Infernal

Wall, ground, hapless yet still berserk soldiers; all manner of these went flying as the far greater battle among them ripped through the southern region of the Fire Kingdom. Blasts of fire akin more to explosions tore away at the air, causing gusts that could push someone off their feet. Every so often, one of the two combatants would impact the ground, only to recover instantly and rush right back into the fray. Whereas one of them was instantly regenerating, if taking damage at all, the other growled as his bones and muscles continued to endure the pain.

Finn's attention was constantly split between his opponent and the concentrated miasma around Ares' body. The two had resumed after the Olympian's startling declaration, leaving the flame human fully aware of the vile presence perverting every living thing around them. It made him sick, knowing that such a bodiless entity existed in the world. Pure, unrelenting aggression and the desire to fight, latching onto the physical plane by way of the horrid humanoid before him. As unpleasant the thought was, it also gave way to the simple solution: if Ares was destroyed, the Infernal Miasma would dissipate.

"You're just a damn anchor!"

Finn rushed his foe for the hundredth time, eyes locked on that foul grin. As he came close, Ares raised his glowing claws, eager to exchange blows again. However, Finn wasn't channeling his anger blindly any longer. His intent to kill was focused. The first ring flared to life on his arm, immediately followed by his skin emitting a bright flash. It was nowhere near the weaponized photons Apollo was able to command, but the sage's gift was enough to briefly stun Ares, forcing the being to shield his slit oculi. In that moment, Finn roared and planted his outstretched hand into his opponent's chest once again, this time reacting quickly to activate the second ring.

Show me what's in there!

Finn's mind was assaulted by horrific screams of agony, twisted feelings of regret and anger. He flinched, pulling his hand away just as Ares slashed down with his claws. The hero wasn't fast enough to dodge, groaning as one claw scraped his eyelid. He put some distance between them as he held a hand to his face. Luckily, his actual eyeball was uninjured. That didn't stop him from cursing as blood leaked into his socket, blurring his vision. Shutting his left lids, he grasped his blade with renewal and braced himself, as Ares wasn't done yet.

An efreet…

Contract…

A presence within his body…

His brain worked in overdrive, pouring out his rage while accommodating the need to strategize. Though a brilliant tactician, Finn's ability to hold the miasma to his advantage was a new skill, which unfortunately gave Ares the opening to slam him with multiple stunning punches to the gut. The Olympian grabbed his sword as the flame human attempted to swing, pulling Finn into the air before violently slamming him back down, cracking the brittle earth beneath them. The hero cried out, hacking out blood, though managed to flame shift away as Ares tried skewering his heart.

That form is a host. If Zeus bonded him with a contract, then there has to be a seal somewhere. That's got to be the key to breaking him.

His momentary thought process cost him another opening, Ares feinting a low strike, only to shift and impale Finn's calf with his claws. Even as the hero screamed, he was swung around like a ragdoll, repeatedly bashed into walls, the ground, and even a few remaining fire soldiers that still blindly tried cutting into their squabble. Eventually, Finn kicked Ares' levitating head, allowing him to escape and roll away, seething as he waited for the power of the seventh ring to heal him as best it could. The sages' gifts would keep him standing, but only if he didn't lose too much blood at once.

Ares was on the move again, running at the grimacing flame human with his sadistic cackling. "When beings fight, they are all infernal!"

Cinnamon Bun suppressed the urge to yell as he knelt down behind a boulder, lightly placing his free hand to his side. A large portion of his circular body had been blown off, immediately melted by the heat of the exploding arrow. He thanked his former princess internally for providing him with such a malleable physiology. Jake 2 was currently keeping Artemis occupied, using the smoke from the blasts as a cover to give his owner time to recoup. The pair hoped she thought CB had been killed by her last attack.

That wasn't to say JT went unscathed by the splitting magical arrow. He sported several fractures in his shoulder and side, but muscled through as he bounded from rock to rock, distracting their opponent as she fired dozens of flame arrows at him. The fire wolf growled from the pain, having to shift directions often as Artemis predicted his movements. However, the Olympian was becoming annoyed. She set four separate arrows against her bow, then fired, the projectiles magically flying through the air before surrounding Jake 2. They each exploded into flames, coils of fire that quickly unraveled and rearranged, creating a blazing net that finally caught the massive wolf.

