Chapter 53: Quite Possibly Tragic
Dripping water was about the only sound present in the eerie underground. Once Finn and the others had climbed their way down the extensive ladder leading to the bottom, every footstep was marked by a light squishing noise. Flame Princess had to lead the way, since Flambo was the gang's only source of light and was still vulnerable to the wet surroundings, choosing to stay on the girl's shoulder for safety.
Upon reaching a stream of filthy water, everyone began looking around for something to allow safe travel down the sewer-like river. Jake had initially suggested he just stretch into a boat, but was quickly reminded such a thing was impossible at the moment. Sorting through a bunch of junk, they gradually assembled several pieces of scrap metal and wood, which Flambo helped weld together.
At last, a sturdy craft was completed and promptly pushed into the stream, with the group swiftly jumping on before it floated away. Again, Flambo was in the most danger and as such stayed well near the center; casually lying back to take a nap while the rest used some debris they found earlier to row the boat in a steady direction.
"Alright, IK, which way do we go?"
The ice wizard scratched his chin as he studied the various tunnels through which they could enter.
"Take the one on the far right," he informed while pointing.
Finn and Ferrum paddled along in the indicated path, while Marceline used a makeshift rudder to stabilize their steering. The next tunnel's condition was even more decrepit than the last, with tons of spider webs, rotting garbage, and other disgusting matter nearly clogging up the whole space. PB and FP helped by shoving aside as much of the obstructions as they could with some poles.
Eventually, after a few minutes of drifting aimlessly down the path, Ice King informed the group that the next branching of tunnels was just ahead. The old man was proven correct when the raft emerged into a wide open area, revealed to be an aqueduct on closer examination.
"Whoa, what is this place?" Finn inquired as he stared around the complex.
Peebles looked carefully at each feature of the structure.
"It seems to be a reservoir, part of a larger system that probably ran water in between these ruins, you know, back when they were inhabited."
Finn and the others nodded in understanding, continuing to gaze at the crumbling network of waterways. In the meantime, Ice King excitedly pointed to another tunnel entrance.
"Oh, oh! In there."
The raft was directed towards the correct path and the wizard seemed to casually sit down.
"Well, that's about it. Now we just go straight until we hit a huge looking tube."
Finn looked over to the king curiously.
"What's it for?"
IK thought for a moment.
"I think it's the pipe that drains out all of Wizard City's toilets."
The others all gagged in disgust, but IK just shrugged.
"Hey, you asked."
Shaking the disturbing idea out of their heads, everyone tired finding something to do while waiting for the current to carry them down to their destination. Collectively, they realized they were all very tired. After all, the last time any of them slept was even before their encounters with the deities, and the fighting alone drained their energy substantially. And so, each person found a nice spot around the boat to either lean against or lay down on.
It arguably wasn't that comfortable considering the raw materials used in construction, but it didn't really matter anyway, for the majority of the gang passed out due to the peaceful motion of the craft and the quiet atmosphere. Within a few minutes, the only ones left awake were Finn and Flame Princess.
The hero insisted he didn't need any sleep, but a stern glance from his lady quickly made him give in to settling down on the far front end of the raft, staring at the ceiling of the tunnel that passed by. FP joined him, laying down right next to him. Their fingers absentmindedly locked together, as they both let out a weary sigh.
"I told you you were tired," the fire elemental laughed.
Finn had to admit it, but groaned in response.
"Yeah, ok, you caught me. It just doesn't feel like the time to be resting. We've got jerks out to kill us, existence-wide destruction to stop, more jerks out to kill us, and no special powers to help us deal with any of it."
Flame Princess gave a small smile and turned over, now lying on her side with her chest pressed up against Finn's side. Her arm was lain across his abdomen, where the human placed his own hand on top of hers.
"Finn, when have you ever had to use some fancy ability to stop evil?"
The hero shrugged as he watched the ceiling continue passing, with fluorescent algae growing on its surface and giving the impression of a starry sky.
"Well, there have been a few times, I think."
FP giggled, snuggling tighter to the young man.
"Did you need magic to stop the Lich?"
Finn thought back.
