As if the roots had a mind of their own they surged up through the earth, cracking open the tiles on the floor and seizing Falcon by the ankles off his boots. Before the Englishman could do something to stop them they pulled up down into the earth, leaving him trapped there up to his waist; arms scrapping against the floor trying to keep himself from sliding down further.
The hideous flower loomed up, opened its petals and mouth wide; a large black tongue snaking out.
"You on your own fly-boy!" Puss cried out, the two Octopus twins making a run for it. Julia ignored them, desperately hanging onto Falcon's arm trying to pull him back up.
Gourmand seized his knife from the floor and slashed as the plant trying to snap at them with its serrated teeth.
"Get back! GET BACK!" He cried, slicing its green stem down the front with the tip of his knife. It hissed angrily as what appeared to be black blood surged through the wound. Wine like tentacles lashed as the Italian, trying to bind his arms together or at the very least slap the knife out of his hand.
Falcon could feel himself sinking, the grip the roots had to his feet tightening as they tried to pull him deep into the earth through the tiles. With a twist of his ankle he managed to get his right foot out of his boot, the root surged down with it into the earth.
"Hold on Edward!" Julia told him, pulling him slowly back up despite the vice like grip the roots still had on his other leg.
"YOUNG MASTER!" Apollus cried out, Gunrock and the old butler racing onto the scene with the six of the Mexican's kids right behind them.
"By Diablo's horns!" Gunrock gasped, sighting the massive carnivorous plant that Gourmand was trying desperately to fend off.
Dozens of vines clinging to the glass ceiling above seemed to come to life in that instant, flying down from above trying to seize Gunrock's large arms. Whatever strength they tried to seize him with proved too little as with one swing of his arm he reached up, grabbed the vines and yanked them down tearing them off the ceiling. A larger bulbous plant came down with them. A hideous thing with a snapping mouth with dozens of rows of teeth.
Gunrock crushed it under his foot.
Falcon got his other foot out from his boot and with Apollus and Julia pulling him up, he scrambling back up onto the tiles with some large roots snaking after him.
"Oh no you don't!" Gourmand snarled as a vine lashed itself around his knife hand wrist, trying to pull him toward the massive waiting mouth. He sank his teeth into it, forcing the vine to let go as the cook toppled backs.
"Let's get out of here!" Falcon called up, pulling Gourmand back away from the lashing vines trying to ensnare him. Three more plants with mouths full of teeth rose up out of the arrange undergrowth around them, vines, creepers and roots moving towards them like snakes. "This way, come on!" Falcon lead them towards the entrance to the glass corridor the Octopus twins had escaped down. With Gunrock securing their rear they fled, with the entire plant life of Kew Gardens trying to catch them.
"They're still after us!" Julia called up, seeing a seething mass of plant life surge across the floor after them.
"I'll slow them down!" Gunrock announced, removing his Power Stone from a concealed pocket within his poncho. "Power Fusion!" the tiles around his feet broke open and the earth underneath came to his aid, wrapping itself around him like an armour until it solidified as rock. While the others made a run for it Gunrock stood like a barrier, not flinching even as the plants were upon him.
"Rock and Roll!" He cried out, spreading his massive arms into the air. There was as sudden surge of power and his size increased, expanding out until he slammed against the top of the glass ceiling. Then he curved into a ball and started rolling, crushing the plants until his weight.
"What the hell is going on?" Falcon demanded as they darted down the glass corridors.
Gourmand suddenly swore in Italian and waved his butchers knife in the direction of the glass walls. Vines and creepers were racing down the outside, sliding like snakes over the windows and smothering them. Any doors were covered from the outside and bound fast. Within minutes any way out was sealed off, the sunlight disappearing bit by bit until the entire green house was bathed in an eerie emerald light.
The temperature began to increase, the air suddenly growing humid and a pale red glow seeping up through the floor.
"Gun Gun ROCK!" Falcon glanced back to see Gunrock stepped backwards out of the connecting corridor, hurling a giant collection of rock and dirt after the slathering vines that cracked like whips after him. The sheer weight of his attack crushed them back, burying the corridor and blocking it off completely. "There are too many of them." He called up, readying another boulder as the earth around the rubble began to shift as the plants started to tunnel their way through.
"Wha…what the hell are they?" Julia demanded.
"Plants." Falcon replied starting the obvious. "Ordinary plants."
"Does any of this look ordinary to you?" Gourmand asked, gesturing around him with his knife. Falcon pushed his face into a frown.
"Nothing is ordinary when it's exposed to a Power Stone." He added. "Someone tried using the Wood Stone, someone without a clue as to how to control its power."
"I'm getting us out of here." Gunrock announced, heaving a large fist up into the air.
"Wait!" Falcon called out but the Mexicans rock like fist was already coming down on the glass.
