Part 60 "The Final Act"

Prime Video offers the best in entertainment. This should be fun. Jason Momoa and Dave Bautista go completely down in the hilarious new action film The Wrecking Crew. Inbegrepen by Prime. Yeah, I'm pumped. Find the new Game of Thrones series A Night of the Seven Kingdoms. Based on the bestseller of George R.R. Martin. Look by being a member of HBO Max. So be brave, be just. So whatever you want to find, Prime Video. Here you look at everything. Abonnement is revised. In-house conferencing is 18+. The general rules are of use. Hey, actually. And wow, you have such a setup here. So I thought maybe I could join. Hit it, boys. I know I'm new here, but I want to dedicate this one to all of you. If you can find it in your heart To just forgive I'll come back And live the way You wanted me to live All I want Is just to be your girl Please come get me And take me to your world Take me to your world Away from bars filled with smoke That'll kill you Hey, hey, hey, hey, come now I'm just up here trying to entertain Stop, stop the music Well now Now, this, this is disappointing. I think that I'd like to speak with the manager. Anybody know where he is? No? Well, let's see if we can get a few of you to open up. Shall we? The End The table? I hear... Is that music? A small band on stage, but... God. Oh, God. Arthur. Get up. What? Get up. The tables. Most are... They're all turned over and... Oh, God. What? They're all dead. Arthur, all except a band on stage. Are they all... Not you. The band was the one that backed Victor Netta, who is also... Oh, Jesus. Cain kept them alive. Is there anyone else? I can't... I can't discern pieces from... They're just piles of dripping viscera Arthur. Oh, God. some are some are stuck in the ceiling Jesus he's been here for only a short while and yet the carnage indescribable worse than Carcosa where are you we need to stall him until right but yes say nothing yes we saw how to find him Follow the carnage, I suppose. Careful! There's a body to your... There. Yes. Tell me you have an idea. I have many ideas. About many things. Oh, the kitchen. The door is open and... The blood seems to lead back there. Wonderful. The kitchen is a scene of violence. It looks like he used the butcher's block to butcher. Of course. We're flanked on our left with an array of stoves and ovens. Pots burble away, some filled with food. A myriad of half-finished dishes and lit burners, but... No one's alive. Dozens of knives have been thrown at the galley opening, embedded into the wooden frame of the window. Some are red with blood, having caught a cook, or having been used to slice flesh before being thrown. The blood, the trail? Yes, out the back, into a hallway of sorts. An employee area, I think. This hallway is empty. The red drag marks of blood lead off to the right. This is just recreation for him. More killing for more killings' sake. This world is going to be either erased from existence or reforged in his image. Nothing here holds any value for him anymore. I'll attempt to make the case nonetheless. You're going to try to convince him? We've tried that before, Arthur. We've told him about- We've told him about the dangers of his desire. I want to focus on the benefits of this existence, maybe. Benefits? A can, it rolled out ahead of us. There's another hallway up ahead. Presumably for patrons of the waylay. It runs perpendicular to this one. Cain? he's either not here right now or toying with us. My bet is on the ladder. This hallway branches off to the left and the right again. It looks like the hallway ends in a gallery to the left, and to the right it should lead us back to the lounge, though there is a large room between us and the lounge that seems to be the blood-stained destination. The gallery? Bloody footprints head in that direction, but no drag marks. The gallery's a dead end. It looks like it. Well, let's rule it out, at least. All right. It's quiet. Eerily. I've never known Cain to be so quiet. His smile. The way the Blackstone has affected him. It seems no one is immune. Not human, nor god. Why? I have no idea. If I had to guess, I suppose... Well, Azathoth is a god to all things. The only one of his kind in a universe of many. Universe of many? Variants. Different versions of you, Cain, myself. Do you think that's why Cain wants to kill the manager? I suppose that must be part of it, yes. Obviously he believes his plan can only work if he's the last remaining Narlathotep. Right. So him being the last of his kind must in some way make him capable of donning the mantle of Azathoth's role in creation. The uniqueness of him, the unrivaled nature of being the last. Cain said something about Shubnagrath. the... Yes. How she was removed from existence by essentially consuming herself. In a way, I suppose Kane's plan is the opposite. I suppose. The gallery is just ahead. There are no doors, just an open archway to its interior. Alright. So, what if he should fail to find the manager? That is the question! you don't want to know the answer to. Kane, he sits before a large painting, leaning back on his arms as if bathing in the sun. Ooh, well said. So evocative. So much color in your descriptions, Bumblebee. Kane, listen to me. Hold on now. I heard your little plan to convince me. Sure, sure, sure, sure. Look, I am not an unreasonable man. You can make a little argument in a second, but first, look at this, will you? Look at this piece. He gestures to a large canvas before him. It's an abstract piece of art. Shoots of yellow and red cover the canvas with brush strokes that seem... Unconventional? Unconcerned? Uncouth? Unstable? Oh, is it? Really? You know, I thought the artist showed some real potential here. Clearly, they're expressing a great deal of anger, resentment, frustration, and such passion. Such potential. You know, why the creator of this work could create such wonderful things when not restricted to a canvas. Don't you think, Artie? I've never had an eye for art. And yet, art is in your name! Funny. Come now, Sponge. Surely you can see the kind of potential this