"Not really, the first time I just used a sweater and ripped his head apart with my bare hands. And the last time I just used my brain. Haha, hard to believe, right?"
The fire elemental giggled again.
"No, not at all. You did all that just being your righteous self. Quick thinking, determination, and caring for those around you."
Finn smiled with admiration, enjoying how supportive the girl was of his abilities.
"Thanks, FP. But that's me. You guys have had your powers for like, ever."
The princess simply shrugged.
"True, but losing them has given us an opportunity to get even stronger."
Finn raised an eyebrow.
"How so?"
FP was now also gazing at the simulated starlight above.
"Think of it like this. Our powers are a high stage in combat, ability, and general functioning, right?"
"Yeah."
"So, now that that's been stripped away, we can build ourselves up from the core of all skills, which is using no powers whatsoever. Finn, the techniques and movements you use are the basics, physical combat. It's something that we've been ignoring for the most part because we're too lazy to try it, we just shoot fire, grow our limbs really huge, change the environment, or use various advanced weapons."
She looked down to meet Finn's eyes.
"But you, you never need anything but your sword, which itself is an extension of yourself, and that's something that can't be taken away, no matter what kind of magic is cast."
The human was processing the statement for a moment, then peeked over at his infinity sword, which was resting against a section of the raft. True, it was drained of all spacial prowess, but the blade could still cut, block, and deal with anything in the human's path.
"I…I guess you're right."
FP briefly kissed the young man's lips.
"Of course I am, dummy."
The couple laughed for a bit while returning their sights to the simulated night sky above.
"So, what do you want to talk about while we're waiting to pass out or something?"
Flame Princess hummed a bit to herself, pondering the question.
"Hm, how about the future?"
Finn wasn't expecting that but was game for it.
"Alright. What about it?"
Flame Princess rested her head back down on the human's shoulder.
"What are we gonna do about the Fire Kingdom?"
The hero was afraid she'd ask that.
"Well, I don't know. I was hoping that once we're done with Astrum that we could get the other kingdoms to help fix it."
FP frowned.
"We shouldn't burden them with something like that. Besides, fire elementals tend to have a lot of pride. They'd want to rebuild it themselves."
Finn couldn't help chuckling a bit.
"Yeah, they definitely do."
He received an elbow in his side from the princess.
"Kidding, kidding."
FP huffed.
"You'd better be."
The human sighed, rather happily.
"In all honesty though, I hope I won't be dealing with more tempers in the future."
The fire elemental grinned.
"Finally wrapping your mind around the idea?"
Finn let out a laugh.
"I guess so. I mean, I'm already an uncle, and that's a fun experience. Well, for a few days anyway, since Jake's pups are way older than me now."
He smiled widely.
"I figure being a dad is pretty similar, so long as I'm not all neglectful like my alternate self."
FP teasingly nudged him.
"You'd better not be. Otherwise I'll burn- I mean, beat the crud out of you."
Finn laughed again.
"Feeling a bit bummed now that we can touch?"
Flame Princess smirked and suddenly rolled over on top of the human, surprising him.
"Not a chance."
She swiftly pressed her face against his, where their mouths joined and began moving around, filling both teens with a passionate surge of energy. Finn reached over and wrapped his arms around to the girl's back, feeling the soft skin that was present there. Without her extra heat from the flame powers, FP felt a bit cooler, but it still filled the hero with incredible warmth to be this intimate with her.
The couple lost themselves in the moment, having found a peaceful slot of time in which they could kindle the fires in their hearts after such a prolonged time of endless fighting and struggling. Both could agree this was overdue, although also wishing the location could have been a little more private, as it began to feel pretty awkward making out just a few feet from their friends.
Eventually, the two subconsciously agreed on this and disengaged the act, shifting their bodies to be next to each other again. They giggled a bit at the mutual embarrassment they shared. Soon though, they went to simply gazing deeply into each other's eyes.
"I love you, FP."
"I love you too, Finn."
After one last kiss, the couple snuggled up close and gently shut their eyes, drifting off into an uninterrupted dream world.
