitched when he saw Thorn covering Solar, both passed out as well and immediately noticed the burnt vine shields Thorn tried to protect everyone with.
"Who's the weakling now?" A snicker got him to focus back to Blaze.
Said brother was slowly making his way towards him. Unbothered by the fact that he had almost killed them.
This definitely wasn't their brother anymore.
"RevBot... you have to turn Blaze back." Gempa shakily said as he backed away, "Please... he's going to destroy you and this planet-"
"I want my REVOLUTION!" RevBot roared, struggling from his binds once more that Gempa had to tighten his grip.
"He's a lost cost, Gempa." Blaze snorted, "Why can't you see that? I mean- to think you're an expert when it comes to looking down on people since you've always thought I was one at every timeline."
"Api," Gempa felt his eyes burn, "That's not true. Please... I know you're still in there..."
"Pffft- I'm still Api!" He looked hysterical as he gestured to himself, "I'm still me! Just stronger and smarter!"
"This isn't you." Gempa insisted, trying to stand up, but his legs refused to cooperate, "You wouldn't hurt your own friends and brothers like this! No matter how desperate you are, you would—"
“Cut the high-and-mighty act—you know how it felt to be reversed. All the things that held us back made us weak." Blaze sneered, stepping closer and closer while Gempa looked up at him helplessly. "Look at me, Gem. I've come farther than I’ve ever had in the other timelines when I tried playing nice. Me turning Reverse has been the answer all along.”
"It's not!" Gempa blinked the desperate tears away, "Api, we have RevBot now, we can make everything right again!"
His brother's expression then turned blank and expressionless, "No, it won't be. Not until I destroy him."
"Api..." Gempa noticed movement at the corner of his eye— before a flash of light blinded them for a moment and Blaze whirled around just in time to grab Solar by the throat.
"NO!"
The youngest septuplet had his fingers pointed at Blaze's face while his injured hand trembled, trying to grip the hand that was choking him. The tips glowed threateningly while Blaze just looked at the supposed threat with mock hurt.
"Oh? Are you going to shoot me?"
Gempa stumbled as he stood up, "Let him go, Api."
"No…" Blaze started slowly, "I want to prove a point instead."
Fingers tightened around Solar's neck making the other wheeze in pain, his light flickering.
Gempa's heart dropped, "STOP!"
"What are you doing, Solar?" Blaze taunted, "Go ahead, shoot me."
Solar's eyes widened, before gasping desperately once more as the grip grew tighter.
"Watch and learn, Tanah." His brother said, as Solar chose to drop his arm and try to scratch Blaze's hands off his neck instead, "This is why being too nice always gets you nowhere."
Time slowed as Blaze's hand glowed bright with heat.
Gempa knew right then and there that if he didn’t do anything—Solar was going to die right in front of his eyes.
He can’t fail them again.
He needed a plan...
A quick plan to stop Blaze while ensuring that no one dies by his hand.
Something… someone who can stop his brother.
"Don't you know? It was you who told me the exact opposite of what you're saying now. Well... reverse you anyway.”
The power sphere in his grip suddenly felt heavy as an unwanted idea started to form.
"You got into my head, Gempa.”
A quick, reckless and dangerous plan…
…play fire with fire…
In other words… face the inevitable of every timeline.
He tore off RevBot’s bindings and held the power sphere to his face, “RevBot. Do it.”
As long as he didn’t have his power watch then—
“Join my REVOLUTION!”
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A flash of red distracted Blaze just as he was about to burn Solar’s throat to a crisp.
Instinctively, he jumped to the side, thinking that Gempa must’ve convinced RevBot to shoot him.
He whipped around with a snarl and threw the now unconscious Solar to the ground like a ragged doll, “Did you really think you could get away with—”
Only to feel like he was doused with ice cold water as soon as he saw—
“You truly are a force to be reckoned with, Blaze.”
Red eyes, silver hair and the most sickening smile that never failed to haunt him in both nightmares and hallucinations.
“You…” He seethed.
Reverse Gempa stepped forward before folding his hands behind his back, “I wish we could've met this version of you on the original timeline… I can only imagine the amazing feats we could've overcome. The galaxies we could've conquered—”
He needed to kill him.
