Dragon's Fury

Chapter 12: Bloody Crossroads

"We need to hurry up and get out of here!"

The hustle and bustle in the underground chamber was abundant as people made hurried preparations to leave. Crates and equipment were being loaded on trams that would exit through a tunnel out of the city far from their origin beneath the Imperial Hotel.

Still the noises of the background were overpowered by the rage of one Stewpid Cupid.

"Patience", Sales Pitch said calmly. "We'll be gone before they reach this place."

"I'd be more confident if that SUV team you'd sent had done a better job of delaying them. But the real problem is that all we have standing between us and them is that delusional religious whack job."

Sales Pitch nodded.

"Yes in that regard I understand your concern; however I can assure you that Jonah will be able to hold them at bay until we depart."

Stewpid looked out over the massive chamber as the last of the supplies were being loaded onto the trams.

"That nutcase better have one hell of an ace up his sleeve." He grumbled.

Sales Pitch grinned knowingly.

"Oh he does, he does."

There was an awkward silence in the fully loaded Utonium family vehicle as Bunny drove it towards the outskirts of the city.

The Professor, Margaret and Blossom sat in the back seat while Bunny drove and Bubbles rode shotgun with Ferratus on her lap.

The blonde had been completely silent since they had left. Her normally sunny and radiant disposition was now blank and cold, as though her soul had been sucked out.

Bunny parked the car in the parking lot of a deli and told everyone to get out.

"Why are we stopping here?" the Professor demanded. "Why not just drive up to the Hotel?"

"Oh there's an idea", Bunny said condescendingly. "Why don't we all just walk up to the door and ask the receptionist if Buttercup is there and hope she doesn't pull out a machine gun."

The Professor scowled.

"I think you're exaggerating."

Bunny turned around and glared at him sharply, indicating she was dead serious. Then she turned back and resumed her walk toward the hotel in the distance.

The Professor stood still, wondering what he had gotten himself into while the others passed him, including Ferratus who hissed as he passed.

The Professor grunted and followed.

Bubbles walked alongside Bunny with Ferratus just behind them.

With her superior hearing Blossom could hear Bunny quietly ask Bubbles how she got out of the lab.

Bubbles seemed to hesitate for a moment, perhaps deciding whether she should tell her or whether to talk at all.

Blossom saw Bubbles shoulders relax, indicating she would tell.

"Well I remembered in science we learned about resonant frequencies so I thought if I could match the frequency for the door with my sonic scream then I could get out."

Bunny let out a low whistle. "I'm impressed." Blossom was also impressed.

To do that Bubbles would have had to scream at a very high frequency beyond the range of her own hearing most likely. Although the design for the vault was clearly flawed it was still an impressive and inspired escape.

A low rumble was heard and a familiar red car passed them and pulled into a small parking lot in a convenience store just beyond the line of trees that separated it from the Hotel grounds.

"See, he parked closer and his car's a lot more conspicuous than ours." The Professor argued.

"He has a good reason", Bunny growled. "Chiefly among which is that his car could turn a modern tank into a pile of thumb tacks. Now stop whining, you're here only as a curtsey and you're alive only because Buttercup may want the pleasure of killing you herself."

That cut very deep. Even though they weren't directed at her Blossom could feel Bunny's sharp words slicing into her parents adding to the wounds they already had. Blossom waited for Bubbles to add salt to those wounds but fortunately the Blonde remained silent. She hadn't even blinked at what Bunny said.

They walked on into the parking lot of the convenience store and met up with Will and Mandy as they exited the car.

"You caught up with us pretty quick", Bunny commented.

Will shrugged.

"Well all you had was a Camry. That aside do you have any extra info?"

Bunny shook her head.

"Nope, we're pretty much going in blind, but I called for help."

"Excellent."

"Hey, how about including us in this conversation." The Professor demanded.

Will glared ice cold daggers at him and then looked back at Bunny.

"Why'd you bring them along? I can understand the girls but-"

"They said they wanted to see the truth for themselves."

"So why didn't you send them into the hotel?"