Everyone was jerked awake by a sudden impact, which threw the gang forward flat on their faces. Finn and Flame Princess were close enough to the front that they both knocked their heads on whatever the raft had hit. Upon finishing a round of groaning and head rubbing, the Ooocians refocused and drew their attention to the bow of their boat, instantly noticing a massive piece of debris blocking the river ahead.
"What the- how did this get here?" Ice King wondered out loud.
Marcy looked over to the wizard.
"You mean, it wasn't before?"
IK shook his head.
"No way. I would've noticed a giant billboard clogging up the tunnel."
He glared at the advertisement.
"And it's not even a cool one. Just some junk about a new brand of toothpaste. Pssh, I don't even use that stuff."
Peebles cringed as her vampire friend frowned.
"Simon, you really should get better hygiene habits."
The wizard brushed her off.
"No way, I've already got a packed morning schedule."
Marceline sighed.
"How about this; I can guarantee that princesses will reduce the distance they require you to be from them."
At this, Ice King instantly perked up.
"Ooo, really?! Then heck yeah!"
As the old man gleefully pranced about, PB whispered to her black-haired companion.
"You know that won't happen, right? They still think he's a weirdo."
Marcy shrugged.
"Whatever makes him happy. And less gross."
Casting aside the babble, the gang examined the obstacle closer, noticing now that it was just the surface of a deep pileup of objects that were impossible to move without, say, Jake's stretchy powers.
"Great, now what?" the yellow dog asked.
Finn looked around the cavern, checking if there was an alternative route. He was pleased to see a clear secondary tunnel to the left, perfectly free of trash and very inviting. Maybe a bit too inviting. However he ignored the convenience and drew his friends' attention.
"Hey guys, there's another way over here."
The gang assembled at the human's spot and eyed the entrance.
"Awesome, I'll lead the way," Jake enthusiastically proclaimed.
"That punk might have stolen my powers, but my nose can still sniff out that magic scent leading to the city."
Everyone was surly relieved at that news. Finn turned and held out his fist.
"Aw yeah. What time is it?"
Jake brought his own fist to his bro's.
"Detour time!"
Ice King suddenly seemed taken aback and recoiled.
"Whoa!"
The others looked at the wizard with concern.
"What is it, dude?" Finn asked.
The old man scratched his head.
"Huh. I don't know. Maybe it's just my 'wizard eyes' but I swore I just saw these big spinning words come out of nowhere. They stopped and I think they said 'detour time' with a giant sword through the 'time' part."
He gazed with confusion at his companions.
"And they were written backwards, as if we weren't the ones meant to read it."
The others all looked towards where IK had been earlier, staring blankly at the empty space as if trying to peer into another world.
"Weird…" Finn stated.
The group shook off the occurrence and refocused again, allowing Jake to lead the way into the secondary tunnel. Before Finn went in, he took one last peek at the billboard. There was a set of three claw marks on one of the edges. The human narrowed his eyes suspiciously, but paid it no further mind and resumed following the others.
The path was in good condition, with not that many random roots or obstructions; almost as if someone had come through recently and prepared it for the next traveler. Regardless of the odd cleanliness, the Ooocians pressed on, determined to bypass the decommissioned waterway to Wizard City.
Jake successfully picked up on the smell the enchanted town gave off, leading everyone down various tunnels in succession. It actually got quite boring after a while, since the path seemed never-ending.
"Jake, are you sure we're not going in circles?" Ferrum inquired.
The dog halted his movement and placed his hands on his hips, making an offended expression.
"Of course I am. This nose has never failed me."
Finn smirked.
"Never failed to find food or never failed to find the right direction?"
A few of the others chuckled at this while the canine sternly gazed at them.
"You guys are just jealous cuz this little beauty is so much stronger than yours. And it's all natural so it didn't get jacked. How do you like that, huh?"
FP rolled her eyes.
"I think we liked it better when you were preoccupied with sniffing instead of talking.
Another round of laughs broke out as Jake growled.
"Ugh, you'll see! I'll have us out of here in a matter of minutes, just watch."
The gang shrugged and resumed their walking; now passing by a junkyard of sorts. Jake stopped occasionally and looked around, as if detecting something else nearby. However, the dog seemed to brush it off as nothing and pressed on. By the time the group passed under the remains of an old airplane, they were almost out of the garbage dump.