Cinnamon Bun heard his steed's howl from a distance, ignoring the missing piece of his head and tightening his hold on his lance. The candy knight leapt out from his cover, immediately charging at Artemis, as the archer aimed a killing blow at his companion. Naturally, she heard him coming a mile away, pivoting on her feet to instead fire her next shot at him. CB knew his large body couldn't dodge it, not injured at least, so he opted to try timing his swing to block the arrow.

Unfortunately for him, it was another explosive one. He hissed as the blast singed his skin through his flame shield, his hands losing grip on the now shattered lance he had as his only weapon. Falling flat on his back, Cinnamon Bun could only feel the despair growing in his gut.

They couldn't handle an opponent like this. She was an expert at taking down large moving targets.

Even as he lay there, Artemis stalked forward, always keeping the corner of her eye focused on JT behind her. The fire wolf was trying his best to tear through the fire net with his teeth, growling impatiently as their enemy closed the distance to his owner. The Olympian dug her fiery boot into CB's chest, warping his candy skin slightly. She took hold of another arrow form her quiver, only to have it engulfed in flames before shifting into a machete. She raised the blade, aiming between the candy knight's beady eyes.

His mind in desperation mode, CB grunted, concentrating on his chest cavity. To Artemis' surprise, her balance was thrown off, her boot suddenly sinking into her prey's body.

"What the-?"

"Now, Jake 2!"

With one mighty leap, the fire wolf took to the sky, breaking through the weakened fire net. Simultaneously, CB flung his body into a flip, dragging Artemis with him and suddenly trapping her against the ground, pinned by the candy person. JT dived in, teeth at the ready, aiming for the Olympian's exposed neckline as she struggled to crawl out of her position.

The huntress shouted her denial, slamming her open palm on the ground, causing two lines of fire to spread from the spot and rapidly inscribe a circle around herself and Cinnamon Bun. The circular imprint suddenly surged to life, causing a massive bear trap composed of angry flames to appear. The summoned contraption slammed shut just as JT went in for the kill, howling in pain once more as the blazing teeth crushed into his midsection. CB was terrified that his canine had been bisected in an instant, but was at least partially relieved when he simply fell limply from the air.

To this effect, Artemis flame shifted away from her captured position, allowing Jake 2's semiconscious form to slam down atop his owner, earning a yelp from them both. The candy knight pointlessly clawed at the ground, unable to overcome the massive weight on his back. Their foe backed away, neither amused nor satisfied by the sight before her.

She reached back for another explosive bolt.

Weis and PB cried out as they were smashed into one another, stumbling about for a second before falling to the ground, groaning in pain. Tellus rushed past with his flame sword raised high, coming within striking range of their mutual foe. He wisely remained outside of her reach, aiming for the ligaments in her arms and legs. The veteran combatant would fare better than his juniors.

It mattered little.

Athena shoved aside his blade with her own fire daggers each time, flawlessly dancing around the general's attacks, parrying them before suddenly jumping forward right into his exposed midsection. Tellus gaged as he felt two short blades impale his abdomen, instinctively flame shifting away to recover. The older fire elemental reappeared on his knees, clutching at his wounds as his powers tried to regenerate as best they could. Weis, although groggy, managed to step over and help his superior to his feet, the both of them watching Bonnibel rush in again, tapping a few buttons on her suit's wrist remote.

She disappeared from view in a flash, but Athena looked unconcerned. Her eyes darted briefly, before she swung around her leg and nailed the cloaked PB in her helmet, eliciting a cry from the woman as a crack formed on her faceplate. She mentally scolded herself as Weis reengaged with a somewhat slowed Tellus. Of course she could still see her temperature against the surroundings! Bonnie readjusted her suit to match the heat output of the environment, trying to stay in Athena's blind spot as she repeatedly knocked the princess's fiery allies away.

Her plan prepared, she nearly pressed the cloak button again, only to stop just before, furrowing her brow. The female Olympian seemed completely unaware of her, the woman's eyes trained on the groaning Weis and Tellus, even as PB was just to the edge of her peripheral. The candy ruler's brain considered numerous explanations, subtly apologizing to her companions for making them weather the blows.