The surface broke and as soon as it did, the vines and creepers covering the outside leapt into action; wrapping themselves around Gunrock's arm. Even his great strength wasn't enough to pull himself free as they snaked up his arm to his shoulder. He dug his feet into the ground and desperately tried to yank himself away.
Falcon ran forward, trying to grab his free arm but before he could the vines constructing and yanked Gunrock down into their midst.
Falcon grabbed a great rocky finger but his strength wasn't enough. He was forced to watch as Gunrock's hand yank further and further into the wall of vines. At the last second he lost his rock like skin, his Power Stone falling away from the tops of his fingers to land at Apollus' feet.
"Daddy!" One of his children cried out.
Then Gunrock vanished completely. Falcon tried to dig through the vines to reach him but as soon as he tried, they attempted to swallow him up as well.
"Alright I've had just about enough of this!" He hissed, tearing out his Power Stone from his pocket. Before he could attempt to use it, the vines reached up and then snapped forward; lancing forward him like a sword blade.
Julia pushed him out of the way, dragging the Englishman down as the vine snapped overhead; impaling itself through the glass wall on the far side of the corridor.
"We can't leave him!" Falcon protested as she pulled him into a run with Apollus, Gourmand the six kids in tow.
"There's nothing we can do for him, come on!" She shouted past. In the corridor ahead, the glass broke open and two large plant like creatures slumped down; large flower like mouths opening to revealing wet slathering tongues.
"This way!" Apollus called out, running towards a side door in the corridor, leading to a stone building adjacent to the green house.
The door had a sign nailed to it that said 'staff only'. The butler tried to turn the knob but the door was bared from the other side. Gourmand backed up, before charging at the obstacle. His shoulder slammed into the surface, forcing the door open. Apollus herded the distort children inside with Falcon and Julia right behind him.
Falcon slammed the door shut on the plants, pinning the door shut after him.
The creatures battered against it from the outside, trying to force it open; their tentacles moving to try and push their way underneath the door.
Gourmand picked up the chair that had been keeping the door shut and jammed it under the knob. Falcon backed off, watching the door shudder as the plants attempted again and again to get inside without success.
"We must be in the waterworks." Apollus stated, glancing around at the many pipes and metal tanks that lined the outer walls; feeding up through holes in either the ceiling or the floor. There were several large metal wheels nearby, each one marked with tags for a certain time of day. It was here the water flow for the gardens was controlled, scripted through pipes to the plants in the garden. It saved time as the gardeners did not have to water each individual plant themselves.
Suddenly, a loud scream came from the floor above them followed almost instantly by the sounds of scuffling.
Falcon was the first to act, darting for a set of run down stairs that led up from the floor with the others close behind them. The room in the floor above was a tanker room where the water was pumped to be cooled before being disturbed through the garden.
Roots and vines riddled the ceiling, leading to the mortar cracking.
Directly in the centre was another of the creatures, its hideous body attached to the ceiling; a massive mouth dripping saliva wide open and a long tongue descending out; its tip wrapped around the ankles of the struggling pirate Octo.
Puss was trying to save his large brother from being consumed, hopelessly attempting to pull him down as he rose high and higher towards the waiting mouth.
"I don't want to be fertilizer!" Octo screamed lashing out for something else to hold onto.
Gourmand reared his arm back, tensed his muscles before throwing it forward; letting his butchers knife spin through the air. It struck on target, cleaving the tongue around Octo's ankles letting the pirate drop to the ground.
The plant hissed like a snake and turned to face them. But Falcon's hand was already around his stone, calling forth its power. His clothes glowing brightly before moulding themselves into the shape of red metallic armour that covered his whole body.
"Power Missile!" He declared, holding up both hands and balling each fist. They flew off his wrists like rockets, slamming forward into the plants open mouth.
A moment later they tore out the back of the creature in a spray of green chlorophyll. The thing gagged as if its breath had been taken away, trembled violently and then dropped from the ceiling and almost seemed to disintegrate on contact with the floor.
"Normal plants he says." Gourmand muttered sarcastically as Falcon turned to face the pirates with an anger glint in his eyes.
Puss helped his brother back up to his feet as the Englishman approached.
"Enough is enough." Falcon said flatly, grabbing Octo by the scruff of his jacket and lifted him up. "I want to know just what the hell is going on!"
"Hey, get your hands off my…" The large Puss started but Falcon grabbed his advancing fist with his free hand stopping him dead in his tracks. In his Fusion form Falcon's strength greatly exceeded the pirates and he was able to toss him back without any trouble at all.
"One of you had better start talking." The Englishman said coldly. With a aloud metallic click and all the trapdoors on his body that hid the missiles he could fire when using the Power Explosion attack opened up. They hissed steam out into the air and Falcon made his eyes glow bright golden yellow. "Now."