It was at this moment however, that Jake sprang up and motioned for his friends to stop.
"Hey guys! Shush!"
The assembled peeps were frozen, waiting to hear whatever their yellow companion had. It was a full minute before anyone decided to break the quiet atmosphere.
"I don't know, Jake. We didn't hear anything. You sure you're not just getting old?"
Finn's bro scoffed.
"Come on man, enough with the jokes. Or at least target someone else for a change."
The hero defensively raised his hands.
"Alright, alright, sorry, man. But it is fun teasing yo- Oof!"
The young man was suddenly tackled by an unknown assailant, shocking the others and causing them to shout out in concern. The human and his new company were now out of range of Flambo's light, making it difficult to find the attacked hero.
Meanwhile, Finn was violently pinned against a wall of trash, grunting and struggling to remove a powerful hand around his neck. When he managed to gaze in front of him to observe his enemy, all he found where a set of almost glowing, green eyes. In addition, he noticed that his legs weren't even touching the floor, meaning the attacker was quite tall. Before contemplating further, it spoke.
"Who are you? What you want with my people?"
Finn immediately stopped fighting the strong grip and let his arms go limp in disbelief.
"Su- Susan!?"
A gasp came from the green eyes, which grew larger before Finn suddenly felt himself pulled forward into a large mass. Next, he was squeezed beyond imagination by the same arms that had been prepared to snap him in half a few seconds ago.
"Finn! You came back!"
The human regrettably couldn't answer. His pipes were too constricted by the death hug. Luckily, the others had heard the commotion and found the young man's location soon enough, shining Flambo's light on the area. As the illumination hit Finn and the stranger, all eyes grew wide.
"Oh my Grod! It's Susan!" Jake cried in astonishment.
Sure enough, the towering lady whom the dog and his bro had helped out years ago now stood before them, crushing the poor human in an excited embrace. As the light hit the humanoid woman, she gasped again and covered her eyes from the brightness, dropping Finn in the process.
While he got back to his feet, the hero's friends came closer and stopped right in front of Susan, who gradually adjusted to the light. She set her eyes upon the gang and looked quite amazed in doing so, until her gaze met Jake's.
"Jake! You came too!"
The canine tried to nervously back up and avoid an embrace, but was too slow for the energetic lady, who scooped him up and nearly squeezed the stuffing out of him.
"Urk!...Finn…anyone…get me away from this crazy woman!"
The dog's besty placed a hand on Susan's shoulder.
"Uh, Susan, can you let go of him? He kinda needs the air."
The tall woman dropped her glowing smile and looked down to the one smothered in her grip. Apologetically, she set Jake down on the ground, where he desperately filled his lungs.
"Oops. Sorry, Jake. I just so happy to see you two. And bubblegum princess too. And…um."
She leaned over to the human.
"Finn, who these other people?"
The hero smacked himself on the head.
"Oh, right, how rude of me. Guys, this is Susan Strong. She's an old friend of me and Jake."
The group waved with friendly smiles.
"Susan, this is Flame Princess, Ferrum, Marceline, Ice King, and Flambo."
He gestured to all his companions in turn, as Susan curiously studied the strangers in front of her. When Finn got to the flambit however she nearly jumped.
"Yikes! That little guy! He covered in red flower!"
Flambo was confused by this reaction, before realizing the lady must not get out much. Finn chuckled a bit.
"Heh, actually, he's made of fire. So there's nothing to worry about."
Susan kneeled down and stared at the flambit, wide eyed and amazed. Meanwhile, Marceline walked up, gaining the woman's attention.
"Hey there, it's nice to meet you."
She offered her a hand, which Susan shook after a bit of caution. Ferrum and FP were safe to do the same, since their flames were currently fizzled. Ice King was quite intimidated when it was his turn, but nonetheless held on a smile. After introductions were done, Finn faced his old friend and furrowed his brow.
"Susan, what are you doing way out here? This is pretty far from Beautopia."
The giant lady frowned.
"Yes, but I was out getting things for the others; found many things 'out of place'."
Finn tilted his head.
"Out of place?"
The lady nodded.
"Yes. Like big stuff blocking river, and strange marks."