"Cause they might be killed."

"Saves me from having to do it."

"Dray!"

Will turned away.

"Whatever, let's get this show on the road. I have a wife and kids to rescue."

The Professor clenched his fists angrily and was about to retort but Bunny stopped him.

"You've gotten away with your life so far. Don't push it."

Reluctantly the Professor backed down, he knew well enough by now that Bunny wasn't exaggerating.

Blossom thought it was a bit hypocritical of her sister since she had made a similar threat only moments ago.

"Blossom could you come here for a minute?" Bunny asked.

Slightly surprised by her request she walked over to her and Bubbles though with a hint of caution. Then almost immediately an arc of cerulean energy shot through the air where she had been standing scant seconds before.

Blossom whirled around and was shocked to see her parents encased in a strange blue bubble.

"It's alright", Bunny told them. "It's just a stasis field. It won't last long."

"Ha! You cannot underestimate my technology!"

The sisters whirled around again just in time to see something get yanked down into the bushes that separated the convenience stores parking lot from that of the Hotel.

"That sounded like Billy", Blossom said.

Mandy shook her head in disbelief.

"Nah that couldn't have been. He's out cold back home."

It was then that a familiar figure emerged from the bushes, wearing purple body armor that accentuated her feminine curves. Her amber eyes showing a hint of irritation though not apparently at them.

"Gaz?", Bubbles said shocked.

"Yep, it's me."

More then began to emerge from the bushes, a surprising number actually. Blossom was able to recognize Adelaide and Rayza but the others were completely unfamiliar.

"Why are you guys all here?", Bunny asked. "I just called a little while ago."

"We were already here", Gaz replied thumbing over to a boy wearing all black medieval styled armor and an enormous sword on his back. He had jet black hair and piercing red eyes. He looked none too happy.

"Garth!" Bunny and Will exclaimed at once. "What are you doing here?"

"They took Princess!", he growled. "I called for help in getting her back."

"How'd you track her here?" Will asked.

"Fool!" a voice yelled from the bushes. "Tracking her bio signature was child's play."

The puffs recognized the voice as the one that had yelled out before Gaz had emerged from the bushes.

The small creature had green skin and pair of long thing antennae, his body covered in deep purple and red body armor. The top of his head only reached up to Gaz's chest. An alien?

He was clearly the source of Gaz's irritation as it flared in her eyes when he spoke out.

"Zim", she growled in a low threatening tone. "I've told you countless times to keep your ego in check."

Zim grinned smugly.

"It is not my ego that speaks, merely a statement of fact."

Gaz's lips curled in a snarl but she said nothing.

Blossom noted that Gaz's irritable disposition was quite a contrast with the relatively polite and nice girl they had met before.

"You guys have a plan?" Will asked.

A boy with dark brown hair and eyes wearing saffron armor knelt down and activated a hologram of the hotel. As he began everyone else knelt down.

"They have guards in position to intercept anyone coming into the building weather from the roof or the ground. They're all suits though so they must have something up their sleeve. There's an alternative entrance we might be able to use though."

The hologram shifted its view to a place beneath the hotel. Some kind of underground chamber. It was almost the same size as the hotel itself.

"This looks like some kind of underground loading dock that connects to the Hotel's basement levels.", he explained. "There's a large freight tunnel leading out right underneath us. Probably their escape route."

Will nodded.

"'Kay then. Since they already know about our group we'll go up front and distract them while your group hits the tunnels."

"Sounds like a plan. You sure you can keep them distracted long enough to make it look real?"

"We'll work something out Scott", Bunny told him.

Blossom and Bubbles each raised an eyebrow. This was Scott? Her boyfriend?

Scott certainly had the rugged good looks that Bunny had talked about. Well built and broad shouldered; not like a football jock, more like a body guard.

"No sense wasting time then", another one said.

This boy looked remarkably similar to Will in many ways but slightly smaller in build; more frail looking.

"Watch yourself Phi", Will said. "You'll upset Betty if you get shot."

Phi chuckled.

