Chapter 19: Christmas Chopping part.1
They are all about on the second week of December as they've been on the road for several days' time. They have driven for about two days' time as they had to cross the Canadian boarder and spend the night at Vancouver, CA and then took them just about the whole day till just about closing time for the West Edmonton Mall. All of them had to wait it out for a while till it was just about absolute darkness and there were no presences.
Adam to kill the time is on a computer he's manning playing a classic arcade game "Joust" along with Dipper both are playing with joystick pads on their lap and are trying to outscore each other. But just as Adam was about to zero in on the final kill of one of the opposing ostrich riding knights, he then gets a glance at the viewscreen and then sees the Mall.
Adam then says, "Dipper take a look on the viewscreen."
Dipper takes out the last knight in the game but then he looks on the viewscreen and then sees it. Dipper then comes to the command chair and then pushes a button.
"Mabel, Ami you better come up here and take a look at this."
Mabel, Ami along with the dog Dracula and the new pet they haven't named yet just called "The White Reindeer" they all come to the bridge and then they see the Edmonton Mall each and everyone of the window they have blue lighting which is shining though each of the windows.
Dipper says, "Our calculations were correct they're here, well let's not keep them waiting."
He then looks at everyone and says, "Alright let lock and load people, then move out."
Adam says, "Wait what about additional weapons when we find our friends, they might need them."
"That's a good point and I have a feeling whatever's going to happen we'll need their help just as much as they need ours."
He then sees both Dracula and the White Reindeer wanting to take along. Dipper then comes to Dracula and pets him but then the White Reindeer nudges him feeling a bit left out and then Dipper pets him to and says to both.
"Sorry guys not this time, this is something we've got to do alone, you'll both have to guard this van, but I promise we'll all give you some good treats afterward for guarding this van."
Both supernatural animal's grumble but then then bow their heads in reluctant agreement and both lick Dippers face and Dipper hugs both animals. Dipper and the rest then go straight to the armory, and they suit up and gather what they need, they each have a black bag in their hand which carries extra weapons and tools and then they exit the van.
All four of them slowly but surely approach the mall with caution as it's rather unsettling almost as if the mall has eyes that are now open and are staring at them. Suddenly double door to the mall opens with nothing but the blue light shining. They all look and sees it's some figure who looks humanoid but looks like someone not of this world. She has light blue turquoise skin, a bald head with big eyes which have bright gold and pupils that are black with the middle a gold color.
Eyelashes are slightly big and a nose and mouth that are feminine and look like the kinds you would see from a super model. She is wearing something that looks some sort of body suit as it seems to hug her slender figure and show off most of it. The suit is silver colored and on her upper body she is wearing some sort of shoulder vest that is almost like that from the ones royalty from Egypt would wear. The shoulder vest is of an ocean blue color, there is some gold linking and on her neck it's some sort of chocker that is made of gold with some black peril lining. On the middle of the chocker there is a sun-colored gem with two black peril lines that make a crosshair, this sun-colored gem constantly glows. Both her arms and hands are together and crossed. The lady's mouth then has a small amused if rather unwarm smile on her face.
Ami says, 'Who are you?"
The lady says in an elegant but slightly cold tone, "Oh, Ami you haven't changed one bit still asking lots of questions, since yours is meaningful I will answer."
The lady then takes a step forward and says in a very seductive tone, "I am Mogiana."
Dipper says, "What is all of this?"
Mogiana she then moves her hands in a wavy fashion and then suddenly as she moves her left hand away from her right, she then produces from her right a circular glass that is big enough for her hand to hold, the glass is filled with what looks like blood red wine and she takes a sip.
She then looks at him and says, "I can get more if you want one."
"I don't drink on the job."
"Actually, I just remembered you don't drink at all but yes down to business; all of this is the execution for all of you."
"For what."
"To get straight to the point I just simply want to see all of you die."
Dipper and the rest are just wordless to the comment.
Mogiana then takes another sip of her wine and then continues.
"Oh, don't worry, I don't want to see you all die like dogs only the most unsophisticated and unintelligent would approve of that method and only the sick would get any joy from that."