artist has. It is the unfettered scribblings of a mad god. God, Art really is in the eye of the beholder, isn't it? Or maybe I'm just seeing things the way I want to see them. I do want to be able to take criticism, you know. For so much of my existence, this reality, you know, it's felt a lot like a canvas. A great, big, beautiful, glorious canvas. One with near infinite potential. With such possibility. And yet, I've been restricted to painting in nothing but yellows. Imagine how frustrating that is. To be a being of such immense power. Having to exist in such a finite space. a landscape laid out before me. And yet being so limited in tools. Is that so? Yes it is! Hell! I can only get so many colors from Daddy Daniel over there. Oh, Jesus. It's Daniel. His body. It's been pulled apart. Torn. His stomach is open. And in pieces. Jesus. He's been plucked apart, Arthur. Well, of course. No other hue could match the perfect off-white of the inside of an eye. Or the putrid green that comes from squeezing the gallbladder. God damn you. Oh, come now, Artie. This isn't your Daniel. It's just another poor bastard who happened to know you. Daniel. But I hear what you're saying. I can read between the lines. You're saying a poor craftsman blames his tools. And I shouldn't blame poor Daniel over there for the icker that's a little too green for my liking. After all, it is art. Art is about expressing oneself. This is not expression. Oh, but it is. And what's more, that's what this new reality will become. You know, I made my pitch previous by painting you a word picture, but I don't think you truly understand. I do. See, you say that! But what are words? Just a poor excuse for the real thing. The real thing? Look, each of us wants our turn at convincing the other that our way is the right way. So, I'll show you mine, and then you can show me yours. No deal. Oh, please. Why do you care what I think? I don't know! You know, I feel this pull towards you, Arthur. Some call it connection. Some call it fate. Hell. Some call it madness. But I... Arthur, I want you to get it. To understand. To feel what I feel. For just one moment. Please. You're asking me. I mean, look. We both know at this point I will do what I want. So maybe the better question is, do you want to feel it alone? Or do you want to bring Johnny Boy as well? Your choice. We are in this together. Demonstrate. Well, all right then. Let's go. Do you feel that? This is my grand design. And that feeling, that is meaning. That sense of belonging, as if a part of an organ fulfilling the needs of an endless wall of flesh, pulsing and beating as blood flows through you against the infinite tapestry of stars. in my new reality. But it isn't the coffee or the corn or the wink from the pretty girl that gives you meaning here. No! You are part of something. An intricate peace. How many mouths are unfed in this world? How many terrible families leave their children orphans? That petty drudgery. That day-to-day nonsense. It's gone here. All you have in my dream is unending, uninterrupted purpose. Now tell me, doesn't that feel amazing? I... It does. It does. John. I feel... like I belong. Because you do! None of us can exist separate. Without each vital part. Without you. I can give you purpose. I can give you new existence. All you have to do is let go of this one. I... I can give you meaning. Meaning? It's a sacrifice! I admit it. Sacrifice? What do you know about sacrificing? What do I know? Look at me! We're back in the lounge again of the waylay. Look at the smile. Do you see this? This is the grin of Azathoth. Stuck upon my face like a brand. On his own flesh and blood. Can you imagine? You want to talk about bad dads? Oh, Azathoth! He takes the cake. The band is still here. Frozen, too afraid to move. You blame him. Azathoth is everything, my dear. And therefore he holds the only possible blame. He is every terrible cancer, every scorched planet. Every broken dream, every sinister thought. Everything, everything, everything. Then he is everything good, too. No. He's the reason for every child's laughter. Every warm greeting on a cold day. Every moment of peace within those terrible moments that you happily cling to. God, you're so... What? He doesn't make those moments. Those happen because he is indifferent. To all of you. To all of us. he's not the reason for them but he does hold the blame what's the fucking difference if he's indifferent to the good then he's indifferent to the evils as well not the cause of them are you not angry at his indifference are you not frustrated by an indifferent god an indifferent god well that's just That's... That's not a god. Come again? That's like... That's like calling me the father of a forgotten apple seed that grew into a tree. Azathoth dreamt us. This, all of this. By accident. He isn't the Christian God or any God that claims to have designed our creation. This existence, this reality, it isn't even an afterthought, it's an accident. An unintentional side effect of an alien entity with immeasurable power. maybe the word God is definitionally correct but it wins only by technicality and it is one I choose not to accept God's care they are angry jealous, egotistical and selfish and yes benevolent but they are not whatever Azathoth is however you ironically are you are perhaps the greatest example of a god that cares and I wondered why but I think I see it now you spent a long long time amongst humans you've seen the hole left by your father you've seen the need in people to seek a higher power to scour the skies for answers and you you somehow decided it was your job I don't want a god to save me I don't need that I don't need a god to pray to to worship, to lean on whether it be Azathoth or you or anything in between. I want to find my own meaning in life. And what's more, I think most people feel the same. So you may have convinced yourself that this world or whatever world you plan to create needs a god. But I am here as the only human standing between you and that reality, saying, we don't. We don need a goal We don need to be