Chapter 9: Scath

I'm sorry this update took so long... and it's only going to get worse. I'm moving for the... 18th time in my 15 years of life so it's going to take longer than usual for me to update all of my stories...

"Good morning Leon," Zero said sitting at the table at Ein's house greeting the grim angel.

"Good morning Zero," Leon yawned.

"Some night huh?" Serene asked sipping from her tea

"How are Lilly and Kino?" Ein asked.

"Their doing alright. Lilly's still stunned that Kino would do something like that but Kino has recovered quickly," Zero explained.

"I always knew that Kino was trouble," Ledah commented.

"He isn't unlike someone in this room," Zero said looking at Leon.

"What? What did I do this time!?!" Leon shouted.
"That never gets old," Zero laughed.

"Ha ha very funny," Leon pouted.

"Hey guys," Lilly smiled entering the crowded living room.

"Hey Lilly how are you," Fia answered.

"Alright thanks Fia," Lilly smiled.

"Wake up Leon," Zero said from his position on the couch.

"Huh?" Leon retorted waking up, "Oh it was just a dream…"

"Sorry to disappoint Leon," Zero answered.

"Well what's the deal?" Leon asked.

"Something bad, sensors have picked up a familiar foe heading are way," Zero answered.

"Who," Leon asked

"Scath," Zero answered.

"That idiot!" Leon pouted, "You up for this one I mean your eye just healed…"

"yea… Let's go he's in the Grove of response… uh oh," Zero murmured examining the scanner closely.

"What?" Leon asked.

"So are Serene, Lilly, Fia, and Kino," Zero listed,

"Then let's move!" Leon shouted running out the door. The two warriors made it to the grove of response in minutes. They arrived to see Kino, sword in hand, locked in combat with Scath.

"Kino your darkness is still there, just let go of it all," Scath taunted.

"NO!" Kino shouted.

"Backup's here!" Leon shouted slashing at Scath but being blocked.

"Well hello Leon how nice to see you!" Scath laughed jumping back.

"Run! Take them and run!" Kino shouted grabbing his side in pain.

"No! We can deal with this fool!" Leon shouted readying to fight.

"NO! Not from him! From ME!" Kino shouted his eyes flickering from black to red.

"Huh?!?" Leon shouted.

"His darkness is back! Leon! Get away from him!" Zero shouted. Much like the earlier attack on Zero Leon didn't have time to react, thankfully Zero was there to knock him out of the way and get slashed across the chest.

"Zero!" Lilly shouted. Kino looked over at Lilly tears streaming down his face almost reluctantly charged her giving her several slashes. But before he could deliver the final blow Zero grabbed his sword with his left hand and crushed it.

"I told you once before, touch her and die," Zero said slipping his eye patch off. Kino jumped back readying for combat with Zero.

"Z… Zero…." Lilly mumbled.

"Lilly, I can't get you out of here without him chasing us," Zero said kneeling next to her.

"We'll get her of here!" Leon shouted, picking up the injured Lilly.

"Thanks," Zero said before being run through with Kino's blade. Zero cocked his head to the side looking at his attacker. "Remember these moments, they'll be your last!" Zero shouted.

"I doubt that!" what used to be Kino shouted.

"I need a name before I slaughter you!" Zero commented angrily.

"Well… just call me Darkside," The evil entity laughed.

"Nice to meet you, and goodbye," Zero commented freeing himself from the Darkside.

"Hate to disappoint but Gah" Darkside shouted before being skewered by the Excalibur. Zero didn't speak he acted, acted by ripping half of Darkside's ribs out of his chest. Zero dashed behind him and took a wide swipe down his spine then grabbed Darkside's left arm and proceeded to rip it from his body. Zero delivered a kick to the back sending him into a tree causing Darkside to bounce off into Zero's waiting blade.

"Disappoint? What are you talking about?" Zero laughed.

"Gah… Ca.. Can't…. Breath…" Darkside mumbled.

"Of course you can't your lung is over there," Zero said ripping the sword out of his back.

"Excellent you have no idea how much that helps," Scath laughed.

"And now for you," Zero shouted pointing his blade at Scath.

"Oh sorry I don't mean you I mean Oblivion," Scath laughed.

"Huh?" Zero muttered.

"That was him right I mean such brutality couldn't come from you Zero," Scath laughed.

"You don't know what brutality I can give," Zero shouted.

"No that's all Oblivion don't know? Anger is your darkness seeping into your personality!" Scath laughed, "But now for the inferno!" Scath summoned a large fireball and slammed it onto Zero. "That should give Oblivion a little more strength…" Scath sighed walking away from the blaze. Scath continued on his path strait for Leon and the others which he arrived at very quickly.

"Scath! You just don't give up!" Leon shouted, "Serene can you or Fia take her." Serene nodded and took Lilly from his arms.

"You ready yet?" Scath asked.

"As ever!" Leon shouted rushing Scath but being blocked.

"Oh come on!" Scath shouted disarming Leon with a quick movement of his scythe.

"Hey!" Leon shouted grabbing Scath's weapon and taking it.

"Oh please! Only I…" Scath stopped seeing Leon had activated one of the scythe's points. "What the!?!"

