Chapter 114: The Mind's Battle

[Mojo Jojo's Lair, Downtown Townsville, 9.45pm]

Brick recognised the sound of bullets hitting flesh and bones, but the sounds did not tally with bullets hitting a single body, but instead the sounds sounded as if it was hitting several bodies at the armed men fell limply at once, and puddles of blood formed from where they fell. Brick is unable to comprehend the sounds with what he had just saw, for it made no sense.

"Him gave you an interesting gift." The dark being looked around, its body showing a sign of mild eldritch being walked towards one of the bodies and was about to pick it up before Brick noticed a subtle oddity. The dark entity appear to move in a particularly awkward manner, as if every movement is involuntary.

No, Brick understood, its body is not moving the way it thinks is should.

Renee took her steps in a deliberate and elegant manner, gracefully avoiding the puddle of blood clotting the ground. Brick sensed that something significant is about to happen and he figured that they should leave before things deteriorate further. Brick started to look around for his brother, and his crimson eyes soon spotted his brother once more. The dark-haired Rowdyruff Boy is slowly closing in towards the unfolding scene, using the furniture as cover to sneak closer. Brick was about to move forward to get his brother when something else changed his decision.

The being made out of the darkest black started to lose shape and formed itself into a sinister black, cloudy presence. As it rose up, flashes of lighting formed within the cloud-like apparition before several twirling vein-like tendrils of smoke branched out into the space around it and entered into the bullet holes of the deceased soldiers. Each body that was touched by the tendril started convulsing before the bodies started to bloat. Brick watched with great discomfort and unease as the bodies bloated to a point where they increased their mass thrice-fold. A more muted, but similar expression formed itself on Renee's face, confirming that it is something macably unusual.

Each one of the bodies burst open in an explosive visceral spectacle, and exiting each body is a swarm of black rats. The rat swarm immediately lunged forward towards the Lunatic and she was forced to defend herself. A rain of ghostfire scorched the rats and the smell of charring flesh and fur intoxicate the air, but more and more rats trampled over their charred packmate and charged as if like a demon possessed. More rats burst from the nooks and cranny of the abandoned lair and joined the rats that had burst forth from the bodies.

Given the unnatural situation, Brick decided that enough is enough.

Brick emerged from the vault and ran towards his brother, but he was soon encumbered by the moving carpet of living rodents. Brick shot the beam from his eyes to clear a path, but to no avail as the momentarily available path is soon flooded by the next wave of rats. Brick flew above the rat swarm and sped towards his brother, and he immediately grabbed his brother by his hand.

Both are now streaking towards the exit, but the two brothers were met with an all-encompassing cloud of darkness illuminated by lightning covering the entirety of the dome. Several lightning bolts streaked from the clouds, barely missing the Rowdyruff Boys. The lightning bolts hit the ocean of rats, but instead of scorching the rats, Brick watched in disbelief as the swarm are now climbing up the bolts of lightning towards them.

"Are rats supposed-?" Butch rubbed his eyes, as if to rub away the disbelief from his eyes.

"OF COURSE NOT, YOU DUMBASS!" Brick punched his brother in the head, trying his best to knock the stupidity from his brother's head.

"OUCH!"

"BRICK? BUTCH?" The two teenagers responded to their names being called only to see a shocked milk-white being with frost-like eyes staring at them, the tear-like markings on her eyes make her appear to be crying at the surprise that greeted her eyes.

The moment is all it took for the swarm of rats to form itself into a gigantic fist and slammed itself at the fox-like Lunatic, propelling her towards the wall with such force that it shattered like glass. Brick and Butch were stunned by the sudden disappearance before they too realized that they had been distracted for a second too long. The rats on the lightning formed themselves into a whip-like structure and lashed at the two teenagers, hitting them at the stomach and hurling them in a similarly powerful force. Both individuals found themselves bursting out from the structure and crashing downwards to the park.


