Raging Demon Reaper

Disclaimer: I Don't Own Grim Tales. If I did, this would be on the SNAFU website.

Bloody Brandy- You'll see next chap.

nightmare000- Thanks, and all will be revealed eventually.

Cf96- Maybe, you'll just have to wait and find out XD

Kenju- Yes, yes, just don't go giving it away. As for flipping him the bird...okay, I'll admit, that might have been a good idea. I will admit that having an axe to grind may be a factor, but I see HIM's personality as...well, in this situation, he had nothing else to do and there was a perfect chance to try and instill some kind of doubt or rebelion in the angel. As a tempter, it seemed like something he would do. Philoshopy is a dangerous weapon in the hands of a silver tongue.

coldblue- Glad you like it. The rating was bumped up mostly because I gfelt like things were getting really messy for T. And yes, Clone is wearing out. As for Timmy, yes, I'm a firm believer he is connected to Junior in one way or another. Onto Clone, his POV isn't suppose to make sense as logic comes and goes for him. Clockwork- actually, him not seeing is more like momentary memory loss from the blast. HIM-Sorry, no red lobster this fight. Minnie- could question. We''ll just have to wait and see.

1. Hehe, nope to the whys, good guesses though. As for who, you'll see next chap.

2.. This one you got right- it revived her faster.

3. We'll see eventually. Or rather, we'll see her or we won't.

4. Just read this chapter to find out.

5. same as four.

6. Actually, Minnie didn't actually see anything. I'll explain in another chap.

7. Very true. But he smart enough to know to wait for an oppurtunity .

8. Oh, there's a reason for that cringe, and you'll know soon enough.

9. This I'm keep under my hat until the time comes. What comes after the battle is very important, after all.

10. Hehehehe, as always, LOVE your suggestions/answers...I've kind of thought of 3, thoguh, different reasoning.

11.(grins) cold, I'm going to correct something here to help you out- HIM wasn't asking for help in Nowhere. HIM was offering it. As for the rest, eh, it'll become clear soon.

Regular speak

Thoughts and Emotions talking to person outside mind

Demonic or Animalistic speak

Demonic or Animalistic Thoughts

Dan was still cackling when he phased back up to the surface as the chunk of the town collapsed and sunk at least twenty feet. The ghost grinned wickedly and savagely as he looked around for the skeleton called 'Jack' if he was right. He spotted him sitting on a piece of rubble outside the area that had fallen down, "I almost didn't believe you when you said you could tear through metal!" Dan exclaimed, still cackling. He felt more alive than he had in a long, LONG time.

Jack panted a bit, the night really starting to take a toll on him, "Hehehe, ripping is something I've always been good at," He explained with a small smirk on his skull. Truth be told, some part of his old soul WAS enjoying this as much as the battle-drunk ghost, regardless of how tiring it was on him in his current state of power. How long had it been since he actually killed a creature besides Oogie and his bugs? How long since he enjoyed his darker and truer nature?...Over a hundred years at this point any way.

Dan seemed like he was about to make another joke of some kind when he blinked, his instincts kicking in and telling him they were being watched. He looked out towards the buildings around them and saw that he was right. There were several clones sanding on the roof tops, glaring down at them with wrathful eyes, "Tch, guess it doesn't matter if you take out the head clone," Dan commented in annoyance. There went the plan of hoping that taking out Clone would stop this battle.

"That...or the real Junior is...awake at this point," Jack said in between panting, glaring lightly at his child-sized enemies.

"You think you can handle yourself, old man?" Dan quipped, smirking again. This old bag of bones actually wasn't half bad to be around!

"Just try not to get in my way, punk," Jack retorted with a pained yet sinister smirk of his own before taking a dash at one of the clones, his long arms outstretched to tear it to pieces.

Dan just chuckled as he aimed at one of the clones on the roof with a ghost-beam. One Clone with a capital C was an issue, but a handful of normal clones? Walk in the park!

In the Reaper-Beast

Grim never saw Junior move…never saw him grab the staff of the scythe, never noticed Junior pulling the weapon and dragging Grim close to him, never felt the hand of his own child burying into his chest and snapping through two ribs...and he never fully realized until than what the implications of having an heir were, "Ye're...not gettin dis scythe yet, Boy," The one-armed skeleton said in hollow amusement as he looked down at his son, his one hand grasping on the weapon of life and death never waning. To an outside viewer, the scene could almost look like a father comforting his injured son.

Junior didn't say a word, his iron grip on the scythe as firm as his father's. He just stood there, with his free hand buried in the hollow chest with an almost lost expression. What did he do now...? His army of himself was dying and about to be faced with an overwhelming force, Clone was buried, his Reaper-Beast form was unusable for the moment and had been infiltrated, and this skeleton didn't seem as easily injured as the other one. Not to mention there was still the ghosts to worry about...

He was tired...so very tired of fighting now. But he couldn't stop now. He had to...! He had to...! What did he have to do again? Where was he going? He had these thoughts earlier and banished them in his rage. Now, on the precipice of defeat, the questions seemed so much more important. Why was he so angry?...Minnie...That word, that name resounded in his head; A name that had made him cry. Him, the...who was he? What was he? Did it even matter now? He was going to die, right?...

Die. That word echoed in his head. Die...die, die, die, die, Die, Die, Die, DIE, DIE, DIE! Why did that word ring so clearly in his empty skull!? He had killed hundreds, and would kill thousands more! Why did the thought of death suddenly become an interest beyond it being the result of what he did to his prey and enemies!? What was he forgetting!? What, what, what, WHAAAAT!? Did someone he know die?! Did he kill them?! Was that why he was angry!? Did someone try to kill him before this?! Why did he have such bloodlust?! Why did he thirst for souls?! Why did he...

Junior stiffened as something came into his mind. A statement...a fact; a fact that almost scared him...almost. But it made everything a lot clearer. It made more sense than it should. Or perhaps it made perfect sense and he was just unsure of the reality of this new found 'fact'.

Grim Senior went wide eyes as the many cuts on Junior's body began to hiss for a second before the red blood retracted into the Soul Body as the wounds closed up and healed completely. Then Junior's red glowing eyes faded...from infernal red to empty black. With a voice that echoed darkly throughout the Reaper-Beast and spoke of finality and incontestability, Junior said three words. Three words that promised doom upon his own father, "I...Am...Death."

Clockwork's eyes went wide as those words reached his ear, the unseen paths coming clear to him...many paths that went towards roads of Junior becoming the Grim Reaper now. For once, the Master of Time wasn't sure what he could do any more. Nergal Senior had wide eyes as well and in a grave tone, summarized the situation all too perfectly, "And so the son becomes the father."

Outside the Reaper-Beast

Dan whipped the ectoplasmic blood from his face as he and Jack stood back to back. One of the clones got a lucky shot with a ghost-ball of its own. It didn't do any real damage; just enough for a small cut that healed instantly. Still, this wasn't good, for the skeleton at least. He was definitely wearing out. Dan could keep this up all day, but keeping an eye on him was a job Dan didn't like. He was tempted just to leave him, but regrettably, both Danny and Vlad had possessed some honor that their combined 'evilness' in Dan just couldn't fully override; like leaving behind a wounded and exhausted ally that just helped you take down your greatest enemy of the day. This was why he preferred working alone...well, that and he loved destroying stuff more than the average ghost.