"Alright, alright we'll talk, we'll talk!" Puss told him, looking extremely anxious. The steam disappeared, Falcon's eyes returned to normal and the doors over his body shut with a clank.
"That's better." The Englishman stated, dropping the pirate back to the ground.
"Now let's start with just what are you two cabin-boys doing here?" Gourmand asked, wrenching his knife out of the remains of the dead creature.
"Kraken sent us." Octo admitted. "He discovered the Power Stone of Wood was at Kew Gardens, but he couldn't come here personally to look for it. He sent us to pick it up."
"And just how did he know it was here?" Falcon demanded.
"Look buddy, the boss keeps his methods a secret; even from me and I'm first mate." Puss replied but stopped at the expression on Falcon's face. "Seriously. I mean it."
"Besides, when Kraken asks you to do something you don't ask him about it; you just do it." Octo added.
"Alright fine." Falcon said cutting him off. "Now how about explaining what are those… those shrubs from hell are out there?"
"How the hell should we know?" Puss asked. "They just… appeared…"
"Appeared?" Octo asked looking at his brother who was making gestures at him to be quiet. "I saw them grow out of the ground when you spilt that vial."
"Idiot." Puss muttered rolling his eyes.
"What vial is this?" Falcon asked, tightening his grip on the smaller man.
"Alright… it was one of the bosses potions. Necromancy stuff… something for backup in case we got into any trouble."
"And just what was this potion supposed to do?"
"Kraken said it raised up dead bodies, nothing about man eating plants; I swear!"
"You think it had something to do with when you spilled it on the Power Stone?" Octo asked.
"You're not helping." Puss told his brotherly sourly with a harsh glare.
"You spill…." Falcon started looking a little perplexed. Then he let go of Puss and let him drop to the floor. "Well that explains it." He dismissed his fusion form, the red armour vanishing as he dropped down from the larger height.
"Explains what?" Julia asked.
"They spilt one magical thing onto another. It didn't have to be something as potent as a power stone for there to be a reaction." Edward sighed.
"I found a daffodil with a severed head in its roots." Apollus exclaimed. "These things are killers."
"No.. .they only seize the prey." Octo told him. "We saw them cocoon several gardeners."
"Like a spider coming back for a later meal." Gourmand muttered.
"Then Gunrock might still be alive." Falcon added looking hopeful. "Alright… tell me what happened… exactly."
"What the heck's in it for us if we do?" Puss asked crossing his arms and glancing away.
"Your ungrateful backside for one thing." Falcon replied with a stern glare. "You help us fix this mess and I might be persuaded to let you go."
"You're going to have to make me a better deal than that land lubber."
"Move aside Edward." Gourmand began stepping forward. "Let me try it." The Italian chef waved his butchers knife in front of the pirates face. "I cleave flesh from bone on a regular basis. Wanna see a demonstration?" Puss's eyes never left the polished surface of the blade in which he could see his reflection.
"No…" He muttered weekly.
"Now talk."
Under Gourmand's supervision, a swift period of interrogation began. Both twins were reluctant to cooperate, knowing full well what Kraken would do to them if he found out about this but the chef's knife was a far more immediate threat.
They described almost in great detail how they had located the stone Kraken sent them for, placed upon a crystal display in the middle of the central fountain in the middle of the garden. Hidden in place sight, amongst the jewels, the staff were none the wiser to its presence.
When they attempted to try and take it the two guards overlooking the pieces tried to arrest them. There had been a scuffle during which the stone had been knocked from the stand.
Puss had tried to take it, when one of the guards tackled him from behind. The vial containing Kraken's dark magic flew out of the inner pocket of his jacket as he fell to the ground. It spiralled through the air before hitting the floor; breaking open.
The contents spewed across the marble floor of the central green house before sliding around the stone.
There was a short flash of green light and the black liquid sank between the tiles and into the ground.
That was when it happened.
The liquid must have seeped into the water pipes under the ground because almost instantly the entire garden was alive, vines and roots snapping through the ground; tearing anyone they could grasp up. The Stone itself was seized by a massive hand made up of vines wrapped around each other as a bulky form almost seemed to erupt from the fountain, using it as a source of power as it continued to grow.
At this point Octo and Puss decided they ought to cut their losses and run.
They didn't make it to the exit before they were caught.
"How long ago was this?" Falcon asked.
"How should I know?" Puss asked with a shrug of his shoulders. "Whatever they hit us with put us right to sleep, days could have past and I wouldn't know."
"The head I found was rotting." Apollus stated, looking decidedly pale. "It had to have been there for at least a day. If this place has been like this for more than twenty four hours how did it escape public notice?"
