Chapter 13: Battle of Fire and Wounds

Arden and her friends ran away from their covetous foe. Arden could feel Ratigan's hand trying to grab her shoulder. Nathan spotted a door a few feet from them.

"A door!" he exclaimed. He opened and everyone except Ratigan went in. The children slammed the door shut so he wouldn't get in. They put all there strength on the door trying to keep Ratigan out. The rat started trying to bang the door down.

"You brats can't stay in there forever!" he yelled. Then there was complete silence.

"I think he's gone," whispered Alana.

"Is someone going to go out and check?" asked Daren.

"I'll check," replied Arden.

"You sure?" asked Hunter.

"Watch me," replied Arden. She opened the door a little bit and saw two golden eyes. She slammed the door shut and turned to her friends.

"He's still there," she informed. Everyone sighed in frustration. They heard the knob turn.

"He's coming in!" replied Angel.

"Let's get out of here!" shouted Beatriz. Alonzo noticed an opened window.

"We can climb out of there!" he said.

"Good idea!" replied Anna. Everyone started helping each other to climb out. Arden was the last one to go when the door opened. Arden closed the window door with everyone else outside. Hunter was the only one who didn't leave.

"Let's go to Baker Street. Basil will know what to do," said Erin.

"Alright…Hunter are you coming?" replied Nathan.

"I'm staying here," replied Hunter.

"Are you crazy?" asked Cameron.

"I'm not leaving Arden here alone to face that monster!" replied Hunter.

"But what if Ratigan sees you?" asked Alana.

"I'm not leaving her here alone! Go while you still can!" replied Hunter. The others looked at each other and shrugged.

"Well, your loss!" called Anna. They then ran away to Baker Street. Hunter watched as Arden and Ratigan had their climactic fight. As Ratigan stepped forward, Arden stepped back.

"You shit! You changed my life, you threaten me, you killed my parents, and now you've killed my friend Kanaka! You…You God-hating fuck! You are a freakin' ass who will forever be a fuckin' asshole until the day you die. I can't wait to see you burn in the deepest, darkest regions of hell with Satin. When you die, you'll become an evil ghost. Then Satin will come out from underground and he'll start to pull on your legs. He'll pull you down into his cornucopia of fire, chaos, and suffering. Satin will pull you down into his evil kingdom where you'll get your hands chopped off! I'll be laughing my head off when you're burning in the fiery dungeon of hell!" she yelled. Hunter was shocked by what he just heard. Ratigan glared because her words. Arden took out a familiar item.

"Remember this!" she asked harshly.

"How could I forget!" replied Ratigan harshly.

"I've finally realized everything!" said Arden. "You wanted me to join you because you knew that you'd be one step closer to the locket. Then, while I would be distracted on something else, you'd snatch it from me. Then you'd be done with me and (oh and by the way) you were going to get rid of my friends all along because you knew they were going to get in your way and you didn't want that to happen but then, it turns out that I knew all about your plot! So don't think I don't know. I know!" she explained. Ratigan's eyes widened.

"How did you find out?" asked Ratigan in anger.

"I have my sources," replied Arden.

"Now, my lord, you are about to meet your demise," she hissed. Hunter gasped.

"MY LORD!" asked Hunter confused. Ratigan and Arden looked up.

"He made me call him that…anyway…Hunter get out!" demanded Arden. Hunter then ran away to Baker Street with the others. Arden then turned to Ratigan. Arden then opened the locket showing a big ball of fire. Out of the fire can a silver sword. The handle was gold and it had the letter "J" on it. The sword glowed with fire that didn't harm Arden's hands. The blade reflected Arden's reflection like a mirror. Ratigan's frown of being dumbfounded turned into a grin of advantage.

"You're father's sword of fire. He used it in bad times when he used to work for me before you were born," explained Ratigan.

"I know," replied Arden. She ran up with the sword in her hands. Arden attacked him with all the force she had. Ratigan dodged the attack and pushed her to the ground. The reflective sword of fire broke in to little pieces shattering on to the floor.

The pieces were scattered across the floor. They stopped burning and they were nothing but pieces that had brown spots.

Arden slowly got back on her feet. She let out a big sigh. She could feel something touch her. She turned and grabbed Ratigan's hand.

"Don't you dare touch me!" she threatened.

Arden's weak body turned around and saw Ratigan with one of the sharpest pieces. He grabbed Arden's black shirt and stabbed her in chest and in the head. Arden's eyes widened. Ratigan let her go. Arden fell to the ground breathing raspy breath. Some of her blood fell in to her mouth. She sat up and placed her hand upon her heart. She felt like she was drinking her blood.

Arden took out a revolver.
"What's that?" asked Ratigan harshly.
"Basil of Baker Street's revolver," replied Arden. Ratigan gasped. With one hand holding her wound, the other hand held the revolver. Arden pointed the revolver at Ratigan.
"You wouldn't," hissed Ratigan.
"You're done you rat ass!" replied Arden pulling the trigger. Ratigan was shot a couple times. Ratigan fell twitching. He was too weak to get up.
"You're not dead. WHY?" asked Arden harshly.
"Nothing can kill a criminal mastermind," replied Ratigan.
"I'm sure there's another reason!" said Arden rolling her eyes.
"My real reasons are my own," replied Ratigan. As his blood ran through, Arden watched as he fell.
"I will find out what keeps you alive. When I do, you'll pay for you did to me, Kanaka, and everyone else. Including the people who were involved in 'The Flaversham Case'," she whispered.

Arden climbed out the window and saw nothing but a dreaded landscape. She also saw that Hunter wasn't there. She looked at the blood on her chest.

"Oh no! Hunter where are you?" she asked. She started to run into the streets.