Ethrin's Reign: The Final Stand

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The woman smiled her wrinkled face almost swallowing her eyes. "Thats where the records fade." A twinkle in her eye almost physically manifested itself. "I recall you need to reunite with an elven assasin, a warrior of fire, a child of the wind, and a prince of destruction. The records also speak of a blind demon channeler, a fighter of the night, an undead warrior, and the heir of metal blood. I believe i have already found those. The last member must be found, a wild spirit of the jungle."

The names went through Hiuko's mind with the description. Eileen, Elson, Gale, Twitch, Himself, Midnight, Mort, and Steelheart, but the names stopped there. "Wild spirit of the jungle." He said to himself rubbing his chin. "This is all you can tell us? Perhaps where this person is, and what of the people no longer with us?" Hiuko understood why that they were all needed to defeat Ethrin, that much he figured out, but there were holes that needed filling.

"All in due time, as for now this entrance will take you where you need to go." She smiled motioning to a previously unnoticed hole in the wall behind her.

Hiuko, now satisfied, was ready to go. He waited though for others in case there were more questions.

There was a small yelp from beyond the portal, one familiar as Mort's, the battered looking hoody on fire and half a page in his skeletal hand; he was still in the catacombs, looking through books. Grumbling slightly Mort stood up and looked around, hissing something about stupid spells to himself before pausing and staring at a crack in the wall that hadn't been there before. "Ok... what's going on? Did I open another portal to hell?"

Steelheart smiled at the surprised undead friend. "Nice of you to join us."

"so... that's a 'yes' then is it?" Mort asked, blank skull face staring at Steelheart like a wall stares at a person. "You bleeding left me down here you know."

Steelheart scratched the back of his head. "Uhh...." Then took a diving glomp on mort. "Im sorry man."

"AH! LOVE OF-!" Mort's fist rained down hard on Steelheart's head "CAN'T GET OUT OF IT THAT EASY! You left me with a damn demonic DOG! You know how many times I've had to take my leg back out of his mouth? NINE!"

Midnight, who had been quiet ever scine she fell, finaly spoke up as she pulled Mort away from Steelheart"Calm down, it wasnt his fault."

Hiuko held back a snicker as it was Steelheart's weight (contributed to his metal) that caused the floor to finally cave in.

"I meant not that we left him behind Hiuko." Midnight giggled remembering what happened.

Hiuko got up and started walking towards the exit, "Hey Mort, a quest from a prophet will no doubt makes run face first into old magic... you might some ancient magic capable of killing you." he slapped Mort on the back when he passed by him, "You know, your the first companion I promised I'll help kill, so don't let your spirit down." Hiuko laughed a bit and walked out of the cave with Bangs close at heel.

Midnight shifted into a cat and scampered after them.

"Woo" Mort said emotionalessly, looking around at the scenery as he walked after Hiuko "Since it's only three companions here, apart from your cat, I'd say I have a pretty good chance of dying in your company. Or I'll keep on living... just for spite."

Bangs mentally yelled at Mort for referring to her as just a cat and not a companion.

"Hey, it's a species thing, not a relationship thing" Mort pointed out "You're a cat, no matter what else you can turn into you'll always be a cat."

"Excuse you." Midnight glares at Mort."What about me?"She meows.

"You're a cat! Except when you're not. And since you seem to stay human more, and I think you started OFF human, you're a human that knows magic." Mort said simply.

"Well that was just a total fail at explaining."Midnight shook her head"I dont know magic I AM magic."She rolls her eyes shifts back to human and keeps walking then stops abruptly."Wait.." she says turning back to face them "What did that women say I was?"

"Something about fighter of the night." Hiuko said trying to remember properly. Bangs along side him inwardly smiled, happy that Mort was beaten.

"Well then you're odd. Whatever species you want to be. I still call Bangs a cat though, cause I don't want to call her a woman while she's still...." Mort cast Bangs a glance "Furry." He really didn't want to explain how his slight masochistic tendencies had made him rather taken with Bangs. After all, a woman who didn't scream when seeing him and could break his bones with a single hit; he wasn't head over heels, and he was still feeling wierd about her being a CAT, but she peaked interest.

"You haven't seen me in my half-elf form yet have you?" Bangs thought to him. Then she thought for a minute and kept going, "I've heard I make a rather attractive humanoid." Hiuko turns his head to Mort and nods his head to confirm what she was thinking to everyone.

"I fail to see how this makes you not a cat" Mort said blankly, for once in his non-life enjoying the fact he was completely unreadable. Blank expressions were great for poker and lying.

"There is nothing wrong with being furry!" Midnight suddenly blurts out her face red with annoyence."You still call me a girl even though im a cat sometimes." She really wouldnt let this slip.

"Right. cause you started out a girl, or at least a person. There are certain facts about people that you cannot ignore. You were born a human woman, and while you do CHANGE that you go back to it all the time. Bangs was... I have honestly no idea, but I'm guessing started out as a female feline. And while she turns into a woman she repeatedly turns back into a cat." Mort let out a long fake sigh and shook his head "Should we really be having a long talk about the metaphysical ideas of truth and identity? Aren't we meant to be killing things?"

"Blah blah blah blah bla..." Midnight mimicked him as she motioned with her hand and rolled her eyes."Can we get out of here please i think im contracting Morthateinitas." She giggled glancing at Mort.

A distant echo rang out from above, at first inaudible but steadily grew louder. "...uys? ...re are yo...? Hello guys? EveryonAHHHHH!" The scream rang out from above. A small figure could be seen, at first as a small dot then began to expand as it fell into view. A sudden wind erupted from presumably no where slowing her descent as she landed in a heap on top of Steelheart.

Steel managed to wrangle his assailant off before he noticed the blonde hair nature spirit. "Well ill be where did you dissapear to Gale?"

Bangs jumped up to Hiuko's shoulder as he walked over to the two. "Hey kiddo. Long time no see." He said with a big smile on his face.

"Who the hell is this?" Mort asked, pointing at gale and at no point seeming surprised by her sudden entrance. He wasn't surprised by much anymore.

Midnight giggled "I am going to guess thats Gale.Hi im Midnight."She waved at Gale."Thats one more person that we needed."

"Well now lets set out!" Steel stood up gale over his shoulder. He strode foward into the entrance completly eaten by the darkness.

Hiuko followed him, surprised that he wasn't tackled. Bangs though was sad she didn't get tackled.

Midnight shifted into a kitten again and bounded up next to bangs.

As soon as one crossed the threshold there was a blinding light that slowly dimmed to form a large entry chamber. Six gaurds immediatly came to arms dressed in concealing armor. "How did you suddenly appear in lord Ethrins castle?" One shouted.

Mort paused, looking around slowly before saying "Good question." He turned his head to Hiuko, Bangs and Steel "You never did explain to me what we're doing here. What's going on?"

Steelheart was resheathing his sword after dispatching the fodder guards without hesitation. He held his hand out in a shake. "Mort my friend you have joined a rebellion."

Hiuko tapped his foot to feel around the room and said to himself. "Well I didn't see this coming, no pun intended." Bangs jumped down from his shoulder and looked around the room curiously although she didn't want to take a step anywhere. Hiuko nodded to her and said, "I don't sense any traps in the room, but I don't doubt them being in other rooms." Then he turned to Midnight and Mort and said, "Ah, yes, right... welcome to the fight against Ethrin!"

"Ok, explain this VERY carefully" Mort said, crossing his arms and not taking Steelheart's hand. He hadn't agreed to this. He hadn't agreed to join some sort of rebelion for a cause he didn't know about.

"Yout were in that trunk a while huh?" Steelheart scratched the back of his head. "About ten years ago a man created an army and overhtrew every seat of power in the world. To secure his position he killed off any group who could have posed a threat, my clan for one, gods like gale's mom, and alot of others. Hiuko joined up, well im not sure why to be honest.."

"I thought it would be fun." Hiuko said with a grin. "Besides I had nothing to do and what better a thing to do then save the world."

"Wonderful" Mort grumbled "This guy better be able to kill me." Ok the man sounded mean, but it really wasn't Mort's problem; he was in it for one reason and one reason only.

Gale huffed, floating slightly above Hiuko-chan's head. She burried her nose into bang's fur in a death hug. "You did not have to mention my mom steel." Her eyes averted to the floor.

It might have cracked Bangs's back but she liked the hug. Gale was one of the few people Bangs would actually allow to hug her.

Midnight purred "Count me in,"She licked her paw and ran it over her ear."So where are we going?"

Steelhearts eyebrows fell. "Well you see...i uh i have no idea...never been here." He look around only to see a small door at the end that seemed to descend into the walls.

Hiuko tapped his foot a couple times and said, "Well only one way to go." He walked over to open the door, the whole time he kept himself on guard for any traps that he might not notice right away.

The stairwell was dank the walls coated with soit from the torches, the end opened up to what appeared to be a dungeon, bars lining cells and shrunked figures chained to walls.

"Should we let them go? If we're taking this guy down it might be a while before people find them" Mort said, pointing towards the people chained to the wall.

Gale gasped, "Ew it smells like a sewer mixed with a butcher's shop down here." She waved her hands in front of her nose kicking up a wind to drive the smell away.

Hiuko hadn't moved from that spot from after he opened the door. He turns to Gale slowly and said, "You think it smells for you... my smelling is enhanced. Bangs too was a foot behind Hiuko slowly backing up from the room. Hiuko though was paralyzed by the bad smell, like a person frozen in fear by something they see.

"Guys....." A raspy voice voice managed. In the shadows a frail figure was chained to the wall but not like the others. This one hand his hands encassed in what appeared to be a solid block of iron. Twitch barely managed to hold his head up to see his old friends.

Mort gave a fake sigh and moved over to the one who had talked "I'm freeing them, it'll at least get some of the smell out." He reached into his jacket, pulled out a shovel and began to hit the blade heavily against the chains holding Twitch down.

"Geez whats with the shovel in the pocket?"Midnight meowed as she went over to the boy chained to the wall and sat down next to him unsure what to do.

"Hi Twitch." Hiuko said waving at him with a smile... from the doorway, he didn't quite see any reason to go into the smally room yet. For him, the less time the better.

Midnight shifted back to human and started to work on the other chain holded Twitch down."So i am guessing we have the prince of destruction now."