[Townsville Park, Downtown Townsville 9.56pm]

Brick felt nauseous as the sensation he felt within him is at odds with what his eyes perceived. Brick felt his body being accelerated upwards while his body is falling down on the ground. Brick tried to fly upwards, but he only felt his body accelerating downwards. The mismatch between his vision and his senses came to an abrupt stop when he felt his body slamming down on a hard surface. Brick tried to get up but sensory overload caused Brick to immediately dispelled the contents of his stomach.

Brick wiped his mouth of the unsightly mess and looked around, and his eyes informed him that he is down below the foot of the volcano. Brick soon spotted his brother, breathing a sigh of relief as he saw his brother vomiting on the ground as well on all fours. Brick struggled with his vertigo as he walked towards his brother, finally resting his hands on Butch's Broad shoulders for support.

"Son of a bitch...I'm not your armrest." Butch growled weakly, but is unable to follow through with a physical action.

"Shut up." Brick shushed his brother and looked up to see that the night skies around the observatory lair became a dark hue of red.

Levitating above them is the white female with nine bushy fox-like tails and on the edges of the volcano, the formless swarm of rats clung on and formed itself into a three-dimensional skull. The skull started speaking, its voice forming itself from the screeching, squeaking and chattering rat noises.

"Impressive, a very interesting gift" The skull moved its 'jaw' in an amused manner.

"Likewise." Renee complimented in return.

The lantern floating above Renee glowed brighter and illuminated the area around her in a bright crimson flame. Brick soon felt an uneasy sensation enveloping him once the light swallowed him in its gentle glow. Once more, Brick's senses went haywire. Up and down, left and right as well as forward and backward are reversed and the sensation of vertigo is amplified. Brick felt his body swayed to the left and forward, but what he saw is that his body is leaning backwards and to the right. Brick's mind raced to understand it all, but his vision is also inverted, seeing the world around him as upside down. Brick's mind wanted to black out, but something within him is anchoring his consciousness.

"HctuB, Hctub!" Brick yelled out, only to realize that his words are inverted as well. The sound of fighting ringed in Brick's ear as he looked around for his brother. Everything is inverted, and the disorientation is enough for Brick to puke a second time.

"Revo Ereh!" A husky tenor called out to Brick, yet Brick is unable to discern where the voice is coming from.

Do I need to blind myself to find where my brother is?, Brick contemplated the idea, but realized that he will not be able to aim for his own eyes with his sense of perception being compromised. The dark emotions within him overtook his mind, and he saw felt nothing else but his rage and fears.

Then Brick felt another sensation; a stabbing sensation from his stomach and something escaping from his stomach.

What the hell is going on?, Brick wondered as the sensation of the branching uneasiness spread throughout his body. Brick felt the pain inside his body, but he is unable to yell out. Something is wrong, and he felt colder with every second. He can feel a gush of liquid coming out from his mouth, and the metallic odor of blood soon informed Brick that the blood is coming out from his nostril and mouth.

Blood spurted out from Brick's mouth as he felt the odd filling sensation from inside his body, and he fell down on one knee. Brick had experienced this sensation before, and he knew that he was stabbed in the abdomen. The Rowdyruff Boy felt something branching inside his body from the object piercing his body, and he felt a foreign entity invading his body.

Brick's mind turned dark immediately.


[Townsville Park, Downtown Townsville, 10.00pm]

The sound of the chittering swarm of rodents is loud and distracting, and Butch felt warm liquids splattering on his face. The sudden disorientation immediately cleared away, and Butch opened his eyes immediately to see his brother being stabbed in the stomach by a sharp, hard object coming out from the swarm. Butch is at a loss for words, and Butch found the strength in him to erect himself and to support his brother. Butch's eyes picked up on the stomach wound and it appeared that something is branching itself into every artery and vein in Brick's body.

"You'll make a fine hostage." The swarm spoke in unison.

"You bastard!" Renee yelled out in anger.

