"Didn't think I'd be down here again." Sherman muttered as he ran down the stairs. He followed a long corridor until it turned to the right. "Damn labyrinth." Sherman pulled out a pistol and continued on his way, taking a deep breath. "Woodpecker! Woodpecker, can you hear me?"

There was no answer, causing Sherman to curse. The wooden walls, floor and ceiling suddenly merged into rock, indicating to Sherman that he was already off the ship. Now Sherman went slower, careful of anything out of the ordinary. With the labyrinth, you didn't know what could happen.

Sherman suddenly stepped back as the floor opened up down into a dark hole. He let out a breath of relief, which was soon stopped as the floor he was standing on seemed to tip. Sherman plummeted down the hole, which was actually angled like ramp. He slid down for a few seconds, before landing on his back at the base of the floor.

Sherman groaned before picking himself up and looking around. Immediately his face went pale. The floor was covered with what looked likes straw, while the walls were covered with brackets of fire latched onto the wall by bolts.

"Just my luck..." Sherman whispered.

XXX

"Guys, look, someone's coming." A younger Sherman said, pointing down the tunnel.

"Thank god for some action." One of the men in the group said. "This labyrinth is driving me crazy."

The figure indicated lumbered towards them, an oddly disfigured chest and head, with something like a wooden club hanging from its hand.

"What the hell is it?" Another asked.

"No matter. This is enemy territory." Marston said, who had come down with the group.

The group were just about to attack when all the fires went out, leaving utter darkness. Silence reigned for a few moments, before a sudden scream caught everyone off guard. Other screams followed, thuds echoing around the area.

"Brother!" Marston called out.

"I'm fine, I'm he-" Sherman was cut off as he felt a powerful force on the back of his neck.

XXX

"Where are you!" Sherman called out, sweating slightly as he swept his pistols across the area. "I know your here Kaspar, show yourself!"

Tap. Tap.

Sherman stiffened at the sound of something being hit against the wall.

Tap. Tap.

The sharpshooter swept his pistols around in a circle trying to spot whoever the owner of the noise was.

"You... I killed you..."

The raspy voice shook Sherman down to the core as it echoed around the room.

"S-So it is you Kaspar." Sherman called out. "Are you going to let me go through freely?"

"Freely? Mistaken... you will... suffer."

Sherman narrowed his eyes. "Oh really?"

In reply, the torches suddenly blew themselves out, leaving them in the pitch dark. Sherman caused and strained his ears to hear anything. It didn't help though as a heavy club smashed into his side causing him to let out a gasp of pain as ribs cracked. Sherman rolled across the ground in pain, blood spitting from his mouth.

"I'll kill you again."

Sherman quickly rolled to the side as the club smashed into the ground, creating a large hole. He stood up and pulled another pistol from his coat and fired in that direction. The flashes indicated that the disfigured figure was at the far end of the room.

"Got you!"

Sherman fired off shot after shot, flashing up the darkness with every press of the trigger. However it seemed that after every flash, Kaspar grew closer and closer. Finally with the final bullet disappearing into the darkness, the bull's head with sharp horns was straight in front of Sherman.

Sherman let out a yell but was quickly silenced by a club to the stomach, causing him to wretch and collapse to the ground. 'No... No, I can't... not again.'

XXX

Sherman stared upwards into the light in surprise. Letting of a small yawn, he turned to the side to see Marston sitting against a rock staring across the mountain.

"Br-brother?"

Marston glanced to his side to see Sherman awake. "You're awake. Good. Help is coming."

"What's wrong?" Sherman asked but got no reply. "Something's wrong. What is it Marston?"

"Nothing." Marston growled.

"You always sound like this when something's wrong." Sherman tried to sit up, but that was when the pain suddenly came back to him as if he were shot. He screamed long and hard, echoing around the mountain. Not just of the pain, but realising that he had lost both his left arm and left leg. All the fingers on his right hand were broken, while the bones were cracked in his remaining leg. Finally there was a large dent in the middle of his chest from the ribcage buckling inwards. The screaming stopped as Sherman's eyes looked wildly around. "I-I, what happened, brother, why am I ..."

"Be quiet." Marston said quietly, tipping his hat over his eyes so they couldn't be seen. "You're wasting what little energy you have."

"Wha-"

"You're dying. A miracle you haven't." Marston said. "The amount of blood lost, your ribcage buckled in. You're living on borrowed time brother."

"M-Marston...?" Sherman said weakly.

"That guy left us, thinking we were dead. Only thing I could do. He left, and the labyrinth deposited the bodies here. I-I buried them while you were out."

"Marston! Sherman!"

Marston looked up to see Jackal, Dett and another doctor running up the trail. He looked down again once they saw Sherman.

"My god..." Dett muttered, immediately kneeling next to the broken body of Sherman. "Grey, come on, help me here."

The other doctor, Grey, nodded and started working with Dett. For a moment Jackal watched, before looking back to Marston.

"He's not going to survive." Jackal said lowly, looking down at Marston.

"No."

"What do you want me to do?"

"What do you mean?"

"You know what I mean kid. With my powers I can essentially bring him back."

Marston shook his head. "That'd be a waste. Sh-Sherman ain't a powerful warrior unfortunately, he-he..." Marston stopped, breathing hard.

"Kid, I know what you're thinking." Jackal said lowly as he stared at the doctor's trying fruitlessly to do what they could to help Sherman. "Me bringing back your brother would be confirming he's dead. However, he'll have his memories and some of his abilities. It's a powerful fruit, and while it's true I can't waste it, Sherman has proved that he's a warrior, if only on surviving those injuries." Jackal glanced back to Marston, and was surprised to see tears down the man's cheeks.

"Please..." Marston said through gritted teeth. "Please bring him back!"

Jackal nodded and stood up walking over to Dett. Dett shook his head indicating it was useless.

Jackal nodded again but knelt down next to Sherman. Sherman looked up into the mayor's eyes.

"M-Mayor Jackal...?"

"Hey kid. Not looking to good, eh." Jackal said with a small grin, before placing a hand gingerly over Sherman's heart before motioning to Marston.

Marston understood and placed a pistol in Jackal's hand. Jackal carefully put it under Sherman's chin. "I'm sorry. It won't hurt."

Tears sprung to Sherman's eyes as he realised what was happening. He watched as some kind of mist swirled around Jackal's hand on his chest, before the pistol was fired.

XXX

Sherman grimaced as he rolled to the side again, just managing to dodge Kaspar's attack.

"Not again you fuckin' bastard!"

The room suddenly lit up as a spread of bullets crashed into Kaspar's chest, throwing him to the ground in surprise.

Sherman looked to the side to see none other than Marston and Diego standing by a doorway.

"What's up partner?" Marston said with a smile. Both he and Diego were carrying torches, which carried light a good distance.

"Brother!" Sherman exclaimed.

"Just stand back. I ain't gonna risk you going again." Marston handed his torch of flame to Sherman, before pointing two pistols as Kaspar. "Let's rumble partner."

(Thanks to Yajuu Kikuishi, L-R-D, Dthehalfdragon, and Draco Oblivion for the reviews!

Next time on OPNN – New Trust: Woodpecker finds herself facing the shipwright couple of the Maze Pirates, as Eden is thrown into danger as she meets face to face none other than Morbius.

Till then!)