Chapter Forty-Eight: Getting Ready For Battle

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Six Shooter had woken in the middle of the night due to a nightmare, sitting up in a jolt. The memory search from the brother was what the nightmare was about. He tried to remember the images but the faded quickly back into the dark abyss of his mind. He wished his grandfather had pushed him into learning Mind Magic like his father before him. Grandpa had gone on and on about how his father had gone through harsh times and how his mind magic had saved him on countless occasions and that it would be beneficial for the family to learn. Now he was regretting not learning the skill.

He rolled around in his bed trying to go back to sleep, but after twenty minutes, 'Ah, forget it. I'll just get up and pace around.' he thought and got up. He made his bed because, really, there was nothing to do in his cell.

He felt the urge to go after Torch again but resisted it. It was because of Torch that he was placed in the cell in the first place. He shook his head and tried to find another reason than to blame this on Torch. Though technically it was true, but was it really Torch's fault? All he wanted was an emotionless general who wouldn't question his motives for waging war against Sutekh.

'But why?!' Six shooter battled himself over this question all night, finally falling back asleep on his bed an hour after the sun rose.

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Kokiri sat next to his brother who had Torch cuddled up in his arms, reading a book and waiting for him to wake up. He couldn't wipe the smile off his face when he thought about how he would react to who was really behind Six's motives for Torch's emotionless state. Even when he thought of Blade's talk about his incident, the smile wouldn't leave. Though it did falter a little.

He put his book down and shifted as Chug started to stir.

Chug blinked his eyes open and looked down at Torch who held tight to his Teddy-Master as he dubbed it and smiled a little. The blankets behind him felt a little tight and he turned around to see his brother smiling down at him. It was smile that said he had some news to share.

"What is it?" he asked, turning over, stirring Torch a little.

"Six is indeed being pulled. Come here." Kokiri said, helping Chug sit up and whispered the name in Chug's ear who's eyes went wide and he turned to look at his brother.

"No!" he breathed.

"Yeah." Kokiri grinned.

"No way!"

"Yeah, way!"

"Nuh-uh!"

"Yeah!"

"No!"

"Absolutely."

"Holy cow! Seriously?!" Chug hissed.

"Seriously." Kokiri chuckled.

"Same ambition for the reason?" Chug asked.

"Yep," Kokiri answered.

"U-u-u-ugh! Girls." Chug flopped back down, waking Torch.

"Master?" Torch asked sleepily.

"Shh, go back to sleep." Chug said, gently patting him.

Torch snuggled further under the covers, clutching his Teddy-Master tighter and fell back asleep.

"One side so I can get out of bed." Chug hissed at his brother who obliged and Chug slid out of bed, fixed his blankets, tucking Torch in and kissing him on the head.

"Ok, let's go talk in a different room." Chug whispered and ushered Kokiri out of his room.

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Pinhead was doing a review of his scan readings when he noticed a build up of energy gathering in the smoke room. The numbers on the screen was moving so fast that as soon as it reached six digits it set off the alarm.

The whole room was shrouded in red and the sirens that went off were different from Six's. He looked around, noticing all the large spiders and the scorpions in the room were scurrying out of the room and out into the hallway. He pressed a few buttons, bringing up the security cameras on the screen and watched as all the arachnids separated into groups and disappeared down vents, cracks in walls and climbed up the walls and march on the ceiling.

Blade and Jester jumped up on the desk, covering their ears.

"What's going on?!" Blade shouted over the alarm.

Pinhead pointed at the smoke room on the screen. Blade noticed it and ran off to get the kid. Jester looked at the screen that showed the locations of all the arachnids in the hotel. He gulped at the number of spiders and scorpions that were the mega-huge-enormous ones.

"Do you think the army's come through?!" Jester shouted.

Pinhead shrugged his shoulders and continued to run the scans in the smoke room.

Jester clicked on a button that had a camera label in the smoke room on the screen and the view came in showing them that the little pyramid was broken completely and that the totems were practically spurting out of it like a geyser, or the scarabs on 'The Mummy', and were running rampant. They were coming in droves and soon the room was swarmed and flooded with the totems.

"I think it's time for the proper battle," Jester said and took off to find the kid.

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Six Shooter fell out of his bed when the alarm rang and looked around to see what was happening. He didn't bother asking because he knew he wouldn't be heard. Instead he looked over to where Pinhead usually was when he studied for his computer class and noticed an increase of an energy build-up in the smoke room and that the arachnid security were all stationed around the hotel in strategic places for an optimum capture and contain job. Some where set to go in for the kill.

He looked at the symbol for the totems and saw that it's numbers were increasing at a rate that he found himself gawking at it. He banged on his cell walls with all six arms, wanting to go into the battle.

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Chug and Kokiri looked up when the room they were in was doused in a red light a second before the siren went off. Chug immediately went back to his room to check on Torch.

Kokiri set up all the 'Washu'-screens and a floating white chair materialized and he sat down and started typing away. He inserted an earpiece in his left ear and checked on the smoke room. "Kid, the totems have already taken over the smoke room and are spreading. This looks to be it." he said and typed away.

Chug had inserted an earpiece in his left ear as once he left for his room, catching his brother's message. "I have to make sure Torch is safe first. Six Shooter is going to be free for this battle and I don't want him anywhere near my bairn. Send Jester and Blade with him out to the west wing on the megs. Tunneler is with the medical team and Pinhead's keeping an eye on the emergency screens." he said and entered his room finding Blade and Jester waiting on the bed. Torch was awake as well, clutching his teddy.

"Battle stations guys, this could be the big battle we've been waiting for. Blade, Jester, you two go with Six on the megs to the west wing and defend its borders to this side of the pecos." he said, gathering Torch in his arms.

Blade and Jester nodded and left to get Six Shooter.

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Six Shooter was surprised to see Blade and Jester with a key and opened his cell.

"The kid wants you should come with us!" Jester shouted over the siren and dragged him away to a different room.

Pinhead waved them off as they passed by, giving them a thumbs up for good luck.

The room that held the megalogratus rides muffled the siren enough for Blade to talk to Six. "You'll be riding with me so Jester doesn't slice you open on accident." he said.

"And because you don't know how to ride one of these." Jester said and started his meg's engine. "But the kid did make you a few things." he added and flew ahead.

"You're letting him go out first?" Six asked, surprised that Blade would allow Jester to go first in any battle. "He's the lightest one out of all of us."

"Yeah, but those martial arts classes turned him into an animal with his arsenal." Blade said, walking over to a cabinet and opened it to reveal Six's gifts. "Take your choice but make it quick before I panic and realize I sent Jester first." Blade said and sat down on his meg.

Six Shooter looked at the gifts that were bestowed on him: six handguns, revolvers, a few laser-looking guns, and some rifles. He wanted to take all of them but his holsters were ruined. But then, he spotted some new holsters and quickly replaced the ruined ones. Then he hastily grabbed the six handguns and put them in the holsters and strapped them on.

His left-second elbow hit the side of the cabinet, revealing more firearms. He gasped when he saw an old Winchester rifle and a box of ammunition. He grabbed those and a silver automatic and a spare magazine and climbed up behind Blade.

"Ready." he said.

Blade started his engine and rode off to catch up with Jester. Once he arrived, Jester threw something at Six who caught it and chuckled. Putting his hat back on, he grabbed his new handguns and twirled them. "Now I'm ready." he said, his bandana raising itself to cover his face.

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