Serena walked into towards her room unable to shake the grin off her face. 'For having a rather bad week, today went rather well' she thought. Serena entered her room and changed out of her jeans and shirt and put on her favorite sweat pants and Colorado State University shirt that was her father's. 'Ice cream' she thought, 'ice cream would make this day perfect.'
She waltzed her way down the stairs, humming to herself. 'Chocolate marshmallow, here I come!' Serena turned and faced the freezer, a small yellow post-it note was on the door.
"Took Jimena out, be back later. Need more chocolate marshmallow. Later. Collin."
"That poop! He ate all my marshmallow!" She sighed, "regular chocolate will just have to do." She took out the carton and placed it on the table. As she walked over to the cupboards, she thought she heard a thud coming from her room.
Serena automatically stiffened. She strained her hearing, but when no more sounds reached her, she sent out her mind. A small response echoed back to her. Someone was in her room.
She slowly made her way out of the kitchen, inching her way forward. She slowly crept up the stairs. Numb with fear, Serena turned then into her room. "Who are you? I know someone is here." She said it rather strong, surprising herself.
A small quiver sound came from the corner of her room, by her nightstand. Bobby. He was huddled in the small corner, rocking back and forth. "Bobby, what the hell are you doing here!" Serena picked up her baseball bat by her door.
Bobby did not respond to her question. Then, after several minutes of silence, Bobby started to mumble. "Can't fight him, not anymore. I can't fight him anymore, can't allow it to win. Must give in, cannot give in. Must fight, must give message. Must not give in, must obey master."
Serena slowly put down her bat and took two steps forward. "Bobby," she said in her soft voice, "Bobby, you aren't making any sense. Why are you here? It's okay, I won't hurt you, see?" She put the bat down and knelt on her knees to face him eye-to-eye.
"Wants to face Goddess, Goddess Serena. 'Bring her to me' he say to me. No! Won't allow him to win. Must give message! 'Bring her to me!' he say. Must go, Goddess Serena." He stopped rocking and looked at Serena in the eyes. "Must go and fight, Goddess Serena. He is waiting."
"Who is waiting?" Serena asked, knowing the answer.
"Zirus. He is waiting for you." Bobby said, his voice quivered again.
"How long do I have to get ready?" Serena asked, standing up.
"Midnight, meet him at midnight. Alone, Goddess Serena must be alone.
Serena looked over at her clocks along her dresser, 9:30 p.m.
"I will return at eleven to take you to him." Bobby said rising. "Tell no one." With out warning, he jumped off the balcony and ran off into the setting dark.
For all battles against the Atrox, the Goddesses had to look their part. Serena was fully prepared to look her best for tonight's battle, for she knew it might be her last. She took a bath and tried to clear her mind. Of course, she listened to VAST while doing so.
She decided to wear the fire outfit she wore on her first date with Gabriel. She painted her eyes with red body paint into the shaped of flames coming off her eyelashes. At the tips of the flames, she placed body jewels. Finally, she rolled glitter on her face and arms. She was finished, and she did look the part of a Goddess going into battle. For her shoes, though, she wore tennis shoes. She couldn't run in her matching fire boots.
She turned off her lights and made her way downstairs. The grandfather clock in the living room started to chime eleven o'clock. Grabbing her bag and making her way to the door, Serena thought, 'goodbye world, for I would rather die than be made evil.' She opened her front door and took a deep breath. 'This is it. Here we go." She stepped out into the dark. "Bobby, I am ready" she called out.
He appeared at her side and said nothing as he started to lead her down the street. He seemed different than earlier. When she saw him in her room, he seemed scared and timid. He acted like he didn't want Serena to go and fight Zirus. And now that she was following him, he seemed sure of himself again. She thought that maybe Zirus had him under a spell, seeing that she had known Bobby since first grade, he always seemed like a nice boy. In fact, Bobby always went out of his way to be nice to people. Why would he act this way now under his own power; it must be a spell.
"Where are we going?" Serena broke the silence. Bobby walked in strides in front of her. She had to half run to keep up with the tall Bobby.
"Old factory, ten miles into the desert." He replied in a hard voice.
"Bobby, why are you doing this?" Serena begged. "I always thought you were such a nice person. What is making you do this?"
Bobby stopped and put his hand to his forehead. "I-I I don't know." He stuttered. Serena walked up next to him. She stared into his eyes. "NO! Serena, run! Get away from here! Do you know what he is going to do to you? You must get out of town, run. I tried to fight him, but I couldn't. I was not strong enough against his power." Bobby pleaded with Serena, but she didn't move.
"He is coming, Goddess." Bobby continued, looking off at the empty streets. "Don't you feel him coming? He has sensed me break free. You must run." Bobby started to pull her away.
"No. Bobby, who are you? How do you know about me and Gabriel?" Serena planted her feet firmly into the ground and demanded Bobby for an answer.
"I am like you in several ways, Goddess. We look normal, but indeed, there is more hidden features to us than the world will ever know." Bobby changed just then, the light of humanity in his eyes flickered away and blackness was left.