"So...how exactly do we put these things down?" Dan asked, wondering if the skeleton knew.

"Just keep killing them. They'll eventually run out of power if you keep them from getting a soul," Jack explained, glaring as three clones pointed their cannon-arms at him.

"You might want to make a run for it. I can handle them better without you around," Dan said plainly.

"I'm the brother of Death, you idiot. Killing me isn't THAT easy," Jack all but snapped at the flame-haired specter, something like a growl working in his throat.

'Old man with old pride…' Dan mentally mused, raising an eyebrow as he saw them lower their guns. He readied a ghost ball in each hand as the ones on the roof jumped down to join those on ground already, "I get the feeling this isn't a surrender," Dan commented as they gathered around them in a half circle.

"I don't like this," Jack said, watching as the clones just glared at them, "Retreating might be a good idea before they pull a fast one."

"You know any place worth retr-AH!" Dan started, only to scream as an all too familiar electric sword plunged through his chest from behind. He looked over his shoulder in shock, anger, and maybe even a bit of fear as he saw his foe. It was Clone, but now almost ripped clean of his demon-flesh. His arms, both the white right one and the burnt-black left one were barren as was most of his torso. Besides a few tentacles on his ribs, a thin covering of a nergalized-coat was all that remained. His left leg was fleshless, but the right one still had partial flesh from the knee down. The tail seemed to have been where the flesh prioritized itself for some reason, for it was barely showing any bone at all.

Lastly, his skull was without hood and the little flesh that remained couldn't form a demon's face. Without the little tendrils of Nergal flesh wiggling around, all it was only a skull with a singed tuff of hair and one grey eye. Still, the skull of the boy growled all the same as he fired the swords energy straight into the ghost, making him scream in agony. He snorted as he pulled the Sword of Tengu out, Dan falling to the ground in near unconsciousness from the zap. Clone glanced at Jack, who was already taking a swing at him.

Clone didn't move; he didn't need to. For the skeleton's hand went right through the replica as he became intangible for the instant the attack would have hit. Jack was too shocked by the new power to properly defend himself as Clone batted him away with the blunt side of the blade. Looking down at his current state, Clone growled in tired irritation before looking over at the other duplicates.

With gritted teeth, both ghost and skeleton rose to their knees and glared at Clone...before their eyes went wide in shock. "You can't be serious," Dan said blankly, summing both their thoughts up as six of the nine clones all dissolved into tentacles that joined with the main clone. The many fleshy appendages encircled his body and intertwined into his form like a tornado of tentecles as he was healed to his original form, not a bit of bone showing and his red eyes glaring from the beneath the hood again. He gave a refreshed sigh, causing red smoke to leap from his mouth as he sheathed the Sword of Tengu onto his back for now.

"What does it take to kill this thing!?" Dan yelled, his eyes glowing white in rage and frustration, forcing himself to his feet.

"He is the Heir of Death, fool...Did you think it would be as simple as swatting a fly!?" Jack asked angrily, almost sounding offended.

Clone just seemed annoyed with the bantering of the two undead creatures and didn't give them the time to continue. His arm morphed into a tentacle and leapt out, whipping at the King of Halloween and sending him flying back a bit before the tentacle went in reverse to strike Dan. The phantom phased through the tentacle, but Clone was already charging towards him when he was fully through the limb. As his arm returned to normal, Clone leapt at the ghost and turned intangible as well, allowing him to grab onto Dan's also intangible form.

The ghost went wide eyed. Not at being touched while intangible, but as he saw Clone quickly re-sprout two razor-sharp Nergal wings. In the next instant, they were zooming away in the air, going far from their previous area. Last thing Dan saw of Jack, was the remaining three clones chasing after him...

With Jack

Jack did not call what he was doing now 'running away'. Running away implies that you are trying to truly escape your enemy. No, that wasn't what he was up to. He just knew if he got cornered by those three, who were chasing behind him on all fours, he wouldn't last long. So, he did what really was a 'tactical retreat'. He ran just outside their reach, baiting them to jump. When they did, he'd side kick one into the wall or uppercut one in the jaw or just launch something lying around at them. He knew this town like the back of his hand, and knew which way to turn to not hit a dead end.

He smirked and jumped above one that made a jump at him and kicked his feet down onto his head. He gracefully side stepped another and gave him a three-hundred-sixty degree kick, sending him back the way he came and into the third one and, with a grin, Jack continued on running…With a strange mixture of fondness, sadism, and sorrow; Jack couldn't help wondering if the souls of Shock, Lock, and Barrel were in one or all of these three clones.

As Jack rounded a corner, he went wide eyed as he saw the collapsed ruins of buildings blocking the alley directly in front of him. It took every bit of his deathly and spider-like grace to jump from one stable brick to another without slipping. When he reached the top, he glanced back down to see the clones running up the bricks like wolves; their metal claws making this climb an easy task. Without hesitation, he started running down the mountain of bricks, knowing his hunters would not be far behind.

Jack blinked as he heard a humming while running. He turned his head and saw too late that a fourth clone had been waiting in the next alley down his right side, with a cannon-arm aimed and charged. The red beam of death slammed into him and sent him down the other alley. He gritted his teeth, his body at this current level finally starting to quit on him. He had more than a few fractured and broken bones, his own magic being the only thing keeping them from falling apart.

He laid there, his blurring vision seeing the four clones marching on him with hungry looks in their eyes and sighed as he saw his end coming, 'At this rate, you'll end up just like we did, Junior,' Jack mused forlornly. He had a few tricks left, but nothing that would make that much of a different now. It was over...The Pumpkin King, and his Kingdom of Frights, had fallen to the Demon-Reaper.

"Get away from him!" A voice roared as Jack snapped his head back up and something barreled into the clones with a spear in hand, one from the Tikbalan-soldiers. It took Jack a moment to realize it was Wolfman, his shirt ripped but otherwise fine, "Get out of here Jack! I'll hold them off!" He urged, swinging his claws at one on his left while pinning two to the alley wall for a moment.

"Wolf, stop! They'll kill you!" Jack warned desperately. Too many had died already; he didn't need one more that had tried to save him. Wolfman just smirked as the fourth one tried to get him in his unguarded side. Before it could, two spears impaled and pinned it to the ground. Jack looked up just in time to see two bats soar down to Wolfman, before puffing into two of the vampire brothers. More precisely, the two heaviest of the brothers, Razvan and Costin. They used their own momentum to ram into Wolfman's spear, dazing the clones momentarily as they were crushed against the wall. Taking the opportunity, the three monstrous citizens jumped back to form a wall in front of the skeleton.