"There was a sign outside saying 'closed' remember?" Gourmand stated without looking at him. "They just thought it was closed for repairs or something."
"Just what is happening here Young Master?" Apollus asked.
"Then these plants are adopting a Power Fusion form." Edward muttered. "If we remove the stone from the fountain then they have nothing to maintain that form and in theory they might go back to normal."
"In theory?" Gourmand asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Well… there haven't been any references to this in the Power Stone legends. I think this is the first time a plant has used one. Not to mention the 'shining influence' of Kraken's own alchemy."
While they were talking, they didn't notice Puss looking at the Power Stone of Earth in Apollus' hands. The pirate grinned and slowly reached for it. Julia's umbrella came down sharply on his itchy fingers.
"Mind ya manners." She told him as he held his injured hand under an armpit and bit his bottom lip.
"We should move." Falcon started, gazing out the window on the far side of the room. From here he could see the outer edges of the garden a long line of pine trees that separated the set aside grounds from the rest of London.
The Englishman couldn't see anything out of the ordinary but that didn't necessarily mean it was safe to go outside. Still, he was going to have to risk it. There was no telling how long they had until it was Gunrock's turn to be a snack. If they removed the stone then they had a chance of saving him.
"You gotta be nuts." Puss muttered. "If I were you I'd be finding the first way outta here."
"Thankfully you're not me are you?" Falcon replied without looking back. "Now, I don't know this place well so you guys are going to show me exactly where the stone is."
"No chance in hell mate." Puss declared. "What could possibly make us risk our backsides in that nightmare of a garden."
"Well let me put it this way." Falcon reached back, grabbed Puss and pushed him out the window. The pirate dangled here above a fatal drop to the ground. There was a sudden surge of activity at the ground under the window and a large flower erupted out of the undergrowth, the petals peeling back to reveal a large mouth full of serrated teeth. "You can help us and get out of here alive, or I leave you two to become tomorrows compost."
"You know, when it puts it that way it makes for a very persuasive argument." Octo told his stubborn smaller brother.
"Alright! Alright I give in! We'll help you!" Falcon pulled him back inside and dropped him on the floor.
"Alright, first things first y'all; how do we get of here with those things surroundin' the building?" Julia asked, leaning her umbrella over one shoulder.
Falcon pushed open another window on the left hand side of the room and looked out. There wasn't any foliage below for something nasty to hide inside and there wasn't any sign of anything suspicious.
"Young Master, perhaps it would be better if I remain here with the children?" Apollus ventured. Falcon just shook his head.
"No, there'd be no one to protect you if they came back. Nope, it's better if we go a group.
This way." He said, reaching for an emergency fire kit placed against the wall. It consisted of an axe, a sand bucket and a length of rope. The Englishman tied one end of the rope to a frozen pipe and threw the other end out the window.
"Are you certain that's safe Young Master?" Apollus asked as Falcon began climbing down.
"Probably not." He replied, glancing around to make sure nothing was ready to ambush him. "But this is our only way out so it's the safest option we've got."
Gunrock's kids followed Falcon down enthusiastically, with Octo and Puss right behind them.
"After you miss." Apollus said with a short bow to Julia.
"Thank ya kindly." She replied, hopping over the window frame and down the rope.
Falcon edged around the corner to check if it was all clear. Once he was sure he gestured to the others to follow him.
From here, they could see the massive green houses that made up half of the garden. Most of them were completely wrapped inside a chocking net of vines like hid the interiors like a drawn curtain.
"It's over there, that large one." Octo said, pointing towards a massive green house some distance away in the almost direct centre of the garden.
"Good. We can walk around the greenhouses all the way." Gourmand muttered with a wide grin. Falcon wasn't so certain. From experience he knew things were never that easy.
Still, it was a worth a short. Leading them on the group edged away from the stone building and over the long stretch of grass surrounding the large greenhouses.
For the most part it was easy going, yet a terrible and penetrating silence gripped them all. Nobody wanted to make a sound and destroy whatever good luck they could enjoy.
By the time they were halfway there the Englishman came to a sudden halt.
"Wait." Falcon suddenly said, holding up an arm to stop them all.
"What's the matter Edward?" Julia asked, putting a hand on his shoulder. The Englishman's gaze was looked forward and a stern expression on his face.
"That tree." He began slowly. Everyone looked forward following his eyes to the sight of a single pine tree standing in the middle of the grass patch by itself. It looked innocent enough. "It's out of place on its own like that." Falcon cried on. "Best avoid it."
"Keep off the grass then." Gourmand muttered as the group silently edged their way around a considered harmful radius.
When it became clear they were not going to be fooled by its act, the tree groaned like splintering masts and with a sudden wrench it pulled itself up out of the earth. Standing on its roots it ran forward dripping Earth and mud.
