Ch.138: The Monster Deep Inside! Return of the Assassin?!
Indigo propped Tony up against the wall, desperately trying to stop the blood dripping from his right eye. She got a horrible glimpse at the damage and nearly passed out from it. She thought losing her claws was the worst thing she ever saw, but she never saw an eye get ripped to pieces before. She didn't want to revisit the sight, otherwise she would lose whatever food she had sitting in her stomach.
Tony had stopped screaming after a solid five minutes, now just biting his lip and trying to hold himself together. He came close to passing out from the pain numerous times. The pain was still fresh, and it stung like mad. Having lived in the Fire Zone for essentially his whole life, not even the burning grounds that could tear a man's flesh off could articulate the stress he was enduring now.
When he felt the spire grating against his face, it felt like the lights went out in his eye. First he saw the rock grinding into his face, then everything went black followed by a searing pain. Now all he could think about was staying conscious with all the blood loss.
Indigo's warm touch was the only thing keeping him going as she frantically tried to patch him up. "You're going to be okay, you're going to be okay," she kept muttering over and over, teeth chattering a million miles a second. She blew her icy breath onto his wound, hoping to clot it with ice.
Tony glanced to the side with his only working eye, staring at the stone cold Rico as he stood defiantly in front of Aeternus. The Mr. Mime took the stance in jest, clearly amused that someone else was trying to size him up.
Sh-Shit. I shouldn't be…lying here like this, he chastised himself. Need to…get up.
Rico tried to stand bravely before Aeternus, putting on his best war face to perhaps, even slightly, intimidate Aeternus into taking him seriously. The long grin that seemed to keep stretching on the clown's face told Rico that all he was doing was making a fool of himself. He didn't want to admit it, but Tony was the only one of their current trio that had a chance against a Herald of Darkness. All he was good for was being a temporary meat shield.
Aeternus put one foot forward, causing Rico to tense and shout, "I said don't come any closer!" he yelled, a part of him regretting his sudden outburst.
Aeternus remained where he was, snickering through his grin. "Kehehe. You know, I sometimes forget just how brave you Pokémon are. I remember when I used to be that stubborn. Those were the good old days when I was naïve, inexperience, mortal…" He shook his head, then raised his arms in a grandiose manner. "But now, I've become enlightened with truth. I see the world so much more clearly. Living forever has allowed me to experience everything. That is how I intend to conduct my life. An established pecking order with me on top and you mongrels below the dirt."
Rico bared his teeth. If we can find Ambrosine, maybe she can heal Tony and get him back up to speed. There's no way we can fight this dude. I need to keep him talking until an opening presents itself.
"Then why work for the Shadow King?" Rico asked nervously. "If you intend to be above everyone, wouldn't that put you in conflict with him?"
Aeternus grinned. "While His Majesty is ambitious, he doesn't truly seek world domination. He just wants to bring the world back to darkness. After that, we will be free to do as we please. Callista with her rituals. Voss with his pointless crusade for death. And me? I get to continue running my organization, only with an entire world of monsters at my disposal. All we want is what we desire, and the Shadow King is the man who will bring us those desires."
"That's it, then? An eternity of doing the same thing over and over again?"
Aeternus rubbed his fingers together. "Well, I don't completely agree with the plan." He smirked. "With my connections, I could make sure the Pokémon aren't completely eradicated. And if they want to keep their precious emotions safe, I could do whatever I want with them. Torture, humiliation, extortion…"
Sweat dripped down Rico's forehead. "You're sick."
"Every day of my life." Aeternus threw his head back and laughed. "And there's no cure for me, buster! I'm not vindictive like Callista or depressed like Voss, and I'm certainly not some sap like Wendrake. No, I just really love violence! Always have, always will! No one understood me, but I made them understand. I'll make the world my personal funhouse until I get sick and tired of it all! What's the point of being an all-powerful immortal if you don't have some fun with it? What's left of the world will be bent under my thumb. Die then, die later. That's the fate of everyone! Kehehehehehe!"
Rico resisted the urge to stagger away. Though he put on a brave face, the herald emanated a toxic aura dripping with the vilest sensations. Thoughts swirled in his mind. Anger, fear, anxiety, doubt, confusion; all signs he shouldn't be facing this monster.
Indigo nervously watched the Scrafty, sensing his trembling. "Rico…" She felt movement beside her. She gasped as Tony pushed himself against the wall and tried to stand on his legs. "Tony! What are you doing?!"
Her shouts drew Aeternus' attention. He smirked with a twinkle in his eyes. "Even with those injuries, you're still trying to fight?"
Tony growled, pressing his hand against the wall. "Just…shut…up—" His chest wound burst open and spilt fresh blood on the ground. He collapsed on his knees, wrapping one arm around himself. I can't…I need to get up. I'm supposed to protect Mom and Cheri. I can't let myself die, not until they're…safe! The blood loss was slowly sapping his stamina, making it harder to stand upright.
Aeternus raised his finger and lit it up. "You poor thing. I'll have to disable you until we get back to base."
Rico's eyes widened. No!
"Particle Beam—" Right before Aeternus fired, Rico swung his leg up and struck the clown's wrist. The spell misfired and shot through the ceiling. Aeternus suddenly grabbed the pirate's face and smashed him into the wall. "You should've kept barking, mongrel."
