Ethrins Reign

---

Steelheart walkes down the dusty path eyes locked on the tower ahead.

Elieen sucked in her breath and ducked as the gaurd swung his sword, and just missed her head. She swept her foot out, and tripped him, She stuck a dagger in him, then continued to jog through the noble's small castle. Mission: get rid of noble martin. The writting on that sall sheet of paper flashed before her eyes.

Steelheart say a flash of metal at the entrance and a gaurd fall.Elieen, that ball of fire, really does work fast. She had better leave the Major to me Steelheart formed a katana and took down a few low life gaurds.


Elieen flatted herself against a wall when she heard voices. It was two...no, three men. One she reconized as the noble. So, she boldly stepped out infront of them.
"Who are you? How did you get in my castle?"
"That doesnt really matter. All that matters is that I'm here now." Elieen replied, swinging her daggers. The noble gulped. His two gaurds rushed forwards. In a hearbeat, Elieen had
slain them both, she only suffering a cut to the arm. The noble's face turned a pale white.

A scream was heard, and it was over.

"Youve got to explain your motives to me someday, but right now lets find the leader." Steelhaert causally stode up to his old freind.





--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Major Bolt sat relaxed in his chair watching the events on his multiple screens. He preesed a button on his desk," Luetinent send out the regiments. She killed the noble..... he was my paycheck."



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A huge door swung open in front of the duo and 200 men armed to the teeth charged out.

Steelheart unsheathed his mighty broad sword and took out the first five in a single slash."Youve done what youv come to do will you fight with me?"

"Motives? Its a side carrier." Elieen said as they walked. When the men came up she said, "it looks like I have no other choice." She stabbed to of the men, and cursed as another opened her cut up even wider. But she soon dispossed of him.

Private Jhon snuck up behind the elf and fired his 9mm.

Elieen's eyes seemed to widen as she felt pain shooting up her spine. She turned around, and fell to her knees. "Damn....you.." She let out. She threw her dagger at him, at a fast speed. Then, she fell face down on the ground.

The private fell dead transfixed in a grin.

Steelheart Threw a dagger at Eileen using his uncanny ability to heal her back with the metal and minerals in her bone. "Take it easy for 8 to 10 weeks." He joked.(mp=145/150)

Elieen brought herself up and stood. "Thanks."(hp=95/100)

"Dont metion....Argh!!" A soldier put a deep cut across his side, but he didnt have time to feel triumpet because his head rolled across the floor a second later.(hp=90/100)

Elieen swore under her breath and chanted some wrods as she placed her hand on his side. Her hand glowed, and the outside healed. "That isn't healed on the inside, but what I have done will stop the bleeding." She sliced the throat of one man, and dogded the attack of another.

"Stand back. Sea of blades!!" He thrust the katana into the ground and formed the pipes into blades. The blades sprang from the ground massacuring them all. bodies lay everywhere.

Elieen had stood pefectly still, and she had luckily not been cut.

"Huh....." Steelheart grunted.(mp=95/150)

Elieen sighed a sigh of relief. She walked over to Steelheart. "It's been nice working with you." She said with a smile.

"Your not done yet!" A rough fouce ramg out from the hallway. "Greetings i am General Bolt. Steelheart i have heard word of your coming along with your pet......monkey is it? Anyway your goal is quite clear, if you think you can defeat me then by all means try me."

"Wow. great. now Im a monkey." Elieen said sarcasticaly. She then threw a long wave of daggers at the man.

The daggers hit Gnl. Bolt and bounced off with a metalic sound. "Oh so the midget can talk. Take this!!" Bolt's hand flew off and flew straight toward Eileen at 100+mph.

CLANG!! Steelheart Held off the blast with the flat off Yamina. "Dont make fun *grunt* of my friends!" The flames from Bolt's fist increased driving Steelheart back.

Elieen grumbled somthing inaduble, then said, "Oh,so he's heard of Steelheart, but nnooooo, not me, Elieen, one of the tops assassins." She took another dagger, twirled it, and attempted to stick it in the gnl's back.

The dagger bent on contact. "How pathetic. 50,000 bounty on you ond you cant even scratch me." Gnl Bolt recalled his fist sending Steelheart tumbling foward.

"You might not want to make fun of her. You wont like her when she's angry." Steelheart warned him while picking himself up.

"That's it, I can't take this crap anymore." Elieen said as she moved forward.

"You two are pathetic." He moved before she got there. A huge barrel erupted from Gnl Bolts backand light began to gather on its end.

Steelhaert shot fowards twirling his huge broadsword slicing off half the barrel.

"Congratulations kid you just turned the worlds most pwerful cannon into a sawed off shotgun." The light exploded sending Steelhaert fliYng.

Elieen, using her elven agility for the first time that night, sprang forward, and landed behind the man. She thrust her dagger at his neck.

The dagger fourced itself between his joints. "N..n....now you you you youv done it! You mad.d.d.d.de me MAD!! The Gnl twitched then threw a fist over his back.

Elieen, her hand still on the dagger lodged in his back, ducked down low, and missed his swing. "You see the thing is, when I get mad, my fighting skills improve. But when you get mad, you make mistakes."

"Argh!!!" Gnl Bolts fist shot off and U-turned twards Eileens face.

Steelhaert toke the oppertunity to side slash at the Gnl. side.

The blade went in maybe an inch until electicity shot through the blade, frying Steelhaert.

Elieen stuck her dagger in the back of the man's neck, while shouting something in elven. her eyes and the dagger glowed green as she spoke.(mp180/200)

The fist was now inches from the elf.

The man turned entirlly green, and fell to the floor. Elieen sunk down to the floor next to him.

A back up generator kicked in and the Gnl got up from his knees but his limbs were imobile from the elven spell. "Ill destroy both of you!!" He cried. The prfectile fist turned around and reattached itself. "Legs who needs them?" They buckled and formed tank treadsand a barel protruded from his chest. A missile erupted from the tank heading toward the dou.

Steelhaert cried "Commo cie commo ci defense!" A bubble surronded the pair but fire from the missle seeped in. "Eileen i cant hold this thing!" (mp 65/150)

Elieen wobbly stood. She spoke something else, and his 'bubble' was aided by an unseen hand. (mp 170/200)

The dust settles and the Gnl. comes rolling foward. "How interesting a combo.....hm." He fires another shot at the now unprotected pair.

A filmy like substance created a shield around them. Elieen's nose began to bleed as she put her energy into this shield.</b>(mp160/200)

Steelhaert sprinted out using the last of the sheild as a wrecking ball to ram into the Gnl.

Elieen's shield wobbled, but remained up.

"How pathetic." The Gnl. mearly nocked him aside but his arm was blown in the process. Two machine guns sprouted from his shoulders aiming at both of them. Rat-tat-t-t-t-t-t-t-t-t

Elieen smirked as the shield rapiddl pushed forward, pushing back the Gnl.

The bullets hit Steelhaert in the arm and leg but the quickly melted to fill the wound.

"GRRRR..... ARGGGH!" The gnl struggled to stay upright but he fell over backwards. "You may have killed the noble...who happenned to be my employer by the way.. but you wont get me!" He began to fire at random.

Steelheart used this upertunity to dash fowarsd and slice the Gnl. remianing arm off.

Elieen stepped forward, and said, "lets play with his mind, shall we?" A twished grin swept over her face, and she entered his mind. he might have had brawns, but oiously no brains, because she got in so quickly. what do you fear? She began to make use of his own fears, making them come to life.

Ahh big brother dont leave me noooo....the fire is soo hot help! Why did you leave me to die big brother?......Argh get out of my head. Main processor upload! The Gnl. eyes closed and they reoprned with a metalic green. "Greetings i am Gnl. Bolt mecha processing unit prepair to be anilated!!" He said in a eire matalic voice Bosters righted himself up and he began to fire agian eccept alot more accuretly.

ELieen flipped back, dodging. She grunted as a bullet grazed her shoulder.

Steelheart swung to deflect a few bullets but one caught him in the leg. "Take this!" Steelhaert lunged foward with his mighty blade.

The blade caught the Gnl. in the shoulder but once agian he was electracuted.

"Its time we finsiehd this." Elieen said. The gnl. again turned green, but this time a loud popping noise was heard as he was torn apart from within.

"Can not compute. Abort....Abort! Main power core will implode. ABORT!!!" The general began to glow from within.

Steelhaert grabbed Eileens wrist,"We have to get out of here!"

Elieen ripped her wirst from his grasp. "I have to stay here and finish this, or else he'll come back." She smiled weakly at him. "You go. Don't worry, I'll catch up later."

"Dont get yourself hurt." He yelled over his shoulder as he ran.

The Gnl. turned a brillant crimson then shockwave came right as the core exploded.

At that same moment, Elieen's grip on him faded, as her barrier engulfed her. A bright light flashed, and then it shattered. With a grunt, Elieen flew back against the wall. SHe growled something, then lept out the window.

Steelhaer was already out side on the other side of the biulding. "Well thats one down."

Elieen mumbled something, then staggered onward. She felt sick, dizzy, and lgiht-headed. Never again. And it was only for $1,000,000. She thought as she saw Steelheart. "Steelheart..." She mumbled, then fell forward.

Cyto walks up to them, "What happened in there?" He looks at the tower and then and Elieen, "and what happened to her?"

Steelhaert pulled out one of his health elixers and poured it in Eileens mouth. He then hoisted her onto his back. "She fought to hard. Thats one for taking down a monarch. Who are you?

"My name is Cyto. I just came from the village not far from here. I saw the explosion and got here as fast as I could." He looks at them both. "You look kinda bruised up, you wanna come to the village to rest up. It's gotta real nice inn with a free buffet." He rubs his stomach. "Acually I could use some more myself." He shakes his head to get back on topic. "Anyway, it's a great place for you to rest and heal your wounds."

Elieen mumbled something, then her head shot up. She nudge Steelheart, hard. "I can walk." She muttered, jumping off of him, and landing infront of the man. "If you two dont mind, I have...a bussiness deal to complete." She said with a small smirk. "Maybe we'll meet again, Steelheart." She said as she began to walk off.

"I dont know what she has against the nolbles. Their not really evil they just pay the officiers as far as i know. Well hi im Steelheart i...Wait you said FREE BUFFET!?!? Im there. Show me the way."



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"I completed the job." Eileen said, emerging from the shadows.

"Good." The man replied, throwing the money on the table. "Here's your payment. The next job is this." He passed her a sheet of paper. "Alright." Eileen said, leaving.



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Elieen walked away, feeling somehwat tired. her side, her mind, and her herself hurt all over. She just wished that she could stop, but she couldnt, not anymore. she was becaoming well known, and jobs were coming in daily. She stopped sort when she saw the name on the sheet. no... She thought as she froze. She turned but a moment too late. The spear plunged into her gut, pinning her against the nearest tree. A small spray of blood came form her mouth, her eyes wide with shock.

"Eileen!" Steelhaert came running down the same path(coinsidentally). "Cyto quick do you have any metal on you? I need some stat, somthing weak though mines to strong."

Elieen ripped the weapon from her, and fell forward, a small pool of blood forming around her.

Cyto searches through his backpack. "Aluminum?" He says throwing Steelheart a medium peice. Then he runs toward Elieen.

"Perfect!"Steelhaert form a transparent strip that covered the wound. "Do you have any magic left, Eileen?"

Cyto gets to Eileen. "Where did that spear come from?" He says looking in the direction of where it should've come from. "I'm gonna go try to find whatever did this." He gets up. "Don't worry if it's to dangerous for me I'll know." He runs off to where he thinks the spear came from.

Elieen weakly nodded her head. "Yeah.."

Steelheart drew a symbol on the ground and the huge monolith known as Arkania(The clans gardian)apeared.(mp100/200) "Protect her with everything youv got even if you have to use the forbidden spell." Steelheart took off after Cyto.

Cyto takes out his sword sensing someone then puts it away seeing that it is just Steelheart. "How's Elieen?" Cyto says when Steelheart is next to him.

"Wait!" Elieen tried to call out, clutching the paper in her hand. "Its a...trap.."

Steelheart spun around on his toes.

Elieen let go of the paper, and the names, clear as day were infront of him.
Elieen
Steelheart

"Was..set up.." She muttered.

"Wait so you have to kill Steelheart, why the heck do you have to kill him he's like your best friend." Cyto says quickly.

"Whoever put that out must work for Ethrin. Show yourself coward."Steelheart shouted into the woods.

Cyto walks up to a tree and puts his head on it. "The tree says no one's in the woods right now and the trees think you just yelled at them for no reason.." Cyto says to Steelheart bluntly.

"Im sorry i didnt mean to.... wait you can talk to trees? Steelheart baffeled.

"Ya, I have something called magic tongue that lets me talk to plants and animals." Cyto says.

"Well i havnt heard that one yet. Lets get back to Eileen....and that free buffet." Steelheart rubbed his stomach in anticipation.

"Okay" Cyto says in agreement walking back to the inn.

Steelheart walked up to Arkania. "How is she?"

Cyto in the meantime is devouring 2 times his own weight in food.

Arkania nods and lays her in the geust bed, then disappears.
"Betcha i can eat 4 times as much as you!" Steelhaerts at down and gulped 6 pounds of shrimp.

"Wow I'm stuffed!" Cyto says getting up. "I'm gonna go burn off this fat and train." Cyto goes outside summons up some plants and he fights against them while the others rest and eat.

"Be with you in a second......Muffle muffle" Steelhaert forces a roast ham down his throat.

"O.k., I'll save some for you, I made my tree titan pretty tough this time." He says as he jumps away from the giant tree arm.

"Great" Steelhaert manages between bites.

The trees shabow morphs and slices its owner in half then emerges into a solid form. "Well this the infamouse band of rebels, pathetic if you ask me. Oh how rude the names Lutenite Black. I look foward to our next meeting." He then melts into the shadows.

"Well that was mellodramaticly weird." Steelhaert says bluntly.

"Very weird." Cyto says jumping off the roof. "That guy has been there for a couple of minutes, why didn't he attack right away?" The sliced Cyto dissolves into the grass under it and Cyto looks up at his tree titan.

"Probably just trying to scare us. anyway how about joining up with me to stop Ethrin?" Steelheart asked.

Cyto looked at Steelheart as he unsummons his titan. "Well, I'm already a target so sure." He says with a bit of a laugh behind it all. "What is Ethrin anyway?"

"I dont know to much about him just that he is charge of the army taking over the world, and that he himself lead the battle against the Nakini clan killing all my people. He pretty much put himself in charge. You should see the horrer in Likklet city.... there all starving to death because one person didnt make it to his anogeral speech, he's CRAZY!." Steelhaert responded finally getting up from his pile of dirty dishes that covered two tables. "The appitizer was great,"He rubbed his stomach,"But whens the main course?"

"It's a free buffet. Help yourself to as much as you can." Cyto says getting some food.

Just then a waitress apeared from the kitchen. " Im sorry sirs but the only food we have left is in front of you. You two have eaten everything."

Steelhearts jaw hit the ground "NO FOOD!?!?What kind of a....wait im so sorry i apologise for Cytos rudeness but my i ask..Whats your phone number?" Steelhaert was suddenly struck by her beauty.

The waitress responed by slamming the serving plate into his face and walking off.

Cyto started laughing so hard that he fell back on his chair. Then he got up and back in his seat. "Smooth. I bet that red mark will be there until midnight." Then Cyto starts to eat the last of his food.

Elieen woke up, and stumbled out from where ever she was. Her shirt was caked with blood, andshe felt weak. She groaned as she fell against a tree.

"Lets just get back to the room." Steelhaert grumbled, pride shattered.

"What about Eileen? She's still outside." Cyto says a bit concerned

Elieen started to walk off into the forest.

"Oh thats right i forgot. Lets go find her." Steelhaert spun around and walked out the door.

Cyto follows him. "She was right at this tree and she went that way. Cyto points to where Eileen walked into the forest." Wow, and mom said magic tongue would be
useless.



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Elieen grumbled. "Leave me..for some cheezy buffet...." She ducked under and into a cave.

Cyto stops at the cave a couple minutes later. "The trees say that she went into the cave a couple minutes ago." He looked into the cave. "It smells and there aren't ny plants down there." Cyto duckes into the cave and holds his nose. "Is it just me or does it smell worse then 10 rotting zombies in here?"

Elieen too had began to smell that horride stentch, and clutched her stomach. SHe walked further in, and gasped as something pulled her deep intot eh shadows. she was gone.

"Sorry it was the twelve been salad,"Steelheart breathed deep then sputerd,"Scratch that theres no way it was me."

"I know that but whatever it is it's coming this way." Cyto looks to the left. "No person can stand this. She went that way, she had to." Cyto takes the left passage way away from the source of the smell.

StEElheart closed his eyes,"Whatever dude it still reaks." Steelheart accindentally takes a right in comic like fashion.

"The smell is a bit better in this carvern but it's a dead end." Cyto says looking around. I lost him didn't I? He thinks to himself. Then the the white mushroom thing comes out of his mouth after he releases a deep breath. I believe that this is irony. He thinks as he walks back toward the stench. He enter the entrance and goes to the right passage. This has to be were the devil makes air fresheners.

Steelheart makes his way down the passage when notices that he is alone. "Should have saw that one. Cyto could \n't find his way out of a wet bag." Steelheart noticed a figure laying on the ground so he rushed up to it.

Cyto reaches were Steelheart is moments later. What's this? He thinks as he looks at the figure Steelheart is near.

Steelheart helps the boy up. "Twitch? Is that you? I havent seen you you in forever. What happened?"

The boy (half consious) stared up at Steelheart. "Steel? Your the last person.....cough.... i thought id see here. Whos....cough...that?"

"Who's this?" Cyto says walking up to Steelheart.

"Um he is my best freind from the village but i thought i was the only survivor. He is a teen explosives expert. What are you doin in this Hell hole, pardon my french?" Steelheart informed Cyto.

"I was on vacation remember when that jerk Ethrin rose to power. I was actually thinking the source of this stench could make a great bomb but iwas jumped from behind." Twitch stood up but had to brace himself on the wall. "This smell is awful though, what are you to doin down here?"

"We lost are friend down here somewhere." He looks down the cave squinting then looks at twitch. "Did you see a girl walk by a while ago?"































"Its like a catacomb down here she could have gone another way but ill help you look." Twitch set off down the cave.

Steelheart whispered to Cyto while following Twitch. "He is very short tempered dont do anything to piss him off."

"Okay." Cyto said still waking trying to ignore the stench



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Elieen coughed, and held to her stomach. Blood spattered the ground. "Not enough iron I guess.." She muttered.



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Twitch was leading the party whaen a death defying screech rang out piercing everyones ears.

"Ow." Cyto says with his pinky in his ear. "What was that?"

"IM not sure but there was an old legend of the Vambies....never mind its just a myth." Steelheart uncovered his ears. "Maybey it was the wind blowing through the cave."

"That old campfire story? Iremember it somthing about Vampire Zombies or somthing?" Twitch flinched while talking.

"Vampire zombies." Cyto put his hand on his forhead and softly said to himself. "Not again." Then he took his hand off his head. "Well, lets keep moving I guess."

"Kinda remindas ya of a video game brave fencer mushashiitoano(Copy right regulations)" Twitch thought out loud.

"Hey I can tell right now that it's vampire zombies." Cyto said looking at them. "I could have sworn that I heard something say bloody brains."

The Vambies dissapeared then reappeared bihind them in submission hold then started walking down the cave-way. "Leadersssss...."

A bright light blinded the trio, and they found themselves on a beach!?!

"What the hall is going on?" Steelheart was majorly confussed.

"I have no clue." Cyto looked behind himself "The Vambies have gone too."

The Va,bies then returned carrying a vieled throne. A voice spoke through the viel welcome to my oasis, my uninvited guest. Show them how we welcome guest." The vambies then lurched fowards.

"Oh so we're saying hi ay." Cyto puts his hand on the sand and nothing happened. "Hey, my magic is gone. The plant are there but my magic. O.k. then, I guess I'll fight manual." Cyto gets ready to fight.

Steelheart drew Yaminia and dashed fowards.

Twitch was quick to act throwing a small hand bomb into the crowd of Vambies.

Vambie parts flew everywhere but they picked themself up and slashed a Cyto.

Cyto ducks dodging the slash and tries to punch the Vambie in the stomach.

The Vambies flesh was torn from his stomach yet it still fought on slashing at Cyto.

Cyto jumps back trying to dodge the slashes and then tries to smash the Vambies knee.

The Vambies knee crushed in on itself snapping in half. The Vambie tried to crawle toward Cyto.

Steelheart brought Yamina down to protect Cyto.

Twitch sent smoke bombs into a bunch of Vambies. He then pulled down his gogles for blind attacks on the Vambies.

The huge sword cut the Vambies head down the center and its stopped moving for good.

The man behind the viel chuckled. "Minions keep my visitors busy as i prpaire the ceramony for my Queen." The remaining Vambies who wernt fighting picked up the vieled throne and set off down the shore towards a castle in the distance.



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

In the castle on the beach a fimiliar elf is locked in a cell. The door opens and the throne is brought in. "Hello my sweet." The voice calls out.

The 'elf' said nothing in reply, though she didn't like being called 'sweet'. espicially his sweet.

"Dont look so sour you shall make a splendid queen wether you want to or not." The man laughed.

Elieen rolled her eyes. "And who says I'll stick around long enough for that to happen? I can beat you I'll be either gone or dead before the ceromony."

"Says the enchanted chains provided by master Ethrin." The man finally stepped beyond the veil to reviel a strikingly handesom tall and tan man. "With our power combined we could rule this realm."

"Who says I'd want to rule by your side?" Elieen retorted. She had to stay with him though. He knew who she really was - and who was looking for her.

"Now now we both know that the chains arnt the only thing keeping you here is it?" He asked.

Elieen couldn't reply. Instead, she asked, "Why me? You have your pick of the crop. The dumb blondes, the easily wooed brunettes. And me? Why?"

"Not all woman have the power to destroy cities do they, my precious?" He replied

Elieen snickered. "I think you've been relying on the rumors that people have spread of me instead of the truth."

"Oh so modest, my queen." he smirked.

"We aren't married yet." Elieen replied to the 'queen' title. She didn't want to be alled that.

"Time is but an alluision of the mind." He laughed then exited the chamber.

Elieen swore as she banged her fist on the floor. "I have to get out of here..." She mumbled. "But then again...maybe this isn't a bad thing.."



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Twitch was tired as he threw a small smoke bomb



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Elieen sighed as she sat back. "I just have to wait..I can get used to it...I hope.."



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Youve got to be kidding me!!!?" Steelheart was chest deep in sand due to sinking while weilding Yamina.

Twitch was running pretty low on ammo as he resorted to face shots at the hoards of Vambies.

Steelheart was preety much ussless on this loss soil. "Cyto help!"

The cry for help wasn't heard and in a clearing Cyto was seen getting dragged away unconsious by Vambies.

"IM SICK AND TIRED OF THIS!!! SEA OF BLADES!!!" Steelhaert shoved his sword in the ground and rows apon rows of swords bursted from the ground skewering the Vambies. "Ltes go Twitch" Steelhaert huffed as he walked towrd the castle.

"What about Cyto?" Twitch asked.

"Hes one of them now." Steelhaert ponted to the pin cishioned vambie at his feet.



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"It appears that your friends are more than i expected my lovely" The king of the undead laughed through barred windows. "But trust me your all mine, you wont be seeing them haahaha"

Eileen growled. "You only wish so," she replied.

"My wish is their command" He laughed motioning toward the vambie gaurds.

"When will you realize that these walls cannot contain me?" eileen asked, cocking her head to the side.

"Then Whats Keeping you here?" He smirked.

Eileen smirked back. "Oh just wait. They may hold be for a little while, but soon enough, I'll be free."

"You hope.If you need my ill be in my chambers" He smirked as he left.



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Steelheart was alraedy at the door hacking away to get inside.
Twitch Simply took a finger bomb and blew they door off its hinges. "After you"

"showoff" Steelheart Walked throught the door way and took the first left down the stairs.

Twitch sprinted ahead and took out two vambies guarding a door.

"Eileen are you in there?" Steelhear asked through the bars

From the cell next door, Eileen called, "You're getting warmer...'

Steelheart gave a half smile and walked to the next cell. "your Hilariuos" He joked

Eileen gave a small laugh. "You shouldn't've come."

"Your a freind, and i think i kind of...have..well.." Twitch was knocked into steelheart midsentace as vambies came charging down the hall.

Twitch was throwing everything he could to fight them off. " Stop chatting and come on...by the way nice to meet you the names twitch.'hp125/150

Eileen rolled her eyes. "Pleased, I'm sure," She said. "Well, I'm chained to the wall, so I can't be of any help to you at the moment."

"Steel said you were some sort of super magified elf or somthing....your a little tall for a elf." Twitch chucked pinsize explosives through the bars to Eillens feet "put one in each lock."

Eileen rolled her eyes. "And what? Pick them up with my toes?" She sighed, and bent forward, taking them in her mouth. Being very careful, she put one in each lock.

"i cant think for you and fight to..now shake the locks and close your eyes." Twitch remarked.

Steelhaert was busy dicing away with yaminia. hp95/100

Eileen shook the locks and closed her eyes like she was supposed to.

The locks kinda poofed and opened clanging uselessly against the wall.

Eileen stood. "Thanks," She said before looking to Steelheart. "I'll need to get my weapons back."

"any idea were zombie brain keeps them" he grunted taking care of the last of the Vambies.

Eileen shrugged. "I'll go up to where I think his room is." She moved some of her silver strands of hair from the front of her face, hurrying up the stairs.

Maybe i am falling for.. Another wave of vambies came hurrying down the hall. "oh for the love of..."

Eileen moved silently through the halls, trying to not create any sound. She came to the room, and looked inside before moving in. She bent down, searching under the bed.

"My, my early to the honeymoon suite arent we?" The dark prince laughed, appearing at the door.

Eileen stood quickly, almost falling over at the sound of his voice. "Actually I came to recover something of mine that I think you have."

"oh you mean you little toys?" He asked holding up her dirkas.

"Yes, those would be mine," Eileen said, taking a step forward. Her tone got chillingly cold and demanding. "Hand them over."

"Thats no way for a feonce to talk no is it?" He mocked.

"I can kill you regardless if I have my weapons or not. Now it's up to you if you'd rather die slowly and painfully, or quickly and virtually painless." Eileen said, taking a threatening step forward.

"Hostility and we havent even ckosen the furniture yet....have it your way." He dropped the blades and disa ppeared in a blur of motion.

Eileen moved with elven speed as she did a flip, picking up her weapons as she did so.

"Good bye my sweet i will have you yet, but first im going to play with your feinds." His voice rang out.



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Steelhaert was dirt tired of vambies when all of a sudden they froze.

"Greetings uninvited guest, i am the owner of this castle Beelzebub Juaq Dracula. In all politeness prepair to die." He drop form the ceiling fangs flaired.



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"DAMN!" Eileen swore, charging down teh stiars she had to go and help them They wouldn't be dying on her watch.

Steelhaert put up Yamina in defense with the blunt side of the blade.

Twitch threw down a smoke screen for a sneak attack.

Beelzebubs claws came down on the blade throwing sparks everywhere.

Eileen got to the bottom of the stairs, and she threw one of her daggers at the back of her captor.

The blade sang in deep but there was no blood. "NIce of you to join the party my precious. But no.." He reached around the blade and sank his teeth into Steelhaerts neck.

"Whaaaaa!!!!!" Then he droped to the floor unconsious.

Eileen ran forward to help Steelheart.

"He is a little handsome all helpless like that, and delicious. Mwuahhaha" He laughed liking his lips.

"You bastard!!" Twitch pulled out a barrage of gernades from Behind the creep and lauched them at his back. The explosion was blinding.

"I think you got my wing wrinkled." When the smoke cleard Beelzebub was wrapped completly in bats wings unscathed.

Eileen had to run past the vampire to get to steelheart. she just hoped he wouldn't notice her.

Beelzrbubu was far to involved with Twitch to notice his former captive. "Bombs? eh the german army coulnt stop me what makes you think you can?"

Twitch grinned" The germans didnt have all their life to play with explosoves now did they?" He sent a barrage of mini bombs at the ground throwin up debre.

"Steelheart?" Eileen asked, kneeling beside him.

*cough*"What the heck just happened?" managed to whisper.

The vampire simple furled and unfurled his wing to blow away the debre> "come now iv lost the amusment."

Eileen put her arms around him. "You were bitten. Come on, we've got to get you out of here."

"ugh...cant move.....so sorry....couldnt ...help you." Steelheart gasped.

Eileen smiled. "Don't sweat it. Come on, let's go." She said, putting his arm around her shoulder to help him up.