The others were at full attention by this point.
"What kind of marks?" PB inquired.
Susan kneeled down again and used her finger to draw three dashes in the dirt.
"Like this."
Finn narrowed his eyes.
"Hm, I think I've seen them too."
He looked up to his friends.
"You think maybe, we're not the only ones down here?"
The gang thought hard, trying to imagine what else crept around down there besides hyoomans. Before anyone could suggest an idea though, Flambo suddenly twitched his nose.
"Hey," he said in an enlightened way.
"I think I smells…charcoal."
The group eyed the flambit with concern.
"Uh, dude, that's not likely."
Jake's skepticism was valid due to his nose but the little elemental continued on regardless. He broke into a sprint and hopped around several piles of trash. Finn called after him.
"Flambo, wait up! You're our only way of seeing!"
It was too late, the fire sprite was out of sight and the gang was cloaked in darkness.
"Dang it. He just can't control himself."
The others sighed in agreement. Then, a thud was heard, followed by a sharp grunt from Jake.
"Jake! Are you ok? Jake?"
No answer. The others tired feeling for the canine's fur but to no avail. Next, another thud and a sound from Ferrum.
"Ferrum?"
Another two hits. PB and Marcy went out.
"Guys? What happened?"
Flame Princess immediately clung to Finn, not willing to lose him too. The human kept calling out to his friends as he held the fire elemental close.
"Susan, Ice King. You still with us?"
"Yeah, I'm good, but super freaked out ma- uh!"
The old man fell as well. The remaining three huddle up, back to back.
"Finn, I think I see shape in dark."
The hero turned to where Susan was and tried to squint his eyes and pierce the pitch black surroundings. He had no luck, and soon he heard something strike the towering woman beside him as well. This time, he didn't have a chance to ask for his friend's condition before getting bonked as well, causing his vision to go, well, not really that different from currently, but with much less consciousness.
A pained groan was all that Finn managed to exert from his mouth as his eyelids struggled to lift themselves open. There was but a faint light in a distant corner, but not enough to make out his surroundings. He tried moving his arms, finding that he was not restrained. His legs were the same, prompting him to attempt to sit up, as he was currently resting against a pile of junk.
"Ugh, guys? Jake? FP? Flambo? Anyone?"
No response came, only the sound of a few drops of liquid from some distant corner of wherever he was. After getting to his feet, Finn was instantly met with ankle-deep water. It splashed a bit as he took a few steps, more concerned with finding his friends. The light was his most obvious choice for finding anything so he paced over to it, splashing the whole way.
Upon arrival at the source of illumination, the human's eyes widened.
"Flambo!"
The little guy was being held in an iron lamp, similar to the one Ash was using but clearly just a rusty relic. The flambit was apparently woken up from the hero's shout.
"Huh, what? What's goin' on?"
Finn tried to get closer, but somehow missed the metal bars in his way, smacking his forehead on the barrier.
"Ow, what the heck? A cage?"
A sinister and cunning laugh wafted through the air, sending a chill down Finn's spine. As he swung around trying to find its source, a torch suddenly lit up not too far away on a wall. This was followed by more, until the space around the human was quite well lit, allowing him to gaze into the caged area and see what lay within. It made him gasp in shock.
"Guys!"
Each and every one of the hero's companions was shackled to the wall behind the bars, helpless and trapped. The new brightness of their surroundings seemed to wake them from their daze, seeing as they shook their heads and began readjusting their eyes. Flame Princess was the first to spot her fiancé.
"Finn?! What happened? Why are you in a cage?"
The human gripped the metal dividers, staring with concern at the princess and his other friends.
"Actually, FP, you're in a cage."
The fire elemental redirected her attention to the cuffs around her wrists, beginning to pull at them and trying to break free. The rest did this as well, but with no result."
"Man, what hit us?" Jake asked as he jingled around his manacles.
Finn shook his head.
"I don't know, man. But I've got to get you out of here, fast."
The laugh came again, forcing the hero to turn and dart his eyes around.
"Who's there? Did you do this to my friends?"
A four-legged silhouette emerged from atop a pile of garbage, glaring down at Finn with two massive yellow, slit eyes. It crawled closer and closer to the ground, not taking its sight off the human.
