Author's Note:
-insert generic "Sorry for the short chapter" excuse here-
Chapter Nine: Hellion
"But… that can't be… you're dead," Garcia said, her hands shaking at her throat.
"Yet here I stand. Strange… isn't it?" Foyet said, chuckling.
"Who is this man?" asked Mitsuru. "Garcia, is he a Shadow?"
"I… I'm not sure," said Garcia. "But he's evil… I know that much."
"Come now… 'evil' is such a subjective term… to you I'm evil, to me… I'm perfectly normal," he said.
"Cut the bullshit, Foyet," Hotch snarled. "It won't work here."
"How very rude of you," said the Reaper, frowning. "After all, Aaron, the reason I'm here… is you."
"Yes," said Hotch, stepping forward. "I sent you to Hell and I would do it again, given the chance. Clearly, it hasn't stuck."
Foyet merely chuckled, stepping out from behind the splintered remains of Hotch's old dining room table. He had no weapons on him, but that didn't assuage Hotch's fears in the least. When dealing with the Reaper, one could never be too careful about what could be coming his way.
"Now, now, Aaron…" said Foyet, his twisted smile playing across his face. "You're not letting me finish. What I meant is… the reason I've turned up here in this house is because of you. I am a part of you. I am always with you."
"Nonsense," replied Hotch, revolted by the thought. "You aren't a part of me-."
"Agent Hotchner, wait!" cried Yu.
"What is it?" he asked, not taking his eyes off Foyet's smirk.
"He's a Shadow… and a powerful one at that…" Garcia muttered.
"Yes… this is just like before… he's your Shadow… the part of you that you don't want to face," Yu explained.
"Shadows… a part of us…? That… is horrifyingly intriguing," Mitsuru muttered. "We knew that they were originally born of human emotion, but to manifest as a part of a human's psyche…"
"He speaks the truth, Aaron," said the Reaper, slowly moving forward. "You know I've never left you. Why don't you tell them, then? About the times you wake up, crying and shaking. The nightmares. The difficult questions form Jack. You know… he and Hayley are here… and I could easily kill them both again…"
"Don't you dare," said Hotch, his voice dropping to that dangerous level. Then, he glanced at Garcia. "Do you detect anyone else here?"
"No," said Garcia. "Just us and Foyet."
Foyet chuckled. "I doubt you can sense them. But, no matter, once I destroy you, I can take my time with them… carve them up just the way I used to..."
Hotch took a swing at Foyet, striking just below the left eye. But as he did so, he felt as if he himself had been struck in the face; his cheek throbbed. Foyet merely laughed at this as Hotch, again, struck the man, this time feeling the wind knocked out of him. Foyet, though doubled over, didn't lose the smirk on his face.
"See? I've told you before, Aaron, we are one in the same. I am a part of you," said Foyet.
"Narukami. What's going on? Why can't I hit him without getting hit myself?" snarled Hotch, struggling to regain his breath.
"… it… may be that you have to reject the Shadow…" muttered Yu, his brow furrowed in concentration. "That's how we defeated the Shadows of our own in the TV world. Reject them, they become their own beings… and then we can destroy them that way. But they also get incredibly powerful."
Garcia shifted uncomfortably in Hathor's Technicolor bindings. "And… if I may be cliché for a moment, though I doubt any of you understand this… his power level is already off my charts… you could say it's… over 9000…"
There was an awkward pause where Foyet, Hotch, and Mitsuru looked confused, and Yu just sighed. Garcia cleared her throat awkwardly and instead turned to face Hotch.
"So, Aaron… do you think you'll be able to defeat me, once you've released me? Do you truly believe the darkness, the constant doubt and fear you hold within you, can be defeated by your pitiable sense of 'justice?'" taunted Foyet.
"I do," said Hotch. "No matter what you say, no matter how many times hitting you hurts me… I can say with utmost certainty that you are not me."
Foyet began to laugh. And the laughter continued to grow stronger as he became surrounded in a dark mist. The walls around them trembled as the energy of dozens of Shadows broke through, entering Foyet's body. Soon, he was nothing more than a black silhouette with demonic, glowing eyes. Garcia grunted in frustration.
