Daily Monday Short: Matt 03

Matt Smith hovered in the air the country of his descent. Arrayed around him were his Shard Companions, along with the others equivalent in power to his current form.

The Bear of Russia flexed his mighty muscles while watching the other three. The Monk of India sat cross-legged in the air with a peaceful expression. The Golden King and the Jade Emperor looked disgusted at the Monk and Bear. Matt smiled with humor that reached his eyes and said, “So we agreed. Europe for the Golden King. Russia for the Bear. India for the Monk. Asia and any others that will join him for the Jade Emperor.”

There was a long silence as everyone finally nodded, and Matt continued, “America and all she touches outside of territories claimed by the others for me. I will also claim the World Core and all that entails.”

When the four finally nodded, Matt gave a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. He had pushed hard, but his parents didn’t want to be without their vacation homes in Canada and the South Americas. It was a minor concession on his part to allow the others to take their territories away. The World Core had never been a chance for any of them with him.

“I hope we never meet again.” The Golden King spat from within his great armor designed to mimic a Paladin from the Pantheon of Light.

“Indeed, for your sake.” Mat said as wisps of Darkness started to flicker around his form while his eyes glowed a brilliant ruby sheen.

“An agreement has been reached, and I have other places to be.” The Jade Emperor said with condescending grace.

“Ӱ̶̜́в̶̲̉и̶̡͆д̶̬̐и̶̙̔м̵̦͗с̷̜̓я̸̯̔ ̶̜̾п̷̱̀о̴͇͠з̸̖̑ж̴̧̏е̸͚͒,̵͖̀ ̶̫̈́д̴̧́р̶͖̍ӱ̸̧́г̵͉̏.̸͉̈́,” the Bear of Russia said with a wave to Matt.

Matt nodded at the Bear and gave a short wave at the Monk that was returned gently. It wasn’t likely he would see them anytime soon, so there was no harm parting on good terms.

There is no need to mention if it weren’t for the compact terms offered by the Pantheon and the Ancestors, the Golden King and the Jade Emperor would have never left this universe. Matt thought as everyone shifted space and departed to their territories. A binding agreement with their factions is superior to the personal satisfaction of obliterating insects.

“Master, I have cleaned out the Plane of Water’s influence on the territory,” Jennifer said from Matt’s left. She hadn’t dared to speak until the others were gone for fear of placing him at a disadvantage in negotiating. It was cute. None of the other four would have dared use a Shard Companion to test his patience if entirely unneeded.

Not unless they were suicidal.

“Excellent,” Matt said before turning his attention to the ground below. He reached out, and Darkness gathered in a swirling orb around his palm.