"Prince of destruction? Who gave me that?" He managed a chuckle. With the chains gone he stood, off balance with the metal like mittens on his hands. "Steel little help?"

Steelheart came in catching his friends shoulder. He placed a palm on the heap, concentrating as his eyes began to glow. The metal shifted a jumped off his hands onto steel.

Twitch shook his hands rubbing his wrists, "thanks guys i knew you would show up."

"How did you know that?" Midnight ran her fingers through her hair and yawned.

"Hey..." Mort grumbled, gazing at his shovel head that had a piece missing as Steelheart had twisted away some of that metal as well. He grumbled slightly and pushed his shovel away "Come on, get your ass up."

"Just sooo nice," Midnight murmered under her breath as she looked around the room trying to find a new exit.

"You guys find an exit yet. The less I have to be near this room's stench the better." Hiuko said sensing the scene from the doorway still.

"Because he was heading here." Twitch pointed to steel.

"Well i cant have this." A voice chimmed from behind hiuko.

Gale spun around with an "Eep!" startled by the voice.

"Can't have what exactly?" Hiuko asked not needing to turn to see who it was.

"You lot freeing all of lord Ethrins prisoners." Lt. Black melded from the shadows behind Huiko placing a smiling hand on his shoulder. "Its nice to see you again though." His slick swept to the side hair framed his handsome face, square jaw but odd sunked eyes. His uniform resembled a mix between a suite and higher ranked military attire, with a cape draped over one shouulder.

"Well, nice to see you too I suppose." Hiuko said taking a step away and turning to face the man. "Although I'm not entirely sure I remember who you are."

"I have popped in once or twice to check on steelheart and his gang of rebels." Lt. Black smiled as the room enveloped in darkness.

Hiuko didn't notice the darkness but he noticed everyone's reactions and Bangs mentally explained what happened. "Is there a name I might better connect you with?"

He vanished into the shadows. "Call me Lt. Black." His voice seemed to ring from every nook and cranny of the room.

Midnight jumped away from the wall she had been leaning on. "So this is the stuff you guys deal with on a daily basis." her voice ringing in the darkness next to Steelheart she shivered in the cold darkness and wrapped her arms around herself.

"Basically" Mort grumbled, stashing his shovel away again and looking around at the others still dangling from the walls by chains. "Hey steel, can you get these others down? And... maybe break a wall or something?" he scratched his head slightly "Apparently it smells in here."

Steelheart placed his hand os the wall ripping the chains off but before he could make a hole the shadow of the wall itself floored him with what looked like a giant fist. The edges morphed as shadow kunia lauched at the group.

Midnight cartwheeled backward so that the shadows missed her."What the heck are these things?" she said a bit annoyed as she dodged another shadow thingy.

Mort just sighed as a collection of small metal pings and bone shuddered thuds filled the air. He didn't even both to dodge, just let the sharp objects become lodged in the bones and equipment. "Bleedin' annoying, that's what they are. STOP IT!" he yelled in the shadow's direction.

Hiuko sidestepped the kunai easily not needing to see them to dodge. He rubbed his chin in thought and then he knew. He held his head up and opened his eyes. "I think I do know who you are. If it is you though, I could've sworn I killed you." He felt the vibrations from everyone moving around dodging the kunai and said, "Black, leave them alone. How about you have a fair fight with me?" Bangs jumped up to Hiuko's shoulder but he shook his head. She was taken back a bit but shrugged and jumped off. He patted her on the back and when he stood back up he said, "Come on and man up. Just you and me, I won't even use Bang's help." Hiuko said sensing around for his presence. Bangs in the meantime thought to everyone but Hiuko and Lt Black, "When we get the chance we should head to Ethrin as quick as we can. Hiuko will delay Black while we get Ethrin." She cringed as a kunai knicked her on the cheek. "Fat lot we can do when shadow object are thrown in a shadow environment, I can't even see and I'm a cat... he's probably the only one that can 'see' unless I'm missing something."

Blck's image emerged from the wall. "I respectfully decline hiuko-kun. Come on you lot, i expect mor....off" He was caught in the jaw and skidded into another shadow disapearing.
"Take that you damned jailer!" A figure landed in a crouch after slamming his staff into Blacks face. His robe shirt and dark pants torn and dirt laden, his hair wild and manged, with what appeared to be a tail sprouting from his rear. "Locked me up? Im going to kick your ass!"

Spearlike shafts shot from the walls aiming for each member.

Gale thrust both of her hands down creating a massive downdraft, the spears hit and instanly were slammed into the floor. "Stupid shadow guy. Come out and fight!"

Midnight muttered as she dodged every blow. Midnight lost her concintration when gale let the wind blow, she landed on her butt as a shadow landed a kick in her stomach sending her back a few feet."I have an idea dont panic she said as she blew out the tourches on the wall.

Hiuko moved his foot across the ground and decided it better to not tell everyone that he couldn't sense where Black was. He could still tell where everyone was and where every attack came from, but he couldn't find Black. He cursed under his breath and looked down to where Bangs was right at his feet. He could put a good expression on his face because they were both thinking the same thing. "Lets save that as a last resort, we can hold up on own without that right away." Bangs thought to him. Hiuko nodded sensing everyone defending themselves in the darkness.

Black materialized from the ceiling drawing all the darkness into himself, the room becoming like an outlined ppicture, only black and white. The air became cold the atmosphere gave off the feeling of hopelessness. "Tell me...why do yuo oppose Lord Ethrin?" He directed the quetsion to everyone but steel and twitch.

"Cause he might be able to kill me! Now stop with the pathetic party tricks" Mort cocked his gun slowly and aimed it at Black; he seemed to be unaffected by the changes. Hopelessness? He was a skeleton, big freaking whoop. Colour drain? A skeleton. White on black. Cold? He didn't feel anything. "Seriously, leave before I blow your face out the back of your head" he said, pointing the gun directly at Black.

"You had a gun this whole freaking time!?!?!"Midnight said slightly agrivated.

Black paced foward on the ceiling. Walking right up to the barrel. "Mort, we have something in common." He smiled wickedly placing his hand on morts bone. The gunshot sounded and half of blacks head vanished instantly. The blackness globbed reforming his blown apart member. "Welcome to my world, where darkness and shadows rule. Now then..." His eyes turned pure white, shadows formes of the group appeared in his hand. "I am not going to lie this will hurt you more than me, as for you mort let me explin that these are also represntations of your souls." He mearly poked the steelheart shaped shadow in the chest as the real steelheart dropped to the floor the sound of cracking ribs echoeing in the room and he leaned onver vomiting blood. He then smiled and pressed the shadows together between his hands.

"HA!" Mort laughed "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but that doesn't mean I won't stop fighting!" He laughed and aimed his gun again, the next shot blowing a hole in Black's elbow; he was trying to make the man drop the shadow figures he called "souls", at least the others would be safe then.

Midnight shook her head."I cant belive i actually have a soul," she laughed.

"Souls?" Hiuko said not being able to 'see' what Lt Black was doing, "Great, someone with soul magic, this is always a fun fight. Hiuko said before Bangs jumped on to his shoulder and let him see through her eyes with a soul link. While Mort dealt with him Hiuko kept to himself to think of how to attack Black.

"Now then." Black released the little shadow figures, the hit the grpund and began to grow until the matched their prospective owners. The immediatly turned and attacked their catsers. Shadow midnight flashed foward with a back spin kick as shadow mort simply came foward to homerun his head with the bat. Shadow hiuko/bangs vanished the reappered beside them with a flurry of precise strikes. Shadow steelheart drew his blade and came down with deathblow over the kneeling steel.

Steel parried from his knee and struck out with a huge rising punch to his opponents jaw only to cring and spit out his own tooth. "What the hell?"

Midnight ducked under the kick,she ducked another blow. "Twitch?Whats going on?" She kicked out but fell to the floor biting her lip."Oh ow that hurt."

Twitch was trying his best to simply avoid his counterpart. "This is how he punishes the prisoners, anything done to your shadow is done to you offff." He was caught by a kick from his shadow in the gut.

Gale thrust out with her palms creating a powerful blast only to have it countered by her shadow's blast. "Stupid mimicry." She swore before super dashing aided by the wind and cross punching her mimic in the side, grasping her hair and slamming her into the wall. "How do you like the app...ugh." She grabbed her side, then arch straight back as if she had been hit from behind.

Mort ducked down just in time to dodge the bat attack, wondering how his soul had somehow linked to the item he carried. As the bat went over his head he snatched his hand up, yanking the arm out to expose the elbow and aiming a blow at the joint, trying to steal the arm from the shadow.

Midnight was just trying to dogde every blow but one caught her in the stomach and sent her flying just narowly missing Gale but hitting Steelheart strait on.

Hiuko deflected each strike think of how to stop his shadow. What would make him stop an attack. He jumped back from the flurry of attacks in his counter-position, and like he thought the shadow was in the counter-position as well. Hiuko was never the first to attack, hopefully his shadow wouldn't break that rule.

Gales shadow threw both hands foward creating a massive wind to pin her against the other wall.

Morts shadows arm seppearted from the body but seemed to melt away and reform on its host just like blacks head had. It seemed to laugh then lurched foward with a cross strike, followed by a spin and a homerun style swing.

Hiukos shadow seemed a lot less concerned with counters and defense than its original, instead it slid foward with a sweeping kick and a raising knee. He knew hiuko would counter and thats what black wanted.

Midnights shadow followed up behind steels and struck out at the downed pair with a falling drop kick as shadow steel formed a huge mallet to bring down on the two.

"Remember" Mort called out as he dodged back just in time to avoid the first swing "Whatever happens to it happens to-" He didn't complete the last part though because his head was tossed by the homerun hit, careering backwards through the air quickly. Mort grumbled slightly as his body turned around, running towards where his head had been tossed.

Midnight had to roll towards Steel to escape the shadows drop kick but had to quickly pull her self and Steel away from the mallet."This is confusing," she said biting her lip because of the pain from her shadow."How the heck are we going to win,"

Hiuko heard what Mort said and jumped over and away from the sweep kick. "Not to sure," He said in response to Midnight. "but like everything there's always a way to beat it... even if that means hurting yourself." Hiuko studied his opponent for a minute and thought of something that might work.