given a purpose We don need carrots or sticks Life cannot be controlled in that way It is exactly what you can comprehend and everything John learned to understand. That's not what life is. Life exists between the cracks of what you call a grand design. Or what I call the deranged ramblings of a malevolent god. Fair enough. Well, it looks like we're at an impasse. See, I don't want to get close to you to read that little brain again because, well, I don't know what tricks you have up your sleeve. Yet, I'm counting on the fact that my lovely daughter told you where this manager ran off to after I left you two on the ice. Did you want to just tell me, maybe? I don't know. That's the truth. You can try to read my mind again, you can do whatever you want, but I swear to you, I have no idea. Well, that truly is a disappointment. Is it? I told you. You didn't want to know the answer to the question, Artie. Which question? What would I do if I couldn't find the manager? And? See, you are closer than you think, little ducky. Not being the last Narlathotep means I'm not immune to his effects. Which means my wager, it has no way of paying off. Wait, wait, what are you saying? You're saying... That if you can't kill the manager, then... My plan is kaput. I cannot sit upon that throne. my dream reality, my vision of a new and beautiful future is no more. I... Well... Okay. Okay. Is that... Is that it? Yep. Yeah, we're done. What are you... We're done? Yeah. Go home. I give up. I... Go! I want to be alone. I... Okay. Okay. Oh! Wait a minute! You know what? Heck, even if I lost my wager... Let's do it anyway! Do it anyway? Yeah. You're going to kill Azathoth. Let's wipe the whole slate clean. No. You... Ever heard of the atom bomb? The what? Cain, this is madness. Look, let's just say that bomb will wipe out everything and everyone. But you know what? At least we'll all go together when we go. Right? Boys, that was your cue. Cain, this is insanity. Cain! When you attend a funeral, it's sad to think that sooner or later those you love will do the same for you. Authorism! And you may have thought it tragic, not to mention other adjectives, to think of all the weeping they will do. But don't you worry No more ashes, no more sackcloth And an armband made of black cloth Will someday never more adorn us leave For if the bomb that drops on you Gets your friends and neighbors too There'll be no one left behind us to grieve For we will all go together when we go He's dancing on the table What a comforting fact it is to know Universal bereavement An aspiring achievement Yes, we all will go together when we go Ah, shame! And we all will bake together when we bake There'll be nobody that's present at the wake With complete participation In a grand incineration Nearly three billion hunks of well-done steak I don't expect you to see reason, but Oh, we'll all fry together when we fry We will be french fried potatoes by and by To your right, move! There will be no more misery when the world is my rotisserie Yes, we all will fry together when we fry Cain, there is no reason to do this Think of all the madness you can bring to this world, to this reality, you, you We all will char together when we char There'll be no more moaning at the bar Just sing out a tedium when you see that icy beam Cain! And the party will be Come as you are Oh, we all will burn together When we burn To an end, Cain There'll be no need to stand and wait your turn When it's time for the fallout And St. Peter calls us all out Well, we'll just drop our agendas And adjourn Cain And we all will go together when we go Every time he taught And everyone, you know When the air becomes uraneous And we all go Simultaneous Yes we all will go together When we all will go together Yes we all will go together When we go Well now Arthur Do you feel Yes Is that The obelisk Seems like the manager sensed my plan. Time to put this all to an end. Say goodbye to the waylay, boys. No one's coming back here again. Arthur! The waylay is... It's falling apart. King is closing an inn on itself. The space is moving inwardly. The walls are growing closer. The ceiling is shrinking. We're going to be crushed. We'll all go together when we go! Peaceful, isn't it? We're on a beach. Somewhere. Where the hell are we? Shame about the waylay. No safety net anymore. Won't matter either way. I've got to talk with Dad. You two? You just... You two just stay here, okay? I want you... I want you two to watch it all from here. At peace. You deserve that much, Artie. Arthur, this is... Peaceful. A... A beach? Yes. I've... I've been here before. You sure have, Artie. You sure have. I knew this place. And Artie! She's here too. She's... She's here. Arthur. She's here. I see her. She's... She's here. Enjoy your time. Cain's standing up. walking toward a portal. For all. We're all together at the end. This isn't right. I know, but... No. No, but this isn't... This is something. A prison pit, a dream. What? So long, Artie. Parting is such. Sweet sorrow. Kane's exiting through the portal. Wait, wait, wait, wait. No, no, no. No. We need to run. Arthur, even if you did, we wouldn't make it. We need to run. We need to run. Get up. Run. We run. Okay. Run! Kane is at the portal. He's exiting through the portal, Arthur. We won't make it. We'll make it. I don't think we will. We'll make it! Arthur! Jump, Arthur! Jump! Oh, God. It's cold. Your body is freezing. You're wet. What? Oh, fuck. Oh, God damn it. We're through. We made it? How did you... You knew? How did you know? We had to. She told us. She? Farol. Don't you remember? No. No, you wouldn't. I had a dream in the prison pit. On a beach. A beach. A beach I took for O2. Long ago. I could sense it. It was that same beach. And in my dream she yelled. She yelled, run. She told you. She warned you. She's with us, John. She's with us till the end. And what an end it will be. Jesus. Where are we? We're back in... Arthur, we're in Arkham. We're home. Home again, eh? No. I mean... We're outside. On the street. Held in front of your office. On Mosby. Where it all began. Mosby? The