S̶͚͍̰̱̟̭̩͙͐̌͛̈̍̋̌̌́͊̕͠͠ṱ̸͔̬͊̌͒͊̑͘͠o̶̡̲̬̪͉͎͌̉̏͊̀̒r̷̫̩͈̂͊̇e̵̛͉͕͚͔̜̓͗̍̓͗̚͜͝͝͝͠ͅ ̸̧̤͚̙̲̗͆̎̄͆̽t̷̛̩̙̲̱̹̘̦̋̈̐͌ḩ̷̢̼̬̈́̃́̐̒͝ȩ̴̻̗͓̗̦̝̜͎͍̐̑̆ͅͅ ̵͓̄͂̑ș̸̰̞̰̠̐̎̔͐͒̇͑̐̇̂̚͘o̵̭̾̀͂̔̀̍͑̉͑́͊̾̒̐ṳ̷͗͆̒̅̓̓͌̊̔̉ḽ̴͚̠̜̜̬̖̤̳͕̐̐̀͂͂̽̓̎̌͘'̴̪̀̏̉̉͐̀̄͊͘ș̷̢̧̫̦͎̲̘̪̙̟̳̝̅͜ ̵̡̘͖̲̦̥̆̅̑͗̿͛̃ͅë̴̢̜͈̬̗̤̖̣̠̞̀̀̓̑̽̈̈́̓̒̎̕͠m̸͉̱̭̲̩̾͌͑́͋͒͗͊͝͝b̷̧̘̳̮̼̫̳͂̑̌͂́̑̾͜r̴̺͓͗̒̈̄̂͊̿̆͝a̷̛̦͎̖͎̼̖̠͂͆̎́̽͑̃̅ͅc̵̢̪͎̝͖͖̼̭̦̗̯͍̎̾̐̈̍̋̈͘͝͝͠e̶̡͍͚̥̟͇̰͕̭̼͚͝,̶̺̯̬̪̰̭̣̺̔̏ ̵͓̣̻̖̞̽̑̎͌̇̂͗̕̕͝r̴̢̧̼̼̖̍͛̑̉͋̃͌͐i̵̢̛̥̩̯̙̎̒͐̀͊͊̕p̷̡̢̮̻͔͕̯̔ ̵̢̻̦͊̽͌̾͊͗̏͗̑̿͊̚͝͠f̸̢̱͙̻͖̞̲̤̹͉̥̭̎̏̀̅̈̀ř̴̝̦̗̹̯̣̘̘͊̉̎̎̄͌͛̂́̎͂͠ͅẹ̷̢̯͍̱͙̖͆̍̌̾̒̉ȩ̶̧̮͉̪̤̖̒̇͛̒̾̽ ̸̧̡̝̤̼̗͙̠̮̐̄̓̍ͅt̸̢̥̘͔͔͙̬̎̌̊̓̒̽̎̀̑h̶̻̮͌͂̊̈́̍̎̽͋̆̂̽̆̏̌ͅȩ̷̺̩̰̞̰̾́͑͠͠ ̷̨͖̩̱̪́̇̇̀̑͆̄͆̏͝ͅͅp̶͚̹̭̪̯͉̤̬͚̥͊a̸̙͕̖̙̺̟̭̟̬͖̣̝̦̲̓̊̏t̸̹͖̭̜̦̙̱̝̹̓̎̈́͋̈́̂̃̋͌͑͜h̵̩̼̤̟͖̹̘̩͓̎́̇ ̶͓̣͋̈͗͋̄͛͑̈́̃̌̈́̋͘͠ơ̷̢͕͈̫̰̞̤̹̩̩̜̳̹̋̏̽̓̕f̸͇̞̟͔̮̳̺̏̈͜ ̸̧̨̣̖̻̱͔̯͕̺̞̣̫̓̓́̃͊́n̸̡̒̏͗̐̊̌̿͒͆̚͘͝͠ơ̸̡͚̟͚̻̟͕̖̾̓̋̋͒ ̷̝͚̯͇͉͉͕̙̅̉̈́̆̎͊̄̏̉͝d̶͎͍͉̻̦̣̟̱̪̙̝̦͠i̷̠͈͎̬̺̓͂̂̓͛̎͝͝s̶̛̼̠̝̳̗̿̈́̉́̌ģ̴͉̗̫̮͔̯̝̯͓̩̭̀͝ŗ̷̡̗͚͍̝͇͉̙̼̞̗͂́́̉̋̾͆̐̔̚ă̷̟̞̊̎̔̾̋̕c̴̳̞̩͚̟̦̬̮̳̱̙̲̙̀͂e̷͈͍͖̮̱̰̫̜̙̥͔̊̾͐̑̊̑ͅ.