"You have no hope, she estuguished your only chance against me." Black snickered pointing at Midnight. "Lets change pace shall we?" He gathered the shadows with a sweep of his hand forming them into little balls, each shot off like missles at their target.

Mort had just caught his skull, turning around and fitting it into place... before the soul ball slammed into it. His skull span on his spine, the jaw coming loose but not quite disconnecting. His skull locked suddenly in place as he gained control again, the soul ball lodged firmly in a fractured eye socket.

"Oh great its my fault, lets fix that," Midnight said lighting a torch near her and putting the other ones ablaze too. Her soul ball thing-y hit on the wall right by her head and bounced off and she had to dogde it when it bounced back but she hit her mouth on a rock. "Oh ow," she said putting her hand over her brused mouth.

Hiuko easily dodged his, "Really throwing things are we? What is this 2nd grade?" 

""I wish he was," midnight said or more like mumbled through her hand."Then maybe this would be a bit easier" she dodged the soul ball shadow thingy again.

The shadows fettered away as light sputtered into the shadow world. "Well you stopped my ability to steal your shadows but now you have created a much bigger problem." Black emerged from the floor casting his cape and button down shirt to the side. He seemed to take an awkard tai chi stance. "Come now all at once should be fair."

"Bangs" Hiuko said to his cat and she jumped off his shoulder. It severed the sight link but he was okay with that. He walked up to three feet infront of Black and took a counter-stance. "I'll let you go first, I'm not much one for starting combat."

Black's palm shot out in a flat strike that didnt seem special.

Hiuko did what anyone else would do, he used his left arm to push the palm strike to the side and stepped in to preform a punch to Black chest, although he kept his sensed tuned for the obvious trap Black was planning.

Gale blinked, her ball was gone but she still had bruised ribs and a few cuts. "Wha?"

Hiuko's hand went right through his chest. Black smiled. "Come now did you think it would be that easy?" His parried hand came back in a closed hand kcnuckle strike at very short range. 

Hiuko got hit in the arm and it pushed him a step or two. "Great I can't hit him, he can hit me... any bright ideas yet?" He thought to Bangs, unfortunately "Working on it" was his response.

Mort rubbed his head slightly, still recovering from the fact his own soul was trapped in his eyesocket right now... apparently. He looked over towards Hiuko, noticing the trouble that the man was having and moving cautiously towards Black. As Hiuko stumbled back from the blow, Mort's hand shot up and stabbed his pointed fingers at Black's knuckles; if they were physical enough to hit Hiuko a moment again, surely he'd be able to hit them.

"Good idea mort, but just a tad slow." Black smiled as the fingers touched skin at first but then phased through. "I like that your thinking though." His left foot swept up at near invisible speeds aiming for morts eye socket.

Instead of doing any real damage the bone simply spun on the spot again, the soul ball popping into his other eye socket with the force of the kick. Mort gripped his head suddenly, stopping the spinning... then got an idea. Reaching into his eyesocket he tugged out the ball of his soul, held it tight in one hand... then attempted to beat Black over the head with it. Surely if anything could touch him these could, his own creation.

Black caught it with his bare hand, it dissapated in his grasp. "Well then non solid on nonsolid makes solid. Interesting."

Gale had bound enough energy now, she stomped the ground collecting all the pebbles and debre in a lump of air, concentrated it in her palms and released the blast of pressurized shrapnel at the general, something akin to a rock kamehameha.

The rpcks wizzed right through the general, the first however seemed to have left a small cut on his cheek, bleeding out a black blood. "Well now that was interesting."

Mort flinched back as the earthen blast went right past him, looking down at the hole in his clothes and glaring at Gale for a moment. Hadn't so much as warned Mort that something like that was coming; he Mort was human he'd probably be dead right now.

"Twitch, combo 7 now!" Steelheart leapt in plunging both hands into the blocks at Blacks feet. He thrust up as a circular steel wall erupted around his oponnent.

Twitch sprang up and over the openeing dropping a dozen frag gernades into the cell. The explosion triggered spraying the ceiling above the hole with shrapnel. "That aught to do it."

Black could be heard laughing as he mearly walked through the wall brushing the prexisting blood from his cheek. "Come on all of you now."

"Hey Takato." Hiuko said holding out his right hand, palm up showing the seal. "What do ya think?" Bangs jumped on to his shoulder and said, "I'm join in this time too." Hopefully Takato would remember the fusion they came up with.

Gale was gone her after image fadding away. She materialized right in front of Lt. Black, tonfa's drawn. She lashed out with her right hand spinning with a forearm smash, her left jabbing with a flurry of strikes. The sonic boom caught up right behind her feet creating a shockwave.

Midnight just stepped back and let them do their thing untill she was needed.

Black was caught in the neck with the smash casuing him to skid a bit before it went through and the boom passed by with no avail. "Hmm"

Hiuko rescinded his offer, obviously Takato wasn't up for it again. He watched through Bangs' eyes and felt when Black became tangible at the same time, trying to piece together how to make it so everyone can hammer Black at once. He cracked his neck and Bang's jumped off his shoulder although he still looked through her eyes. Hiuko walked up to Black in his counter position. "Ready when you are."

"FUCK THIS!" Twitch launched out of no where with a massive superman haymaker, it connected with Blacks face but before black could even phase out the very oxygen around the area imploded into a brilliant fireball blinding the area. The very foundation of the castle shook as dust fell from the roof and the floor bricks were unleveled. Black sat in a twisted heap against the corner of the room barley concious as Twitch stood over him quivering in anger. "LOCK ME UP?!?! BEAT ME WHILW IN CHAINS!?!? NEVER AGAIN!" With that he turned and stomped off up the stairs.

Steelheart sat dumbfounded, his wimpy childhood friend had just pwned a guy that was easily taking the entire group single handedly.

"That was... interesting" Hiuko said noticing that Black was gone.

Steelheart followed Twitch up there stairs slightly afraid of his friend. Saru spit into the corner where what was left of black lay. He grabbed his staff and followed the train up but then turned back. "Come on then."

At the top the room and changed into a magnificent gold laden throne room with rare treasures of every sort embedded in the intricate decor. Massive chandeliers cast light down the staggering cieling illuminated the golden suites of armor and rare species that had supposedly been slain in sport. A red carpet unfurled all the way down the room finally ending at a solid grown throne studded with diamonds at every edge. On that very throne sat a boy no older than those of the group, his hair a messy brown, eyes a dull grey, his build was shadowed by silk black robe and a flowing cape. In his right hand clutched a ancient book with peeling leather. He sat with his head resting on his knuckles as if bored. "Welcome those of the rebellion. I probably dont have to introduce myself but i go by Ethrin."

"About time." Hiuko said with a smile. He put his hand on Steelheart's shoulder. "This is your fight." The he whispered. "That doesn't mean we can't help a little though." He took his hand off Takato's shoulder with the palm up to show his mark that he uses to fuse with Bangs. "We've done it before... we can do it again, and we might have to."

Steelheart nodded in understanding. "Yeah i know man...we might need it this time." His mind was actually blank, he had waited for this moment forever, but it was not exactly what he expected.

Ethrin held the book he was holding into the air. "Im afriad even the five of you wont help, for you see I hold the tome of eternity, the book your skeleton friend has been looking for and with it..." Ethrin snapped his fingers as black smoke poured from the ground and figures began to solidify. There noe stood, General bolt, Beelzebub, General Shogun, The game twins, the dark wisher and Rhinara. "I control life and eath."

"Really now?" Hiuko said standing straight. Bangs jumped up, twisted in the air, and landed back up in Hiuko's open palm. He smiled and set her down. "Thank Bangs." The cat walked away slowly to watch the ensuing fight. "Well, I'm ready." He moved the air out of his eyes, now able to see thanks to Bang's giving him her sight.

"Rebellion? Right..." Mort had been silent for a while, just following, watching, waiting... being rather confused. He didn't remember being in any rebellion, he just wanted to fight until someone could kill him. He watched Ethrin with mild interest, giving a large fake sniff and gazing at the group as they appeared "So... Who thinks they can take me?"

Ethrin smiled at the new arrival. "Oh Mort how charming." His hand brandished the book he had been holding. "My sources say you have been roaming for quite some time looking for a certain book, say one that has control over life and death?"

"Kiiinda" Mort said, eyes roaming to the book in Ethrin's hands "Just a little search you know? Have some fun on the way, try to get people to smash my head in. Woo awesome fun times, you know?" He moved slightly, crossing his arms in front of his chest "What of it?"

Ethrin shrugged. "Just a thing of interest." He smiled placing has hand on the book, it became black as night and seemed to bleed smoke. With a sly motion he simply touched the shoulder of the nearest guard as he fell dead instantly.

"Wow, fun, just keep doing that will you? To... ummm" Mort pointed a hand towards the enemies beside Ethrin "Him, him, him, him, you know what just play paticake until everyone else is dead."

"Or.." With that Ethrin disolved in a cloud of black smoke, only to reappear right next to Mort his hand out stretch toward his skinless face.

Mort's leg moved automatically, an immediate responce for someone appearing suddenly in front of him. He leant back, moving his head away from Ethrin's hand, and kicked the man hard in the testicles; yes, he wanted to die, yes, this would be fastest way possible, but no, he wasn't going to go out without a fight.

Ethrin once again vanished in a cloud of smoke that ghosted between huiko and Steelheart hands outstreched to them both.

Midnight suddenly appeared in front of Ethrin glaring at him. She grimaced and threw a punch at his face.

Ethrin exploded into a black smoke before reforming on his throne. "Looks like the pose has arrived now then lets have some fun." His hands began to smoke once more with a sickly grin on his face, the dead guard beside him rose as if on command eyes pitch black just like those of his former subordinants. General bolt, Beelzebub, General Shogun, The game twins, the dark wisher and Rhinara all rushed fowrad with a primal roar each evenly aiming for an enemy.

Midnight desides to test out what was holding her back.. she was testing her powers and learned something interesting and she desided to try it out.She shifted into a psiconic vampire, her blue eyes turned red, her skin went white and she grew fangs.Midnight launched forward and jumped on the dark wisher.

The dark wisher hissed in response rolling back before beelzebub launched in his claws bared as he savagely lashed out at Midnights unprotected back.