Dipper says, "I have no idea what you're getting at.
"To me killing should be an art form. To just waste you all immediately, where is the sport, sprit, artistry. I want all of you to die but you must all die with dignity."
She then looks at all of them.
" I admire all of you too much, you are all talented, strong, you were all together and even individually able to conquer any challenge, which is why I'm giving you a challenge that you might not have a prayer to conquer but at least when you die it will be with fight and struggle which makes your blood taste all the better for my wine and my gift to all of you."
Mogiana looks at her wine glass and is moving the liquid in a counterclockwise motion.
Mabel says, "Your crazy."
Mogiana says, "Actually I'm being sane."
Mogiana she then gives a nod in a different direction and then someone else comes out from the entrance. It's a rather tall person who is in some sort of metallic armor that looks organic as it's not bulky but looks like a form fitting costume. He has a big red cape that is just constantly moving along with some chains that seem to come from inside the darkness of the cape. There is a mask which is that of an inverted cross as the left and right end of the crucifix is located on his mouth. There are two eyes which are both opened, and they are glowing bright deep red and looking at each of them as if those eyes are penetrating their souls. All four of the group can't help but shutter a bit.
Morgana says, "Don't worry he's my extra help just to see none of you leave my mansion ever; so, come find your friends, feel free to explore you have the last remainders of you lives to do it."
All four of them they then slowly go forward into the mall, as they go, they look at both the figures their passing, looking at them carefully, then then all enter the mall but it's all in darkness and then suddenly there is light that shines right on the Mall Directory. Once they all come to it, they see there are four sections each of them is lighted with different colors. For one section the movie theater it's ultraviolet light, the second floor with the clothing stores and near where the "Ice Rink" is its crimson red light, for the other where the movie theater is located be on the first floor it's simply bright white light, and the last one the miniature and indoor glowing disc golf course it's hot pink.
Shadow Dancer says, "Great, it's down to Choose your Own Adventure."
Mabel says, "So we split up."
Dipper says, "No, wait that might be exactly what they expect us to do."
Sailor Mercury says, "A logical deduction but what do you suggest we do Dipper."
"Each of us will go in pairs and pick a color, whatever is waiting for us in those places we have a better chance together."
Mabel says, "Well who I'll be paired with is obvious."
Mabel puts up her hand in a high five gesture, Sailor Mercury sees this but is puzzled by the response. Mabel then just takes her left hand and then slaps the palm on hers.
Dipper then looks at Adam.
Adam says, "No contest here."
Dipper says, "Alright pick a color."
"Why me."
"Because I'm the leader, I say so."
Adam then gives a sigh and reluctantly picks one out. Dipper looks at his pick and says, "Crimson Red really."
"What, I love the color and it doesn't matter what we pick as each color is the color of death anyway."
Mabel then takes a turn and choses a color. Sailor Mercury sees her choice and is a bit surprised. "Hot Pink."
"Closest thing to my favorite color Magenta."
"You know this color doesn't necessarily mean anything good."
"I know but if I'm going to die it will be with the brightest color."
Sailor Mercury and Dipper then both shake their heads, Adam/Shadow Dancer just has a small smile on his face.
Sailor Mercury says, "Somedays I really don't understand her."
Dipper says, "I had to live with her for years."
As they've made their choices then both pathways light up in the mall one pathway is lit with Crimson Red and another it's Hot Pink. Both separate pairs then follow where the lighted trail lead them, not knowing what to really expect. Dipper and Shadow Dancer at both following the neon red lighted trail and then they see a big rectangular doorway and the whole clothing shop which is lighted red.
Shadow Dancer shakes his head, Dipper notices this and says, "What."
Shadow Dancer says, "Oh those fiends, why couldn't they have this color in a location that is cooler, you know how much I hate clothing stores."
"Oh, will you…."
Dipper then shoves Shadow Dancer forward and then both go into the red lighted doorway.