Jack blinked as he looked up and saw the other two brothers, the tall and skinny Cosmin and Vali, walking in front of him with spears of their own, "Zat's our Pumpkin King you're messing wiz," One of them, Cosmin, said angrily as they stood with Wolfman and their siblings. Jack couldn't help staring; He had been protecting the town for years from random things...it was rare any of the town's people had to protect him like this.

"Get on out of here, Jack," Wolfman repeated, staring down the clones as one of them ripped the spears out of its comrade, freeing it. For all his calm, Wolfman wasn't so sure that they could take these things on and live. Still, it was better than just standing behind and waiting to be eaten or for the Queen to win, the latter of which seemed more and more unlikely. Seeing their resident royal skeleton in immortal danger just gave them a little nudge.

"But...you can't...stop them...," Jack warned as he struggled to get back to his feet, wincing from the pain. It took a lot of damage for a reaper to feel true agony. The sudden use of so much old magic for so long was finally starting to take a toll on him. If he kept pushing himself like this, he might just start falling apart.

"You've done enough...let us deal wiz ze little vreaks vor nou," Vali retorted gently, smirking as the four pairs of red eyes glared into his blank white ones.

"You'll...die," Jack warned, almost begging them to stop. 'I've been beaten...by an eleven year old reaper!' Jack all but snarled in his mind, 'How far...how far have we fallen!?' He thought in outrage and disgust.

"Some oz us are already dead," Razvan retorted jokingly, grinning lightly in spite of the situation.

The four duplicates glared down the five-man shield the skeleton now had between them and himself. They growled and snarled at the prey that had once fled and now refused to back down. Apparently...this prey did have some spine in them. With a smirk, the quartet of replicas charged at them like wolves descending upon a flock of sheep. Who were they to turn down a meal?

Dan V Clone

Clone didn't so much as growl the entire time he went phasing through the buildings while his unwilling passenger tried to pry himself out of the iron grip the demonized skeleton had on him. Not a single sound from the animalistic abomination, "Get your claws off me, you damn brat!" Dan yelled as he kept hitting Clone in the head with his ghostly strength while Clone's claws dug into his chest. Even after decades of fighting ghosts and humans with anti-ghost weapons, getting injured while intangible was still a weird feeling. The best description he had was like feeling a wound that wasn't there but in reverse.

A stratagem suddenly came to Dan's mind. It was crazy, potentially a bit counter-productive, and fueled by more than a little desperate frustration at this point. With a snarl, the Ultimate Ghost reached out and grabbed the Sword of Tengu, igniting it inside the flesh sheath on the main replica's back. Clone gave out an almost reptilian roar of pain as his flying became more and more erratic, his body starting to convulse lightly. Dan too twitched and grit his teeth in pain as the blade electrocuted them both.

It became worse for the ghost as they both started to go in and out of being intangible, his body taking all of the blows as they rammed into and through buildings. To Dan's relief, Clone angled them upwards, heading above most of the buildings. Dan and Clone glared hatefully into each other's eyes. For Dan, this was just one opponent that just didn't stay down. For Clone, this was the one that took out the Reaper-Beast body, where the real Junior was; the one that put him into this situation. Ohhh, he was going to enjoy this. With a mighty roar, Clone slammed his skull against Dan's as hard as he could. Without giving the ghost a moments rest, he charge two separate ghost beams into his hands, the claws still lodged in Dan's chest.

Dan wasn't even fully aware of what happened or the pain as he shot down and into the side of the roof of the town hall. He was aware of the fact that his mouth was bleeding green, ectoplasmic blood. He also knew that he would be in a great deal of pain once the shock wore off. The two large wounds in his chest would make sure of that, not to mention the back stab from just a bit earlier. He got up with a grimace, looking around where he had landed. It looked like an old abandoned attic with a slanted and triangular roof, complete with cobwebs and rats. The wood looked unstable and rotten, and Dan suspected he would be down a story or two if the floor of the attic wasn't made of stone.

He looked back and saw that he hit the roof at an angle that ended up destroying most of it on this side, meaning he probably had more than a few chunks of wood and other material in his back. Really, he was amazed this entire top of the structure hadn't caved in. He blinked, thinking he was imagining things when he saw the Sword of Tengu embedded in the stone floor, "Must have ripped it off his back...," He murmured, looking up at the sky to search for any sign of the monstrosity he had been fighting…nothing was there.

'Well...I'm pretty sure I lost this fight,' Dan thought, almost sure something was watching him, 'Oh well, it was fun to be back in the game. Too bad I didn't get a chance to get back into shape. I and this thing could've fought for days then,' He thought with a mental sigh, his body language screaming of defeat. 'Than again...,' He thought, sensing something behind him, "I've never been much of a quitter!" He declared, whipping around to strike at...nothing. "What...?" He asked in disbelief, only to look up in time to see Clone's ecto-powered and clawed foot slamming into his face, "Damn...," He murmured as he felt his consciousness slipping...

Clone shook his head as he walked away from the green-stained stone, frustrated with everything now. Without warning, he turned his right arm into a cannon and fired a low level beam at the wood just below the long hole in the ceiling before turning his arm back to normal. Without even waiting for the dust to clear, he walked out the hole and onto the edge of the top of the Town Hall. He could see everything from here. Seeing through his fellow clones gave him the details, but actually seeing the big picture was useful in its own ways. The streets were almost cleared, but the new army was seconds away from clashing with his and the prey of this land was growing a backbone in their desperation; A feeble gesture in relativity to their own survival, but a potentially dangerous delay on getting the flaming skeleton's soul.

He had a few options left to turn this around. Plan A was simply rush out there and start ripping into that army and refuel with them. However, that was risky at best and a majority of his clones would likely be extinguished in the process. Plan B was heading into the Reaper-Beast, possibly refusing with the real Junior to deal with the troublemakers inside their 'Belly.' However, this could potentially leave the clones leaderless and might just destroy them in one sense or another.

Plan C was to go back to the Red-Eye's body and eat her soul. The thought made his chest clench again. He didn't know what this feeling was or what it meant. Why should he feel bad about killing her? She was his enemy, his rival for this land. That was the one thing his mind couldn't sort out yet. Why did he care so much about her over the others enemies? Was it because she was the only powerful female?...Well, that made sense in some ways, he supposed. After all, powerful females made powerful mates. He didn't see why that would worry him yet though, or why it concerned him given the animosity between them. It was a confusing feeling, but one he couldn't dwell on for now. He had his mission, so he fought down the pain in his ribs.

What's done is done, he decided as he turned back towards the area where he had originally fought her. She was dead anyway and he was...All his thoughts came to a complete stop as he saw it. The tentacle he had butchered her upon, the instrument of her demise...she was gone. Had someone taken her in an attempt to save her? Or just to keep her from him? Had the real him devoured her through the tentacle without him knowing? No, no, he would have definitely sensed something like that...