General bolt clanked foward hand shifting into a gatlyn gun aiming right for Mort and unleashing a volley of bullets.

Shogun hald his plam out as Hiuko slowed to a crawl, his time destrortion surrounding him, the twin each holding keyblades dashed out to wail on him with a flurry of blows.

Midnight hissed in pain as the claws cut into her back she quickly rolled away but the cuts where already so deep thta she had to shift back to human as the blood trickled down her back and legs.

At the primal roar hiuko yelled, "Bangs!" Bangs ran to him and jumped on his shoulder. He put his right hand on her back and they glowed as time slowed around them. As all three approached him Hiuko didn't waste a second unlocking his mental restrictions and one large wave of power shot out of his body. Even with time slowed he was able to move as fast as them and was able to jump out of the three way attack. His movements weren't struggled at all through the distrotion as he raised his hand and waved for them to come at him, a large grin on his face from the power rushing throughout his body.

Gale was suddenly above the twins, letting Hiuko have the time guy. She pushed both her tonfas down creating a mighty down surge pinning the two cosplayers to the ground. Gale's long hair seemed to whip around her as two noticeable balls formed at the end of each tonfa. "I hated working for you two! Double Air cannon!" The two balls fired off the tonfas like a gun exploding on impact.

Midnight, who was still bleeding alot, threw a punch at Bezzelbub's face. she was obivously slow down due to loss of blood.

"When you're quite finished!" Mort yelled over the rattling of bullets, the shards of metal merely passing through him, or knocking parts around as if buffeted by a high wind. Sure, occasionally a rib could be heard to crack, but all it did was float there, broken; Mort had much more control than before, he would be able to keep his broken bones floating there... for now.

In response, Bolt's chest slid open revieling a glowing core, that sparked...then released a four foot wide blast of concetrated atomic radiation so focused it was like a lazer beam aimed at mort.

"Radiation kills cells dumbass!" Mort laughed, running straight up the beam of killer energy without a trouble in the world. If he was alive, had skin, or anything that kept him together, he would be screwed, but just being a skeleton he could run right up the beam itself and aim a punch at the core of Bolt's chest, reasoning it would be the weakest part.

Beelzebub's fangs chomped down on Midnights fist to counter the punch.

Shogun turned his blade as he vanished, his own speed octupled as he delivered a sucession of blows to the now normal speed hiuko.

Bolt's core cracked as the blow hit. He ground back in the floor before his hand disslocated in a rocket punch at mort's skull.

The twins shouted, "Aero!" As two swrils of wind protected them from the blows. The then linked hands as leo launched up and released a trinity limit at gale's unprotected gut.

"Ohhh... wow" Mort said, swaying on his feet and just managing to avoid the rocket punch that shot past his skull "I feel... wow." He chuckled, wriggling his fingers in front of himself, he could practically see the irradiation coming from his bones "Can't... can't take many of those." He didn't want to know how long it would take him to get up from sheer liquidisation, but he didn't want to find out.

Midnight let out a scream as Beelzebub chomped down on her hand."What the hell!" she yelled pulling back and holding her bleeding hand she backed into Mort and fell to the ground pulling him down with her.She landed in his lap on the ground, her blood seeped out all over Mort."Um..Sorry 'bout that."

"Heh... dude... you're getting radiation all over yo'self" Mort chuckled as he saw Midnight was laying on top of him; this felt really weird, as if someone had scrambled his head. He would be glowing in the dark he could tell...

"Oh crud,"She murmered the loss of blood making her dizzy.She suddenly fell back against Mort her head resting on his chest as she passed out.

"Awww... come on" Mort groaned, trying to squirm from beneath Midnight, wrestling her off of him so he could stand up again and sway on his feet. "Damn... you're bad at this fighting thing" he grumbled down at the woman before looking up at Beelzabub "Seriously, isn't she bad at this?"

With the restrictions broken the relays between his eyes and brain were working faster. What some people would see as a blur, he would now see as a hummingbird zooming right in front of his face, taking forever to go. Instead of his brain getting a few frames per second he was getting millions. He saw the Shogun coming, if only barely, and was able to get a clear enough picture of his attack from vibrations. With Bangs' spirit in him came her demon as well, seven scorpion tails shot out of him and made a heavy shield that blocked Shogun's attacks. Hiuko took a few step backs as well, getting closer to the edge of the field.

Beelzebub's eyes flashed as he lapped midnights blood off the floor. His head shot back howling as he launched foward to claim the rest of the tasty treat.

Steelheart dashed foward with his massive sword. He brought it down over beelzebub from behin as he had jump severing the vampire clean in two. "You already hurt one friend i cared about, but not another!"

Bolts fist return to his arm. He began to roll foward to loom over Mort menecingly. A faint beep emitted hi attention was brought to his returned hand. There on his wrist was a beeping time bomb, the explosion took off bolts whole right shoulder, as twitch laughed from affar having attached the bomb without notice. Twitch spinrted foward chucking a gernade toward mort. "Mort use your bat and aim for his open chest!"

Saru launched up swinging his staff in a windmill strike florring rio. He braced with a cross string and a following down strike and then a mighty bash with his tail.

Shogun turned now in a parry stance, his brow sweating trying to controll two time domains at once. His front foot slid slightly before he vanished with a massive cross slash aiming for the base of the tails.

"Batty bat bat!" Mort said happily, reaching into his chest cavity and pulling the bat from between his own ribs; he tutted as he noticed that it had a bullet hole passing all the way through. The hail of bullets had managed to ravage his equipment it appears, but the bat was still a solid lump of wood, now with extra radiation. As the grenade flew towards him he brought back the bat, hesitating for barely a moment before smacking the grenade straight into the exposed chest of Bolt.

Midnight's eyes flew open and she jumped up, already healed. She must have gotten up a bit to quickly because there was a shooting pain in her head."Why me?" she muttered and then looked up to see Steel standing over the dead vampire."Steel? Did you just kill him?"

"Yeah...he has a thing for trying to kill girls." Steel muttered.

Hiuko manipulated his tails as to distract Shogun long enough to get out of the time field. Hopefully he could put up the farce long enough to escape.

Shogun sprang back, readied his blade but instead of attacking drew an hour glass in the air with lightening fast pace. The area around huiko began to slow even more. "Time crush!" the domain would actually freeze in time leaving huiko frozen in time.

"Why," Midnight asked still sitting on the ground and looking up at him, not watching everyone else fighting.

Bolt's eyebrows flew up in surprise as the grenade hit home. He quickly shut the panel to his chest but it was a second to late, the explosive detonated as his chest swelled, the pressure mounted as it completely blew his upper half to pieces.

Steel offered her a hand blocking the explosive debre with his back. "No idea." He took his iridium belt in hand as it turned to a superficialliquid like state. He took the mixture and pressed it to midnights back as it instantly filled the wound cloting the blood like a massive metal bandage. He huffed the sprinted headlong back into battle.

Mort flinched, but as he straightened up he found a large piece of spiked metal sticking through his head. "Oww..." he mumbled, even though he couldn't feel it it still LOOKED pretty nasty. Turning around he looked for someone else to beat up; the only one left seemed to be Shogun... man that guy was screwed. He took off towards the man quickly, holding the irradiated bat high as he prepared the knock him out.

Midnight took Steels's hand smiling and got up.When the explosion happened she flinched a bit but was suprised when nothing hit her and looked at Steel who was blocking the blow. She felt his hand on her back and she jumped a bit as the metal touched her skin but it soon clotted the wound and she was off to see where bangs went.

Leo was there in a flash, his keyblade delivering a flurry of sequenced, down, across up across strikes to parry mort.

"Gah! Git!" Mort yelled at Leo as he was forced back "I was about to do something useful!" He fell back and held his bat firmly between his boney fingers, his bright eyes focusing hard on Leo before he kicked out towards the man, then brought the bat down in an overhead motion to try and smack Leo on the head while he was blocking low to stop the kick.

(Just realised mort never fought any of the previous bosses lol leo is a twelve year old kid who can materialize anything he has seen in a video game.) Leo grunted before shouting "Aero" creating a wall of wind around him deflecting both attacks, but as he lowered the keyblade he paused from the lag of the spell.

Mort blinked as his attack was blocked and the kid just kinda... stood there. "Alright, why did they even bring you here?" he asked, shaking his head and lifting his bat up into a swing stance again once the "lag" appeared to have ended "You're a kid! I'm surprised I'm not scaring you."

"Evey played castlevania? your just fodder." The kid smirked as he took the bloe but ariel recovered before coming straight back down, plunging his keyblade into the rock. "Trinity Limit!" The area around himslef and mort lit up in a explosion of enery.

Mort curled up in a ball, staring into the explosion as energy rippled around him. "You're not Simon Belmont!" he yelled over the burst of power, keeping as low as possible so he would stay together in the blast, skidding back across the floor from the power "And you should know, the last boss is always a BAT!" He swung his cricket bat out violently, trying to knock the kid on his ass and away from the blade before he was thrown back by the explosion.

Leo was sent sprawling, uncocious from the do or die swing. As his hand left the keyblade it dissolved into the air. Leo's body lay curled on the floor.

Hiuko was able to stick his leg out just in time and with his sped up leg out he was able to hit the ground in a way to make him spring out of the field just before the time crush. "What's the matter Shogun, can't beat me unless you slow me down. Come now, that's no fun and that's not quite as honorable a battle I thought you'd try." Hiuko bowed to Shogun and got into a counter-stance. He felt the shogun's movements specifically in case he tried any time spells anymore, Bang's concious kept watch over anything else that think it good to attack. "After you."

Shugon grunted in response, his demeanor unlike their previous fight, his eyes radiated black smoke. Suddenly there were two sgoguns, one materialzed with a side strike, and the one in front whipsed away, into the past for the same strike he had just launched.

Hiuko took a step back, to make sure he wasn't getting attacked from the back, and then side stepped the strike and tried a karate chop to disarm Shogun.

Shogun was hit in the back, however a second shogun had already appeared above huiko with a searinf down slash as the first vanished to go a second into the past above huiko and use his downard momentium for a slash.

Hiuko's ear twitched when the second he heard Shogun's sword slicing through the sky above him. Hiuko sidestepped barely escaping and aimed a kick at him. Whether it hit or not he started another kick in case Shogun thought to come out from any other direction. If above or below though Hiuko would halt the kick and stumble away.

