GOOD DAY FRIENDS! SORRY FOR THE DELAY. MOM TOOK THE COMPUTER LAST WEEKEND AND TODAY, SO I'M HARD PRESSED FOR UPDATES. :P ANYWAYS, PLEASE READ, REVIEW, AND ENJOY THIS CHAPTER!

Ch.60: Festering Madness

The bricks of the towers inner walls flew past me as the remaining two of us ran up the spiraling, rusting metal staircase. We had had reached the tower with no further incident and were now running full speed up to the top, where our enemy waited. Long stopped gears covered in dusty oil, rust, and lichen filled the spaces around us, the interact pulleys and connections almost dizzying from the spiral. A mucky white clouded my vision, and I had to blink and look upwards to understand what I was seeing. Cracks and holes shone through to the outside world, and the shadows of black iron bars pressed against what must have once been a beautiful white background. I gulped and ran faster, knowing that the destination wasn't too far ahead.

Time remaining: 6 minutes

P.O.V: Boris

I managed to avoid the beasts sweeping paw again, hopping back and gritting my teeth. The thing made a point of staying between me and the door, my only real chance of winning. It lashed out at me again, low to the ground to try and nock me off balance. I jumped and almost hit my head on a pole that stuck out from the side of a building. I suppose it must have once held a sign of banner of some kind.

As I came down, I grabbed the pole and hulled myself up, balancing as the thing padded over, looking at me the way I look at birds on a wire. I panted and wiped sweat from my face, feeling my strength draining. I gulped, you better hurry C.J. Much more of this, and I won't be around to show you that roller coaster. The thing started to bat at me like a cat with a tassel. The pole beneath me groaned.

P.O.V: Ace

The dragon's teeth clacked sharply where I had been standing but a moment before. I raised my sword and brought it down on the creature's skull, sending its black, foul blood everywhere. I frowned, frustrated. Its skin and scales were easy enough to break through, but its bones were like diamonds. If I kept banging my sword against it like this, I'd break my sword!

I darted away as it swung its head to me, snapping again and flicking its tail to try and catch me. Only one thing left to do~! I yelled and lunged at it, ducking under its head and heading for its underbelly.

P.O.V: Peirce

I shot into the water, aiming for the fish-thing's head. It hissed angrily and swerved away. I gulped as I reloaded my gun. If I got caught too close to this thing to move, I have to shoot to make it retreat. But I only have so many bullets. How long can I keep this up?

P.O.V: C.J

I shoved the trap door at the top of the stairs up, leaping like a frog into the room. I slid to a stop and drew the Vorpal blade, looking for the b****** as Yuri and White followed me in.

We were standing in a large, circular room. The only furniture in question was a dusty rug, and two musty curtains on the walls. One was hung in a random spot on the wall and the other was partially covering a blown in window. No Alistair.

I held the blade at the ready and cautiously stepped farther into the room, remembering my police training. I gave a sparing glance to the wall behind me before returning my attention to the sides and front, doing the best I could to prevent a sneak attack. The floor boards creaked loudly as I spread my stance and stepped forth to the center of the room. Not a trace of the son of a b****.

A scraping sound emitted from seemingly nowhere, making all of us jump. White tapped my shoulder and nodded to the random curtain. I nodded back and motioned for us to take positions. White stood next to the rag, gun locked and loaded, while Yuri and I stood a good 6 feet from the front of it. I gave the signal and White yanked the curtain off to reveal…a mirror?

I frowned and stepped forward. Just a plain mirror? That's what I left my friends for?! I stared into the mirror, a reflective me staring back. I turned to the others and held up my hand, my back to the reflective surface, "Guys, we've really been duped this ti-!"

I felt a large hand get an iron clad grip on my arm and yank. I only had time to utter a sound as White and Yuri's horrified faces blurred and disappeared.

P.O.V: White

A hand shot out of the mirror in the blink of an eye, grabbing C.J's thin wrist and mercilessly yank her in. Her brown eyes widened and I heard her squeak before the mirror's liquid surface covered her mouth. I yelled and reached out for her stretched hand, only for it to slip into the mirror before I could even touch her.

I stared at the spot she had stood. She's…gone. C.J is…! I reached out and tried to pass, but my hand only found the smooth surface of the mirror. The only thing I saw was Yuri and me staring back as us from the reflection.

"No…NO!" I reared back my fist, ready to shatter the d***** thing. Yuri grabbed my hand, "Don't! She may not be able to get back!" I stood there, shaking, unable to think. I let my hand fall to my side and I stepped back, not realizing it until I hit the opposite wall. I sank down, "W-…what do we do…?"

Yuri bit his lip and walked over, sitting next to me and staring at the mirror. "We wait."

P.O.V: C.J

I looked everywhere, the haze over my vision clearing. White and Yuri were gone. I was standing in a huge, high ceiling room made of mirrors. Me and the otherwise featureless landscape repeated forever and on ward, making an effective disorienting affect. I couldn't tell if it was just because of the mirrors, but the walls of this place never seemed to end, making an endless room.

"So glad you made it C.J." I spun around to see Alistair, his green eyes sparking. "And with three minutes to spare. Impressive." I growled and jumped back, holding up the Vorpal blade. It flared to life as I pumped my aura into its thirsty veins, quadrupling in size as I shifted to a two handed grip.

"That's more like it!" Alistair took on a stance, though he had no weapon. "I've gotten tired of toying with you and the role holders! It's high time I ended this nonsense and dealt with the thorn in my side!" I glared at the mad man. "…If a pun is what you intended, that was actually a pretty good one." He ignored me (or didn't get his own joke*) and held out his hand, "We end this matter. Here and now." I glared at him, "Why all this Alistair? Why all the tricks and lies?"

He smiled, "At first I thought I might win you to my side. Then, noticing where your…affections lay, I decided it'd be best to dispatch you." His smile disappeared as his brow furrowed, "You should have just let the Crystal Paralysis kill you. It's far less painful than a death blow at my hands." I rolled my eyes, "How considerate of you." "But it is. I really wanted to avoid all this C.J. I truly did. I tried to take you to my side, and I tried to give you a painless death, but you thwarted every attempt."

I narrowed my eyes at him as a strange emotion flickered in his eyes, as though see not me, but someone else. Why did he go through the trouble? The flicker died as his resolve, along with his expression, hardened. "But it's now unavoidable. If I don't so this now, you'll really will stop me. I can't allow that."

My eyes widened as a strange shadow appeared at his hand, taking the form of a broad sword. I gulped and stared at his eyes. His eyes…despite all his actions and all that he'd done, I couldn't hate the man no more than I could have hated my mother. Instead of hate or rage, pity welled in the back of my throat. His eyes weren't those driven to murder by sickness, or hatred. Behind his eyes was a broken mind twisted by grief.

"Let the game begin."

AND THE SHOW DOWN BEGINS! WHAT WILL THE NEXT CHAPTERS BRING?! STY TUNED TO FIND OUT MORE! I HOPE YOU ENJOYED, AND PLEASE REVIEW!