Rico twitched from the pain, but sneered in retaliation. "Haven't you heard? Pirates die biting." He whipped his gun out and fired between Aeternus' eyes, knocking his head back. Rico slipped from his grasp, allowing him to kick both feet into Aeternus' stomach. Aeternus smashed into the opposite wall in a cloud of dust.
Indigo gaped in astonishment. "Rico, you just—"
"Run!" She gasped as Rico scooped her and Tony up onto his shoulders and tore through the tunnel like a Golbat out of hell, each stomp imprinting an inch-deep footprint behind him.
Tony withheld his cries as Rico's shoulder dug into his chest wound. "C-Careful, you idiot! I'm not going to the morgue yet!"
"Just shut up and keep an eye out for that monster!" Rico yelled back.
"Oh! Great choice of words, asshole!" Tony shouted furiously.
"Can you save your shouting match for a better time?!" Indigo cut in.
Tony nearly retorted until his whiskers started twitching. "Rico, right!"
Rico sidestepped and narrowly avoided a spike shooting out of the ground. Tony kept barking directions as more spikes shot out of the walls. Rico ducked, swerved, slid under, and jumped over the onslaught of stone, only gaining momentum as he did. He ran through the twisting tunnels, darting through the first pathway that divided off. He took any route he could to escape, whether left, right, down, or up. His amazing leg strength allowed him to ascend the tunnels in the ceiling, digging his feet through the stone for footholds and marched rapidly up the steep climb.
"Is he still chasing us?" Rico yelled.
A beam of light shot toward them, but Indigo canceled it with an exploding arrow. "Did that answer your question?"
Rico growled. "Shit, he's fast."
"He's toying with us," Tony noted.
"Huh?" the pirates gasped.
"Aeternus constructed this entire maze himself. He would've sealed our escape by now. This is just another game to him." Tony bared his teeth. "He knows he'll catch us, so he's taking his time."
Rico snarled. "Are you serious? We have no chance of escaping this guy?"
Tony shakily lifted his finger and aimed down the tunnel. "If I wasn't in so much pain, I could buy us some time. Plus, my depth perception is way off. I don't think I would be able to hit him." He growled furiously. "When did I become the deadweight?"
"You can self-loathe later!" Indigo yelled. "Can you fire or not?!"
Tony grunted, then aimed again. "Kind of hard while being jostled on someone's shoulder, but…Lightning Shot: Lotus Bullet!" He flooded the tunnel with lightning beams, hopefully slowing down their pursuer.
Rico saw the end of the tunnel approaching then and tightened his grips. "Hold your stomachs!" He touched the edge of the tunnel and sprung out into the air, flipping twice and landing on solid, leveled ground before springing back into a mad dash.
The trembling tunnels acted up again, sending more cracks through the walls and ceiling. Indigo covered her head as large rocks fell on them. "Shit, the fighting's getting worse! We need to evacuate soon!"
Tony glared. "We need help."
"No one will be able to sense our location!" Rico reminded. "And there's no way anyone will be able to tell where we are!"
"You know how sound works, Rico?" Tony suddenly brought.
"Excuse me?"
"It can carry a far distance through caverns, especially densely packed tunnels like this." Tony lifted his hands. "I didn't exhaust all my navigation techniques, but I didn't want to compromise our position before. Doesn't really matter now." He twisted his body and faced the direction they were heading. "I really hope someone hears this! Dragon Thunderclap!"
With a resounding clap, Tony emitted a powerful boom of thunder that rumbled through the tunnel. Indigo covered her ears while Rico had to unfortunately endure it. The sound echoed for a moment around the tunnel before fading in the distance. They could barely hear the small chimes bouncing deeper through the tunnels.
"Assuming the sound doesn't dissipate too soon, someone's bound to hear it," Tony pointed out.
"How is anyone going to tell our position through that?" Rico asked. "Does everyone of your team have built in sonar?"
"I can't exactly blow a hole through the ceiling!" Tony argued.
Before their arguing could escalate, a blunt spire suddenly shot out in front of them and punched Rico's stomach. The sudden stop jostled Indigo and Tony off his shoulders, throwing them roughly to the ground. Rico collapsed with a tight grip over his aching gut.
"Agh, effing Mew!" he growled.
"Rico!" Indigo cried.
Tony held his chest wound and sat on his knees, glaring back heatedly. "Finally gave up, Aeternus?"
Indigo pulled Rico back toward them as Aeternus' figure illuminated from the darkness. He had his arms crossed while his feet hovered gently over the ground. He wore his same old, creepy grin. "I grow weary of this little chase. I enjoy a good game, obviously, but I'm not putting up with any more of your shenanigans." He raised a hand and lit up all five of his fingers. "Now, shall we get going?"
Rico shrugged off his aching stomach and stood protectively in front of Indigo and Tony. "You aren't touching them."
Aeternus smirked. "I do admire this little chase. Perhaps I could spare you and corrupt you into another shadow monster. I'm sure you'll grow comfortable with the existence."
Indigo aimed her crossbow. "You're not turning anyone into a monster, you freak!"
"Kehehehehehe!" Aeternus laughed. "All I see is two weaklings and a half-dead thief. Face it, you've got nothing on me. So, either accept my generous offer or die. Or, I suppose a third option would be to hand you over to Reuben. I'm sure he can make some use out of your bodies. I wouldn't mind another maid running my castle."
Indigo covered her mouth and held back the urge to vomit in disgust. His comment angered both Rico and Tony. "Don't you dare!" they both roared.