Shogun went to parry but was instantly skewered by the blur of a familiar sword. He was impaled and stuck to the wall by the massive Yaminia. Steelheart stood all the way across the room, his eyes ablaze in their silver glow. Shogun smiled before erupting in black smoke"Sweet..release..."

The figure that was ethrin stood now with a smirk, Starting a slow clap. "very well done."

Midnight turned slowly to glare at Ethrin, What right did he have talking to them, he just tryed to kill us. she thought bitterly.

Eithins hands erupted into black flames that megan to twist and misshapen to form a jet black scythe. "You lot have been so entertaining, but alas a pain all the same. Now its about time i estinguished the little hope that drives you. This is my world, and you have no place in it." He reared back with a slash, the blade leaving behind a wave of black flames that shot across the room at the group.

Midnight did a gracefull blackflip over the wave of obnormally colored flame. "Its not your world." she hissed her blue eyes flashing a erie green, like it did when she was pissed off enough.

Hiuko ducked under the flame and when found Bangs right next to him. There wasn't even telepathic communication between them and they knew what to do. He reached over to her and they were engulfed in light when he palm touched her back. When the light faded and he stood there with a wicked smile. Seven scorpion tails slowly pushed their way out of his tail bone, two sets of demon wings sprouted from his back, skin became scales, and his nails and teeth became claws and fangs. His hair even changed from silver to orange and his scaled blackened to look like onyx. Lastly his eyes clouded with red as his vision blurred back to life. Instantly a surge of power burst from him that would break the windows of the room and make the very foundation of the castle shake. He took one step forward and the floor steemed at contact with his skin. He looked from the steeming floor up to Ethrin and smiled. "Now this I really like." His telepathy spread on a wave that everyone would hear, especially Ethrin though.

Mort stood there, his bat on his shoulder as he looked up at Ethrin "Wow... and this guy was meant to be tough?" He examined the bat slowly, it was splintering and looked a bit cooked by his last blow but it was still functional as a blunt weapon "What you guys say about teaching him a lesson?"

Steelheart pulled his sword out of the wall. He turned head hung low sword draped over his shoulder, His face eerily blank, "You took everything from me you son of a bitch." His blood surged as his veins began to glow silver, eyes a blaze. The runes on his sword flared with pulsing silver. He dashed forward his massive blade crashing down.

Saru's mange went wild, his staff vanishing as he assumed ape mode. "Boy pay for locking saru up!" His fangs bared he rushed his massive bulk dwarfing everyone in the room. He was easily three times Ethrins size, and his massive fist was launched into a hay maker.

Ethrin merely laughed. His face twisted into a delusional smile. He filled his lunges and released a blast that shot Saru off his feet and into the door they had entered smashing it to pieces. With a simple twist of his wrist he meet the sword in a parry and flicked the attack off like flea. Steelheart was flung into the wall disseminating it, the shear strength of the blow was impossible, and showered with glass from huiko transformation. Ethrin paced forward and used the back of the scythe to crack down over steelheart's head, steelhearts body plumeted throught the floor and the next forty floors without stopping until he hit bed rock.

Midnight slid across the floor till she was next to the hole Steelheart just crashed through."Steelheart are you okay?" she said nervously her head leaning down into the hole as she lay on the floor next to it.

Mort grimaced, stepping forward at once and yelling loudly "HEY! DUNG FOR BRAINS! OVER HERE!" He knew that if the others kept getting smacked around like this they'd die, and he didn't want others to die. He wanted himself to die. Why were they getting all the luck?

Ethrin was in his face instantly. "I just love how eager you are to die." Ethrin's arms torqued as the blade began to dance in a sphere of strikes in zero proximity to mort. If he were some how able to dodge the waves of black flames erupting from his scythe would surely roast him.

"Hey,Gong boy you alright down there?"Midnight whispered worriedly at Steel hoping the hated nickname would get him to respond.

Mort did the first thing that came to his head; he walked into Ethrin. His ribs wrapped around the man's own chest, his legs locking him against Ethrin's own hips while his arms wrapped around his back; basically Mort was clinging flat to Ethrin, the only part not pressed flat against Ethrin's own body to avoid the blows was Mort's skull, which was coliding with the speed and persistance of a wood pecker in the petrified forest.

Ethrin hadnt expected this. In response he met the blows head on, but his body erupted into a ball of black flames consuming, himself and mort. It seared the cloth off Morts bones and even started to melt the stone beneatht their feet.

"Oh fine I'll get you later," Midnight said before the ball of fire exploded and seared her clothes."Oh no you didnt!" she yelled looking around grabing a bucket of water and throughing it at Ethrin, Bucket and all.

The clothes burnt off of Mort, but his items had been left behind a long time ago just to make himself light in the fight. That and the tank guy had lazored him. When the bucket was tossed however he snatched out with one hand, the grin impossible to see in his unchanging face but you could almost feel it as he slammed the bucket down onto Ethrin's head; either the water would put him out and the bucket would distract, or the fire would keep raging... and melt the bucket over Ethrin's face.

The water passed through the flames unfettered. The b ucket instantly pooling to the floor in a metal puddle. "Really? These flames are the Amaretsu." His free hand grabbed the back of morts skull prying him off his body.

"Feck off!" Mort yelled as his skull came free... but his body remained glued in place around Ethrin; he wasn't going to let go, in fact he squeezed tighter to try and crush the energy out of the man. Alright, he couldn't headbutt any more, but he was starting to try and dig his fingers into Ethrin's back, crushing as hard as he could.

Etrhin's form burst into the black flames, and lept away. Morts skeleton now holding air and his skull dropped. The flames danced and reformed solidifying into Ethrin once more. He cracked his neck. "Its been a while since i had to do that. This is getting interesting." His smile cracked his face in half as he swished his blade sending off crossed waves of amaretsu at huiko mort and midnight.

Ethrin seemed to into the fight and formed right infront of Hiuko. Hiuko shot out his tails to stab Ethrin with at least two of his tails the others guarded.

Ethrin's scythe spun in his fingers a like stage performer without even looking huiko's way. The motion knocked the strikes away like leaves. "Come now demon boy, really?"

The same two struck right at him from the front while the other five shot out from other directions doing quick jabs and some feinting jabs. Hiuko's wings were ready to fold in to protect his body in case Ethrin tried to attack him.

Ethrin pointed the blade end of the scythe right at Huiko before the tails hit releasing a massive blast of searing black flames at point blank.

Gale had been twirling her tonfas the entire time building energy. He eyes strayed across the battle feild. Steelheart was MIA, the monkey was unconsious, Mort was a pile of bones, Huiko had gone demon spawn, and Midnight was fighting inextenguishable flames with water. This was noe going well at all. "Twitch! Do you remember the move we practiced back at the village so long ago? I thinks its time to bring back an oldie but goody!"

Twitch broke into a smile. "Epic gale epic." He plunged his hands into his pockets pulling out handfulls of lit c4 packed bomb and simply released them into the air.

Midnight realised what was going on and quickly backed up to the wall of the room.

The flames hit Hiuko and seared off his clothes but his scales fought back the flames and any hits he got with his scythe quickly found themselves fended off his Bang's armor fur breaking through the scales above to cover the spot. Hiuko wrapped his already extended scorpion tails around the foe, not enough though to activate his smoke ability and said, "Go for it, I've got him." He said as Bang's fur sprouted all over his body in a large thick mass. His tails were only wrapped enough for Ethrin to be surprised he tried to escape physically instead of with the smoke. Hopefully surprised enough to make him vulnerable for those few precious seconds.

Mort was tense, ready to step forward and take the next chance he got. He didn't know if this would work, he doubted it would, but he wanted to be there to catch Ethrin with a blow the moment the others were done doing whatever this was.

Gale smirked, her long hair like a frenzied flag in the wind. "Winds of destruction!" The C4 was caught and carried into its own little vortex horrizontally, almost like a drill. It found its way into Huiko's grasp and slammed into Ethrin triggering a concentrated pinpoint explosion that would easily level a town all in one square inch, the center of his chest.

Ethrin was caught in the blast, the explosion shredding his royal garbs. Hukio's tails kept him from being blown back taking the full firce of the attack. His smoking form shuddered, but then began to chuckle and roll into a minaiacle laugh. "Mwuhahahaha this is it? The force that took out my best soldiers?" He threw his head back as a surge of black flames erupted in a growing sphere.

"Mate!" Mort yelled suddenly as he came dashing in towards the man, the grin obvious in his voice as he came in for another attack "You're in the nud!" That blast had completely obliterated Ethrin's clothes, and black flame was probably one of the few things keeping him modest right now. Mort leapt, right now he wasn't going to be cheap, but he might go there eventually. He lashed out with a leg, wrapping it around Ethrin's head and curling in suddenly as the skeletal body bent strangely to wrap around the man's face.

Ethrin simply ducked the kick and opened his mouth in morts direction spewing a concentrated blast of black flames to push the undead fighter away.

"WOO!" Mort yelled as he was pushed away suddenly, rolling as he hit the floor and blinking as he sat up suddenly and looked over at Ethrin "Cheat! I was going to beat your skull in!"

"Mort, this isn't anything we can take from all sides, we need to rush this head on." He changed from demon to normal and Bangs and his soul detached so she jumped from his head to his shoulder. Then in a blinding light the two forms changed into the Beastial Hiuko and the Half-Elf Bangs. They both nodded to Mort and without looking Hiuko said, "The rest of you set up a plan, something huge and powerful. With all of you there is no limit to what you can all do us three can only hit physically so we'll take on Ethrin head on until you're ready." With that Hiuko and Bangs turned and launched at Ethrin head on and they would throw punches but all would be controlled to allow the ability to block.

The floor began to shake as a massive form began to emerge from the hole in the ground. The upper torso of the monolithic god known as arkania appeared from the fissuer steelheart had caused, The poly angled face of a wise man adorned in rounin headgear and plated chestplate and shoulders followed by a missive ironforging hammer. The silver blaze of Steelhearts eyes raged from on top of his shoulder. The mighty god drew back and slammed his fist down over ethrin.

Mort was edging towards the figure of Ethrin; while he didn't have all that fancy transforming and summoning to do he just pretty much planned to go up to him and throttle him. He'd have to wait for that god thing to stop punching the man though... He wondered if he was the only one who couldn't do stuff like that.

