If you remember, Sundiel asked me to write about Night Shift or Bat Spin. I wanted to make sure I got to both characters.

Chapter Eleven: Defining Heroes

Bat Spin ducked as a troll swung his club over her head. That was a close one. With a swing like that, he could've decapitated her. Bat Spin ushered magic from her staff, summoning pet bats to chase the troll. While he was distracted trying to shoo the bats away, Bat Spin was going to knock him off his feet- but Roller Brawl sped by on her skates, swiping at the troll with her metal claws, taking that chance away.

"Thanks, kid!" Roller Brawl told her. "Keep your head up so you don't get killed!"

Bat Spin fumed. That was the only advice she had ever been given by the senior Skylanders- keep your head up. Their teaching methods weren't nearly as good as the methods used by the bats. At least the bats taught her how to fight and hold up her own in a battle. That being said, battles as a Skylander were far more dangerous.

Three more trolls advanced upon her. Bat Spin summoned dark magic that swirled around in purple mists, prepared to summon more bats into the battlefield- but the three trolls were swiftly taken out by a massive uppercut. Night Shift stood in front of her now, oblivious to the trolls flying miles away in the direction behind her.

"The enemy isn't going to give you time to charge up your attacks," he warned her. "If you don't have the chance to attack right away, then evade them."

Of course, that wasn't saying that all senior Skylanders had the same advice to give her. Night Shift was always giving her helpful pointers- he seemed to understand where she was coming from. Bat Spin was especially thankful that it was Night Shift who had been assigned as the leader of this mission in the Underworld. Roller Brawl had been asked first, for experience's sake, but she'd insisted that she wasn't ready.

Bat Spin snuck away from the trolls, charging up her magic as she did so. Trolls enclosed her in a circle- perfect timing. The magic was released, and a flurry of bats attacked the trolls. A black cascade moved over the battlefield- she'd summoned more bats than she'd intended to. She ducked away, trying to get out of the cloud. Emerging, she found her teammates in their own kind of trouble- the bats seemed to be messing with Roller Brawl, while a troll had managed to shove Night Shift into the side of a house.

This had been her fault. Now it was up to Bat Spin to fix it. The purple mist of her magic enveloped her, and she was transformed into a giant bat. She let out a battle screech, prepared for a lengthy fight-

But the trolls seemed more attentive to the giant bat than they were the millions of tiny ones flying around. They retreated, fleeing before a worse fate was thrust upon them. Their work done, the bats left as well- where they went, Bat Spin never asked.

"I think you might've overdone it a little," Roller Brawl said, gently shooing a bat away from her.

Returning to her normal form, Bat Spin replied meekly, "Those ones might like you."

"Kind of an inappropriate time to show their affection for me."

"But I wonder why they didn't go after Night Shift."

"You'll come to discover that Night Shift can be a creature-repellent."

Night Shift let out a cough, peeling himself off the wall. Bat Spin quickly hurried over to assist.

"I'm so sorry!" she insisted. "Night Shift, are you okay?"

"Probably just broke a few ribs in that last moment," Night Shift replied.

Bat Spin looked on in horror. "Ribs!?"

"Calm down, Bats, it's not that big of a deal," Roller Brawl explained. "This sort of thing happens all the time. Trust me, if we didn't have ribs, something else might get hurt."

"Like what?" Bat Spin asked.

"Oh you know, your heart, lungs, trachea, maybe your spleen depending on where it's at-"

"Roller Brawl," Night Shift spat.

Roller Brawl zipped it.

"It's nothing I'm not used to," Night Shift told Bat Spin, "but it wouldn't exactly be wise to try and get back home in my condition."

"Yeah, we should wait it out," Roller Brawl agreed. "Wait until you're not hurting so much. But not here. I don't like this place."

Bat Spin smiled. "I think I know a place where we can hide," she insisted. "It shouldn't be too far away, and I know it's safe."

"Lead the way, then."