̷̛̥͙̺̙̳̯͇̙͒̃̈́͝ͅ ̶̼̪͐̋̏͐̀́͗̌̽̈͝͠S̷̺̳̱̙͍̪͎̽͒̉͆̂͜͠é̸̜̠̻͉͊͂̔͆̋̉̋̓ͅv̸͚͚͖͉̣̱̗̪͐̉̀̾̈́̉̾̇̃͛͗ę̸͎̥͎̦̬̘͖͈̱̎̍̀̊̾̂͆̚r̵̨̨̟̓ ̴͈̼͇̦̜̈͂̑͗̍͘͠f̷͇̺͖̠̅̇̀̒̈̑̃̚͜͝͝͠a̷͇̘̝͌̾̀̊͂͆̽͑͋̕͝t̵̛̫̝̼͔̰͎̏͜ȩ̴̢̛̮̘̳́́̔̏̄͋͒͝'̸̧̡͔̟̱̝̼͆͐̓ͅs̶̢̢̠͔̥͓̈̾͋̃̀́̾͆̓͠ͅ ̵̭̹̪̰̟͍̦̼̼̇̔̓̾̂̈́̓̓̀͜͠u̸͉͚̙͎̟̾̒͒̋̚͜n̸̛̺̖͙̈́̀̏̿͑̾͑̃h̷̡̟̘̱͇̺͕͙̖̫͈͈̋͐̂̐̀͆̆͆͋̍̀͗̚ḯ̴͓̾̉̈̍͆̓̋̕ñ̶̝d̴̡̟͙̹̥̟͆̈̈́ę̶̼̻̺̱̄̇̈́̀͂̀͒͘͜r̶̘̺̭̝̉̇̂ë̵̱̱̮̖̒d̵̨̪̰͕͚̱̝́̆̄̐̉͘ ̷̨̛̣̖̼̬̦̠͕̖̫͌̿̒̒̑͑͊͛̈́̎͝͝͠m̴͖̰̲͈̪͕̟̺̆͛̒̄̈́͗̐̾̇̂͘͝͠ų̶̠̩̋s̴̭̪̘͇͙̟̙̟̈̎͒ẻ̴̤̙̱̖̘͓͉͙͍̟̯̠̝̎̔ͅ,̶̨̧̠̫̘̣̙͖̒̑̓̅ ̸̺̥̦͍͕̄̃̇̄̚ả̴̘̯̫̪̱̯̘̮͍̾̕͠ͅn̶̨͈͉͈̝̙̈́́̃͘ḑ̶̨͕͈̤̳͒̔͋̏͂͑͜ ̵̹͕̣̂͒͆ͅo̶̢̘̪̻͔̫͕̥̜̤̙̦̼̐f̶̡̛̛̗͙̟̪͓͙̬̤̏͑̐̚̚͝f̵̞͍̮̫̥̪̬͈͙̫̌e̵̢̧̘̫͉̔r̷̨̨̡̙̀̊́̈͝ ̴͈̣̖͙͗͒̀́̋͘͘͠t̵̛̙̱̘͂̇̽̄̃̅̏̀̋̑͜h̵̙̱̺̩͖̺̼͑̓̔̇͊̐̽̀͝͝ẽ̶̳͚̣͓̰̻̤̮̣͙͔̙̭͆̊̇̿̈̌͊̕ ̴̳̭͕͓̫̪̮͍̗̏̾͑̌̓W̴̨̮̟̤̗͙̮͙̗͔̾͆́̓̑̅̌͝ǫ̶̦̺͖̻̹̖̀̌̍͌̾̂̃͜ͅr̷͇̽̋̂̉͋̽̑̔̚͝͠l̷̺̜͍͙͈̗̗̦̫͔̬̮̤̊̒̓̀̂̌͆̾̔͂͘͜ḋ̷̢̙͑̋̑̇̈̕ ̶̛̭͓͚̥̅̄͂̑̈́͋̌͊͘t̵̨̺̻͔̼̣̱̬̊̆̀͋̌͜͝ǫ̷̨̞͇̣̝̲͍̰̂͛̔͗̌̔̄̎̔̀̏͘̚͜͝ͅ ̸̢̨̛̬̳̻̩̫̻̆͂͛͠č̸̡̨̛͇͕̱̙̱̓̈̉̈́͘̚ͅh̶̛̟͇̆̓̿̓̉̈́̅̐̈̎͘͝͝ō̸͙̲̼̈́͊͘͝͝ờ̸̛̮̝̣̣̝̭̉́̏̍̀̔̐͛͘͝͝š̷̬̘̳͕̳͉̝̪̐̀̌͜ͅę̵̛͈̝̰͚̖̗̙͚͎͗̎̍͜͜.̷̻̯̒̔̾͑̽̂̅̔̄͂̒ 