"Hold....on" Steelheart managed to form a huge bazzoka like barrel and treis to scoot it to twitch. "you know...what to do"

Twitch pikced pu the barrel and loaded some of his best bombs. "Your in for it now. Big bang!" A furry of spikes erupted from the barrel towards Beelzebub.

Eileen tried to hurry the two of them out of there

Steelheart hobbles upu the stairs. "ugh...freak....biting people...."

Eileen laughed at this comment. "I agree."

"Just give me a sec and i go down there and kick that freaks but...ugh" Falls over as he tries to stand up.

"Hey...." Eileen said, kneeling beside him. "We have to go now," She whispered.

"What?....we cant ...leave. What about...freakshow.......and twitch?"Steelhaert asked.

"Twitch will come." Eileen said. "YOu had me worried there."

"HUH?...why......and why did he have ...you ..held...in a cell?" Steelheart was cunfussed.

Eileen blushed lightly. "He...uh...he wanted tomarry me, I think."

"In lamens terms yes....the real plan was to get you to put on ths ring and drain all your magical power, then with elfin magic and my powers i could turn evry living thing into Vambies under my control. Mwuhahah." Beelzebub drifted up the stairs throwing Twitches unconscious form on the ground. "My plans will still go as scheduled even with your minor interuption."

"And who says I'll put on that ring?" Eileen asked, standing.

"My freinds." Dozens of vambies appeared behind the elf. "Come quitely and things wont get rough."

Eileen chewed on her bottom lip in thought. Should she??

The vambies lurched foward.

Steelheart grasped his chain and was able to form a fence of swords around the three with what energy he had left.

Eileen put her hands to the floor, using her magic.

The Vambies started trying to fource their way through the fence.

Eileen pushed the vambies back with her maigc, concentrating hard on fighting them off.

"Can you run?" Eileen asked.

Steelhaert "cough..what now?"

Steelheart managed to sruggle to his feet. "where to?"

"Away from here," Eileen replied. "I can hold him off for a little while longer..."

"hold on ill get some Help" Steelheart used the blood from his neck to draw a fimilar symbol on the ground then he placed his palm in the middle. "ARKANIA!!" The monolithic golam apperaed from the ciclre ans immediatly pivked up twitch and steelheart and put them on his shoulder. ".........*huff*..ready?"

"You guys go. I'll catch..up.." Eileen said, struggling to keep her magic flowing.

"Dont...let anything...happen..to you..or..ill.."The golam was barreling down the hallway out the door bowling over vambies.

Beelzebub smirked. "you freinds have abandoned you. how cowardly of them, leaving such a delecut flower such as your self to fight for her life."

"hmph," Eileen said before letting her magic down. She jumped and flipped over the vambies, making her way to Beelzebub.

"He spread his wings and took off to the seeming endless ceilings dissapearing. "You cant fight what you cant see."

"I don't need to see you to fight you," Eileen replied, closing her eyes. She waiting, listening for any sounds.

Beelzebub dropped from the cieling like a bullet with claws and fangs bared.

Eileen shot to the side, then shot out her dagger to where he would be.

The blade sank deep into The vampires arm, but this time familiar silvery blood leaked out. "Wich he immedeatly licked up. "HMMM...delicious"

Eileen backed off, waiting for his next move.

"Hmmm..with this blood...." He bite on of his vambies and it suddenly picked up a metal pipe and formed it into a sword. It lunged very clumsily towards Eileen.

With one fluid move eileen cut off its head.

"So the rumors of you assassin skills are true..interesting." Beelzebub took off to the cieling again but he had a little trick up his sleeve this time.

Eileen waited once again, her elven ears twitching slightly, like a cat's.

Somthing fell this time but it wasnt beelzebub. A huge chandalier was tumbling through the air with the Vampire behind ready to move on the elfs reaction.

Eileen flipped to the side, avoiding.

The preditor followed her movements waiting for a open shot.

Eileen took a defensive stance, waiting once again.

Beelzebub gave a harsh cacklng and many vambies shot foward toward Eileen as if by spings.

Eileen jumped dodging them as they attacked. She let out a cry as one of them cut her back. She turned, chopping off its head.

"It seems you favor decapitation, i will have your head seperated fro your body after i drain you power...but that would be a waste of such beauty." Many more vambies lurched foward.

"Wouldn't you rather keep me as a pet?" Eileen growled, slicing threw a few more. She used different meathods of killing this time, msotly to show off. Her back stung, but she learned to ignore it.

"We all have to make sacrifices." Beelzebub responded woth creepy sincerity.

"I've sacrificed enough!" Elieen replied.

"And what are you going to do?" He lurched foward tying to slip the ring on.

Elieen swung out her dagger to cut him across the cheek. "I'll kill you." She said darkly.

The silver blood and some crimson leaked out. "You cant kill the undead."

"Watch me," Elieen replied.

"Ladies first" Beelzebub laughed.

Eileen focused her power, then went to strike.

A vambie jumped in the way to protect its master.

it was destroyed as a blue ray of energy headed for his master.

"Now my puppet!" Beelzebub yelled. Steelheart burst from the door and jumped in the way. His eyes were all glazed over and his face expressionless.

Elieen had to stop the attack, bringing the power back to herself(also self inflicting a great deal of pain). She knelt on the floor, wincing. "You dirty bastard!" She muttered thru clentched teeth.

You didnt think all i wanted was a snack now did you?" He laughed.

Elieen stood, her cold blue eyes glaring at him. "Leave my friends out of this." She said lowly.

"He is no longer yours my dear Isnt that right Steelheart?" Beelzebub mocked. "yes master."

Arkania charged in knocking the vampire on the floor, he then looked back at Eileen puzzelled.

"Steelheart!" Eileen cried, running forward. She wouldn't let anyone else she cared about get hurt.

Arkania used one hand to pin steelheart down and the other to hold Eileen bck. He motioned to steelhearts pointed teeth as if warning her.

Elieen backed up a bit, her eyes filled with hurt. "We..we have to try and get him back." She said softly.

Aekania genntly picked him up and hung him dy his shirt an a chandalier then cgarged again at Beelzebub.

Eileen took out her daggers. She was angry...but said at the sametime. She looked to Beelzebub. She wanted to hurt him. Badly.

Beelzebub was taken by surprise as the golam pinned him to the wall and waited for Eileen to strike him like a target.

With great force Eileen threw her dagger straight at Beelzebub's heart, magic speeding it up. ((steelheart should get down, and stab eileen in the back :P))

(Got one thats just as good) A explosion erupted at Eileens feet as Twitch dropped from the rafters freed steelheart and blew the dagger off course.

Eileen fell to the floor with a cry.

Arkania slammed Beelzebub into the floor then slid to help Eileen up.

Beelzebub wiped blood from his mouth, now severly pissed off. "Minions take care of the insolent fools but beat the girl within inches of death. I still need her magic."

Steelheart and twitch both dashed foward , one throwing mini bombs the other shurikan.

Eileen put up a shield, one she knew would soon break. "Please Steelheart.." She whispered. "Come back to me."

A hint of bluish silver flashed in Steelhearts lifeless eyes but fadded away.

Arkania swung at Beelzebub again but the vampire glided up into the rafters.

Eileen tossed a dagger at the vampire's heart.

Beelzebub was to preoccupied with the goalm as the dagger sank unto his chest. "Ack...NO! I will...not fail!" Beelzebub sank to his knees but consiously took conto of his minions. Attack the elf! Just bring me her decapitated hand!

Steelheart dashed forward brandishing his mighty broadsword in a cross slice.

Eileen threw herself to teh ground, trying to avoid the blow.


a few strands of silvery hair fell to the ground as steelheart narrowly missed. His eyes falshed back to their blue. "im sorry i..." he grinted then his eyes faded again

Eileen had an idea, but she wasn't sure if it was going to work. She threw herself at him, her arms wrapping around him in a hug. "PLease come back." She whispered.

Steelheart raised his dagger to stab her in the back it stopped inches from Eileen. His eyes flashed back and he wrapped his arms around her. "I'm sorry i didnt nean to try and hurt you...ugh!" Steelheart looked pained as beelzebub tried to pry into his head again.

"Please don't leave me again," Eileen whispered, tears coming to her eyes for the first time in a long time.

"I will have control of everyone!!!!" Beelzebub grabbed the nearest vambie and ate it whole, healing his wound. Bat ears, wings and huge fangs produced. "Find a room, but in hell!!" He screamed.

"Eileen, i... wont." he was complertely ignoring Beelzebub.

Eileen took her last dagger, twirling it in her hand lightly. She threw it at Beelzebub, mutter an incantation in the elvish language. and what she had said was fire. the dagger burned a bright red as it headed for him.

The vampire melted away in the blaze. "NOOOOOOO......."

Twitch collapsed on the floor.

"Eileeen...i....i..."Steelheart studdered

Eileen's eyelids closed, and she fell to the floor, her final spell taking the energy from her.

Steelheart craddled her head Im so useless"Im....sorry."

Eileen's breathing came slowly, shallowing, as if she were sleeping.

Steelheart rumages through his rucksack "theres gotta be something in here." He came apon a vial his grandmother had given him as a child. She was a great Herbist. He put the vial to her lips I hope this worKs

At first the liquid only pooled in her mouth, but then she coughed and choked as she swallowed it, her eyes opening.

"Bitter huh? My grams wasnt to big on taste." He tried to lighten the situation

Eileen smiled. "Thanks." She said.

"Just rest awhile and well leave in the morning" Steelheart reassured her.

Eileen nodded. "Alright." She said.

Steelheart picked twitch up and repostitioned him in a less akward positition. Then Craddled Eileen and carried her upstarirs to one of the bedrooms.

Eileen rested her head against him, feeling exhausted.

He laid her down on the soft bed. "Dont worry well be out of this Hell hole in the morn." Steelheart gave a halfhearted smile.

Eileen smiled back. "Thank you.." She said.

There was an akward silence and steelheart blushed a little.

Eileen smiled at the blush before her eyes closed so she could rest.

Steelheart gave her a quick peck on the cheek before dashing downstairs to care for Twitch.

Now it was Eileen's turn to blush.

Morning rose over the beach and lit the waters...wich could now be determined as the soucre of the putrid smell as vambie bodies washed in and out in the tide. Steelheart kicked twitch. "get up you lazy bumb and wake Eileen, its time to go."

"Five more minutes mommy.....*kick* Im up Im up!! Im going cool your britches man." Twitch picked himself up off the ground. Walks upatirs and knocks on the door. "Eileen wake up its time to go."

Eileen opened the door. She seemed to be already to go.

Twitch shrugged. "im not sure what happened what happened last night but im ready to leave."

"I suppose I am as well," Eileen replied absently.

Twitch started heading down the stairs. "Whats bugging you chick?"

Eileen's eyes snapped to his. "Nothing," she replied simply.

"ok" Attitude much! Twitch reached the foyer. "steelheart went out to the cave to make sure no vambies were lingering around."

"By himself?" Eileen asked, surprised.

"Yeah why not?" Twitch said.

Eileen bit her lip. "nevermind," she said absently.

Steelheart walked through the door. "its safe to go." He said absently.

Eileen nodded. "Where will you go after this?" she asked.

"Im still going to take down some of the generals until I beat some info on Ethrin out of them. Where are you headed?" Steelheart semmed truely conserned.

Eileen shrugged. "I don't know. I'll go back, get paid, take another job."

Steelheart, "Besides assasinate me?" manages a laugh.

"I could never kill you," Eileen replied.

Steelheart laughed, "Thats not what your last bingo card said. When you get back see if Beelzebub was worth anything."

Eileen bit her lip, looking upwards for a moment. "So I guess this is goodbye," she said.

"It doesnt have to be, i could go with you there is bound to be a general with a bounty on his head. But we may have to go our seperate ways....for now." A tear formed in the corner of his eye wich steelheart quickly wiped away.

"Are you...crying?" Eileen asked softly.

"Oh..um.... no im fine..... we might as well get going the stench is starting to get to me again." Steelheart quickly changed the subjct.

Eileen bit her lip as she turned, starting to walk away.

Steelheart headed back up through the cave. He hid the tears sliding down his cheek.

Elson strolled along through a woods, his shirt pulled over his nose, playing with his zippo.

Steelheart had just emerged fomr the cave without any real aim or direction. He was still not used to traveling alone

Elson, still strolling along practically ran into somebody coming around a tree. After taking a step back he greeted the man, "Howdy. Is that stink coming from you?"

Steelheart half heartedly looked up. "No its a million dead corpses coming from that cave. Dont know what to do about it."

Elson shrugged, "Burn em." He answered as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "So why are there a million dead corpses down there?"

"I rekilled them...they were vambies. Just leav'em be. Steelheart just shruuged.

"You killed a million vambies by yourself?" Elson looked the man up and down, "Hmmm..." He looked him up and down again. "Where ya going?"

"Not by myself i had help. Besides i rekilled them." Steelheart scrutinized the guy carefully from his baggy pants to the habitual zippo in his hand trying to decide if he should trust him. "Depends....are you for or against Ethrins Dictatorship?"

Elson shrugged, "Personally, I have nothing against the guy. He runs things kinda whacked though. So I suppose that'd be against, huh?"

"Good enough for me, The names Steelheart you?" He asked holding out his hand in an act of freindlyness.

"Elson Rodston." He took the hand and shook warmly, "So, where are you headed? You look pretty... well, down."

"No,no im good just had a lot taken out of me. Um igeuss im off to the nearest military base to take down one of the leader..find someone who knows how to get to Ethrin." Just nodded. "But it have no idea where im going."

"Military base..." While he thought he scratched his chin. After a couple seconds his face brightened slightly, "Bout two or three days back I passed a pretty big installation. Could be a base?"

"Works for me, which way?" Steelheart asked leveling up next to Elson.

"East, sitting at the top of a mesa." His hands moved as he talked following his words. "I didn't get close enough to really check it out>"

"Oh well lets go." Justin set his eyes on the horizon. "so whats your story?"

A small white and brown kitten appeared through a bush holding a dead mouse in her mouth and looked up at the two new people to the forest and turned her head to the side.

Steelheart bent down to pet the little girl. "What an adorible
little kitty, nasty appetite though."

Elson shrugged, "Do what you have to to survive." After giving the kitten a warm smile, he looked at Justin, "Ready to go then?" He motioned back down the path. "I'll tell you my story as we go."

"All right.." Steelheart began to walk slowly beside Elson.

Elson scanned the horizon for a few moments before beginning, "I was raised in a normal family, mother, father, the usual stuff. We had enough to eat, we loved each other. I went to school, my father went to work, and my mother was a stay at home mom." He gave a quick smile, "Then I found out about my power." He formed the chains around his wrists into guantlets then back again. "And things got bad."

"i can kinda do that to." Steelheart formed the chains on his pant sionto gauntlets. "But im geussing its not metal minipulation. What happened?"

"I was young, didn't know how to cope. I tried different things, and they got worse as I went, until I ran into heroin." He scanned the horizon again. "It was pretty bad. Over a two year span I nearly died from overdose three times. Eventually, I broke the habit and, with a finally clear mind, I learned to cope."

"Um....wow." Steelheart was frazzeled. "so how did they tie in with your..."gift"?"


Elson shook his head, "It doesn't really, besides the fact that becuase I thought I was a freak, it made me kinda suicidal." He laughed like it was funny. "Therefore, I didn't care what happened to me, and got caught up in bad stuff. Eventually I decided I had had enough, and I quit the habit. And began working on my "gift"." He flexed his arms, showing the huge bulge of muscle. "I found a new drug. Weightlifting. Then after I got into the shape I'm in now, I decided I might as well do something, so I devised my own weapons and type of fighting, and here I am." He finished with a huge grin. "So what's your story?"

"Well as afra as i know im the last of the Nakini clan. My dfad went off to fight Ethrin and his military uprising, leaving me with my mom. One day Ethrins army attacked my village, complete genocide..except for me, my mother hid my in the woods. Now i travel around taking down military big wigs looking for info on where Ethrin controls his army from. So you wanna help me?" Steelheart kinda gave a half hearted smile.

The small brown and white kitten quickly gulped down the mouse and started to follow the two. It wasn't normal she ran into new people in that forest.

Elson shrugged, "Sure, why not, I don't have anything better to do."

Steelheart shrugged. "I still have no idea where im going though. No leads."

Elson pointed to the installation he passed, "There's still that installation back there... Could be something."

"Well at least its somthing." Steelheart spun on his heels and started back in the other direction.

Elson turned and followed, "So where are the people that helped you down in that cave?"

Steelheart walked ahead with out looking back. "Cyto got eaten...and Eileen went on her own..." His voice sounded wobbly almost sad.

The kitten just meowed from in between them looking at both of them curiously.

The adorable kitten did little to cheer him up. Stellheart kept his eyes on the ground.

The kitten moved to where he was staring and she showed her big eyes and decided to jump up to Steelhearts shoulder. From up above however Hiuko looked down completely still watching his cat Bangs to make sure she didn't get hurt. Stranger to the forest usually tried to steal her and that always turned out to be very bad.

Elson didn't know what to say to the fates of Steelhearts comrades so he changed the subject. "Odd kitten... It wasn't afraid of us at all."

Steelheart patted the cat on his shoulder. Why does this kity seem familiar?

The kitten meowed as if responding to Steelhearts thought but just meowed and nothing more as she looked from Steelheart to Elson.

The Eyes Seems so familiar. Steelheart continued to stroke the cat. "So whered you come from girly?"

Bangs meowed for an answer. She understood everything perfecty. Should I jog his memory, do you want to appear, keep acting like a cat...? Bangs thought to Hiuko who was above in the trees lieing down watching the clouds go by. Do what you want I don't care. It's your problem now. He thought back. Bangs sighs (if cats can do that) and touches Steelhearts head with her paw and telepathically says. I'm Bangs. Remember, I'm with Hiuko. The lazy idiot in the trees.

"AHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!! ethrins got telepathy mind readers now RUN!!!!!" Steelheart quickly formed aluminum foil and put it on.

"Jeez Bangs what did you say to him" Hiuko said jumping down the the ground. "So do you still remember me or has this Ethrin hunt made you lose your mind. Honestly it looks like you have with that alumunum on your head." Bangs jumps up to hiuko shoulder then jumps into hi rucksack to curl up and sleep.

"Huiko man tell me before, your cat goes all Spock mind meld on me sheesh." Steelheart quickly dishes the Foil like it was never there.

Elson, highly amused, just sits back and watches.

"Hey what Bangs does with her free time is up to her. Although your yelling was especially loud to me so I came to see the problem." Hiuko turns to Elson keeping his eyes covered by his bangs. "So, who might you be? I'm Hiuko, one of the good guys around these parts." Hiuko said being polite by giving his name first.

He stuck out his right hand for a handshake, "Elson Rodston, also a good guy I suppose. Nice to meet you."

Hiuko shakes Elsons hand, his eyes still hidden by the bangs no matter how hard someone could look. "So where are you guys off too?" Hiuko says as Bangs jumps out of the rucksack not able to sleep so she decides to ride on Hiuko's head for a while.

"Where else? We are knocking off Ethrins minions one by one." Steelheart laughed.

"What you still haven't gotten to Ethrin yet?" Hiuko laughed. "So would you mind if me and Bangs come along. Not like I'm doing much here."

"Mind? Heck if missed you!" Steelheart gave the blind hercules a bearhug.

Hiuko nearnly lost all his breath from the bear hug and his bangs shifted as to show his blind eyes. "Dang, is that a new attack or are you just happy to see me." He said with a smile as he tried to get his breath back.

"I could always need the help of an old friend!" Steelheart laughed.

"and what of you Elson? Do you mind if I come along. I think this should be a group decision after all." Hiuko says still in a cheery tone turning to Elson.

Elson shrugged, "Doesn't bother me, the more the merrier."

"Cool beans." Hiuko said with a grin. "So, where to?" Hiuko said although he already overheard them when he was in the trees.

"Im following pyro here." Steelheart joked as if by a bipoler nature to his ealier mood.

Elson mocked anger, "I'm not a pyro... exactly." He laughed then again pointed towards the he had been coming from earlier. "There's an instillation back that way that I think may be one of Ethrin's. I didn't get close enough to get a good look my first time through."

"After you then Elson." Hiuko said bowing over and letting Elson go first.

Steelheart plucked bangs from Huiko. He nuzzeled her in his arms. "And what have you been up to you little hell raising deamon?" He walked causually behind the pair as he ppeted the cat.

"Keeping the blind idiot alive and you?", she telepathically says purring a bit. "I heard that." Hiuko says blandly while walking in front of them.

"This and that...wish Eileen was here though, youd like her...at least it wouldnt be a sasuge fest then." Steelheart smiled.

Twitch appeared for the first time behind steelheart. "whats with the furball man?"

Elson was walking beside the new guy. Being a blatant person he decided to ask an obvious question, "How'd that happen to your eyes?"

"What do you mean what happen to my eyes? Oh you mean the blind thing. I was cursed, unremovable, but I like being blind better. When you're blind, you can "see" things much better and easier." Hiuko answered with his usual answer. If he pressed on how Hiuko funcioned normally he'd say but that's for Elson to ask more than for him to tell. Bangs in the meantime jumped to Steelhearts shoulder not even phased by the appearance of Twitch.

Elson nodded, "I see, so i'm guessing you hear better and smell better and all that?" He didn't wait for an answer, becuase he figured it went without saying so instead he asked, "And what's your beef with Ethrin?"

"Yup, most of my abilities lies in sensing virbations through the earth." He says pointing down at his bare feet. "As for Ethrin, he's just a bad guy. I don't necesarily have a beef with him, he's just not good and I figure that enough a reason to stop him. What's your reason?"

"Dunno. I just don' t really like the way he runs things."

"Well an reason is enough to make me fight along side someone." Hiuko said with a smile.

Elson smiled back, "I'm not about to turn you down."

"Smart move," Hiuko says with a smirk. "With us four there's no way Ethrin will win."

Elson laughed, "Let's look at this realistically. We will kick some major ass. But it won't always be easy."

For a second time a black vortex opened up in the path. The same strange man in a black cloak stepped through. "Hello steelheart..It seems you have new accomplances. Did the other two die?"

Steelheart dashed foward. "You! What do you want??"

"You know this guy Steelheart?" Hiuko said now at Steelhearts right side.

As soon as Steelheart moved, Elson was in motion, one whip out, the other morphed into a long blade. He stood a step behind Steelheart, ready for anything.

The man didnt flinch. "There is no hostility here, just checking into see your progress against Ethrin-san." The mans black clock fluttered as he stepped back into the darkness. "Farewell warriors." The darkness closed around him and dissapeared."

Steelheart and twitch both muttered at the same time. "Creep"

"Who was that?" Elson pointed at the woods where the man had disappeared.

"I have no idea man, he showed up before then dissapeared." Steelheart stated bluntly.

Elson just scratched his chin, returned his chains to their positions, and began walking again.

"So I'm guessing an Ethrin lacky?" Hiuko said as he started to walk again.

"I have no idea." Steelheart laughed.

Twitch followed behind tinkering with a fuse system.

"So Twitch who might you be?" Hiuko said without even turning.

Twitch didnt even look up. "I used to live in the same village as Steel, but was on vacation when the bastard destroyed it."

"Oh, well It's nice to meet you." Hiuko said walking backwards smiling.

"Steels talked about you some." He said still focusing on his work.

"Yo Elson that it?" Stelheart asked pointing a a dome peaking from the trees.

"Yup." He gestured towards the building, "Once we get closer, it's walled in, armed gaurds patrolling, and an outter fence with dogs."

"Dogs?" Steelheart asked while petting bangs fuzzy ears.

Bangs thought to them all at the same times now resting on Steelhearts shoulder. "Leave them to me. Those mangy beasts will learn to fear me quickly."

"Hmm..." Hiuko said before climbing a nearby tree and jumping down and seconds later he said. "Well, not much of a base inside but the outside is well gaurded. Although I couldn't tell what was being gaurded neccisarily."

"Whatever it is, it's got to be fairly important." He pointed to the roof. "There's guards walking aroung the edges of the roof too."

"So do we do this the stealthy way or the fun way." Hiuko said turning to face both of them. "Ooh I vote fun way" Bangs thinks to everyone.

It' didn't matter to Elson, so he simply shrugged. He could easily do the fun way. But then again stealth could be fun too.

Twitch laughed while tossing a fairly large bomb in the air and ctaching it repeatedly. "I like the fun way."

Steelheart wved them down. "It doesnt matter but first things first, one we find the guy in charge and get information on Ethrin and take him out, to find out what they are gaurding got it?"

"Ya right guy in charge got it!" Hiuko yelled back already running with Bangs on his shoulders towards the base. "What are you all waiting for?"

Twitch was having a blast, loterally. he chuked th bomb at the staoutset part of the wall obliterating it. The bomb blew a truck size hole in the wall.

The gaurds were taken off gaurd but quickly surounded the hole with guns held at the ready.

Elson flicked his zippo, manipulating the flame into a fireball and sent it into the whole, scattering most of the soldiers.

Hiuko and Bangs jumped in the hole into the complex and Hiuko beat the tar out of the soldiers and dodged the bullets with ease while Bangs fought the dogs in her kitten form not even neading her demon cat form for it. "We've got these guys at the hole" Hiuko said after knocking one out. "Go on ahead, I'm sure there'll be more inside. We'll follow behind in a minute." He dodged eight shots each from a different soldier and jumped at them.

Steelheart unsheathed his great broasword and dove in blade whirling like a mad man. The bullets grazing his skin and deflecting ff the blade. Bodies lay in his wake.

Team alpha positioned itself on the left of the hole. The Sargent unseathed his blade and charge towrd the invaders as his men brsndeshed pistols and bowie knives.

Elson laughed at the soldiers knives as he pushed flame down his chains and held it there, while he lashed out at any soldier close enough. After a few moments he began to work his way to the building. Mp 190/200

Soon Bangs was surrounded by dogs and they all atttacked at once but they soon shot off when she instantly changes into her demon cat form and roars an earsplitting roar. Then she changes back and starts to attack the dogs in her kitten form again. Mp 195/200

Hiuko was surrounded by gaurds all of which either lost their weapon or ran out of bullets. They came at different times. Hiuko dodged each attack took their arm or leg and swung them into the next closest one. Then when the last one left standing was behind Hiuko. Hiuko turned with a menecing look on his face and the gaurd ran away quickly. Being satified Hiuko jumped to turn more gaurds into heavily armored pulp.

Genereal shogun laughed as he watched the action unfold on screen. "A formidable opponent after all?" He pressed a button next to his chair and a door opened on the outskirts of the base.

The sunlight filtered in through the doorway as the first set off armed ninja set off toward their targets. Three positioned themselves above the one with the flaming chain, five above the odd one with the cat, two above the one with the ludicrisly large sword and two above the psycho with the bombs. At once they let loose a fury of shurikan then dissapeared into the shadows.

Steelheart felt one blade sink into his shoulder before he spun and deflected the rest off the barraige with his sword. "Where did that come from!?!?"

Hiuko picked up a gaurd and threw him at the shuriken to block all the blades. "Looks like some ninja. Some on the roofs and others in the shadows under he roof inbetween the open part of the roof and the wall." Hiuko said now beating gaurds and throwing gaurds at shuriken to block the barrage.

One of the ninja snickered as Huijko proceded t make his way towards the Razor wire he had set up. With any luck the fool will walk right into it.

Hiuko kept pushing forward the backfliped up onto a guys back the pushed off him sending him stumbling into the razor wires and Hiuko proceded the other way, (Need I say how he knew it was there, I mean its pretty obvious)

More talented than i thought. The ninja in question stealthaly stole ahead of the group and laid a feild of caltrops down for his unsespecting victums among the shadows.

Elson saw a flicker of movement off to his right near an alleyway and quickly sent of burst of fire that way. 180/200

The ninja died in flames but not before he had set his nearly invisible trap.

"Elson stay away from the body!" Hiuko shouted 'seeing' the trap. He kicked a gaurd hard enough to make him fly into the trap and set it off killing him. "Okay, it's clear." He said as he kept plowing through gaurds and using their bodies as shields.

Elson stopped and watched the body fly then watched the guard die. "Thanks, I owe you one!" He continued his dance, chains swinging out and around, seemingly snaking to their targets then back to Elson until he gave them a new target with a flick of his wrist, sealing the unlucky person's fate.

"Wait guys...theres more..." Steelheart pointed to the hallway which was now littered with pointy unforgiving caltriops. "That might hurt to walk through there...any ideas?"