"...And then the team leader from the Darklight Crusher Skulls tried to cut me off- she had the gall to try and cut me off!" Roller Brawl exclaimed. "Her gear scraped down into the lower layers of my skin- it would've bled if I were mortal. I was gonna have none of that, so I shoved back! She fell to the ground, and the leader of my team finished the final lap and earned us our victory."- Roller Brawl took the glove off her right hand, flashing them the long scar on her wrist- "And that is how I received this scar."

"That sounds like it hurt," Bat Spin stammered.

"Roller derby isn't for the faint of heart, kid. Anyway, that competition was from my early years. It took me a while before I perfected my skill."

They were sitting in a dark cave in the night, having lit a campfire for warmth. There were nests lined up along the farther back wall of the cave, where the colony of bats living here stayed during the day. While vampires and bats had a mutual respect for one another, derived from the ancestors they shared, bats were territorial and unwilling to share their homes with strangers- it was Bat Spin who convinced these bats to let them stay for the night. This cave was her home, and that colony was her family.

"You're proud of that flimsy scar?" Night Shift scoffed playfully. "I have better scars than that."

"From where?" Roller Brawl asked. "Can't be from your boxing career. You people all wear gloves. That hardly counts for scarring."

"Who said it was from my boxing career?"

Night Shift turned slightly on his side. (He had been laying on the ground to lessen the pain of the broken ribs.) He moved the collar of his shirt down slightly, revealing a large dark gash on the side of his neck.

"By the Ancients! Where did that come from?!" Bat Spin gasped.

"My first mission as a Skylander," Night Shift smirked. "Drow spearman cut me deep. Even after feasting on a few rabbits, the wound never quite disappeared completely."

"So that's from your very first mission as a Skylander?" Roller Brawl persisted.

Nod.

"Well that's one way to commemorate the occasion."

"You two can't be serious," Bat Spin argued. "The pain had to be immense. Those scars will be there forever. How can you smile about them?"

Night Shift settled back down. "We're more experienced in battle than you are," he explained. "We've learned to see these scars as badges. They show other people that you can't be knocked down easily, and should be taken seriously."

Bat Spin deflated. "Then nobody will ever take me seriously," she sighed.

"Don't say that," Roller Brawl said. "Something will happen that will cut you deep and you can walk off. It just takes time."

"Well I know it will never happen. I just use bats to fight my battles- and that's hardly fair, considering everything they've done for me."

"There are plenty of Skylanders who summon allies to fight their battles. Magic is one of those tricky things to wrap your head around- the two of us can't really help you there. But if you're hoping for a confidence booster, try getting closer to the enemies before you attack. You always hang back before you deliver a blow, so think about taking a chance and moving up closer. Yeah, you might get hurt, but if you're looking to receive a scar to prove your worth, then it's something you have to do."

"But the magic I perform needs space to come out properly. That's the only reason why I focused on it so much."

"What about that scary bat thing you did before? Where you turned into a bat? That could prove useful."

"Please. The enemy will get scared off long before I can use it. I hardly think I even know what I'll do with it should I get the chance."

Roller Brawl looked toward her shoulder, biting her lip. What could she be thinking right now? That she was right and the bat form was useless?

"None of this is anything you have to worry about right now," Night Shift promised. "You're still in training, Bat Spin. You still have time to sort everything out and become the kind of Skylander you feel most proper being."

Time was a fickle being. Bat Spin had always known that. People will delay their actions, positive that they "still have time" to do what they need to do, until no time is left and they realize too late that they've squandered it. She didn't like wasting time. With that in mind, her place in the Skylanders seemed temporary. She had no idea what she was going to do. She had no idea how she was going to sort herself out. The Skylanders also told her not to worry- but with very few options laid out in front of her, what else could Bat Spin do?

Roller Brawl got up, walking toward the cave entrance. "Unless the two of you have any objections," she began, "I think I'm going to look around the perimeter. Make sure everything really is safe. To tell you the truth, I'm still feeling really nervous."

"Think the trolls might be hiding somewhere?" Night Shift asked.

"I'm not sure. Either that, or something much worse is after us."

"Go ahead, then. You can never be too careful, after all."

Bat Spin looked up at Roller Brawl. "But the cave is safe...," she muttered, mainly to herself. The cave was safe, but there had been one instance where it needed to be protected- the event that got her into the Skylanders to begin with. She then asked, "You're coming straight back, right?"