Ethrin simply snickered throwing his hand up catching the Metal gods fist in his palm like he had just caight a boulder. "And one down." The glow of the massive god's eyes dimmed as it stopped in it tracks frozen like a massive statue. He had killed a god. With a wrench he jerked Arkania's fist off the monument and swung it like a wrecking ball to smash into huiko and bangs.

Hiuko clenshed his fist and kept his head down as Arkania fist was thrown at them. Hiuko caught the fist and his pushed him back a bit but he caught it and set it down carefully. He lifted up his head, his blind eyes emotionless. "I don't care anymore." Hiuko said to anyone who would listen. He started to walk toward Ethrin and Bangs jumped in front of him so he held out his hand and they combined the bright light kept moving towards Ethrin and seven waves of power were released before the light disipatted revealing the fully released demon that Bangs and Hiuko contained. He walked towards Ethrin his eyes emotionless, he was so pissed he reverted back to his past, a dark past he didn't wish to revert to. When close enough he threw a kick at Ethrin, but an after image was still walking towards him. Even if the kick failed in any form seven scorpion tails lashed out at Ethrin.

The kick conected with Ethrins chin spinning his head fully around backwards with a sickening snap, but his body hadnt moved from the force at all. He still stood as the tails lashed out, one actually scraping the boys shoulder leaving a small knick but the five others were knocked away with an blinding sweep of the scythe. His free hand reached up and caught the final tail with his bare hand by its tip, casting it aside. Then he reached back and pulled his head back into its rightful place as if it had never happened. "The big guns? Well i should have suspected as much even lansing a hit on me. But i would worry about that tail of yours." He smiled with an insanely amused grin. As he spoke the tail he had touched began to wither and fester.(a bit of a powerplay but hey its the final boss, btw hiuko just found a limit to his powers only Ethrins hands cause instant death)

Mort took off, it had failed, as he had suspected. His fist balled as he ran towards Ethrin, if only he had managed to get in while Ethrin's chin was still facing backwards. He darted in, noticing how the tail began to wither away in his grip. "Hey asshat!" he yelled, one first snapping out and aiming right for Ethrin's eye, trying to surprise him enough to let go of the tail.

The hit connected with Etrhin's chin only to spin a quarterway clock wise as well the second caight him straight in the eye rearing his now side was head back. He tossed away the tail in order to double hand smash mort away with the end of his scythe, his neck swiveling back into place.

Mort wasn't the strongest, nor the smartest, nor the more skilled... actually he didn't have a lot going for him, but something he did was that he was light and quick. He didn't get batted away, he grabbed hold of the scythe as it hit him and clutched it tight against him, holding it tight and cackling madly as Ethrin was basically swinging him around on a stick.

"Irritating halloween decoration!" Ethrin's grin half dissolved into a scowl. "Burn." He growled as the black flames erupted from the blade of the scythe and shot down the staff to the end trying to fry mort's boney frame.

"You're a fecking nuisance!" Mort yelled in reply as the fire engulfed him. Even if it WAS hot enough to melt bone he couldn't feel it, and right now he was just distracting enough for the others to get a good punch in.

Hiuko looked at his tail as the death touch kept spreading even without Ethrin's touch, albeit much slower. He grabbed the tail and threw it so hard he dislocated his shoulder but it shot at an insivible speed toward's Erthin at center mass. Even if he was an evil maniac he was disctracted and that was enough for any human not to notice a death touch tainted piecing projectile. Hiuko hoped it would strike and the death touch would spread on to Ethrin. (Not sure if tha'ts how his power works but it's worth a try right.)

With his attention on the flaming skeleton he missed the tail as in pierced him straight through the abdomen. He looke down in disbeliefe. His eyes wide in shock. "I have never been wounded before...." He muttered more to himself than anyone else. The black death began to creep along the edges of the tail spreading across his middle. With a paniced motion Ethrin quickly grasped his infected area as the plague seeped back into his hands reestorinf life to his midsection. He wrenched the tail from his gut and fired a stream of black flames to desentagrate it, but the small hole in his gut remained a black tinge. His attention now on the group as he placed a kick at mort to dislodge him. "I am the master of life and Death, just who the hell do you think you are?"

"The exception!" Mort yelled, swinging around and down the handle of the scythe as Ethrin aimed a blow at where he had been a moment before. Well, not completely true, his knees had been knocked off and had been sent to the floor, but Mort's upperbody was swinging down towards Ethrin, skeletal glowing eyes shining with malice and bordering insanity.

Hiuko moved fast enough to land on Mort's Scythe as it was comign down. Thus he made it come down at Ethrin faster and stronger. Plus if Ethrin decided to dodge Hiuko would push off the sythe and aim all his, now six, tails at Ethrin's vital point while adding on to Mort, "and your downfall!"

"Grrrr." Ethrin was pushed to defend now. His body erupted into black flames like a small nuke. The shockwave shook the building on its foundations as the searing flames consumed the entire top of the building leveling everything in the area.

Hiuko got hit hard and was sent a few feet away but Bang's armor fur covered his body on instict and protected him from the fire. He could feel that he probably bruised a few ribs but nothing he couldn't live with. He pushed his way through any nearby rubble so he could get a full vibration view of the current situation.

"Git!" Mort groaned from beneath a pile or rubble, his bones were scattered all over the place right now, it would take him a while to reform again.

The black flames whipped and licked off every limb of his body. His usual insane expression gone, replaced by that of slight annoyance. "You all are getting on my nerves. You made me desentagrate my beautiful citidel. Your lives should be enough apeasement." He paced foward the blade of the scythe dragging the scorched stone, his open wound on his shoulder should have been oozing blood but it was still as it no blood was even pumping.

As Ethrin dragged his scythe the sound of six more things could be heard coming towards him and Hiuko walked forward, still fur armored, and his tails were dragging across the ground behind him. He raised his hand in the air as if in question and talked loud enough for Ethrin to hear while he walk forward, "What, is that it?"

"It? Half trash like you cant even comprehend my powers!" Ethrin's frown broke into a scow. The flames kicked up and enveloped him dancing and weaving seeming to take the shape of a pitch black cloak. To all he appeared to be the grim reaper himself, robe ablaze with blackened flames. "I AM LIFE I AM DEATH!" He heaved his scythe over and down the backened blade like flame sheared of the metal carving a huge cresent like crater into the graound as it neared Hiuko.

"Yer a huge nancy!" Mort yelled, dragging himself upright and starting to run towards Ethrin. He was beaten, broken, melted, and one of his knees was on backwards, but he was going for it. He was snapping himself together, bringing himself to strike at the man with no fear; what was the worst he could do? Kill him?

Ethrin glanced to the side noticing the attack and thrust his arm up. The shear backdraft from the flames of the robe created a massive updraft sending Mort soaring over him.

The ground shook as something approached. The smoke burst clear as Steelheart charged in his massive sword drawn to the right, bounding step after step in the cgarge each step crunching the stone. His eyes blazed pure silve, he brought down the sword in a mighty diagonal slash.

Ethrin's scyhte turned to the side redirecting the blow to the side as if he were deflecting a childs toy.

Hiuko smiled at the childish attack. He disappeared with speed and went around Ethrin fast enough to stop his scythe aimed at Takato although it too his tails and his whole body to completely block it, the block used forward momentum so hopefully it would stun Ethrin for a least a second so Mort and Takato could take the second to finish off the dying lord of death.

Gale clashed her tonfas together after charging a massive amount of energy into them the entire time she had been waiting for the group to attack. With her weapons held straight out in front a small ball began to form between the clashing winds that churned between her tonfas. A wicked smile crossed her face as she kicked every bit of her demigod powers into the air bubble she had created. "Cannon of the sky goddess!" The ball shot out expanding into a massive horizontal hurricane that carved away the very ground in swallowed in its gnashing winds.

Mort came screaming out of the sky, his bones aflame; he had been knocked straight up into the air, and right now he was coming down with toes pointed straight at Ethrin's head, bones almost melting in the sheer heat they were put under. It was as if he was coming in for reentry from space, trickles of pure calcium running up off his body, twisting and distorting his body as he aimed for the head. He hit with an odd cracking splash as every single bone in his body broken, showering the big boss with molten bones, and the falling force he had in his body was all pushed into Ethrin's face in one painful moment.

Mort's bones crashed into Ethrins skull driving him to a knee half concious as his scythe was wrenched over his head. The hurricane slammed into him full force driving him across the barren castle like a thrown stone across a pond.

Hiuko grabbed the scythe and he could feel the power of death coursing through him as he held the scythe but he had two souls in him at the time to keep each other in check unlike Ethrin. He lifted the scythe and crashed it down on his knee in an attempt to snap it hoping that would take away some of Ethrin's power or at least make him weaponless.

The scythe dissolved into the familiar black smoke, falling to the ground like fog. It expanded creeping and consuming the area untile a black blanket covered the floor until it dropped off the edge of the castle. It whipped and danced at the slightest movement. It started off as a low roll but grew until the sound of incomprehesible laughter rang out from the smoke. A hand shot up as if grasping for air. The laughter grew and shook as if it was choking the owner. The the figure stubled to its feet, Ethrin stood his eyes wide and crazed, every inch of his flesh was being peeled away as the amaretsu flames had spread to his body, fueling their consuming powers. He ripped his robe away to reviel the book he had held earlier, implanted into his chest, veins swollen and leeching into his body from the book itself. "The scyth was but a product. The Tome of affinity! THE BOOK OF LIFE DEATH AND ALL THAT LIES BETWEEN! It chose me to rule this world! Me!" He threw his head back as a wave of flames ungulfed his entire body, singeing his skin, it expanded out as he rushed foward bearing down over huiko the shear aura of the flames unbearable.

Hiuko cracked his neck to the side as he saw the flaming Ethrin charge him. "The only one's who can lead are those who have the courage to step up." He took one step forward and he put his weight on it, "Step up to rise above those on top!" He pushed off his that foot and shot off like a cannon it any part of Ethrin were to strike out he would grab it, he planned to get in a hand grapple and use his tails to stab and tear the book apart.

Ethrin swept his hand to the side, a massive flame formed claw seemed to materialized and extend from his arm. The motion was like a tiger swating a rodent away.