Hiuko comes walking up from behind dragging ten bodies. "Not really." Hiuko said before throwing the bodies down the hallway setting off all the traps and clearing the way. Hiuko took a step and made sure the way was clear. "One left, Steelheart, think you could trip it from here by throwing a kunai, ten feet up about five meters from here, it's a light refracting trip string so its invisible but still there. Hit it with the kunai and the hallway is clear.

"Done." Steelheart picked up a fallen gun and formed a shurikan. He measured the distance carefully then easily sliced the wire from a far.195/200

Shogun watched his monitor entertained. "the one with the cat is very talented, but the one with the fire is strong..." He typed some commands on the arm rest of his chair. Far off a door opened and a fearsome beast emerged from the shadowswith its restraint noe gone. The mighty dragon strtched his wing for the first time in ages. He sniffed the air picking up the sickly sweet scent of blood. It dipped its head and took off toward the mayhem. Apon entering the corridor the first thing it did was blow steelheart back with a gust of its mighty wings.

"What the-" Elson's comment was quickly cut off as the powerful gust of wind ripped past him, momentarily taking his breath with it. The dragon was huge, taking up most of the corridor they were standing in. "Whatya say we charge guys? I got idea."

"Bangs, looks like we are going to have fun today." Hiuko said smirking while Bangs changed into her demon form and barring her fangs, growling as she flexed her wings a bit. She took a few steps forward, anxious to fight a dragon, which she was like more than anything else when she was in her demon form.

The dragon barly had room to turn around in the crouded space. Its mighty head reared back as it struck out with its left claw to bat at the demon before it. Its blade like tail wiped foward to cut elson in two.

Elson jumped, backflipping, and landed lightly on it's tail for a split second before jumping at the bulge at the top of it's hind leg, then quickly jumping off of there to it's back, careful to avoid spines and other sharp things, while keeping his feet so he wouldn't be lacerated by the things scales. "Hey! Rodeo!" He whipped out with his chains, wrapping them around it's neck, then braced himself to hang on for dear life.

Bangs rammed right into the swiping claw with equal force and her dragon scale strong fur resisted the blow just like the scales of the dragons claws did. Hiuko stood back letting Bangs and Elson enjoy the battle, he also kept look out since their attention would most likely be on fighting the dragon.

Steelheart was back on his feet parrying blows from the tail with his sword while he slashed down with all his might.

The dragons scales chipped some by the blow of the blade and it was slighlty off balance due to Bangs counter attack. The hot chains around its neck in furateed the beast causing it to flail its mighty head trying to smash Elson into a wall. The dragon retalated with a blast of fir towards bangs and huiko.

The seven Ninja of squadron seven watched the events unfold from the shadows. they quietly redied ther short swords and dropped from the ceiling behind huiko out of the fire blasts way.

Elson scrambled back and forth on the dragons back, avoiding being pancaked between the walls and the dragons deadly scales. He knew keeping the dragon off balance would eventually pay off, so he continued hanging on. Glancing up he saw the ninja's drop from the ceiling, but due to his concentration, he only affording his allies a loud, "HEY!"

"I know!" Hiuko responded calmly. "Steelheart, wanna help with these clowns as Bangs and Elson take the dragon fight outside." He said after jumping out of the way of the fire blast and away from the ninja's as well. Bangs hearing these words ran full speed at the dragon after dodging the fire blast and flipped upside down, skid under the dragon and pushed her back paws hard into the dragon while bracing herself against the floor, This would raise the dragon through the roof so they could take the fight outside and have the advantage. "Elson this is going to the skies, if you fall off that beast you'll land on me, I promise." She thought to him as she started to push with all her demonic might, the seal on Hiuko's right palm and of her back were right red and hot with energy coursing through them.

"Fine by me." Elson braced himself, hoping to stay on the dragon and keep it distracted.

The dragons hard headplates busted through the roof like paper. It spread itsterrifying wings and took to the air in which it pitched and rolled to losen elson.

Steelheart dove head long into the group taking three ninja down in a dog pile. "Porcupine!" Senbom erupted from underneath Steelhearts shirt where he wore a chest plate. The slain ninja looked transfixed with the nedles puncturing their bodies.(180/200

The remaining ninja dissapated. Two appeared to the side of Huiko were they both delivered side slices with their short swords.

Elson decided to let go as the dragon rolled, and went into free fall, the ground rushing up to his face.

Hiuko yawned as he ducked under the ninja and twisted around bringing his leg out to kick both ninja into the wall.

Bangs floded back her winges, shot down, and picked up Elson gently with ease letting her wings out and pulling up at the last minute. Then she flew up face to face with the dragon and thought. Aw, it's just a baby. Then she let out a loud roar louder than the dragons and bared her teeth letting out a low snarl. "Ready when you are Elson" She thought to him as he sat on her back.

The dragon flipped back sending a huge blast of air trying to unstable bangs. Then it followed up with a huge column of flame.

The ninja flickered and dissapeard on contact as more dropped down. One launched a fuyy of shurikan straight down as another covered the emmediate ground area with caltrops to prevent escape.

Elson smiled when the dragon released it's flame. "Ready." He held up his hands, concentrating on the dragon fire while squeezing his legs to Bangs sides like he was riding a horse. Instead of shooting at them, the dragon's flames split sideways, at which point, Elson brought his hand's out to his sides, causing them to circle around behind him, until he finally brought his hands forwards again, launching the two seperated flames back at the dragon's face. 150/200

The beast was caught full in the face as it roared and fell back to earth. It collided with an old section of the base utterly destroying it. The Monster exploded from the smoke, one side of its face singed and it left arm a bit burnt. It shot off at the pair in a shear rage snapping and slashing as it went.

Bangs let out another roar and she dove straight at the dragon and thought to Elson. Don't get off, the extra weight will help the attack. Then as she dove her hair started to grow out longer from her face and spread out longer around her body and shielded both her and Elson from the full blow. Then when the dragon came defly close she angled a bit, went under him and swung up now ramming his underbelly with full momentum since she swing up with her wings instead of pulling up.

The dragon doubled over catching its prey while lossing the wind from its lungs it dug its claws into the mass of fur and tried to land belly flop style on top of Bangs since it was in to much pain to attack in any other way.

"Elson don't worry I've got you." She thought before changing into her kitten with wings form letting Elson free-fall as she got loose moving fast as a bullet and then in mid-air she changed back into full demon cat form and caught Elson.

As Elson fell, he quickly launched two or three fireballs, at the place Bangs had been, but didn't have time to see if they scored or not becuase the cat chose to catch him at that time.120/200

The dragon rolled in agony, the wind knocked from its lungs. The beast's scorched and bruised underside throbbed. With a deafening roar it lert loose a mealstrom fire storm that spirled its way upwards toward the duo. The column of flame was nearly 50 in diameter.

Nothing but smoke! Bangs mentally yelled not carring who heard. Then she she let out a roar so loud that it couldn't even be heard but it was focused so that it cut a hole right through the dragongs fire not only dispersing it but also the sound would enter the dragons body via its own mouth and make huge vibrations in the dragons that would cause rupturing of organs and breaking of bones. It could even possibally attack the brain although Bangs didn't intend it to she really had no choice on what got hurt when she attacked with sound.

Elson clapped his hands to his ears, trying to block some of the sound in the hopes he would still be able to hear when it was over.

The dragons eyes rolled inot the back off its head as its last breath escaped in a puff of smoke.

The ninjas took the oportunity to lunge from the shadows and impel huiko while his senses were destracted.

Elson took his hands from his ears, looking around until he saw the dragon, chest still. "YAAAAHHH! POINT US PLEASE!?!" He patted Bangs side, "We rock, unstoppable." Remembering that there were others hanging around he took a quick look around, taking in everyone elses situations.

Bangs was dancing a bit in the sky still keeping in mind that Elson was on her back then telepathically said to him. Okay, lets make sure the others didn't get themselves killed. Then she dove down to the others, although she dove down on a gentle slope so Elson didn't have to hold on tight.

Hiuko's senses weren't distracted however and he quickly, in an instant, span around, grabbed the ninjas arm and punched the ninja's elbow to break it.

The ninja screamed in agony as he was quickly silenced. A sembon stuck him through the throat and pinned him to the wall.

Steelheart sheathed his sword. "Lets get to the head." He turned off down th corridor.

Shogun smiled. "iy looks like ill have to take care of them my self." He motioned to a soldier behind him. "Ready my gear, i will fight."

Elson was holding on lightly, enjoying the slight break for them in the fight, resting for a moment mentally and physically. After a few moments of collection, he returned his mind to the here and now. "Bangs, I'd like to stay on your back for a bit longer, just in case."

When he said this Bangs was already on land. "You've got legs don't you. I'm only giving rides if there's flight involved." She told him as she bumped him off her back and changed back into her kitten form. "Besides, on land is when I get to rest." She thought to him as she jumped into Hiuko rucksack. "Sorry bout that. She only lets people ride her when she flies. Not even me." Hiuko said scratching the back of his head a bit. "So, shall we go. There aren't any traps for a couple more corridors."

Elson shrugged, "That's fine, I only meant to stay on her back while we were airborne anyways." He looked up and down the hall. "So, is everyone as convinced as I am that we hit pay-dirt?"

"That depends how convinced you are." Hiuko said. Then he knelt down and punched the ground, even made a small indent but from doing that he got a full map out of the base expcept the shoguns room. "That also depends on what you are refering to as pay-dirt."

Elson turned to Steelheart, "Aren't you here for an assassination and information?"

"Id rather have them squell then kill them." Steelheart shrugged. He wiped the blood from his sword on a nearby ninja body. "So where are we headed Huiko, you know the lay out now?"

"All except one room, and since I didn't find the leader of this place in any other room I suspect that the room I couldn't sense is where he or she is." Hiuko said still wondering how his vibrations couldn' detect the room but still detect the rooms around it. It's down the corridor then the second to the right and the fifth door on the left. There are no traps but there will sure to be enemies in the path soon enough from well..." He looked up at the hole in the cieling where the dragon was pushed out. "Lets get a move on shall we." He said as he started going down the corridor.

Steelheart took huikos directions and lead the way down the coridor and through the first door. He froze in his tracks as soon as he pushed the door open. A mass of foot soldiers had their barrels pointed at the entrance ready for the group to poke their heads through.

Bangs however knew what to do. She grew her wings in kitten form and sped to the right and in an instant changed into full demon form and shot past every soldier with a barrel and broke each one and changed back to kitten form and free fell right into Hiuko's rucksack. This all happened in less then ten seconds stunning most people although Hiuko walked right in. "Hey Steelheart, Elson you coming in? Their ready for us." He said with a smile getting into his counter-stance.

Elson sauntered in, chains dragging the ground. "Let's start the party boys." He grinned as he sent flames down the length of his chains. 110/200

Steelheart cracked his knuckles and formed a pair of brass knuckles and wen in arms blazing.mp170/200 He took a kick to the face and a flailing arm with no real damage.
Hp90/100

Elson followed Steelheart's lead, chains whipping.

The room was cleared in no time. Eeriely a grand sliding door to the left slide open beconing the group into its depths

Elson, succumbing to bloodlust darted through the door, heedless to what anyone else was doing.

Hiuko walked calmly through the door keeping the vibrations in check. He didn't get far in before he noticed something something big and powerful, and with that sensing the corner of his mouth raised a bit into a half-smile.

The room opened into a large oriental style garden with a koi spring and little meditation house of by the side of the little feild. Natural grass carpeted the place an dsunlight filtered through a skylight.

General shogun was beaneth the shade of a tree watching a butterfly sail by. His kimono was pure white with red trimmings that matched the sheath of his katana on his hip. His face was scared and gave him the air of a terrorfying warrior. "Nature is such a beatiful thing dont you think boys?" He seemed to be no older then 30.

Elson, still trapped in his bloodlust, charged straight at the man, already bringing his arms around, starting the chains in a scissor(sp) motion.

Seeing the Shogun as a peaceful man, for now at least, Hiuko walked over to the pond and felt the vivrations of the koi. True it was a bt fuzzier from the water but he could still sense them perfectly well. So he sat and waited to see if the Shogun would attack. If not then Hiuko saw no reason to attack. He wouldn't fight a battle with one that did not want to fight.

The generals arm flashed and there was two clanks, but it appeared as if he hadnt moved at all. Elsons burning blades sank into the ground on either side of Shogun sizzeling the earth in the spots. "Such haste from ones so young."

Elson, knocked out of his bloodlust by his surprise, sat hard on his butt. Never before had he seen such speed. He hadn't a chance from the get go. As he sat he pulled his chins back to himself. Wow...

"Power and peace. So do you wish to fight us or discuss something." Hiuko said turning to the Shogun, his bangs were now covering his eyes again though. Perfectly concealing his blindness. "I will not wish to fight someone that doesn't wish to fight."

"I wish to bring nothing but peace and order to this beautiful world, however Ethrin has ordered your elimination. If you pose a threat to lord ethrin then i can never bring the tranquility this world needs as long as there is tormoil to disrupt it. Ethrin wil lead this world to a new era of peace." The general simply stood up and walked to a nearby bush to realese the butterfly he had been holding.

At the mention of Ethrin, Elson was again alert. He remained sitting however, so he wouldn't have to take his eyes off of the man. He wasn't however unprepared, his zippo was still lit in his pocket, and he already had a rough plan in mind, one for if he himself was attacked, and one for if Hiuko was attacked.

"Don't worry Elson." Hiuko said sensing him get tense and the zippo light. "Even if this guy does intend to attack then I'll have no problem with him. Any man who has a twisted ideal of peace, thinking that one man can bring peace, is worth beating both the living and dead snot out of. I hate people who think that a man can bring peace when really no one will be free. If someone rules that means there is going to be oppression somewhere else. A man cannot please the people, only the people can free themselves." Hiuko said standing up. "Well, if it is your masters will to stop us then I'd be happy to show you the power of fighting for true freedom. Unlike Elson I can actually see your moves." Hiuko said, the whole time he hadn't let Shogun see his eyes. Not even in the cameras Hiuko sensed in every corridor. Hiuko was very careful for his face not to be seen by any one or anything, that stayed consious anyway. Hiuko got into his counter-stance and kept his head low so his bangs covered his eyes. "After you," he said politely.

Elson sat, intending on watching, or if attacked, retaliating in some manner.

Steelheart grunted. "ethrin is evil, he is no peace bringer, he killed my whole family!"

Shogun stood up and brushed off his kimono. "You understand nothing boy, people can not rule themselve it is anarchy." He placed his right foot foward and gripped his sheath. "1-1 or1-3 it will be the same."

"Anarchy. Ha, it seems like its been long since you've left this place. I've traveled across this vast land and I've encountered many villages. Most of which rules over themselves. There was no authoritive figures and the villages were peaceful. The ones with rulers and guards against humans rather than monsters, those had chaos and theft. Where there is rule there will be people to rise against the law but without an authritive figure to rise up against than they have to reason to steal or create chaos." Hiuko looked from the Shogun to the Elson and Steelheart. "If it's okay with you guys I'd like to take him on." He asked with a smile.

"You're a free man, and I'm certainly not stoppin ya." He gave a shooing motion with his hands. "Go for it."

"Would you like a sword to be even?" Steelheart asked his companion.

"Steelheart I'm suprised you'd ask a question like that." Hiuko said with a smirk. "Although I might need one later if he'd good enough. So, could you keep a naginata ready just in case I ask for it, please?" Hiuko asked in his counter-stance his hair still covering his eyes. Although even without his eyes the shogun would feel a chilly stare, the hair covered the full blizzard of the stare he gave the shogun right now.

"Theres somthing odd about you boy. The worlds natural aura moves around you uniquelly..." Shogun fluidly swept his left foot foward and spun on his toe using the sheath to side blow now turning his back to Huiko in the process.

Elson sat studying the man's movements. If he could find tell alls in the mans attacks, he could fight him if it came down to it.

Shogun spun once more dealing out as blow toward huikos side with the shaeth.

Hiuko sensed then shogun moving slower than when he attacked Elson. Even a common human would be able to see the attack at this speed. Hiuko ducked under the attack and stood in his counter-stance. The attack was to slow for a counter attack so even though the Shogun had his back open. Hiuko refused. "If you really want to kill me you'll need to actually try." Hiuko said calmly, his hair still covering his eyes and no matter how he moved, his his hair would stay that way until he allowed it to move.

"Taking a life will not bring peace only discord. However if you insist on having my full potential." Shugun unsheathed his sword a quater of an inch. He flicked hiws wrist so fast the the blade seemed to dematerialize then reappear beside huikos ear dealing a straight up slash.

Hiuko was probably the only one that followed the blade. Without sight he could 'see' more than most people and this made him great at fighting against any speed. Right before the blade hit Hiuko took a step back and the sword missed and stopped at his ear. Hiuko smirked and said, "That's more like it. Now keep going and we'll have a fight." Hiuko got into his counter-stance and his senses tingled as the stretched to max with the anticipation of the battle. The fastest opponent he'd ever fought, Hiuko was going to have fun.

"You seem to be a fighter who respondes to his opponent rather than engage them in attack." Shogun turned hi wrist slicing down daigonally letting him revert the attack at the epogee and slice back across as a follow up. As an added precaution he slide his heel tiward huikos foot hoping to catch him of balance all in one fluid experianced motion.

There Hiuko thought as he span around the shoguns attack when it was only half done. With his foot out he turned his body and that turn gave Hiuko enough room and a quick enough window of attack so Hiuko shot a kick from the shoguns side right at his back, the shogun only being half way through his attack.

General shogun absorbed the blow with his free forearm as he finished the momentum from his attack and went sliding into free space. "you are fast for a child."

"Child? I don't know, most people think 170 is pretty old." Hiuko said with a smile and he faced shogun in his counter-stance.

"170? you must be an lef or a magical race correct?" Shogun took a slide step foward and side slashed at huiko spinning with a follow up down ward jab at his lower body.

"Now who ever said I couldn't be human? Although only half I am at least part human." Hiuko said before quickly stepping to the other side of where shogun stepped so he'd be away from the blade. Then when it was low for the second attack he ran up to blade fast enough for only a dsecond to go by and the blade to not weigh down and sent a kick at the shoguns face at point black range.

With the experiance that comes from seasoned battle Shogun softened the blow by arching straight back and using the momentum of the kick to propel him inot a back flip bringing his blade back with a flick of the wrist to sever huikos outstreched leg.

Hiuko too was a seasoned fight, and he quickly twisted a lifted up his other leg this made the leg the shogun was attacking only get a small knick that only beaded with blood but didn't bleed out. Since Hiuko raised his other leg and twisted so much he let it all out on the Shogun with a kick of blinding speed right at his chest or stomach, whichever he could get to first.

Shogun twisted his body in midair to where the kick caught his shoulder spinning him around in a cyclone. He drug his blade through the air following the momentum getting in about four twisting slashes before he tumbled to the ground and rolled to a knee ready to defend. He flexed his arm and a resounding pop emitted. "Old joints arnt what the used to be, good kick my boy."

"Hey, anybody as fast as you is a good fighter in my book." Hiuko said smiling. Then four slashes appeared on his sleeve and all of them leaving small cuts. Hiuko looked at his shoulder keeping the hair covering his eyes still. "Haven't felt this in a long time. This is going to be fun." Then Bangs thought to Hiuko "Hiuko be careful, he's actually getting fast with each attack, I can't even keep up now. It's only thanks to your senses that you can fight him now." Hiuko nodded his head a bit while he got into his counter-stance and waved his hand to motion Shogun to attack. (Like they did in the Matrix)

Shogun dashed foward the tip of his blade dragging the ground as he brught the sword straight up with lighting speed trying to gash acroos huikos chest. He then pushed his weight forward in mid attack to thrust his palm foward hoping to knock huiko backward after the slash.

Hiuko stepped back from the attack and then when Shogun attacked with his palm Hiuko elbowed it to the side with his right elbow and tried to do an open palm strike to Shoguns side with his left palm.

Sjoguns reflexs were eye splitting fast as he launched his knee into the air to deflect the kick to the side.

Hiuko put his right arm up to block the kick and tried another attack with his left arm, aimed at the Shogun's face. This time faster.

Shogun now had time betwwen the attack relapses to bring his sword back around and meet Huikos fist head on.

Hiuko pushed away Shogun's foot and fit the inside of his left elbow to make it buckle and the sword only gave him a cut in his index finger. Then Hiuko shot out his left hand again from its buckled position right as the sword passed.

"Damn kid....Freezga!!" Shogun grinted and inhaled as an odd wave lapse emmited from him. Everything around him slowed to a near stop. Huiko hung in mid attack as shugon back stepped far enough away to where it wouldnt connect. Shogun exhaeled and things speed back to normal.

"I see, not fast, just using cheap magic." Hiuko said. He came to this conclusion because Shogun spoke out loud his spell. "Well, you're not the only one that can slow down time." With that Hiuko closed his eyes and entered his inner mind. He skipped the first threee restrictions and broke the fourth one, the time relays. Now he's be able to move even if the Shogun stopped time. He'd just be at human speed. Other than that he will be able to move a fair bit faster now. "Bring it." He said with a wicked grin as he got into a new counter-stance different from any he had yet to try on anyone.

"who said anything about cheap magic? My sensei was father time himself..Beside thats just one card from my sleeve." Shogun shot foward with super human speed without any minipultaions. His sword flashed with a down side and up slash in sequentual motion.

Hiuko's slowed relays and his normal fast speed worked in sync and he easily manuevered to the Shoguns side quicker than his super human speed and sent a kick with his right leg at the Shogun's back.

Shogun was sent sprwaling across the ground from the blow. He braced himself apon one knee. "That smarts, how bout a redo?" He spun a small hourglass emblem on the hilt of his katana and everything flashed back before the kick. Shogun spun and deflected the blow with his sheath.

Hiuko however always makes backup moves and then he starts to make stuff up after a while, his attacks can be relentless. He shifts his foot when the sheath his coming so when it blocks the attack he pushes down but jumps too so he gets a boost in the air a bit and aims a fast kick to the Shoguns upper back.

Shogun takes the kick propelling him into a handspring as he brought the blade along in a follow up slash to catch the rotating huiko off guard.

Hiuko tuckes his leg towards him quickly so it would make his body rotatae upward and above the slash. Hiuko landed with a smile. "Trust me, that felt as wierd a it looked."

"Then it must have felt like micheal jackson weird." Shogun Chuckled before dashing foward sweeping low with the first slice with his sheath the followed up with a slash from the katana. He weighted down his right foot for a quick pivot in the case of a counter

Hiuko stood firm in his counter-stance then when the Shogun was just close enough he, in one fluid motion, jumped above the incoming blades and rotated his body for a strong and fast kick. The jump was high enough to kick the Shogun in the lower back but low enough to land quickly to jump away from an attack.

Shogun pivoted on his readyy foot bening to the right, low. The kick nawrowwly grazed his side.

Hiuko landed before Shogun so he, instead of falling back like usual he jumped towards Shogun to knee him in the chest, or kick him wherever he could. He was also ready to his he feet defensively too.

Shogun planted his back foot and used his free hand to parry the knee with his palm then thrust slashed high with his sword in an attempt to decapitate huiko.

The parry of Hiuko's knee made Hiuko spin around completely and realizing that he was going to fall he put his head down and his hands over it and in the process of putting his head down the sword misses and Hiuko keeps falling towards Shogun and wether he knocks Shogun down or not he was going to roll backwards he instant he could.

Shogun saw the attack at the last second and sank the blade into the ground over huiko and did a sumersault up and over the blade, landing on the other side of the fighter.

Hiuko tumbles away barely missing the blade and sumersaulted backwards and straigh to his feet in his counter-stance.

"Somthings off about you...your face never follows my attacks...." Shogun dashed foward and dule weilded his sheath and katana. He bashed down with his shearth and cross slashed with the blade.

"Ya interesting huh?" Hiuko says with his hair still covering his eyes. Suprised he hasn't caught on yet He thinks to himself as he, at the same time, arched his body so the blade missed and stopped the seathe with both hands and held on tight. The grapple will keep him closer to the Shogun where his unarmed moves will work better than his sword.

Shogun slammed his sheath into the ground hoping to take huiko with it. He brought his blade down on top of his victum.

Hiuko didn't let go in time and was thrown downward with his back facing Shogun but that didn't stop him. He did a hand stand and kicked the blade to make the Shogun miss and the other leg was close behind with a kick to the face.

Shogun gripped his hilt causing time slow to a trickle as he jerked back to avoid the kick as it sped back to normal. He hoped the force of the own kick would throw huiko off balance.

Hiuko was always ready for a dodging manauver from an opponent so he already planed out what he did next. He pushed against the ground and when he was horizontal his leg hit the ground and it made him flip over in the that direction and and he preformed a quick sweep kick and so fluidly connected with his landing that it was barely noticable.

Shogun jumped at the precise second while time was still groggy, but the kick nipp3d his heels casing him to tumble and cartwheel in mid air. Sjugon made the best of a bad situation and cross slashed with his sheath and katana adding froce and speed from the aeriel cartwheel.

Hiuko didn't stop spining with the leg sweep and when he was tuned around he summersaulted to get away from the attack but he got a cut in his back.

Shogun landed steadily on one foot as he planted the other in succesion. im to far away for a direct attck but... He spun his Katana to where the hour glass in the hilt rotated, time began to spped in a small sphere around him as he reach a eyesplitting speed to anyone not in the little bubble of influence. He dashed foward delt to dwn slashes a cross slash and a palm blow toward the chest all in the time it took for a nearby hummingbird to dart by.

Hiuko jumped back but recived shallow cuts from all the slashes and the palm strike pushed him back a bit. "Heh, looks like you found out how to get me. I might need to speed up too." He said as he monitered the Shoguns vibrations more closely.

Shoguns particles began to reverberate and slow back down to normal speed. He clutched his chest as he steadied himself. "Those things dont come wit out whiplash...."

"Really, mine doesn't have whiplash." Hiuko said as he ran towards Shogun ready to counter an attack. If he wasn't attacked he'd try a kick to the chest.

Shoguns ploy had worked, huiko had closed the distance. His ht began to low as time slowed to a crawl and huiko divvled to a snails pace. Shogun simply pointed his sword at huikos chest just an inch away, thinking that the time warp would make his actions so fast that huiko wouldnt even have seen his after image move and impale himslef in mid run. Time began to trickle back to pace.

Thank god for my senses He though before a wave of force burst from Hiuko indicating his open restriction on time relays and speed, so he just stopped moving even though time was coming back to normal, he wasn't even breathing. Then after a minute or so he knocked away the Shoguns blade and tried a punch at Shogun in one fluid motion thinking this sudden move would leave a wide opening.

"Neo are we?" Shogun managed before he was sent sprawling across the grass. He smiled as a undisterbed butterfly rested on his nose.

"Kinda." Hiuko says as he kept his counter-stance waiting to see if Shogun would get back up.

Shogun placed his finger on the butterfly as a familiar blue light began to envelope it. The insect shrivled then started to devolve as if it was reverting back to its prehistoric ancestor. What floated above them now was a five foot drooling fanged beast that vaguely resembled its first from. "Time pardox..." Shogun chuckled as he pointed the creature towrds huiko and it shot off mouth agape.

Bangs shot out of no where and was about to tackle the devolved butterfly but Hiuko stopped her by telling her through telepathy. When the butterfly was to close to change it's course quick enough Hiuko fell on his back and sprang up to deliver a kick to the butterfly's abdomin.

The insects soft under belly gave way adn huikos feet traveled into the cavity, instantly killing the creature. "That was only a demonstration of my techniques my freind. The aged shogun was on his feet now. He delicatly held the hilt of his katana as he rotated to where the sand in the hourglass embeded in it shifted. Slowly the Shoguns receding hair line began to creep foward and his age lines vanished, while his muscles began to expand. Now before huiko stood a man in his prime maybe 19. "Now i am at my peak like i was 15 years ago."

"Good because I'm still at my peak since I'm 170 and my peaks going to last a couple hundred year more." Hiuko said with a challenging smile. "The only difference is that I don't ned magic for that." Hiuko said now in his counter-stance again.


Elson, still nearby, watched all this in silence. How many times is this guy to get lucky? Thinking of that, he wondered how many near misses he could manage if it came down to it.

Shogun dashed foawrd stopped mear inches from hiuko and crouched like he was about t launch into the air insteda he released his sheath hoping the movement of the air would detract huiko into following the sheath thinking it was him the he released devastating swipes at huikos sbdomen while still crouched.

Wind patterns, being hard to read an all, were not Hiuko's best sensing but he jumped back because despite feeling the sheath going through the air there was just too much disruption in the normal wind pattern for it to be just the sheathe so he suspected it would be a sword and he jumped back so his body missed the attacks, although his clothes got a couple cuts.