"Once around the perimeter, then straight back," Roller Brawl promised.

"Okay."

They watched Roller Brawl leave. Bat Spin was starting to feel nervous as well, except she was certain that something else was out there. The Skylanders' job wasn't yet complete here. Bat Spin was nervous purely because she was afraid of what might happen to Roller Brawl. She looked at the bats nestled in the back of the cave. They didn't seem scared of anything. So what could be out there that only she could feel?

"Night Shift, do you think you'll be okay by yourself?" Bat Spin asked. "I think I should follow Roller Brawl."

"That might be a good idea if she finds what she's looking for," Night Shift agreed. "Give Roller Brawl some backup. If anything should come here, I'll head deeper into the cave."

Bat Spin nodded, and left in order to find Roller Brawl.

The night seemed empty and lonely. Not a single star could be seen over the think, wispy clouds that hovered above. Contrary to mortal belief, the Underworld did have a night sky that contained stars- though it's not often that the stars come out. Bat Spin walked around the outside of the cave, trying to find where Roller Brawl went. That feeling in her gut grew worse and worse, and she started growing scared.

Bat Spin found Roller Brawl standing adjacent to the cave, her back facing her. She was hardly moving, and only a slight breeze waved her braid. Had something entranced her? Bat Spin inched closer to her, staff in hand, and gently poked her in the back. Roller Brawl flipped out, surprised, and turned around to try and attack the thing that startled her- but quickly ceasing to see Bat Spin there.

"What are you doing here?" Roller Brawl asked.

"Following you," Bat Spin explained. "I got worried, so I decided to accompany you."

"Is Night Shift still in the cave?"

"Yes. He told me he'd be fine."

"Of course he did."

"I know the bats will keep him safe, should worse come to worse. They recognize Night Shift as my friend, and understand that he's injured."

Roller Brawl nodded. "I could use a little backup, anyway," she decided. She turned back around, pointing in one direction. "Look over there. Do you see that?"

Bat Spin did. A cloud rose up from afar. Of course, it was no mere cloud, she saw, for the color was much darker. "Smoke," she confirmed.

"There's nothing to worry about concerning the cave, but that over there is definitely what I was worried about," Roller Brawl explained. "How far away do you think that is?"

"A couple miles northwest, at least."

"I think we should investigate."

"Are you sure?"

Nod.

"I'm here to follow your lead."

Bat Spin followed Roller Brawl in the direction of the smoke. There was determination to be found in Roller Brawl. Nothing would sway her from this decision now. Bat Spin thought she would've made an excellent mission leader. Why would she say no, then?

They made it to the source of the smoke- and were appalled at what they saw. Marauders had set fire to a village, sending the humble ghouls and ghosts fleeing for their lives. They weren't trolls, but they also weren't ghouls themselves- not in the traditional sense, cursed or otherwise. Horns grew from their head, their purple skin broken in horrible cracks. They saw no difference in who they attacked, and also felt no pity toward the victims.

And Bat Spin remembered them.

Her village had been attacked like this as well, by the same marauders. She remembered very little of her old life, but the attack was drilled into her heart. Bat Spin remembered the screaming from the other vampires as they were slaughtered or chained up for purposes she had been too young to understand. Bat Spin's father had carried her out of the village, away from the fire, trying to meet up with other survivors of this purge- until she was separated from him as well.

"Bat Spin!" Roller Brawl shouted.

Bat Spin was broken away from the memory. "What is it?" she gasped.

"There's too many of them down there. I think we could use your bats like last time."

"You actually want to fight them?"

"Why not? Nobody else is coming to save these people."

"There's no fighting these guys."

"Then nobody's ever tried it, before."

Bat Spin agreed, almost at the verge of tears. She summoned the purple mists once more, unleashing the bats on the marauders. The creatures went after them, allowing Roller Brawl to jump down and bash a few skulls in. Bat Spin watched from afar, covering her mouth to avoid inhaling smoke from the flames. There was nothing she could do to help Roller Brawl. Besides, it looked like she had everything under control.