Bonnie's analysis cost them dearly. As Weis went in for another stab, Athena grabbed his arm and the base of his neck, surprising the commander as she effortlessly flipped him over and into the floor, his head giving a sickening thud as it cracked the earth. The fire elemental didn't get back up as the Olympian menace flipped away from Tellus' next sword swing. Mercifully, readings from PB's suit ensured he was just knocked out. Even so, they were down a fighter, and Athena was no worse for wear.

Getting back to the task at hand, Peebles watched as her enemy scanned the area, taking a moment while the general leaned on his weapon, searching for her third opponent. Bonnibel grunted, rushed forward when the woman had her back turned. Even though an opening seemed likely, the princess's fist was nevertheless caught by her foe, who had turned around just in time; her ears were still perfectly capable. The candy woman exchanged a glare with the fire elemental, both locked in a bind momentarily.

"It's not just that you can see infrared. You can only see infrared!"

Athena's eyes flashed surprise only for a second, before the glare returned. She worked her arms and pulled PB in, quickly flipping the monarch onto her back the same as Weis, although this time she went for the kill, sending her outstretched hand to stab through with a fiery force. Peebles activated her suit's shield at the last moment, earning a grunt of annoyance from Athena as she recoiled. As the shield took up much of her suit's energy, Bonnie was quick to shut it off, rolling out of the way. Her quarrel gave Tellus an opportunity to rush in, swiping at Athena's legs as she was recovering. Once more, she dodged, jumping up and spinning, nailing the old man in the temple and sending him sprawling on the ground.

The two remaining allies stood up together, panting as they eyed Athena carefully. The woman simply stared at them from her side of the room, only the background noise of soldiers battling the legion filling the void between them all.

"It's no good. She sees right through us, and even a new strategy fails the moment we can't fully capitalize on it." PB's observation was blunt, but that's what Tellus was used to anyway. She looked over to him, noting the way he was clutching at his wounded abdomen. The stab was deep; for all she knew the elder was on a timer.

"Don't worry about me, princess. As long as we can stop her, my status is irrelevant. My duty is to protect the Fire Kingdom above all else. Let's take a moment to strategize." PB nodded, reluctantly, but honored his words, setting her eyes on Athena as she whispered to her ally.

"Her sight is entirely based on temperature, did you know that?" Tellus grimaced, shaking his head.

"No. She could see just fine when she was little. Her eyes… they must have degraded in a sense." Bonnibel came to a realization at that moment, somehow finding it in herself to smirk. She looked her foe in the eyes.

"You Olympians, you try to put yourselves on a pedestal higher than other fire elementals and everyone else, but there's a truth that you seem happy to ignore." Athena's eyes narrowed just slightly, dagger still at the ready as PB continued. "For all your talk of power and superiority, you seem to disregard the fact that you're all defects!" At this, Athena's eye subtly twitched. "Your boss, and his brothers?" She recalled what Phoebe had told her of their enemies. "They were all born with an improper matrix, all of them suffering adverse effects. And you, even with that mind of yours, those eyes are slowly deteriorating, aren't they?"

Athena remained visibly stoic, but it was noted that she moved an inch as she stared back at her enemy.

"Is that so?"

As Bonnie pondered the surprisingly level response, she heard a groan beside her. Weis was getting back to his feet, though looked in no shape to continue against such an opponent.

"Could the same not be said for all who inhabit Ooo?" Athena kept her eyes level as she stared down the three. "Every life in this land, no, all life across this devastated planet, has been altered by the sickly war of humanity at its twilight. You, princess, came about as a result of a mutation, an accident of science. And what did you do with your life? You replicated that event. Your entire kingdom composed of sentient sugar created by your hands. Humans aren't the only beings unworthy to play glob, you fool.

We, who stand in positions of power, now use it to put an end to the infernal devastation brought about by every living being. Even we, as mortal elementals, will die one day, and when that time comes, we will stare across the endless ashen plains as new life begins to sprout. This world will be free of the wretched curse that hangs over it like a cloud, a ghost just beyond the physical realm."

Athena held up her hand, dissipating the dagger held in it to display her palm, upon which was inscribed a rune.

"Even the curse itself recognizes the need to bring all to an end. It has fought alongside us, however frailly, to bring about the change Zeus and his brethren dreamed of."