"I do hate it when I'm right." Falcon muttered. "RUN!"
Walking like a crab's sideways scuttle the tree reared up on the furthest roots and jabbed forward at then, trying to strike them down.
Apollus and Julia led the children away, following behind after the Octopus twins who were running for their lives. Gourmand drew his butchers knife and a slashed at the roots that were snapping at him like angry vipers. Falcon finally dragged the chef back into a retreat with the tree racing after them.
Gourmand was swearing continually in Italian as the Englishman dragged him back over the fields towards the stone buildings and the green houses just beyond them.
"Young Master!" Falcon heard Apollus declared just up ahead. Glancing up, Falcon came to a sudden halt at the sight of the far end of the fields. The pine trees that marked the border line between the Gardens and the rest of London were tearing themselves out of the ground and standing up on their roots.
Like an army of them, they stood motionless for a single moment before charging down the short slope towards them.
"Bugger me!" Falcon ended up chocking out before he started running again.
"Out you're back into it!" Puss shouted at his large brother, who slammed his broad shoulders into a door marked 'private entrance'. The simple barrier broke down and the two pirates ran inside, followed by Miss WhitePearl, the old butler and Gunrock's kids.
Falcon and Gourmand were the last inside, the Englishman slamming the door back on the walking tree that was just behind them. It rammed its roots up against the barrier trying to force its way inside but Falcon kept his back to it. A ram rammed through the wood nearly skewering the Englishman in the groin.
"Ok, I think the time for subtlety is over." He declared, reaching into his jacket. "Power Fusion!"
Shafts of light lanced out through the gaps in the door before it flew off its hinges, slamming the tree back several feet.
"Power Hurricane!"
His clothes armour plates, Falcon came flying out with the exhaust vents of his robotic guise flaring bright orange. His body started spinning on its axis and the faster he spun, the more air was fed to the fire burning around him. The tree was caught up in the fiery tornado and its form was reduced to ashes almost immediately, the roots and entire bark incinerated. The ashes fell down to the floor and Falcon floated down to the ground to face the army charging at him.
He couldn't hold off that many by himself. But then again he didn't need to. All he had to do was buy the others enough time to reach the Wood Stone.
Slowly he crossed his arms in front of himself and with a loud clunk the secret missile compartments hidden on the outer edge of his arms and legs opened up.
"Power Explosion!"
The ground shook from the blasts as Apollus kicked down the door leading into the central Greenhouse.
The entire interior was full of vines, a thick layer of vegetation coating the walls like a canopy. The air was thick and humid like a jungle floor.
"My word." He gasped at sight that met him.
Hanging from the high ceiling above were dozens of pods; wrapped cocoons like flies in a web; dangling upside down by creepers and vines. Most of them were wriggling, but a few of them remained completely still and lifeless. Each cocoon was dripping with a thick transparent liquid.
Four creeper plant like creatures dropped from the ceiling to the floor, rolled around until they faced the intruders and moved towards them with wide mouths opening wide.
With a psychotic war cry, Gourmand shoved the old butler aside and charged at them with his butcher knife held high. Engaging all four of them at once, he slashed repeatedly at the vines that tired to bind him still.
"Excuse me." Julia said, stepping past the bewildered butler with her umbrella at the ready. Joining the chef, she went about battering the creatures as if they were weeds in a garden.
"I'm not sure I like gardens anymore." One of Gunrock's kids muttered as Apollus stepped out into the greenhouse and stared in mute fascination at the pods, then to his right at the fountain the pirates had described. A massive overflowing blow with a geyser of water rising directly in the centre, dozens of roots feeding directly out of the basin.
Almost floating on top of the geyser was a diamond shaped jewel. Apollus shattered towards it but stopped when his foot nudged against something lying on the floor.
Apollus looked down, then bent over and picked the object up. It was a blue bandana; an item of clothing the old butler recognised at once.
He glanced directly up and hovering above him was one of the writing human shaped pods. It was distinctly larger than the others and was wriggling a loud more as well. Muffled sounds were coming from inside and while it was impossible to tell the voice; whoever was inside was cursing in Spanish.
"Gourmand, bring your knife quickly!" Apollus called over. "I've found Gunrock!" The chef looked up to the pod Apollus was jabbing a finger at. Taking hold of his butchers knife like a javelin, he tossed it through the air. It severed the vines holding the pod to the ceiling and the cocoon dropped to the floor.
Someone inside cried out; "Damnit!"
Gourmand retrieved his knife and set about slicing through the web like substance around the man contained inside.
"Daddy!" One of the kids called out, running up as a large muscular tanned arm protruded out. It took Gourmand a while to cut through enough to free him completely but eventually Gunrock managed to pull himself out, tumbling out onto the floor with his clothes coated in that cocoon's transparent liquid.