Aeternus grinned. "I touched a nerve, didn't I? Very well! The Sneasel dies first!" He turned all five fingers on Indigo and didn't hesitate to fire.
"NO!" The boys leaped towards Indigo to try and take the shots while Indigo, frozen in the moment, watched the approaching lights in horror.
For a moment, it seemed hopeless. Tony couldn't get Light Speed working and the exhaustion from running had finally hit Rico. They wouldn't be able to take the shots. Indigo, in a last ditch effort, tried to fire her crossbow to do something, but she wouldn't be fast enough to trigger it.
Just as it seemed inevitable, a crackle of lightning shimmered from the ceiling before a powerful flash struck down between Indigo and the beams. The lightning blocked and overpowered the beams, wiping them out instantly. The trio was blown back by the abrupt blast and slammed into the walls. Aeternus covered his eyes from the overbearing flash.
Rico held his head, which had smacked hard against the wall, then glanced over in awe at Tony. "Dude, when did you throw that up?"
Tony, rubbing his own head, replied, "Yeeeeeah, that one wasn't mine." He lifted his head, then gasped. "What the…"
Aeternus lowered his arm and glared at the cloud of smoke before him. He noticed the silhouette within the smoke, a large body down on all fours that radiated a truly impressive aura. It bared a remarkably similar resonance to Tony's, which annoyed him quite a bit.
Retaining his showman behavior, Aeternus bowed and stated to the smoke cloud, "Pardon me, sir, but this is a private party. You'll have to escort yourself off the premises immediately. If you want to crash a party, feel free to annoy my colleagues or—" A beam of lightning abruptly ended his rant, nailing through his chest with a bright explosion shooting out of his back. Aeternus coughed blood and stumbled back.
"Cease speaking before I melt your lips together," the figure demanded as the smoke cleared. The armored Samurott glared coldly at the clown. "This fight ends here."
Indigo picked herself up, gawking at the Samurott. "W-W-W-What the…?!"
"Who is this guy?" Rico gasped.
Tony pulled himself up against the wall, groaning from both his injuries and their surprise savior. "That would be the man I unfortunately share half my genes with."
"Your father?!" Indigo gasped. "I thought he was some drunk bastard who left your family or something!"
Leroy shot Tony an annoyed glare, to which he replied, "I may have fudged the story a tad…"
Leroy sighed and shook his head. "Are you kids alright?"
"Barely," Tony grumbled.
Leroy squinted at his son's injuries. He didn't know why, but seeing the state of Tony's face and the large gash across his torso sparked a fierce warmth in his chest. His teeth clenched together tightly as sparks danced through his horn and fur.
"How's everything topside?" Tony asked.
Leroy retained an even tone despite his sudden rage. "I helped Ava and Vernon evacuate everyone from the area, including your mother and Cheri. There are earthquakes rumbling through the village and this maze is close to collapsing. You need to get out now." He nodded at the hole he carved. "This'll get you closer to the surface."
"How did you know we were here?" Rico asked.
"I had invaded the tunnels in search of everyone, but then I heard Tony's Dragon Thunderclap. I was able to pinpoint the location and came rushing down as soon as possible."
Tony scoffed. "You could've gotten here sooner," he said bitterly. He glanced down, then mumbled, "Thanks."
Leroy stared pitifully at his son, then nodded. "Go." He glared at the staggering clown. "I will make sure to kill this man."
Indigo pulled out a rope arrow and fired through the burning hole. After giving the rope a good tug, she yelled, "Grab on!" Rico helped Tony grab onto Indigo before she started reeling them up. "Thank you, Mr. Tony's Dad!" she yelled down. "I owe you one!"
Leroy didn't reply, keeping his eyes squared solely on Aeternus as his darkness deployed and mended the wound. The clown lifted his head, glaring heatedly at the Samurott. His usual creepy, optimistic smile took a complete one-eighty turn into a snarling frown.
"So, you're Tony's father? How lovely. Has he told you about my little escapades with the fam—" Another Lightning Shot drilled through his neck, shooting blood from the back.
"You will remain silent," Leroy ordered.
Aeternus grasped his throat and repaired it with his darkness. He growled furiously. "You know, your son at least had the decency to let me monologue instead of shooting me in the damn neck!"
Leroy snorted through his nose. "My apologies." He gripped his seamitars and reeled them out, coating them in Storm Magic. "I'll just cleave that head from your shoulders instead. A fair trade after everything you put my family through. As the Storm Mage of Origin, my duty is to purge the world of scum like you."
Aeternus smirked angrily. "Ah, so you're one of the key guardians? Don't you know the prophecy states you'll fall before us?"
"It said we would die facing your forces. Never mentioned anything about both of us going down in flames." Leroy crossed his weapons. "I'm fine with those odds."
Aeternus tightened his grin. "Kehehehe. You bastard…then show me what you can do with Storm Magic!" He slammed his hands down and sent a wave of spikes coming at him.
"Light Speed." Leroy zipped through the spires, cutting them to shreds instantly. Aeternus reflexively raised his hand and stopped Leroy's attack with a barrier. Aeternus grinned ecstatically as cracks spread over his barrier.
"Ooh, feisty. Maybe I will have some fun with you before I continue hunting your son."
The quaking grew worse throughout the maze as the Grim Ash trio threw everything they had against Voss. Griffin led the charge, slamming Endless Regret into Voss with fiery vitriol. Voss countered him blow for blow gracefully while simultaneously keeping his sights on Mack and Holly.
