NOVEL NEXT 98. Farewell Hanger I
The massive dust cloud hung like a dirty curtain across the sky, slowly dissolving in the cold ocean breeze. As it cleared, the devastation became visible—a deep groove carved through the sand leading straight to the water's edge, where Hugo lay face-down in a crater like a broken toy.
His shirt had been completely torn away, revealing a body covered in cuts and bruises. His aura flickered weakly, like a candle about to die. Salt water from the incoming waves stung his open wounds as he struggled to lift his head.
Hugo clawed his way up the crater's edge, his fingers digging deep furrows in the wet sand. His chin scraped against the beach as he raised his eyes, vision blurry and unfocused. Through the haze, three colored figures approached like specters.
He blinked once. Their colors seemed to bleed outward, spreading like spilled paint.
He blinked again. The colors began taking shape, forming into something more solid.
One final blink brought everything into sharp, terrifying focus. His eyes widened as much as his battered face would allow.
On the left stalked a crimson magician, his robes flowing like liquid fire. Sharp talons clicked against each other as he flexed his gloved hands. But the mask—that was the worst part. A twisted clown face grinned down at him, filled with razor-sharp teeth. Burning red eyes stared through the holes, one surrounded by a carved star. A blood-red nose completed the nightmare.
On the right walked a figure in flowing azure robes that seemed to shimmer with inner light. He adjusted glowing glasses on his nose with the precise movements of a scholar, but there was something cold in his perfect posture.
And in the center, the worst of them all—the Angel of Death himself. Orange flames burned beneath his hood where eyes should be. A glowing halo crowned his head like a mockery of divinity. His broken arm hung casually at his side, while the other gripped a scythe that seemed to drink in the light around it.
Hugo's jaw clenched despite the pain shooting through his body. "What kind of... twisted carnival... did I just lose to?"
Angelo stepped forward, his orange eyes flaring brighter. With a grunt of effort, he summoned energy tethers that erupted from the sand like glowing snakes. They wrapped around Hugo's battered form and lifted him into the air.
Hugo groaned as his wounds stretched and pulled. Through his pain, he met Angelo's burning gaze.
One tether snaked around Hugo's left arm, extending it forward. Another tether shaped itself into massive, gleaming scissors.
Snip.
Three of Hugo's fingers hit the sand with wet thuds, leaving only his thumb and index finger.
"AAAAHHHURGHH!" The scream tore from his throat before dissolving into ragged breathing.
Angelo's voice cut through the air like a blade. "That was for Josef."
The tethers lowered Hugo slightly, bringing them face to face. "Look at me." Angelo's words carried the weight of absolute authority. "You're staring at death's messenger. You've done terrible things, but even now, you can choose differently."
The scythe lifted from Angelo's grip, spinning slowly through the air before its blade kissed Hugo's throat. "Change your ways, Hugo. Find a better path."
Angelo paused, his voice dropping to barely above a whisper. "Or refuse, and let the ocean's bed be your grave."
Hugo coughed violently, specks of blood hitting the sand below. "You better... finish what you started, Angel. If you don't..." Another coughing fit. "You'll regret letting me live."
Red shifted eagerly beneath his mask, practically vibrating with anticipation. Blue simply watched with clinical interest, fidgeting with his forged energy glasses, like a scientist observing an experiment.
Angelo didn't move. His expression seemed almost... disappointed.
The scythe lowered away from Hugo's neck. Red's head snapped toward Angelo, confusion radiating from behind his twisted mask.
"You know something, Hugo?" Angelo stepped back, his voice carrying an odd note. "You're the first criminal I actually hoped would make the right choice."
Hugo managed a bitter laugh between coughs. "Should I feel honored?" No humor reached his voice. "Don't tell me my sob story actually got to you. Thought you were supposed to be heartless."
Angelo stared at him for a long moment. "Something like that." He turned toward the ocean "But there's more. When Dray wrecked a good portion of the town, you helped. I saw a glimpse of the old you. The real you."
The tethers rotated Hugo to face the same direction he'd pointed out to Angelo earlier—toward his hometown. "You used to fight for your people. Stood up against tyranny, risked everything for what was right." Angelo shook his head slowly. "Those who opposed you here? They were just like who you used to be. And you?" His voice hardened. "You became everything you once fought against."
"Cut the philosophical bullshit!" Hugo spat, his voice raw with pain from his mangled hand. "You think I don't know what I became? I did what I had to do because I wasn't going to lose another town!" His voice cracked. "I wasn't going to..."
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"So you knew all along." Angelo nodded grimly. "What corrupted you then? Was it the money? The power?"
Hugo actually seemed to consider the question, his breathing slowing as he thought. "No... the old me wouldn't have cared about those things."
"Then what?"
"Family." The word came out like a confession. A memory flooding him:
Hugo waited with the rope burning his wrists, watching as his brothers-in-arms were hanged one by one. Each death tore another piece from his heart.
"Guess this is it,"
The familiar voice beside him made Hugo's head snap up. He was actually smiling, somehow cheerful even as death waited for them both.
"Not every story gets a happy ending, little bro. That's just reality." He looked away, watching their comrades die. Then his eyes found Hugo again. "But we stuck to our guns and fought for what was right. You did good, Hugo. I'm proud of you."
"Marlon...!" Tears burned Hugo's eyes as guilt crushed down on him. "This is all my fault! If I hadn't challenged those bastards, we wouldn't—"
"Stop it, you fool." Marlon's voice cut through Hugo's self-blame. "Don't you ever say that. People like us have been dying to tyranny and corruption for generations. We'll die the death of heroes, without a speck of regret in our hearts. Otherwise, everything we did means nothing." His final smile burned itself into Hugo's memory like a scar. "See you on the other side, brother."