"Good sir, are you alright?" Apollus asked. Gunrock looked up, then froze; eyes widening in stunned horror.
Without warning there was a sudden load thud from behind them and turning about quickly the older butler came face to face with perhaps the most horrifying thing he had ever seen.
The creature descended from the ceiling like a snake with the width of a tram along its long body.
It was like a Venus-fly trap, with a large crescent shaped head and long interconnecting teeth. Its wide head produced from a thin green neck covered in thorns. Thick saliva dripped from its wide mouth as it slathered across the floor, casting a shadow over them.
Before it came within snapping distance, a low rumbling began t increase from outside before a red object came hurtling through one of the windows; snapping the vines and blasting through with a spray of glass
"Stand back Apollus." Falcon cried, flying past. His armour was scrapped in various places and darkened patches showed where he had been dealt blows. "I've got this one."
Turning its attention from the others, the plant hissed like a reptile before barring down towards him.
"Power Missile!" The Englishman shouted, throwing a fist forward; the punch rocketing off away from him towards the plant. Root burst out of the ground and slapped the attack aside in mid air and the massive head snapped forward; trying to chomp down on Falcon's leg.
The Englishman flew directly up to avoid it, before recalling his metal head. It connected back onto his wrist with a cloud click.
"Power Rocket!" Rebounding off the side of a wall, Falcon soured forward towards the plant, the rocket attached to his back burning with energy and firing off a burn they propelled him forward at fantastic speeds.
The creature ducked under the attack and as Falcon soured past, vines shot out of the soil with lightening speed and wrapped themselves around the Englishman's heels. His own momentum swinging him around, Falcon was dragged down to crash into the ground with a crashing thud.
Dozens of vines burst through the soil, wrapping themselves around the Englishman's wrists and ankles, trying to pin him to the ground. His strength enhanced by the Power Stone, Falcon tore his way free just as the mouth of the hideous creature came down on him.
"Power hurricane." He declared, souring up into the air and twisting his body around; the exhaust vents on his arm venting red hot steam. The flames created by the twisted tornado scorched the plants entire body as it tried to bite down on him. Falcon dodged the massive teeth before flying to the side, grabbing one of the plant's roots and tugging it along with him. Torn from its soft soil, the creature squealed as Falcon lifted it high; the only anchor it had being the largest two roots that refused to budge.
Two large vines whipped up into the air like octopus tentacles and came down hard on the Englishman's back, sending him down with a loud crack towards the floor.
"Edward!" Julia called out trying to run forward but Apollus stopped her.
"Don't my dear." He told her. "This fight is out of our league."
Falcon came down to the ground on his feet and instantly rebounded, the rocket on his back flying into full force as he rocketed forward towards the plant. The vines were waiting once again, swatting him out of the way.
Falcon fell back to the ground, scrapping along the ground until he came to a stop. This wasn't working, he needed to do this some other way.
Glancing to the side he saw it, the fountain the Octopus twins had mentioned. It was overflowing with water and placed atop its apex was another Power Stone; this one coloured a pale violet.
"The stone of wood." He hissed, before darting to the side towards it. If he could get that stone away from that place then the plants would have nothing to maintain their fusion with.
As if sensing his plan, the plant sent dozens of creepers, vines and roots charging at him, the floor breaking up under him and the thick wooden tentacles lashing up. Falcon dodged them all and flew on forward; hand outstretched towards the stone.
AN inch before his fingertips came wine reaching distance of it, dozens of vines flew out of the darkness, wrapping themselves around his arms and legs and with unequalled strength dragging him down and pinning him to the floor.
Before he could break free, dozens more burst out of the soil beneath the tiles; encircling the Englishman and binding his arms and legs to his side. Unable to move, all Falcon was able to do was futilely struggle.
"EDWARD!" Julia called out trying to run to his aid but was stopped by a chef and a butler holding onto her.
The mouth of the creature moved over Falcon, threatening to crush him between its oversized teeth. Falcon tried to break free, to free an arm; to do something but hadn't the necessary strength even in his Fusion form.
Seeing her beloved about to face death, Julia smashed Apollus in the face to force him to let go. Breaking free of his grip, she stamped on Gourmand's foot and then ran while one was holding a bleeding nose and the other hoping around on one foot.
Before she reached Falcon, someone else did.
Octo and Puss charged out of the darkness with a loud cry; holding between them a large axe taken from a gardener's shed. Preoccupied with Falcon the plant didn't sense them coming until their weapon was raised high in the air ready to strike.
The axe came down with a loud and wet whack, slicing deep into the vines before hitting the roots. The creature screamed as its green lifeblood sprayed out into the air and in retribution he brought a thick creeper vine around like a whip, smacking the two brothers high into the air to crash into the wall.