Butch wanted to attack the monster that had hurt his brother, but at the same time he is paralyzed by the idea that he will lose his brother. Butch's mind is slowly blanking out from the panic within his heart, and then Butch spotted something with his eyes. The bleeding wound around Brick's stomach started to reform itself strand by strand, the wound glowing with a near black glowing crimson. Countless glowing crimson-like roots burst from the wound and flowed into the sharp object and branched into the rats. The rats screamed with agony as the blood-like vines that emerged from Brick invaded their body in turn.

Butch is immediately reminded of what happened on Mojo Jojo's island, and Butch immediately stepped back. The wound started to peel away like burnt ash and Brick's iris turned from circles into slits, and the red-haired teenage boy grabbed on the object piercing its stomach. Butch can never forget what he saw, and it knew what is coming. The unravelling glowing red hair and the slowly widening abyss-like grin from ear to ear only confirmed Butch's suspicions.

Brick watched as his brother's head is engulfed in a flame that formed itself into a large oval helmet with an ornate grill-face visor, and Brick's hair exited the back of the helmet like a wild horsetail. The visors glowed with a menacing light, and Butch immediately felt an immense spiritual pressure and a deep and horrifying fear enveloping his body. Butch had experienced Brick's 'Fear Factor' several times before, but this one is unlike anything Butch had ever experienced before.

Butch immediately landed on his bottom, and he watched as a dark flaming wing appeared from Brick's shoulder. The wing started to fold itself narrowly and his brother grabbed the flaming wing with one hand and pulled it off his back. The flames in Brick's hands formed itself into a fossil-black structure made of bones assembled together. Butch watched as several claw-like fingers formed a crossguard of the object and Butch's mind immediately knew that it is a weapon of sorts. A blood-ruby blade formed itself on the slightly longer part of the weapon, and the wickedly crescent serrated blade with hooks made from the spines that formed the core of the weapon.

With a single callous move, the red-haired teenager stabbed directly into the sharp object piercing his body.


[Brick's Dreamscape, Time Unknown]

Brick soon find himself once more in the red savannah field in his mind. Brick looked up to see the red clouds floating in the black skies, only to see a figure in shrouded in shadows standing before him. Brick wanted to greet it, only for Brick to notice that the figure is not who he think it figure wears a large hat, one side folded over its top, revealing only a single eyeless socket with an arrow-like mark beneath it .The large rings serving as shoulder pads matched the design of the stylized belt made of ring and braces around its ankle.

"Who the hell are you and where's Break?" Brick asked, not appreciating that his subconscious is being entered by so many people these days.

The Tactical Yield Reflexive Adversarial Neurological Technology System, or Tyrant System for short, manifested itself as the shadow entity known as Break and has the task of acting as the ultimate biological fail-safe defense mechanism to protect Brick. For Break to not be present at Brick's present danger is suspect enough especially at this critical casually strolled towards the shadow-shrouded being, knowing well that he will need to get rid of the infection now.

Brick's head is soon alight with a dark flame, but it did not burn him. The dark flames with crimson edges soon solidified, with a domed structure forming over the entirety of Brick's head. A flared brom formed over Brick's eyes, hooding his crimson eyes and a grill-like bar forming itself over each of Brick's eyes. The rest of Brick's face is covered by a visor and nape of Brick's neck is protected by a fin-like structure and his braided hair unravelled itself into a long, glowing blood crimson red. The shadows soon enveloped the space between the grills, leaving only Brick's glowing crimson eyes staring back at the being.

"The Helm of Hades itself. Impres-" It complimented, but was stopped as it saw Brick's body is emitting a dark ominous energy.

Brick's right shoulder formed into a black feathered wing-like object with glowing red edges. The environment itself started to warp and disintegrate before being absorbed into the wing-like structure. The wing-like projection folded itself behind Brick's back as it absorbed its surroundings and it start to form itself into an elongated object. Brick's left hand lowered itself behind his back and he grabbed the solidifying structure and detaching the flame from behind his back, spinning the solid flame in circular motions.

"You know...I am sick and tired of people always entering into my subconscious and not respecting my privacy at all." Brick spoke out, his voice and expression tranquil and calm. However, anyone with half a brain can see that Brick's anger is simmering in him.