"Let's go!" Leon shouted attacking but being avoided. Scath again disarmed Leon by taking his weapon back.

"That's impossible only I can use this unless…" Scath wondered. With Scath distracted Leon crept off to grab his blade.

"Leon! Back up is here!" Ein shouted, he was accompanied by Ledah, Kazé, Kain, and Serene.

"No he can't be I ended him," Scath continued to mutter incoherently.

"What are you babbling about?" Leon asked.

"But if he can then he must be…" Scath continued.

"What's with him," Ledah asked.

"I have no idea…" Leon answered.

"Well this certainly is a surprise. To see you alive after all these years," Scath shouted regaining composure.

"What the hell are you talking about!" Leon shouted, "A year? I saw you yesterday!"

"I didn't realize you were still alive dear brother," Scath smiled.

"WHAT!?!" Everyone shouted.

"Brother? What are you talking about?" Leon shouted.

"Isn't your father's name Alex?" Scath asked.

"… Yes why?" Leon answered.

"That was my father's name! Let me tell you something. Something about a name I threw away years ago! My real name is Jack!" Scath shouted.

"B-Brother!" Leon shouted.

"Yes!" Scath laughed.

"But how? I thought…" Leon started.

"That I died during the attack? No I didn't die, because I WAS the attacker!" Scath shouted angrily.

"It was you! It's all your fault! I'll kill you!" Leon shouted equally as angrily.

"There's that hatred! That anger! The inner darkness is bleeding Blah" Scath was interrupted by Leon's blade piercing him. "Oh please it will take more than that to kill me!" Scath taunted.

"Don't worry! I haven't even started!" Leon shouted. The clangs and slashes could be heard though the area the group continued to watch the fight as Leon continued to be injured by an enraged Scath.

"I'm ending what I should have ended long ago," Scath shouted readying to deliver the final blow.

"Jack please st…" Leon said before he crumpled to the ground.

"No, sorry brother," Scath smiled.

"Stop!" Serene shouted taking a swipe at Scath but missing.

"Who's going to make me?" Scath asked.

"Me!" Zero shouted.

"Well look here Zero come on I should be able to kill my own brother," Scath laughed.

"No your father didn't give you the right!" Zero shouted.

"Don't you bring him into this!" Scath shouted angrily.

"I won't kill you," Zero said.

"Because you can't!" Scath snapped.

"No because Leon wants to end you with his own hands!" Zero shouted.

"I've had enough of this!" Scath shouted disappearing.

"He's running from his past…" Zero muttered sheathing his Darkside.

"Z… Zero…" Leon coughed.

"Yea?" Zero said giving Leon an elixir

"Is he… Still… here?" Leon asked

"No… Let's get you out of here," Zero said picking up Leon. The group made it to the base without being attacked. Leon was placed in the medical wing with Lilly who hadn't woken up from her encounter with Darkside. "How's she doing Fia?" Zero asked after dropping Leon off at one of the beds.

"She's stable but still unconscious," Fia pointed out.

"… Thanks Fia, I'll take it from here," Zero said dismissing Fia who promptly left. "Lilly… I'm sorry…" Zero mumbled to her.

"… huh? Zero…?" Lilly whispered stirring from her sleep.

"Lilly!" Zero said surprised.

"What happened?" Lilly asked.

"Kino isn't with us anymore…" Zero muttered.

"I… Remember he attacked me," Lilly murmured.

"That… Was Darkside who is also not with us," Zero replied.

"Oh…" Lilly sighed

"Also… It appears that our friend Scath is actually Leon's brother Jack," Zero explained.

"What?!?" Lilly shouted.

"That's what we said… But Scath ripped Leon up pretty bad so he's here," Zero continued.

"Are you ok Zero?" Lilly asked.

"Yea I guess," Zero said sitting in the chair next to Lilly's bed.

"Zero…" Lilly murmured.

"Lilly I'm sorry…" Zero apologized

"For what?" Lilly asked.

"For not stopping him," Zero answered.

"You always need to worry about everything," Lilly smiled, "I'm still alive right?"

"Yea…" Zero muttered.

"You're so silly," Lilly smiled. Zero just smiled.

"Hey Zero! Leon's waking up!" Kazé shouted.

"Alright!" Zero shouted standing, "I'll be right back." Lilly nodded and Zero dashed off to see Leon.

"Hey Zero," Leon muttered greeting Zero.

"How are you holding up?" Zero asked.

"Well I was just almost killed by my long lost brother who it turns out killed my father and is one of my greatest foes so not really," Leon sighed.

"Stupid question," Zero laughed.

"Sorry," Leon coughed.

"Its alright," Zero smiled.

"Ok you're smiling now you're scaring me," Leon laughed.

"That isn't very nice at all," Kazé laughed.

"Sorry," Leon coughed again.

"Just think about healing," Zero commented with a hint of anger in his voice.

"Thanks Zero… For everything," Leon smiled. Zero gave his usual two finger wave as he walked away from the grim angel.

DUN DUN DUN! Scath is Leon's brother!?! this Little plot twist is going to be so fun! Anyway poor Kino. I don't know how this will affect Lilly and Zero's relationship...

I have a few ideas for chapter 10 but I don't know which one I'm going to use... so no preview...