Far from the other side of the Crimson Red doorway, Gabriel is on the grass and is unconscious. After a few seconds, Gabriel he stirs and then gets up and he looks all around him and sees darkness but also a lot of ruined stone structures which looks like they date back to the medieval times which makes sense as there are concrete castle structures that are old and crumbly. But he also sees there are plenty of rectangular structures that are imbedded on the ground and on top there is what looks like writing from an old dead language.
As he looks at it carefully, he realizes he's in some sort of ancient medieval cemetery, but he can't for the life of him figure out why or even how he got here. He suddenly feels physically cold and when he gets that feeling it usually means trouble and of course he starts to see trouble when the tops of the rectangular structures they slide off but on the sides of the Tombs he sees there are skeletal hands in motion. One of the hands slide off the tomb lid and it falls; the figure then sits up and Gabriel sees it is a skeleton with some sort of tattered robe with hood drawn up. It then turns its head toward Gabriel and with its right hand it picks up a sword from its tomb.
Gabriel looks to his left, and he hears very slow steps that are coming his direction, and he sees there are more of the hooded skeletal figures that are coming and each of them are carrying weapons, one with a sword, another with a chain mace, another with a regular mace, one with a knife. He then looks to his right and sees more of the hooded skeleton figures, and they are leaving what looks like an old crypt and are coming his direction slowly.
Gabriel he then tries to make a run and he comes to the door of the ruined castle and then when he pulls on it and it's stuck, he then steps back and quickly kicks the door open and the locked wood door breaks apart like paper. He then runs inside and as he's inside he keeps his eye on the front door and sees that each of the medieval skeleton knights as they are slowly walking in, they really start to fill up the room fast with their numbers along with the weapons they carry.
He sees one of them approach with a sword and then takes a swing at Gabriel, but Gabriel grabs the arm of the skeleton knight and then he executes a left knife hand overhead strike and as it comes down the arm is chopped in half and then Gabriel executes a side kick, and the skeleton knight just falls back. But then Gabriel sees one other come at him armed with a sword, Gabriel peels the sword off the fingers of the skeleton knight and then he uses the sword and just as the skeleton knight then takes a swing at him but Gabriel executes a horizontal block, twirls to the right and then executes one swing at the skeleton knight and the knight it is still but then suddenly it's torso slides diagonally to the right and it goes down.
But there is one from behind with a knife whom Gabriel sees on his right, the skeleton knight executes a horizontal slash at Gabriel, but Gabriel dodges but a mite too late as that slash contacts his right shoulder. Gabriel winces at the wound but it's not bad as it's a shallow cut thanks to his dodge. As he keeps, he eye on the skeleton knight in the room he sees plenty of others that just about fill the room up. Gabriel he then throws the sword up and then catches it to hold the handle in a position as if throwing a javelin. He then throws the sword, and the sword hits the knife welding skeleton knight, the sword goes right in between the eyes and goes though the skill. The throw is so powerful that the sword then carries the knight toward the wall and the sword tip goes though the wall and has the skeleton knight just simply pined on that wall with the sword still through its skull. Gabriel he looks at the upstairs behind him and he jumps up and is trying to climb as several of the knight converge on him, as he is coming up one of the skeleton knights tries to make a grab for his right ankle but it just grabbed the seem of his paints and only was able to make a slight vertical tear with its hands as Gabriel pulls himself up on the stairs and then immediately runs to the upper floor of the structure.
Gabriel is on the roof, and he once again closes the door even though there is very little to block. Gabriel simply runs and then he climbs down slowly and just continues to run not knowing where he's going. He then runs to what looks like some sort of big public square with all the amount of stones there are on his feet and the big amount of space. He then sees there are a couple of ground of the hooded skeleton knights, but he sees that each of them is on horseback. The horses are each undead as Gabriel can sees some bits of decayed flesh but each of the horses have a medieval shroud that protects them which covers most of their body and face.
The horses they the ride toward Gabriel and then they surround him and are going in a clockwise formation. Then as they keep going a couple of them from a different side of the circle, break the formation and ride toward Gabriel as they come near, they have their swords drawn and then swing at Gabriel. Gabriel, he rolls to his right to avoid the strikes and they miss him completely. But then there are two other riders that come from different sides, and they swing at Gabriel. Gabriel tries to roll again but is a split second to late as the strikes they hit him on two sides of his body, one the left shoulder and on the right near the clavicle. Gabriel wince in pain from the strikes and wonders how he's going to survive this.