Mack ran up the walls and dove from the side with his Timor Persona. The ghastly Sudowoodo persona laughed wickedly as it threw a barrage of punches. Voss blocked them with his free arm, still keeping up with Griffin's attacks. Holly glided overhead with Last Breath and fanned a gust of wind straight down, pushing Voss' feet into the ground.
Griffin pushed back and traded for Infinity Breaker. He extended the polearm consecutively and pounded into the Electivire's chest plate. It only annoyed Voss into firing projectile slashes. Griffin blocked them with the Pride of Leones shield, but flew back through the air.
Mack landed behind Voss and pulled out Eclipse. "Find the keys, baby!" He spun the three-section staff and used its long-reach grappling ability to snake inside Voss' armor.
Voss felt the staff flying towards his mask and caught it before it dug under the eyehole. He reeled Mack over and promptly drove him into the ground with an elbow drop. The Timor Persona rose again and pounded into Voss furiously, but the warrior ignored the blows and delivered a hard punch into its stomach, knocking it into the walls before it faded.
Holly, still floating aloft, kicked off the ceiling and struck with a powerful axe kick. She predicted Voss' sword slash in retaliation. "Dolorem Rewrite!" The blue petals scattered around them, redirecting the sword slash into Voss' back. However, Voss had the forethought to reach through the petals and accurately guess where Holly repositioned herself. He reached around and caught her by the ankle. "Dolorem—" She couldn't get a word out before Voss swung her into the walls face first, then bashed her repeatedly against the floor like a wet towel. He finished with a sharp kick to the abdomen that knocked her off the walls like a vicious game of pinball.
Griffin raced past Holly and swung the warclub, No Peace, into Voss. The defense-shattering quake of the weapon shattered the stone around them, but did absolutely nothing to crack the armor. Voss flicked his wrist and slashed Griffin, setting him ablaze in black flame.
"Fallen Retaliation."
Griffin coughed wisps of flames and flew back into the walls. The slash tore open his clothes and left a grisly, burning cut across his torso. Unlike Tony, the counterattack didn't immediately wipe him out, but Griffin did have trouble getting back onto his feet. He tried to stand, but collapsed onto his knees while blood dripped from the wound.
As this went on, Leigh, Jones, and Zerif hid far back in the tunnel, barely able to obverse the fight. The sparks of magic that erupted from collisions gave the briefest, clearest glimpse of what was going on and they didn't like how the scene played out.
"They're getting their asses kicked," Jones commented.
"What can we do?" Zerif asked. "I doubt I can do any better than the rage machine."
Leigh glared. "I don't know what this guy's deal is, but I do know that armor isn't infallible. You can't hurt him, but you can still immobilize him."
"Explain," Jones asked.
"They don't have enough room to fight. The space is too small." Leigh pointed at the ceiling and floors. "So, why don't we make some room?" She put her battle claws on and gestured the two to follow.
Voss paid them no mind as he approached Griffin, who used Absolute Zero to freeze his wound shut. "Resourceful. You made good use of those weapons."
Griffin sneered. "A tribute to all the lives you've taken."
"And yet, for all the weapons you've used, I can't call you a master of any. You're too reliant on those weapons, and you haven't mastered any of them." He pressed the tip of his sword against the ice casing over his chest. "Holly and Mack have mastered their weapons and their animas. They honed their skills. You've neglected most of that training in favor of variety. Though you have a noble duty to carry those weapons, you are holding yourself back."
Griffin bared his teeth. "You…"
"I've honed my skills with the sword for centuries. I spent every waking day to achieve this level of mastery. With this armor, my pure offensive skill surpasses the most skilled swordsman. You are but an amateur compared to me. A weapon is the extension of the user. You should've used your time to master the blade given to you first."
Griffin clutched Absolute Zero tightly. "Even if that was true, I'll keep using these weapons until the deed is done!" He slashed the short sword upward and created a sheet of ice of over Voss' helmet.
Voss didn't bother with it and swung down on Griffin, who narrowly rolled away. "That pathetic justice of yours irritates me. What sense is there in honoring—"
"Mack, now!"
Voss staggered forward as Mack's Timor Persona leaped onto his back and restrained his arms. Voss glared. "Remove yourself at once." He released a burst of magical pressure, but the persona held tightly.
"No dice, Voss!" Mack yelled, wiping the blood off his face. "I heard your armor doesn't do well with non-solid attacks. Good to know! Phobia Rem: Pyro!"
The persona exploded into a mass of fire and engulfed Voss. The armor resisted the heat, but kept trying to sink through the eyeholes. Voss covered his face and released a stronger burst of pressure to blow the flames off.
Holly stood up, shook her head, and raised her fan. "Let's fan the flames of war!" She swung and summoned a twister around Voss. It stoked the flames and created a wild fire tornado that took up the width of the tunnel.
Griffin pulled out Endless Regret and channeled his magic through the black blade. "Exosus Release!" He fired the wild beam of hatred into the fire tornado, releasing a powerful explosion through the tunnel that knocked the trio away. Griffin dragged his blade through the ground while Holly and Mack landed safely on their feet.
They waited a moment for the smoke to clear until projectile slashes pierced the veil. They dodged the attacks, but Voss came rushing out towards Holly and Mack with his sword ablaze. Mack recalled his persona and had it catch the blade as Voss swung down.