Suddenly, he turned back and stormed into the attic before stopping to stare. He stared long and hard at the area of the stone floor with a thin cut in it. The Sword of Tengu was gone...and he wasn't alone up here. He slowly, tensely, scanned the room, sniffing the air. Who could it be? The ghosts? One was in the Reaper-Beast and he had just dealt with the other one. The skeletons? Again, one in the 'Belly' and the other would soon be eaten. Red-Eye was dead and 'Uncle Nergal' probably wished he was dead at this point. Could it have been one of the horse-men or the creatures that lived here?...Wait...he was forgetting someone.

Clone turned just in time to block the spiked mace with his right arm, his clawed toes digging into the stone from the pure force of the blow. He stared into the amber brown eyes of Lord Pain. His helmet was broken long ago and discarded, along with his cape, revealing his green-skinned face and pitch black hair to the world. His face and body were stained in green blood from himself and his enemies. There were many cuts in his clothes and body, but the man stood without a sign of weakness, completely unyieldingly to the enemy before him.

"You're doing well, Young Master," Pain said with a small smirk on his face as he made to kick Clone in the gut. The replica dodged back, never taking his eyes off the loader of the royal guard, "To come back from the brink of defeat!," He started as he swung at the boy again, "To face such foes as your mother and father!" He declared as Clone caught the mace in his steely hands. He then tried to hit the hybrid with his right fist, his left holding the weapon on its own, "To be so young and so powerful!" He continued as Clone countered by striking the fist with his own left one. They both grimaced and jumped back, "You truly are your mother's son," Charles praised as they got ready to charge again.

Clone, pressed for time, charged first. He leapt and spun to strike Pain with his axe-tail. He expected the green-knight to defend himself with his mace. Pain smirked as he skillfully pulled out a dagger from his belt and used the eight-inch blade to block the bladed limb. Clone blinked in surprise and just barely spun in time to slam his foot against the mace aimed at where his head had been. He rose up his arms to shield his face from the dagger, the blade sinking into his Nergal-flesh. With a growl, he kicked Charles in the face, sending the both of them back again.

"I always knew we would fight one day," Charles said, still smirking lightly. "Maybe as a spar, maybe you making a coup against your parents. It didn't matter why, I just knew we would always fight at least once," Pain monologued as Clone stared at him strangely. "I've seen you grown from infancy to where you are today, Prince Grim," Charles said, seeing Clone blink in confusion. "And I would say that I'm honestly proud of how far you've come and honored to have helped raised you...," He paused as Clone seemed deep in thought, "If this had truly been what you wanted!" He shouted and charged.

Clone looked startled, raising his arms as his wrist blades formed on them, blocking the two weapons that clashed with his, sparks flying on impact. He stared with wide eyes as Pain's gaze bore into his red orbs, "Had this been your choice...had this slaughter been your desire, we could all rest easy knowing that at least the throne was going to someone worthy," He said bitterly, "But it's not...and if we let you continue...and you do remember yourself one day...it could destroy you. So forgive me, my Prince, but to protect you, you must be defeated today," Charles said solemnly as his adversary just stood there.

Clone's body shook, but his arms didn't give an inch to either weapon. Prince Grim...? What was that?...Was that his, The Original's, name? Without knowing the true meaning of such words, he couldn't be sure. Still...it struck a chord in his forgotten memory. And he said...protect him? Forgive? What was he talking about? Why would this creature want forgiveness from him? Why would he want to protect him?...This one knew him...they all knew him, it seemed, or most of them at least. It was too confusing. And as the red-haze started to flicker, he felt his own chest quivering. What was going on...?

In an odd mix of survival instinct, confusion, worry, and desperation, Clone moved his tail to strike at the man in front of him. He only had two hands and weapons to defend himself, so no matter what he did, Clone would have an opening to attack. Charles smiled bitterly as Clone's eyes went wide. The duplicate slowly looked down and saw it. The Sword of Tengu, sticking through his chest. He looked over his shoulders in disbelief. The sword hand ran through his tail, between the blades, and straight through his back.

That wasn't what shocked him though…there she was, the Red-Eyed One. She was kneeling behind him, glaring unreadably into his eyes as she pushed down with her strength and body-weight on the electrified blade to keep him trapped, "Loser." She muttered in his ear, smirking weakly. It was obvious she was running on empty at this point. This was her last act in this fight, her final gambit to take him down. Still, how was she alive...? Somehow, despite having a blade though it, that made his chest feel better. It also made him sad though...he had failed. The army was here now, pushing back his clones. Unless The Original did something soon, it was over.

"It's over now...let it go, Son," Mandy said in what could have been a weak and tired voice or a gentle and sad one. With a being like Mandy, one could hardly tell and dared not ask.

Clone groaned, like a dying animal, as he slid down the blade and lay against the cold stone floor. He was fading. He faintly heard Green-Skin help Red-Eye up and walk to the balcony…probably to survey the ending battle. He could feel his clones, they were starting to fade too. And without someone to command them as one, they would soon be picked off by the larger and more rested force. The Demon-Reaper had fallen...

Mandy panted as she sat out on the balcony, Pain standing nearby protectively. As much as she hated to admit it, she was spent. There wasn't much she could do anymore. That she still had the strength to make it all the way there and stab Clone was a miracle in itself. Still, it looked like things were finally wrapping up. Her army was here and attacking all her son's copies. Now all that was left to do was wait while Grim brought the real Junior back to his senses. Or knocked him out of the fight; she'd take either one at this point.

In the Reaper-Beast

Grim was honestly a bit scared at this point. Maybe it was the black orbs that his son now sported as eyes, maybe it was the low growling noise Junior kept making, maybe it was the healing tentacles around them...or maybe it was how Junior kept trying to wrestle the scythe out of his father's one-handed grip after just declaring himself Death. Yeah, the implication to that claim was probably what scared him most. Still, no matter how Junior twisted and pulled, Grim wouldn't give up the weapon of his profession. What really alarmed Grim was the black sparks running along the staff of his scythe…sparks that did damage to neither of them. 'Dat's really not good!' He thought in worry.

With one great grunt, Junior flipped the elder reaper over his shoulder and slammed him into the 'floor' of the 'Belly'. Junior snarled and started to punch Grim in the face, repeatedly, trying to make him let go of the weapon. Grim tried to kick him, but Junior just counter-hit the leg with such force that it almost flew off. Grim could only stare as those all too familiar dark orbs bore into his sockets, demanding him to give up. And yet, he refused.

"Junior!" Nergal Senior yelled, jumping and tackling the son off the father before he did something he couldn't take back, "It's over Junior! Just stop and look!" Nergal Junior ordered, roaring into the face of young hybrid he had pinned to the ground.

The words' meaning seemed to get through to the raging boy, who looked confused before looking upwards into the black sky of his own stomach. Grim, now panting and on his feet again, looked on in slight shock as images appeared above and around them. Most were of the clones fighting the royal guard, and now falling back as the proper army "finally" arrived and started laying fire unto them. There was one image that was larger than the others, this one showing the Head Clone, defeated and pinned by Mandy's sword, 'Looks like things are finally turning around,' He thought in relief, leaning on his staff.

