Author's Note: I own nothing. Ok so there will be a bit of a tangent either in this chapter or the next one but I promise in the long run it will make sense.
21 Who Wins
They raced into the temple, it seemed that over the years the Esoterica had been waiting for the Dagon's return. The walls were lined with the suits they wore. How they had found the temple was anyone's guess and didn't really matter right now. Right now what mattered is that they seemed to have used their powers to bend physics to arrive before them. The tank containing Vilgax was already here and between them and the sword that stood in the Dagon's heart on a dais in the center of the room.
The mysterious woman in green moved first leaping over the first wave of Esoterica and throwing a wave of fire from her bare hands. The Esoterica scattered vanishing into thin air as the creature in the tank roared and bashed tentacles into the glass shattering it.
"I will not be kept from my power! Kill them all!" He roared and the battle began. Swords clashed with the yellow electricity the Esoterica wielded. Conduit Edwards took it upon himself to engage the woman who'd already proved more powerful than the others. Only George remained free of the combat as the squid-like creature yanked itself across the floor towards the heart. But he should not have underestimated this weak looking being as it snagged him around the ankle and threw him hard into a wall.
"George!" The woman turned and Conduit took his chance drawing on the powers granted him as one of the Esoterica he summoned a blade of pure energy and drove it forward. It was supposed to slam into the woman's heart but it didn't sink into skin like it should have. Instead with a sound like a shoe being pulled from a deep puddle of mud the blade sank in without seeming to do any damage whatsoever. Instead of blood purple mud rimmed the edge of the would be wound. She turned, well not quite. Her whole head rotated as did her arms and Conduit went flying as she smacked him back, taking advantage of his shock. She managed to sort herself out as George began to pull himself to his feet.
"Get the sword!" He called out and she leapt forward but too late. Vilgax wrapped a tentacle around the hilt and red lightning flew from his eyes as bright lights filled the temple. When the light dimmed enough for them to see he was standing tall covered in armor holding the sword. Conduit pulled himself to his feet and blinked, horror crossing his face.
"Imposter!" He leapt at Vilgax screaming a challenge as the woman leapt towards him too. He reached out a hand and a blast of power sprang forth leaving Conduit crumpled at the base of a column. At the woman he swung the sword in an arc. A whirlwind sprang from nowhere sending her flying into a wall with what should have been a crunch, but instead a splat sounded as the woman hit, dissolving into purple mud that shuddered before pulling itself into something vaguely human shaped and tried to stand. But green lights flashed and a soft groan rang from the unconscious form of Jennifer Tennyson. Vilgax cackled.
"I have never felt so powerful! I could kill you without even touching you Tennyson!" He leveled the sword at her but he paused as a voice rumbled around him.
"There is much more power to be had. Break the seal and you will have all the power you wish, you'll even be able to take the power from her that you crave. Your every wish will be granted." Vilgax looked over the heart and smiled wickedly.
"Deal!"
Gwen was trying to focus but something was cutting in. She was terrified it might be the Dagon but no this was familiar, warm, not the cool minty green of the Dagon, but the warm toxic green of a very familiar altered mana signature. She blinked, Jen was reaching out across the Mana field. Images flooded her mind. Jen and an old man racing along the tunnel towards the seal.
'Vilgax has the heart!' The words echoed loudly in her mind, the volume a sign of urgency and lack of control more than anything else.
"Kevin! Pull over!" The wheels on the car squealed as he yanked the car over to the side of the road.
"What's wrong?" Gwen took his hand.
"We're going the wrong way! Jen… She's with the Knights Vilgax already has the heart. They're heading for the seal." Kevin swore.
"We're hours from the seal."
"Not if I teleport us." Kevin shook his head.
"You can't, you can barely pull that trick off when you're at full power but you're still sick from what happened at that warehouse." Gwen nodded.
"If we had a choice then I wouldn't do this." She took his hands and focused. They vanished from the car and reappeared in the cavern. Gwen cried out in rage as she spotted Jen on the ground next to the old man George. She was bleeding from a slash to her cheek and a bruise was already forming on her face. George was trying to pull himself up but Vilgax was beating on the seal with Ascalon. Kevin snatched up a helmet and absorbed the metal throwing himself at Vilgax to try and stop him breaking the seal. He was tossed aside like a piece of trash. Vilgax laughed in triumph as light bloomed. Then he screamed as it grew brighter. Jen started awake to the sound of a sword clattering to the rocks. Pink lights faded around her as she shot to her feet, rubbing her aching head. Summoning Artemis's power she healed herself as George made his way to the seal.
"Where's Vilgax?" She asked the cavern in general hoping someone would have an explanation.
"Through the crack, that means we won though right?" Kevin said pulling himself up and helping Gwen to her feet as Jen swore loudly.
"No, that means the Dagon has his heart back." She said angrily. George stepped to the seal and picked up Ascalon. Lights bloomed again, this time though they were warmer and when they died down George stood before them, young again, mid twenties at the oldest and covered in armor.
"Let him come, we will be ready!"