Holly jumped and tried to kick Voss, but he grabbed her leg and threw her into the wall before punching Mack's persona aside. Mack struck the armored titan with his staff, but the hopeless strikes only earned him a punch across the face, knocking him across the ground.
Griffin roared furiously and sprung right for Voss' back, hitting with a downward slash that split the ground up from the pressure. Voss felt a mere tickle vibrating through his armor. The titan swung his arm around and clotheslined Griffin in the neck. After Griffin hit the ground, Voss slammed his foot down on the Grovyle's stomach, smashing him into a crater.
"Hell's Fallen Judgment!" Griffin covered his face as Voss swung and released a powerful explosive wave at close range. Griffin flew through the tunnel in a blazing inferno of darkness, tumbling upon hitting the ground before landing on his face.
"Dolorem Demise!" Voss felt an odd sensation throughout his body. He looked at his arm and saw the armor melting off into a puddle, along with his arm. He glared curiously at the strange illusion, mostly fascinating by the realistic feeling it projected. He didn't mind so much when Holly sprung overhead and delivered a sharp kick to his helmet, empowered by her limiter.
She predictably bounced off, but was caught off guard by Voss swinging around and releasing Hell's Fallen Judgment at point blank. She skidded across the ground, leaving a trail of molten earth behind. Her illusion cancelled, returning Voss' arm to normal.
"For a long time, I've dealt with my paper thin durability. Any sensation of pain to the body is nothing more than an afterthought now. A melting arm is an improvement." Voss reached over his shoulder and blocked a punch from Mack with his sword.
Mack grinned viciously. "Are you too much of a coward to fight us without that armor?!" He used Eclipse to catapult himself in the air, then kicked off the ceiling to slam both hands down on Voss' helmet.
Voss grabbed Mack's torso and pushed him against the walls, pinning him down. "If a piece of paper is enough to break the skin, anyone would be allowed the title of greatest warrior when faced with me. This armor is the test." He rammed his knee into Mack's gut, then shoved his face into the ground. "None of you are worthy yet."
Griffin struggled to sit up, panting heavily from the burns over his skin. Holly wasn't looking any better, afflicted with numerous burns and dark abrasions over her body due to previous injuries. Griffin bared his teeth into a rare worry he often hated.
He's still too strong. There's no way we'll break that armor like this. Griffin punched the ground in frustration. If only I had more time to train. I've been too busy goofing off.
Voss picked Mack up by the branch on his head and held his sword up to his neck. "Now, which one of you wishes to go out first? I promise you'll retain your dignity in defeat."
Mack smirked defiantly, despite the blood dripping down his face. "Heh. That's a funny joke…"
Griffin pulled himself onto his feet and yelled, "Let him go, Voss!"
Holly weakly lifted Last Breath and opened it. "We're not done yet."
"Oh, but I believe you are." Voss tossed Mack to Griffin's feet, then turned on Holly. "My pursuit for the perfect challenge was wasted on you three. I shall keep searching for a more worthy opponent in our crusade for the Shadow King."
"As if we would die that easily!" Griffin yelled. He reached into his personal arsenal and pulled out his father's sword, Land Shift. He pointed the golden butcher-like blade at Voss and proclaimed, "Even if I have to take this entire maze down with me, I won't let you or the shadows escape with the keys!"
Voss glared. "Your defiance is admirable, and pointless." He ignited his sword in black flames. "Descend softly into death like the rest of the fallen warriors."
"Not happening, bozo!" Suddenly, from seemingly nowhere, Leigh popped out of the ceiling and kicked Voss in the faceplate. "Hunter Frenzy!" She sprung back and wildly flailed her arms, slashing into Voss furiously.
Voss didn't stagger from her blows, which merely sparked off the surface of his armor. He punched through her attack and knocked her across the face, sending her into Griffin who safely caught her. Voss narrowed his eyes. "Any more pointless ambushes?"
"Not pointless, but resourceful." Voss turned around and saw that Jones and Zerif have grouped with Holly, who hung against Zerif for support. Jones aimed the borrowed One For All at Voss. "The Desert Beasts never surrender, especially in the face of a powerful foe."
Voss glared. "Astounding. You all must be very brave or very foolish." He turned his blade on them. "You still have much to answer for. Your treachery is all but forgotten."
Zerif waved a cutlass around. "You idiots should've known the number one rule about trusting pirates: never trust pirates."
Jones pointed One For All at Voss and declared, "We're evening the playing field and taking the keys back."
Voss scoffed. "And just how do you intend to do that?"
"By literally evening the playing field." Zerif snapped his claws, dropping the illusion surrounding the tunnel.
Voss looked around and gasped as sword constructs appeared across the walls, ceiling, and floor, impaled into the earth with cracks breaking out. Voss carefully raised his sword defensively as he examined the numerous swords.
"What is this?" he mumbled allowed.
"A ticket straight to hell!" Leigh proclaimed. "I dug through the ground with my claws and weakened the structure of this tunnel. Once it collapses, we'll be falling into a large pit."
"There's no way you dug out that much space in such a short time," Voss accused.
Leigh grinned. "True, but I don't need to. Do your thing, you violent Grovyle!"
Griffin caught onto her hinting and raised Land Shift. "Going down." He swiped the blade across the air, triggering a controlled, powerful vibration through the tunnel. The cracks made by One For All stretched out, seeping deeper into through the ground. The ground shook uncontrollably with footholds sinking under them.