"Don't worry Dray, I'll kill myself before I face that."

"We'll find a more secluded spot and make our entrance."

"Good luck", Bunny told them. Specifically she was looking at Scott when she said it.

"We'll be fine", he replied.

Rayza and Adelaide remained, something Blossom found puzzling.

"Why are you staying here?", she asked.

Rayza answered: "Because they know we're in Endsville. They'll be suspicious if they don't see us here."

Blossom frowned.

"I see."

"By the way don't mention the others to your parents", Bunny added. "It's best if they don't know."

Blossom scowled.

"More secrets?"

Bunny shrugged.

"Sorry, but it's for the best."

Blossom sighed.

"Fine but I'm getting tired of all these secrets."

"I know, but after today you hopefully won't have to keep any more."

Blossom certainly hoped so.

After the last of the other team disappeared the stasis bubble around their parents vanished.

They seemed to pause for a moment and then looked around sensing something amiss and noticed the presence of Adelaide and Rayza.

"Wha-when did you get here."

"Just now", Rayza answered. "Ready to go."

Without waiting for a reply they all started walking towards the Hotel.

Mandy walked up beside Will and asked.

"So how am I going to find Clair during all this mess?"

"Have to wait for an opportunity. Until then sit tight and be careful."

Mandy grunted.

"I'd better get her."

As they walked across the hotel parking lot Blossom gazed up at the darkening clouds. They looked pretty threatening as thunderheads formed above them. She hoped the worst of it would pass but they were guaranteed some rain within the next little while.

The hotel itself was actually a very plain and simple structure. Fourteen floors, rectangular in shape and painted a simple white and grey colour. Were it not for the neon signage that read: 'Endville Imperial Hotel' it could easily pass as a common office building with rooms full of cubicles and water coolers instead of king sized beds and buffet tables.

Closer now they could see many men in black suits and carrying guns guarding the main entrance, at least two dozen of them.

The open expanse of the parking lot meant they were sitting ducks should they open fire, but instead the waited, calm and confident. That gave Blossom a bad feeling, because they had to know what kind of people were approaching them.

When they were about twenty feet away they parted revealing a clear path to the door.

The group stopped. Something was going on.

A moment later a figure emerged from the door flanked on either side by burly body guards.

Blossom noticed the others scowl upon seeing him.

"Out from under your rock eh Jonah." Will sneered.

Jonah walked with a cane and a stern expression. Cool and confident he strode between the parted guards and stopped at the end.

"This is your final day you sinful beast. You and the other devil worshipers will not see another sun."

Will rolled his eyes.

"How you figure that's going to happen? With your hands around my neck?"

Bunny and Rayza snickered.

"I have something that should keep you in line", Jonah said stepping aside to show the doors once again.

This time Blossom heard Will swallow and she noticed him tense up. This couldn't be good.

Three people emerged from the doors escorted by guards with swords. An older couple and a man roughly in his thirties.

"William?" The woman said surprised. "What are you doing here?"

Before he could answer Jonah intervened.

"Your grandson is a demon Esther. For too long I have protected you by keeping this secret but now we cannot tolerate his existence any longer."

Esther and her husband were shocked.

"Oh, Jonah you came all this way and went to all this trouble just to try and kill me? I'm flattered." Will said with a smug grin.

"Silence you", the younger man said. "You should be honored just to be in the presence of Master Jonah."

Will shrugged.

"Nice to see you too Uncle Peter."

Now Blossom had the bigger picture: these were Laura's parents and older brother that they had mentioned before. That was Jonah's game; by having them here Will wouldn't be able to fight at full strength lest he give away their secret.

Jonah motioned to his bodyguards.

"Bring him."

They tensed as the guards approached them but Will whispered something to Bunny and she calmed down which in turn calmed down the other girls but not she and Bubbles.

Will walked towards the guards and let them grab him firmly by the arms and drag him on his knees in front of Jonah who wacked him across the face with his cane much to the horror of Esther.

"Not so confident now are you beast", Jonah sneered.