While huiko was evading the blade Shogun shot off from his crouching postion with youthful reflexs his free hand pulled a small dagger from his sleeve as he tried to drive it through huikos chest while he was busy dodging.

Through the vibrations Hiuko felt the dagger come out and quickly tilted himself forward and when his leg hit the ground he used it push off and front flip over Shogun the dagger cut a small bit of his shirt.

Shogun squezzed the hilt of his hilt causing time to freeze while huiko was caught in mid air. He brought the blade up and arching over his head trying to sever huiko.

"Come on come on" Hiuko thought to himself urging himself to break a restriction faster. He broke two restrictions and was able to palm strike the sword off its trajectory and slice his small cut in his face instead. Hiuko fell to the ground and smiles as the cut under his eye bled a bit. "Well fancy that, I can break time magic." He said with a wink. He opened up his two restrictions which were speed and time perception. With time freezed like this and these two restrictions locked the fight would be on equal terms again.

"Let me unbalance the playing feild then..Ill make it to where no one will ever defy lord Ethrin again! By freezing time and reality all together!" Shogun grabbed the blade of his katana causing blood to flow from his hand. He brought the hilt on the ground shattering the hourglass. Within inches of it things like the butterfly turned gray and froze all together. "Corruption of this world will cease!"

"Oh crap, Bangs!" Hiuko said as he jumped to the far side of the room. Bangs jumped over and on top of his head and thier souls mixed quicker than ever before. Then the restrictions were broken very quickly and the waves of power slowed down the destruction a bit. Then Hiuko and Bangs did something they've only done one other time in the mixed form, although last time the restrictions were still in place. They released Bangs demon into this form. Hiuko's teeth grew into fangs. His nails were claws. His skin turned black and scaley. His eyes changed from grey to blood red. His silver hair stayed silver but it grew to halfway down his back the ends grew rigid like spikes. Then two demons wings burst from his back and nine scorpion tails burst from above his butt. His ears moved up his head and changed into what seemed like wolf ears. Bangs seemed to melt into his head with the only thing remaining was the alchemic mark on the top of his head. Both Bang's mark, now on Hiuko's head, and Hiuko's, which is on his right hand, were now glowling bright red (Not a significant way to hurt him but it's still really cool). He let out a low and evil chuckle as the destruction came closer. He walked right into it, took the sword and broke it in two with a smile on his face. "With the restrictions of time broken, the time has no effect and with that half elf and the cat inside me they are safe from things that destroy this reality. Sadly though it destroyed things from this reality, not ones that spend most of their time in another reality." He said to himself as he observed the sphere of destroyed things the were destroyed because of the Shogun's last stitch effort. He couldn't see Shogun anywhere and guessed he simply destroyed himself with that move. He glanced over at Steelheart and Elson. After a minute Hiuko regained control although the demonic appearance didn't change. "I think I won." He said with a smile. "It may take a couple minutes to change back to normal though." He added looking at his hands. The alchemic marks were starting to glow less now that the demon was fading.

An acient figure appeared from the receding gray spot. His beard and cane set a comic look about him. "Whats all this? So must disturbance and time reality warps..shesh can catch a wink."

"Who might you be?" Hiuko said hoping his demonic appearance wasn't to much of a put off for polite conversation.

"Why father time of course. It seems my prodigee got to much of himself and it was his end." The old man looked at huiko. "You know your in violation of dimension crossing regulations right young man?"

"Actually I'm not." Hiuko said. "If I remember correctly it is section 14 which states that an abnormality of dimensional flow, which would be me changing into a demon instead of Bangs, is legal if the person of persons involed with such act are doing so in an act of defense. If I didn't change into this form in order to stop Shogun the whole world would may have been destroyed. Since I, being Hiuko, am part of this world I changed to defend myself, me breaking that fancy sword was jsut to relieve stress but it stopping the desctruction of reality is just a nice side effect." Hiuko explained. Then he smiled and said, "Ya, I'm not just a blind fighter, I know my laws."

The old man raised a shaggy eyebrow, then like a whip had a hold of huikos ear. "Now lsten here, no whiper snapers gonna go spoutin universal codes at me....besides the loop hole hole doesnt apply, you excepted a challenge, not in defense. Besides..ill over look it you saved me from having to fix jeremy's mess." The old man let go then oppened up another rift into which he was prepairing to step through. "By the way..Steelheart, the gods are growing tiresome of Ethrins whining to join their ranks..see to it that your lot takes him out will you?"

Steelheart was still a little dazed from watching the post apocolyptic battle. "um....sure ok.."

Hiuko's transformation back to himself was starting and now his wings and tail were gone when he said, "So, where to next?" Hiuko still had energy enough to travel even after the fight.

"Dude...you just fractured the space time contineum......did u even break a sweat?" Steelheart stared a huiko in dissbeliefe.

"Not sure, but I may be sweaty from just being inside these scales. It's like an oven in here." Hiuko said as he watched the scales slowly recede and reveal his skin. The all went away starting from his left hand and ending at his right hand at the alchemic mark. His hair was starting to shorten to its regular length too. Although his eyes were still red and Bangs was still gone.

"you know beastality counts as any awkward actions with an animal right bangsuiko?" Twitch poked the hybrid fighter.




"It was of her own will thus it's not illegal, it's only illegal if the anime in question doesn't want what happened to it. Besides she'll be out in a moment." Hiuko explained.

Twitch went off to pout because no one found any humor in his joke.

Steelheart sttod up. "Well im lost..any ideas elson?"

Elson stood scratching his head, still trying to figure out the space time continuum stuff. "Pff.... got me."

"I suggest investigating around to find out where the next compound may be or just travel around until we find another." Hiuko sugested as Bangs started slowly emerging from his head

"I'm down for whatever." After a moment he corrected himself, "Except for apocolyptic battles right in front of me..."

"Well i vote we spend the night here in this domed little garden to rest." Steelheart stretched back and leaned against a tree.

"I'm game, I still have to get Bangs out of my head anyway." Hiuko said as he lie down on a patch of moss. Bang's head and tail were poking out of Hiuko's head now.

Steelheart flinched. "Dude..thats just creepy."

"Says the guy that makes metal come out of his body." Hiuko retorted. Bangs sort of wriggled free and tumbled backwards out of Hiuko's head. Hiuko put his head back enough to see Bangs, although upside down, and said, "You okay." She telepathically shouted, "I came out of your head what do you think. Hey what's with your eyes. Doesn't the red go away before I come out? He looked around the room and said, "Ya, but the longer I have sight the better right." He put back the restrictions he opened earlier and now he was completely back to normal except his eyes.

"What you can see now?" Twitch quickly bent over and dropped his pants. "See that! haha! Full moon"

Steelheart floored twitch with one blow. "He just saved you from getting creamed. Your firecrackers couldnt have stop time boy."

Elson watched all this silently, then turned and found rock near a small pond and stretched out upon it. He found it quite comfortable, more so than he had thought.

"As a matter of fact I do see a full moon." Hiuko said pointing at the full moon that they could see because of the hole in the roof.
<next day>

Hiuko woke up while the sky was still pink. He looked around and noticed he could still see. He went over to the small pond quietly and saw the reflection of himself with red eyes. Since no one was awake yet he started to meditate to see if he could find out if there was some sort of problem. Bangs however was snoring so loud that it was scaring any bugs away that might suck peoples blood while they slept.

Steelheart was up a bit later spearing fish from the pond. He spent a good few minutes before he cleaned the and had them roasting on a spit over the fire. "Breakers huiko?"

"Breaker? The fish or the weapon?" Hiuko asked still in his meditation position with his eyes closed.

"Come on havnt you heard a fake british accent before? Breakfast my freind." Steelheart chuckled.

The smell had wafted toward twitch. Subconciously he slept walked all the way to the fire and started to sleep nibble on an empty fork.

"As much as I would love food I think I should eat last. You do remember that weird stomach ability I have right?" Hiuko asked. He pretty much gave up on meditating, obviously nothing was wrong with his mind or spirit.

Steelheart shrugged, "Oh well, elson? Im a good cook so im told. Its seasoned with old bay and parsley leaves....dont ask carry a spice set in my pack."

Elson rolled over on the rock he had fell asleep on, which had stayed warm through the night with the combination of the sun on it all day and his own body heat. "I haven't ate in two days, so I'm game." He stood up and approached the fire. "Smells good."

Steelheart laid out five sets of bamboo leaves and served a fish each. "I got one for you to bangs."

Elson sat down, legs stretched out in front of him and grabbed a fish. After taking his first bite and swallowing, he gave a thumbs up to Steelheart, "It's good."

Bangs got up and walked away for a little bit leaving her fish for someone else. "Oh ya. Me and Bangs usually get our own food. Sorry but she's crazy about mice and I've got enough food in me to last weeks." Hiuko said with a shrug.

"Thanks elson, alreight then huiko if you insist." Steelheart turned back to huiko and bang's fish only to see twitch inhale them.

Elson quietly ate his food while he watched Twitch pig out on the remaining fish. The boy was somewhat rude, how did he know that no one else might want one?

Steelheart brought a bat down over twitch's head. "You pig."

"But...they didnt want it....." He managed while holding the new lump on his head.

Elson held up a finger and moved it back and forth in a tsk tsk gesture, "You also didn't ask."

"Alright guys, pack up and be ready to move out in fifteen minutes." Steelheart seemed to take charge.

Elson shrugged and sat there. He had all his possessions. His clothes and his chains. He was ready to go already.

Twitch started packing away the explosive materials he had been working with ealier. "Jeez who died and made you Ethrin?"

Steelheart froze in mid action.

Hiuko punched Twitches head making a small crater in the ground. "Don't worry I got that one." Hiuko said walking towards his stuff. He looked over at Steelheart although his vision was starting to go again he saw that Steelheart was frozen in place. He closed his eyes for a minute and then Bangs jumped out of no where and landed on Steelheart's head then she screamed at Steelheart telepathically. She didn't say anything it was just a general scream to snap him out of it.

Steelheart's face was that of shear hatred. "Thank you huiko." He calmly walked up to twitch and lifted him off the ground by his collar. "You dont know what its like, you were lucky enough to be away when HE came! I lost everything! My house, my family, my freinds, i never even found their bodies! The only thing i have left from my family is this sword i carry on my back. That man took it all from me! He is the ultmate uncaring evil! Dont ever compair me to him again or you will be the next freind i lose..by my own hands." Tears were pouring down his face as he let twitch down and strode away head bowed.

"Im..sorry...i didnt think.....im sorry man." Twitch was truely heartbroken.

Bangs jumped off Steelheart's head and walked by his feet and Hiuko got his stuff together. "So do we stay here and look for clues or do we travel again and gain intel in towns and such? Personally I'm quite good at either although I do prefer both so we may learn as much as we can." Hiuko asked acting as though nothing had happened. Better to just not worry about these things in his opinion. Besides Bangs was with him if he wanted comfort.

Elson walked past Twitch, speaking at him as he passed, but not looking at him, "Think you before you speak, man." He walked up to Steelheart and gave him a pat on the shoulder, but remained silent.

"Yeah..sounds good..." Steelheart absently packed his bag and made for the door.

Elson stood around for a moment before also making towards the door. He felt slightly outclassed in this group, but it wasn't a big deal, he'd just have to work harder.

Steelheart kicked the door open and made his way out. The crisp summer breeze rustled his hair and the sound of the nearby forest sang its melody. He ment and picked up a stick then flipped it into the air. It thudded onto the ground with the skinny end pointing towrads the opposite path they had originally come. "Well thats one way."

Hiuko walked out holding a map and Bangs was on his head looking at it. "It's a long road that way and the next stop is a city by the ocean... run by Ethrin. There are citizens oyal to Ethrin and soldiers in the town and apparently there's a short road that goes from the city to a fortress that was built over the ocean where a high ranking Ethrin officer resides. Sounds like fun to me!" Bangs telepathically says to everyone. Then Hiuko says, "Aren't current maps and large spy networks great."

Steelheart statred down the road when a rumbling sound filled the forest. It was familiar yet he could put his mind on it. Suddenly a helicopter emerged on the horizon. Its low alttude and shear speed sent of disruptive sound waves on its own. The great machine shot by like a rocket. "Well that was weird..." Paper began to rain from the skys interupting his sentance. Steelheart plucked one from his hair. "Its a flyer...


Come one come all!
to the amazing and only GAME HALL!!
Play the games, win prizes!
Dont miss out!
And for the brave challenge the great Game Masters!
If you beat them you will recieve the honor of meeting lord Ethrin himself in a Knighting Ceramony!
Dont miss out on the time of your life!
Convenantly located a few miles before Ethrinopolis!
Hiuko snatched one and held it up for Bangs to read to him and said, "We have to win this. If we win we can try to assassinate Ethrin when we meet him, I mean any guards he has will be nothing for us but Ethrin will be hard for all of us at once unless we get him suddenly, and with very strong poisons which Bangs can get for us." Hiuko wondered what the others would think about this.

"I want him to sufer as much as possible.." Steelheart took off sprinting down the road at full force.

"I've heard of sally forth and gung-go," Elson spoke to Hiuko, "But couldn't he wait for everyone else?"

"Not sure about you but I'm walking." Hiuko said before giving one last morning yawn and then he started walking down the road. Bangs looked at Elson shrugged and grew her demon wings in her kitten form and flew away the other way to go get the poison. "You comin' Elson?" Hiuko asked a bit up the road already.

(15 miles latter)

"hufff...to tired.." Steelheart is laying collapsed on the road side. I hope those guys show up soon.... Buzzards start circling overhead.

"Hey there he is. Let me guess you took the long way right. We took a shortcut. There was a dirt path through the forest right there instead of going all the way around it. We thought we'd wait for you here." Hiuko said sitting on a nearby boulder. "What, you tired?"

"I...hate you so much right...now..." Steelheart reachs into his pouch and retreives a vile of greenish liquid and downs it. He was instantly up and going. "Hey is tat the GAME ROOM?" He asked pointing at a building down the road.

Elson stood up from where he had been leaning against the backside of the rock, "We've been wondering ourselves. I've seen people coming and going the whole time we've been here though."

Twitch walked up to the group, "You guys go check this place out im going to head past and up to the city to see if i can get some intel." I just need to get away abit so Steel can calm down really. He set off down the road.

Steelheart pumped his fist. "Come on lets go check out these 'Gamemasters'."

"and what games their playing." Hiuko said as he started to walk again.

"Sounds fun." Elson walked off, heading towards the building steelheart had pointed at.

"Ya. I hope they have Go there." Hiuko said walking off to the Game Hall.

Steelheart looked back over his ashoulder at huiko. "Now thats old scxhool, i wanna beast on galaga!"

"Well what can I say? Shougi and Go catch my interest. Besides board games are easier for me to play after all." He finished by showing his blind eyes. "Sure if it's a card game I can use Bang's eyes but a game that requires hand eye cordination. Well my hands and her eyes does make it a bit odd to do.

"Well, whatever they have," Elson chimed in, "I'm going to have fun before we get to serious work. I haven't gamed in ages it seems."

The doors chimed and slide open. A silver blonde haired girl in a Neko costume pranced up to greet the newcomers, her mini skirt was exsentuated with a calico tail and ears with a maid uniform, her blue eyes and hair completed the georgeous outfit. "Hello! Welcome to the GAME ROOM! New people get a 100 token greeting gift and...........oh my GOD!! Huiko-kun! Coco-kun!" The girl glomped the first two who walked through the door, huiko and Steelheart.

"Wha!?!?!?!!?!? Gale??? what, how, when, where...?" Steelheart was dumbstruck..and also pinned to the ground with huiko under her. "Huiko you know her to?"

Elson watched the scene for a moment before turning away and searching for a game he might enjoy.

"Kinda." He said on the ground. He struggled to get up and detached Gale from him and Steelheart. "Hey Gale!" He said with a smile.

Gale hugged/ripped the bag from huiko's back and feverishly searched through it. "Wheres bangs?" She asked as she came to a loss in her search. Then she noticed the new guy from the corner of her eye. "Whos this guy?" She asked while examining Elson from head to toe.

Steelheart was always befuddled by Gales flip-flop thinking. "Wha.............."

"Bangs is out doing something for us that only she could do and this is Elson. Elson this is Gale." Hiuko said introducing them.

"Yes, yes its all nice and cordtial, but what the hell are you doing working HERE gale?" Steelheart had regained his senses and said the first thing to mind.

"Oh..well after i finished training with oppa i went looking for a job and found this." She smiled and spun to show off the costume. "Pluss i get paid to wear this cute cosplay outfit, isnt it adorable." Gale pretended to pur and pet her tail.

Elson was stuck in the middle of a wave when the girl went spinning, he put his hand down and watched her antics silently.

"So Gale, since you work here you should know more about this place than us so could you tell us what they've got here prehaps." He said when she was done spinning.

Gale put a finger to her chin in thought. "Well its just a big game room and money trap to raise revenue for the government, im actually paying off a skeeball debt right now..." She sighed as a sweatdrop appeared,"The only other thing is the game masters challenge, people challange these two gamers and the winners gets a prize or sumthin, but the losers...well i havnt seen a loser emerg from the challange room after they entered so i dont really now much about them. Eventually people stopped challenging them becuase no one ever won"

Elson stored the girls words. They would be eager for a fight, and therefor, maybe have a weakness. He remained quiet however and showed no hint of his thoughts.

"Do you know what the game people play in the master's game challenge?" Hiuko asked wondering if he might know what it is.

Gale pointed to a huge screen in the middle of the room. "All the matchs are displayed on the screen, most times it will be riddles, word games, logical puzzles and such and every now and agin they will throw in a shooter or rpg or something."

"Interesting." Hiuko said as he felt something coming quick from behind them. It jumped in Hiuko's knapsack and the jumped up to greet Gale. It was Bangs and apparently exited to see Gale!

"Bangs-sama!" She held the kitty up and pranced around while scratching her ears and cuddling the ball of cute destructive fur. Gale glanced at Steel and huiko, "Yes shes -sama cause she can school you two like a teacher on kindergarteners."

"I'll have you know me and her are even on our sparring now." Hiuko said proudly. Bangs wiggled out of Gales arms and jumped to Hiuko's head and instead of landing she used her back legs to bounce hard off of Hiuko's head, so hard in fact that he smashed head first into the floor. After she bounced off Hiuko's head she bounced off the wall and landed on Gale's head. "You just got one uped!" She said telepathically for everyone in the group to hear. Hiuko just kinda twitched on the ground in a daze for a few moments.

Gale just giggled and patted Bangs paw in a five. "Good one." She failed to notice the blood from huikos teeth and shattered pride on the floor. "So are you guys going to play or challenge the game masters? Wait...Coco-kun are you here to get to Ethrin again? If so ill help! I asked for a raise the other day and they denied it." She pouted.

Elson was a bit surprised at her reason to fight, but every person helped he supposed.

"Your transparent Gale...." Steelheart waved her off and started to the door she had indicated ready for the challenge.

"We'll make sure we come out of those doors winners okay Gale." Hiuko said with a wink as Bangs jumped on his head, in case he needed eyes, and he walked over to the challenge room.

The party entered a dark room without windows or any source of light. A forboading feeling hung in the air. A mechanical voice Broke the silence. "Challengers please state your names for an accurate representation to the crowd."

Steelheart stepped foward. "Steelheart Nakini"

Hiuko stepped up next to Steelheart and said, "Hiuko Silverbane." Bangs meanwhile lied on his head and acted like she was just a silly hat. Hiuko winked at the crowd and some of women gave a cheer.

Gale had somehow ditched the neko costume and appeared before the crowd in a low cut white shirt with two silver wings printed on the back. Around her neck hung a silcer heart pendant with a symblo of flowing wind engraved onto it. She doned a pair of shorts with two holster on the belt loop that held her destructive tonfas. She stepped up to the center, "Gale Keikaze!" Every guy in the cowd went nuts cheering and cat calling. "Whos more popular huiko-kun?"

Elson stepped forward, his chains hanging from jeans, hair hanging straight down, face calm and expressionless. "Elson Rodston."

"Welcome challengers! We are the Game masters!" A light Shown apon a raised platform with two figures standing side by side. When the glare died away it revield two kids, a boy and a girl, with bown hair and green eyes. they appeared to be no older then 13 and looked surprissingly similiar, axcept the girl had long brown hair and a softer expression thean the boy. They even wore black and white cloaks with matching patterns, but inverted colors between the two. The girl stepped foward, "Greetings i am Fei," The boy spoke up now., "And i am Rei. We are the Gamne Master Twins. (Rei)The rules are (fei)Simple. We spin a wheel to decide the challenges and you compete against us." The lights reveiled a large Wheel with various games on it.

"Screw the rules im just going to beat you down then you take me to ethrin." Steelheart dashed foward with his Broadsword drawn. He brought the sword down over the two.

"(Rei) Not in our world." Fei threw her hand up in defiance. A gaint magnet materialized out of no where instantly pulling Steelheart back and sucking him to it. The strong currents completely imoblized him. "(Fei) We control this reality and we will not allow violence unless it is part of the game. (Rei) Steelheart Nakini, age 17, (fei)specializes in close combat and weaponry, he uses a clan power of metal minipulation, has an addiction to shrimp, (rei)and couldntsleep without a nightlight until age 14; we know everything (fei)about everyone." The duo turned back to the group. "Anyone else?"

An impressive show of power, still, it leaves me wondering exactly what they did with the losers... Elson stood as he had before, eyes glued to the twins. They would be trouble he suspected.

Rei turned back to the group, "Any touble and we will contain you, we have one for everyone!" Fei smiled and nodded in agreement.

"How exactly would you... contain the rest of us?" Elson pointed to Steelheart, "We're not exactly all like him..."

"They could find a way to cancel out your powers and they could put me in sand or water to neutralize my senses. Bangs can be contained with a ritual seal to stop her demon and they could probably make any wind Gale uses redirect. They've got us pinned and as long as we are here we have to play by their rules." Hiuko whispered to Elson, although the twins probably heard anyway. "Well, I'll play any game you've got as long as I can play with Bangs. As you should already know I need her to see."

"(Rei)You were close huiko, the plan for you was a little more ingenouse, and we (fei)were just going to put elson in a bottle so he would burn up his own oxygen." She giggled and the magnet dissapeared and Steel fell to the floor. "So who will (rei)play first?"

Gale rushed to Steels side. "Coco-kun are you ok?" She shook him vigerously until he stirred to his senses, "Elson, huiko-kun one of you go ill go after i mke sure Coco is ok."

Elson looked at Hiuko, "Doesn't matter to me. Flip a coin?"

"(Rei) We will take Elson first simply because the first round is trivia and (fei)puzzles. We ask elson one then huiko, (rei)Gale then Steel." Rei laughed as the wheel stopprd on trivia. It had began spinning on its own without anyone noticing. Fei stepped foward. "Question one, i have three apples you have four oranges, i take two oranges and give you one apple, how much fruit did you take?" She smiled in a mischeviuos way.

Elson thought carefully. Technically there were two answers, the problem was he didn't know which would work. Technically he didn't "take" any fruit, Fei did. However, if she counted the one she gave as him taking, the answer would be one. Deciding that the first was the more reasonable answer he spoke, "I didn't "take" any, you did."

Fei smiled and tagged her brothers hand. "Thats right, good job, Rei Huiko's yours." Rei examined his victum. "The files say your the smart one so lets try a harder one. In japan what turns water instantly to ice?"

"Many things can turn water into ice. Cooling, super cooling. Although instantly into ice we should be talking liquid nitrogen which is techinacally all over the world." Hiuko said. "Hiuko isn't there anything else you can think of?" Bangs thought to him, "No, my knowledge of Japan is minimal to say the least.

Rei chuckled a little, "Pick you final answer but i will tell you this, your guesses are colder than ice. My other hint is that it refers specifically to Japanese." He wagged his finger from across the stage.

"You really gave me a hard one." Hiuko gave a lot of thought into it and finally said, "A mark." Bangs hit him on his head. What the heck kinda of answer is that. "No no I'm right. In japan when writting water you make four marks but when writting ice it is the same symbol but with one extra mark." Hiuko looked up with a smile, "I can show you if you'd like if you want me to show you that one mark turns water instantly to ice and it is specifically japanese."

Rei's face went completly blank. He hung his head in defeat. "Thats absolutly correct." Fei patted her brothers back. "Its ok brother. Now Gale your turn, two cats are sitting on a porch a small one and a big one, the small on is the big ones son but the big one is not the small ones dad how is this possible?"

Gale left Steel in a kneeling position as she aproached the other two contestants. She spun her finger through her hair in deep thought. "Oh! this ones easy, you shouldnt have asked a girl cause we think past the father trick. Its its mom!"

Fei spun on the spot and let her brother tage the light. "Good answer." Rei rapped Steel on the head you think you can answer?" He ntoed steels slight head nod. "Ok then, does light travel in waves or constants?"

Steelhearts brain actually fizzled. "Thats not fair! their only theories!" He stood up to face the quizmaster. "Technically it travels in both ways, but neither one can be proven....so both i guess."

"And a lucky guess that was." Fei approached huiko. "Your turn blind boy." Suddenly she got really close to huiko only cm apart. "I love your eyes, their so pale and hypnotic....but on to the game. A man builds his house with all for walls facing south, a bear walks by, what color is the bear?"

"I've got two questions. One, I thought Elson went before me and two, there isn't enough information to answer so what type of bear is it?" Hiuko said disregarding the eyes comment.

"Yes there is, and i specifically wanted to ask you this question because of your low experiance with colors." Fei giggled and eyed Elson. "Your next handsome."

Elson found it slightly disturbing for some reason, that she would call him handsome. However, he allowed nothing to show on his face.

"Bangs what color are polar bears?" Hiuko asks out loud. "They are white so that they can blend in with the enviornment." She responds telepathically. "Why? "That's the answer, it's white." Hiuko said quite plainly.

Fei sighed then walked over to Elson. "Thats right. Rei ill take this one." She strode right up to Elson flicked his nose in a playful way. "Okey doke fire boy. An open bed truck full of mangoes, watermelons, and potatoes goes around a sharp curve, what does it lose?"

"erm, it's load?" Elson had no idea of the logic behind this riddle, so he simply couldn't think it out, so instead he fell back on sarcasm.

Fei giggled. "Cute and dumb...But..penelty game!" She smiled and clapped her hands together in a excited way. Rei snapped his fingers and at first it seemed as if nothing had happened, then slowely Elsons feet began to turn to stone, it slowley crept up his legs turning him into s statue, it stopped at his waist. "(rei)If you lose three times you will become completely stone and become part of our life size chess board to be played with for all eternity!" Fei laughed as a light lit up behind her to reveal numerous statues on a huge board, each peice a previous contestant. "The answer was it loses speed!" Rei turned to Gale. "New game." He snapped his fingers and suddenly they were all sitting at a poker table as rei slowely delt them one card each. "My rules are simple you get one card and bet your life on weather the next card i give you will be higher than that one."

"Sure, I'm willing to do that." Hiuko said waiting for his card. Bangs was on his head ready to tell him what card he gets.

This is uncomfortable, not to mention bad. Elson calmly waited for his card to be dealt.

Rei casuually delt huiko a face up 6, elson a Jack, Steelheart a 4, and Gale a 10. "So whos in? If you dont go in you will never beat the game and continure to play forever until you except the hand. You win three hands and we will continue to the next round, lose and well...checkmate." Rei smiled at his little joke.

Elson looked at his card, finding a jack. "I'm in."

Steelheart reached over and rapped his knuckle on Elsons stone knee. "Well at least they cant accuse you of not having balls of rock." He chuckled then turned to Rei "im in."

Gale cracked Steel in the back of the head for his vulger and rude comment. "I fold." She proclaimed after glancing at the 10.

Rei wageled his finger. "Tut-tut, theres is a small penelty for refusing to play." Slowly Gales toes began to turn to stone. "You know what i just noticed, you guys match a classic rp. Steelheart is the tank warrior, elson the black mage with his fir, Gale the white mage, and hiuko the meele specialist, it all fits." He exclaimed.

Suddenly Elson laughed, "No, no not at all. I am defenitly not a black mage. That fire extends no further than my chains. I am defenitly another tank." Suddenly a thought struck him, "Wait, how the hell did you even know any of that?"

"They know everything about us." Hiuko replied to answer Elsons question. "Or do they?" Hiuko said wondering. He shook his head to get rid of the idea and said, "Although I like my toes flesh I fold." Then he quietly put the card face down on the table.

Rei smileed as he concentrated on turnong hiuko's feet to stone. "We do know everything, as soon as you enter our domain." Rei turned to elson. "Be glad you can summon fire, metal head is practically useless with out his sword or a paper clip laying nearby. Well thats everyone." Rei turned over and delt elson another jack and steelheart a 7. "Well arnt you both lucky?"