street is... desolate. Vacant. There's no one around. It's... It's like a ghost town. The sky, Arthur. The sky is... red. Red? A crimson shade, darker than blood. It ripples and moves as if angry, agitated, like silt stirred at the bottom of a still water. It expands upon itself, blooming ever greater, like the clouds themselves breathe. An organic sky, one of sinew and flesh, just as he imagined. He's going to do it, John. He's going to end everything. He's mad. I don't know whether it was the grin or what, but... We cannot let him wake Azathoth. I know. We cannot let him kill him. I know. No matter the cost. No matter the cost. We need to find the obelisk. We need to find a way to... It's here as well. It's here. In the center of the street, bathed in the blood-red hue of the sky, it sits... The Obelisk. The ground surrounding it and underfoot is covered in a vine-like growth that snakes its way between the sidewalk, along the pavement, and between the surrounding buildings like the rotten roots of some corrupted tree. As if searching for water, the thick, dark appendages sprout from the base of the obelisk, making it appear almost alive. The obelisk itself is... Alien. In the truest sense of the word. It stands... Impressively tall. At least as tall as the first floor of your building. Perhaps 20 feet wide. It's difficult to tell. We're still a fair distance from it. And yet... I can see it so clearly. It widens at the waist, but only slightly. The entire obelisk is covered in long, dripping spikes. Bony protrusions that are bent or broken at the halfway point, like elongated fingers beckoning one to come closer. A viscous slime seems to drip off the grisly object. And the air between the sharp stiff arms seems almost electrified. As if the obelisk is generating an incredible amount of heat. Oh god. Small arcs of deep orange energy jump between the fingers. But the true monstrous quality of this thing lay in its base. The base, which widens out again, seems to have a great number of teeth. Formless faces, devoid of features save the mouths, offer mocking smiles, sinister expressions, sharp, jagged grins like the one plastered upon Cain's face. The grin of Azathoth is displayed proudly and prominently on this ungodly artifact. My god. John? John? John! So sorry. Believe me when I say... I don't think you would be able to survive witnessing this object. I can feel my own mind fighting. Stay with me. Yes. Look away if you have to. Yes. Oh! I... Kane. Where? The sky. Oh, God. Oh, my God. You should have stayed. On the beach. It's Cain Arthur only. He appears as a silhouette against the red skies. God. Shadow fills the city block with a wingspan that covers the sky. You know, in a way, I suppose I'm glad I have a living Arthur with me. With wings as wide as the buildings that surround us, he slowly descends. And as he does, the crimson light of the sky illuminates his inhuman grin. Arthur, it's... it's... Tell him, John! Tell him. I can't describe it, Arthur. I can't. I... Oh, God. John, just... I can't. Ah-ah-ah! Don't you close your eyes, Artie! I want John to see this! I can't, don't- don't open them. Please. You have to, John. You need to. I only let a select few see my true face. You two should be... honored. Of course, it's still sporting the grin of Azathoth. But, I think you can manage to make out my... winning smile. Please, I need you, John. We need you. Faroe and I. Please, open your eyes. You're right. Okay. Okay. Oh, fuck. There are those beautiful yellow eyes. He descends on wings of... Oh. What? Oh, tell him! He's dying to know! The wings... they're made out of you, Arthur. Me? Millions of you, Arthur! I had to break up the band, sadly, but I managed to make use of their skin. I wanted my apocalypse suit to be thematically relevant. You know. He lands. Softly. On the vine-covered ground. His hands are still. Stained red. His feet still bare, but his black suit looks... Freshly cleaned! As I said. The wings fold up behind him. But only slightly. giving him a... Angelic appearance? Demonic appearance. Same difference. Well, boys. We're here at the end. Aren't we? You know, in a strange way, I'm glad you're here. It wouldn't be Arthur Lester if he didn't fight till the bitter end. Would it? I should have been smarter than to assume you'd take the easy, quiet way out of this. But alas, I wanted to give you one last chance. At peace. You didn't offer peace. You offered a lie. It's what you do. None of what I offered were lies. He grimaces. But you never saw it that way, did you? You only saw what you wanted to see. Or rather, what you couldn't see. And such a shame, because this... Oh, this is quite the sight to behold. He's reached behind his back and produced... the Black Stone. So much power. Such a little stone. Don't you wish you could see it, Artie? No. Oh, okay. All right. I won't make you look. Was it worth it, losing your sight again, to be reunited? Yes, of course. Still, you had it all, Johnny boy. You could have stayed in the dreamlands completely unaffected, avoiding all this horribleness. Weren't tempted? It doesn't matter. Huh. Well, I mean, the king still lives on. What? Well, as long as the king in yellow proper is still there, you aren't really risking it all, are you? Not in the way Artie is. Right? Of course I am. I'm just... No, no, no, no, no, no. You misunderstand. The waylay is gone! Bye-bye! No save point for Arthur. But you, you still have your lineage, your history, your kingship. I don't care about that. Oh! Good. Because I've been wanting to show you what's in store for you in just a minute, Artie. But I was thinking and wondering and just you know trying to come up with the perfect person to show you the power of the Blackstone Not just tell you or see the result on my face but really show you to So if you don't mind, then I suppose we have our example. You. What? What? Yellow. What is this, King? Yellow. Say hello, king! Cain. Arthur. John, are you... Cain has brought the king in yellow. Proper. Here. To Arkham. He's... He brought him here like it was nothing. Because it was