The flame formed itself into an ebony-black structure and a distorted body of the solidified flame had the appearance of a bones assembled together piece by piece. Upon closer look, it appeared to resemble the bones of a predatory animal as several claw-like fingers formed itself as a guard of the mysterious object, forming an even divider between the two weapon. Brick grabbed the bottom of the skeletal-like weapon with his right, which formed itself into a handle before letting go of his left hand and continued on spinning the object.


What is this, It wondered.

Even though It was far away, the demon could faintly feel that the weapon's body was emitting a kind of hostile aura that made one extremely uncomfortable. It felt as if it is face to face with a very ferocious tiger ready to pounce itself on It. It had never felt such a sensation before, for It had not reason to be uncomfortable with anything, let alone fear. But somehow, this insolent youngling is instilling such unease in its dark heart. Something about the object is not of this world, and It knew that it is a weapon that is meant for otherworldly targets.

"Are you familiar with the concept of pusaka, It? It is a Malay concept that things are infused with spirits, either good or bad, and provide the item with a presence or essence that needs to be pleased and sated before one approaches it. It is believed that such was the presence within these items that if they are pointed at enemies or things they dislike, it would snatch their souls and leave them dead on the battlefield." Brick explained as the part that resembled the spinal backbone of a creature was soon enveloped by a crystalline-like structure.

It wondered why such a young boy had such a threatening presence, and it soon felt its leg moving a step back. It wondered why it did so, for it never balk at the sight of anything. Yet, something primal within It is warning it, and that feeling of unease soon pulled a string within its mind that something is very wrong.

"I honestly felt that resonated with my core values and I wanted one for myself, but a pusaka is not taken, nor given. It is a sanctified heirloom, and it can only be inherited. That made me sad, but then...I realized something. I did inherit something, and that something is imbued in me by Him." Brick continued on as he walked closer towards It.

It brandished a clawed hand and charged towards Brick, slashing its clawed appendage towards Brick's head. However, Brick appear to be unfazed by the incoming attack and the crystalline structure formed itself into a distinctively curved blade with a slanting edge with irregular wicked serrations and hooks that matched with the distorted spine-like core.

"Him gave me the gift to instill fear, and I decided that I will have something that will instill fear to immortal beings." Brick grabbed the elongated handle of his weapon with both his hands and twisted the cutting edge of the one-edged weapon upwards before moving it up in an upward slashing motion.

The dark being broke itself into a swarm of rats, barely avoiding the slashing edge from Brick's attack. The skittering swarm landed on its feet before skittering away from Brick and reforming itself into a dark humanoid once more. That in itself concerns the demon, for nothing should cause it to break apart in such a manner, and the weapon had instilled an objective within its mind.

"You...You will not live." It snarled. Brick turned around, and It saw a particularly crazed stare through the grilled visors that is filled with unsurpassed glee.

"That is if you can survive to kill me." Brick said in a cold and callous manner.

It broke down into a large swarm of rats, and the swarm skittered towards Brick with an unbridled bloodlust. It figured that if a singular tangible attacks will not overwhelm Brick, then the swarming will. It figured that its body will not break up involuntarily if it is already broken up, and It is assured of its victory. The swarm will overwhelm the boy, and gnaw away at his flesh and bones killing Brick's psyche and allowing it to take over Brick's body. Nothing the boy do will change that outcome.

It is proven wrong immediately.

Brick impaled the tip of the blade into the ground, turning the ground into peeling ash and red, root-like tendrils started branching away from the pierced ground. Several hound-like creatures emerged from the ground with shaggy black fur, multiple red eyes, and a large, fang filled mouth, and the hounds immediately launched themselves towards the tidal wave of swarming rats. The ensuing contact between the supernatural animals is bloody to behold, as the rats were shaken to death in the hounds' mouths and trampled by the hellish hounds' large paws while the swarm scratched and gnawed on the shaggy ethereal hounds. Several hundreds of rats broke through the pack of hellhounds and went straight for the Rowdyruff Boy, but Brick pulled the bladed weapon out from the ground causing the immediate surroundings to be engulfed in an inferno and scorching the rats.