Fei took her brothers seat and delt everyone new cards. A 8 to gale, 3 to hiuko, 9 to Elson and a king to Steelheart. "My turn!" She even delt herself a card, a 4. "Its no fun if you dont take risks yourself."

Gale sighed and placed her head on the table. "I dont like not feeling my toes so....im in."

Steelheart jumped up estically. "Hit me!"

"I'm in." Hiuko said calmly assuming he had a 48:51 or 44:51 probablity ratio of getting a higher card.

Elson looked at his card, and frowned. The odds weren't the greatest, and he was already turned to stone up to his waist. Really they hadn't left him much of a choice. "In."

Fei flipped the cards and delt out the new ones like a pro. She shot a two to hiuko, four to elson, a jack to Steelheart, a five to gale, and a seven to herself. "Yay im save, to bad for Steel, gale and huiko though!" She laughed in an unconditional way then snaaped her fingers. Huiko and steel hardened up to their waist, but gale turned to stone all the up to her belly button.

Elson's finger twitched slightly when he saw his card, a four. He had made it through then. He pushed the card back at the twins, "How long is this statue business going to stick around?"

Hiuko was disturbed that he couldn't feel any vibrations from his feet so he kept his hand on the table so he could pick up vibrations if he needed to. He thought to Bangs, "Well, of all the times we've worked together I've never thought I'd need to use your senses as well." Bangs looked down at his face and thought back, "Heh, I knew that would happen but I thought you'd be old a decrepid not a statue." Hiuko sighed at looked at Fei, "Are aces high or low and what where do jokers fall into play here?" He said making sure he didn't lay down his life on a guess. He needed to know to play smart.

"You are pretty snappy but, unfortunatly each game only last two rounds. That way no one gets used to it and start counting cards or the sort." Fei snapped her fingers and the sxcenery began to dematerialize around her. The black void of a backdrop gave way to what appeared to be a game show back ground. "They went both ways hiuko. Now we play wheel of fortune! But to make it simple each person can only geuss three letters then they will take turns at guessing the word. Get a wrong letter or geuss and its a statue for you, but now since we are reaching the internal organs each penelty will stop some functions causing tremeduois pain." Fei smiled through all of this.

Steelheart tried to jump but nearly toppled over from his state of being stone. "This is nuts! Its barely fair!"

"We don't have much of a choice though," Hiuko said calmly, "we accepted the challenge and we all know that at least one of us must win." Hiuko thought about it and said, "We should think of a strategy based on common letters. Also we can't rule out other languages." He told the others. "We should be careful of what we decide or else we won't last much longer."

"You guys will have to handle other languages if it comes up, i only know english." Elson thought about the other statement hiuko had made. There were four of them, and twenty six letters in the english language. They would be able to guess only about half of the letters total, which almost made this game fifty-fifty. Problem was, the statue thing was still in play.

"So are you going to give us how many letters in the word or words in the sentence. Maybe even a hint on what the word is?" Hiuko asked Fei calmly and politely

"Its funner to see you squirm. Its simple these are the blanks --- ---- --- ----." She responded without a change in tone.

Hiuko thought a bit and said, "Okay three letter words are easy compared to the four letter so I think we should focus on them first, maybe we'll get a hint on the whole thing from letters that they have in common. Any one got anything better before we start?"

Gale Sprang foward without hesitation. "A! all ways start with vowels because the are half of most words and their are only six of them!"

Elson watched the girl. She was hasty, but maybe they'd luck out and she's strike a good one. He had a feeling however, that they would avoid words with an a considering it was usually everyone's first choice.

Fei smiled and waved her hand as the shimmering lines appeared in mid air. "Good guess." The blanks fuzzed over the cleared up to reveal --- ---- a-- ----.

"Alright. Most times when I play this though there usually isn't an A." Hiuko said looking at the lines with careful consideration. "Anyone else got any ideas on letters.

Steelheart decided to put his butt on the line. "Lets go for a E then."

The shimmer flickered then reveiled --- ---- a-- ---e

Elson took a guess, hoping it wasn't wrong. "S."




--- ---- a-- --se

"More vowels! O!" Gale chirped again. She seemed to be thoroughly enjoying this life or death game.

-o- ---- a-- --se

Steelheart thought for a second.Were running out of vowels...and there cant be that many...Y is a vowel sometimes. But its not common. Oh well im always rooting for the underdog. "Um....d?"

Fei's response was simple and elogant. She snapped her fingers and steelhearts chest hardened to stone. He cried out in pain as part of his lungs and heart froze in place.

Elson was already tiring of the game, and so he just picked a fairly common consanant. "C."

Fei strolled right up to Elson. "I never like to see my challengers get bored so ill make this more interesting for you only." His skin turned creepiely to stone. "If you stupidly geuss another wrong letter Elson ill spin the random wheel and the out come will happen to you deal? So take a bounus guess."

Elson looked the girl in her eyes, unblinking. At this moment in time he'd love to simply reach out and tear her head off, but he restrained himself. "N."

Fei pranced up to a gaint spin wheel. "Penelty spin!" She gave it a spin. It whired around and around gradually slowing. "Taka taka taka taka...." It snopped and a blue panel. She gingerly removed it and read the back. "Oh this is a fun one!" She snapped her fingers as a green glimmer sorounded Elson. It brightene until no one could see. When it finally died away elson had suddenly appeared to a 10 year old.

Damn... "Now that's not exactly fair, I didn't guess stupidly, there was logic behind that." He pointed to the shimmering letter a and the two blanks behind it. "I thought that word was maybe and." What the hell... I'm whining??? Oh well, act your age. This thought made him smile, even though he tried to stop it.

"You know your cute when your my age. I might just keep you as a atatue in my room." She laughed, but in all to scary seriousness.

"D!" Hiuko said above the girls beradment with a serious face just looking at the puzzle thus far.

Fei giggled and waggled her finger. "Nope wrong again" She waved her hand through the air. Huiko turned to stone up to his chest partially stopping his chest inflicting immense pain.

Hiuko closed one eye and grunted from the pain but he quickly regained his compuse so that he could concentrate again.

"I guess its my turn." Gale sighed. She really didnt have a clue. The letters didnt seem to make any sense at all. It was all just a mixed up confussed message. "Um...l?

-o- --ll a-- l-se

"Ahh...you no fun if you get them right." Fei pouted

Steelheart looked up from the floor and winced because of his frozen chest muscles limited. "There aint many common letters left. How about a n? That first word could be not...

Fei giggled as she regained her composure from Gale's success. "Nope sorry metal head." She snapped her fingers as steelheart solidified up to his neck. "Most of your organs are stone now and there is enough blood in your head to keeep you conscious for about four minutes so you better hope someone figures it out."

Steelheart cried out in immense pain.

Hiuko stepped in and said "Y!" He started to see the sentence and he was starting to suspect that Fei wasn't putting all of the letters up. He could see "you will all lose" but for right now with certain things not fitting all he could really do now was guess. "Oh and we have to stop repeating letters guys."

Now now hiuko-kun, no unfair abilities Fei's voice appeared in his head. I wouldnt try it if i were you look at Steel over there.

"Screw it im bringin in Arkania and finishing this crap right now!" Steelheart grabbed the nearest pipe and tried to form it into a seal to release his huge buddy. But in response it exploded sending him flying into a building side.

"I heard that hiuko...and your quite crafty. I was cheating, but i was waiting for some one to confront me." Fei sighed. "In this realm we hear everything, even the constant things Steel keeps thinking that i do not prefer to repeat.

Yo- --ll all lose




"You will all lose. That's the answer, as tastless as it is." Elson finished for them. That was two rounds down. He couldn't remember how many they had to go through, but they were at least making headway.

"Congrats." Fei sighed. Rei stepped foward this time. "Now its my game, final one i might add. Your group is good but evryone ends here." He snapped his fingers as helmets fell from the ceiling planting themselfs on the groups head. They clinked and whirled to life.

Steelheart opened his eyes and looked around. His eyes were met with a scene of chaos. All around there were fallen buildings and feiry crumbling structers. His face felt grimy and his whole body was tired. He looked down to see that he was whole! No stone. But in his hands was a grungy automatic chain gun. He looked to his left and noticed Elson with a morter launcher, gale with duel Ak-47's and huiko a sniper rifle. "What is happening?"

Rei's voice rang out from behind a bunker. "Welcome to my favorite game, War! Its simple your team of four against our team of two, one hit and you return to reality completly stone. No let the game begin."

Hiuko ducked down behind whatever he could and looked at the sniper rifle saying, "Figures... give the blind guy a gun." Then he punched the ground to map out the surroundings as best he could and said, "I can't feel them anywhere."

Rei could be heard over the sound of explosions and gunfire from somewhere close. "And you wont be able to with all this action going on, but givin your case you can use this to aim...." Suddenly a pair of thermo dynamic goggles that wire striaght into the mind digitally materialized beside Hiuko.

Hiuko felt something a miss. He punched the ground again and cursed under his breath. "Well since Bangs isn't here." He took the goggles and put them on. "Weird." He said looking at the others but only seeing different colored blobs. He punched the ground to get his bearings and said, "Okay you ready to beat these two down!"

Steels eye twitched. "Heh...freakin sweeeeeeet...chain gun..." He seemed to drool as he lugged the heavy firearm over the bunker and let loose, demolishing a bunker where he though he heard the voice. Seconds later the gun was blown back into the bunker by an expertly placed shot. "What the hell?"

Hiuko punched the ground and felt the dent in the chain gun so he aimed at where the shot would have been fired but no one was there. He was starting to get really aggrivated. "That's it." He threw the gun on the ground. "I just want to jack them in the face like I do to everything." He took off the goggles and meditated for a bit. "Hold them off for a minute or two I just want them dead!" he told the others while he slipped into his state of mentality so he could unlock the restrictions. He kept his senses high so he could be aware of anything that might be threatening while he was in that state so he wouldn't get killed. He would know the instant a bullet was shot.

Elson looked at his mortar and felt the shells strapped to his back. Quickly he loaded a shell, shouting down so anyone near enough wouldn't be hurt as he launched a shell to check the range. It landed slightly behind the bunker Steel had shot at. The gun was set to a range of nearly one hundred yards. "K guys, whenever you get shot at, give me an approximate range, and I'll drop some boom on it."

The bunker was demolished but to no avail. Fei's voice entered inot Hiuko's head. Now now, no unfair advantages. ONly brains and guns are allowed in this game, take steel for example... Nearby Steelheart had grabbed a chunck of a tank and tried to form it into a sheild. "Screw this ma...." But he didnt get out his last word as the metal exploded blowing him against a nearby building.

Hiuko didn't care and tried to open the restriction but he got a jolt through his body that made him snap back to normal. Hiuko calmed down a bit and tapped the ground to 'see' the sniper and goggles. Then he smiled and thought knowing the would hear, If you want such a fair fight then why don't you come out and fight and stop using your powers to read our minds aye? While he thought that he thought of something else too and he hoped the mind talk would mask the plan.

"we are playing fair, im just making sure you dont cheat. Besides you wont win. My brother owns this map." Fei said to hiuko then broke off the connection.

Steelheart reached for his gun and brought it to the ready position. He gave the cover me siganl to gale then rushed foward to a new bunker.

A single shot the seemed to come from behind the group sounded, embedding itself next to Elsons foot.

Hiuko punched the ground a couple times and started to notice something and with a smile he started to jumble his thoughts with a lot of random other things to formulate a plan and befuddle the mind reading enemies. "Hold on making a plan will take me a bit longer than usual this time I'm afraid." He said as he tapped the ground subconsiously in case of an attack.

Another expertly aimed shot grazed Hiuko's shoulder.

Elson feeling and hearing the bullet hit then ricochet away quickly grabbed the launcher, turned around, loaded a shell, and launched, all in the space of about ten seconds. The shell flew to a nearby building blowing a hole in the side of building about twelve feet in diameter. As the shot had left the launcher he had ducked back behind a nearby wall.

Hiuko ignored the graze and said to the others, "Okay we need to get to higher ground before anything, or at least get a more defendable position because we're out in the open here." Then he ducked down into the bunker that Steelheart was in. "There are a few buildings here that might help us get a good position." While he said this he was jumbling his thoughts while thinking of a plan.

Elson ducked back out of cover, making straight for the bunker where the others were, scooping up the launcher without stopping as he went. Inside, he kept ahold of it so he wouldn't have to pick it up again since he couldn't use in the confined space anyways.

A round of shots broke through the wall creating a mosaic of light. The shots broke right through were elson was standing.

"We need to get to a more defendable position because they are firing from... four differen areas at the same time." Hiuko explained as he kept jumbling thoughts. "I know, get to a place where they can only have one direction to fire from."

"Whatever man, i just cant stand not know where to blow this suckers up from." Steelheart grinted agitated.

"Screw this!" Hiuko said before getting out of the bunker. He picked up his sniper and the visor and broke them both scavnging parts and reassembling them into something more suited for his style of fighting.

As the wall around Elson erupted in holes and dust he spun along the wall, getting away from the spot. "K, so we need to get a move on."

Gale turned the guns this way and that inspectign every inch. "I couldnt have ended up with somthing better. They are a lot like my tonfas." She whirled around an forced the barrles into the holes in the wall and let the bullets fly for cover fire.

"This feels much better." Hiuko said as he attached sharp triangle shapped pieces of metal to some gloves and put the gloves on for a deadly close ranged weapon. "Now I feel better." Hiuko stuck both of the blades of the gloves into the ground and started to feel around much more easily than before.

Fei's voice carried into Hiuko's head. Im not even in the game, im just watching over, but i must say this was supposed to be a ranged gunfight...but if you insist on close range suicide.... The connection clicked closing once again. Suddenly sporadic fire began to tear up the ceiling and wall from different directions, making it hard to avoid the shots in the bunker.

Hiuko smiled knowing that she didn't see what he did to his gloves. He did indeed use more of his gun than she thought but apparently his mind jumbling worked... although it was giving him a head ache. He secretly added a propulsion mechanism to the gloves so that he could actually fire and retract the make shift blades.




As the bullets began tearing apart the walls and ceiling, the ceilings structural integrity gave, and a chunk of the roof fell in. Elson immediately placed his mortar fixed the angle, "Seriously, this is getting bad.... DOWN!" With that he launched the mortar shell. Which shot through the roof and landed beside a nearby car, sending it flying.

Rei's voice rang out from the debre. "And how the little mice quiver in their hole. My Excitement roars.." Another volley erupted through the smoke creating a swiss pattern. It ate up the floor and ceiling where the group stood.

Steelheart diverolled out into the street behind the now morteredly demolished car. He lugged his gun up to return fire but the chain gun was so sporadic he was afraid he would hit his freinds.

Hiuko jumped back out of the hole and looked at his friends. "Well, I'm going to find out what the heck is out there. A little rekon first then I'll be back." He said before he snuck into the shadows. He had to keep his mind jumbled through it all so that Rei wouldn't know where he went next until he got there. He was sure she was controlling the enemies somehow so they would know where he was but the less she knew about his next move the better.

Rei was standing right outside the door as hiuko almost walkwed right into him. "Hello mouse." Shot seemed to erupt from all around Rei aiming for key points on Hiuko;s body.

Gale followed hiuko for cover but immediatly ducked back inside from the fire.

Hiuko jumped to the side and shot the blade of the glove at Rei at the same time on pure instict (in other words not even thinking about it). The blade was aimed right at his heart.

Elson also had been about to follow, but quickly ducked back in. At this point, with the enemy directly ahead, and Hiuko so close to him, his weapon was useless. He loaded a shell anyways while he was holding the launcher anyways, just in case.

Rei smiled as all the fire from around him centered in on the glove and fire simultaneously knocking it back toward hiuko. The fire arms emerged from the shadows. Various firearms floated in mid air surounding him. It was no apparent that a visor covered his eyes and seemed to control the guns.

The blade came back to Hiuko with the attached sting and Hiuko smiled. "Guns... destructive things that I never really did like." Then he tapped his foot and looked at Rei. "What are you waiting for? Not going to shoot me to see if I get killed?" There was no tensing in his body, not the faintest sign of preperation for movement and his thoughts were completely blank. He was running on instinct now and he was hoping that that would do the trick.

"Why so you can pull a Keyana Reves dodge. No you would be the most dificult to hit. And dont worry Fei isnt relaying your thoughts and plans to me, if she were it would take the fun out of hunting the most dangerous game." Rei moved a gun foward to just the other side of the wall without the opponents knowing. "Check, your move."

Steelheart dashed foward and shot off Brave heart style. "You guys takle out the rest, im taking down some of his offenses." He managed to expertly pick off some of the floating firearms before receiving a hit to the shoulder and immediatly dematerialzed back to the game room.

Hiuko was facing where Steelheart was and shook his head. "Okay no one else try something like that. Keep each other alive, I know what I'm doing. I'll at least take one of them out." Then he turned back to Rei. "Well I see you still have enough guns to keep me in a false sense of check." He swayed forward and back to watch the guns tilt this way and that to match his movements. Then he closed his eyes took in a deep breath and then he pointed his glove at Rei and smiled. "You might not pull the trigger, but I will." Then with his plan safely in his head while his thoughts jumbled yet again, in case Rei lied, he shot his blade at Rei while he very discreetly pointed his other glove blade upwards.

"Checkmate." Rei forced one of the floating guns into the path of the glove blocking it while The stealth one he had positioned on the other side of the wall when no one noticed fired through the wall right where Hiuko was standing on the other side.

"Worth a try!" Hiuko said with a smile at his secret glove shot up and retracted while the other simply retracted. The glove with the blade in the roof came down and ripped a hole in the cieling and he flung it at Rei using the retraction, a turn, and by changing the momentum from downward to forward. Then the bullet got him right in the heart and he dematerialized although the rather large chunk of cieling was still hurtling at Rei, he would never go down with trying something stupid.

Rei was taken by surprise by this attack. All he could muster was forcing a few Guns in front of him to slow the chunck. It slowed considerably but still sent him flying into a building. Whe the dust cleared he was standing with a few cuts and bruises and gashed clothes. "Cough..that two to go..Cough." He walked foward and seemed to favor his right leg. "Gale and Elson, the wind and fire charmers..."

Elson stood facing him, launcher facing him, big stupid grin on his face. "Ooohhh hi." He fired on Rei from point blank, not really caring if it took him out too.

Honestly there was no way to block a morter round. Rei sacrificed another one of his armemnts to avoid a direct hit but the blow still sent him head over heels and over a building. He landed on the roof with a thud. "Holy crap....Why did Fei give the pyro a morter?"

The blast sent dust and small debris flying into Elson's face, causing his face and arms to become scratched and pitted, but otherwise, he remained unhurt. "Damn... Lost him. Gale, we gotta move."

"Aww, and i didnt even get a chance to pump him full of lead..." Gale pouted, following close behind Elson.

Rei got back to where they had been. ?"No where have my mice gone?"

Elson had ran to the nearest car, bunkered down beside it, and waited for Rei to reappear. As he had suspected the boy went straight back to where they were before. After giving Gale a hold sign, then pointing to himself to indicate on my mark, he quickly loaded a shell, adjusted the aim, and sent the shell directly at Rei.

This time rei heard the shot coming since it wasnt point blank and quickly side rolled behind a chunk of concrete to avoid the debre.

After a moment of scanning the horizon Elson reloaded and shot again, a little to the right this time.

"Crap.." Rei aimed his artillery at the incoming shell and hit it dead on causing a predetonation that sent him skidding on his heels. Judging from the trajectory they are a bit southeast...

Elson watched the shell explode and grinned. Better... better... Again he caught Gale's attention, giving her the get ready signal, and fired off another shell in the same direction, but a bit shorter.

Rei Saw the shot fall short. What are the mice planning? He pondered to himself behind a large chunk of concrete.

"What the hell are we waiting for?" Gale whispered from across the space. "Lets double team him from two directions." She suggested. She never really got the whole sign military language thing.

uddenly the ground underneath their feet crumbled as volleys of bullets desintegrated the cement. Rei floated up from under the ground standing on a rocket launcher. "hi mice"

What the fuuuuuck... Elson dove sideways, while sending another shell in Rei's direction. "Now! SHOOT HIM NOW!"

Rei flicked the rocket launcher fired off colliding the mortar close to Elson. "Sewers. You got to use the terrain." He followed up with a barrage of automatic shells.

The concussion blew the still air borne Elson over a nearby car and around a corner of the buidling. Grimacing in pain he stood up. His left wrist was broke, and he was fairly sure he had at least cracked, if not broken a rib or two. After a second breather he walked to the corner of the building and peeked around.

Gale had spun on cue and started firing at Rei. She managed to take out a few guns only leaving him with a dozen before she hit the wall and warped out of the game.




Elson watched Gale get knocked out of the game. It was up to him. He wondered how Rei would handle a full out assault. If he could keep loading fast enough and keep moving, he should be alright. He loaded a shell quietly, got a couple more ready, putting them in his waistband for easy access, stepped out and began shooting, stepping from car to car, relentlessly shooting shell after shell.

Rei was able to pick off the shot from a distance with his multiple guns. "Your going to have to do better than that." Shell after shell exploded short of the target.

Elson continued his ducking and dodging, his plan so far going as he had hoped. Soon, the dust and smoke from the explosions had created a smokescreen between himself and Rei. Quickly he got into his chosen position, just on the other side of a car barely into the smoke. Knowing Rei, he would try to use this to his advantage and hopefully leave himself open. Before Rei could exit the smoke, Elson was down and in position, crouching, nearly laying beside the car, more shells in his waistband and one in the barrel.

"A cover..." Rei sent two guns into the smoke to investigate, search and destroy style. He began to spin his last ten guns rapidly clearing the smoke around him.

Damn... Elson remained in position, waiting. He heard the wooshe of air and saw the smoke clearing. Rei would be distracted. That was when he saw the other two guns go directly over him. He let them go a couple yards out before launching a shell, taking both guns out. Then before Rei was able to quit spinning his other guns, Elson began unleashing another volley, dodging from car to car, launching shell after shell.

The first shot took him by surprise abd exploded by his feet sending him airborne. He quickly summoned a tactical assault rifle to his feet and soared over the battlefeild on it like an airboard.

Elson pressed the attack careful to watch Rei's guns in case he sent them off in another direction. Still dodging from car to car Elson launched shells as quickly as he possibly could. Instead of aiming directly for Rei however, he was focused on his guns.

Rei dodged, swayed, and rolled to avoid the shots in the air. The shots reveiled Elsons position. He shot off trying to shoot ahead of His movements.

Elson moved erratically making Rei's shots seem like blindfire, while still launching shell after shell. Eventually there was a line of smoke again, and without hesitation Elson moved into it, then quickly out the other side. He kept launching shells however through the smoke so Rei couldn't see where they were coming from. After a few minutes however he stopped shooting and booked to the smoke. Once it was clear enough in front of him that he could almost see outside he slowed down and picked his path more carefully making sure to keep out of Rei's sight. He found a suitable spot and hunkered down. Again waiting for Rei.

Rei zipped about the smoke aboard his gun searching for his prey. "Now where has the mouse gone?" He sent a few of his left guns out to search for the target while he sought from above.

Elson watched the other guns split off and had choice to make. After a quick decision, he sat and waited a few more moments, but silently put another shell in the barrel.

Rei soared about over head. "Oh were oh were has my little mouse gone, oh were oh were can he be?"

Elson waited until Rei's left side was facing him, then launched two shells in quick succession before going again through the smoke, still firing.

Rei barely heard the shot in the instant and instinct took over. He rolled the gun he was on over to face the blast as it took the concussion from the first bast and the other exploded in the debre thrwing him down onto the battle feild. Rei wiped the blood from his eyes the began laughing histarically. "Now this is a game!" He picked the closet gun, a tactical auto with armmor peircing rounds and exploding tips frpom the air and dove into the smoke.

Elson came out of the smoke on the opposite side Rei had entered and noticed he was where Gale and himself had been standing. As he ran by he scooped up one of Gale's guns and tucked it into his waistband without stopping. After a quick look around he entered the nearest building, a three story building with a shop on the bottom. Quickly he went to the second floor and set up, again loading a shell and then placing a couple in his waistband with one in his hand, ready to load.

Rei stole into the area and stealthfully snuck into the building. He tactically went from doorway to doorway scoping the room before entering military style. He scanned each room making his way silently toward Elson.

Elson wasn't stupid. He had played army games before, and knew that no room, or area was truly safe, and so he had developed the habit of looking from place to place. In this case, it was from doorway to window. After awhile, he noticed a shadow moving down the hallway from his door. Silently he reversed the mortar, to point directly at the door. As soon as Rei stepped into the hallway enough for a shot, Elson planned on firing.

Rei heard the morter scrap the floor when it was turned. Somthings up... He froze in place. His mind was racing through strategies. Suddenly he had an idea. He quietly placed the gun barrel to the wall. He must be positioned at the window for a clear shot. He fired through the drywall at Elson.

Elson jumped backwards as the wall exploded with bullets while simultaneously firing off the martor. As he cleared the window, he grabbed the ledge below him, then released and rolled forward as he landed, quickly reloaded, then went through the building he had just exited into the back ally, which he was relieved to find open at both ends. He chose right and began running.

Rei had started to run along the wall as he started to shoot. He neared the wall and sprinted up it using the explosion to break through the skylight and land on the roof. He quickly sprinted to the ledge and started to precision fire down apon Elson.

Elson ran at full speed, zigging and zagging as bullets pelted the ground around him. As he neared the end of the alley, a thought occured to him. He rounded the corner and stopped, pressing himself against the wall then called out to Rei. "This is getting us nowhere, how about we do this wild west style, eh? Quick and easy, no more running, just two men and how fast they can draw. What do you say?"

"I say you have a freakin morter. You wouldnt even have to aim." Rei called out from the rooftop.

"Not true." He pulled Gale's pistol out of his waistband and checked the clip, "I also have one of Gale's guns. That'll be the gun I use." Elson called back.

Rei back flipped over the edge and landed in a graceful crouch. He lifted his eyes to meet Elson's. The wind howled in the dusk. "I say, your on."

Elson walked to the middle of the entrance to the alley and stood there, after putting the pistol in his waistband near his right hand. "You get one gun."

An old style revolver floated to his hand out of no where. "Oldie but goodie." The sun's last rays of light beamed down from over the crumbled building scape. A familiar wind blew across the alley and a strange "waawawaa" sound hung in the air. "Ready?"

Elson's hand hovered over his pistol, fingers wiggling the slightest bit, his body relaxed. His timing would have to be extremely precise or he was done, and he was the last of the group left. Well, here goes nothing...

A lone tunble weed rolled by. The seconds ticked by as if they were both waiting for a signal. Suddenly from no where a clock tower belted out, "Gong". Rei chucked to the side as he hip drew his revolver and fired off two rounds. Everything seemed to freeze in mid air as he hung there and the bullets slowly left the barrel. His mid air pause gave him time to reach into his pocket and pull out solid black sunglasses and throw them on.

Elson nearly laughed out loud becuase of his incredible luck. As Rei drew elson drew, but as he drew his gun his focus wasn't on firing, but at using the combustion from Rei's gun to create a flame, which he sent straight at Rei's face as he pulled his sunglasses, while simultaneously firing off three rounds of his own and diving sideways. Quickly after landing he rolled to his feet behind the safety of the wall at the end of the alley.

Oh naughty boy! Fei's voice could be heard through the areana as she deadend the flare from Elson's fire. During Rei's roll he mid air twisted to avoid the bullets. One narrowly grazed his shin. "Shit!" The world around them began to dematerialize. IT all ended with the stone group in the middle of the stadium and Rei on his knees in the spot light with Fei in the distance.

Elson had been leaning on hte wall, and as it disappeared it dumped him onto the floor. "Hey... what happened?"

Fei walked up to rei and struck him in the back of the head as he turned to solid stone. "Your so useless brother." She turned to the remaining survivor. "My last game handsome. Just us two."

"I'm tiring of this... Let's get it over with." Elson stood relaxed, wondering what was going to happen, while at the same time not really caring. It was his way of dealing with pressure.

"Your not going to like being beaten by a girl." She waved her hand and a screen poped up in front of Elson with an array of characters from Gundam, big O, zoids, and Gurren. "Pick your poison."

Elson's face split into a huge grin, "No problem. I want Deathscythe." He folded his arms acrossed his chest. "What's your favorite flavor little girl?"

"Speed type eh? Well then i chose my personal favorite Advanced leopard Gundam. Bye bye Elson!" Fei giggled as the two were shot up from the floor and forced through a sheet of rubber encasing their entire body providing controls for the huge mechs they now were in facing each other in a battle scarred wasteland.