nothing! Do you not get it yet? This power has no equal. No comparative. It is all-consuming. All-corrupting. and I can show you. Yellow? Yellow, no! No! Here, would you hold this for me? What are you? No! No! Arthur! Cain has thrust the black stone into the king in Yellow's hand. Yellow is frozen. His cloak upturned toward the sky. The end of his cloak, our cloak, it's changing. Dying a darker shade from the yellow hue to Red. The color spreads up the cloak like blood soaking into a cloth. It covers him in crimson, hiding all that was once yellow until his face or my face. You have no face. There's no face, remember? From the darkness of the hood that was once yellow. Now, Red, a grin appears. No. See! No one is amused. Not even the king in red here. How you feeling, you little red devil? Hungry. Hungry. Oh, do you see now? I made my point. Right, boys? Yes. Perfect! Now, what to do with you? Well, it's all about to come to an end anyway. So I'll let you two choose. You want me to send this guy back to the dreamlands before the end comes? Let him die upon his throne in dignity? Or... Do you want me to waste him right here? Right now? A mercy killing. Send him home. Don't... Don't kill him. Let him leave. Very well! You're lucky this one has such a heart. Home you go, king in red. Go home and hug a wasp. The king is gone. Back to the dreamlands. His face. It was as though he lost all his sense of self. All we've done. All that's happened. It's all undone. It's not. It's not undone. Because of you. Cain. You. You bastard. Oh, weep not for him, Johnny. You'll be joining him soon. You just can't help yourself, can you? Like that's a bad thing? Limitations are for the weak and powerless. Oh, you'll see. Once I open your eyes, once you touch this stone without gloves this time, you'll see it. You'll both see it and understand. The way I do. The way the king now does. See what? Azathoth? Spawning this grin is more than just feeling your creator. More than just a corrupted version of what you were. Why, it's... it's a new way of looking at life. Untethered. Unrestricted. It's freedom, boys! This grin is like the opening of a third eye. No more doubt or hesitation. Simple and meaningful drive. In my case, to fulfill my dream of killing Azathoth. You know, even I had my doubts. But once I held this stone, you never struck me as someone who was tethered. Touching the stone freed you. So you could kill Azathoth? Ironic, isn't it? Of course, I had always intended to do it, but that final push! Perhaps, had your manager held this stone, things would be very different for him as well. But, as I said, we'll see what that means for you. So, you want me to touch the stone? To touch it! to have it change you to understand, accept, and rejoice. And to put it in the obelisk yourself, along with its brothers. See? The crimson stone and the gray stone are already within, waiting for the final piece. I see them. The other two stones are nestled into the base within the gaping maw of two discolored toothy grins. So! Are you ready to meet the Maker? Because I could not stop the day. It's an inevitability, John. We can run and hide. We could take this stone and throw it into the ocean, but we'll still end up right back here. And in worse shape. With more scars. Our plans. We have people relying on us. I know. I know. And I'm hoping that what Alia said to us that two souls were needed means that when I touch this stone It will only affect you. We've gambled on, Grater. If you touch this, there's no coming back. We both knew that there was no coming back. Not for me. Arthur, I... We've said goodbye so many times now. Has it lost all meaning? Not for me. Not for me either. We don't end our lives with completed stories. But we can sure as shit choose when we end them. Lovely sentiment! And some of the best lying to oneself I've ever heard! But I promise you, the corruption won't just be skin deep. He holds the Blackstone at arm's length. So what do you say, Artie? Sure. I could use a smile. Hold on. Do you think I've forgotten about you getting a little too close? as long as that lighter is there and those hands of yours are in play, you keep your distance. Well, how am I supposed to... Catch! King's thrown the black stone. It lands by our feet. Score! Oh, worry not. That bad boy is indestructible. And do you know why? Why? It's indestructible because it's the only one. A pure original. To destroy it would mean to remove it from existence. See, you had it right, as you pontificated while wandering the halls of the waylay. Something that exists in all realities can be removed as if it never existed, like your friends did with Shobnigaral, but with true originals, like these stones. They can't be replaced. You cannot destroy. But there is only one of. Now pick it up. And embrace your new freedom. It lay just below us. Between our feet. Something so powerful, so dangerous. Just laying on the street as if... another forgotten stone. Whatever happens... Whatever happens, know that it's not the real me. I know. Arthur, are you sure? No. But we'd... We have no choice. Don't we? I mean, maybe we could run. It's too late. Grab it. Arthur, I'm not so sure. What if Cain is right? I don't know. Pick it up! But can we risk it? Cause should we? Arthur! There's too much at stake. Arthur! Maybe we should think this through. I... do it! I... do it! Arthur! I trust Alia knows. Fucking do it! Arthur! You... You've picked it up. You've picked it up. Arthur? Yes. Well, I... I don't know. Do you feel anything... Any... Different? Not really, no. You? Not really, no. What? What? Kane is walking over. He's... He stops far enough away. Look at me! Do I look different? I don't think so. No! What the fuck? What the fuck? Are you doing it wrong? I don't know. How am I supposed to be doing it? I don't know. But... I don't... understand. For the first time. In a long, long, long time. I don't understand. Kane looks... confused. This feeling. I've never felt this feeling before. Not in this way. I've always had suspicions about things I was unsure of. Lilith's interference