Clockwork just watched on in anticipation. He had long since regained his senses over the time streams, and there were two main ways this could go. To sum them up, either Junior did come to his senses now or he didn't. Both were just about as likely to happen and there was little to sway favor in either direction. It all rested on the mind of one boy…one boy who could destroy everything.

"...Junior?" Nergal asked in concern as the boy starred with wide eyes at the images. He didn't move, didn't even seem to breathe…Just staring. Unknown to the demon, Junior was staring at a specific image. The image of some of his clones, fighting near the front lines...

With Jack, Wolfman, and The Vampires

Wolfman growled as his back slammed against the wall, craning his neck to the left avoid a punch to the face. They weren't doing too badly, all things considered. Despite being monsters, they weren't much for fighting, preferring their terrifying form of fun and peace over the savagery in most regions of the Underworld. Still, they weren't pushovers. He could hold his own against two of these things while two of the vampire brothers ganged up on one of each of the remaining two clones. Still, they couldn't fight on forever and these things just wouldn't die. The best they could do was hold them off, but Jack was too stubborn to run...

"One of you guys get Jack out of here! There's no way he can out run them in his shape!" Wolfman ordered, being the unofficial leader of this little band, as a clone tried to claw at his face, barely kept away by the spear.

"Vhat about you? Aren't you ze fastest?" Cosmin asked, dodging a claw swipe while Razvan attacked the clone from behind with the spear.

"Just do it!" Wolfman yelled, not having the time to explain his reasoning as he kicked the clone away from him, before screaming as one jumped down on his back from the wall above him.

"Vali, you're ze fastest oz us!" Razvan called before the clone he impaled head butted him.

"I got zis," Costin said simply, glaring at the clone the two of them had been fighting. Neither of them had landed a hit, but this clone hadn't injured them either. Vali nodded, not voicing any doubts he had in that statement. Costin smirked as he crouched, tensing his leg muscles, "Come on, avortonule!" He dared, leaping at the clone with his large form, at surprising speed.

Vali zoomed pass the others, grabbing Jack as he leapt off the ground to take flight. The skeleton was too weak to resist or argue, watching helplessly as they flew away from the fighting and towards the alley exit. The second clone fighting Wolfman turned away from his lupine opponent and gave chase towards the escaping creatures. With the other clone still clawing into his back, Wolfman gave chase on all fours. Seeing his intent, the clone on his back clawed harder into him, resorting to biting his neck. Wolfman howled in agony, but kept up his run.

The clone chasing Jack and Vali leapt at them while they were still close enough to the ground. Wolfman leapt as well. With his much stronger leg muscles, Wolfman reached the airborne clone before it reached the vampire. With one great chop, the werewolf latched his jaw onto the clone's left arm, dragging it back down to earth. With a snarl, the clone turned its right arm into a cannon and fired at the vampire. Not expecting it and having no one to warn it, Vali took the blow square in the back and went plummeting into the street outside the alley.

Jack groggily sat up and went wide eyed at the scene before him. Wolfman was lying face down on the ground, his body not moving and his jaws still clamped like a trap on the clone's arm. The clone on his back was trying to pry the jaw open while the clone with its arm in the wolf's mouth was punching Wolfman's head in, both trying to force him to open up. Jack didn't know how long it went on before the clone grunted...and Wolfman gave a yelp as blood poured from his mouth. The clone yanked his now spike covered arm out of the jaw, glaring at the new corpse.

"Volzman!" Cosmin called in alarm. The clone on Wolfman's back turned and leapt back into the alley to combat the vampire, leaving the rest to his comrade.

The other clone turned back towards the downed vampire and skeleton, walking towards them. He glared at Jack and the skeleton could feel it. He could feel Junior glaring at him through this clone, so very mad and enraged at all the trouble he had caused the hybrid all throughout this night. He could almost feel Junior's wrath leaping from the clone, already trying to steal his soul. It scared him...and that disgusted him.

Jack feebly tried to keep the clone from getting to Vali's downed and injured yet still breathing form, only to get back-handed by the spiked-arm, cracking his skull lightly. Jack watched in horror as he saw the clone grab onto the vampire's back with its non-spiked left arm. The claws dug into the back, but the skin wasn't damaged. Jack knew exactly what would come next. Without the slightest effort, the clone yanked its arm up. In its grip was a green, ghostly version of Vali's form- His soul. The clone didn't smirk, didn't even really react to this victory. It just opened its mouth to take a bite...What happened next, Jack would need a night to sleep on and process fully.

The clone let out an unholy screech as its side suddenly exploded, sending it tumbling away from its prey. In a daze, Jack had grabbed onto Vali's soul, the clone losing its grip in the explosion. As he placed the soul back in the vampire body, the brother of death looked up numbly to see where the attack had come from. Up on the roof of a building was a humanoid being. It was large, at least having a head over Jack's considerable seven feet, and probably male by the body structure. It was covered in bronze colored armor with black trimming. Most notable was the steam coming out from all the gaps in the armor, even the eyes and mouth. Jack knew what this was without even thinking about it. A Caci, a creature descended from the fire-breathing giant-son of Vulcan, Cacus. One of the races Mandy forced under her iron fist years ago and some of her more…destructive servants.

The soldier let out a roar, looking behind him. Jack looked and saw some Mandy's regular forces, the skeletal hordes, charging down the street. They weren't just armed with spears though. These ones had firearms; mystical ones, but firearms all the same. Something Mandy had insisted on trying to implement in her army. Jack turned as the previously-down and now-charred clone sped past him and back into the alley before the forces could start firing on him.

The clone rammed into Cosmin, who had his back towards him, before throwing the vampire into Costin. Without missing a beat, he reformed his cannon-arm and shot it at Razvan, stunning him. The clones turned to run down the alley, and then stopped. There stood the Caci, starring at them with flaming eyes. They snarled before rushing back towards the alley exit, making a mad dash for the building across the street.

Jack laid flat against the ground as a storm of blue-white beams soared over his head at the fleeing clones. It was almost in slow motion for him, watching those four run, one leaping over one shot and another ducking and rolling under some. The first one made it and dived through the window, and it seemed like the rest would make it. Then the one at the rear of the group got hit and the world seemed to freeze for a moment as it fell. If it hit the ground and stopped, it would be under too much of an assault to get back up. Then something strange happened. The second-to-last clone, the same charred-clone that had tried to eat Vali, reached back and grabbed the falling clone by the collar of its hood and threw its comrade forward and into the building.

The world sped back up after that as the soldiers rained beam after beam onto the duplicate. Jack just starred with wide eyes. He barely heard the ceasefire called and didn't even notice the Caci walking up to the spot where the clone's unmoving and smoking body now lay until it was right in front of the potential-corpse. The clone, now devoid of over half its flesh, looked up at the Caci with eyes, still red as the flames of hell. As the Caci leveled its open palm at the head of its enemy and charged a ball of condensed flames, the clone looked over at Jack and...smirked as it was engulfed in flames.