Bonnibel's eyes narrowed, a waterfall of clarity descending upon her.

"Ares. So that's what he is." Athena made no motion of confirmation, but it wasn't needed. PB felt the miasma pressing against her, trying its best to fill her with rage. She liked to think her age and experience kept the anger to a minimum, similar to what Tellus seemed to be going through. However…

"JUST SHUT UP, YOU DAMN TRAITOR!"

Weis charged ahead, his flames bursting from his skin and destabilizing his normally humanoid form. PB bit her lip as Tellus pointlessly called out for his subordinate to stay clear of their enemy. She assumed that the blow to the commander's head had broken his ability to focus, allowing the Infernal Miasma to seep in and enrage him further. He was like a desperate animal now, only able to see his target. Athena was unconcerned, as expected, or perhaps planned.

She effortlessly sidestepped the soldier, who was viciously swinging around his hands, trying to grab and tear his foe apart. With a few quick movements and swings of her fire daggers, the Olympian quickly targeted Weis' tendons, rapidly disabling his arms and legs. The commander growled as he hit the floor face-first, his eyes wild and useless limbs still twitching in bloodlust. Athena placed her foot on his back, pinning him as she glanced at her remaining opponents.

"Every element is a part of the battlefield, and no one is better at shaping it. That's why I was given my title; not because of my eyes." Bonnie grinded her teeth as she watched the woman study her and Tellus. The general looked determined to free his subordinate, who was still thrashing about on the ground. They needed to charge her together, at least make her step off the trapped commander. PB's suit suddenly activated its automatic defenses.

"Ngh!"

Bonnibel's blood froze as she slowly turned her attention to the fire elemental next to her. The candy princess's emergency shielding had protected her from a fire arrow that was aimed at her exposed backside, but the same couldn't be said for her companion. Tellus was wide-eyed and stiff as he placed a shaking hand over his chest, his head turning to try glimpsing his own back. Only Bonnie was able to fully see the projectile lodged into the general's body, pierced through deep enough to strike his elemental matrix.

"Tellus!" She dived for him as the elder's legs lost balance, managing to catch him in her arms before he hit the floor. Even with the sudden turn of events, PB spared a glance to the area behind them, spotting two legionnaires who'd managed to sneak through the rubble separating their battles, each holding an empty bow. As they created two additional arrows to fire once more, they were quickly dispatched by a pair of well-placed fireballs, blasting apart their chest cavities and freeing their host souls.

Tellus's shaky arm fell upon successfully removing the threat from the equation before suddenly coughing up blood. As PB settled the general on her lap and ran a diagnosis with her suit, Weis' bloodshot eyes looked on in astonishment from his positon beneath Athena's heel.

"Sir…" Indifferent to the sudden presence of despair, the Olympian above him simply glared at the three of them.

"In placing your attention solely on me, you failed to see the rest of the surroundings. You ignorantly assumed this was a three on one confrontation, and therefore have no one but yourselves to blame." The woman stomped on Weis, causing him to cry out in pain.

"Picking you apart is child's play."

Finn dug his fingers into the ground, groaning as he struggled to stand up, his entire body shaking like mad. His cloak, torn and scorched, caught against a nearby rock like a flag, flapping in the intense heat waves generated by the nearby conflict. The hero blinked again, cursing his diminished vision. Although his eye had healed, there was still blood clogging his lids, leaving a single blue orb to stare across at Ares, who was quickly approaching, grin as vile as ever. The Olympian was still without injury, his glowing body seemingly impervious to physical attack.

Strike after strike, Finn had attempted to find a weak point in his form, receiving little more than a new wound each time. He'd tried using each of the rings to gain an advantage, but it proved fruitless. Worse yet, the power granted by the seventh ring was waning, unable to keep providing the accelerated healing and strength for much longer. Finn had to end this soon. They'd been fighting close to an hour, with the deranged fire soldiers having finally beaten each other into the ground, discarded weapons and injured men littering the area.

Despite this, it wasn't as if Finn's attacks were random.

