Arthur and Raven stood in silence, the weight of the revelation pressing down on them like. The images of the Gentry continued to flicker in front of them, each one a reminder of the scale of the threat they were facing.
Raven's voice was quiet, almost to herself. "You've been fighting these things... all on your own?"
Korin's laugh was hollow and bitter. "More like surviving them.." He paused, "It was my mother's wish that I do everything to survive.. Every time I wanted to give up, I remembered her face. Her voice and her last words."
He paused, his voice cracking.
"I think I'm the only reason why they are still here.. Because from what I know, and what I have here in the Fortress... I believe that they managed to kill all life in this universe." His voice hardened. "And they can't go on to the next one because I exist."
Arthur's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean?"
Korin's expression shifted, becoming more focused. "They managed to turn Earth into something I don't quite understand. It's like they're using it as some kind of anchor.. A way to hold the dimension together while they complete their work.."
He paused,
"I have hope that I can turn things back to normal if I defeat them. That I can reverse the Anti-Death Equation's effect."
Arthur stood in silence for a long moment, then he spoke, "At least now I understand our enemies very well."
Raven's voice was curious. "How did you get this information about them, Korin?"
Korin's expression shifted. "I didn't. The Fortress did." He paused. "Intellectron tried to compromise it, and when we escaped, his brief connection with the Fortress gave us access to some information and knowledge that he had, it was pure luck." He paused. "This is the only reason why this Fortress survived the Gentry, and why it is safe. Even though Demogorgunn can still find us, it's not a problem, we can teleport away."
He paused, his voice dropping.
"I still don't have access to information about their master, though."
Arthur's eyes glowed violet. "That won't be a problem."
Raven and Korin turned to look at him.
Arthur stepped forward. "I think I know what they are."
He paused, his eyes meeting Korin's.
"And who they serve."
The chamber fell silent.
Korin's voice carried a note of surprised hope, his eyes fixed on Arthur. "You do?"
Arthur stepped forward, his eyes fixed on the display, his mind already worked a theory that had been forming since the moment he had first encountered the Gentry. "To some extent." He paused, his eyes meeting Korin's. "I know for a fact that they serve a being. One of the Great Darkness."
Korin's eyes widened. His voice was barely a whisper. "The Great Darkness?"
Arthur nodded slowly, his voice dropping to a more serious tone. "It couldn't be the Great Darkness itself... that being is too vast, too primordial to concern itself with something as small as a single universe. But someone that it spawned." He paused, his voice hardening. "Myself and the Dragon Monarch have that same source of power. Not many beings out there derive their power from that primordial entity. It is the source of it all. A being that rivals the Presence itself."
Raven's voice was quiet, almost to herself, her hand finding Arthur's. "So what the Gentry serve could be one of the Great Darkness's aspects. Or one of its children."
Arthur's eyes met hers. "In any case, I'm a good matchup for it." He paused. "It is not going to be easy at all. If I'm to face it, this will be my greatest opponent yet. By a long margin."
Raven's grip tightened on his hand. "Then we should not engage a being like this! Arthur, if what you're saying is true.. if they serve something that powerful, then we are not prepared for this. We don't have the resources. We don't have the knowledge. We don't have.."
Arthur cut her off gently, "I'm afraid we don't have a choice."
Raven's eyes widened, her voice rising. "What do you mean we don't have a choice?"
Arthur gestured at the display, at the images of the Gentry, at the evidence of the devastation they had wrought. "Since you just listened as well, they will hop universes. It's only a matter of time. And eventually, they'll end up in ours." He paused, his voice dropping. "I believe The Flash warned me about this. It wasn't about Mobius or anyone else."
Raven's jaw tightened. "You don't know what Barry warned you about! That's the whole reason why we are in this world, because we barely know what he said!"
Arthur's eyes met hers. "You don't trust my shadows? Lex and Owl's calculations are always accurate. That Barry came from this world."
Raven's voice rose. "It could have been a small stop here! He could have eventually moved on! We don't know for sure that he came from this world!"
Korin watched the exchange in silence, his eyes moving between them, his expression unreadable. He had seen arguments before. He had seen people who cared about each other clash over the weight of impossible choices. He understood the fear behind Raven's words.
Arthur stepped forward, his hands coming to rest on Raven's shoulders. His voice softened. "I know you are afraid." He paused. "Maybe not afraid for yourself, but you fear for me."
Raven looked away, her jaw tight, her eyes glistening. "Arthur..."
"You don't have to be." He said while his thumbs brushing her shoulders. "I'm strong. And I can't let them walk free, knowing that our world will eventually be their target." He paused. "You understand that, right?"
Raven was silent for a long moment, her shoulders trembling beneath his hands.
Then she spoke, her voice quiet, almost defeated. "I know.."
Korin stepped forward, his voice carrying a note of careful curiosity. "Sorry for interrupting, but... Barry is The Flash, right? Are you saying that Barry was here?" He paused, his brow furrowing. "I didn't see him at all. Our Barry died alongside everyone else."
Arthur's eyes met his. "Yes. A Barry from the future appeared to me in my world. He warned me about something that wasn't really clear to me." He paused, his voice dropping. "He said that I shouldn't engage someone. And that I need to focus on something."
Korin's expression shifted. "In that case, I agree with Raven."
Arthur's eyes narrowed. "What?"
Korin's voice was calm, measured. "He could mean that you shouldn't engage with the Gentry or their master. And that you should focus on the enemies you have at home."
"Right? You tell him." Raven said.
Arthur was silent for a long moment, his eyes fixed on the display, then he spoke calmly. "It could also mean the other way around."
He paused, his eyes blazing violet.
"I see a great threat here. And I'm not going to turn a blind eye to it." His voice hardened. "And that's final."
The chamber fell silent.
Korin looked at Arthur for a long moment, his eyes searching the Shadow Monarch's face, reading the determination behind the words. And he realized that nothing he would say would change his mind.
Then he spoke, "What you heard about my mother bothered you greatly." He paused, a faint smile crossing his face. "I understand."
Arthur's expression softened, just slightly.
"It pleases me that there is a variant out there of her feeling so loved and protected." Korin paused. "I thank you, Arthur."
Arthur shook his head slowly. "Don't. At least not yet."
His eyes met Korin's.
"We will kill the Gentry and their master. Or at least subdue them for eternity if they prove unkillable." He paused, his voice hardening. "I have my ways to seal great beings if they can't be killed."
"You can seal them?" Raven asked.
Arthur nodded slowly, his eyes still fixed on the display. "Why are you acting suprised, I already sealed Azazel in Hell.. And this is the first time my spear, which is death-bound, was useless against an opponent. It has to do with their Anti-Death Equation. But I'll find a way to bypass that as well."
Raven stepped closer, her voice still filled with concern "That's a lot of maybes to me, Arthur. We need to be careful.. This is not a place to die for us, no one will know. And we will leave our world vulnerable to our enemies."
Arthur's eyes met hers. "I know what is at stake." He paused. "But let's not think negatively here. I have a plan. A plan to engage them one by one. All five at once proved to be a serious problem." His eyes blazed violet. "So, we will proceed carefully this time."
"I'm listening." Korin said.
Arthur smiled, "Here's the plan."
"The key is to isolate them. To fight them on our terms, not theirs, we can't defeat all five together. But if we can separate them, if we can draw them into situations where they can't support each other, we will have a greater chance."
Korin stepped closer, his eyes fixed on the display. "But how do we separate them if they can show up anywhere at anytime?"
Arthur's smile widened. "We use their own tactics against them. We give them a target they can't resist... You."
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