"I… I'm sorry, I can't do a clear reading on him," she said. "He's too strong… I can't see his weaknesses…"
"It's okay. We'll find them out ourselves," said Hotch.
"Don't be a fool, Aaron," said the Reaper, his voice echoing with a low and dark growl. "Embrace the dread within you… let yourself be consumed by it… you know it's only a matter of time anyway…"
"ODIN!" roared Hotch.
A bolt of electricity struck Foyet, who grunted and stepped back. His lips formed a smile as red as his eyes, and he muttered something demonic under his breath. With a flash, he was surrounded by a blue dome, which blinked out in front of them.
"I see you will not listen to reason. Very well, then. Good-bye, Aaron," said Foyet.
A blast of ice ripped through the air, striking Odin. The Persona was knocked back into a wall, and Hotch followed, slamming against a china cabinet. He groaned as he climbed to his feet. Already, Mitsuru was having Artemsia heal him, and Yu was charging at him with a huge, hulking Persona that reminded Hotch forcibly of an ancient clay pot.
"You have to be careful; he can attack with ice!" Garcia exclaimed.
"Thanks, Garcia," grumbled Hotch, shaking his head as the healing light surrounded him. "Anything else you'd like to announce?"
"I think he can use fire as well, so you should be careful as well, Kirijo-san," said Garcia.
"I shall do that. Any info on weaknesses?" asked Mitsuru.
"It's… it's strange, but I thought electricity, but Hathor's showing him as being highly resistant to it. I don't know what's going on… but Yu's fire doesn't seem to be doing much…" said Garcia.
They saw Foyet dodge Yu's sword attack, but when his Persona sent a wall of flame into the Shadow, it only seemed to hurt a little bit. Instead, Foyet merely grinned and sent a blast of ice at Yu and his Persona, who groaned as they were slammed back. Hotch ran forward and took out his pistol, aiming at Foyet's face. The Reaper turned to him and the terrifying grin spread back across his face.
"Come now, Aaron… you know bullets won't work on me," he said.
Hotch didn't let him answer and instead began to open fire. Foyet recoiled a little as each bullet hit him, but it didn't seem to do much to him. When Mitsuru fired a Bufudyne at him, it barely seemed to make a scratch. A frustrated Garcia announced that his strength had returned and the damage they were doing was minimal.
"Clotho!" cried Yu.
The burst of wind caught the Reaper by surprise, but he immediately countered with what Garcia called an Agidyne spell, which knocked Yu to the ground. Mitsuru jumped over to cover him, and Hotch tried again with Odin, this time sending the Persona roaring forward with his spear. Foyet smirked and dodged the spear, grabbing Odin by the neck. Hotch suddenly felt his breath restricted.
"Now, Aaron, you should just relax… here… I'll help…" said the man.
Hayley's scream began to replay in his head. He could hear Jack crying out for him, his team members calling for him, and, through it all, Foyet's face as he prepared to slip the knife into Hotch's body once again…
"HOTCH!" screamed Garcia, her voice louder and clearer than the others. "Snap out of it!"
"What's wrong with him?" he vaguely heard Mitsuru's voice. The echoes bounced off his skull.
"He's too afraid… his vitals are all over the place, I don't think he's responding right…" Garcia's voice fell in and out.
"Damn," snarled Mitsuru. "Artemsia doesn't have the skills to cure that…"
"Hurry… hurry…" taunted Foyet into Hotch's mind. "For the Fear will be the death of him…"
Something was coming. A distant wail, cutting through the world around them drawing closer. Hotch could feel his chest tightening as his heart raced, far beyond what it should have been able to do. Whatever it was, Hotch knew, it was too horrible to even think about… and he knew that, once it go there, it was all over for him.
"You'll see Haley soon," said Foyet. "Send her my regards."
"ME PATRA!" cried Yu.