"Enjoy this while you can Jonah", Will whispered quietly. "Cause I only have to buy time here."

In the security control room Sales Pitch and Stewpid watched the security footage of the events occurring at the front door.

"Seems like our plan is working well", Sales said pleasantly.

"We should use this opportunity to move the girls out now" his cupid companion said.

"Agreed. We should make our escape as well."

With that the two left the room accompanied by their entourage of body guards leaving only the one guard in the control room.

A lone figure entered the room through the open door, his steps soft and silent. The guard was totally unaware of his presence until a hand was clamped tightly over his mouth and a blade plunged into his neck.

The guard went limp as his soul left the moral world and his body was removed from its seat.

The assailant sat down in his place and pulled out a device attached to his sleeve. He plugged it into the computer and immediately the setting changed.

He reattached the device and spoke into his radio. His fully enclosed helmet ensured that no one else could hear him speak or see his face.

"Ghost to Stalker: I've set the monitors to recycle footage and I've switched live feeds to us."

"Stalker: acknowledged. I'll start."

On the roof of the hotel six snipers aimed their guns at the group on the ground below, ready to fire.

A cloaked figure hid behind the air conditioning unit with a silenced carbine in hand. He aimed at the furthest sniper and practiced switching targets. Once he was confident he squeezed the trigger.

Even silenced the cough of the silenced round leaving the barrel would still had been loud enough to hear. However the noise of the air conditioner served to mask the sound.

The first round blew off the back of the first snipers head killing him instantly. The sniper next to him turn to look only to get his own brains blown.

Systematically the assassin moved down the line until the last two guards figured out they were under attack and turned around to find the attacker.

In the shadow of the a/c unit he remained unseen and switched his carbine to automatic fire.

The first of the remaining snipers fell to a three-round burst to the chest while his partner aimed with a pistol in the general direction of fire but before he could fire a shot he too fell as two round punctured his throat and jaw.

After taking a moment to check and make sure he was alone on the roof he emerged from the shadows and walked over to the snipers slumped over the edge of the roof and pulled them back so no one would see them dead.

He switched to the unit wide frequency: "Stalker; roof clear. Proceeding to waypoint Delta."

He switched off and reactivated his active cloaking device as he snuck back inside the hotel.

Scott stopped at the edge beginning of a field just a short distance from the hotel.

"We should be far enough around the turn to be out of their line of sight."

They had encountered a turn in the underground tunnel and decided to enter where they wouldn't be immediately seen by the people in the underground loading dock.

"Alright let's do this," Gaz said eagerly.

Scott brought up his fist and shoved it down into the earth driving a deep but small diameter hole strait down to the tunnel.

Scott jumped in first and the others followed soon after.

The tunnel lacked any lighting aside from the light emanating from the chamber beyond the curve of the tunnel.

"Let's be quick", Phi said. "I don't want to give them too much time to leave with the girls.

"I'll scout ahead", Zim said as he cloaked.

As he left the rest of the team moved to either side of the cylindrical tunnel and crept forward cautious of traps until they reached the point where the tunnel straightened out and led into the loading dock.

Zim soon returned with his report.

"Lot's of assault drones, at least twenty, not so many guards, maybe a dozen or so."

"Doable but we could use our backup just in case", Phi said.

Zim nodded and punched a few commands into this wrist communicator.

"In the meantime", Garth said. "Let's get started."

"The floors solid steel, so not much earth moving is gonna' happen", Zim warned Scott.

"I can manage he replied."

"Then let's get going", Phi said eagerly. He spread his wings and flew at high speed down the tunnel with the others running close behind.

A pair of automated guns swiveled and fired at them but they were to slow. Phi peppered them with his pistols and the flimsy turrets disintegrated.

No longer confined to the tunnel they spread out so the assault drones and guards couldn't concentrate their fire.

The assault drones filled the chamber with bullets as their rapid fire guns clawed at the group.

Zim pulled out his plasma rifle and shot one of the assault drones dead in the chest. The top half of the drone exploded spectacularly and its arms flew off landing ten feet away.