Blaze screamed, flames exploding out of his fists as he lunged for Gempa.
“...but I know that's not what you want.”
He stopped, knuckles inches from Gempa's face while said teen remained unflinching, not at all bothered by the dancing fire in front of him.
Blaze stiffened with the way his eerie eyes scanned him from head to toe, cold and calculating.
What was he doing? Why was he still letting this monster push him around?!
Then he felt something warm trickle from his mouth and nose and quickly wiped them with his wrist band.
“You're dying, Blaze.” Gempa said, tone filled with mock concern, “Is this how you really want to go? Maybe if you listen to what I have to say—”
“You're not the boss of me!”
“Of course not.” Gempa tilted his head, smiling widely, “You were never the one to follow rules. Nor will I ever dare to control someone as volatile as you.”
He stepped forward, and for some reason, Blaze stepped back.
Gempa was powerless and yet…
“Are you scared?” Gempa asked and Blaze scowled as his flames flared.
“I CAN END YOU RIGHT NOW!”
“And yet, you haven't." Gempa kept his gaze, steady and unrelenting, “It’s because deep down— you know that only I can understand what you truly desire. In the end, you yearn for an ally as well.”
“Don’t make me laugh! You tried to kill me!”
“Only because you were being a thorn on my side.”
“The feeling is mutual, you bastard!”
He ignored the spike of pain in his core when he summoned his flames once more, trying to intimidate the other— but his brother barely gave it any attention as he tutted at it like a parent scolding a child for playing with matches.
“You wouldn’t want that when I’m the only one capable of controlling RevBot at the moment.” Gempa gestured at the robot obediently hovering by his feet, “And you know that once I turn everyone Reverse, you will end up having no allies at all. That is… if you keep going against me.”
“Then what’s the hold up?!” Blaze mocked, “You’re all bark and no bite!”
“Because I’m not stupid enough to waste RevBot’s powers on weaklings. Atleast… not yet.” Gempa chuckled, boldly approaching Blaze to the point that they were inches apart, “But I’m smart enough to make a deal with you where we both get what we want.”
Blaze looked at him, surprise coloring his expression before his flames shrunk in uncertainty.
“We’re both at a disadvantage right now, Blaze.” Gempa continued, voice smooth with cunningness and arrogance despite his next admission, “You’ll soon be at your limit, meanwhile I’m just a powerless human. One wrong move and these idiots will overpower us.”
He was very much aware of the disadvantage the other spoke of. At the moment, his own core kept wavering, the familiar heat dissipating as his vision would blur every other minute— his own flames losing power after every summon.
“Then shoot them if you’re so worried about them!”
He shouldn’t underestimate Reverse Gempa. With or without powers.
All he needed to do was a moment of distraction. A moment where he looks down at the robot— a moment of predictability where he destroys RevBot once and for all.
Rather than risk the chance of suddenly reversing back to his wimpy, weak self where he’ll lose everything all over again!
He flinched when he felt a firm hand over his shoulder, “I can’t… not when I can’t assure your alliance with me.”
“...why?”
“Because I need you, Blaze. More than you know.”
He hesitated, arms lowering.
“I’m not your real enemy, brother.”
He risked looking at the other’s unwavering smile.
“...your real enemy… is your own stupidity.”
…then he felt something slipping from his pocket and he immediately swung a flaming fist to Gempa’s direction with an angry roar.
But it was too late—
Gempa skillfully dodged his attack and leaped back, quickly looking through each power watch and in a blink of an eye, slapped one of them on his wrist as his arms transformed into familiar golem hands.
“NO!” Blaze screamed, running towards Gempa with no other thoughts but to bring him down.
The other smirked, slamming a fist to the ground and summoning his earth golem.
The field around them cracked open from the force and jagged rocks started erupting from the ground.
Blaze summoned more chakrams and staggered as he tried to throw them at RevBot.
Gempa was faster, deflecting the blades with his golem hands and scooping the robot to safety.
Undeterred, the fire manipulator took a deep breath, flames curling through his lips while Gempa swiped his free hand as if trying to grab something and Blaze had to leap back when the golem mimicked the action.
He dodged another attempt before he blew out flames with all his might intending to spread more fire to incapacitate Gempa— when an earth pillar erupted behind him and slammed hard against his back successfully sending him sprawling on the ground.
