HERE IT IS! The last chapter! I hope it's good.

"Surprise, surprise"

Scathach grabbed the golden sword from the floor, where it had dropped, and lunged for the gem. She almost made contact with the gem when Hekate used her aura to encase Scathach in it. As an aura-bound Scathach fell to the floor, she grabbed the Next Generation by the neck and brought her to eye level.

"You never learn from your mistakes, do you?" Hekate sneered, "You should have steered clear of me. I can hurt you. I trapped you for centuries. You placed your faith in something, and it failed you"

"And you never learn from yours" Scathach said enigmatically.

"And what mistakes would they be?" Hekate asked, cockily.

"You underestimated me. I got out. I almost destroyed this shadowrealm. You should have steered clear of me" Joan suddenly realised what Scathach was doing. Stalling for time. She saw Scathach use sign language.

Your aura

Joan gasped. If she were to use her aura, she would surely hurt Scathach as well as Hekate. Then she looked into Scatty's eyes. She was pleading her to use her aura. Joan shook her head slightly. Then she read the next phrase of Scatty's sign language.

Please

Joan gave a small nod. .Relief washed over Scatty's face, as she sparked up her aura silently, and sent a ball of silver light right at Hekate.

Everett, who had been watching the two women communicate, knew what to do. As Joan sparked up her aura, he prepared for a run. When the ball was released, he sprinted over to Scathach, and pulled her out of the way, right at the time that the ball hit Hekate.

Hekate was knocked off her feet and against the wall of the cave.

"How dare you!" Hekate was furious and leapt at Joan, but Saint-Germain and Joan simultaneously sent a wave of their auras at her. This was enough time for Nicholas to grab the golden sword from Hekate's hand. Hekate stood between the group and the gem.

Everett gave Scathach a knowing look, then tackled Hekate to the ground. She used her aura the overload his. This gave Scathach the time to grab the sword from Nicholas and to confront Hekate. Hekate created a sword from her aura.

"I hope you know how to use a sword" Scatty taunted.

"I have held a sword in my hand since I was six years old"

"Yes, but six against one hardly seems fair"

"Oh no. There is only the two of us" And with that, Hekate created an impenetrable glass wall, between Scathach and the rest of the group. They were alone together.

"This is so they can see and hear me kill you" Hekate gloated, "I hope it'll be dramatic"

"I'll be sure to die very convincingly" Scathach sarcastically commented. She parried the sword. Hekate blocked and lunged at her. The two of them fought for a while, and then the two broke apart. Hekate threw the sword from Scatty's hand to behind the glass wall, with the rest of the group.

"I am undefeatable"

"Then it will be very grand when I defeat you" Scathach commented.

"You could never defeat me. You are a Next Generation. You are the left overs. You are not even an Elder"

She saw Scathach waver a bit, so she continued. She knew that Scathach would easily defeat her in a battle of brawn, so she would just have to mentally weaken her.

"You can't fight, you can't configure your aura, you can't even be loved" Hekate knew that she had hit a vain with that last comment, so she expanded on it, "Your Father despised you. So did your Mother and Brother. You were a disappointment and a reject. Your father's exact words were, "You are nothing. Especially not a daughter of mine," Were they not?"

Scatty remained silent.

"He couldn't wait to get rid of you. It's true" She continued, "If your own family couldn't love you, who can? You are just a monster" Hekate laughed.

Scathach was about to give up. Hekate was right. She was unlovable, and a monster. Her only skill was fighting. A few wrinkles had suddenly appeared on Hekate's face. She looked slightly paler than usual. Suddenly, Scathach realised something. Hekate had aged within the day. The change, of course! She just needed to stall for a few more minutes, and then she would be too old to fight her.

"You're right" Scathach said.

Hekate was taken aback, "What?"

"I said, you're right. I'm not an Elder. I am a Next Generation. I am not good enough for even my own father. How could anyone ever love me?"

"No!" Everett called from behind the wall, "It's not true! I do!"

Scathach's confidence swelled, "And I never learn from my mistakes"

Hekate looked at Scathach, confused. She was ageing rapidly.

"But the thing is, maybe they weren't mistakes. I DID place my faith in someone, but maybe they didn't fail me. Maybe it's not too late for them"

Everett took the hint.

At the same time, Scathach tripped up Hekate's old body, and Everett threw the golden sword towards Scatty. When Hekate fell, the glass wall was destroyed, clearing the way for the sword to reach Scatty's hand. Scathach ran for the Gem, where she leapt into the air, raised the golden sword, and brought it down on top of the chains.

The chains disintegrated and Scathach grabbed the Gem of the Humani.

"Let's get out of here" Scathach yelled, as she saw Hekate remain consciousness.

The immortals sprinted for the cave exit. When they got out, Nicholas grabbed Scathach's arm and wiped up the remaining blood from one of her wounds. He then rubbed it across the same rock, and the exit closed. They all listened to hear the enraged screams of Hekate.

"That should hold her for about a day" Scathach leant against the rock, feeling exhausted.

Everett slowly walked up to her and inspected a huge scratch across her cheek, rubbing his finger down it, "It wasn't too late" He whispered.

"Never"

"I love you"

"I love you, too"