Garth found another and pointed his large sword at it as the drone tracked him spewing bullets at him.

Garth focused his energy into the sword and sent a lance of energy right into the machine eliminating it's power core and main processor, rendering it inert.

Suddenly he was knocked aside by an explosion that rattle his ears.

He dodged to the left and barely avoided another one.

His eyes swept the area and he spotted a guard firing at him with a grenade launcher with two assault drones coming to assist.

He grunted in frustration. The rest of the team were busy with the other drones and guards. He was on his own.

Garth focuses fire in his hand and shot a stream of white hot flames.

The guard screamed as he was burned alive and then went silent as his ammunition cooked off sending flaming bits of human flesh scattering. The assault drones fired in the direction the flames were coming from but with their sensors hampered they couldn't do so accurately.

Garth launched himself at one of them and drove his sword straight through it.

The drone shuddered and then went limp as the other turned to fire.

Garth jumped over and behind the other drone brought his sword down, slicing it vertically. Then he jumped away just before it exploded.

Scott encountered a pair of guards rushing to try and mount a pair of spreadder cannons under escort from a pair of assault drones.

Spreadder cannons fired a burst of pellets over a wide area. They were basically oversized shotguns, and a real problem for them if those guards knew how to use them.

The assault drones spotted him and opened fire.

Scott dove behind one of the trams for cover and worked his way around the car and smashed the coupling holding the drive unit to the rest of the cars. Then using his immense strength tossed the vehicle at them.

One drone managed to get out of the way in time but the other was crushed underneath the heavy drive unit.

Scott pounced and slammed his fist into the drone sending crashing into the wall wrecking its internals, rendering it inert.

He had no time to celebrate however as the drone had bought enough time for the guards to set up their cannons and turned them on him.

Acting quickly he slapped his hands together creating a shockwave that blew the pellets off course and peppered the steel floor behind him. Safe for now he began climbing up to the platform from which they were firing and with one last jump reached them.

Once again he used a shockwave to mess up their aim but this close some pellets still found their mark and flattened against his armor. Wasn't enough to stop him but it still hurt.

He landed between the guards and punched one of them hard sending his ragdoll body flying halfway across the chamber.

The other guard rather than get killed outright decided to take a chance and leapt off the platform.

Scott looked over the side and saw that it hadn't worked as the tell tale pool of blood spread across the unforgiving metal floor.

By now about half the drones had been neutralized most of the guards as well. From her viewpoint on one of the loading docks catwalks Gaz could see the drones being systematically taken out as the team was better able to coordinate their efforts to take them down.

'This shouldn't take too much longer', she thought.

Suddenly a loud buzzing sound filled the chamber and she suddenly realized she had jinxed it.

Everyone else heard it too and looked up to see a multitude of small flying machines descending from hatches in the ceiling and everyone knew what they were: Hornet drones.

Hornet drones were small but quick little drones with a small laser mounted underneath and a quartet of electrically driven propellers producing thrust and their distinct buzzing sound.

Like a hive of their namesake they dove at them heating the air with their lasers.

Gaz dove off the catwalk used her telekinesis to slow her decent just before she hit the ground.

She ran for cover among the piles of crates and boxes that hadn't made in onto the trams. She felt two laser hit her in the back and she silently curse and she tumbled clumsily behind the cover of the boxes.

A quick check of her suit revealed no penetration but there was damage.

Like vultures the drones circled above her looking for an opening. This was worrisome especially if the Hornets and the Assault drones had been programmed to work in concert. The Hornets would pin them down while the Assault drones would deliver the killing blow. A classic hammer and anvil tactic.

Needing to act fast she focused her powers and sent a concussive blast of telekinetic energy strait up smashing the ones directly above her. The sensors in her suit though told her through her wrist monitor that several more were buzzing around her and even worse an assault drone was bearing down on her. She had to act now.

She focused on the crate in front of her and with a punch like motion of her right arm sent it flying into the assault drone knocking it over but not out.