"Your ride is here, Goddess." Bobby held her firm now, not allowing Serena to run. A black Mustang roared up next to them. Bobby opened the back seat and forced Serena in with him.
The ride seemed to be hours long. Finally, the black car pulled into a deserted lot next to an old, run down factory. The driver jumped out of the car and ran inside, Bobby and Serena were left in the car.
"What are we waiting for?" Serena asked, trying to pull free from Bobby's strong grip.
"It's not yet midnight." Bobby said simply. Then, at five till twelve, Bobby pulled Serena out of the car and headed towards the doors of the factory.
"Welcome, Goddess." Gabriel was standing in the middle of the factory. A white glowing fire was next to him. "I believe I don't need to explain what this is." He pointed at the fire.
"No, you don't." Serena replied. She dared him strongly by looking into his eyes. Horror then followed.
Gabriel's handsome features changed into a ghastly mess of flesh and ooze. His perfect, melting smile turned into a yellow gaping grin. The Hunter now stood before her.
"Now you see me how I really am." Zirus said with an amused sort of tone.
"No, I always knew you were rotten underneath." Serena rebutted.
"Aw, but you didn't always think that. It's not nice to lie, Serena. I believe there was a time you went against that Follower's word not to trust me. You did so anyway, didn't you Serena?" Zirus was obviously having fun.
"And what Follower would you be referring to? I have destroyed so many since I met you." Serena was trying to sound tough, not very successfully.
"A rather rude one, he didn't tell me his name. He was the driver who picked us up when we were walking along the streets. I was going to take you there, you know. But He showed up and sadly ruined my chance."
"Gee, what a shame." Serena cocked her head sideways.
Zirus gave what was supposed to be a laugh. "So, what would it be? Do you want to do this the easy way, or the hard way?"
"You sound a lot like a cop movie." Serena gave a sly smile. She was about to respond again, but she was cut off by another voice.
"What about the destroying the Hunter and leaving merrily way? Have you forgotten that?"
Zirus, Serena and Bobby looked up at the loft above their heads. "Ah, Its you again. Defending the 'dark prince' wishes again?" Zirus gave a chuckle. "You are so rude. If you must insist on getting involved, you could at least be on time."
"But you forget, I like making grand entrances." Stanton stood on the railing on the loft, gave a smile, then jumped. He landed stealthily on two feet next to Serena. He threw her a smile and said to the crowd, "Am I too late for the festivities?"
"Not at all, just in time" Zirus said. The area surrounding him grew statically as he gathered power.
Stanton stood protectively in front of Serena. "No," she said. "It's my battle as well." She stepped out from behind him. Now they stood together, a strong force to break.
A green lightening bolt flew from Zirus's great opened arms. The joined hands of Serena and Stanton easily defended the attack.
"It seems I need the whole of my power" Zirus stretched his right arm out at Bobby. "I am no longer in need of your services. RIDIENS!" Green light poured from Bobby's eyes, flowing into the open palm of Zirus.
Serena and Stanton, in the meantime, built up their powers. "Now!" Stanton yelled. Blue lightening emerged from their hands and struck Zirus hard. He fell backwards into an old machine.
"I want you to get out of here, Serena!" Stanton yelled over the rumblings that seemed to surround them.
"I will not leave you!" Serena yelled back. She held up her hand with the ring on it. "I will not leave you." She repeated. "Why is earth rumbling?" Serena asked.
"The Atrox is displeased, it will take the whole building." Zirus said amusingly, standing up. "The Atrox will get you anyway. Either by me or by itself, it will have you." Just then, Zirus shot all the force he has ever possessed at Serena.
"NO!" Stanton shouted and dived in front of Serena. He took the impact on the chest. He fell to the floor and remained motionless.
Serena stared at her love lying on the floor. "Now," she said, "Now I am pissed." She sent her own red force at Zirus. He reared back from the shear force of her. He now lay on the floor as well. She knelt down next to Stanton and pulled his head on her lap. All was still. The rumbling had quieted. No one else existed. She held him with one hand and fiddled with his blond hair with the other. "My Protector."
Her focus was broken by a chanting voice from the other end of the room. Serena looked up and saw Bobby over the ugly Hunter.
"What are you doing?" She managed to get out.
When Bobby finished his chanting, he tuned and faced her. His eyes were of a pure blue, like the sea after a storm. Light seemed to be radiating from him. "He is gone for good now, rest assured." He said, but his voice had changed. His voice flowed and chimed like a song.
"Who are you?" Serena begged again.
"My real name is Babylon. I am an Angelic. But I fear that is all I can say right now, we are pressed for time. The factory is crumbling. We must make haste." Bobby walked to her. He carefully picked up Stanton and led the way out.
Placing Stanton in the back seat of the black Mustang, Bobby said to Serena, "Do you want to sit in the back with him, or in the front?"
"In the back, if that is alright." Serena was already seated and placing Stanton's head back on her lap. "He needs me."
"Alright, back to your house?" Bobby asked as he pulled out of the lot.
"Yes, back to my house." Serena said, not really paying attention to Bobby. "My Protector." She held Stanton close, "My Protector always."