(Advanced leopard gundam looks like a fusion of these two style leopard gundams, ill include my friends actual pic later.)



Back to Fantasy fighter

"All right Deathscythe, let's do it." Elson wasted no time, piloting his Gundam to get the feel for actually driving one while dodging between buildings, using his speed to avoid any shots that may be fired in his direction.

Fei smiled as she flicked a few placed her hand foward and the gatlin on Leopard's shoulder toook aim at the building. "Fire.' A blaze of shots cut the building straight in half.

Elson pushed the deathscythe to its full speed, staying well ahead of the bullets while watching for any missiles that Fei might fire in his direction while at the same launching bullets from his head mounted guns.

Fei simply raised the gundam's gundanium armored shoulder peice deflecting the shells. The first thing i gotta do is take out the circuitry on those wings to destroy his teleportation capabilities. Fei flicked one of her fingers as a round of missles erupted from the top of leopards right shoulder and homed in on Deathscythe's back.

Elson had been waiting for something like this and immediately kicked on the DS's scrambler while dashing straight at the leapord gundam and pulling it's scythe. It was highly unlikely a gundam of that size could handle a close quarters fight, which was what the DS had been created for.

Fei began to laugh histarically. "Your so fucked!" Leopards chest opened to reveil the gem of its focused core. It flashed once then exploded in a eruption of a wide proton beam decimating anything in front of it. The shoulder launcher flipped around to cover behind in case of a surprise attack. "You cant fight close quaters if you cant even get close enough to attack!"

Elson slammed the DS's thruster to full, shooting straight up as he launched the beam sheild on the DS's left hand at a downward angle, aiming for the core.

Fei giggled as she increased the blast desintegrating the counter attack and devastating the landscape. Leopard Gundam flinched as the core stabalized and returned to normal. "So you want to go on a bird hunt is it? Fine with me!" Leopard gundams full arsenal locked on to the distant mech and let loose a massive volley of ammunition of shells and missles.

Elson shot as many missles as he could, knocking most of them out of the air, while dodging behind rock outcroppings and buildings to dodge the rest. The other Gundam's firepower was overwhelming, and he didn't think he'd be able to get close enough to do any real damage with the DS's main weapon due to the leapord gundams extreme arsenal. After a couple seconds of thought, he decided he did have one option left, but he was going to play hell putting it in action.

Fei laughed. "Dont even think about trying to make me run out of ammo. The munnition is teleported from the space base straight into the guns, ergo unlimited fire power. Now let me show you one of Leopards specials. Judgement Blast!" The small girl laughed menically as the gundam flew foward closing in on DS's location the hovered a fer feet in the air and let out a few hisses as the shoulder cannons fired up and let out a devastating 360 blast in a quarter mile radius.

Elson tried his best to dodge from cover to cover, using the speed his wings offered him. He couldn't escape unscathed however and sustained damage to the DS's left arm, halfway between the elbow and the wrist. Dammit.... that was insane. Speed is not an advantage... Elson remained where he was for a moment, hidden behind a distant building, his radar jammer on.

Leopard gundam systems flinched and hissed as the core cooled and regain stability. Fei activated the thrusters and propelled the mech into a comfortable coast of 100 feet above the feild searching for what was left of her opponent. The DS unit is to fast to be caught in that small blast....

Elson still remained where he was as he thought. With the jammer unit running, he wasn't too worried about the other gundam spotting him, and he would hear it coming if it got near. As he replayed the fight so far he thought silently to himself. There's no way she can keep attacks up like that without her core going critical... But there so hard to dodge... His first thought was to try and force Fei to use the beam at long range over and over, but he quickly realized it would never work. It would be a serious underestimate to think she would be that careless.

Lets see, the only way to beat this gundam on the show was exhaust the power, but since it was ot fitted with a gundanium nuclear core in the second season that was no longer an issue. But then again an over balance could cause a fission overreaction....enough about deffense. The DS unit is a stealth assasin mech with heavy radar jams, counter sonar and heat resistant armor to prevent ultraviolent detection, and little to no long range capability, but heavy close range attack. If i can draw him into a mid range fight and shut down his mobility, then its over. Fei slowed the gundam to a hover and sprayed the surrounding area with gatlin rounds hoping to flush the gundam out of hiding.

Elson remained stationary as bullets whizzed by him and his Gundam. It was obvious his jamming was working, making him nearly invisible to the enemy Gundam. He decided to wait it out for as long as possible and see if he might get a lucky shot in.

"Well then im just going to hunt a flea with an elephant gun!" Fei piloted the leopard mech up to 200 feet above ground, then turned it to face the battle feild. "Lets see how you like the armeggedeon #02!" The second biggest missle on leopards back detached and fell straight down. Once it was a mear ten feet from the ground it detonated. Fei jousted the throttle shooting the mech straight up riding the concusion from the blast away from harms way. At first it seemd like a small fireball that blossomed into an explosion of sound and shock that shook the very foundation of the real life world. The smoke rectracted then expelled in a deafaning roar thrusting upwqards forming a mushroom cloud nine times the size of hiroshima.

Elson had watched the missle begin it's fall, and so had piloted the DS to a respectable distance, avoiding the main blast. The after shock was inescapable though, sending the DS into an uncontrolled tumble. As Elson fought to regain control, he checked his sensors and found that the other Gundam had boosted itself high into the air. If he stays in the air there's no use hiding on the ground. As the Gundam regained stability, Elson piloted straight into the cloud of smoke left from the bomb. He checked and found the jammer still working perfectly.

Fei gigled as she saw the much smaller mech tumble and stop then speed into the smoke cloud. "So there he is..." She pivoted the gundam around and blindly peppered the cloud with constant fire.

Elson was not an idiot. He remained on the fringes of the smoke, where he could still see the outline of the other gundam, but remained hidden from it's sight, and safe from the random spray. If it was to be cat and mouse, he would play along.

He is countering my overwhelming fire power with stealth. ....ugh that lame one liner 'you cant hit what you cant see'. Fei decided to try a different approached. She tapped her com link, "Rei? load the sub-zero i bombs into the teleporter." Leopards right arm chamber glowed as the new rounds were transfered. She took aim and released the projectiles that hit the ground and instantly froze the soroundings. "Now time for a thermal scan." Fei activated the thermal sensor on the master controls. In normal conditions the DS would be undectable but with suh stark contrst from the soroundings he might hve to power down the unit to keep it concealed.

Elson again sat where he was allowing the rounds to burst through the smoke, passing harmlessly by him. She's either dumber than I thought or she's trying something... Fighting down his gut instinct that something was wrong Elson continued to sit until his enemy revealed her hand.

Fei's screen reveiled a slight warm spot among the frozen ground. "Hello body heat. You can hide engine heat with stealth but a person will stand out like a sore thumb." She typed in a few commands on the onboard screen and aimed the leopards main cannon straight at the heat. "Bye bye cutie." The green energy hummed through the shoulders main cannon then let lose a massive controlled proton blast(like shinings burning finger blast).

Elson heard the massive windup of energy, and could feel it gathering above him, instinctively he slammed the ds to full speed for the second time that day, narrowly avoiding a blast of energy that would have obliterated him had it hit its mark. Figuring that the gundam would need time to recharge Elson dashed straight at it at a reduced speed, but close enough to be judged full speed, and waited for the attack he knew would come.

Leopard gundam flinched from the massive system recharge that lasted mometarily. Fei barily had time to swivel the shoulder cannon around in time to provide a little fire to slow the oncoming mech.

As Fei fired, Elson kicked the DS to full speed again, seemingly disappearing for a moment, only to reappear behind Fei. He latched onto the enemy gumdam, grabbing it by the shoulders. "I'm tired of screwing around." He tapped a couple buttons on the interface in front of him, and a countdown started at ten. "We'll both go down." Elson braced himself inside the DS's cockpit, determined to hold onto the other mech. It would probably be the roughest ten seconds of his life.

At first Fei was taken aback by the sudden offensive. "Oh, the double suicide technique. But neither will win." Fei giggled as the free movig cannon on hie hip whip around and unloaded a volley into the gut of the mech behind. "And you forgot about my Armeggedon #01." The gaint nuke attached to the back of The leopard meck fired off bewtween the two trying to pull the DS unit with it.

The attack in the gut had enough force to loosen the grip of the already damaged left arm, causing the first missile to pass harmlessly between the two. Elson glanced at the timer that had popped up when he initiated the sequence. Three seconds left... Using what energy he had left he reacquired a hold with his left hand, but this time the gundams were locked much closer together due to the absence of the last missile. "Not this time, sister."

"Flirtsy smirtsy aribadirchy!" Fei giggled as she slammed her palm on the eject button as the head of the mech rolled foward and the chair shot off trying to escape.

Elson, in a last ditch effort, shot the head mounted cannons off, trying to hit Fei's chair.

The shells took out the thruster and the chair fell back to the mechs as the countdown hit zero.

As the timer hit zero, the DS burst into explosions, beginning at the chest and quickly spreading outwards. Elson, still sitting in the cockpit as the timer hit zero, watched Fei's falling chair until the DS exploded and he lost conciousness, fully expecting her and the ejection seat to be his last sight.

Fei giggled as the light enveloped them both and reset them on the floor of the main areana with the entire cast noe unfrozen and laying on the ground. "A double ko, kamakazi. That was risky, but for your guts i reward you the winner Elson-kun."

Elson, who had awoken again as the floor appeared beneath him, relaxed visibly, a stupid grin on his face. After a minute or two he looked around to make sure the others were all back to normal.

Steelheart woke swinging his giant brpadsword but was immediatly sucked to the floor by an immobilizing magnet. "Crap...sp what happened?"

Fei sighed. "technically you guys beat the game masters, but seeing as how Lord Ethrin is away on business you will have to wait for your knighting ceramony."

Elson's grin widened a bit. He had been sure that the girl would decide put them through another round since the last had basically been a draw, but he had bet, and won. Barely.

Fei and Rei started to walk away but not a few steps away fei stopped and tugged on rei's wrist whispering somthing in his ear. He sighed and snapped his fingers in disgust. A warm glow enveloped fei as hewr body began to grow and fill out, until she appeared to be a stunning brunett of 16. She quickly ran up hugged elson with a blush then took off into the shadows. The entire arean then seemed to fade away like a mist as the grounp suddenly sttod in the middle of a vast feild not far from town.

Elson watched the girl leave, wondering what the hug was about, then shook his head and turned to the others. "What now?"

Steelheart push himself from the lack of magnets. "I have no idea...did any one else think that felt like a filler episode from a anime?" He checked his sword and limbs to see if any of the magnetic feilds had transfered to him, and to his annoyance a small car magnet was stuck to the small of his back. "I cant even reach the damned thing..." He struggled around.

Gale flipped her silvery hair with her fingers. "Well there goes my paycheck.." She flicked her wrist ripping the magnet off Steel's back. "And its all your fault!" She wiped out a tomfa with her free hand and started to wail on Steel's head.

Elson lifted his head up long enough to see Steelheart getting beat around before standing fully up. "I don't know about you guys... But I'm beat... What say we find a place to crash for the night?"

"Now that would be something I'm game for." Hiuko responded with a laugh as Bangs took her usualy place on his shoulder.

Steelheart was swift enough to switch places with a log, like a ninja, to where gale beat it instaed of him. "Sounds like a capitol idea old chap!" He chimmed in a british accent.

Elson grinned, shook his head, then began walking. All he wanted at this moment was a warm bed to rest his bones in.

After a long time on the road a town can finally be seen. Not just a town though, it was a city. It had high tower buildings, tons of different shops and inns. The worst part about it though was that it was an Ethrin controlled city. Hiuko was holding the map for Bangs to read and she telepathically restated to everyone that the city was Ethrin controlled and there was a large facility out at sea that was connected to the town by a very long metal bridge. "So are we going to stop here for the night or should we move on to the next non-ethrin town." Hiuko asked while walking up to the front gates.

"Well i dont see any wanted posters around Ethrinopolis. Maybe we will be ok." Steelheart suggested scratching the back of his head in thought.

"No wanted posters aye?" Hiuko said pointing over his shoulder with his thumb at the wooden fence plastered with their pictures all over it. He tapped his toe to check if anyone was around, it was late though so some people might already be home.

"....oh i thought it was an add for our fan club." Steelheart tapped his fingers together in embarassment.

"If it was, it'd be one helluva fan club..." Elson glanced around, checking out the city.

Bangs seemed sad while she was lieing on Hiuko's head. Hiuko asked what was wrong and she thought to them, "I realize that there are only four posters, and even the one with Hiuko on it doesn't have me in the picture." Hiuko laughed and patted her on the head. "So guy," Hiuko started, "there is a complex out at sea, so I think we should get some shut eye and start there in the morning, what do you think?"

Steelheart shrugged. "Sounds like a good a plan as any. He pulled his huge sword off and did a trick no one had seen as of yet. He puleed the sowr apart in two then thrust the two halfs in on them self's making them look loike two breifcases. "That way i wont look like im carrying around a freaking giant meatcleaver."

"That is a wonderful idea, less noticeable." Elson looked down at his chains. With a shake of his head he wrapped them around his forearms. "Any idea where the nearest inn is?"

Gale pointed down the street with a bit of a prance. "Down there! Thats the inn i have been staying at while working at the game center." She chimmed while strutting down a little alley.

"Looks as good as any other." Elson stated with a shrug while looking around at the others.

Steelheart sized it up, "Looks good to me."

"Let's go then." He said starting for the inn.

Elson followed suit, already thinking of a nice long nap.

Gale pranced right up to the desk and smiled to the inn keeper. "Shinewing! and can i have the empty flat with the connecting door next to me?" She batted her eyes to add a little flirt to the question.

"Um sure thing miss shinewing." The old keeper's vision wasnt what it used to be and didnt recognize the wanted felons. "Enjoy your stay...." But gale had already snatched the key and shot up the satir collasping on the bed. "Ah..."

"Right well until morning then." Hiuko said as he and Bangs went up to the rooms. Bangs shared a room with Gale because she didn't particularly want to be a room full of guys.

Elson was the next up the stairs and into the room, taking time only to take off his shirt and chains before falling face first onto the bed. He found it annoying to sleep with a shirt on as he usually woke up with it twisted around in an odd fashion. Moments later he was a sleep, breathing deeply.

Steelheart grabbed a spare bedsheet and knoted the ends, tying them around the two bedpost making a havanna hammock. He cast his shirt and socks off the wrapped up in the hammock dozzing off immediatly.

Later that night
Hiuko got out of bed and quietly went out into the hallway and Bangs got out of the other room too. "So I guess you can hear that?" Hiuko asked quietly, "It's faint but definetally an angry mob." she thought back.
"God knows we both know the sound of an angry mob by now." He said before going back into the guys room and pushed the guys out of bed to wake them up and said get dressed they know we're here. Bangs went into the other room and mentally yelled at Gale to break her sleep and wake her up, We've got to leave Bangs thought to Gale when she was awake.

Steelhaert shoot up still half asleep. "Five mre minutes mommy, the pony was going to let me ride him. Wait? huh?" He was up and throwing his shirt on fast.

Elson stood without hesitation or argument, grabbed his things, and then got dressed. "Ready whenever you are."

Hiuko got out of the room and waited for the girls as he felt the vibrations as the mob moved through town towards the inn.

Gale was already up with a flurry as the moving masses had upset the air pressure causing her to jolt from her sleep, that and bangs yelling at her. "Lets move it people, theres a whole heard of ticked off city dwellers coming."

"You know this place better than me, I'm sure. Lead on." He wasn't sure, but Elson had a very good feeling that they would somehow end up on the island just out of the city before the night was through.

Hiuko tapped his foot on the ground and a second later he heard the mob rush through the front door. "Well I say we go out the quick way." Hiuko said before rushing down the hall away from the steps and opening a window. He jumped out and landed on a roof top. Then he jumped off and landed on the street, finally stopping for the others to come down.

Steelheart dove headlong out the window and arabian dive rolled off the roof in a beautiful dismount, only to land flat on his face in the street below. "So much for trying out for the russian gymnastics team." He mumbled rubbing his chin and waited for the others.

Elson followed Hiuko out the window, having to grab onto the side to make it to where the man was. "I'm pretty sure we lost someone, he did crash to the street below after all." He pointed to the street behind and below him. "I think we're going to be splitting up..."

Gale gently landed on a tip toe gracefully. "You boys have no balance." She smirked as she followed closely behind Hiuko.

Hiuko tapped his foot a few times. He could see a large opening, he mapped out the possibilities and there was a good chance they were leading them to the sea compound and he picked a different path trying to out think whoever was trying to capture them. "This way." He said leading them through the streets. He continued to try to evade them and out think thier moves but eventually found himself only getting closer. Hiuko swore under his breath as he realized the only way left was the compound in the sea. "Any objections?" He asked looking out at the compound in the horizon with a large army of townsfolk coming at them from all directions.

Steelhearts eyebrow twitched. He raised his hand like a child in school. "Yeah...me. Hello metal laden here? I swim like a rock." He shivered at the idea of being sucked to the bottom of the ocean.

"I can't swim either." Hiuko said sadly, "You should see him try, he looks like a regular blind guy." Bangs chimed with a funny tone of thought.

"Well that makes two rocks out of the group." Steelheart sighed.

"We'll be okay as long as we don't fall in." He said pointing at the bridge leading out to the compound.

"Oh this is so not a set up..." Steelheart chuckled, mostly to shake his quaking fear of a roaring sea threatening to swallow him. He set off toward the suspended bridge above his second worst enemy.

Elson had no problem with the water itself, seeing as how he used weights tied to his ankles, waist, and wrist to train himself often, but he did however have a problem with people trying to kill him while he was in the water. "Let's go then shall we?" He stated as he followed closely behind Steelheart.

Gale shrugged and followed behind the group. "I dont know why im following you guys. The mob doesnt even know im with you guys."

"Who can say for certain who their after." Hiuko said running down the path. "Wait... they stopped at the bridge, their not coming on." Hiuko said starring at them. "God I hate water." He said before Bangs jumped on his head and their link let him look through her eyes. He looked around a the water and saw a stream of bubbles heading towards the bridge. A giant sea serpent jumped over them and it was as long as the bridge. "I'm just guessing we should run." Hiuko said plainly before the serpent took a bite out of a potion of the bridge behind him taking out their only way back besides swimming. "If you don't mind that is." Hiuko said before he started running again.

Steelheart stumbvlled then took off full sprint down the bridge to the rig. "It was bad enough. Now theres a freaking oversized lizard!"

"I believe that would be classified as a snake if anyone cared to study it closely enough." Elson quipped as he too began running at a dead sprint. "Think we can jump the gap?"

Hiuko flinched from the vibrations as the snake broke away more of the bridge. "Doubtful," He said running at pace with the others. The ethrin compound could be seen easily in the distance only a few miles away.

Elson had watched as the serpent had tore away another part of the bridge. "Yeah, he's not going to leave us much to jump from, I think. Any other plans?"

"We're obviously in a trap, so I say we ride it out until the end." Hiuko said as the serpent started smashing bridge pieces behind them faster. "To the compound!" Hiuko yelled while they ran keeping his senses sharp to make sure the serpent didn't speed up too much.

"Yah, as long as he doesn't get in front of us." Elson didn't spare another glance back as he ran full tilt towards the compound, deciding that whatever awaited them there had to be better than the snake that was tearing up their only visible escape route.

"Im not chancing this thing falling through." Steelheart, in mid sprint, punched the handrail next to him as his hands erupted in a silvery glow. The rail and its adjacent parts shifted and formed a solid gangway that would hold if the concrete happened to crumple.

"You're such a sweetheart Steelheart," Elson half yelled as he watched the path form beneath him. "Any more tricks up your sleeve?"

"Well considrering that little trick took a fourth of my energy, ill save them sweety." Steelheart joked back even in this dire situation.

The serpent broke down more cement and hit its head against the gangplank. Snarling at the metal it bit and tore off a good chunk of it and went to go ram more of the bridge and tear off metal. "Any other tricks?" Hiuko asked before realizing how close they were to the compound. The place was designed to look like a dark citadel and it wasn't in the sea, it was floating above it somehow. Hiuko stepped through the threshold and waited for the others to come in.

Steelheart sprinted and dove across to the, floating, solid ground. "Id much rather put up with what ever is here than a big oro."

Elson finished the dash to compound, entering the door shortly after Steelheart's dive. "What are you doing down there?" He offered the other man his hand.

Gale blew in, in a flurry. The wind kicking up around her blowing her through the door.

"Enjoying the taste of dirt, whats it look like?" Steelheart mocked raking elson,s hand and helping himself up. He started to brush his pants and clothes off.

Elson shrugged and turned to look at the room. "Well, there's one plus, no guns being shoved down our throats yet."

After everyone was through the serpent stopped destroying the bridge and submerged back into the water. Hiuko still looking through Bang's eyes says, "No guns, yet I think they are expecting us." The door to the compound rises up and it rises so fast that no one has time to react. "Typical." Hiuko says as he turns and starts to walk in furthur. The room was like the foyer of a mansion and it had steps going up to the second floor in the center of the room. They branched off into two sets of stairs going off to the left and right. Hiukotakes a few more steps and fire shoots out from the ground infront of him. He steps back and the fire dies down. He moves to different places and fire still sprouts until one place. "Looks like a fire maze, Elson think you could help us get through. You can feel out where the fire will come up right, or can you only use fire?"

"My powers work by manipulating flame, so I've developed an affinity with it. I should be able to get us through fairly easily." He walked to where fire hadn't flared up and began walking, stopping at times and just looking around, before setting off again. Fire only flared up once or twice when he made miscalculations, but in short order, he stopped. "No more maze."

Steelheart was squating next to a raging fire for no apparent reason. But a mopment later he turned around with a stack of smores in one hand. "Yoush..leads ye wa hiuko. Cants letsh good fire gos to wass."

Hiuko snatched away a smore from Steelheart and popped it in his mouth in one bite. He walked up the stairs and another obsticle blocked their way. Two giant snakes slithered down from both staircases that the main staircase split into. They were not regular snakes though, they wer made of metal. "Steelheart, stop eating smores I think this is your area of expertise." Hiuko shouted before he narrowly dodged a snake bite the speed the speed of a dragon in flight. The snakes were making their way towards the group of people together at the bottom of the stairs.

"This is interesting. Who ever brought these things to life has a good bit of skill because they appear to have been stautues orignally." Steelheart lunged foward and siderolled to the side of a snake strike. His iron grip clentched on to a scale as he holstered himself up on top of one. His hands started to glow their dependable sliver that spread down to the snakes as. It hesitantly shook its head then lunged across the stair way at its former cohort with steelheart riding rodeo style on top.

As the two snakes hit each other the life simply went away ad they returned to their metal statue states. When they stopped moving Hiuko was very confused but shrugged and when he started going up the stairs again he heard footsteps coming down the stairs. "Oy, this where I come in." Hiuko said with a smile. Hundreds of armed men came down one of the staircases leaving an opening for the other staircase. "You guys go on ahead, I'll take these guys. Then the front doors opened and a dragon burst into the foyer, the fire walls not hurting it at all. Bangs didn't even need anymore invitation to change into her demon form and tackle the dragon so hard that they both got outside and started an arial battle.

"I suggest we listen to the man." Elson simply stated as he started towards the steps, taking them two at a time.

Steelheart hopped down and charged through the massive oak doors.

Gale had simply crouched and sprung up, sailing through the air, landing gracefully by the doors. She simply pushed them open as Steelheart charged by, giggling as he fell head over heels through the door way.

Steelheart yelled as he tumbled into the next room.

When the doors closed the sound of fighting completely vanished and there was silence on again. Suddenly torches on the walls were lit and the sound of someone playing the organs filled the room. Across the room a woman with flowing brown hair wearing steel plate armor and a tattered red cape was playing the organ expertly. It was a song usually heard in the heart of a fighter before a major fight. She completely ignored them barging into the room, she was completely focussed on the song.

Steelheart brushed himself off and cleared his throat. "Ahem...um miss? Im sorry for interupting but could you tell me how to get to....um...im not even sure where i am right now to be honest." He laughed nervously.

She stops playing and turned to answer the question. "Why, you are in my master's citadel. Unfortunately though I was assigned guard duty today and you are trespassing." She said in a calm voice with a trace of simpathy. "So you two," She said poiting two fingers at Takato and Elson, "we have much data on. You though, " she pointed at Gale, "Not so much. There is a door somewhere in this room which will lead to the starwell to my master's room. Of course you don't neccisarily have to defeat me but I'm not very well going to tell you." She turns and plays a few notes and a deep slash is made into the stone wall above Steelheart, Elson, and Gale. "Good, the area is set so shall we?" She asks before snaping while making a wide arc with her arm sending the massive, powerful, and invisible sound wave at all three of them.

"This one is soo mine! Sound is nothing but the movemtn of particles, just like the wind." Gale chirped as she broght one tonfa down slicing through the air splitting the on comming gust in half creating a safe spot for the three. "Kay, lets see how you like my music!" Gale produced her trusty orcarina with her free hand and summoned a mighty wind in her lungs blasting a screeching note that rattled the very foundation of the room and shattering windows in the town.

The woman yawned silently as the note screetched. Blood ran out of the womans ears but she wasn't holding her ears in pain. When Gale was finished she smiled, "Well you've got a knack for musical fighting. Interesting. Still though this is really bad." She said shaking her head. Let's see what I've got in here." She said reaching from behind her cape. "Aha!" She said pulling out a similair ocarina. "You know what, if any of you can guess what I am before either of us are defeated, I'll let you see the master without any hassle. But first." Then she made a deafening note using the ocarina with the same volume as Gale.

"What the hell does she mean 'what i am'?" Steelheart shuddered huddeled over holding his ears trying to stop the pounding headache.

Elson stepped across the room a few feet behind Gale, intending on lending support with his fire if needed. From the look of things however, he wasn't sure if his fire would be very effective. While he was standing there, he also took a close look at the doors, before their opponent sent out a blast of sound, making him cringe and cover his ears.

The sound only lasted as long as Gale's note and she put the ocarina behind her, making it disappear somewhere in between her cape and her body. Then looking at Steelheart she asked, "So you are the one that likes to play with metal correct?" The in her right hand a steel sword formed, the metal coming out from under her armor somewhere but not the armor itself. Then to Elson she asked, "And you play with fire." With those words the sword was set ablaze with a red hot fire and she smiled before running towards the three aiming her fire slash towards Steelheart.

Elson waited for the woman to close on their group, the quickly stepped out to her right side, one chain whipping out towards her. He wasn't aiming for a hit however, but for the flame, willing it to jump from her sword to his chain, hoping it would extinguish it for good.

The fire hopped over to the chain but she kept going for a horizontal slash at Steelheart. The fire went on to Elson's chain but instead of extinguishing it kept going up the chain towards Elson to set him on fire.

Elson grinned when he felt the extra push on the flame, but not from him. He exerted a bit more force, easily halting the intended attack. His years controlling fire had sharpened his ability to control flames so much that he did it almost as an afterthought every time he attempted it. The girl was somewhat skilled however, which begged the question of how she could do it at all. He had never met another person with the unique ability he had.

"Do you know what i just realized? Where on a mother freaking rig in the ocean! Here im almost like a God!" Steelheart slapped himself in the forehead before punching the floor and causing four walls to shoot up encasing the woman in mid attack.

One wall made an opening like a giant archway and she ran out saying, "If you're a god then I'm a goddess!" and instead of attacking Steelheart she turned to Elson although when she changed direction she held out her hand and shot a fireball towards Steelheart.

Elson pulled the fireball towards himself, and held it hovering above one hand as he stood there grinning. "You're not going to get anywhere like that. Why don't you try doing something i haven't already done?" When he finished speaking, he closed his hand and the flame extingiushed itself.

"Like what? Maybe firing two fireballs and storing the second in the ground each time.... oops." He laughed as she pointed at the floor and that half of the room exploded before Elson could stop it. She stepped out of a shadow on the other side of the room and yawned before playing the organ again. The smoke was still settling but she didn't care wether they lived or died quite yet.

Elson was thrown acrossed the room, but suffered no severe injury becuase he had been able to hold enough of the fire at bay to keep himself and others from being incinerated. As he landed he sucked some of to himself and sent it through the floor himself, but also two more through the walls, traveling in opposite directions.

The woman snapped her finger and all of the fire in the walls extinguished. "You still don't get it." She said while playing her song of death of the organ. "I have each of your powers nailed down to the dot, winning won't be that easy, unless you can guess what I am." Then with another snap a cage formed quickly around elson and a deep blue nether flame erupted around each bar. It was not a flame that Elson would easily be able to control, the flames grew hotter and hotter though. "This is my master's trick, it might be a bit harder to control."