with you and why you're so... But this... What is this? Well, this is what you call a cosmic evening of the scales. Lilith. Lilith. She stands on the sidewalk, appearing as Larson. You cannot destroy what there is only one of. It's not exactly correct, Father. Hell, your whole plan hinged on killing Azathoth. And there's only one of him. How does that make sense? But of which there is only one, can certainly destroy. What? Cain's face. I don't... He's twisted in confusion. You know less about people than you do about being a god. And now that it's over, let me say what I wanted to say on the ice, but needed to wait until this moment. Checkmate. What? I've made Arthur your lure since before this game began. I know that's no surprise. You've obsessed over him for years, all because of two tiny words I whispered to him. My favorite. But what you failed to realize was why. All this time, no idea why. Was because I know you, Cain. Because I know your nature. Your true nature. Is he bored while waiting? Cain will slaughter a city. He looking for the manager? Well, Cain will gut every patron. Need information about a boy? Cain would torture his parents. And give Cain a puzzle box he can't solve. Well, he'll just smash it when he can't find the solution. All I needed was to give you time. Time enough to have you create the architect of your own ruin. Someone who would become, through your own violent, vindictive nature, the only one of his kind. The last, Arthur Lester. I planted the seed, but you killed your own crop, father. The Blackstone won't affect you because... Because I am the only one left. Precisely. Now, Mr. Lester, if you'd be so kind, break it. What? Do it. No! You've done it, Arthur. The stone, it broke in half like a clump of mud. It's over. The Blackstone is in pieces. Azathoth cannot be woken, and Cain's plan has... Failed. Well, well done, you two. Or three, I suppose. You foiled the villain's plans. Arthur, the skies is changing. The red is changing. You, my daughter, have exposed me as the violent, savage I am, and used my own bloodlust against me. My own nature. Brava and bravo. A pale moon grows, bathing us in an eerie, ghostly white, draining the street of color. save the red on Cain's hands. And so, little frogs, this scorpion may not have his purpose-filled reality, but he will have you too. Arthur, down! Cain has sent Lilith flying back into the building with one of his arms. A little stretched out, elongated and tentacle-like. I cannot wait to kill you. The other swiped at us, nearly missing. But first. Run, Arthur! Here, here. The left of the street. Into the building. We're in the lobby of Mosby, your building. The stairs. The stairs. He's broken through the door. What did I need his two? Move! Go, go, go! Jesus, Arthur. Pain is a mass of fleshy tentacles. They extrude from his back. He floats up the stairs like... I don't need descriptions! Just directions. Right, right. Move, Arthur! Okay, okay. I know the way from here. Up! Up! No! To my Arthur's roof! distance, no? He's close. Okay. Here, here. Now what? The lighter is still the plan. So where are you heading? This isn't even your desk. I know. I know. Understand? I think. Do you understand? I do, I do. If you need a distraction... I'll know what to say. Good. Okay, he's through. Time to stomp out the last of the Lester line. Hey, nice digs. Though the sign on the door is a little out of date. Hand in pieces. Don't come any closer. Or what? or I won't use this. Ah. So what? An unstoppable force is simply meant to yield to the immovable object. You You think you're the unstoppable force? I mean... What do you mean? what do you mean I don't I don't need to check the scorecard to count which of us has risen from the dead which of which of us has survived a car crash multiple gunshot wounds a drowning, suffocation, choking, torture, and a slew of other inhuman, absolute, mind-breaking sites, the least of which were created by you. I have felt incomparable loss, unforgiving shame, and scraped my way across the barren desolate fields of the dark world and climbed from that black pit, clawing my way out of my own grave to stand here, again, unscathed before you. You, a vacuous, selfish, power-hungry alien with a god complex. Who would rather break his own toys than watch another play with them? You are no unstoppable force. I am. I am the unconquerable. The unyielding. The relentless, grim shadow that clings to you. I held the stone that corrupted your face. and broke it into pieces. You think you've chased me into my office? You think you've cornered me? Kane, I am the last Arthur Lester. I brought you in here. What's the matter, Kane? Lost your nerve? Listen, kid. You're speaking to a god that was ready to kill himself along with the rest of existence. You think I'm scared of you? Then come here. Unless you're afraid to put your money where your mouth was. I don't think you have the stones. Not stones. No. Bedrock. Arthur! You've grabbed Cain! In his jaw! Pull, Arthur! God damn you little rat fuck! You've torn a piece of his jawbone clean off of his face! His mouth is exposed His bloody soaked tongue spasms and writhes uncontrollably You know that really wasn kind Arthur You may have this newfound power, but I still have mine. Arthur, he's looking to us and... Arthur, your left arm! And this one! He's broken it! This one is for your fucking lighter. Your right arm. Jesus Christ, Arthur. Arthur. You think I didn't feel you put that in my pocket? You fucking handed to me, you rotten, black puppet. Arthur. He tossed the lighter out of his pocket. I won't be able to wipe out all existence. But you know what? after I finish you off and skin that bitch lit it alive. I am going to hunt down each and every one of your fucking friends and get them over. Do you hear me? I am going to break Marie's fucking neck. I am going to dissect Oscar in front of his congregation. I am going to starve that fucking father of yours into a wet pile of flesh. And I am going to head to threshold and carve out Gnome's fucking eyes with broken glass. And you, you can