Rock dumped over their heads as the ground started to give out. Voss grunted and sheathed his sword. "No way I'm dealing with this." He turned to leave, but Mack suddenly tackled his midsection and knocked him off his feet.
"No way! We're dying together!" Mack exclaimed with a mad cackle.
Voss' weight loosened the unstable earth and collapsed the floor out from under him. The cracking earth cascaded all across the tunnel at once and took Griffin, Holly, and the pirates down with them. They braced themselves before vanishing in the dark cavern below, followed by more falling rock and boulders.
The shaking tunnels did little to draw Malcolm's attention away from the murder machine before him. Though the shadow monsters themselves proved before to be a trying obstacle, they paled in face of the actual monster Malcolm and his crewmates observed through the dimly lit tunnel.
The flickering purple string that danced around the Hypno waved eerily like cobwebs caught in a breeze. Their eyes were drawn to the odd contortions of his fingers as he made the strings move in scary patterns, sometimes flicking the air with audible swishes. Some rock got cut up and slid from the walls. The cuts were too perfect for words, not an imperfection aside from the naturally-occurring cracks.
Even for the non-magic users of the crew, they sensed the tangible dread oozing from his body. A cloud of darkness accentuated by a toxic purple emanated around him like a soft fire. Staring into it seemed to suck out the light from their vision. It was unearthly and…nightmarish.
The Hypno's glowing red eyes bored through their skulls like he was staring through them. They wondered if he was staring at them or if he was lost in his own world of murder. Either way, those eyes stuck out the most and gripped at their hearts tighter than anything his strings could possibly replicate.
Tyrone gulped and backed behind Cheshire. "I-Isn't that…the Hypno that accompanies Team Ravenfield?"
Ray grimaced. "He's the one he defected from the Tribe of Shadows. W-Wendrake, the infamous Assassin of Darkness. His reputation proceeds him. Staring at him makes me feel like my life has already been taken."
"This is nuts," Pain Train mumbled, looking back at the shadow monsters who were now laughing in hysteria over the assassin's arrival. "We're stuck between a rock and a hard place."
"More like a boulder and a fortress," Drake revised.
Cheshire chuckled as his wide grinned reflected a nervousness towards the situation. "Well, have your pick. The unstoppable army or the unstoppable assassin. I'll take my chances with the army."
Malcolm clenched his fists. "We can't fight both at once. We need to retreat."
"To where?" Ray asked rudely. "Unless you're suggesting we jump down that hole and put ourselves closer towards the big bad himself, we literally have no other place to feasibly escape."
Cheshire raised his knife. "Gentlemen, it has been an honor working with you."
"Don't say that!" Tyrone pleaded.
Malcolm opened his beak to scold them, but looked back towards the assassin. The second he took his eyes off him, he vanished. "Wait, where did he—" A deadly chill shot up his spine, sensing the sudden presence behind him.
The pirates gasped and pressed themselves to the wall away from the shadowy Hypno who had appeared in their tight circle. Now in his direct range, they feared being sliced to bits, but he made no sudden movements on them, or even acknowledged them. Though this didn't dull their fear of the man, they were unanimously confused.
"Why…isn't he attacking us?" Tyrone asked in a low voice cracking above a whisper.
Malcolm followed the assassin's gaze, which seemed to be on the shadow monsters. "Is he after them instead?"
"Aren't they his allies?" Cheshire asked. "You know, because he's all evil and scary now?"
Ray glared. "Something tells me they're not sharing in that sentiment anymore."
The shadow monsters, once elated to see the return of the fourth herald, stared at him with confused looks, no doubt wondering why this monster of a killer wasn't slashing apart the enemy that was right next to him. They sensed the dark emotions clouding his mind, but something was directing those emotions, like it was by instinct.
Malcolm, after pondering for a moment, said allowed, "Wendrake…placed himself on autopilot."
"Excuse me?" Drake asked.
"Before we all got swallowed into this maze, I think I distinctly heard something about him getting corrupted within the Shadow King's presence." Malcolm backed toward the large hole and peered down at the shadow dome far below. "And we're pretty damn close right now. I think he's going after everything he perceives as an enemy, or maybe he's going after everything in order of threat."
Ray bared his teeth. "I really hope it's not the latter option, or we're screwed soon."
The shadows monsters quickly assessed the new threat as the lumbering assassin advanced towards them. Through gargled chatter, they seemed to agree on changing targets. The lead of their group, who looked like a monstrous Tauros with spiked tails and branching horns, dragged his hoof across the ground and charged Wendrake full speed. The assassin's eyes narrowed slightly, then he raised his hand.
The shadow bull roared and lunged at Wendrake with his horns growing and extending forward. However, he stopped inches from hitting the assassin, suddenly suspended off the ground in a web of string. The bull roared and mooed furiously, struggling through the string and trying to saw himself out with his horns.
Wendrake walked past his captured prey, eyes set on the large group of shadow monsters. He paused, looked over his shoulder at the struggling bull, then twisted his wrist.
The bull's neck suddenly twisted one hundred eighty degrees with dense string coiled around the head. The pirates jumped away in fright while blood gushed out of the Tauros' eyes. Annoyed by his screaming, Wendrake flicked his finger and wrapped a web of string over the Tauros' head. It got him to shut up for a moment, perplexed by the sudden net, until Wendrake pulled on the string and sunk the string beneath the flesh.
The Tauros' head exploded into a blood mess across the walls and floor, scaring Ray, Tyrone, and Pain Train to the ground while the others gawked in horror. Wendrake tossed the useless carcass aside and continued forward.