Elson found the flames to be extremely hot, even so much so that when he attempted to control them, he found that they literally tried to invade him, sending spasms of heat through his body. The steel was a problem of course, but if Steelheart could get rid of the cage, he would have more time to figure out the best way to deal with the fire. But while he had a couple seconds, he thought of what the girl was repeatedly asking them. What was she. Well, obviously she had all of their powers. Which, in a normal world would be impossible. But this was most definitely looking less and less like a normal world everyday. So was she some kind of an experiment. Figuring it wouldn't hurt to ask, Elson shot the question off. "Were you created in a freakin lab lady?"

Steelheart reached straight through the flames grabbing the cage causing it to fall to peices. "No...she is a mirror."

"Ooh, getting closer with the mirror, that's my original form but do you know what creature's original form is a mirror?" She said stopping the organ's music and turning in her seat. She snapped he fingers at Steelheart and an invisible wave of sound blasted at him. She wasn't about to stop the fight just to see if they knew what she was.

"A mimic. You are a mimic." Elson had found that although the steel was gone from the door, the flame remained burning, but not quite the way he had expected. Instead of the flames falling with the bars, they had retained the shape of the cage, but had become a bit more maleable, and using a bit of his force at a time he stretched two of the bars out enough to step through them. "A mimic. A mime. You are a copycat."

"Okay," She snapped her fingers and the flames blew away. "I am a mimic true and I am a mimic of my word." She snapped her fingers again and the room changed into a straight hallway, no organ, no scorch marks or slashes in the stone walls from the fight, just a straight hallway leading to a flight of stairs. "My master awaits you at the top of the stairs, please do make haste, she wants to see alll three of you soon." She made an evil laugh as she was caught in a blaze of blue fire and slowly melted to reform a mirror although it was unlike any mimic mirror ever seen before. Like it was custom made.

Elson watched all this happen then began walking, "I get the feeling were a bit more wanted than your average revolutionary..." He kept his eyes on the stairs, walking at a steady pace. Curiously, the thought of turning around never crossed his mind. He did after all want to know why this person had taken such special interest in them.

Gale had been blasting away on her orcarena the whole time trying to cause some confusion in the battle, but to no avail. "Sheesh some use i am." She huffed following behind Elson stowing away her musical device.

Elson shook his head at her comment, "You tried, that counts more than anything. And besides that, some heros come from the most unlikely places at the most unlikely times."

"Nope shes right, she is useless." Steelheart joked but kept a serious tone. He stoed his sword and followed the two up the stairs. "Wonder how hiuko is doing?"

At the top of the steps stood a large iron door and as they approached it openned slowly. The sound of an organ came to thier ears but there was no one at the organ. As a matter of fact there was no one at either of the three organs. The stranger thing still was that the organs were paintings of organs. The room was a large octagon and on each wall there was a painting. When the three entered the room the doors behind them shut and looking back the doors they passed through were just another painting. "Ah, lovers of art I see. Now let me guess, Steelheart, Elson, and... your new, ah right Gale." Said a voice out of no where. One of the paintings changed slowly into a mirror. Then Steelheart and Elson from the other side of the mirror stepped out of the mirror, the mirrored version of Gale didn't move. "Sorry Gale, I'm afraid I haven't enough data to make you yet." The voice said again, the others though..." She trailed off as the mirror Steelheart and mirror Elson attacked their real counterparts.


Steelheart rolled back grabbing his mimics shirt and cement mixer rolled him over and back into the painting. But not before the mimic had latched onto his shirt and dragged him in as well. The two slipped in like it was a pool, rippling then settling with a picture of the two latched together hands on each others neck.

"Wahh??" Gale flusteredly scanned the room for the source of the voice.

The Elson that came out of the painting tackled the real Elson right into a painting and they seemed to go inside the painting and become part of the picture. Then the paiting with both Steelhearts and both Elsons turned around revealing a paiting of the room with Gale in it. The mirror had turned and the other side of the wall had a paiting, the same as the others. "Gale, you are an interesting person if my data is correct but I wanted to make sure. Now let me see if I can squeeze in some time to meet you." Then in the paiting Gale was looking at, at that moment, a woman walked up the steps behind Gale but in reality no one was walking up the steps. The woman walked up to the paitning and stepped out of it and into reality. She was wearing a maroon cloak but it was closed enough to cover anything she was wearing under it although her leather boots were obvious. Her hair was snow white and went down to her shoulders. She smiled and bowed saying, "Welcome to my citadel. I am the mistress of magical objects, Maddam Rhinara."

"And i was just leaving.." Gale smiled and tried to walk back to where the door was only to discover it was now a mirror. "Um anyway you could let those two go while i, like, spirit away?"

"Let them go, why they have already left my citadel, you however I cannot let go so easily. Working at that game center and you quit. You do know Ethrin owned that correct? To quit anywhere that Ethrin owns is punishable and he has let me carry out whatever I see fit." She cracked her knuckles, "I do need a new body to experiment with after all."

"I had no choice! it just up and vanished!" Gale shrugged while grasping her tonfa's,seeing as how she wasn't getting out without a brawl. "As for a body, im to good looking to be dead." She smiled before launching a ball of spiraled air at the woman.

"Oh but you quit before it vanished my dear." She said looking over Gale. "Although there is no need to worry, I won't be killing you, unless my scalpal misses." Covered paintings started to appear around the room and Rhinara smiled, "Since you won't come easily though it seems I must subdue you by force." She reached up and grabbed the cover, "Let's see where we are going to fight." Pulling the cover off the painting was the room they were in but Rhinara and Gale were now in a meadow with the sun high above them and the paintings were still flaoting above them. She cracked her neck pulling out metal fans and ran at Gale with an average speed. She was going to try to slash Gale across the stomach.

Gale's one tonfa parried the blow with the flick of her arm and a thrust from her forearm, before she thrust her palm foward with a blast of air for the womans breastbone. Hopefully a one hit K.O. that would end the fight before it started. "I really dont like fighting much."

Rhinara was sent a few feet back and landed sprawled on the ground. She changed form though and a human sized wooden puppet lay on the ground. "I'm sorry dear but you're dealing with the mistress of magical objects." She said crawling out from a covered painting. "I don't lose so easily." Another one of her said coming out of a different covered painting. Then from the picture of the previous room yet another copy of her steps out, not knowing when she got in there again. "I don't like force either darling but I don't thing you're the type who likes experiments done on her... or am I wrong." Then all three opened the metal fans ready to fight.

Gale's face flushed. "Yous sicko perv!" Her tonfas spun in her hand as hse charged Rhinara. One swung horizontally at the fan as the other came straight out at her gut. She the filled her cheeks and unleashed a blast of wind right at her face.

The one she attacked was tacken by suprise by Gale's speed and was knocked back but it was another puppet. One of the other two Rhinara's reached up, pulled a sheet off one of the floating paintings and now the meadow they were in was in the painting and the fighting field was in the canopy of forest at night. The Rhinara's were on two different branched, the paintings floated just above the forest canopy. One of them jumped at Gale an attempt to slash her across the stomach.

Gale furrowed her brow and whistled, focing enough air to put her back enough out of the slashes way. One of tonfa's came down over top of the Rhinara's head, Whileflipping up and over trying to smash a painting with her heel. "These paintings piss me off."

The Rhinara blocked the tonfa with an open fan and even maneuvered it so she could throw it at Gale even quicker. When Gale hit the painting it didn't break but it was pushed away into another painting. When the two paintings hit the covers came off and since they off simulatiously the area changed into a hybrid of desert and tundra. There were ice bergs sticking up out of the sand and there was ice patched over where the sand dunes dipped down into a valley. The paintings were moving erratically around the icebergs so the second Rhinara hitched a ride on one waiting for the perfect time to strike while the other followed up of the tonfa she threw.

"Im tired of this crap!" Gale twisted her hands around her throwing up a storm of sand. She thrust them up pelting the paintings with painful sand blasts.

The Rhinaras were hit hard enough for them to turn back into puppets and the covers blew off all of the paintings but one whos cover was latched on. The area changed into a blank white nothingness. Nothing but the floating paintings and Gale existed for a few minutes in the soundless void of white space but Rhinara shifted into existance. It was like dust came from each painting and collected in one spot where Rhinara now stood. "Well my my you are impatient." Rhinara said looking around. The space gave an eerie echo though there was nothing for sound to bounce off of. "It seems you broke the universe, I think Ethrin must be a touch angry, he like ruling this unverse so much." Rhinara smiled an evil smile and said, "There is a way to fix it, I can't tell you how but I will tell you that you have to kill me in a certain way or just make it easy and become my test subject. Can you kill someone? If so then can you kill me the right way?" Her countanance was maniacal as she asked those questions. "Come now sweety, save the universe." She said reaching for a weapon hidden in his cloak pocket.

"I don't care about Ethrin! I don't care about the universe or any of that other junk. I just want my freinds to be ok. And if that means i blow you away and am stuck here, so be it. Or even become your 'experiment'." Gale wasnt really sure how to advance in this void so she simply thrust both hands back in a swish, driving herself in a tackle at Rhinara.

Rhinara watched as Gale ran up to her and smiled. "So that's how fast you are without the wind behind your feet." She said with a smile as she pulled out a paint brush. "I think you'll be needing to think outside the box if you can't reach the wind." She touched to paint brush to the ground and the ink spread out across the ground in three directions. In two of them it stopped quicker than the third and from the ink arose two stone soldiers out of the ground. They went to Rhinara's sides and the latched and covered painting floated down behind Rhinara as if by her will. The third blot of ink grew for a minute and when finished it turned out to be a gigantic, generic, demon. It looked like a demon you'd see in pictures of nightmares. It blocked the path to Rhinara with one foot which in itself was larger than Gale, just to give a scale of how large he is. The demon then breathed fire at an extremely fast rate towards Gale.

A smile broke Gale's lips. "Tonfa cannon." She squezzed the grip on her tonfa as it sucked in air and released a devastating blast of concentrated air right through the center of the fire and into the demons throat. She spunn and fired off to more with precision right at the soldiers foreheads with enough force to blow apart a tank.

All of the attacked beings were destroyed and blew apart in a cloud of ink that quickly filled the area. The cloud settled but now the space was no longer white but a very dark shade of black from the ink sticking the the blank nothingness. (Sounds wierd but it'll make sense later.) Rhinara's voice could be heard through the darkness. "Oh child, it is far past time for you to accept my offers, I'll just kill you and fix the universe later." The sound of her steel fans opening rang through the everlasting dark and there were footsteps coming from every direction.

"I am not going to be one of your playthings!" Gale spun around firing multiple rounds of concentrated air widly hoping to catch her attacker in the darkness. She is a painting...so in order to beat her i might need to throw her back into the painting.

Out of the darkness one a foot from her the covered and latched painting was coming straight towards Gale and Rhinara was riding on the back of it. The painting was going fast enough to ram Gale hard.

Gale took a page from steel's book and tried something off-handed, hoping the frame was made of wood. She brought her head back and met the frame with a resounding headbut. She simultaneously upper cutted the bottom of the painting and pulled the trigger to her tonfa's air cannon hoping to destroy the painting and Rhinara at the same time.

Gale didn't break the painting but she broke the latch that kept the cover on and the covered painting landed in between Gale and Rhinara.Depite the darkness Rhinara and Gale could see each other clearly and the painting too. Rhinara threw something at the painting to reseal it.

"Oh no you dont." Gale fired a shot at the projectile to advert it. She lept on the painting snatching at it. "You are a painting no? And every painting has canvas."

The painting was a portrait of a skeletal person dressed in the clothes Rhinara was wearing. When Gale held up the painting it became a frame so suddenly that Gale didn't notice because when Gale looked at the painting Rhinara turned into a skeleton. Then suddenly Gale heard a scream and woke up in her bed with Rhinara a few steps away Bangs rammed into Rhinara's back and she fell hard to the ground. How did that thing get in here without us noticing? Bangs asked Gale as she growled at Rhinara, what Gale fought was just a dream cast by Rhinara.

Steelheart was also there beaten to a bloody pulp and using yamina to support his weight. He smiled through a swollen lip and held up a thumbs up. "I got the best of me."

Rhinara hisses and goes after Bang's for knocking her down but Hiuko comes out from the other room and kickes Rhinara out the window. "I hate DreamKillers" He said cracking his neck." Bangs looked out the window and Rhinara lay motionless on the ground below. They are frail, strong, but frail. They try to get victims in thier sleep and kill them with a dream. Bangs thought to the others. It seems we are getting closer to Ethrin, dreamkillers can only stay so far from a large source of darkness. Hiuko nodded and dragged Steelheart with him back into the other room to leave Gale and Bangs to go back to sleep.
The next morning
Hiuko woke up at sunrise and went outside the stretch a bit before breakfast.

An almighty crash came from the library, several hundred thumps coming from within the quiet walls. It sounded like an avalanche of books, and was pretty close to that actually; the living skeleton currently lying beneath them all grumbling slightly at the stupidity of stacking them like that.

Hiuko looked over at the library down the street. He could feel thousands of vibrations and the sound was incredible to him. He shrugged since there wasn't much to do so he walked to the library. He found the pile of books and just from his walking he identified the cause. "Mort, good to see you again." He mobed a few books close the Morts skull so he could talk back but left him to get out of the rest of the pile himself.

"Hang on... where's the damn book..." Mort grabbed a discarded black leather covered book and opened it cautiously; he read from seemingly clean blank pages, then the eyes blacked out as he concentrated. The books were suddenly pushed back by a blow of energy all around Mort, scattering the books around the room again "Hey Hiuko." He dropped the new book into his hoody and looked around again "I really need to find the paranormal books..."

"Good to see your as lively as ever." Hiuko laughed a bit. "Lets see, paranormal books. I'm not really sure about where to find those books, but I think there might be some in older and darker libraries."

"I was looking for a book in order to find the books, however I found this interesting one" Mort thumped at the book currently residing in his chest cavity "I've been reading it for a day and I've started trying to expand my powers." He winced slightly as he looked down at the piles of books "I'd just found one about a library in the catacomes of the church... but this all collapsed." He leant down and began to fish around quickly "Well I've got forvever to find it."

Steelheart tumbled down the stairs. He stood up nochalantly and dusted off. "Rushed all the way down here just to find a pile of bones."

"This pile of bones whipped your ass" Mort reminded him as he began to search around in the books still, flinging books aside as he examined each cover "Are you guys gonna help me look or gonna stand there?"

"Oh I would love to help you find the book you need," Hiuko said sarcastically. He picked up a book and showed the back side to Mort, "Here is this the title you needed, my vision isn't that good today for some reason." He had the smug grin that only came from the blind jokes he could make.

"Well how about Bangs? Where is she?" Mort looked around for the demon cat "I'm sure she'd do it really quick-" He paused and turned the book in Hiuko's hands around, examining the cover. There was a long pause before he chucked it away again "Nope, but close."

"She's asleep still, she takes forever to wake up but I'll just plop her in my rucksack when we leave." Hiuko said picking up a book and acted like he was reading it.

Steelheart formed a pole and beat the ceiling. "Elson! Gale! Come on down theres a guy you should meet." He then started to lazily shift the books with the end of the pole.

"Wouldn't it make more sense to do that in the inn instead of the library?" Hiuko asked as he non-chalantly turned the page acting very interested in the book.

Mort peeked over Hiuko's shoulder and stiffled a laugh "Uhhh... that's a book on the various sexual organs and mating habits of different animals. You might want to put it down..." He turned back to the piles and began to search through it, tossing aside books with red covers, paper backs and anything that had pictures on the cover "It's here somewhere."

"Ya but the pictures are bumpy" He said turning the page, "Oh wait, eww" He dropped the book and picked up another, the words were engraved on the cover so he could feel the depressions, it said "The Christmas Massacre, by Dr. Seuss."

"So the old cat had a tim burton side to him." Steelheart mussed picking through the books.

"Motorbike engineering for the visually impared" Mort sighed, tossing another book aside "The Idiots Guide to Religious Debates... How to make Tea in three easy continents... Y, the arrogant vowel..." Mort sighed as he kept tossing books away, eyes flashing over the cover. Finally he spied it, under a group of it's lose leafed bretheren "Church Almanac: From Altar to Windows". His boney hands wrapped around it tightly, gritting his teeth slightly as a he gave a sudden yank; with a thud he fell back onto the floor, his hands gripping the book... unfortunatley the book was still under the pile. Grumbling he stood up and glared at the pile of book, his eyes flickering out again as he concentrated. The invisable force blasted all but a few off his book, sending them carrerring around the room like psychotic missiles. His eyes flickered back into reality again and he finally picked up his book "FOUND IT!"

"What is it with you and these books anyway?" Steelheart asked peering through mort's shoulder to see the text.

Mort began to flick quickly through the pages "In the mid eighteenth century the church banned all other religious, supernatural or magical texts. They didn't burn them though, they stored them in the old catacomes beneath the churchyard. Problem is... no one can remember how to get INTO the catacomes. So I decided either start randomly digging or start researching." Mort rubbed a few dirty patches of mud on his hoody "The rest of the books fell on me."

"Oh, then there must be an important church around here, I thought that was just the libraries basement, but I don't feel anysteps in the library but there are large hollowed out places underground." Hiuko said moving his foot over the ground to get continued vibrations. "I can't tell what is down there though, its too far down, could just be a flesh eating monster for all I know."

"Well lucky bleeding me" Mort chuckled dryly as he kept flicking through the pages of the book "No flesh to eat. May I suggest you lot guard the door instead of going in then?" He straightened slightly as he began to peer hard at the tiny writing on the page "I think I've found it..."

"Or it may even be an exposed bone eating monster." Hiuko said with a smug grin, "You're not going down there without me, I can't pass up a chance to explore something potentially dangerous."

Steelheart chuckled. "your not leaving me out of this one." He sheathed his sword and bounded toward the door.

"Fine fine, if you guys have a death wish then you can come along" Mort rolled his eyes slightly, or rather the little orbs in the sockets moved upwards "Right, so we have to find the way inside."

Gale glided down the stairs in a huff. "Dont go leaving me behind!"

Midnight was on the other side of the door consumed in fury of locking the stupid door behind her,after she had done that she had noticed that whatever was down there was to hard to fight by herself.She suddenly heard people on the other side of the door so she screamed "HEY OVER HERE THE DOOR IS OVER HERE!"

Steelheart scratched his head. "Did anyone else hear something?" He stutter stepped not sure where exactly to go.

Hiuko looked at Steelheart like he was stupid. "Don't ask me that question, you very well know I hear that." He said walking over to where the voice was. It was behind a bookcase, looking around an overturned bookcase wouldn't be much diffent from what Mort has already done. The bookcase was turned a bit to allow pne person access so he pushed over the bookcase so everyone could see it. He opened the door, although struggled a bit. "Freaking heavy door." He got it open far enough for Midnight to slip through, he knew letting it go would make it reclose itself.

Steelheart scratched his head again. "Wow two people in one room, what was that mimic chick doing holding captives?" He caually knocked on the wall without real purpose and it swung open easily. "Well what do ya know, no force required."

Midnight slipped out the door "Thanks for letting me out, and no she didnt hold me hostage she probably still doesnt know i am here."She said wipeing the soot of her skirt and shirt."I am Midnight by the way"

"Whaaaat ever" Mort groaned slightly, rubbing his skeletal head adn trying not to question how so many people got into the library "Ok, so we need to find the steps down to the catacomes beneath this building. Anyone have any idea how to get down there?"

Steelheart formed a metal boxing glove and haymakered the floor, the stome shattered and the mortar crumbled away leaving a gapping hole. "We make a elevator?" he asked untactfully.

Mort winced and stared at the broken floor, walking over and peering into the darkness beneath. "Well done... but I think that now every single bad creature down there has an escape route... if the building doesn't fall down."

Steelheart, who obviosly hadnt thought before he acted, kinda laughed. "Um...Oops..." He scratched the back of his head. "Skeleton boy first."

Grumbling slightly to himself as he glanced around at everyone, Mort leant forward until he just overbalanced and dropped headfirst down the hole. There was a long wait, then a hard sounding impact. "I'm ok!" he called up from beneath "Just rock down here..."

"You know you didnt have to fall you could just.."Midnight jumps down after Mort"Jump."

"Why jump when you can fall?" Mort asked, shrugging slightly; not that she could see the shrug. The pit was seveal feet below the cracks in the ceiling... or floor... above. It was also pitch dark apart from a shaft of light coming from the ceiling/floor "Does anyone know how to create fire?"

"I do but id need flint and something to burn."Midnight says while looking around couriously.

Hiuko jumped down the hole and joked, "Why do you need fire, I can see perfectly fine." He smiled in the darkness and he scouted ahead, Bangs however stuck with the group after she jumped down.

"Wait, hang on, this'll leave me weak while I do it but we can use it until we find some flint or something" Mort mumbled as he concentrated. Suddenly his eyes flared up like high beams, sending light all over the new surroundings. It was definatley a catacomb, he could tell from the way the skeletons seemed to have been there for a long time; perhaps since construction even. The bones seemed smashed but relatively alright, so that meant that nothing down here could truly hurt Mort... Shame. The place was full of stalagmites and stalagtites, formed together over the years like teeth; the shadows caused by Mort's eyes seemed to cast faces upon the worn rock... some had faces where the skull of a skeleton had been enveloped by a stalagmite as it grew up.

Midnight backed into a rock and screamed as she turned around to see a skull smilling at her.

Immediatley this was followed by a yell of "RACIST!" and an accusing finger pointed at Midnight from Mort, the light shining directly on her now.

From further inside the cave a voice echoed through. "Oy Mort, indoor voice. Your yelling is bad enough without the echo in here." Hiuko said still sensing around the darkness.

"I made your ears bleed Hiuko, why is my yelling disorientating you?" Mort asked, still pointing at Midnight.

Steelheart sighed as he dug his ear out with a pinky. "looks like my grandmas closet."

"Sorry Mort i have nothing against you the skull just caught me off gaurd."Midnight shivered pulling her cloak closer around her shoulders.

"Well lets hope your grandma doesn't keep too many bad creatures in her closet or you're all dead" Mort replied, sighing slightly and rubbing at his smooth skull "Don't insult the dead, bad enough these guys haven't had a proper burial. You don't have to scream at them all the time." He scanned the walls slowly, trying to search for something that could be used as a light "If we can find another light source we could split up and look for clues."

A torch rolled at the groups feet followed by Hiuko's voice saying, "I found a torch." Bangs made her teeth grow a bit and struck her teeth against a rock. That made a spark that lit the fire, but only a little bit. She blew on the fire and it soon grew into a nicely sized flame. She grabbed it side ways with her mouth so it would be upright for someone to take.

Steelheart still walked smack into a a wall causing a small dirt fall onto his head. "I already hate this place."

"You" Mort said, snatching up the torch in Bangs' mouth and holding it out for Midnight to take "go with Gong Boy" just to make sure she knew who she meant he pointed at Steelheart as he slammed into a wall and caused a loud clanging sound. "Hiuko, Bangs and I will head off the other direction since none of us really need that much light to see, so you can take the torch."

"Hey if i was blind or had fireballs for eyes i could see in an underground hell hole to." Steelheart retorted. He enjoyed open feilds and forests not some dank little cave. "Not even cool man." He brushed himself off and went to stand by Midnight.

"Nah, you can too. You just don't know how to use your powers right." Hiuko said, his voice echoeing to mask his location from Steelheart. He walked off, with Bangs and Mort.

"Here take this"Midnight said pratically throughing the torch at Steelheart. "The light burns my eyes and trust me you need it more than me." She said as she walked into the black abiss.

"If you find a monster, scream, if you find some books, scream, if you see a dead guy who's innocently sitting there and you scream, I'll kill you" Mort called out as he turned away and began to walk down what seemed to be an endlessly dark corridor with Bangs and Hiuko.

"This is bull shitte. I have a pact with a god, can minipulate a mountain, have an indestrictable sword, and im the one beeing babied." Steelheart grumbled to himself like a toddler who was told he couldnt watch tv.

Hiuko turned to Mort in the darkness and asked, "So what exactly are we looking for. Something specific or is it one of those things that we won't know the form of until we find it?"

"Well you cant see in the dark AS a cat or like a cat so, your going to need that."She said matter of factly as she shifted in to a a little tabby cat and walked off ahead.

"SHUT UP GONG BOY OR I'LL COME BACK AND KICK YOUR ASS AGAIN!" Mort yelled out to him as he moved off with Hiuko, readjusting his hoodie before turning to Hiuko "There should be some scrolls or books or something written down... that should held explain how to kill me. I think."

Hiuko let out a chuckle. "Not often I get to travel with a man that truly wants to die." He said before stopping. He felt the surface, it was hard rock but not too hard. He focused himself and punched into the ground so hard that it made small depressions around where he hit. He stood back up and said, "There's a staircase going down about ten yards to the left." He said to Mort. Then he nodded to Bangs and she telepathically said to Steelheart and Midnight, "There should be a staircase to you guy's right."

"Great..." Mort grumbled slightly, looking around at the staircase with his softly glowing eyes; he could see it now, a slight indentation in the wall that led further down into the floor. So there were steps there? Looked like the edge of a bottomless pit. "Yes, I told you I wanted to die, that's all I've wanted since this damn thing happened to me. It might at least tell me what mdae me..."

Midnight got the message and meowed (still a cat) back at Steelheart."Come on mister gong boy your slowing me down!"She said and leaped down the tunnel to the right and stoped at the top of the steps, sat down and curled her tail around her paws and yawned. 

Steelhaert fummed. "Ok next one to crack on me gets a a swift metal covered blow to the face." He finished his sentance right before he missed the stairs and fell though the darkness before catching hiself on a crack before he looked stupid.

"I saw that Gong Boy." Hiuko said before jumping into the darkness of the stairwell before Steelheart could catch him Bangs in tow.

"Hehe me too."Midnight giggled as she stuck her tiny kitten head over the hole and looked down in ot the dark abiss."And i think you were a bit to late in the not looking stupid department."

"Redeem yourself and find me a book!" Mort called out loudly to him as he too followed Hiuko down the stairwell; he hoped he hadn't dragged these people ona suicide run. Wild goose chase, he could live with that, he was forced to after all, but a suicide run? Why should they have all the fun.

Midnight bunched up her muscels ready to spring down into the cave ( she thought jumpsing leaping and falling were more fun ways to do things)

"Are you kidding i ment to do that!" Steelheart brushed himself off and looked around to find an enormous room full of catacombs. The Knooks and crannies were stocked to the soxty foot ceiling with tomes written the days gone my. "Wow. hate to have an overdue book from here."

Mort whistled loudly, the echo going on forever as he looked at the mountains of books and scrolls lining the walls, stacking the shelves and slowly rotting various corners. "Alright then..." he mumbled slightly to himself as he looked around "I mean... nothing down here right? I mean nothing could possibly-" There was splintering from deep in the stacks, a cloud of dust flooding the air before going flat in the dead stillness; this wouldn't have been so bad if it hadn't been accompanied by a slick sounding slither and a raspy breath that seemed to encompass every inch of air left in the place. "Alright then" Mort said without a hint of fear.

Steelheart face palmed himself. "Im tired of these mother f@cking snakes in this mother f@cking building." He drew Yaminia instictivly and held it at the ready.

"Snakes... how cliche." He said looking at Bangs. She morphed into her demon form and Hiuko said, "Don't wait up for us." With that he and Bangs ran into the darkness after any snakes Hiuko could feel moving around.

Midnight jumped down changing back into her human form midjump."So what now?and nice vocab Steel ,very sophiticated."

"Hunting..." Mort mumbled, going over to the first stacks of papers and starting to examine them slowly; he picked one up, opened it and glanced at the pages. There were pictograms, strange swirls and beasts he'd never seen before but nothing like him, unless you counted dead people. All the while he tried to ignore the sounds of movement, deeper in the catacomes and very very heavy.

Just then a dead snakes body flew threw the air two inched from Mort's body and smashed into a bookcase. Then a second later Hiuko's voice rang. "Bangs did it!" Did not! Watch where you throw things, it's like your blind. "My throw, you threw it, and I thought cats where supposed to see well in the dark!" Their bickering continued while they fought a couple big snakes, none of too much concern. Any one that knew them knew this was like a normal day for those two.

Mort peered out from behind the debris, staring at the snakes... No there was something wrong with this... He swore... He winced slightly as a very hard and deliberate foot step echoed through the halls from the back "That... is not a snake."