Jack stared into those flames for what felt like hours until they stopped. In place of the savage warrior clone was a skeleton, turned black by the flames. He starred and almost gasped as the skull...the skull of his nephew's clone cracked before the body dissolved away. He thought he heard cheering at that, but he didn't take note of it. There were no ashes. That was what had his attention. He watched that body fade away. It wasn't cremated or incinerated...it simply dissolved from the world...

The cheering stopped as every clone let out a loud and thunderous roar throughout the night that shook every soul to their very cores. A roar of anger and vengeance. A roar so deep and loud that not even the mighty dragons could compare. A roar that almost forced Jack to smile. Almost...

In the Reaper-Beast

Junior didn't roar with his clones. He just sat there, starring angrily, "Junior?" Nergal asked again, feeling the boy tremble...only to choke out a strangled cry as a right foot went into his gut before Junior kicked him off and away with the other foot. Silently and without a single noise, he stood with his right leg now covered in green Nergal blood, and glared at his father and Clockwork. They could almost see the dark aura around him.

"Son...," Grim all but cried out in a whisper, completely lost at what to do now. He couldn't keep fighting Junior. Physically he could...but the more he did, the more emotionally drained he became. He didn't have it in him to risk destroying his own child. Not for anything. Not Mandy, not the underworld, not even all the afterlives. And Clockwork had to know that, if nothing else. He had to know that no matter how horrible the future would become, Grim would never willingly risk his son and heir to save it.

And the ancient ghost of time knew it well by the look on his face; his powers, godly as they were, had little to no effect on Junior now. At least within this beast the hybrid had made. Outside, Clockwork wasn't sure and had no way to find out. They were trapped and there was little he could do to do anything. He already interfered more than he normally would. Still, there were ways out of this, ways of salvaging this debacle. The issue was that he had very little influence over the factors in those scenarios. In other words, he had to hope for the best.

Grim Junior didn't make a move yet as he starred at his enemies. The red haze that had clouded his mind had grown darker and darker recently until he saw everything in a tinted-black vision. The rage he felt wasn't just wrathful now. It was sinister, it was vengeful, it was sadistic, and it was Dark. And it was calculative. For in his mind, he forced himself not to attack yet and think. Some of his enemies did not die. They were deathless. So how does one kill someone that does not die?

[By imposing death upon them]

Junior smirked at the provided answer and nodded to himself. Slowly and deliberately, Junior raised one hand high, as if reach for something above him. Grim, Nergal, and even Clockwork watched in fascination and fear as Junior sudden clenched his hand...and Grim Senior screamed in utter agony, collapsing to the floor while holding his stump of an arm, "Grim, Grim!" Clockwork yelled in alarm. If this was what he thought it was, then...!

"Me...me arm! Me soul! He's devouring it! He be chewin on it right now!" Grim yelled as his screams echoed throughout the reaper-beast, Junior grinning all the while as black-lightning sparked in the air where he clenched his hand.

Clockwork's eyes went wide in horror as he saw Grim's scythe stand straight on the floor, the same black-lightning encompassing it, 'He's...he's devouring the power of death...,' Clockwork realized, gritting his teeth in helplessness, 'I...I failed...'

Grim gritted his teeth as he forced himself to look up at the now approaching Junior, sadistic black eyes boring into his sorrowful and empty sockets, 'Damn him...' Grim thought in despair, "Damn him!" He roared as he could no longer stop himself from screaming, just as Junior grabbed the scythe...

Outside the Reaper-Beast

"That's not good," Mandy drawled with a sigh as the clones screeched throughout the night.

"Do you think making them more angry will be an issue, Mistress? There isn't much they can do, I believe," Pain inquired as he watched over the battle as well.

"Then you believe wrong, my captain. Junior is a lot like me right now. He'd rather drag us all down into the flames than let us stop him," Mandy commented, stroking her forehead in thought.

"A Grim Reaper without mercy or weakness…sounds like what you hoped he would become, Mistress," Charles pointed out simply. If it was a jab or just a comment, only they would know.

Mandy almost looked amused by that; almost. "He always did tell me to be careful what I wish for," She mused before her face fixed itself into its normal scowl. "Let's go, they'll probably be here soon to revive the head clone, if they can," She added, getting to her feet weakly.

"Too late," A growling and gravelly voice said behind them. They spun around and saw him. There stood Clone, his body completely healed and the reds of his outfits and many eyes hard grown noticeably darker. They looked more like thick areas of blood than the hellish flames they had seen earlier. In his right hand, he held the Sword of Tengu by the blade.

As they stared in disbelief, Mandy couldn't help noting how...calm Clone seemed now. His presence no longer screamed of an animalistic rage and bloodlust that the worlds couldn't hope to fill. No, right now, he was calm...murderously so. He didn't come back to fight. This was just a stone cold execution of two enemies that had little to no chance of stopping him now.

Without even blinking, Clone reached up with his left hand to grab the spike mace before it could hit him in the face. Pushing it to the left, Junior slammed the butt of the goblin sword into Charles's chin and then kicked him in the gut, sending him skidding back several feet, over the stone edge of the town hall. Charles barely grabbed onto the edge before he fell. Clone saw this, but paid him no mind for that instance. He turned on his heel and blocked Mandy's defiant punch with the blunt edge of the sword, which he still held by the blade even now.

"You just don't know when to quit, do you?" Mandy asked, glaring into her son's eyes. For a moment, she was almost sure he remembered her completely because he gave her a look that declared her a hypocrite. Then the mini-cannon on his tail, between the two axe-blades, shot her in the gut, sending her back and onto the slated roof. She'd be berating herself for not noticing that one later, she was sure. Next thing she knew, she was screaming before she could stop herself. She forced herself to look and saw Jun-...Clone standing over her, holding the Sword of Tengu by the hilt and driving the now electrified blade through her chest, through the roof, and possibly into the stone floor.

Clone eventually let go to grab a dagger before it could strike his head. He looked over at Pain and stared at the panting and glaring knight like he was a bug. With a shake of his head, Clone stomped onto the pommel, causing the hilt to sink down to Mandy's chest and the golden blade-guards to pierce into her flesh. Pain growled as his queen bit back a scream, but held his stance as Clone came back to the flat surface of the balcony.

"Just stop this," Pain demanded, glaring into those eyes, those very calm and very tired eyes. He didn't see a tactical way out of this anymore. Their only hope was to get through to Junior. A hope they had mostly given up on at this stage of things.

To his amazement, Clone nodded in agreement. Then to his shock, the child did something horrifying. Clone slammed his clawed hand into his own shoulder, grunting as he dug into own flesh and bones. Mandy and Charles watched in confusion as the abomination's seemingly senseless self-mutilation continued on. For a moment, Mandy thought Clone was trying to kill himself as the hand went deeper into the body, widening it as green blood squirted and gushed around the hand…then it happened. Clone smirked, and with one great pull yanked his arm out. But his hand was no longer empty.