A contract. If that's really what Zeus did, then there has to be a seal somewhere on Ares. No, somewhere on his host…

He'd already dug into Ares' chest multiple times throughout the fight, sensing nothing but the concentrated force of the miasma. There was no doubt, the seal had to be elsewhere on the host's remains. Finn struggled in the midst of his focused fury and determination to come up with any other possibilities, knowing he was taking greater damage with each passing moment, straining his power reserves. He needed to save some to finish this fight.

As Ares' claw rose into the air in preparation for a slash at the flame human's head, the hero finally found his inspiration, eyes staring at the energized palm of his enemy.

A handshake.

He swung around his alloy blade to intercept the claw, sparks raining on his face as he groaned from the effort of the Olympian's sheer strength. Finn knew he had one shot. Even on the chance that his hunch was correct, he had a fifty-fifty chance of hitting the right target. As the two foes exchanged more bloody attacks, the young man debated in his mind on which to go for. Left or right? Which hand would Zeus have made the pact with? Ares slugged him in the gut in the midst of thought, causing Finn to cough out more blood.

Even as he slid back, the efreet persisted, cackling away as his claws slashed in every direction. Only a few of Finn's blocks succeeded, leaving gashes all over his arms. He ignored the pain, his teeth being ground to dust as he tried to concentrate. He recalled briefly on the symbolism of left and right, how ancient civilization had interpreted hand dominance to a person's true nature.

Left. Left was evil, the sign of a devil.

Either he died here in a bloody mess, or won; there was no other path open to him. Finn found his opening as Ares reared back to slash at him again, his left claw opening wide to impale his skull. The flame human bellowed a furious roar as he flung his alloy-bound left arm forward, catching Ares' hand in his own before ordering the cursed weapon to bind their limbs together like a knot, preventing the Olympian from escaping. If Ares was stunned by the strange maneuver, he didn't show it, not hesitating to send his other hand plunging into Finn's side.

The hero's scream was course due to his sore throat, but he pushed it aside as he channeled what was left of the seventh ring's power into his left hand, knowing he'd be left without healing for a significant time afterwards. He vaguely felt the heat from the claw impaled in his abdomen rise, signaling that Ares was planning something similar. This was it; their final clash. As Finn's left arm glowed with raging energy, he activated the sixth ring at last, unleashing the power he'd reserved up until now. There was no telling how strong the seal on Ares was. For all he knew, it wouldn't be enough. But there was no other choice. Give it all, or lose what was left.

Two blasts erupted from the pair of combatants, sending rubble and scorching air in all directions. Many unconscious fire soldiers were flung away from the point of detonation, their metal weapons clanging loudly against the volcanic earth and one another. The mess of war and conflict finally came to a rest as it hit the surrounding walls of the area, leaving little but scorch marks from the epicenter outwards. The air gradually quieted, allowing the warm hum of the Fire Kingdom to at last blanket the land once again. The malice, the hatred and rage, something had torn it loose.

Finn's shaky legs kept him propped up on one knee, his entire body void of nerve signals as he panted in violent, irregular intervals. His good eye refused to budge from where he believed Ares' left arm still was, obscured by smoke. Seconds ticked by as embers settled and ash vacated the point of detonation. The first sensation that returned to Finn's brain was an unbearable pulsing from his left side, where Ares had let off his own explosion. He didn't even want to guess how much of his body had been destroyed, how much blood he was losing, how much time he had left to live.

The alloy vine squirmed, retracting itself from the now visible tips of Ares' claws and snaking down its host's figure to tend to the damage below. The flame human felt pressure as the cursed weapon wrapped him tightly around his midsection, doing its best to keep him alive. He would've grinned at any other time. It just needed him to live, after all. He put the thought aside, observing as his opponent finally came into view from the smoke and dust.

Ares' body was still glowing, though he didn't move. The claws that were gripping against Finn's fingers had gone dark, as if burned to cinders. Experimentally, the hero tried pulling his hand free. He succeeded, as well as causing the claw to fall off and disintegrate into the wind. Finn fell back onto his elbow, stuttering a groan as more and more feeling returned to his body. Still, he didn't dare take his eyes away.