But then suddenly as one of the other Hooded Skeleton Knights start to ride suddenly the knight explodes from the sound of a 12 gauge. And there is another sound, a whizzing sound like something that is cutting though the air and then this object it then contacts one of the other hooded knights on horseback that was about to also charge at Gabriel. This object is a jitte and it just imbedded itself right between the eyes on the Hooded Skeleton Knight. The Skeleton knight then sides right off his horse and both the horses they just keep running and ride away. Gabriel wonders who it was that helped him and then he sees it's both Dipper and Shadow Dancer/Adam. Dipper he is armed with a 12 Gauge he keeps cover while Shadow Dancer/Adam he fishes in the black bag he took with him, and he then pulls out two bullwhips that are wrapped in circles.
Shadow Dancer says, "Hey cuz, special delivery."
Shadow Dancer then throws both Bullwhips toward Gabriel's direction and then Gabriel catches both whips and then he does a little diagonal cross movement with he whips.
Gabriel says, "Alright now this is more my speed."
He then stops but keeps both whips in slight motion as he sees two of the Blind Dead knights who are converging on him slowly with their swords. Gabriel he then immediately turns the whips both into a clockwise motion at the same time and then immediately swings them both downward diagonal right and both whips they go their intended directions and then when they make quick contact they immediately snap back. Both whips contacted the skulls, and they make the left half of them explode along with the whole back of it. What's left of the skulls immediately plop down and then the Blind Dead Knights are motionless.
Dipper and Shadow Dancer are both dealing with their blind dead knights. Dipper sees two of the Blind Dead knights on horse back coming at both but Dipper with his 12 gauge he blows away one of the Blind Dead Knights who look as though he got yanked off the saddle violently.
He sees another one that comes really close as swings at Dipper with its sword but Dipper he rolls to the left before the swipe even makes contact. Once Dipper completes his roll, he then takes immediate aim and discharges his 12 gauge. The bullet then contacts the back head of the Blind Dead Knight and then makes the skull explode right out the front and then what's left of the Blind Dead Knight body then crumples to the ground.
There is still the upper half of the Blind Dead Knight Dipper shot that is crawling after him with a knife in its hand but just as it was closing the distance suddenly Dipper puts his 12 gauge over his right shoulder and has the muzzle aimed downward right on the Blind Dead Knight's skull and then blows the Knight away and its upper half is now nothing but dust.
Adam then sees one of the Blind Dead knights rides to him and he simply has his bo staff and then whirls counterclockwise and then swings the bo with both hands like a baseball bat and then staff it and the staff contacts the head of the horse. The zombie horse then is rattled by the hit and then collapses with the Blind Dead knight to it's right and the zombie horse makes contact with the ground while squashing half of the Blind Dead Knight's body.
The Blind Dead Knight is struggling to get the zombie horse off him but then Adam then comes near the Blind Dead Knight and then with his bo staff finishes the Knight off by smashing its skull straight though with the bo staff. Meanwhile Gabriel he has four more Blind Dead knights that are trying to converge on him.
Two of them he then does a cross swing motion with both whips while going forward and then swinging both whips hard diagonally downward making sort of a triangle pointed downward. The whips make a downward diagonal slit on both skulls of the Blind Dead Knights and then the top halves of their skulls slide down just as they crumble down. Gabriel then puts one of his whips wraps it diagonally around his chest to hold it and with his right hand is going with just one whip, but he holds it by the end and is using the handle as a weapon.
One of the knights comes toward him but then he positions the handle like a nunchaku and then once the knight takes a swing, Gabriel dodges to the right and then does a three strike combo when he delivers three horizontal blows to the head which shatter the eye sockets of the Blind Dead Knights skulls and then a final blow which is the neck which the handles goes right though, cutting it almost like a butter knife.