“AGH!”
“...what’s going on…?”
Blaze caught sight of the others slowly coming to before rolling away just as he felt the ground beneath him rumble— barely avoiding getting impaled by a very sharp pillar that jutted out from where he was just moments ago.
“Ah perfect…” Gempa sat comfortably over the golem’s shoulders as he looked down at them, “My soon to be allies are finally waking up.”
“Is that…” Ying shakily pushed herself up as the now conscious Gopal desperately tried to shake Solar awake, looking at Blaze then at Gempa in horror.
“This is bad! Wake up, Boboiboy!”
“G… Gempa…?” Taufan slowly stood up, one hand wrapped around Ochobot protectively while he looked at said brother in terror, “How— what happened?!”
Gempa smiled sweetly before looking at the power sphere tucked to his side, “RevBot… I believe this will finally be your revolution.”
“Finally.” The power sphere grumbled, “No more rewinds?”
Gempa’s smile grew sinister, “Over Blaze’s dead body.”
The ground started shaking uncontrollably— everyone started panicking.
Gopal quickly carried Solar over his shoulder before heading towards Duri who was still slumped against the ground.
Taufan tried pulling a barely conscious Ice up while checking on Ochobot's scorched screen that kept glitching.
Ying quickly tried to drag Yaya further away as cracks started forming beneath their feet.
Blaze scowled trying to summon his chakrams, but his flames sputtered out and suddenly he was on all fours coughing out blood that burned his throat while stabbing pain spiked across his abdomen, making him double over.
Panicked cries rang out behind him, and he caught sight of the toad-like aliens—now awake—scrambling back into the jungle as the ground quaked and pillars erupted at random.
This wasn’t supposed to happen!
This wasn’t how it was supposed to end!
He was supposed to destroy everything for good!
He cursed, slamming a fist on the ground in frustration as he looked up at the smug bastard.
His eyes then darted everywhere to find a way to kill his brother and destroy the power sphere—
“Wait— API!”
He made the mistake of looking back at the panicked yell. He managed to get a glimpse of Ice pushing Taufan off of him, stumbling to get to him when a huge golem hand grabbed him roughly from the ground, squeezing the air out of his lungs before he could even react.
“This was just too easy…” Gempa chuckled, swinging the power bands mockingly at Blaze as the golem brought him closer, “You may have outsmarted us with your ridiculous cookie plan… but that was all luck, wasn’t it?”
Blaze took a deep breath— pain and heat mixing at the back of his throat.
“Don’t bother proving my point about your stupidity.” Gempa rolled his eyes, “Have you tried burning rocks before? Because they don’t.”
The grip around his torso tightened, making his ribs creak and the flames in his throat die out as he screamed in pain.
He could hear the terrified cries calling his name from below, but all he saw was Gempa’s arrogant face—and how badly he wanted to drive a flaming punch into it.
His blood boiled at the fact that once again, he fell for the bastard’s tricks.
“I’M GONNA KILL YOU!”
Despite the pain, despite how the edges of his vision were slowly turning black and how he was losing any feeling from his limbs, he was determined to bring him down, no matter what—
Gempa snorted, “Not if I kill you first.”
Blaze froze.
Wait… what…?
“You didn’t think I was being serious about keeping you?” The other laughed mockingly while Blaze was starting to find it harder and harder to breathe as the grip around him remained unyielding. “You were always a hindrance to RevBot’s Revolution in every timeline.”
“Gempa!” Ice yelled in horror while Ying and Gopal tried to get to them but was constantly being blocked by the never ending pillars that stopped them.
The flames that used to burn the far trees and jungle were now extinguished. Instead— they were now being subjected to the neverending tremors and ruptured grounds.
Ice stumbled trying to get to them while Taufan looked lost as he shielded the youngest septuplets and Ochobot—who still remained unconscious.
Gempa hummed as he looked back at the watches in his hand, inspected them, took one good look at Blaze apathetically, then down at Ice who kept running towards them as he desperately screamed—
“Gempa! DON’T—”
The earth manipulator smiled sadistically and tapped the fist that held Blaze.
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“Crush him.”
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End of Chapter
(◕ᴗ◕✿)
So, how have you been?