"Well, we meet again, Finn the Human Man."
Finn raised an eyebrow.
"Huh, I can't believe you actually got that right. I mean, not that many people know my birthday and stuff."
The hidden being laughed again.
"I know many things, Finn. A great, many, things."
The hero's eyes suddenly widened exponentially. He raised his fists and backed up a step.
"No way; it's you!"
A turquoise-skinned feline walked into the light, armed with vicious claws, razor teeth, and a large body with which to pursue and tear his prey to shreds. Small sections of his right legs were missing, appearing to levitate the severed appendages, and his strange tail seemed to partially fuse into his body with multiple short protrusions all along his side.
"Finn! Who in Grob's name is that!?" Jake shouted from behind the bars, eyeing the beast with fear.
The human stood his ground as the being crept closer, grinning maliciously at the hero.
"It's the demon cat, from that one dungeon that had the Crystal Eye."
The group gasped.
"Why do you think I had you board it up?" Peebles cried. "It's flippin' dangerous!"
The vicious cat chuckled, studying the imprisoned companions of his enemy.
"I see you actually have your precious dog with you this time."
He grinned murderously at Finn.
"Unfortunately for you, that no longer concerns me. In fact, I would prefer to have all your loved ones watch as I finish what I started."
The human bared his teeth at the demonic beast.
"As if! I'm a lot stronger than six years ago, ya butt!"
The cat burst out another laugh, unnerving the gang and their hero friend.
"That is indeed true. But, I am also stronger."
On cue, a crimson light was emitted from the massive feline's back, causing room-wide shock and fear, especially in Finn. The demon laughed as he took more steps towards Finn, arming his teeth for a kill. Then, he pounced, barely giving the young man time to barrel roll out of the way, leaving the cat to splash down to the ground.
However, he quickly reconfigured his positioning and dived at the human again, who dodged once more. This time though, Finn's arm was cut by one of his foe's claws. He held in a groan of pain as the wound began to sting, not wanting to get distracted from his fight. The cat pounced again, but the hero ducked and sent a powerful kick into the feline's gut, causing him to let out a pained 'meow!'
Sadly, this did little actual damage, seen as the horrifying beast grinned as he turned back to face his prey. Finn carefully kept distance between himself and the cat, knowing that this opponent was too dangerous to engage at close range. This was a problem in two ways, since it prevented him from fighting back as well.
"You've shown all the skill I knew you would. So, how about I finish this?"
Finn glared as his enemy charged at him, aiming at biting his head off. Instinctually, he jumped up in the air, making the demon splash again while the young man did a quick flip in mid-air before bringing his foot down with the intent of striking the cat right on his spine. Out of nowhere however, Eternity's arrow glowed brightly on the very spot.
The cat's tail came up and swiftly whipped Finn to the side, throwing him against a pile of trash and giving him a few nasty bruises.
"Dang, why can't I kick your butt?"
The beast laughed again, approaching the disoriented human.
"The power granted to me has further improved my knowledge. I am not limited to partial information, I now have a complete profile of whatever I choose, and that includes all your techniques, Finn. You have no chance."
The feline tried to perform a quick swipe with his claw, but Finn luckily managed to jump to the side and into the water, splashing it all over. He quickly recovered and saw the demon grinning at him again, raising a claw. Panicking by this point, Finn retreated, running toward the numerous garbage stacks littering the room. Meanwhile, his friends were forced to watch him getting his butt handed to him.
They had given up struggling with the chains, knowing there was no way their strength could offer any results. However, one person was still determined to break the shackles. Susan was already sweating, putting all her effort into removing the restraints on her wrists. The others finally saw this and watched in amazement.
"Susan, you can't get out of this one, the metal is too resilient."
PB did her best to talk the humanoid out of it, but she didn't listen, shaking her head.
"Finn can't beat the bad cat. He need my help!"
With a final growl of power, the woman succeeded in tearing the links off one of her bindings, stunning the others. With one arm free, she much easily pulled the other one off the wall, facing the cage with a determined look.
"I coming, Finn!"