die knowing that you failed. Orthon, your arms, they're broken. You can't... God, you, I only got to kill you once. And you know what? You're right. You are the unstoppable force. But all those scars are gone now, aren't they? Oh, even the one on your neck. What do you say we put some back? Cain grabbed the letter opener from your desk and... No! A little bigger, maybe. But the rest is deep. Arthur! Come on, Arthur. Let me show you my view of the world. Arthur! Arthur! Kay has taken off from your office. Breaking through the window. Holding us close. Flying into the night sky. Fast. Incredibly fast. Arthur! Arthur! You're bleeding out. So much. Your neck. God damn it, Arthur! I may not end existence. But I will end you. Arthur. You're losing a lot of blood. Can you move your hands? I will lay waste to this city in your name, Marty. I will let them all know it was your doing. The last thing I will make each and every person fear is the name Arthur Lester. The city is so small. We're so high now. We're nearly at the stars. Oh, we're pretty high up now, Artie. No safety net. Oh, and that neck wound is quite the bleeder. I can see the light behind those pale yellow eyes begin to flicker. Remember the stars, Arthur. Remember the way they shined that night above the canopy of trees by the fire. I can't see, John. You had his eyes. You can see, Arthur. More than most. Oh, if that's true, then don't look down. This fall, oh, it's a killer. Remember, Arthur. In the fell clutch of circumstance. Okay. Okay. Say, Cain, you wouldn't happen to be making any more of those deals now, would you? Oh, better off, Arnie. I'm sorry. Oh, such a pity. We're done. Oh, wow. Is that your weak little hand still clinging to my jacket? I could break every bone in your body and you still can't do it, can you? So what do you say, Artie? Can you finally, at the end of it all, commit 100% to letting go? You... you... you never... Yes? Yes? You never counted on John. Oh, Yellowhead? No, no. It was always about you. And that's why. Why what? You failed. I failed! That... That wasn't my lighter. Huh? Park. As always, the smoker. Smoking will kill you. And John can... John can project. Project? Goodbye, King. Let go! Wait. We've done it, Arthur. I projected in the fell clutch. You remembered. And you distracted him. Enough to cover the sound of me slipping the lighter into his pocket and... And Lilith is here. She's trapping him as we... as we fall. He failed. It's over. Arthur, you... Arthur, I... You're here with me, John, and I need you. Routine. Yes, we are. Good. We did it, Arthur. We did it. We stopped Cain. We saved our friends. Thank you, Marie. Thank you, Marie, for giving me a place to stay. You're a good man. Arthur! Arthur! You've lost a lot of blood, Arthur. Arthur, I... Thank you. Thank you for saving me. For giving me purpose. The kind of purpose that gives life meaning. There is no... No... No. No, my friendship saved me. My connection to this man. My love for Arthur saved me. This is going to hurt, Arthur. This will hurt, but then it's all over. It'll all be over. It'll all end. And end. I've got you. Lilith. I've got you. No. No pain in the sidewalk today, boys. Come on now. Arthur. Lilith has caught us. Draped over her arms. Wings on her back as well. She looks... angelic. Still with us, kid? The pale moon like a halo behind her head. It's okay. Come now. We're back on ground, Arthur. She's setting us down. floating gently onto the street beneath the lamp just outside your office window. The street is cold and quiet and the world seems okay again and he's fading fast Lilith. I don't know what to do. Lilith. He's dying. Can we help him or Or... She... She... What? Arthur? She's not here. Lilith, you need... She's not here. It'll be a lie. Oh. But a good lie. Goodbye, Arthur. Let her be. No less than you hear. Hi, Daddy. Hello, Daddy. Pharrell. Hi, baby. Hi, baby. I've missed you so much. Yes, Daddy. I missed you so much. That's okay, Daddy. I missed you. I missed you, Daddy. I'll see you soon. I hear. Daddy will see you soon. Okay. Go down, Daddy. Daddy will see you soon. I see you. Daddy. I hear you, Daddy. Hey, Daddy. I love you. Okay, you know the rule. Knock three times. And then say, are you there, troll? You got a goal to the troll. Say, troll. Troll? Are you there? Are you there? Okay, then we can cross. Oh, oh, oh, look. Throw. Look at the ducks. Yeah, look at the ducks. Yeah? Awesome? John? No! What the? You're alive! We're alive! The waylay! Oh! What? I thought the waylay was... Gone? No! The manager! Don't you? Notice the lack of a grin? What? I thought we... God... I thought I... Died? Oh, you did. Kiput. That's a few times now. But the waylay was... Destroyed. Cain destroyed one of my waylays. That's true. But come on now. Do you really think I would let him through the doors of my home away from home? No, no, no, no. You always need a backup. So? So? How does it feel? How does it... You won! You defeated the big bad! You saved reality and won! It feels... Good? Yeah. Good? Is that the famous vocabulary of John shining brightly in there? Sorry, I'm getting a bit of whiplash. I... Oh my god. You brought our body to Arkham. You fished it from the lake. Of course! Had to bring you to the final act somehow. The last thing I heard, the last thing I felt was... Pharoah. Yes. Lilith gave you what you wanted. That was quite, quite the send-off. Saying goodbye to Pharoah. Not really, Pharoah. Where is Lilith? Scattered to the wind, I'm afraid. Dastardly little scamp took the other two stones with her as well. But I'm sure she'll turn up sooner or later. She's got a new bod. And a lot more power now that daddy's out of the picture. She took the stones. Oh, they're not that useful to her. Though I doubt she'll keep them. One can have quite some fun playing with mortals hungry for power. Cain, then, is he truly... I didn't see him imprisoned. We fell before... Oh, no. He's gone. Not quite dead, but might as well be. Trapped in the same realm that Lilith was. A nightmare realm. It's, uh... It's appropriate. But he still lives. Lilith escaped that realm. That doesn't sound comforting. Comfort? You want comfort? You're alive, Arthur! You traveled through literal hell and made it out the other side. Believe me, it was touch and go there. Glad you finally let go. Yeah. Could have been a real ugly one at the end. But you pulled it off. So, what now? What now? Well, where is Noel? What about Mother Darkness? She swore vengeance on me. And what happened to Anastansic? And is Oscar okay? What about Malum? Will he escape the hollow? And Horik, he's still out there. In England. Is Ali still alive? Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. What do you think this is? I don't have all the answers, and I don't recognize half those names. But my role is done in this story. Done? Yeah. The threat of Azeroth waking. And being killed has ended. As far as I'm concerned, I don't need to help you anymore. Which also means, my apologies, but you're banned from the waylay. Should you ever feel compelled to, you know, play fast and loose with a gun-wielding cop again. Wait, wait. Again? You mean... You want to track down and take on the alien horrors of this world, then you are free to do so. You're sending us back? Well, of course. But our body... Oh, a few dings and cuts. Nothing you haven't handled before. What about the office and the obelisk? The office is restored. And the obelisk in safekeeping, once again. Parker's body and the police... Look, I mean, you'll have to deal with that. I can't fix everything. But, you know, if you'd rather not, you can always stay dead. No, no, no, we can. We can sort it out. Of course, a bit of time has passed. I'm sure some threads have tied themselves up. I suppose we have everything we'd want then. I suppose. Arthur! I too lost a daughter. I didn't know that this life, alien as it is, could hold power the way that it did when she was by my side. You're not so different, you and I. Both of us. both of us were spurred into action by our loss. And I wonder if we could speak for a moment. Alone. Alone? Yes. Putting John in timeout. Just for a moment. No, I... It's okay. You can. I wouldn't mind a moment alone to think myself. All right. Just not too long. God, going back. Just us? Just us. Arthur, there is a world, not yours, but another, where Arthur died before all this came mess, that I could just put you in. What? I mean, I could slot you right back in. Sort of a do-over. You'd be able to live your life. As if, well, none of this ever happened. You mean? Yes, well, in order to make this work, I'd have to alter your brain a little bit. Just trick it into thinking that it's always belonged in this new world. The world you knew. Honestly, it's not that bad. Just a bit of rewiring to make sure your mind doesn't crack open like a walnut. But I would forget about these. Everything. And everyone. Yes. But they would go on living, just as they had after meeting you. And what about John? What about him? Well, what would happen with him? Well, I could do a few things. I could keep him here, restate the king in yellow, could find him a new home, a new host, or wipe the slate clean for him as well. Wipe his slate clean? I know it sounds all hum and glum, but, you know, remember, part of the reason all this happened was a mistake. In reality, you are meant to be a father, and he was meant to be the king. This world I would go to, what is it like? Well, for Rose, happily living with Bella, and your mom and dad. They do a great deal of parenting as well. You wouldn't be saving her from anything. I would just be rewinding the clock a little bit and slide it right in. Well, what do you think? Well, I have no thoughts. This is... Not you. You know what I think. Ha ha! Fair enough! Silly of me to think I could come between you two. Not now. Not at the end. The end? The end as it should be. You can put me back as the king. I can. Not a variant. Not a mishmash. But as myself entirely. In that body. Of course. then Arthur, there's no choice. You should do it. What? I've never had any illusions. For Ro was your life. She's your light. And your guiding star. She's everything that gives you meaning. That gives you hope. She is your purpose. Thank you, John. So? So. I'll have to pass. Arthur, you can't. I can, and I will. She's your purpose, idiot. I think it's about time I found a new purpose. Look, that doesn't sound like a world that needs me. So long as she's happy. Your father, Joe, reads her poetry at bedtime. Poems that he wrote for her. She's the star, and she loves it. She also loves helping your mother Muriel in the kitchen. And with Bella, well, let's just say she makes the most darling children's dresses for her daughter. Then let that world be what it should be. One where Bella gets to be the mother she never got to be here and always wanted to be. One where my parents get a life of meaning, a life of love, where they can spoil another the way they never got to me, the way they never got to here. You're sure? So long as you are? Of course. Well, then I suppose it's back to Arkham for you two. And besides, you know, this world sounds like it's got a fair number of problems brewing. Problems that could use the keen investigative mind of Arthur Lester. And the skilled, sharp eyes. of John Doe. Ancient aliens beneath the earth. Mysteries to be solved. People to be helped. Plenty of new cases, I'm sure. This world needs the likes of us. After all, we've got many miles to go. Well, I wish you luck. I'd say stay out of trouble this time, but I'm sure that would fall on deaf ears. Uh, manager. Hmm? Look, I know you're done with this, and you can't fix everything. But I was wondering if you could do me one small favor. One last one. Do tell. There was a Faroe Cain left behind on her birthday. Her 18th birthday. And she was alone. Could you just check on her? Make sure she's okay. And tell her... Tell her her father loved her. Till the end. I'll consider it. I would consider it a great personal favor. Understood. Miles so long, boys! And should this be the last time we meet, well, good luck. So long, manager. So long. And thank you.