Some of the rats retreated away, forming back once more into It while the other rats continued on with its onslaught.

How is it possible?, It felt that something is very wrong with the present situation it found itself in. Despite being the invader and having unsurpassed advantages, it is being stalled by a teenager with a very weird-looking weapon. It watches as the rats and hellhounds took each other out, and Brick's wall of flames burned the other rats. As the flames died down, It felt the need to find a different way to defeat Brick.

"What's wrong? You invaded my mind and now you are scared?" Brick mocked the ethereal being, the teenage boy's eyes are just pits of darkness dotted by a flaming crimson. It did not answer the Rowdyruff Boy, for it will not fall for such petty provocations.

It clawed the ground, and a streak of gashes on the ground sped towards Brick. Brick swung his blade horizontally on the ground, slashing the ground in front of him. The slashes on the ground met each other, and the ground violently exploded causing It to lose sight of the red-haired Rowdyruff Boy. It immediately moved it body to one side, and not a moment too soon, barely avoiding a downward slash from the bone-like weapon with the crystalline crimson ruby edge. It took the opportunity to claw at Brick at that precise moment, and a line of scars ran down Bric's forehead down to its torso. Blood spout out from Brick's injury, and instead of retreating Brick spun the blade backwards and stabbed It in its flanks.

It hissed and It kicked Brick away and the Rowdyruff Boy tumbled down on the ground before the teenager stabbbed the ground with the blade to stop his tumbling. Brick knelt on the ground as he tried to get up, and It saw the extent of the injuries that it had inflicted on the Rowdyruff Boy. Brick's right visor was broken with violent gashes running down half his body, and blood seeping out from the helm all the way down to his chest. However, Brick's injury is but a flesh wound as compared to what It had receive in return.

Dark ichor escaped from the blade wound, and It put pressure on its wound with one of its hands. It was harmed by the blade, and there is something in the blade that struck an indescribable terror in its heart. For a being such as itself, having its heart gripped by a paralyzing fear is as good as being poisoned. It is not a sensation that any demon will ever feel, and the effects of the unnatural weapon only strengthened It's resolve to slay the boy. Here, right before It, is a existence that will destroy all demonkind. T

Something about everything is out of place.

Something about this situation must be done.

It felt that any wrong move will be an irreversible move that will doom the demon, yet It had not idea what will be a right move.


Shit...what the hell do I do next?

Brick wondered what will be the right move to enact at this moment, as he helped himself up with the support of his weapon. Brick felt his body is weakening, and he knew why his body is weakening. The demon's corruption is taking a toll on Brick's body, and the Rowdyruff Boy is losing his grip of presence in this world. And now the injury that it had received is particularly dire, for the loss of vision in one eye and also the blood loss is seeping his strength.

However, Brick is also aware that his attack had also dealt a great blow on the shadowed being as it is holding its wound as if holding for dear life. Brick is satisfied with the injuries that he had inflicted on the demon, and Brick smirked. Brick's eyes picked up on the slowly withering grasslands and dissipating clouds, and Brick wondered what happened to Break, the shadowy representation of his subconscious. But while it's subconscious is not here, Brick will need to hold the for both Break and himself.

"When I need you the most, you bailed on me. Asshole." Brick cursed half-jokingly, but he knew that Break will not be around to listen to it.

Brick stared at his opponent, and knew that whatever happens next will decide everything. They sized up on each other, watching for the slightest signal of aggression. Both knew that they now have the ability to strike the other down with one strike. The winds in the mindscape blows strongly, with the angry rustling of the grassland accompanying the blowing winds. The rumbling dull sounds of thundering skies reverberated in the mindscape, like a prelude to a electrifying climax.

A bolt of red lightning erupted from the skies, a loud thundercrack echoed throughout the mindscape. That moment is all it took for the Brick and It to make their move, and both disappeared in a flash, appearing moments later at opposite ends, with their back facing away from each other. They stood in silence for a few moments, before another lightning descended down from the skies.