Something hit her on her side, slicing into the skin on her arm. Bat Spin had been forced onto the ground. The wound went deep, her arm stinging with pain. She looked up at a marauder who had his staff held in front of her. He possessed dark, empty eyes, and Bat Spin couldn't see a soul in them.

"I recognize your breed of vampire, child," the marauder spoke with a deep grating voice. "We have a whole lot of them working in the mines. If you stay still, maybe we could reunite you with your family."

A fury exploded inside of her. "THEY'RE ALL DEAD!" she hollered.

The purple mist enveloped her, and she transformed into a bat. She gave out a loud screeching, enough to cause the marauder to cover his ears in pain. The screech cascaded over the entire village- while no villagers had been hurt, having all managed to flee, the marauders left in the area had their ears bleed. Unlike the trolls, they weren't fleeing.

Bat Spin grabbed the marauder in front of her, biting his leg with her fangs, and tossed him to the side. He crashed into a crowd of his comrades, ones that Roller Brawl had been about to ram into with her helmet. Bat Spin flew after them, ready to deal more damage. But the pain from her wound flared up again, and she reverted to her vampire form, gripping her arm. It stung like sharp needles, one after the other, keeping her from fighting.

"Look at you!" Roller Brawl cried. "You got yourself hurt! C'mon, let's get out of here- besides, it looks like these guys got the message."

Bat Spin nodded, following Roller Brawl out of the village. Her arm ached with pain from the wound, distracting her from her goal. Roller Brawl noticed, and slowed down in order to help her. They walked back instead of running, the smoke getting farther and farther away from them. Bat Spin felt guilty. She'd wanted to pay those marauders back, to ensure that they knew not to hurt another soul ever again.

They hadn't made it back to the cave yet when a few bats met up with them. Some sat upon Bat Spin's shoulders, gently kissing her face with small tongue licks, understanding the turmoil she went through. She and Roller Brawl also found Night Shift following the bats, slightly limping as he pressed a hand to his side.

"What do you think you're doing?" Roller Brawl asked him.

"The bats started looking frightened, so I decided to follow them out here," Night Shift insisted. "Might've had something to do with Bat Spin."

Roller Brawl smirked. "Sure. That's why you're out here."

Bat Spin showed her wound to them. Night Shift tore off a piece of his shirt, wrapping it around her arm as tight as he could. With pressure on the wound, she didn't have to hold it to suppress the pain. The rest of the bat colony flocked around them, hovering in a circle. Everyone was now safe.

"We found smoke several miles away from here," Roller Brawl explained. "You all should've seen it. There were these weird marauder guys that set fire to everything in a small village. They had large horns and ugly skin, and they were attacking anyone they could find! I'm not sure if the victims would've made it out safe and sound if we hadn't come to their aid."

"Will they come back here?" Night Shift asked.

"I don't think so. Hopefully they're smart enough to figure out that if they come back, so will the Skylanders."

Night Shift turned back toward Bat Spin. "Are you both okay?" he persisted.

Bat Spin shook her head. "No," she pouted. "I'm not okay. Those mauraders were the same ones that destroyed my home when I was a child. I wanted to make them suffer for everything they took away from me, but I wouldn't have been strong enough to do so."

Night Shift let her in for a hug. Bat Spin leaned in, sobbing. The bats perched on all of them, trying to let her know that they were here for her.

"A hero knows when to give it their all and when to let up on an enemy," Night Shift explained. "They also know when to charge into battle and make a hasty retreat. There's a balance to everything, one that takes time to find. You still have time. And you have a family that won't let you fail in this path."

"It also takes time to gain the kind of confidence needed in a battle," Roller Brawl added. "So don't beat yourself up if you don't feel it right now. You're still in training. You need more experience to develop every skill you have. Just relax and in the meantime, trust us to help you along."

Bat Spin stopped crying, smiling from their words. Yes, everything took time. Time to adjust to the wounds received. Time to grow into a hero. Time to realize how lucky she had it right now.

Yeah, in my canon, Night Shift has a soft spot for Bat Spin like he does for Freeze Blade- though in the case of the former, it's brought about by a similar vampiric lineage.