Just as the wail was about to reach its crescendo, Hotch's mind cleared. He fell to the ground as a wave of darkness rushed over him, the wail more of a distant whisper of wind. He stood up, though shakily, and was surrounded by the healing light from Mitsuru again.
"Are you okay, Agent Hotchner?" asked Mitsuru.
"I… what was that…?" asked Hotch.
"He can cause great fear in your soul, crippling fear, even," said Mitsuru, kneeling next to him.
"And he can use it to his advantage… to kill… whatever that spell was, Hotch, you almost died," Garcia said, practically in tears.
"Very clever, little boy," said Foyet. "But I think it's time to end this charade."
He raised his arm and a wave of dark energy encircled Yu. Garcia screamed at him to run, but Yu couldn't move in time. The dark glyph sealed around him, exploded, and, with a cry, Yu fell to the ground.
"NO!" shrieked Garcia.
"Heh heh heh… never stood a chance," said Foyet. "Now, onto you…"
"Wait a minute… Hotch! Strike now!" screamed Garcia. "Electric!"
"Odin!" Hotch wasted no time in shouting.
A peal of thunder and a bolt of electricity struck Foyet, knocking him to the ground. Mitsuru stepped forward.
"The enemy is down. Let's finish this," she said.
"Garcia?" asked Hotch.
"Get him while he's weak," said Garcia.
Odin and Artemesia, as well as the bullets and sword pierces from Hotch and Mitsuru, rent the darkened, shadowy flesh of Foyet. By the time he could recover, he was covered in angry little red marks, punctures, and cuts, the same shade as his eyes. He swore and stumbled backwards.
"Heheh… now I understand…" said Foyet. "I've got your moves figured out… now… you will die…"
He was surrounded by the blue dome again, which flashed and disappeared. Garcia gasped. He had increased his electric resistance again. They were preparing for another cycle when, quite suddenly, Yu leapt up from the ground.
"Electric Break!" he shouted.
"What?" came the surprise shout from Foyet, as the blue area around him seemed to collapse.
Even before Garcia could tell him to, Hotch had Odin already charging another, powerful bolt of electricity. It struck Shadow Foyet directly in the head, once again knocking him down. This time, Mitsuru, Yu, and Hotch all teamed up to take out the already destroyed Foyet. When their onslaught was finished, he lay in a heap on the ground.
"So… this… is how it ends… again…" he muttered. "Nothing… but a bloodbath… on the altar… of your family…"
Hotch didn't say anything, staring down at the prone, disfigured corpse of Shadow Foyet.
"You have to accept him," Yu said. "It's a part of you, yes… it doesn't necessarily define you, though."
"You're correct," said Hotch. "Foyet. You will always be in me. But if you think I'm going to let you take me over, you are sorely disappointed. I already said it, didn't I? I've sent you to hell once before, and I'll do it every time you rear your head in my life."
The Reaper merely gave him a sound halfway between an impatient sigh and groan, before he began to disappear. Once he was completely faded away, the air around Hotch's house grew brighter and less dense. Then he saw just how much damage was done to the house itself. One wall had all but collapsed, and any remaining furniture in the room had been reduced to kindling or ashes.
"I… don't sense anyone else here," said Garcia. "I think it's safe to move on."
"Yes. I'd like to vacate this place as quickly as possible," said Hotch, turning and leading them out of the house. Nobody spoke for a while.
"How do you feel?" asked Yu, finally breaking the silence.
"I feel fine, actually," said Hotch. "Considering what just happened, I'm not even that sore."
"That's amazing," replied the young man. "Normally defeating one's Shadow drains that person's energy for days."
"We should continue, then. Miss Garcia, did you say you sensed another of your party in that direction?" asked Mitsuru, pointing off into the wires and mist.
"Yes. I think it's Morgan. He's not alone, either, but I can't tell who else is there with him," said Garcia.
"Good, at least he has company, in case his own Shadow shows up," said Mitsuru.
"Actually… I'm pretty sure Morgan is the opposite of happy about that," said Hotch, with a sigh. "Let's go meet up with them and… I guess we'll go from there."
Author's Note:
-Insert generic "please stay tuned" message here-