Their actions however had enabled the Englishman to free one of his arms. The vines were trying to compensate, wrapping themselves higher and higher in their attempt to completely engulf him.
Falcon had only once chance and he had to make the attempt count. Snarling, he glanced towards the fountain and the Wood Stone placed aloft in it.
"Power…" Falcon started raising hand; the vines wrapping around it trying to pull it down. "MISSILE!" Just as the vines engulfed him completely, his clenched fist rocketed forward; blasting through the air trailing heat.
With a loud crash it smashed into the foundation, breaking the stone masonry; the flow of water ceasing and the Power Stone of Wood dropping down. It bounced off the edge of the water pool before clattering to a stop.
Severed from the energy source that maintained its bizarre mutation, the master plant gagged; thick green foam spraying out of its mouth. It roared loudly, sounding like a wounded lion before the vines holding Falcon began to wither; trying from fresh green to a dark brown.
The Englishman broke free; snapping the vines with both hands before turning and in a single movement delivered the death blow.
"Power Explosion!"
The explosion that rocked the garden could be felt throughout the entire district. Police officers a dozen streets away felt the ground shake underneath their feet and windows rattled loudly in their frames.
With a final scram silenced midway, the creature toppled backwards and crashed to the ground splintering the tiles. Once down, it began shrinking and shrinking until it was its original size again, a normal Venus-fly trap.
The mutated plants throughout the garden followed the same reversal, changing back to the normal harmless forms they had once been. The army of trees surrounding the green houses toppled over where they stood, falling to the ground as animate as before.
The vines coating the greenhouses receded back, some withering and turning brown before falling to the ground; the siege of the garden now over.
Falcon dropped to the ground, free from the vines. His armour coated in the thick green blood of the plant which nearly covered him from head to toe.
"Edward darling, you did it!" Julia declared, throwing herself at the Englishman and hugging him tightly to her, ruining her clothes by pressing them in the green blood.
The two Octopus twins moved to where the power Stone of wood had dropped.
Octo reach down to pick it up but stopped when he noticed he was being overshadowed. Both he and his smaller brother glanced up to see Falcon standing there, in full fusion form with his metal arms crossed in front of him.
"You did me a favour today, so I'm going to give to the count of five to get away before I change my mind." The Englishman stated holding out his open palm. "1"
Both brothers smiled nervously before Octo gingerly picked the stone up and past it him.
"Good day to you sir." Puss said, before they both about faced and ran for their lives.
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"Edward my boy… Edward I… just what in blazes are you covered in man?" Erode stared the Englishman down. Falcon was still covered from head to toe in the green lifeblood of the plants. It was a substance that refused to remove itself from his clothes no matter how hard he scrubbed at it. Julia eventually removed his jacket to take it to be washed.
She wanted to take his trousers too but Falcon refused to let her anywhere near his belt.
"It'll come off eventually." The Englishman muttered, sitting down on a bench and leaning back on it; staring up blankly at the ceiling.
The authorities had moved into Kew Gardens after the commotion the battle had caused attracted their attention. Falcon left them to do the tidying up of the dead monstrous plants and various staff that didn't make it.
It would have possibly to stay and explain what happened without being thought a dangerous lunatic, so Falcon and his ground made a discreet exit. The Octopus twins had once again disappeared as well, vanishing the moment their backs were turned.
Still, since the two of them did pull their weight in that endeavour Falcon decide that for just this once, he would let them go.
Now, Falcon was back at the British Museum; feeling exhausted, hungry, thirsty and in need of a good night's sleep. Before he could deal with any of those problems however, Erode's research had to come first.
"Oh, don't matter… I managed to get my hands on the original documents, the ones your father didn't take off with." The Doctor reported. "Once I cross referenced them with those papers you gave me I discovered something quite extraordinary."
"Go on." Falcon said.
"I can't explain the historical inaccuracies of this, but it seems that two of the empires that fought in the war Lord WhitePearl's papers mention were the civilisations of Rome and Ancient Egypt." Falcon leaned forward suddenly appearing interested.
"And the third?"
"Still researching… I'll need more time for that. But... what I did find out was that the Roman Empire had a secret cult devoted to the study, and use of the Power Stones.
It was called the Order of Darkgem and was founded in the days of Julius Ceaser himself.
According to the papers you acquired, it may be that this ancient order discovered the location of the Fabled Light Stone itself." Falcon's eyes lit him.
"The Light Stone… the fabled gemstone of elemental life?" Erode nodded. Falcon's face broke into a wide grin. "You know where it is then?"
"Unfortunately, no. The Order did not acquire the stone itself but I believe the location may still be inscribed in their ancient meeting place beneath the Coliseum in Rome."