Matt said, pulling on the connection between him and the [Outsider] to power the words.

Below was a groaning screech as his territory ripped free of the planet of its birth. A voice sang in a thousand different dialects responding to his words.

I̷̡̢͙̼̣̰̥̭̫̝̘̾̈́̕͝ǹ̸̢̝̠̱̤͎͗̑̋͌́̀̇̋͊̒͐͠v̵̡̯̲͚̥̲̖̈́͊͋̑̽̄͗̇͌͐̇̾̕̕a̸̛̞͈̽͊͑̓̾̀̌̃̈͒̉̄͝ͅd̸̠̯̦͓̙͙̱̤͈́͊͗́̎̾̓̀̑̉̚͜ͅȩ̴̧̨̯̩̬̖̮͎̦̮̿r̶̨̦̦͔̩̲̾͆̑͆̄͛̀̀̉͑̕͘ͅ!̷̮͚͉̔̕ the planet shouted in a resounding cry reverberating through the empty darkness.

Ḻ̴̢̪̖͔̪̠̤̠̹̀͒͐̃̔̈́̾͜͝i̸̝̲͊͌͆̀̾̃̉̃̋̾̚̚v̸̧̛̻̜͉̜̟̝̘͙͍̥̀̂̓̈̏̐̇̏̀̿͗́̄ȩ̷̡̞͇̪͇͙͊̄̏̇́̀̑̉̇͘͠ ̶̧̏̿̓̈́̒́͛͘̚͠u̶̢̥͇͖̰̩̱͋ń̴̢͔̪͕̪͚̫̍̎̃̒̿̂͊̀̕͜d̵̛̛̩̼͊͋͋͆́̅̓̎̋̕͘͘e̵̮͇̲̠̥̋̓̃̾̀͑͐̂͌͋͐̋͝ŗ̷̑̒͊̕ ̸͉̭̤̙̹̎̓̊̀̍͠͠ͅḿ̵̢̪̫͈̺̥̗̘̲̏̽̌̒̓̊͘y̷̧̨̨̱̥̪̦͇̯̦̜͆͐̂̎͋̋̅̿͝͝ ̵͉͎͒̈͆̈̒̊̓̎̕͝͝s̵̭̟̪̖̽̅̀̾̏̾̀͆̇̌̉͘h̸̜͐̀̀́̌̾͘̕̕͘͜͝ả̴̡̟͔̲̦̝̖͌̉̽̃͝͝͝͝d̸̤̀̎̓̌̀̂̅̊͒͒̔̒̕o̷̫͍̝̲͎̦͆͑̐́̐̋̃͘ͅw̴̡̤̭͕͚̳̖̠̹̼̩͎͕̃̾̂̀̀͐͒̈́͠ͅ,̴̺̍̉͛̀͘ ̸̠͓̬̬̅̈̆̑̀̑͘̕͝ơ̴̯̈́̌̈̀̋͗͒̕r̴͈̮͔̖̍̑̈́̐̄̌͌̄̾̇̈̚ ̵̱͔̖̮͉̣̼̞̘͔͎̎̃̌̿̑͘͜͝ͅd̵̦̦͖̞̪̝͖̥̐̀̉͘i̴̡̛͉͖̬͕̞̗̩̯̻̰͚̱͑̊̉̀̎̇̽̏́͜ẹ̶͙͔̪̞̣̀͗̈̇̔̇͗̐͒͝.̷̪̪̟̼͉̱̞̭̗̳͖̽  Matt replied to the planet’s desperate rage.

As the planet considered what to choose, Matt spent the time healing his Shard Companion. Even standing this close to him didn’t prevent the damage from bypassing her many defenses.

Eventually, the planet below caved, and a titanic core of gold spun free from underneath Matt’s territories. As it flew towards him, the massive World Core was slowly compressed until it was no larger than a marble. With a satisfied expression, Matt swallowed the golden orb with a few crunchy bites.

“Delicious,” Matt said after he finished his meal.

Space began to ripple around them as he folded his territory until it was the size of a playing card. Matt summoned the compressed space into his hand before branding a Joker on the face of the card. He didn’t care for the back, and a standard pattern flashed into existence on it.

Jennifer looked aghast at the playing card before Matt said, “Relax, everyone is fine. No one would say they were first if I dared to say I was second in spatial manipulation.”

Matt paused before he mumbled, “Except for Dust but whatever.”

Facing his Shard Companion, Matt held his hand and said, “Let us head out.” Jennifer grasped his hand, and space swirled around them as only the burning shell of a dead planet was left behind.