Mort seemed to wake from the moment of blackness... Something was different. He blinked several times as he heard a voice near by, his vision winking off and on as he tried to figure out what was happening. He was moving. Odd, because he hadn't remembered telling himself to move. He looked up and get... it was a surprise at the very least. With all the super heated re-entry melting his legs bones, then the last blow shattering them into powder, he found himself fused by a large calcium puddle to Ethrin's back. He appeared behind his shoulder, apparently barely noticed as he stuck to his body. "Tome?" he said, right in Ethin's ear "Tome! That stupid book! Where is it?" He twisted, leaning over Ethrin's own shoulder, wrapping a hand around his neck to help pull him further over Ethrin's shoulder, as they were both wreathed in the man's flames "I gotta blow that damn thing up! Maybe finally that will kill me!"

Ethrin's eyes flickered, the annoyance had returned. "PLease just move on! you life annoys me!" His free hand reached into to grab Mort's skull and take his soul for good.

"You're not the only one!" Mort yelled in his head, moving the other side of his body so it was difficult to grab hold of him and chomping down on his ear while trying to reach for the book.

Hiuko's hand went up to black the flaming claw, fur sprouted from it second before impact due to the sheer heat. His other hand went up to black Ethrin's free hand and he tried to grab the hands to grapple with Ethrin. He tails even shot out to wrap around the back side of the hand to make it difficult to break free. "Go for it Mort!"

Ethrin struggled against the tails to no avail as Morts boney hands gripped the binding. The seeming decorative on the Tome shifted to where it almost seemed like it was glaring...no it was definatly glaring. The hole in the center widened then erupted in a flood of tendrils the slapped away the tails and reached back to remove the melted skeleton. But the attack one fell to the floor writhing as Steelheart sprang through the air lopping it off with his huge blade. He reached out to grab mort himself, forcing all the rion mort had left to condense and reform into a harder though slightly smaller structure. He landed behind the three after having missed so much after being blown off the catsle from the blast.

"COME TA DADDY!" Mort yelled as the tentacles came out of the book; if it ripped him off it would probably tear a massive hole in Ethrin, but right now there was a fight going on between Mort and the book, struggling against each other to pull the other free. Mort could only fight it, trying to writhe his boney, sharp fingers in deep and yank it free. The steel around him was wrapping in tight, forming a shell around him to strengthen his bones.

"Enough!" The tendrils tried to secure each of morts writhing limbs to keep him from getting the book. The other tendrils lashed out at Hiuko like whips to keep him from trying anything funny. Steelheart dashed forward his blade striking out but being parried by the slimy vine like apendages.

"Bangs go!" Hiuko yelled as he strengthened his hold on Ethrin's wrists. He pulled in and used his whole arm to secure Ethrin's arms pinning them to his side and the demon died down but the restrictions were still broken. Bangs melded out of his body right in front of him and she jumped to the side and jumped into the tendrils, there wasn't enough room for her large form but that didn't keep her from being as ferocious and strong as she was in any other form. She became a whirlwind of claws and teeth as she tried to protect both Mort and Hiuko from the tendrils. As she did that Hiuko held fast holding Ethrin's arms to keep him from getting at Mort.

The book felt as if it was suckered to Ethrin's chest. Mort was fighting hard, trying to tug it away while feeling the tendrils trying to rip his body to pieces. As Bangs came out he smiled at her, actually smiled, for once in such a long time his bones were almost liquid, even with that coating of steel there was just enough movement allowed so that he could smile. He tugged hard, pushing the fingers underneath the book slowly, trying to use the metalic sharp bones to cut any join between Ethrin and the book.

(and the final phase) With a roar Ethrin started to flail, his limbs ripping at everything near. He wrenched and twisted the tendrils whipped every which way lashing out. The Flames erupted spreading to the ground, spreading like wild fire. "This world is mine! If i can no longer have it then no one can! I WILL BURN IT TO A CRISP!!!!" The flames erupted swallowing the stones, grass and trees nearby. The stones themsevles began to melt.

"Steel smother the flames, make an air tight dome!" Hiuko and Bangs both held their breath for the dome, the lack of oxygen would stop any more flames from Ethrin and Mort would be able to take the book without melting any further. The only problem was that Mort had about three minutes before Hiuko and Bangs would run out of breath.

"YA DAFT BUGGER!" Mort was yelling in Ethrin's ear as he pulled and cut and struggled, the world being reduced down to a ball of fire and fury around him as unearthly things lashed out towards him. It was like being in Glasgow when the pubs shut. "What do you want the world for?! You could have been SO GREAT, you could have been SO LOVED! YOU STUPID FLESHY BASTARDS DON'T EVEN HAVE TIME TO SETTLE FOR A FAMILY! I've lived long enough to tell you that unless you got someone beside you, you've got nothing."

"I have power and thats all i need!!!" Ethrin finally grasped morts spinal colmn wrecnching from his back, a massive chunk of flesh going with him. "I never had any of that crap, the only thing in life that can bring happiness his power, and if i can have it no one can!" The flames seared out, the forest nearby scorched as the wave advance across the land, a massive column of flames surrounded its user.

"Takato, help!" Hiuko yelled over the roaring fire. His skin was scorching and burning, it would only be seconds until his bones would show. The word family rang through Hiuko's head, for a good few seconds but they seemed to sit it his mind for an eternity. His grip tightened on Ethrin's arms almost to breaking point and his pain threshold seemed to find a new hieght, he had something to live for, and the only live was to kill death. "Takato dome now, we'll be okay!"

"Forget that! Emperial Wall!" Steelheart punched the melting stone all of his energy forced into leaching every mineral he could out. With a thrust he drew it back as a three foot wall shot up around ethrin lcimbing a mile into the sky with the group standing on the raised ledge. The Amuretsu was quickly eating away at the wall and the fir could only be funneled up now. He was down on a knee, pulling that much was qork. "Alright, huff everyone, if you have a ace up your sleeve fire it down that hole."

Twitch was happy to oblige, now that he had caught back up to the group. He reached into his tattered jacket and produce a baseball sized object that he twist, it suddenly hummed the started to blink as the led light on it lit up. "I have been wanting to use this thing for so long, five gigaton portable nuke, my own little pet prodject...dont ask where i got the uranium." Saru instantly grabbed the little planet killer and reared back launching it down the shaft so fast it shattered maximum velocity, due to his behemoth strength.

"POWER!" Mort yelled, still trying to yank at the book even as Ethrin ripped his spine free "IS! NOT! HAPPINESS!" He marked every word with a blow to the man's face with a chunk of his own body, the pieces that had been ripped off when he had been removed. "Live to create life! You die when your life is taking it!" he was wrenching hard at book, trying to use Ethrin's own strength to pull it free "And you are going to die with ME!"

Hiuko held Ethrin's arms from moving even the slightest and Bangs kept tearing apart the tendrils if Mort got the book from Ethrin Bangs planned to combine with Hiuko to protect him from whatever the explosive happy Twitch just threw in their direction.

Gale had launched herself up above the group, tonfa's secured in the strapes at her waist. She floated above the hole, hands by her side swirling (looking much akin to goku) building energy as a mass of air compressed between her fingers. "lets see him make it through this!" She thrust her arms foward releasing the highly dense air blast, "Kaze Kamehameha!", it shot down the opening like a cannonball.

Midnight sat up rubbing her head. Shoot...must have passed out again, I'm such a clutz... she thought to herself. There wasn't much she could do to help, couldn't throw anything down the hole with out going down herself. Though that could work...Maybe.

(Something new I've worked on with Hiuko for a few months now... first time tested in an RP though, hope you enjoy.) "Bangs!" Hiuko threw a headbutt in to stun Ethrin for a second hopefully. Bangs melded into Hiuko instantly and they flew up the hole and hovered for a second. "We're using it." We haven't tested... "We'll test it now!" Hiuko cut her off and the waves of power all unleashing at once only resonated to an inch away from his body held by an invisible force. A wave of fire erupted from his feet and travel quickly up his body to reveal something that wasn't Hiuko at all. It was a demonic humanoid green skinned with a red tinted visible aura. It wore nothing but a kilt and a horn adorned its forehead where red and yellow hair traveled down to his waist. It looked down at the hole where Ethrin lie and smiled. It reached out to the waves of power still reverberating at the edge of the force field and grabbed the incorporial beings. They flashed in an instant and became a spear. He hurled the spear of pure power at Ethrin and it broke the sound barrier the instant it left the being hands and burst into flames like something erentring the atmosphere. The whole phenomena though from Hiuko to spear throw only took aroud three seconds and it was timed to combine with everyone else's attacks.

Midnight smiled, it was a smile that would make anyone nervous that saw it. It was an evil smile. There was a small puff of sparkled smoke and was suddenly behind Steelheart. Her hair was now sparkled and pulled up into a pony tail, her body glittered and glowed, she was now a Genie."Steel, make a wish," she whispered urgently in his ear as she bent down to talk to him where he was on his knees. "Wish,quickly,Wish"

"i want the power to finally finish him off." Steelheart managed through clenched teeth.

"And So it shall be," Midnight nodded as smoke wrapped around Steelheart giving him his wish.

Steelheart's whole form began to glow his signature silver color, his hands writhing the grips of Yamina. His eyes a blaze, body steaming, he simply stepped forward, and fell, yamina poised to strike above his head when he hit the bottom of the shaft. He saw ethrin below, struggling as mort heroically pinned him to the ground exposing the source of his powers, the tome of affinity. The demonic blast, the gravity defying sonic propelled nuke and the tip of Yamina all hit at the same time, the blade driving the shear destructive energy into the book. for a moment there was absolute silence, the world was erased of all sound, then the area was surrounded in white, blinding white light, the entire continent was bathed in the shear luminescence of the blast, as the shaft of energy erupted upwards from the tower then engulfed it erasing it from existence. The portion of the blast that was funneled upwards sheared right into the moon blowing a round chunk roughly an eight of its total size to dust and reaching into space like a beacon of hope. As the light faded from the far reaches of the lands it revealed what had lain in its wake. The land around it had been untouched, however the tower was nowhere in sight, as the fighters from its top fell towards earth, but a crater of immense depth lay at its center. There stood takato, clothes all but crisps skin singed and raw, heaving for breath. The blackened center was nothing but ash; a bony hand rested among the ashes, in it clenched the scuffed but not destroyed book.