The Blind Dead Knight goes down and there is one last one for Gabriel and then Gabriel extends his hold on his whip by sliding both his hands to the flexible end and he immediately swings his whip in a counterclockwise motion, throws the handle end and the whip then wraps around the legs of the blind dead knight when completely wrapped, Gabriel then pulls and the Blind Dead Knight then goes down and then Gabriel finishes it off by unwrapping the whip and then immediately he swings the handle overhead and it goes down making contact with the Blind Dead Knight's skull, shattering it like an egg.
Gabriel then wraps the right whip around his left shoulder and then takes a breath and then he comes to both Dipper and Shadow Dancer. But then suddenly both hear some loud growling and they see there are two presences coming toward both of them.
Both look and they see there is a young teen girl who is in what looks like some sort of barbarian clad outfit you would see from "Red Sonja" comics as it's sort of a metallic and green leather bikini. But on her shoulder and arms there is a light armor that covers the top of the shoulder and arms. And she has a helmet which cover most of her face except for her lips which are black and chin and this helmet on the top has two small daggers that protrude left and right on top and there are two knife blades which are curved, it's ends make them look like deer antlers almost, but they are left and right on top. The girl is also well physically fit as she has lean muscle from leg and arms to a six pack of abs and behind her brown chestnut color hair tied in a ponytail.
The girl then has a smile and as she is going forward on her right hand, she is handling a creature on the end of it. The end of the chain is one autumn brown werewolf who looks about as big as a dinosaur as it's about nine to ten feet long and seems to have feminine features. The werewolf has its eye on all three of them but mainly Dipper and is just baring its fangs and its claws are just scraping the ground ready to charge toward her prey.
Dipper says, "I think we're in big trouble."
Gabriel says, "That we are Dip, that we are."
Meanwhile someplace else Minako she opens her eyes, and she is looking around and sees she is on a wood floor that is well polished like that of a basketball court, but the wood is all the white color. And she sees several mirrors that are all lined up and cover the walls left and right and even behind her. She then looks forward to where she's facing, and she sees on the end of this studio there is lot of darkness.
Minako doesn't know what to do except to go forward, as she approaches, she then the light they suddenly turn neon green covering the whole studio. And then there is a spotlight, and she sees there is a small dance stage but at the center there is a feminine figure in what looks like futuristic knight like armor which is colored dark green. There is what looks like green bolts of electricity that surround her. Minako can see these persons face as she seems to have a helmet that is smooth, but the face looks like that of a skeleton but the eyes both are like camera lens as they zoom in and out and the color of the eyes are deep bright neon red. Minako she is seeing the person starting dancing which is a demon that glows green. She is dancing with the aerobic i 80's style to the song "Streets to Blame."
Suddenly Minako looks to her left and sees a reflection of someone rushing and has some sort of knife out. Minako turns around and it's someone who is all in leather black head to toe and slashes at Minako. She dodges the slash but the slash catches Minako on the shoulder and the blade slides down diagonally creating a slash mark on her shoulder.
Minako winces in pain and holds her shoulder from the razor cut. She looks right back at the raincoat psycho and has a mad look. She sees her come and does a series of slashes. But at one moment when the raincoat assassin goes for an overhead stable she blocks it with a cross block, twists the arm presses the nerve of the elbow with a knife hand. The raincoat assassin drops the knife and then she puts the assassin in a cross-arm hold and sweeps her leg which makes the assassin land hard.
The Green Cybernetic skull helmeted female dances a little more and then Minako hears some more noises and from both her left and right there are a few more of the dark leather creatures all of them go into a dance formation toward Minako and on the right shoe on the right side a razor blade switches out and then all at the same time executes a side kick to thrust the razor blade. Minako executes a back roll to avoid the thrust. She gets up from the roll and she sees that this group of four are all dancing and a couple of them are flipping and dancing.
All four surrounding her, but then one of them as they dance get up close and then suddenly from the black figures right boot some razor switches out. And then the figure jump sidekicks Minako. Minako dodges but then two of the black figures they come from both direction at Minako intersecting and immediately both do a fast twirl and then as they do from the back hands razor blades switch out and then they follow through with fast horizontal slashes, both have created cuts on the lower part of Minako's front and back torso.
