Chapter 6 – Undecided Paths.

With a grunt Zanatos slammed into the hard metal floor with a clang of metal, watched as the shotgun clattered away. Sheriff Knight landed next to him, and bounced clean off the floor, span slowly in mid-air, and came down once more with a crash.
Silence stole over the courtyard. Then a grinding as that great blade slid along the floor. Alessa screamed as the thing moved towards her, one hand out...
Rolling, the giant Zanatos turned and grabbed his shotgun. And quickly realised at this range it was next to useless against the Pyramid Head. And then he saw…Mercurius? "Merc, shoot it for Heaven's sake! It'll get Alessa!"
Mercurius nodded. Zanatos told him to shoot, and so he fired. It was only as he fired the first shot that it registered: Zan was back! But by then he was firing at the thing, listening as each shot ricocheted away with a ping, sparks flying from its armoured head. Whatever it was, its was…smart? Well, it wore a helmet. Mercurius tried lower down, and was rewarded with another ping and flash of sparks. The shot had gone of its helmet, even though Mercurius had aimed for the leg. Some kind of magnet, maybe?
However it was done, it turned. And suddenly it screamed.
Everyone still standing dropped to there knee's, or fell over completely. It was a howl of such…pain, rage, the suffering it had known. Everything was wrong for it. It suffered so…it knew that it had done wrong. But why this punishment?
It began to shake, violently, as though it was having a fit. Its blood stained body shook with an unholy force. And suddenly, it pulled back its arm and hurled the sword into the darkened sky. And then, holding its head in its hands, it moved away.
Zanatos grinned. He looked around. "Everyone OK?"
And then Sara screamed, "Zan, look out!" He looked up and saw the razor blade edge of the great sword…coming straight for him! He rolled and watched with horror the blade, quivering in the ground where his chest had been seconds before. It would of nailed him to the floor.
With a look of relief Mercurius brought his friend up to his feet. "Zan…I thought we'd lost you. That you were…"
"So did I buddy. But dying is the very last thing I plan to do, so I figured I'd try and not do it." Zan grinned at his sad attempt at humour. Then he winced and toppled over backwards.
With a cry Sara was beside him, checking him. "His heart rate is erratic…he's running a fever…" She looked at Mercurius and the Sheriff, who had joined them. "If we don't do something he's going to die. A normal man would already be dead. I don't know how he is still alive…but whatever is keeping him here can't last much longer."
Mercurius looked up. "Sheriff…Knight? How far is it to the hospital?"
"How'd ya know mah name boi?" In his surprise, Knight slid into an accent he hadn't used in years.
"Saw it in the Station when I was there."
"Oh…well, I reckon that the hospital is a good way from here. Right over the bridge, and a block down."
The marine looked at Sara. "Can he make it?"
She shook her head. "He doesn't have a choice. Its that or I try taking off his leg, here…"
Mercurius shook his head. "No. That'll kill him just as surely."
The door opened with a click and Alessa walked out. She took one look at Cheryl and literally hissed, "You!"
Cheryl looked up from the fallen warrior. "Away, fallen and despised! These people have no need of your curses!"
"It is you they do not need, you and the false hope you give!"
Cheryl raised her hand and made as though to speak, but the Air Raid Sirens again rang. The world began to flicker. And Zanatos awoke, and screamed. His huge fist shot out and grabbed Sara, and dragged her close. Mercurius and Knight dived…and passed through as they flickered into the real world. They looked around. Alessa was gone too…they were once again in the real world. But the screams of Zanatos still haunted the old Courtyard…

In the Courtyard Sara tried desperately to keep the thrashing Zanatos from hurting himself. But even with all her weight, one arm nearly threw her away. Without that massive coat, she could now see just how big his arms were. Both her hands wouldn't go round the biceps and triceps. Alessa knelt next to him and whispered something, and he slumped back…then his eyes opened. "What happened?"
"The wound to your leg…it must of become infected. You had a fit. The young lady here calmed you down."
"Its not an infection. Poison." He pulled out the knife and handed it to her, handle first. "There's…some kinda powder on the blade." He smiled at the younger woman. "Thanks Alessa."
Sara looked the blade over. "I think your right. We gotta get you to the hospital…we'll help you."
With a grunt Zanatos rose to his feet. He swayed slightly, then reached out and grabbed the handle of the sword. "I'll use this as a walking stick."
Alessa frowned. "That thing must weight 150lbs, Zan."
The Ex-Marine grinned. "Closer to 175. It could come in useful though. But you ladies can take turns helping me, if you must."
Sara draped his arm over her shoulders. "Come on…the faster we move the sooner we can do something about your leg. I don't like it…"
"I know that feeling."
Alessa picked up his shotgun. Zanatos hesitated a moment, then reached out his hand. "Better give her back, honey…the kick from that gun nearly blows me off my feet. There ain't no way you could fire it and not be shot across the room."
Alessa reluctantly gave it up. "I need a gun though…if we find another can I have it?"
"Sure…" Sara smiled weakly and the trio headed for the door.

Outside the school, Mercurius gestured into the fog. "Which way, Sheriff? We need to go as quick as possible. It might take a while to enter the Dark World."
Knight breathed in deeply. "Its good to taste fresh air…wait, you wanna go back there? You crazy, boy? We just got out!"
Turning, Mercurius looked at him. "My friend is trapped there. And two woman."
Snorting, Knight headed down the steps. "My skin is staying where it is…and if that means there a streak of yellow down my back, so be it."
"You'll never get out of this town alive unless you help them."
Knight turned and looked at Cheryl. "Are you threatening me, little lady?"
She shook her head. "Merely stating a fact."
Knight raised his gun…and found Mercurius' rifle aimed at his temple, the marine standing next to him. "Don't even think about it, Sheriff. Or Cheryl's prediction becomes fact a lot faster than you'd like."
His eyes locked on the gun, the lawman slowly slid the gun into its holster. "Fair enough. Tell you what…I feel kinda bad about nearly leaving those poor folk behind. I do feel a certain kinship with little Alessa, so I think I'll go with you, OK? At least until we're all safe."
"Your choice…you can leave whenever you want."
"Then I'll come with you…for now."

Zanatos Kell limped up to the door of the hospital. What Alessa assured him was the hospital, at least. This world rarely left anything intact. The two woman were right behind him. Without warning the huge man span, his shotgun raised. Sara dropped as it whistled over her head, and looked at him. "Zan…what's wrong? What is it?"
"Can't you hear it?"
She blinked. "Hear what?"
Zan slowly swung the shotgun from side to side, scanning the area. "Metal on metal…the Pyramid Head. Its near…I can hear it dragging its sword. It comes for us."
"Zan…its not here. There nothing here for now."
Alessa touched his arm. "It is true…the Judgement is not here yet. I know not where it resides now, but it is not near here."
Slowly the shotgun lowered. "Alright…lets enter." He turned and opened the door…

Mercurius walked up to the door of the hospital. The place didn't look terribly inviting, but hospitals never did. And in the murky half-light that the fog created, and the power outage all over the city…well, nothing looked right.
He span suddenly, rifle to his shoulder. Knight hopped back and nearly went for his own gun, until he realised Mercurius was aiming over him. "What's up? See something?"
The rifle went down. "Zan…Sara. Their here. I heard them. But…I think that thing from the school is here. I heard the door close…and then I heard…that sword being dragged."