A shadow Farfetch'd, wielding a mutated leek, screeched menacingly and charged with the leek pointed at the assassin's chest. The assassin simply sidestepped, lifted his leg, and slammed it down on the monster's back. The creature screamed in horror as sickening cracks exploded from under the mass of darkness, penetrating the flesh and bone underneath.
Wendrake picked the corrupted duck up by the head, then sewed string through his head. Seconds after, Farfetch'd felt an intense bloating inside his body, bubbles of shadow bubbling like carbonated water. Wendrake tossed the duck into the air right as he exploded into shadow and blood. String attached to the walls with chunks of flesh hanging like party streamers.
"Holy shit!" Malcolm gasped.
"That is so wrong!" Pain Train cried.
Two unidentifiable monsters, with their battle axe arms, swung down on Wendrake with the force to crack the ground beneath his feet. Wendrake, however, caught the blades in his hands effortlessly and just as easily shattered them with a simple flex of his fingers, no strings attached. The monsters tried to punch him instead, but string wrapped around their arms and twisted them until they tore off. The monsters screamed and roared in pain while Wendrake stared with cold, lifeless eyes.
He walked past the two growling monsters, then flicked two fingers. The monsters doubled over as something sprang out of their backs. Two beating hearts that splattered across the walls, leaving them to die instantly. The shadows melted off their bodies, revealing them as an Exploud and a Grumpig.
The remaining monsters cowered in fear now, a feeling that should've been suppressed upon their transformations. They, who were invoked with greater power to overcome doubt and terror, were frozen at the mere sight of this undaunting force. It was unlike anything the other heralds projected in their auras. Power, destruction, evil, but nothing like what Wendrake permeated.
The essence of fear, a trait found in the Shadow King himself, to bend even the strongest wills to their knees. It had the power to draw out those locked emotions and amplify its effects. Wendrake was the face of death.
Seeing they were in a losing battle, the monsters tried to run away. Wendrake glowered at this and reared his hand back, then extended straight shots of string into the crowd.
About seven of the monsters at the front of the group felt a strange sensation overcome their bodies. Muscles locked up and prevented them from moving. This wasn't fear, however, but literal paralysis preventing them from moving. Their remaining brethren stopped and observed this strange state, growling about in confusion.
The pirates observed with equal perplexity. "Why did they stop?" Drake wondered.
Malcolm bit his beak worriedly. "I'm afraid we're about to find out."
Wendrake lifted his hand, playing with the string that dangled off his fingers. He coiled a couple around his fingers, then tugged on them. The seven monsters suddenly stood at attention, backs straight and heads facing forward. They tried to growl in protest, but something locked their mouths shut. Only thing they could use was their eyes, which frantically darted around the tunnel with terror.
Then, without any build-up, one of the monsters morphed their arm into a sword and impaled it into their own neck. The unrestrained monsters gasped as their brother roughly pulled the blade through their entire neck with the audible tearing of flesh reaching their ears. The monster couldn't scream or protest, not even a rumble in their throat. It had to watch in horror as their own arm tore through the base of the neck, ripping through bone and flesh second by second.
With a final swipe, the monster decapitated itself and sent the lifeless head flying through the air, landing at the other monsters' feet. They stared at the head as the shadows melted off. They stood petrified, eyes wide and jaws hanging. The pirates, though they couldn't care less what happens to them, were agape to the brutal, forced suicide.
Wendrake manipulate the headless body to turn on one of its brethren and stab violently through the chest. The monster screeched and wailed as the blade sawed deep through the shadow exterior and reached the vital organs, hacking them to pieces. Wendrake tugged on the other six strings and commanded the capture monsters to turn and execute their kind.
Some tried to flee further down the tunnel or turned their sights on Wendrake in hopes of killing him. They instead ran into a wall of string that enclosed them with the murder machines. Like an infection, as the captured monsters executed their brethren, string filled the corpses and started to move like puppets. The puppets became the puppeteers. The captured monsters watched in vain as their bodies started to puppeteer the corpses and attack the next closest monster.
It was a chaotic display of puppets and murder as allies started stabbing and controlling each other left and right, some even being forced to commit suicide. One had to cleave their own head in half, rip the pieces off, and hack those pieces into smaller pieces before ripping out their own heart. Like a hurricane, the army of darkness dissolved into the massacred corpses of the Anguis grunts who willingly allowed for their transformations.
Meanwhile, the Desert Beasts watched the scene with disgust and fear, like a demented puppet show put on by a deranged theatre student. What was once several monsters, likely stronger than when they had to face their possessed captain, were easily dispatched by the unstoppable assassin who fancied himself once as a practitioner of medicine and good health. This man, who looked nothing like a relentless killer, massacred the shadow monsters with themselves.
The scene played out for several minutes. It was worse that they couldn't hear the monsters screaming, locked inside their own bodies to witness their own self-destruction. The dim lighting accentuated the red covering the tunnel as more bodies were hacked to pieces and splattered into indescribable goo.
After an eternity of puppeteering, Wendrake cancelled the strings and let the dead bodies have their piece, falling unceremoniously to the floor. An uncomfortable silence followed with the overwhelming stench of blood. The Desert Beasts cowered away, stopped only by the gaping hole leading to doom.
Cheshire took one misstep, causing a bit of the hole's edge to chip off and clatter down. The sound alerted Wendrake and turned his attention back onto them.