From the oozing wound in the flesh and blood of demons, a terrible weapon of death had been born. The staff was of gnarled red-brown flesh with black thorns covering it erratically. The fair golden rays of the moon's light reflected a red gleam off those prickling barbs. The blade was as monstrous and horrific as the wielder. The bottom edge of the curved, reaping implement was like that of its predecessor, but the top was where the true audacity showed. The blade didn't have just one point on it. Along the top edge of the blade, three more curved blades emerged out, all angled in the same way as the first. No light reflected in that cold, silver metal.

On what would be the blunt side of a normal scythe's staff was a small and mangled piece of metal, twisted at the end until it was pointed. The gaps in between the four points of the scythe made Mandy think of a creature with three mouths on a single head, each one trying to devour its prey before the others. Then she saw something that almost made even the great Bitch Queen shiver in fear. Almost, of course, almost. Along the staff, almost invisible, were protrusions. It took her a moment to realize what they were shaped like. Bones...the bones of an arm...the bones of the Grim Reaper...the bones of Junior's skeletal father.

'That's it then...he got you, Grim?' Mandy thought as the shock faded. She could only watch now, her physical strength long spent. Only her sheer force of will kept her from losing her grip on the waking world. If the Queen of the Underworld died this day, she'd stare her death in the eyes, 'Guess that's it then...,' She mused as she forced herself to watch her longest serving soldier take on her son...who was about to be promoted from Prince to King.

The moment the butt of the scythe tapped against the ground, Charles was ripped from his shock and charged with his mace. With the slightest bit of effort, Clone twirled his new weapon and used the staff to deflect the spiked weapon. With a grunt, Clone slammed the scythe forward, effectively punching Pain with the reaping weapon. Pain starred in horror as Clone charged forward and swung the blade for the first time. The knight just barely dodged back in time, with his mace raised high. With a war cry, he brought it down on Clone's head...or he would have. Just as the weapon was about to make impact, the twisted dagger on the back of the scythe was slammed into Pain's side, just missing his heart as he crashed on the roof, breaking a bit under him.

The green skinned Underworldian looked up with one eye closed in pain. With both hands, he reached for his mace, just in front of him. His eyes shoot up as Clone slammed his foot down on his wrists. Tentacles formed around the captain's hands, keeping them together as Clone held out his free left hand. From his sleeve emerged the dagger Pain had thrown earlier. The hybrid knelt and Charles knew what came next. He screamed as the dagger pierced his hands together and to the stone floor, pinning him there.

Mandy had briefly wondered why Clone had spared Charles, as she lay there with her blood oozing from her chest and mouth, almost drowning in it. But when the Demon-Reaper copy turned, she knew what he was up to. He wanted Pain to watch as he killed his queen.

Clone stopped when he was halfway between them and looked out to the town where his angry yet weakened comrades hid and regrouped, too weak to openly fight now. He looked over it all, all the destruction and death they had caused, all the fear and hate they had spread...all coming to an end. He caught sight of where the first and currently only fallen clone had died. He could see the skeleton retreating with the help of others. But he no longer cared for that bag of bones. No, his eyes were locked onto the steaming and armored behemoth that had slain his lesser clone.

With a glare, he turned to the town fully and brought his new scythe high above his head as his two pinned enemies watched in wonder and horror. He twirled it slowly for a moment before the spinning picked up. It took a moment, but Mandy realized that Clone wasn't physically spinning it, but with his own power. The blade grew darker and darker until it looked like it a black, smoking halo was above Clone's head. Suddenly and without warning, Clone grabbed the staff again and spun it one last time, this time vertically on his right and swung the blade upward as a cloud-like stream of blackness shot from the blades.

All of Halloween Town went quiet as the black mass flew over the town from the Town Hall, expanding as it went, looking as if it would strike at the moon. Then it fell, rapidly. It was about to simply crash into an empty alley when...it curved, or coiled rather. Like a flying serpent of the mist, it looped in the air, crashing through the sides of buildings without care. The very ground and air rumbled as it passed, going faster and faster. It went on and on until its target became clear and it shot straight at the flame user. With a roar of the wind, it slammed into the Caci. The descendant of Vulcan tried to blast the smoking attack, but his attacks just...vanished on impact. With a roar of pain, the point of the attack slammed into him, pushing him through a wall and into a building.

The pyromatic creature coughed as smoke covered the room, preventing him from seeing just what had hit him. As he hung there, something in the blackness piercing his gut, the Caci almost felt like...something was in this smoke. That something was staring at him…glaring at him…willing him to die painfully. And just like that...it dissipated. The mist evaporated as if it was never there and the caci fell to the floor. Though wounded, the Clone-Slayer would live still.

"So you put on a smoke show, big whoop," Mandy mocked defiantly. Clone just gave her a raised eyebrow and she sighed, "You grade A fucker. Is there nothing that stops you?" She asked weakly, getting a negative headshake to her rhetorical inquiry.

On the Streets

The army had returned to hunting down the clones. A squad of fifty was going through a house, looking for any hiding foes, "So, any idea what the Devil is happening?" One of the skeletons asked as they cleared a bedroom.

"Not sure, Lord Pain didn't give many details when he called it in. Must have been a sneak attack," Another answered.

"To take out the royal guard though...some of these things didn't even have full flesh on their bodies," The first retorted in light admiration.

"My money is riding on Lord HIM having something to do with this," A third cut in with a grumble, "This was my day off too."

"Stop whining. Anyway, I don't think this is HIM, not completely. The Queen and the Clawed Lord have been at each other's throats for years and likely have spies on each other. I think the Queen would have known about HIM conjuring up something this big," The second added in.

"Oh, and would that spy be you?" The third asked jokingly, the first joining in a bit.

"Shut up," The second snapped sharply at his comrade.

"It was jus-," The third started, only to be interrupted.

"No, seriously, shut up," The second said as they all got quiet. There was a small noise…very small.

"What is that?" The first asked with strained, non-existent ears.

"It sounds like steam or a pingin-" The third started, only to be hit by a beam of black-glowing red energy firing through the floor.

"Mit!" The second screamed as a clone jumped up from the hole, "You little shitstain!" He screamed charging with a spear, only for the clone to jump past it and into him, sending them both crashing through the window and to the street below.

With Clone, Mandy, and Charles.

'Looks like I'm not the only one getting another shot at this fight,' Mandy mused as she heard the screams as the reenergized clones charged and leapt from buildings onto her larger force. It would be much harder, but with Clone, her army would eventually fall. She looked up and glared into the eyes of said double that now stood over her, his blade gleaming hungrily over her. She didn't say a word. There would be no rescue, no miracle this time. Only the pain of her soul being ripped out and devoured. And that was likely the end of her and all those he had devoured.

"Young Master, don't!" Charles yelled pleadingly, getting no reaction, "If you do this, there is no going back!" he warned, unable to remove the knife pinning his hands to the floor.

Mandy and her son's clone just stared at each other, ignoring the man's pleading, "If you're going to do it, just do it already," She snapped weakly, fighting down a cough as more blood filled her mouth, "I don't have all day," She added, almost joking as she forced a smirk onto her face. Clone just nodded slowly and raised his scythe in a slow and ominous motion. The air was so tense and thick, it was as if he would reap all the worlds with this one strike. Mandy never once looked away, as if daring him to do the deed his father couldn't; to do what he was born to do.