When both dark figures dance away, Minako winces from the pain as she feels the pain of the cuts to her, but once again gets mad and then she summons up her "Love Me Chain." Once it's in her hand, she takes the end of it and with just one wave of it there is instantly a chain dart is attached.
The four black figures then continue their dancing and then Minako starts to do some dancing of her own with her chain. One of the black figures tries to quickly close the distance toward her but Minako she turns her chain whip to her right and swings it in a vertical clockwise motion and then at the right moment when the black figure gets close enough, Minako she has the swing at the right moment and then kicks the Rope Dart and then the Dart thrusts toward the black figure and then hits the figure, the penetration draws out neon purple blood. The black figure roars out in pain and then goes down on the dance floor.
There is one other black figure that comes to Minako's left and then is just doing a combination of kicks with the back heel razors constantly switching out, but Minako blocks each of the strikes by stretching out her chain with both hands and the razors just contact the chain. Minako then moves forward to the right giving herself enough distance and she is then doing a combo of swings with the chain.
The Dancer then is running to do another combo of kicks but then Minako has the chain wrap around her own neck and the rope dart immediately swings horizontally to the right which then swings and slits the neck of the black figure dancer. The black figure dancer gurgles from the neck wound which leaks out neon purple blood and then collapses on the dance floor.
There are now three left that are dancing around Minako and swiping her with their razor blades back hand and heel. Minako does a few dodges, but she receives a couple of other cuts which aren't deep but have made their mark on her left thigh.
This doesn't take away her mobility as she then constantly swings the chain in a cross motion and then she goes flat on the ground and swings the chain in a circular counterclockwise motion and then when she stands up does a couple of more big circular swings and then she recoils her Love Me Chain and then breathes.
All three of the black covered dancers they all stay very still but then suddenly there are opening on their bodies in several places up and down, from the neck, head, legs and torso which each were inflicted with a fatal deep slash wound from the "Love Me Chain/ Rope Dart" and from the wounds neon purple blood sprays out covering some of the dance floor and mirrors.
All three then go down at the same time. As Minako recoils the Green Glow Armored Valcarian then gets out of the middle pad and then takes up her staff which looks like a giant key but it's all blackened. Sailor Venus then sees that staff and knows who this is.
Sailor Venus says, "Setsuna, Sailor Pluto what have they done to you?"
The green glowing armored woman she then goes into a stance with the key staff and says, "Pluto is no more, I am Strife I have been on this Earth since the time when your King Solomon fell to one of our fellow army."
Sailor Venus she then swings her Love me Chain toward her direction, but she catches it with her key staff and then pulls it away from Venus's hand and chucks it away and then immediately charges and thrusts at Venus with the staff hard in the gut which make's Venus reel from the blow and but then deliver several swinging blows from her staff which have left some burn marks on her uniform and even a little on her flesh.
Venus is on her knees form the wounds and the new ones she received even though she doesn't like the odds she can't deny they're not good. Sole Survivor twirls the key staff and looks down with green glowing eyes and the green electricity constantly flowing from the staff and her body; and as she's about to make her final swing. Suddenly there is some sort of series of beads that are shot at her in rapid fire succession. Strife she looks and sees it's Mabel with her Arts and Crafts gun, Sailor Mercury comes to Venus's side to help her. Mabel turns the dial from the small rosery feature of the gun and then aims it and it shoots out huge circular clear beaded necklaces the size of marble shooters and each of them necklaces hit Strife's mouth. Strife feels each hit like being hit with hail coming down fast despite how small those necklaces and those beads being plastic are the speed of them being shot makes them deadly and really hurt.
Mabel then comes to both Sailor Mercury and Venus.
Mabel says, "Minako are you alright."
"Yes, but I think we need to get out of her right now."
"Way ahead of you."
Mabel then takes out a ping pong sized ball and immediately throws it down hard on the ground and the smoke envelopes the whole room. As soon as the smoke clears Setsuna/Strife looks around her dance floor and sees all three are gone.
Setsuna/Strife's eyes glow bright neon green and then she says in a soulless cold voice.
"You can run but you can't hide."