She ran from her reduced cover with her plasma rifle ready right at the assault drone.

The drone got out from underneath the crate but Gaz fired her rifle strait into the drone torso blowing it to pieces. Gaz then sent the pieces flying at her pursuers taking half of them out but the rest stuck to her and fired.

Ruby beams fell short near her feet but she knew they would adjust their aim soon so she threw them off by diving between the loading dock and one of the tram cars.

She switched the setting on her rifle to a scatter gun mode and fire up wards just as the Hornets appeared blasting them from the sky. She quickly rolled underneath the tram car to avoid the falling debris.

Taking a moment to collect herself she hoped the others were doing better than her.

Phi flew around the chamber desperately trying to avoid the swarms of Hornet drones plaguing him.

He wasn't concerned about the lasers, being immune to heat but he was worried about any kamikaze attacks plus the half dozen or so remaining assault drones.

Garth managed to take out a large number with a storm of fireballs but there were many more still hounding him.

Scott was trying to get to the two Spreadder cannons put was pinned down by three of the assault drones.

Garth had to dive for cover as several hornets attempted suicide runs on him and another assault drone closed in on him.

Phi had to take a chance. He whirled around and fired a vicious burning cyclone at the tenacious drones. They popped like firecrackers in the searing heat and their flaming pieces fell onto the ground below. The rest however circled around the cyclone and came at him from all angles all attempting a suicide run.

He waited until the last possible second and then burst forward back where he had projected the cyclone just before.

The mass of Hornets smashed into each other, only a few broke but they were all in one place now.

Phi summoned a huge ball of hot flame and sent it hurling into the mass of drones destroying them all in one shot.

Suddenly a few shots smashed against his armor and he barely avoided the full attack as an assault drone chased after him with a full stream of bullets and another group of Hornets went on an attack run.

The stream of bullets stopped as the drone ran out of ammunition then a plasma blast blew a manhole sized hole in its torso.

Zim de-cloaked and then announced: "Help has arrived."

Then as if on cue a high pitched scream echoed through the tunnel followed by an array of lasers.

Hornet drones dropped like dead flies under the merciless barrage of fire and the remaining assault drones focused their fire down the tunnel giving the team the break they needed.

Phi aimed his pistols and fired into the nearest assault drone peppering it and blowing small but numerous holes in its armored body until flames shot out of its head and it toppled over.

Scott was finally able to reach the spreadder cannons and fired the oversized shotguns into the swarms of Hornet drones bringing down dozens in a single burst.

Gaz came out of her hiding place and fired her plasma rifle into the air trying to help bring down as many as she could herself before they regrouped.

Garth went after the remaining assault drones slicing them up quickly while they remained focused on the source of the lasers that continued to drop the Hornets at a terrific rate.

Zim proceeded to check all the trams to see if Princess or Buttercup had been stowed there.

"Wwweeeeeeeeee."

Suddenly a tiny flying moose with an equally small metal robot soared into the room at high speed, with lasers firing from the moose's antlers bringing down what little remained of the Hornet swarm.

By the time the last of the drones was eliminated Zim had finished his sweep.

"Neither of them are here. They must be in one of the basement levels."

"Over here!", Gaz called.

Gaz stood by the elevator doors waving them over.

"What's up", Scott asked her.

"There's fifteen levels between here", she explained. "If we just travel up the shaft Zim should be able to pinpoint Princess's bio signature quickly."

"Provided she's not in a shielded room", Zim pointed out. "Cause I can't pick up the tracking signal from Buttercup either. Still it's worth a try, and they're probably keeping both girls in the same place."

Scott pounded his fists together.

"Then let's get going."

There it was again, a slight flutter in the stone floor of their cell.

"They're getting closer", Princess said. "We'll be out of here soon enough."

Buttercup stared at her.

"Exactly who is they?"

Before Princess could answer the squeaking of the door pierced the room's silence and a dozen guards walked in with a cart.

"Get up", one of them ordered as the door was unlocked.

Buttercup had to bite her tongue to prevent herself from making any snide remarks. For her children's sake she just had to be obedient.

