Chapter Thirteen: Torch finds out the Truth/Kokiri's Power Revealed

Torch was hidden off from the screens out of sight from his brothers so he could listen in on his master and the brother's conversation. He didn't expect to be praised for roasting that farmer woman alive and accidentally cooking the brain matter, but finding out the female puppet was formerly the wife of Andre Toulon, virtually his mother, shocked him.

When he watched her burn he didn't feel anything about it, but then as the brother pointed out he was only two hours old when he made his first kill. How was he to know that Mrs. Toulon was also the puppet Leech Woman brought back to life? Now he felt bad about not doing anything to save her.

And when Six Shooter was brought up he felt it answered why the cowboy was so arrogant and full of himself. So he was the Sorcerer who taught Toulon about the formula. He was the reason why he and his brothers kept losing their former masters to Sutekh's totems and being abandoned in the middle of nowhere locked inside Toulon's trunk.

His eyes slowly lit up and he let out a low mechanical growl.

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Jester turned away from the blacked out screens when he heard a low menacing growl coming from the side of the computers. He quietly approached the sound and found, "Torch?"

Torch flashed his eyes in surprise at the little puppet and quickly stood up, alerting the others of his presence.

"Torch, how long have you been there?" Blade asked.

"Longer than you guys." Torch growled.

"Now what's got you in a mood?" Six sighed, crossing his arms.

"Shut up you! This whole entire thing is your fault! You shouldn't have taught Dad the secret! You're the reason why my Mom's dead!" Torch screamed and ran off and jumped out of the hat.

0~0~0

Chug was about to reach into his hat and bring out the puppets when Torch suddenly hopped out and ran off in a random direction.

"Torch!" he called out. "Here, you take care of them." he said, handing his hat over to his brother and went after Torch.

Kokiri raised an eyebrow and waited til Chug was out of sight before reaching inside the black fedora and bringing out the five puppets within. The first one he grabbed was Jester, followed by Tunneler, then Pinhead, then Blade. But he had to feel around for Six Shooter. When he finally brought them out he set him down next to the others.

"So, any idea on why your baby brother is upset?" he asked, removing his glasses and staring Six down with a fierce glare, showing off his green, glowing cat-like eyes.

"Torch is always in a sulky mood." Six answered, crossing his arms in a challenge and stared back.

But Kokiri had better experience and his eyes changed in tone, becoming lighter until they were yellow and his eyes glowed brighter with each tone, never blinking.

Blade, Jester, Pinhead and Tunneler could feel Kokiri's irritation growing into a powerful fury and backed away.

"And as the first born brother, you should learn how to care for the younger ones." Kokiri clipped.

"They're fully grown men, they don't need a babysitter." Six retaliated.

"Oh, so that's your game, is it? How very . . ." Kokiri said softly, a wicked smiled growing onto his face before his entire being burst into flames and he was transformed into a brimstone wolf with magma flowing through cracks and he pinned Six down with a clawed paw. "human of you." he growled in a demonic voice.

Six started to struggle as he could feel one of his guns melting.

"But you're not there yet. Not enough . . . greed." Kokiri continued. "And you had better hope that you don't become one because I eat humans."

"Well it's a good thing that I'm a wooden puppet." Six chuckled and felt another gun melting and slowly burn through his shirt.

"Oh, but wood has so much fiber that's good for the body. In my current case, you're mere firewood." Kokiri chuckled darkly. "But that's not what really scares you is it?" he asked, adding pressure on Six as he leaned closer. "I know a human's greatest fear and yours is quite common." He leaned down to Six's ear and whispered with enunciation, "I can reverse immortality." (I killed Mufasa.)

Six Shooter felt himself stiffen and began to panic. He may have a wooden body now but he was still a Sorcerer, a magical being. And as a magical being he was able to sense other magical creatures and when he stared into Kokiri's eyes, eyes that had changed from cat yellow to bright blood red and the whites now pitch black, he felt the amount of power he had and it scared him. Kokiri was powerful, more powerful than he was, thousands times more powerful. Hell, he was more powerful than Sutekh!

"How can I prevent this?" he asked in a whisper so quiet he knew the others wouldn't hear him.

"That you will have to discover on your own." Kokiri answered and released him and solidified the magma body into solid rock which turned to clear ice and then water and then the water reshaped itself to his person form, sitting cross-legged in front of Six Shooter.

He replaced his glasses and looked at Six. "So, any idea on why your baby brother is upset?" he asked with a polite smile.

0~0~0

Chug had chased Torch all the way to the far end of the observation deck and managed to corner him.

"Torch! Torch, stop! I'm . . . I'm outta breath!" he panted. "What's . . . . Gi-Give me a minute!" he wheezed and bent over to catch his breath.

Breath caught, he picked Torch up and carried him off to a hidden room.

"Ok, they can't see or hear you. Now, (whew!) What's the matter?" he asked.

"I didn't know she was my mother! All I did was watch while she screamed and burned!" Torch choked. "And the others didn't like me after I burned the kid! I didn't mean to! I didn't know she was my mother! I was just a newborn, I didn't know and they blamed me for it! It wasn't my fault! I didn't know! I didn't. . .! I didn't! All I did was watch!" and Torch broke down after that.

"No, . . . No, Torch, how could you know? Toulon didn't have his heart when he was resurrected." Chug said, gathering Torch in a hug who hugged him back and sobbed his mechanical heart out. "Shh, it's ok. Just let it out. They can't see or hear you, just let it out." Chug cooed, gently rocking Torch back and forth like a child while Torch released his emotions.

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