Pain's face was an expression of pure shock and amazement as he watched the execution in what seemed like slow motion. As the four-pointed weapon fell, a green and black smoke emerged from the front most tip and trailed behind the swing of the blade. When the blow landed right below Mandy's neck, the same streams of ghostly green and deathly black smog shot into the air above the blade with a screeching whirlwind. The point didn't penetrate the flesh, but Mandy could feel it trying to grasp on her soul which latched onto her physical form with all of its considerable spiritual might.

Mandy didn't scream, the only semblance of one coming out as when a cough of blood forced itself out. She only starred at her killer, her Death...no, her regicide, her Deicide, 'I hope my soul gives your stomach hell.' She thought vengefully yet resignedly. She didn't plan on getting out of this...unless she could take over Clone when he ate her, but that was a gamble at best. No, Junior had her beat this time. She was usually good at wiggling her way out of situations like this, but Junior was her son. He negated her at every turn. He negated the numerical advantage with his horde of replicas, the power of all her allies meant little to Clone and Junior's wrathful might, and now he would render her greatest advantage a moot point; her immortality. The Demon-Reaper had bested the Bitch Queen.

Mandy choked back a scream when the blade finally did slice into her once flawless skin. She than smirked as she felt Clone tug, "Good luck getting it out of me," She said with a hollow chuckle as Clone just glared and started pulling with all his might. She was determined to make this as difficult as possible, down to the last second. Besides, maybe one of the cannons or Caci would see her situation and bomb the hell out of the hybrid. Then again, a damn tentacle would probably just rise out of the ground and block the attacks. Yeah, that seemed about right at this point. Junior would probably have the Reaper-Beast back soon anyway.

"Don't wake up, Son," She said weakly as she could feel her soul getting a bit looser with every pull, "Just forget us all...," She advised with a smirk, clenching her teeth as the reaping didn't cease. Clone, for whatever reason, was far less responsive now...

In the Reaper-Beast

Nergal Senior watched in helpless horror at the scene before him. Junior had finally got fed up with him and used his tentacles to hold him down. Clockwork had a wall of smaller tentacles between him and the others, unable to phase through without risking getting devoured and adding his time powers to Junior's arsenal. Grim...Grim was still on the floor, looking up at his son with sad eyes, wielding the Scythe of the Grim Reaper now. Junior just smirked with dark eyes as he prepared to end the life of Death.

Grim, just now regaining his senses from a period of agony the likes of which he hadn't felt in eons, lifted up his left and currently only arm to grab the scythe to prevent it from reaping him. Junior just kept smirking as he pushed down on the staff toward Grim's neck, looking more as if he was trying to strangle the skeleton rather than slice him, 'Fook...me powers be drainin fas. Mos of dem be tryin ta stop dat arm of mine from bein destroyed by whateva de oder Junior is doin to it,' He realized as he tried to keep Junior from getting too close or breaking his grip, which was incredibly hard to do with one arm, 'Dammit...dere isn't much I can do now, even if I were up ta it,' He concluded bitterly, just trying to slow Junior down at this point. Inevitably, Junior did jerk the weapon out of Grim's hand and quickly raised it high to bring it down up its former wielder.

As the blade fell like a guillotine, Junior realized it; this was it. Everything was finally coming to a close. His enemies had fallen, his army was restored to greater strength, and he would soon be more powerful than ever with all these souls! After so many delays and so many setbacks, he had finally won! The Flaming Skeleton! The Ghost! The Green-Skin! Uncle Nergal! The Time Ghost! The Scythe-Skeleton! The Horse-Faced Army! The Bone Amy! The Red-Eyed! All had fallen to him! After all this, after so many close calls, he was the last one standing! He was the true victor! He Was Dea-!

"BROTHERRRRRRRRRR!"

End of Chapter

Finally! Longest chapter ever! Took me a whole month to write all of this...Oi, so much happened here I don't even know where to begin. And yes, Clone came back more than once in this chap, and got a scythe I thought up- hope you all get the right mental image of it. As you can all see, Jack is acting a bit odd for unknown reasons. Grim Senior was taking a mental pounding over what he was doing to his kid and than got a physical one, Clockwork was...useless, and Nergal Senior continues to come back and get knocked back out- got to give the old man props for that. Dan got KOed and last we saw of him was a green soaked floor.

And what do you know, Pain puts a beating on Clone! If you're all wondering how the hell that happened- Clone has been through a LOT already, he was exhausted to the point where Charles could challenge him physically and lay a pyscological bombardment onto Clone's beastly mind. Mandy showed back up, but because of the sheer amount of damage she took last time, she is running on empty, My reason for this is that her immortality is never explained in finer details. When she cut her throat as a child with a kitchen knife, she seemed a bit winded after that. Get punctured in every direction by demon-death spikes several organs and through the brains and eyes?...I imagine she'd need at least a day or so to be back at full strenght.

Jack got some help, finally. One of the minor things that bugged me was how none of the monsters tried to help fight the Reaper-Beast in the comic, or against Oogie Boogie in the video game sequal to the movie for that matter. They all are monsters after all, but I suppose they're the more docile and peaceful variety. Still, I figured with smaller enemies and the fight going so bad, they would start to help out, if only to try and save Jack. And I gave all the vampires names to go with thier transilvian accents. They all put up a good fight for non-fighting monsters, but they fell in the end. Wolfman got his head turned into swiss cheese and Vali got his soul removed and returned.

Mandy's army showed up, and with a heavy hitter. Yes, I will be creating a few species in this story, and others. The Caci, to be honest was a spur of the moment thing, but it works out well when I thoguht about it. As for the skeletons, I figured Mandy would have some of her soldiers equiped with firearms if she has canons. Though, I don't think they would be a standard thing in all of her forces, just some. Anyway, one of the clones finally died...and did so sacrificing itself for another clone, oddly enough, but all that did was make Junior go from raging mad to sadisctic revenge, and that was after he claimed to be death.

Lastly, and most importantly, a certain someone finally couldn't take watching this anymore. We all know who that was at the end, I'm sure. Now all that's left is to see if Junior is truly lost to them all at this point. Hope this was worth the wait people

Questions to Ponder- What is up with Jack? What did he mean by 'just like them'? What happened to Junior when his wounds closed up, and Clone when he came back again? Why did their 'red haze' get darker? Is Dan dead? What is that new scythe, really? Is Wolfman, and maybe even Vali, dead? Why was Clone 'calmer' after his second comeback? What effects will the 'nibbling' of his soul have on Grim, and Junior for that matter? What did the [impose death upon them] thing mean? What happened with the one clone that 'died'? Why did it sacrifice itself? What was that attack Clone used on the Caci? Was the yell at the end too late to save Mandy's soul? If she does survive, will the near-reaping have after-effects on her? Will Junior finally wake up to the nightmare he has made? Is the worst finally over?