Falcon jumped to his feet in a near acrobatic twist, that smile refusing to leave his face even for an instant.
"Then that is my next stop. It's the last stone we need to find Doc… if we can keep that one out of Kraken's hands then we're laughing."
"I warn you Edward Falcon." Erode added quickly, suddenly looking serious as he put a hand on the Englishman's shoulder. "I'm coming to the conclusion that there are other groups than ourselves and the pirates that want these stones.
The information I obtained was hard to acquire and almost restricted. Someone with very high level connections wants anything regarding the Power Stone's to be suppressed.
The light Stone is like none of the others and contains power yet to be understood by mankind.
Thread careful when you look for it… and say nothing of your mission to anyone."
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"You lost it?" Kraken was not pleased.
"We're sorry sir." Kraken was not pleased at all.
"Not as sorry as you'll be when you get back to the ship." The Octopus twins had managed to hide themselves in an abandoned building on the docks near the Thames. "You dunderheads just cost me yet another Power Stone. Now Falcon has at least six. If he controls the mass majority of the stones then taking them from him will be that much harder." On the table in front of them they had laid another of the Pirate King's magical trinkets. A crystal ball that projected the angry face off the pirate himself into the air.
"It wasn't a total loss sir, we found out where they're heading next." Puss quickly spoke up. If they returned to Kraken with nothing it was more than likely he was have them thrown overboard while their ship was in the air. This piece of information may just save their lives.
Kraken raised and eyebrow and waited for them to continue, his expression explaining silently that if this wasn't good then they were dead men.
"We followed them to the Museum sir, heard them taking about Rome … something about the Light stone and…" Octo started but was almost instantly cut off.
"The light Stone!" Kraken declared with a wide eye. "Are you certain?"
"Yes sir… we heard them talking we did. The clue they need to locate it is in Rome."
Back onboard the Prince Octopus, miles away from the English coast; Kraken sat in his cabin suddenly deep in thought.
Of all the stones, two were exceptionally powerful. The stones of light and darkness, both representing the balance that maintained the universe. For years Kraken had searched for either stone.
The dark stone would have augmented his necromancy to impossible heights… while the light stone had the ability to grant him power over the living as well as the dead. Even in two hundred years of research had he been able to pinpoint the location of those stones.
And now…
Praise be to that Englishman, he thought to himself with a widening smug grin. Thanks to him the pirate king may attain all nine stones.
"I'm on my way to Italy now boys." He declared, speaking into the Crystal ball he had placed upon his desk. "Follow those idiots and meet up with me in Rome."
"Aye Aye sir!" Both Octopus brothers declared at the same time, saluting and snapping to attention.
"I'm warning you two. Mess this up and you're finished."
The image of Kraken disappeared and the crystal ball before the two brothers went dark.
"Do you suppose we should have told him we're the ones that caused the whole mess in the gardens?" Octo asked.
"Just look tough and let me do the talking from now on, alright?" Puss replied casting him a hostile sideways glance.
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The police were questioning everyone on the docks about the chaos in the gardens and about the many bodies being found half buried in soil. The gardeners found alive were scared out of their skin and constantly muttering to themselves. It was going to be a while before they got anything coherent out of them so the police had to settle with questioning anyone heading out down the Thames.
It look some fast talking but eventually Falcon managed to persuade the office to let them get onto the Turbine Ship heading south into France. From there they would take a train to the base of the Alps before entering Italy.
"Ah Rome, the birthplace of western civilisation." Gourmand sighed with approval when Falcon announced their next destination. "A city of culture, exquisite foods…"
"And bloody gladiatorial duels." Falcon added with a large smirk on his face as Julia shot him a disapproving look.
"Dad, what was it like in that pod?" One of Gunrock's kids asked the large Mexican as he sat down at a table.
"I'd rather not talk about that right now son." He replied, wavering over to the waiter and ordering the strongest alcohol he could from the Bar. "It was sticky, constricting and suffocating and I'd rather forget about it."
"Not claustrophobic are you Gunrock old boy?" Falcon asked looking back over his shoulder.
"No… I just don't like being wrapped like a fly in a spiders web." Gunrock replied, taking the glass from out of the waiters hand and downing it all in one go. "More please."
The anchor was cast off and the Turbine ship rose into the sky
A raven stood on a pilling the end of the dock watching it rise, fidgeting with its wings. Its glazed red, watchful, eyes observed silently unblinking.
A seagull landed beside it, attempting to knock the other bird off the perch. The black creature turned to look right at it and its eyes glowed intensely blood red.
The seagull gave a loud squawk as the Raven's mouth expanded to hideously large propositions and a snake shot out of the darkness within, its jaws snapping the sea bird's neck before dragging the body back down with it as the beak shut fast.