"They feel like snakes to me. What else could they be?" Hiuko said holding open the mouth of one about to eat him. He pushed up and broke the jaw a bit before tossing it aside. I his mind all he could think though was, Please don't say there's a basilisk, please don't say there's a basilisk.

"Then what are they?" Steel asked from inside the belly of one. He swung around a few times creating a gash and crawled out.

"If I could just get close to one..."Midnight murmered as she inched closer to one of the snake like creaturs.When she was close enough she jumped forward and touched the snakes head then julting back as if shocked."I I I I" she stamered"I Cant shift into them its like some force that wont let me"Midnight's eyes were wide with shock."that never happens!"

"Those are snakes" Mort called out, pointing at them with a roll of paper, barely registering the fight "That isn't!" He pointed towards the opposite wall as suddenly if burst in, scattering wood and splinters everywhere as something resemblign a dog stood in the dust. Resembling, because no dog has jaws that split in four directions with teeth lining every edge, three pairs of eyes lining up it's head and wirey black hair so thick it looked fire proof. "I Hate dogs..."

"Oh, that's what that was. I thought that was like, a really big rat or something." Hiuko said now getting better vibrations since the thing was in the same room. Thank god, no basilisk. He though relieved as he went on the offensive. The snake was taken by surprise at the new creatures entrance, Hiuko used this to get around it and pick it up by its tail. "Batter up!" Hiuko called and he used the snake like a bat and his a bookshelf with it. The bookshelf was strong enough to stay in tact and go hurling through the room at the beast. The snake came shortly the bookcase for safe measure. Bangs though switched from the snakes to the dog. In demon form she was larger than it, and in kitten form she was usually stronger than dogs. She knew this was no normal dog though. She waited and watched what it did to the bookcase, snake combo.

Midnight was on the ground rubbing the spot on her forehead where she was hit with a rock.damn dog she thaught as she got up from the spot where she was nocked to the ground.She loaded her bow and started running torward the dog scnice it was distracted with the book case and snake, slid under its belly and sent an arrow digging into it's stomach."Take that J@ckass!"

The dog didn't even seem to notice the arrow, the tip tangling in the tough hair before cracking slightly as he moved around to face Bangs. Sniffing slightly at the strange cat, the dog much bigger than Bangs as they stood on all fours and dribbling slightly down it's long muzzle. It seemed to be smelling her, seeing what she was. His little inquisition seemed interupted however as a book case slammed into the dog's side, making him take a step sideways and look around just in time to catch the snake in it's massive jaws. With a slight crunch it crumpled the snake's skull in it's many hinged jaws; looks like that was what was keeping this place from swarming with snakes.

Steel knew this wouldnt be easy, it was of the demonic nature. He split his massive sword in half to form two one sided blades. "Here boy here boy, whos a good demon puppy?"

Bangs bared her teeth at the dog. She always had a thing against dogs, any dog. This one particularly though had her turning more beast than normal. To make a show of power she reared up on her hind legs, spread her wings out as wide as she could, and let out her roar which would send most normal beasts running. She touched back to the ground watching closly to see how it would respond. Hiuko on the other hand focused on the snakes, he figured there were more than enough people facing the dog demon, so he would handle the reptile extermination.

Midnight dropped her quvier full of arrows and her bow knowing that it would go no were and shifted so that she had black wings that were spotted with dots of white.as the saying goes if you cant attack it you might as well distact it she thaught to her self as she pushed off up into the air sighing.She flew so she way right obove the dogs head reached down took a hand full of the thick hair and pulled with all her might.

The dog blinked at Bangs as she roared and flapped at him, cocking it's head to the side as it stared at Bangs with three set of eyes. It opened it's own mouth wide and roared in return, blood and snake skin splattering out across Bangs and the gap between them. This all stopped as Midnight pounced on the dog's head, it giving a desperate growl as she gripped onto it's hair and bucking forward, threatening to flip her forward.

"Mine!" Steel lept at the now reared up under belly with his blades made of the heart of a god. "Good as skinned." He smiled as he tried to skewer the beast.

Bangs acted quickly as well. She took off, fast as a dragon in flight, and flew over the dog and took Midnight in her mouth. She pulled midnight off the dog and safely away before it had a chance to injure her. Bangs held midnight in her mouth as gently as a mother cat would a kitten. She let her go and watched to see if Steelheart could do anything about the demon. If not she would need to try next.

"Thank you Bangs you saved my life." Midnight said softly her voice full of graditude.Midnight sighed as she thought of away to defeat the demon dog if Steelhearts plan didnt work.

The dog was bucking up and down, and as Midnight was pulled off it and Steelheart slid beneath it felt the earth shift beneath. The dog tumbled backwards, away from the blades and into a pile of wood splinters and scrolls. Shifting up from that spot it shook itself free, sending a shower of large wood pieces and damaged scrolls that seemed to hiss with energy.

"Okay metal head stand back." Bangs thought to him as she stepped forward. She thought to try to talk to it first. Maybe it was a fight she could avoid. "My name is Bangs and I wish to avoid a fight if I can." She thought to the demon dog. She was ready to react to an attack, but she put on a look of being relaxed to show the dog that she didn't want to attack.

Steelheart swore under his breath and let the cat negotiate. "If this doesnt work im make sashimi out of it." He readied in stance ready to leap.

"YOU'RE ATTACKING ME!" the thoughts felt like a sledge hammer between Bangs' eyes, angry and confused as the dog gazed at them all with his three pairs of angry eyes "What the HELL" maybe it was a trick of the light but it seemed that fire flashed across it's bristly back when it said that word "are you doing? Breaking into my sanctuary and causing all this commotion?"

"Sorry, between then snakes that attacked us and you bursting out of the wall. Humanoids tend to panic and these particular ones fight when they panic." Bangs reponded actually calming down a bit. "We're here because we are looking for something for out skeletal friend over there" Bangs indicated by nudging her head in Mort's direction.

"Damned humans..." the dog replied huffily, casting a glance in Steelheart's direction "Think I just arrived down here did they? Think that there wouldn't be a good reason for me to be down here? I'm the guard, I'm meant to keep this place in order. What did they THINK I was doing? Anyway, what about the..." a moment of silence as all six eyes concentrated on Mort "Skeleton want?"

"Ya, he's a living skeleton. So you are a guard correct? A guard against what exactly?" She wanted to make sure the were safe before she powered down to her kitten form and going into detail about why they are down there. Hiuko had finished with the snakes and had walked over to see what was happening. Since no one was moving he figured Bangs was handling things, for the moment.

Midnight huffed and formed an exasperated look on her face, she REALLY didnt like being refered to as human.She slid down the wall she was leaning on into a sitting postion but just as she got comfortable she heard a noise that sounded like the scratching of large claws on rock from the next room. As faint as the sound was she was sure Hiuko had heard it.Midnight looked around the room for any reaction before sliping through a door way that lead to the sound.

"Intruders... extruders" the dog replied, turning his head around slightly at the sound of scratching claws in the next room "So much magic in this place... it builds up once in a while and just explodes. Sometimes it destroys things, sometimes it creates them. I'm here to kill the evil things that the magic creates. You should go after the strange one before she gets killed."

A pircing scream sudenly is heard but it cut off as quickly as it started. There is a deadly scilence and then a loud thud.

Steelheart was half asleep when the scream erupted and he instinct ivly pounced on the dog. However he forgot his sword on the ground.

"Tell him... to get off" the dog spoke quietly but firmly to Bangs "Or I will put him in a pit with steep wet walls and he can see what it's like to be a spider in the bathtub."

"I'll go see what that is." Hiuko said before darting off towards the sound. He noticed Midnight go but he was still concerned that it might be her. The closer he got the more shape the monster got. Bangs pounced and pulled Steelheart off the dog and held him firmly in her jaws. For a second she couldn't control herself, she couldn't open her mouth to let him out. In fact she was fighting the urge to bite into him. For a few long moments she quietly growled at herself as she held Steelheart in her mouth. She relented though and the mouth opened, with Steelheart rolling out. "Sorry Steel" She thought to him. "What is in there?" She thought angily towards the dog. She concerned about what Hiuko was about to face, she was concerned about Midnight being in trouble, and she was concerned about what the magic down here was doing to her, it was making her more feral that much was for sure.

"In there... I believe there are scrolls on necromancy, demons, familiars, sprites and fairies..." the dog replied slowly "This could be anything, the snakes tend to damage scrolls without realising and sometimes release creatures..."

Mort was suddenly thrown bodily through the wall, smashing hard into the old rock and falling through in a shower of dust and stone. "I DIDN'T TOUCH ANYTHING!" he yelled, clearly stating that he did, throwing his hands up in the air as he declared false innocence.

Bangs were fighting her feral urges that were growing stronger and stronger. She changed into her kitten form but it didn't help. She fell to the floor and curled into a ball fighting her urges. "What's happening? Can't you help us?" She plead to the dog. Then Hiuko was hit back into the room, but not by the monster he sensed. "What the," He tapped the ground and his eyes went wide. It was one of the few things he couldn't sense through vibrations for some reason. He used the movement of objects and the air movement to back away from it, but he knew he wouldn't be able to fight it, a basilisk.

"Damned demon snake! I hate it when this happens, snake hits a demonic scroll and BAM, basilisk or medusa appears" the dog said, letting out a low growl as it hunkered down and shut all six eyes. Sniffing loudly it tried to concentrate on where the Basilisk was, but with all the dust thrown up by the humans it was almost impossible.

Midnight was in the room bent over and moaning in pain witha pool of silver blood forming around her that grew bigger every second.She had managed to stab the basilisk in the eye but when it went to bite her head off she moved to slow and its teeth caught her shoulder.

Steelheart reoriented himself. "Oh yeah! i got the giant worm!" He grabbed an old rustic looking suit of armor and it immediatly fumped onto him in a more functional and up to date style. He grasped his swords and lept at the snake knowing the venom wouldnt do any good.

While the snake was distracted, Mort decided to creep along the shadows slowly towards the broken wall. He lept, rolling slightly on the other side and managed to land next to Midnight. Without thinking he pulled off his own rib, using it to cut the sleeve off his thick hoody and binding it around Midnight's wound to try and stop the blood flow.

Midnight looked up at Mort in suprise but didnt fuss. She still had a scared look in her eye, the snake wouldnt have been any trouble for her if there hadnt have been a psionic vampire trying to suck her soul while the snake was distracting her."Psionic vampire.."She muttered going in and out of be consious"went left he went left"She managed to finish but still stayed consious.

Hiuko felt that they all had the basilisk under control so he moved over to the enemy he could 'see'. He stepped in front of the vampire and smiled. "I might not see your attacks," He lifted his head to show his blind eyes, "but at least I can see you." He closed his eyes and reached into his mind, he grasped the barriers of his mind and was ready to break them all at once. No matter which enemy he chose to fought now, it was a truly blind fight for him. He knew wasting time on either would be fatal this fight was all or nothing. He broke the barriers and a wave of power surged through the room. The wave made bookshelves fly across the room or just break from the pressure. It passed quickly though and in a small inch deep crater in the ground, the source of the power wave, Hiuko stood in his counter-stance facing the vampire. "Now its fair." Hiuko said with a now double voice, the second voice sounding a bit more phycotic than the other.

Midnight started to breath uneasy as sh stagered to her feet,"Huiko dont,this is my fight not yours."she glanced at the vampire whos black soulless eyes where glanecing around the room in wild panic."Metal Head do you think you can make a Ankh?"She said spinning on her heel to turn and look at Steelheart.Midnight was feeling much better now that the blood had stoped flowing out,(shapeshifters heal fast!)

Steel was busy wrestling the jaws of the basilisk, its teeth like acid eating the armor. "Not now, bit busy!" He retorted pushing back against the fang with a x formation blade stance.

The dog snapped out as the tail of the basilisk came his way, dragging it backwards slightly so the poison didn't get very far into Steel's armour. "Infernal humans, why must I protect them constantly?"

Mort looked around at the fights going on around; he could seemingly feel the presence of... four different people where two others stood. Hiuko and the strange... vampire thing seemed to be double of each other, every time he looked at them his eyes winked out again and again as if he were blinking. They were just so strange.

"Dog man, thanks for the save, but dont worry i want him to get through." Steel swiftly double foward and severed a fang with a parried retaliation cross slash.

Midnight new she wouldnt stand a chance against the vampire so she took a gaint leap then pushed up when she landed putting out her foot so that she made contact with the soft spot behind the basilisks eye , which is a soft spot for snakes.

It seemed that Hiuko and the vampire were just standing there, looking at each other. However if there was less commotion in the room the others would see the dust of the floor move away from each foot steps. The flickering image Mort was seeing was when they landed in the same spots again. While fighting though Hiuko made a miscalculation and the vampire hit him hard with a psionic blast that sent him through three bookcases. The old images of Hiuko and the vampire were gone now as they were now on the other side of the room. Hiuko got up breathing heavily but that didn't stop him, and again they started to fight again. Bangs was rolling on the floor battling her beastly instinctsbut she finally broke and she could no longer hold herself back. With Bangs conciousness broken Hiuko stopped while fighting the vampire and just stood there with his eyes wide open. Hiuko opened his mouth to object but before he could say anything he smiled as the seal of was broken. With Bangs conciousness gone the seal between them broke and released immense power into the only one able to use it. Hiuko was rushed with power and had changed completely. His head was tilted as he turned to the vampire. He had a wicked and twisted smile and his eyes were filled with a want to kill... everything. Bangs meanwhile had turned completely feral and she changed into her demon cat form and looked from Midnight to Mort wondering which one to hunt.

The demon dog let the Basilisk's tail go with an almost humerous twang as Steel insisted that he should fight it himself. Instead he concentrated on Bangs, her strange behaviour worrying the dog slightly. She was scooped up in the Dog's many directional jaws, but not crushed, just held between the teeth as the words "You are... different... what has happened?" drifted into her mind.

Mort whistled slightly to himself as he gripped the rib he'd cut his hoody with in the exposed arm, approaching the vampire from behind with the intent ro drive it right through it's demonic heart.

Bangs growled as her hair stood on end and became sharp spikes. She struggled around in the dogs mouth, hoping to stab him in the mouth until he let her go. Even if that didn't work would muscle out of his mouth somehow and start attacking the dog however she could to kill it.
The vampire was too quick for Mort to attack as he turned and just the mere look at the rib weapon sent it flying out of Mort's hand. Hiuko tried to snap its neck from behind but it ducked under the grab and hit him with a phyionic blast. It sent Hiuko into a bookshelf and the bookshelf racked back then back forward and fell on Hiuko. He broke through the backing of it though and looked at both Mort and the vampire with rage in his eyes, a small growling sound coming from his throat.

The dog's multi-directional jaws seemed to be holding Bangs' feet and head however, avoiding the spikes on her back. He could feel her writhing however and knew that if she continued to do that she would get free. The dog suddenly began to shake it's head, trying to discourage Bangs from moving by shaking her back and forth.

The rib spun away... then began to fly back towards the vampire like a boomerang. With the same force and speed the vampire had pushed the rib out of Mort's hand it began to circle around towards him again. "Look, as if I have prejeduce against the undead, but seriously, you keep trying to feed and you're going to get killed."

Steelheart, with fang in hand dove into the basiliks mouth thrusting it own fang up through the bottom of its skull and into the brain. "Boo ya!" Steelheart cheered as he climbed out metal sizzling from acidic poision. "One down one to...crap. Not now, of all times." Steelheart looked right past the vampire knowing there was a much bigger problem at hand. "Huiko? Buddy? Are you in there?"

Bangs gre aggitated so she changed into kitten form while being thrown around and she slipped out of the dog mouth. In mid air she changed back into her demon form and stared at the dog with fury. She let out a loud grown and pounce at him swiping towards the mouth to bat it away if he tried to catch her again.
Hiuko didn't even waste a second more thinking. He ran at the vampire and tackled it, the rib sliced a gash in his back when it came around but he didn't feel the pain. He struggled with the vampire on the ground but was knocked off when the vampire made a broken plank of wood run into him. Hiuko tumbled on the floor but quickly regain balance and stayed in a crouched position studying the best time to attack the vampire. The vampire though was stretching his mind out to grab things he could use to defelct all of his opponents next attacks.

"Ok then." Steelheart had to stun everyone quick or huiko and the vamp would make short work of them all. He used what lettle energy he had left to form a massive tuning fork. He quickly struck the nearst wall hoping the crowd would drop to their knees.

The dog growled and dodged back away from the swat of Bangs' paw, not trusting himself to take that blow. He growled slightly and lowered himself down to the floor a bit more before Steel's fork sent out a piercing ring. Yelping he slammed the paws over his ears, shaking slightly as the ringing went on and on.

Mort didn't even wince at the noise, moving forward quickly towards the vampire and raising a fist to try and just punch the damned thing. Would a stake through the heart even work for it?

Not expecting the noise, not Hiuko nor Bangs made the proper adjustments and they both covered their ears. The vampire did the same and couldn't react as Mort slammed the vampire with a punch. The punch made the vampire raise into the air a bit, making a perfect target to shoot something into its heart. Bangs and Hiuko, covering their ear, were wandering around eyes closed slowly making their way to each other unknowlingly.

Mort was so surprised that the blow had struck he almost didn't react in time, normally punches just didn't work usually. He cause himself though, and as the vampire reached it's zenith of flight his hand drove into his own stomach and yanked out his cricket bat. With a sickly crunch the bat was driven into the chest, aiming for the heart with the wooden handle.

Midnight leaped forwarded and draged Mort away from the vampire before it blew up dispersing a blue slimy liqued every were."Lucky for you i was paying attention."She muttered into his ear as she let go of him.

When the noise ended Bangs and Hiuko opened their eye and were starring right at each other. Hiuko took a few steps back wondering what was happening. "I thought you died, that's why I was able to..." Hiuko held his head as the power recineded back into his body and mind. He fell to his knees when he took control again. His senses were a bit fuzzy but he could sense Bangs growling at him from a foot away. "Bangs, Heel!" He said holding out his right palm at her. His right palm bore the seal that connected them and it was glowing bright red. The seal on her back glowed the same and she could barely move. Hiuko struggled to walk over and put his seal to her seal and she fell unconcious and changed into her kitten form. Hiuko grabbed her and sat, back against a bookshelf. He felt a book near his free hand and the title was put in raised words. He felt the words and it read "A series of unfortunate events". He let out a small laugh before he relaxed and felt around to see what the others were doing.


The tuning fork receded onto steelheart glowing softly. He dropped to his knees exhausted. "Ok is the little library trip done? I think the revoked my library card." Hwe attempted a little joke.

"and to think i still love books,"Midnight murmered under her breath as she brushed the dirt off her skirt"Um..so uh thanks for saving me...."she said looking down at the floor embarssed."I should get going.." she wishpered and started inching toward the exit slowly.

"Hold on...whats this?" He motioned at Midnight. His eyes had caught a glint down the hallway. A shimmer reflect what little light illuminated in the cave of a dungeon.

"I'm not sure"she said walking toward the light.She turned toward Steelheart and asked with a rasied eyebrow"Would you like to find out?"

Steel smiled and plinged foward. The shadpws grew longer as they approached. The hall ended into a huge chamber, illumintaed by blinding crystals. Steelheart shaded his eyes from the assaulting light. There in the middle of the chamber stood a intricatedpool of water, a water fall coming from the cieling, and didnt seem to drain anywhere.

Midnight gasped in aw, every thing shimmer with the light of the crystal, even them. "It's so amazing in here dont you think?"she turned to Steelheart with a smile and a shimmering in her eyes.

The large dog like creature let out a resounding "WURF!" at them, warning them not to touch the items down here. After all, it was by doing that that they'd freed the damn psychic vampire.

"Hey, I'm still looking for stuff here" Mort pointed out, sitting among the books and flicking through them slowly "So far all I've found is ye olde porn and how to summon demons with your hands behind your back."

Midnight turned around and grabed a book"what are you looking for anyway?"she asked as she flipped through the pages fastly

"A way to kill me... or at least explain where I come from" Mort said simply, holding a page sideways as he tried to figure out what it was scribbled across it "Science failed me so I'm trying this stuff."

"HEY!!Look! this girl looks exactly like me!!"Midnight jumps up and down holding a book out and pointing to a picture of a girl who did look exactly like her.She reads the paragrah next to her picture and her face turns to stone."oh no...."

"What?" Mort said, slightly annoyed that someone was interupting his time trying to discover how to kill himself. Seriously, he was trying to concentrate, what would be this important?

"It says that i am to help with a quest and die for some hero,right now that hero's lucky i dont no his name."She gritted her teeth and through the book accidently in the dericection of Mort."Stupid book all it has is pictures of snakes,vampire,skeletons and other monster or not normal beinings

Mort snatched the book out of mid air and began to glance through it slowly, flicking the pages as he stared at it "Well, there are several skeletons in here. Maybe it's me?" He scratched a little at the page as if trying to rub something away.

Steel had ignored the rest and approached the pool. He stared down into it the water somehow not reflecting anything back. He cautiously reached into the pool, the water surprisingly warm. The ripples shifted waving out to the edges of the pool and back. As it remerged the ripples formed into the shape of a womans face. "Greetings."

Midnight whipped around and ran over to Steel"No dont listen to her!" She screamed as she grabed Steelheart and tryed to pull him away from the pool.

Steel looked around confussed. "What? why not?" He puzzled. Did Midnight know something? "Younge lady you insult the oracle." The face rang in a melodic voice.

"Your not an oracle"Midnight screamed"YOur a dark wisher and if,"she turned to Steelheart "you had gone in that pool you would be trapped there forever unless you get another living thing to go in"

"How do you know all this?" Steel asked

Midnight lowered her head and looked at the floor."I was one once..." she glanced up looking for a reaction.

Steel was obviously confussed. He double taked first at the face then Midnight trying to make sense of it all.

Midnight grabbed Steel's hand and looked him in the eye"You have to belive me Steel please,"

"Ok, ok. So well what do we do?" Steelheart asked, he wasnt to sure about the circumstances or Midnights past, but her eyes didnt lie.

Midnight sighed "We have to leave...there are two horses outside the library,we have to get away from her as soon as possible."

"Um ok.." Steel turned to leave but stopped abrubtly, his ankle jerking behind him. The water had shifted taking the form of an arm, grasping his foot.

Midnight grabed the hand twisted it so the figure slamed into the cave wall."RUN NOW!"Midnight screamed pushing Steel toward the exit.

Steel started off, but hadnt gotten far. "Stupid ton of metal."

"What's wrong?"Midnight seemed to calm down as she kicked the Dark Wisher in the jaw knocked her back.

"Im just not very fast." He replied sheepishly.

The Dark Wisher got up and ran towards Midnight.

Midnight sighed as she threw the Dark Wisher back."Just go get on the horse and kick."She took an ipod out of her bag"You should go ya know,"She said as put her ear phones in and pressed play and started listening to The Art of Losing by American Hi Fi.(Music helps her focus.)

The Dark Wisher through a pounch at Midnight

Midnight leaned to the side and used that momentum to do something like a standing still cartwheel hitting the Dark wishers arm totally in the zone and oblivious to every thing else.

Steel turned, he couldnt leave midnight behind. He drew Yaminia and launched into the fray. He dashed foward slicing down on the arm.

The Dark Wishers arm was sliced but it just formed back together like water."A sword you dont really think that will help you do you?"The Dark Wisher laughed evily.

Midnight turned to glare at Steel"I told you to stay out of this,what is you head made of metal?" she hissed at him.

"No im actually pretty smart." Steel smiled, he concentrated a a baseball size piece of metal, forcing all hin energy into it. I started to glow a bit then faded. "Lets see how her water body likes a chunk of sodium metal." He chucked it at her amorphis form.

The ball hit the Dark Wisher and it blew up and the Dark wisher evaporated

Midnight smirked at Steel "Nice use of metal metalhead."Sher giggled and said "Why dont we go?"

On the other side of the room Hiuko and Bangs had recovered and were waiting for the others. "You guys might want to hurry," He said as her heard the vapors pulling back together. "She's not done yet and if anything Mort's the only one of us I'll let die in here." He said with a smile. Bangs changed into her demon form and crossed the room over to them in a single bound. Her wings folded in and she thought to them. "Come with me if you want to live."

Midnight smiles and ruffels Hiukos hair as she runs by laughing."Come on terminator!"

Steel sprinted along side. His weight clanking on the floor, each step cracking. "Guys...." The he was gone as the floor gave way from his metallic load the cracks spreading to his cohorts.

Bangs was about to dive down to help him but the floor gave way under her as well and Hiuko fell too only a second later. Bangs was tumbling around through the fall and thus couldn't spread her wings to help the others that fell.

The group hit the stone floor with a thud, the area was completly blank except for the bobbing pinlight emerging from the darkness. Steelheart rubbed his head to clear the jumbled braincells."Wha?" He shook his bearings back.

The blue glow seemd to bob back and forth as it approached. The shuffling of feet could be heard. 

"OH GREAT THIS DAY IS JUST AMAZING!"Midnight yelled in an agravated tone from where she was hanging twenty feet up clinging to a rock graviling to get a grip on the stones.

The light came forth seeming to be emitting from the eye of a bent old woman, shrivel cane in hand. At four foot her form was covered in a tattered green robe. Her ancient face seemed to accomodate a glowing orb for an eye. She bent her knobby knees and sprang into the air with the agility to put huiko to shame easily snatching bangs and landing gently putting the cat down.

Midnights hands start to slip and she comes falling down with a bunch of rocks following her causing a big cloud of dust.

Bangs looks up at the woman with puzzlement and thinks to her "Thank you." Then behind Bangs Hiuko lands with a rather loud crash. "Keep it down knucklehead!" She yelled at Hiuko. Then hearing Midnight she changed into her demon cat form she shot up to Midnight but not quick enough, Bangs flew into the could of dust and bit down softly on to the closest part of Midnight she could find. When she flew her out of the dust Bangs was biting down on Midnight's shirt sleeve. "Sorry about that, hold on." She swung Midnight around and up on to her back so she could ride down with Bangs to the bottom. Once there Bangs changed back into kitten form. She walked over to Hiuko who was still on the ground, in a slight depression he made from his landing. She looked at him lying down and thought to him, "Lazy."

"Thank you ba..."Midnight stared at the old woman."Uh when did she get here?"
she looked back and forth between the old woman and her companions utterly confused.

"She caught me as I was falling" Bangs replied, Hiuko was slowly getting up from the dent he made in the ground. "I can atest to that, I don't think I've ever felt so many vibrations." He said as he sat himself on the ground, his senses slowly coming back to him.

"What is that supposed to mean..."Midnight glared at Hiuko leting the question hang in the air.

"I can sense vibrations in the ground." Hiuko said casually, not revealing his blindess to her. Its not that he was embarassed by it, but the longer it remained a secret, the better the reaction. "Anyway, may I ask who you are ma'am?" He asked the elderly woman.

The woman seemed to shake as she waved toward what seemed to be a cave hidden in the shadows, a small fire almost nonexistant. "The comotion upstairs means you met my imposter. Come Huiko, Bangs, Midnight, and steelheart i have been waiting for you, i have been called the oracle."

Hiuko and Bangs followed her in silence, although they both thought, Oh great another "oracle"... ya for cliches

The woman turned with a smile. "Now now, huiko, i am not another one of those side shows. I am the original." She winked knowing no one else could have known what their linked minds where thinking. She turned back to the fire. "And yes i do have something to eat Steelheart." She pulled a pot of what apperaed to be stew from the fire and preseted it to the group. "Now then i have some inportant knowledge to share with you."

Hiuko sat down in a good place and passed on the stew, he was still good on food. Bangs jumped into his lap and curled up. They both sat there wondering what she wanted to tell them.

Steelheart helped himself to a good share before sitting next to huiko with a puzzled look on his face.

The woman to a long breath and began. "I have beenhere in this cave since life began, ironically it started here. This was once what was called the garden of Eden. I was selected to watch, this world grow, its inhabitants survive. I was bestowed with the skashkik records, knowledge of all, and to make sure that the events recorded played out. I have seen the first great wars, the rise of nations and the fall of peoples," She pausedglancing at takato, "The ccidents of mortals," Looking at mort, "The bonding of souls," nodding at huiko and bangs, "and the bonage of others all with this eye." Her final statment towards midnight, pointing toward her glowing eye. "I know your journey is to elminate the dictator ethrin, but here is where the records become muddled. His powers has vecome so great that it has distorted the records of time." Her face became sullen. "But i see a bright future for this band of freinds, so you must succed. However you will need help."

"and what help would that be?" Bangs asked still curled in Hiuko's lap. Hiuko jostled his legs a bit to nudge Bangs, basically it meant shut up and she'll tell us.

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?"

Ethrin's Reign: The Final Stand