Reality crashed back as Hugo's eyes misted over. The memory felt as fresh as an open wound.
"Family?" Angelo repeated quietly.
"Yeah." Hugo stared at nothing, his voice hollow. "After I screwed up the mission and got everyone killed... after I destroyed my own hometown..." He kept talking, the words spilling out like blood from a wound. "I started the Cliffhangers. Just a bunch of lost souls with nowhere else to go. When we found this place..."
He stopped mid-sentence, his eyes widening in horror as understanding hit him.
"What have I done...?" His voice broke completely. "Marlon... how could I dishonor everything you stood for?"
Red leaned toward Blue, his mask tilting. "Who the hell is Marlon? Guy's losing his mind."
"Silence." Blue's sharp whisper cut through Red's commentary. "This moment requires our attention."
Hugo's broken gaze found Angelo again. "What should I do, Angel?"
Angelo raised an eyebrow as if the answer was obvious. "I already told you. Change your heart. Find redemption. Choose a different path."
"You'd really let me try? After everything I've destroyed?" Hugo's voice held genuine shock, all traces of the feared gang leader gone.
Angelo's mind flashed to Jill's peaceful expression as his energy tethers pierced through her. His eye twitched slightly before he spoke. "Everyone deserves one final chance when they face the Angel of Death."
Hugo nodded slowly, like a man waking from a nightmare. "Alright. I'll do it. I'll make things right this time."
Their eyes locked across the space between them. Angelo's voice echoed in his companions' minds. "Red, what's your take? Is he lying?"
Red's mental voice carried clear disappointment. "Damn it... no, he's telling the truth."
Angelo's expression hardened with finality. "Very well." The scythe flew back to his grasp. With a single, decisive motion, he raised it high. "Then I sentence you to life."
The tethers gently lowered Hugo to his knees in the sand.
Angelo released his aura, letting his robes and scythe dissolve into fading orange light. Blue followed suit, his scholarly costume dissipating like morning mist.
Red crossed his arms with visible frustration, his mask scowling as his own energy faded. "This is such bullshit. We totally earned that kill."
Angelo and Blue shook their heads at Red's complaints when a desperate voice cut through the tension.
"HUGO!"
Veronica stumbled toward them across the beach, her aura flickering like a broken light bulb as she clutched her wounded stomach. Blood seeped between her fingers.
"GET AWAY FROM HIM!" she shrieked.
The trio instantly shifted into combat stance, ready for another fight.
"Stand down, Vika!" Hugo's command cracked like a whip. Veronica's eyes went wide with shock. "It's over. All of it."
"What... what are you saying?" Her voice came out small and afraid.
Hugo turned to Angelo, his voice steady despite his injuries. "Angel, can you get us all up to the cliff? It's time to end this sad story properly."
Angelo nodded once. "We need Sol first. Someone go get him."
To everyone's surprise, Red stepped forward. "I'll grab pretty boy." He turned and rushed toward the cave.
Angelo and Blue's auras flared back to life, their flight configurations materializing. Energy tethers wrapped gently around Hugo and Veronica, lifting them into the air. Much to Veronica's surprise. But Hugo wasn't resisting, so neither was she.
At the cave entrance, Red found Sol propped against the wall, looking like he'd been through a meat grinder.
"Did we... did we do it? Did we win?" Sol's voice was barely above a whisper. "Is it really over?"
Red flashed him a genuine thumbs up. "We pulled it off, pretty boy. Now let's get that broken mess you call a body some help."
Sol managed a weak laugh. "Subtle as always."
For once, Red was surprisingly gentle as he lifted Sol with his energy tethers, carrying him toward the cliff where the others waited.
When Angelo touched down at the cliff's edge, he carefully lowered Hugo to the ground. The crowd that had gathered—both locals and Cliffhangers—turned to stare. Several gang members started forward, fists raised.
"HALT!" Hugo forced his voice to carry, even as pain shot through his body. "Stand down."
"Boss?" One of the Cliffhangers looked completely lost.
Hugo struggled to catch his breath. "Send word to everyone. Tell them to stop fighting and gather here. Now."
"Y-yes boss..." The gang member's confusion was obvious, but they scattered to follow orders.
Across town, Brian was surrounded by hostile Cliffhangers when the message reached them. They all stopped mid-swing, looking at each other with the same bewildered expressions Brian wore.
At the coffee shop, the circle of gang members around Neiva, Rorck, and Sam reluctantly began to disperse as word spread.
Rorck stood up slowly, his usual mysterious smile replaced by something warmer and more genuine. "I think we should head to the cliff."
Fifteen minutes later, the entire town had gathered at the cliff's edge. Hugo, Veronica, and the trio stood at the center like actors on a stage.
Sol sat on the wooden deck of a nearby shop, trying not to move too much as he watched the scene unfold. Neiva, Rorck, and Sam pushed through the crowd to get a better view.
The whole town held its breath, waiting.
Hugo studied the faces around him, then slowly forced himself to stand. Veronica tried to help support him as he turned to Angelo.
"Angel, I have one last request."
Angelo didn't speak, but his expression said he was listening.
"Use that power of yours to build me a gallows. The whole thing—platform, noose, everything."
"WHAT ARE YOU SAYING?!" Veronica couldn't hide her horror. "What kind of sick game is this?!"
Hugo ignored her pleading look. "Please."
Angelo nodded once. His eyes blazed orange as his aura evolved in front of the amazed crowd. He raised his arm, and energy began flowing like liquid light, shaping itself into structure and rope. In moments, a complete gallows stood before them.
Hugo walked underneath it with steady steps and climbed onto the chair Angelo had created. And Without hesitation, he placed the noose around his own neck.