Midnight shifted as she fell into her kitten form, falling until she landed with a soft thump on her feet. She then shifted back to human brushing herself off,a little bruised but pretty good. She wasn't a Genie anymore but a glittery glow still hung around her. Hmm...I see my work here is done. she thought to herself with a smile. Her eyes gazed over the scene laid out before her, her smile dimmed a little. She saw the tower was the only thing destroyed, a big crater and a singed SteelHeart lay in its wake. When her gazed passed over him she quickly averted it. She remained silent, not sure what to say..

Mort twitched where he lay, trying to keep a firm hand at the book; something had lit up, something bright had scoured through everything, then... a lot of blackness and a lot of silence. "Urgh" he moaned, his head trying to lift itself up from the floor to look around at whatever was... left, of him, the book, or ethrin for that matter.

The demon transformed Hiuko slowly fell to the surface and gracefully stopped to hover five feet off the surface with his hands crossed looking at the center of the crater opposite of the others. His face was expressionless but that didn't mean his soul wasn't giving a sigh of relief that it was over. Then a sensation of worry washed over that, he knew how to unleash the demon power, how was he supposed to reseal the demon. He felt around his own soul for help but found out that the one he was look for was walking up to the ground in her kitten form, although Bangs seemed different from how she usually acts.

Midnight coughed black dust came off her in clouds as she looked at everyone else. "Every one o..." she broke into a fit of coughing, she had sucked in some of the dust when she went to speak.

Twitch and saru hit with a thud, the fall not exactly easy for them. They stood at the edge looking down at the stillness below. "Well looks like its over.." Twitch managed.

And with that Steelheart collapsed.

"Steel?!?" Midnight exclaimed worriedly after her coughing subsided. She had seen him collapse out of the corner of her eye. She ran over to him instinctively and knelt beside him, only looking at his face."Steel! Steelheart!"

The demon Hiuko floated over to Steal and Midnight and he went into a kneeling position which made him hover only about a foot off the ground. He looked at Stealheart and then to Midnight, finally his eyes scanned the rest. It remained emotionless as it looked into everyone's eyes and then said something in a language dating back to the beginning of time. It stood straight and when its feet hit the ground clothes erupted from its skin and it was covered in Hiuko's clothes, the horn receded as his skin changed back. Hiuko fell to his knee in exhaustion and didn't know what had gone on but only saw Takato on the ground. He smiled feeling Takato's heartbeat through the vibrations. "We did it again didn't we." He looked up to everyone and smiled. "We all did it." With that he was about to let himself fall but Bangs caught him on her back. "These idiots push themselves too hard. Lets get everyone to a nearby town, you all need to rest." She too was tired but wasn't about to admit that to anyone.

Steelheart managed a little laugh and placed his hand on the ground using what he had left to pull the metal molecules out of the air that had been vaporized. His hand glowed as they collected and started to reform. Then right before he passed out a statue had formed. There in a circle were twenty foot statues, Steelheart hands resting on yamina, Huiko with bangs perched on his head looking towards the sky, Mort with his bat slung over his shoulder, Midnight arms crossed looking to the west, Twitch with a stick of dynamite clenched in his teeth, Gale holding a peace sign high in the air, Saru his staff slung across his back, Eileen her daggers drawn, Cyto plants swirling around him, Elson's blades ablaze. "Thanks guys." Then he was out cold.

Midnight nodded at Hiuko's comment, looking down when she heard Steelheart laugh. She looked around at the Statue as it formed, recognizing her self, looking as pouty as ever. She noticed she was kinda off set from the group, she looked pretty though, except for her stupid bangs that were always in her eyes, just like they were now. She turned to Bangs hoping the cat would hear her as she thought How are we to get them out of here?

"A bit of help down here" Mort called up from the wreckage of the blast zone "I'm a bit... oozy.." He held up a hand, the sheer amount of energy that had been pumped into him was making it slope down as if melting. "Ugh.." he tried to slide over, still holding the book and trying desperatley to keep himself together.

Bangs looked up at the statue and smiled inwardly, it was pretty good. Bangs looked over at the ooze that was Mort and thought to everyone in earshot, "For god's sake, you're reduced to ooze on the ground and you still don't die, ugh." She looked up at Midnight and thought, "Well, I guess first would be to find a place and drag these idiots there. I would suggest staying here but a blast of that much raw energy is bound to have after effects on anything around here and that usually means we made monsters which will come here looking for more power. She sniffed the air and thought, "I can still smell it, its strong too, monsters will be here in no time and we've used too much energy to keep fighting." She started to make her way out of the crater with Hiuko slung across her back. She looked out into the distance for any nearby civilization or safe looking places.

Midnight nodded, then got an idea and shifted into a witch. She moved her hand to hover over Steel as clothes appeared on him. She scooped him up and moved to stand next to Bangs. "How about that one?" she thought nodded with her chin to some buildings in the distance.

"That could work, lets just hope its nice. Hey Gale could you scoop up Mort, you can just pour him in an empty water skin or something" She looked around and couldn't see Twitch or Saru anywhere. "Okay where's the monkey and the walking bomb?"

Midnight jerked her head at the pair standing on the carters edge. "There, at the edge." she yawned tired from fighting and traveling.

"Don't remind me!" Mort groaned, trying to crawl up towards the others; he was practically rolling over himself. "Ugh... all of this, taking all the assaults, and I'm still not dead..." he shook off a piece of dirt stuck to him "Not sure why I haven't passed out though..."

Midnight huffed, still a witch she turned and stared down at Mort. He started to solidify under her gaze.

Before he solidified Bangs looked down at her paw and shook some Mort goop off. "Mort, melting does not give you the right to get on me in anyway."

"Bah" Mort said as he began to turn back into normal "It's just a little bone goop. Stop being a baby about it." He wriggled his fingers, listening to the cracks as the bones got back into line "There we go... all nice and straight again."

"Your welcome," Midnight cut a glare at Mort, Steelheart was starting to get heavy in her arms. "Let's get going, He's getting heavy." she thought to Bangs.

The crater stopped just short of a small town that had served mostly as a supply stop for the road to the castle. The townspeople where still sauntering about wondering what apocolypse had just unfolded outside of their little town. A young girl saw the group approach as she swept the steps clean of the dust that had settled apon the town, her young green eyes full od curiosity at the odd group as it clambered from the impact site. "Hello! Welcome to Haven! Please do tell what happened to Yourselves and Lord Ethrin's castle?"

"Why Thank you, It was destroyed and Um, stuff.." Midnight replied smiling down at the little girl. She bit her lip, not knowing how to explain everything that had happened to them.

Bangs looked up and the girl and then to Midnight. She thought they would look odd enough so she thought it would be better to not start telepathically talking to the little girl. She shifted Hiuko on her back a but, his elbow was starting to dig into her back.

Mort was nowhere to be seen, at least for the little girl. Bangs found herself being pressed creepily closed to by Mort's skeletal frame. "I need clothes" he hissed to her, trying hard not to be seen behind her "People can't see a skeleton walking around. They'll be scared by me."

Bangs looked over to see the strangest skeleton she'd ever seen. It was partly melted and partly formed and the white goop was moving and shifting. "Trust me, right now people are more likely to puke but when you get fully formed we can get you clothes in the town, just hide until we find a place to stay."

"Hide where? Your handbag? If we're going to stay here then I'm going to need a way to sneak in" Mort replied, trying not to roll his eyes, mostly because it made his eyeholes go a funny shape. "Either I split from you guys right now and hide out on the outskirts for a while, or we need something for me to get a ride in."

"Hiuko has a rather roomy rucksack I usually ride around in. Just make sure not to leave any of your goop inside." Bangs thought shifting Hiuko a bit so Mort could get inside with less chance of being seen.

"Yeah yeah, mr hero isn't getting a limo ride is he. Noooo, he has to ride around in a sack because people might vomit if they see him" Mort grumbled as he slowly stuffed himself into the rucksack. He was pretty small folded up, and light, he was rather easy to carry.

Mr.Hero? Midnight scoffed watching Bangs and Mort out of the corner of her eye. Maybe we should stop making faces that look weird and scaring the girl, she can't hear us so we probably look like idiots... she sighed out loud looking down at the little girl over Steels body.

The girl curtsied and swept her arm to the side indicating the door way. "Rest here weary travelers. We have free rooms at the moment."

Midnight followed reluctantly. She looked back at Bangs shrugging, It was a good enough deal, she hoped they wouldn't get into any more trouble, she was way to tired.

Bangs walked it wearily hoping she would let her in. It was true that she was carrying Hiuko but besides that fact she was a giant demon cat, most people would see her as evil and kick her out.

The girl didnt even seem to notice. She simply smiled and reached out to pet the giant cat as she walked by.

Midnight watched the little girl, "So what rooms?" she asked politely walking through the door and looking around.

"Up the stairs and to the left feel free to use the restrooms and baths on the right. I will tell papa you have checked in." She smiled humbly and pointed upwards to the rooms.

"Thank you." Midnight nodded to the girl extremely appreciative, Steel was just getting heavier in her arms. She moved to go to the room as quickly as she could. She took the stairs as smoothly and quickly as she could without hitting Steelheart. She turned left and pushed the room door open with her back. She turned surveying the space before laying Steel gently on the bed and perching on the edge of the mattress with a yawn. She tried to be as soft as she could so she didn't wake him but she couldn't get up, she didn't have any energy at all to move. Being so tired she didn't even think as she layed down next to Steelheart and curled up at his side falling fast asleep quickly.

Bangs purred when the girl pet her but moved on after Midnight. She however wasn't as careful with her passenger for Hiuko's unconcious body banged against the walls although she made sure Mort was okay in the backpack. She set down the backpack at the edge of the bed and hefted Hiuko onto the bed. She yawned and changed into her kitten form. She jumped up next to Hiuko and curled into a ball quickly falling asleep next to him.

"Yeah, so I'll just chill out in here for a while shall I?" Mort grumbled, slowly shifting inside the bag until the hole at the top began to open slowly. His skull popped through, still slightly liquid looking. "You're lucky I don't have nerve endings or I'd be demanding a bed" he grumbled, wondering if he should even bother getting out of the sack.