With a monstrous charge, Susan crashed right through the flimsy bars, freeing herself at last. The gang cheered from their still bound positions.
"Go Susan! Put that kitty to bed!"
The others followed Jake's encouraging words and shouted their own. The tall lady nodded and turned to face the fight. Finn was desperately jumping past piles of debris, doing whatever he could to avoid the deadly clutches of the demon cat. Susan ran to him, hoping to provide helpful backup.
When the human saw the woman approaching his position, he was shocked.
"Susie! How did you get out?"
She patted her chest.
"My heart wants me to save my friends. So I be strong for them."
Finn could've started crying, but chose to instead smile and nod. The two's reunion was interrupted as the demon cat's laugh echoed through again. The two humanoids stood back to back, waiting for a potential strike from their enemy. The laughter continued unimpeded, clearly trying to psych them out.
Heads turned all over, attempting to seek out the cat's location. The others pitched in as well, but were of little help in their captured stances. At last, a voice broke through the cackling.
"It doesn't matter who helps you, Finn. I will know exactly how to slither right past your protective allies and slit your little throat."
The human shuddered a bit, honestly quite intimidated by the cat's creepy tone.
"Where am I, Finn? Am I up on that ledge of trash? Am I right above you? Am I over by your beloved Flame Princess, preparing to end her life?"
At this, the hero exploded.
"Don't you even dare go near her you vile piece of trash! I'll make sure to pull you apart one limb at a time!"
The threat even made Marceline get goose bumps. Finn locked his eyes on FP's vicinity, desperate to make sure she was unharmed. His breathing had accelerated dramatically, and his heart was pumping blood like mad.
"I can hear your fluids, Finn. They're calling for me to release them from your weak, delicate veins."
The hero refused to take his sight off of Flame Princess, making Susan frown in concern.
"Finn. She be ok. You have to be looking around."
The human wasn't listening. Losing someone was out of the question. He'd give his own life first. As the tension in the air grew, several miniature splashes could be heard. One. Two. Three. Four. They came steadily, and in perfect rhythm. And finally, silence.
"Got ya."
Finn was able only to open his mouth and widen his eyes to the maximum as he watched his crimson blood fly up into the air, unleashed from three deep gashes now present on his chest. No feeling came from the young man's body. His arms would do nothing, his legs allowed him to fall. The final thing he saw was the grinning face of the demon cat, who suddenly materialized right in front of him.
The last thing he heard, was his name.
"FIIIINNNNN!"
With one final splash, the hero's form collapsed into the shallow waters, leaving him unmoving and coloring the liquid a horrifying red as vital fluids spilled out of his mutilated body. His eyes gazed up at the ceiling of the room, seeing nothing but darkness because the present light wasn't powerful enough to reach it. However, in the pitch empty vision from above, there suddenly formed a mysterious light, which continued to grow consistently.
Susan, FP, PB, Marcy, Jake, Ice King, Ferrum, Flambo. Each one of them had contributed to the final scream that reached Finn's ears. Now, they could only watch as the demon cat gazed with satisfaction at the hero's form.
"Don't be too surprised, Finn. After all, I knew it would end this way."
His laugh was still chilling, but currently being ignored as the others stared despairingly at their dear friend's unresponsive form. Tears were running down all their cheeks, soaking their faces and nearly blinding them. Susan fell to her knees beside the young man, unable to take her own eyes off of his, which remained stuck in an expression of disbelief.
Her salty tears fell onto the human's wounds, soaking them further as they continued to leak out blood. The demon cat had stopped laughing, now enjoying the destroyed faces of his captives and the woman before him.
"Foolish beings; to challenge a foe with superior knowledge is nothing short of a death wish."
At long last, Susan raised her head, facing the feline and locking eyes with him. The beast was caught off slightly by her expression. Her green eyes were all but gone, now only containing a burning red that seemed to consume her gaze.
"Here my promise; when I done, your skull will drown in this water."
Not gonna say much. I want that to really soak in.
Holahello: Hope that was better.
Guest: Know everything.
Stormarcher: Thank you!
Star: Yep, plot twists are fun.
Hope you enjoyed and thanks for any comments/reviews!
next: Chapter 54: K.I.A.