They grabbed her by her arms and they hauled Princess onto the cart. They didn't bother binding her; at her size there was no way she could escape.

They pulled them out of the room and down a hall. There were no lights on so it was very dark, or at least it would be if Buttercup didn't have her inhuman vision.

They came to a fork in the hallway leading different ways and the two girls were separated as they were hurried down the dark halls, now alone.

Shortly after their separation Buttercup could hear whispering above the thumping footsteps of the guards heavy boots.

Suddenly a trio of figures dropped from the ceiling and launched huge blasts of fire at them.

The guards screamed as they were burned alive, but Buttercup remained unaffected. To her it only felt like a gust of wind.

As the guards writhed in agony and died on the floor she wondered: was she safe now?

Suddenly someone grabbed her from behind and pressed a blade against her neck. The person spoke to her in a harsh raspy voice.

"Unless you want to die you will do exactly as we say."

Princess sat on the cart as it bumped and skipped along the stone floor towards the elevator. The guards were definitely in a hurry, panicking even.

Then out of nowhere a bright flash penetrated the darkness blinding everyone. Princess felt her cart crash into the heels of the guards in front of her.

Then she heard the sounds of muffled gunfire and wet cracks as bullets penetrated the guards armor and killed them.

Princess blinked rapidly trying to recover her vision and she felt to people nearby.

"You alright?"

Even though the voice was synthesized through the helmets built in speaker she recognized it.

"You're here?" she said surprised.

"Yeah, you okay?"

Princess rubbed her eyes.

"I'm starving and a little sore but otherwise fine."

"Okay, we'll get you to the elevator and get you out of here", the second voice said.

"Stalker to Red Team."

Shortly after they started up the shaft Stalkers message reached them.

Zim answered them.

"Red team, go ahead."

"We've located Princess on basement level six. We're bringing her to the elevator."

"Acknowledged."

Garth flew up ahead of the others right to the door of the sixth level and pried them open with all his strength. He held it open for the Phi and then moved on.

Already they could hear the clacking of caster wheels and footsteps and soon Princess came into the illumination of the light from the elevator shaft.

"Garth!" she cried.

Garth ran to her and pulled her into a gentle and slightly awkward hug.

"I knew it was you", she said smiling.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, just hungry."

"I got her!" Zim cried.

"Buttercup?" Gaz asked.

"Yes, she's going up what looks like a stairwell, maybe to the roof."

"We'll go after her", Ghost said. "Just give us the scanner and we'll track her down."

Zim handed the scanner to him.

"Then we'll escort Princess out using the elevator. Dray's distraction is no longer needed."

Ghost nodded.

"Right." He switched on his radio.

"Bunny, head to the roof Buttercup's being taken up. "We'll follow them."

"Today is the day you pay for your crimes", Jonah ranted. "You will returned to the dust from which you were born."

"You don't have much of a grasp on biology do you", Will remarked.

One of his handler twisted his arm to punish him but Will didn't even grunt in response.

Jonah went on but now with a sinister smile on his face.

"Your downfall will be Peter's ascension to the inner circle of our order. Your mother's actions stained your family with sin but by riding of you Peter will cleanse himself of that stain and rise above the influence of the world."

Esther looked horrified, too much to even speak. Her husband Mark spoke up.

"Master Jonah how do you know this? Will eliminating him really cleanse Peter?"

"I saw it in a dream", Jonah responded. "Killing this stain on your family will cleanse you all and Peter will rise to greatness. I saw it happen, and now I'm making it happen. His death will be a sign that we are truly following the teachings of the almighty."

"You're a delusional fool!" Adelaide shouted. "You don't know anything about God. You twist the bible to suit yourself."

Jonah and his guards stared at her.

"Who are you?", he demanded!

Adelaide stood tall.

"Adelaide Vogler."

There was a long pause and the name seemed to register in Jonah.

"Naomi!"

Everyone turned to look at Esther who ran from her husband's side right at the blonde girl.

"Stop!", Jonah demanded, but she paid him no heed.