Their faces individually screamed the same thing. We're dead!
Wendrake turned on his heel and lumbered towards the pirates, new string spawning around him. The group shuffled behind Malcolm and Drake. Drake crossed his katanas with a worried grimace while Malcolm anxiously raised his fists.
"Mr. Wendrake, or…Dr. Morgan?" Malcolm tried to remember. "Whatever. We're not your enemy. We're on your side." It didn't slow the assassin's pace. Actually, it quickened, much to the pirates' growing terror. "Please, whatever's going on, you need to get a hold of yourself! Team Ravenfield still needs your help! Wes Ravenfield needs your help!"
That caused Wendrake to stop. His red eyes narrowed through the veil of darkness around him. "Raven…field?"
Seeing his chance, Malcolm pressed on. "The Shadow King is below us right now. Wes Ravenfield may be with him. He might be in danger."
Wendrake tensed his fingers. The string swirling around him swayed with crisper motions like they were swiping the air. "Shadow…King."
Malcolm nodded. "Yes, the Shadow King. He's close. Do you intend to let him control you like this? Aren't you the one who got away?" He sensed the tension from Wendrake's hands alone, shaking with nerve-wracking fury as if he wanted to strangle someone. "I don't who you are or anything about your past, but I know you never wanted this. Don't let him get to you. You're the only hope we have left now."
Silence lingered between them. For a moment, the pirates worried he was going to snap back into his murderous rampage. They cautiously held onto their weapons, ready to draw them the instant he moved. Wendrake looked like he was contemplating Malcolm's words as he stared at the ground.
Wendrake lifted his hand, noting the bloodstains on his fingers. He looked back at the bodies mercilessly torn to pieces, a remnant of a past he thought he abandoned. A natural part of himself he thought he got under control. The instinct, talent, and ability to kill without a thought. It all came back to him in a moment of weakness.
As he shifted about on his feet, something clattered out from his back pocket. He bent down and picked the object up. His eyes widened at the rusty flask with his initials faded into the metal. Its weight indicated the alcoholic beverage sloshing inside.
A memory resurfaced, recalling the playful annoyance he felt when the flask was gifted to him. A joke at the expense of his abstinence to alcohol before he became dependent on it as a fleeting, emotional crutch. He drank from this flask every single day in hopes that its repressive effects would take him in its clutches and rid him of the pain he felt every single day.
He became too dependent of the shadows to forget those pains. He fell into a bad habit pleading to feel something again. No matter how hard he fled, his past would always catch up with him. He wanted to become numb to that pain. He needed something to suppress his sorrows.
Senara…
Malcolm bared his teeth. "Please. We're all going to die if you don't do something—" He jumped with a start as the assassin appeared before him in a flicker. The pirates drew their weapons at Wendrake, ready to attack, but string bound their arms together and disarmed them just as fast.
Malcolm stared into the assassin's eyes, feeling the most scared he had been since joining the Desert Beasts. Wendrake lifted his hand, instantly drawing fresh memories of the Shadow Farfetch'd before his untimely demise. Malcolm went for his gun while clenching his eyes shut.
The hand descended onto his head, sending chills down the Golduck. However, he felt no string invading his body, nor the squirming of his flesh before a gruesome explosion. Daring a peek, he opened one eye right as the shadows coating the assassin receded back into his body.
His yellow skin, white mane, and impeccable clothes came to light. The darkness faded from around his face, showing a stern, yet gentle stare that put Malcolm at ease. Dark veins tainted his face, and his eyes retained their blood red color, still driving a sense of worry into the pirates.
"W…Wendrake?" Tyrone whispered.
The assassin narrowed his eyes. "…That name belonged to a man who sold his pokemanity for false salvation." He pushed Malcolm aside and proceeded to the large hole. "Morgan Tenebris shall be the one to decide."
Chesire glared worriedly. "What do you intend on doing?"
Morgan closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Staring longingly at the ceiling, he answered, "What I should've done from the beginning: confront my demons."
"Valentine?"
Valentine looked up as the heavenly Whimsicott graced him once again with her presence. She handed him a warm meal with the most beautiful and inviting smile he had seen. He felt compelled to accept the meal with thanks. Without a word, he shoveled the food down his mouth while the bishop pulled up a chair.
"Are you comfortable?" she asked. She got a quiet grunt in response. "Good. I'm glad." She waited for him to finish with his meal before continuing. "Are you ready to confess your worries?"
Valentine set the plate aside, frowning at the floor. "I…can't."
"Oh?"
"I'm a terrible man. My sins are…unforgivable. I will repent in Hell when my time comes. If it comes."
Vashti narrowed her eyes. "My child, Arceus forgives all."
"Tch, I've read the scriptures. I'm beyond saving in his eyes."
"Not in my eyes." He gasped as she took his hands in hers, giving them a gentle squeeze. She looked into his eyes with that infectious warmness, breaking down his mental fortitude. "I sense pain in your heart. If you will not confess your sins, tell me what brings you these woes. Confront what brings you sadness and relieve yourself of this burden."
"I…I don't—"
"There is no judgment in this holy place. I am here for you, to help you so that you will be ready to confront your demons on your own." She patted his hands. "Whenever you're ready, my child."
Valentine felt tears trickle from the corners of his eyes. He closed them, sniffling a bit, and lowered his head. "I…"
"Go on."
"…I miss my dear Senara."