Ares' smile persisted, even as he finally moved, taking a glance at his disarmed limb. Finn watched as what was left of the cinder skeleton's wrist bones fell away, indicating that he'd successfully destroyed his target. Ares' glowing skin and flesh broke away into the air, revealing more and more of the poor soul that he'd been bound to in mortal form. Finn had never seen a fire elemental's skeleton before, although he doubted it was supposed to look so brittle and weak. Further and further the degradation climbed, reaching up to Ares' shoulder socket. The efreet placed his attention back on Finn, as if he didn't care in the slightest that his vessel was now ruined.

"One by one, you'll climb upon the bodies, until none are left. The rest will grow a new world with their ashes. Only then, will our presence die." He pointed a shaking claw from his still intact right hand at the young man.

"We can't reach you, but we'll always be watching.

Don't…

Disappoint…

Us…"

The last of the efreet's energy dissipated, his victim's remains only holding a second longer before crumbling into a pile of ash. Even as Ares' final words echoed in the wind, Finn felt the Infernal Miasma slipping away, no matter how desperately it tried to cling to the physical realm. Its anchor was destroyed. For now, it had to retreat.

The silence that followed was beautiful in Finn's mind. He watched the surrounding area lighten, the vicious aura the kingdom had been experiencing up until now finally giving way to the gentle and warm grasp of the fiery land's embers. The flame human's body gladly allowed the remaining fury to seep out like sweat, even giving the alloy vine reason to relax, having stopped Finn's bleeding. For the first time since he could recall, Finn smiled, not even bothering to tell for what exact reason. He was close to death, his allies were probably in danger, the civilians were in unknown condition, but he skimmed over it all in that moment, allowing himself to be selfish just for a spell.

Finn reconnected to the nerves in his arms, feeling the texture of the ground beneath him as he tried pushing off of it. He collapsed three times before successfully lifting his torso off the volcanic plain, even though dizzy enough to face-plant all over again. He felt the alloy vine tighten as he managed to pull his body to a vertical stance, slumped and shaking, dangerously dim, but alive. There was no time to wait for the fire soldiers to wake up and reestablish communication with the rest of the kingdom's forces. He had to get back to the FOB as soon as possible. Flame Princess and the others needed to know this threat was gone.

SLAM!

Finn just barely kept consciousness as a heavy object struck him, sending the powerless flame human flying into a nearby boulder. The impact itself cracked the massive rock, breaking several more bones in the hero's body. He didn't have the energy to cry out, but his open mouth indicated as much as he slumped to the gound, his muscle fibers screaming. A steady stomping drew his attention ahead of him, just gathering enough strength to lift his head up and address his assailant. His pupils shrank in terror upon doing so.

Silent, yet indomitable in the face of the weakened and battered hero, Apollo stood over him, the giant fire elemental's body cutting off a great deal of space, eliminating the possibility of escape. Not that Finn could hope to move beyond a limp in the first place. Despair suffocated the young man as the solemn expression on Apollo's face bore into him. He didn't want to do this. He didn't want to clean up what the berserker couldn't finish. This much the flame human could tell from the Olympian's eyes, but he was at the giant's mercy, his analysis meaningless.

He had nothing left from the rings; he'd used up everything. This would be the end, crushed into a stain on the hellish landscape by an unwilling brute. Hope was gone.

…

Cinnamon Bun gripped at Jake 2's fur, the beast only able to whine as his almost docile eyes watched Artemis raise her arrow to end them together. The candy knight cursed himself, tears spilling down at the thought that he'd failed everyone. His leader, his fellow protector, the entire land of Ooo, and even the world.

The only reason they'd been granted a few additional moments alive was for Artemis to curiously study her palm, which CB guessed was linked to the waning presence of that damned aura perverting the kingdom. But she was done now, eyes trained on her targets, arrow ignited with explosive fires.

…

PB's mind failed again and again to find a solution, watching Tellus bleeding out in her arms, her equipment useless in treating his injuries. Weis, still stuck beneath Athena's heel, felt hollow. The anger from him was gone, fading away as the Olympian above him narrowed her ayes at the disappearing seal on her hand. It was clear, Ares was no more, but that was fine. He'd served his purpose.

Now she could simply land the toppling blow, holding out her hand to blast a concentrated flame right through Weis' head, the command staring back at her in fear out of the corner of his eye. Bonnibel squeezed her eyes shut, prying to Glob, anyone, to stop this. She was useless, even with her technology. She couldn't bear to watch her allies killed because of her own infernal abilities.