Esther ran right up to Adelaide and grabbed her face in her hands.

"You're Naomi's girl aren't you? Her face, her eyes you have to be!"

Adelaide averted her gaze and gently pushed Esther's hands away.

"I don't even know you."

Her words seemed to strike a chord.

It was true. Unlike Laura Naomi had completely severed ties to her family and had not seen or spoken to them since.

"But she's your grandmother", Margaret argued. "Doesn't that mean anything?"

"If it did my mother wouldn't have severed ties to her past. We share blood only."

"Enough!", Jonah yelled. "We'll deal with that one later, right now it is time to finish off this one."

"Pardon me a moment Master Jonah."

Jonah looked at Mark impatiently.

"What is it?"

"I believe that it is unfair for Peter solely bear the burden of removing the stain from our family therefore I believe I should contribute."

Jonah's look of irritation now changed to one of interest.

"What did you have in mind?"

Mark reached into his back and pulled out a sword and scabbard. He walked towards Will and knelt down.

Will's muscles tensed ready to move when necessary.

Mark looked him in the eye and they exchanged a silent message that Will understood.

Mark placed the sword on the ground and pulled away letting Will relax.

"What are you doing?" Jonah asked.

"Adding my contribution", Mark explained. "One generation cannot erase the sins of another. I did not raise my daughters properly, therefore I have a responsibility. This way my best sword will be my sacrifice to God to fall in battle with him.", he said gesturing to Will.

"In battle?", Jonah asked confused.

"Of course. You said it was Peter's divine destiny to rid the world of this demon and rise to a new level of enlightenment and become great in the eyes of the Lord. You taught us that we can only achieve greatness by overcoming obstacles. So like David, Peter must defeat this opponent to achieve his destiny."

"He's hardly Goliath", Jonah said. "But you are correct, Peter must overcome this obstacle to achieve his destiny, so he will duel this demon and rise to his greatness."

He nodded and Will's handlers released him.

Will picked up the sword and unsheathed it as he stood.

It was a dueling sabre, and a good one. Well forged and razor sharp it had a nice gentle curve and the blade was polished completely smooth. The hilt lacked any finger guards there was only the cross guard which remained un painted but that was hardly surprising. There wasn't many things with which to decorate a sword in the colony.

"Very nice", he said.

Bunny heard a soft beep from her wrist communicator and brought it up to her ear.

"Bunny, head to the roof Buttercup's being taken up. "We'll follow them."

"Understood. Bunny out."

Bunny knelt down showing her back to Ferratus.

"Ferratus back."

Ferratus seemed reluctant to leave Will behind but obeyed and jumped onto Bunny's back and locked his legs around her torso.

"Mandy, are you ready?"

Mandy grinned, happy that she would finally get her revenge.

Bunny latched her own arms around Mandy's waist.

"Blossom, Bubbles you come with me. Adelaide and Rayza will stay and help Dray."

"What about us?", the Professor demanded.

"You stay here. Maybe you'll learn something."

With that Bunny took off with the Puff's right behind. They moved so quickly that Jonah and his guards didn't realize what happened.

"Sword or not it doesn't matter", Peter declared oblivious to what just happened. "I'm the best swordsman in the colony and I was trained by a personal friend of Master Jonah."

Will raised an eyebrow.

"You weren't trained by your father?"

Peter scowled and drew his own sword.

"No, because of my sisters betrayal he was stained and declared not worthy to train a disciple of Master Jonah. I've waited a long time to remove that sin from our family and now that it's finally come I will not fail.

"Besides the only training you've had is that which my father gave you when you dared to come to the colony, which fortunately wasn't often."

"Peter please don't do this!", Esther cried. "You'll both get hurt!"

"No mother only he will get hurt!"

"But-".

Adelaide put a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

"You don't need to worry. Dray is more than capable of defending himself. It's your son you should worry about. He has no idea what he's up against."

"Enough chatting!", Jonah yelled. "Peter kill that demon and fulfill your destiny!"

"Yes Master!"