End of the Road [Single]

[Professor W B Copperfield]

And now, the end is near.

The hulking shadowed form shook the ground with it’s subaudible growl. He came to the threshold of the lair. Large thorny veins thicker than tree trunks twisting on themselves to form a huge canopied dome, with a entrance like castle gates. He stepped up to that threshold.

And so I faced the final curtain.

Copperfield could only choke out a laugh, remembering the song he and Hemera had danced to. Choke out through the throat full of blood. The disease was really getting to him. He didn’t have much time left.

My friend, I'll say it clear

He stepped across that threshold.

I'll state my case, of which I'm certain

The Grimm unfurled itself. Massive bat-like wings unfolding. It had a wingspan easily four dozen feet across. It screeched more than roared, it’s nose broad and flat, it’s eyes huge and glaring red. It’s mouth was a forest of needles. It’s ears were like radar dishes.

I've lived a life that's full

Copperfield had fought a lot of Grimm in his career. Been around to most parts of the world. Seen a lot. Talked a lot. Set a lot of things right.

I traveled each and every highway

Never seen something like this.

And more, much more than this

It flared it’s wings out again to make it seem as large as possible. The thing was as big as an airship.

I did it my way

“Come on, ugly! Let’s dance!” Copperfield rushed forward, his staff flaring as the dust inside was used and absorbed. The monster lunged at him. He sent huge gusts of winds towards its wings, pulling it back. It’s mouth slammed shut with the force of hydraulic presses not a foot from his face. He brought and elbow down with a clenched fist, sending a piledriver of force onto its head and sent it slamming into the ground with crushing force. He followed that up with a lightning bolt to the face, the blinding light and energy burning furrows on it’s face. Spores, like heavy dandruff, exploded from underneath it’s skin. Then something large slammed into his side and sent him flying. Of course the thing had a tail.

Regrets. I've had a few

Copperfield’s coat turned into sheets of protective ice as he tumbled. A thorn the size of a spear caught the ice, digging a good foot and hitting his leather coat. Copperfield hung from the thorn like a too-ripe berry on it’s withering stem. He had to catch his breath before the coat flared with heat, melting the layer of ice directly around him. He rolled when he slipped to the ground, spat blood onto the ground, and came up swinging his staff with a telekinetic blast behind it.

But then again, too few to mention

He hit the creature under the chin as it charged him, but it took the hit in stride, still coming at him. It’s head curved down, maw open to devour him.

I did what I had to do

He waited for the right moment- Now! He took quick calculated steps back the precious few feet away from it’s mouth. It’s head came crashing down, and Copperfield went right up it’s massive flat nostril.

And saw it through without exemption

The space was suffocating in more ways than one. The monster shook and Copperfield could feel the thing about to sneeze him out. He froze his coat once more, locking himself in place and freezing it’s flesh all around him. The thing was making baying or barking sounds, and Copperfield could feel it clawing at it’s nose to get him out. He took the fire dust from his staff, all of it, and sent the torrent of fire surging up it’s nostril.

I planned each charted course

The thing screeched so loud in pain that Copperfield’s ears went out. The fire scorched it’s lungs and throat, but it also heated up the ice that he used to plug up the nostril. It shook it’s head in pain and Copperfield once again went flying.

Each careful step along the byway

He tumbled and dug his staff into the ground, creating a trench that stopped him from sliding into the thorn-riddled wall.

And more, much more than this

The hulking thing turned to him and barred its teeth while a baleful light, flame more than light, flared from its eyes. Copperfield stood, then his chest seized up in a hacking coughing fit. He had been inside that thing, the origin of this deadly disease. He had taken in too much.

I did it my way

“You think-” He vomited on the floor. It looked like it was more blood than bile. “You think I’m done yet?!” He challenged, wiping his mouth off on his sleeve. He was dead already. But he would be the last victim.

Yes, there were times I'm sure you knew

He spun his staff and hit the earth multiple times. At each impact he used Earth Dust, creating think dirt and rock walls that rose out towards the creature. Each one ended with a large pillar that jutted out to slam the creature, in its chest and neck and wings and head.

When I bit off more than I could chew

It dashed them all away with a swipe of one wing. Rocks flew around the lair like bullets. His back was to the thorned wall. One hit him in the left thigh and he lost feeling there. It didn’t move right. Down on one knee, he created a Hardlight barrier to stop the rest coming his way, gritting his teeth through it all.

But through it all, when there was doubt

And as Copperfield dropped the shield, it charged once more at him. It’s wings were spread wide, it’s feet like hawk’s talons, open for prey. It’s mouth open in a triumphant battlecry.

I ate it up and spit it out

Another gut-wrenching pocket of blood came up his throat. He expelled it to the side.

I faced it all and I stood tall and did it my way

Copperfield, hunched over but glaring ahead, watched it come.

I loved, I've laughed and cried

He fell back to his haunches as it closed.

I've had my fill, my share of losing.

He stretched his staff out behind him and sent a blast of force against the wall. Physics came in to play, and it pushed back on him. He flew across the ground away from that monstrous mouth and toward’s its outstretched talons.

And now as tears subside,

He used the Fire Dust in one of his two rings to form a line of fire as thick as a thread, supercondensed and white-hot, to slice through the Grimm’s leg. It came away in sizzling pieces.

I find it all so amusing to think I did all that

The other reached for Copperfield.

And may I say, not in a shy way

Copperfield had rolled in an attempt to get away. One of it’s deadly claws racked him up the back and hit his head. For once he remembered to activate his Aura.

Oh no, on no not me

It broke.

I did it my way

He tumbled to a stop as the beast twisted upsidedown, crashing it’s back agains the massive thorned dome. It was screeching. Even with the hot liquid coming down his ears, Copperfield could tell that it was screeching.

For what is a man, what has he got?

He tried to stand up and only got to his knees. The monster struggled, but the thorns had dug into it’s back. Still, it was breaking free. Copperfield’s hand fell to his pocket, where Hemera’s gun was. He pulled off his last Fire Dust ring, the last Dust he had left, and looked at the creature.

If not himself then he has naught

He flicked the thick ring towards the creature. It was becoming mostly right-side up now, it’s eyes focused on him as it twisted and jerked to brake the thorns off inside itself. Large pools of it’s too-black blood dripped to the ground. The ring landed among the brambles. Copperfield took aim, and fired. It hit the creature. He fired again. And again. And again. It wasn’t a Huntsman weapon, nothing fancy to it. Just bullets. He fired, and missed again for the fifth time. He cocked the hammer back and took a breath. His body coughed, and he took his aim again. This time the bullet hit the ring. The Dust inside ignited the brambles like kindling.

Not to say the things that he truly feels

“Burn, you greasy bat-faced bastard! Burn! Burn…! Burn… Bu-” Copperfield fell from his knees to the ground, coughing and coughing. He couldn’t get the air in his lungs to cough as hard as his body was telling him to.

And not the words of one who kneels

The very air that his lungs desperately needed was on fire. His leg was bumb. Disease was ripping his insides apart. His head felt hot and thrummed with pain. He rolled over and used the Dust threaded in his coat to cover him in ice. It felt nice, like putting one’s forehead against a cool toilet bowl when drunk. Even still he felt the heat through the ground. And the Grimm burned. The whole place did.

The record shows I took the blows and did it my way



Yes, it was my way