And it was in that moment of complete despair… that Athena completely missed the rush of ice that cut across between her and Weis.

"Back off, lady!"

Bonnibel and Athena's eyes both trembled, disbelief and rage respectively, watching as a bearded figure flapped down to their level, sweating profusely but, to PB's amazement, completely focused. The jet of ice formed a sturdy stalagmite in the ground, avoiding Weis' trapped form, but struck directly into Athena's outstretched arm, freezing her elbow and the surrounding limb. The ice was cold, even to her, momentarily breaking the woman's otherwise calm demeanor as she desperately tried breaking out of the hold. Her flames attempted to burn it away, but the mass of frost suddenly crystalized further, causing her to scream out in pain as her limb was torn in half.

Athena jumped away, clutching at the half of her destroyed limb, even as it healed over to prevent further loss of blood. She locked eyes on her assailant, who landed between her and Bubblegum, trying his best to glare back in his state of discomfort.

"Ice King…" the candy monarch practically whispered. The klepto of princesses didn't turn to look at her, but did give her a thumbs up.

"We've got this, sweetie."

…

Artemis' arrow was bisected cleanly in two by a massive red blade, the two halves harmlessly driven off course to detonate away from the fallen Cinnamon Bun and JT. The archer's eyes widened in shock as she saw a mess of raven black hair pour around the large ax floating between her and her prey. Two boots met the volcanic ground as the entity grounded itself, finally raising its head to address the Olympian, a pair of deadly black eyes staring her down. A smirk, accented by an outreaching fang, followed soon after.

Marceline slung her ax bass over her shoulder, wild hair billowing intimidatingly in the heated wind as she stood confidently in opposition of the fire elemental.

"I hope you'll enjoy our encore performance."

…

Finn turned away as Apollo stepped closer and raised his enormous fist, eyes unsteady, as if apologizing to the flame human. He had gone against orders to kill this brave and determined young man before, yet there was no way out of it this time. He had to end this threat to his superior's plans. The rocky fist came crashing down, Finn squeezing his eyes shut to await the end, asking for forgiveness from everyone in the span of a few seconds.

He felt the impact…

But it wasn't against his body.

Daring to open his eyes again, Finn gaped in utter shock at the large inflated hand holding back Apollo's fist, tinted by the familiar cobalt glow of a flame shield spell.

"Only one that's beating this guy senseless is me! Right after I knock your lights out, punk."

Finn felt renewed tears fall down his scraped and bruised cheeks, watching a familiar face emerge from beyond the rocky outcropping.

"Jake."

The dog wasn't smiling, or even looking at the critically wounded hero, but addressed him nonetheless.

"Cavalry's here, bro."

At some point during intermission, this story finally broke 100,000 views! A great thanks to all of you for being so supportive! Not much else to say, we're moving into the final phase here; the story will in fact have 50 chapters on the dot.

DistantPhoenix: Indeed, he is that one whose health bar just doesn't drop no matter what you do. Moreover as a symbol of hatred that Finn, as well as everyone else, had to overcome.

Gamelover41592: I appreciate the praise!

Bio team2: Haha, I suppose that's one interpretation. Fanaticism is commonly linked to cults.

laz2727: Almost missed the sarcasm, but thanks anyway.

FieryCrusader: As always, you're extensive reviews are a joy to read, not to mention how you compare similar elements from other media. And I'm confident I adhered quite nicely to the battle plan you implied.

The Book of Eli: Whoa... you have no idea how ahead of the game you are!

Major144: Ares' archetype is quite rich, so I'm glad I'm delivering his character well. He's meant to have a lasting impact, eve after his exit.

Upstart Psycho: Unfortunately not. There will be loss and suffering, as much as it might pain me. Thanks in any case!

Neo Deadmau5: Oh yes, very real.

10burgers: Wow, I can't begin to state my awe that this is re-readable to such extent, and that's coming from someone who has done the same for several fics. Thanks so much!

Star: Haha, yeah! Let's throw in some memes!

Guest: Seriously, you've got music for it? That's awesome! I always have some running through my head while writing.

Hope you enjoyed and thanks for any comments/reviews!

next: Chapter 38: Clustering Wisps