The First Tragedy. Phoenix's Hatred Inflamed.
"Now you die!"
"Raitei…Shourai!"
Phoenix flung his arms forward, releasing a plume of raging flames toward Syaoran who countered by releasing a flashing lance of lightning from his sword. Fire and electricity met in midair and collided, a vortex of dangerous energy forming where the two met. The young mage and Phantom pushed for control over the struggle but remained evenly matched, but for how long.
"I'll kill you! Burn you! Decimate you! I'll make sure there won't even be ash left for them to mourn over!" The enraged Phantom cried out in fury as his flames rose up in response to his anger and hatred. Syaoran could feel himself being pushed back as his lightning spell was proving the weaker before his opponent's flames.
Phoenix could feel his victory at hand when suddenly…
Shing!
"Gaaaaahh!" A silver blade suddenly shot through Phoenix's back and out of his chest. Phoenix stared hatefully at the armored figure who had crept behind him and stab him in the back.
"This time don't come back!" Kamen Rider Wizard Flame Dragon style stated coldly and wrung his sword free while slicing upward through the Phantom's torso. Phoenix's entire left side fell away from his already crumbling body, leaving just his left arm, shoulder, half of his chest and head still intact, but not for long as Wizard's fire encircled boot was poised to snuff out what was left of the Phantom's life force, which was still very great.
"Not yet! Not until I kill him!" Phoenix's green eyes flashed an angry red as the Phantom's remaining arm rose, a new and mightier gout of flame already formed and snarling to be let loose. Phoenix aimed directly for Syaoran who had dropped his guard in relief of being saved from that loosing struggle for control. Wizard saw this just too late.
"Get out of there!"
"Burn in hell!" Phoenix's last desperate attack exploded from his open palm. Syaoran had noticed just fast enough to grab a new fuda in a hope to save himself.
"Fuuka Shou-!"
What little of his wind barrier he could manifest was immediately dispersed by Phoenix's voracious flames. The young mage was instantly consumed by the fire.
"Syaoran-kun!" Sakura cried out in terror as the nightmarish vision woke her from her sleep.
"Whoa!" Kero yelled out in shock, having been awoken by Sakura's cry. "What are you screaming for?!" The Clow Guardian snapped, slightly grumpy from being woken up in the middle of the night. He suddenly saw the shaken expression on his Mistress's face as well as the tears in her eyes. "Sakura?" He started to get out of bed to fly over to his friend's side and comfort her when he heard foot-steps heading their way and hid back inside Sakura's desk drawer.
"Sakura!" Toya suddenly burst inside and with an urgent look on his face. "I heard you scream what happened."
Sakura quickly wiped the tears from her eyes. "I-I had a bad dream. I'm sorry if I woke you, I know you have work today." Toya then noticed how tightly Sakura's hands were clasped on her covers. He went to his little sister's bed side and knelt beside her.
"Must've been some dream." Toya rubbed Sakura's head reassuringly. "You don't scare easy so I can't imagine what kind of dream could shake a heavy sleeper like you."
"I'm fine, really." Sakura smiled. "I can barely remember it anyway." She lied to reassure her elder brother. "I'm actually glad Dad's at a dig right now. I'd hate to wake him too."
"Try to get some sleep." Toya returned her smile and stood up to leave. "Sleep tight, Sakura." He forewent calling her monster, not the best time he figured. The elder Kinimoto shut the door behind him and walked back to his own room.
"She called out for the brat in her sleep." Toya recalled. Though he noted, it didn't sound like she was calling for help. It sounded more like she was calling out in concern or warning. "Something's definitely up again, and I bet that brat's involved too."
"What kind of dream was it?" Kero saw that Toya had finally left and flew to Sakura's side at last, lying down next to her as comfort.
"Kero-chan…" Sakura's face betrayed the trepidation she was feeling. "I have a feeling that wasn't just a dream." The tiny lion's eyes widened in understanding. "I think something really bad is going to happen and soon."
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The Next Morning
Sakura had barely gotten back to sleep that night but she still had school so she decided to not let the anxiety show on her face to her friends.
"Meilin-chan your hair looks spectacular!" Rika complimented as Meilin showed her friends her new hairdo. Instead of her usual pigtails, Meilin had her hair styled into a bun with a clamping pin to hold it together, interestingly enough the pin was topped with a perfect, almost saphire like, gem set into the head.
"Looks great right?" Meilin admired her hair and turned so others could as well. "My aunt had this pin specially made for me and she showed me how to style my hair with it."
"That must be Li-kun's mom right?" Chiharu guessed.
"Li-kun what's your mother like?" Rika asked, surprising Syaoran who was busy at his desk.
"Umm…My mother is…" Syaoran wasn't sure what to say. He respected and loved his mother more than he ever let on to others, and because he was so private about that he wasn't sure how he could describe her to others.
"I've met Yelan-san." Sakura volunteered to spare Syaoran the embarrassing duty of having to. "She's really, pretty. She's kind of intimidating but also really nice. She's also very polite and traditional." Sakura was counting off descriptors on her fingers as she thought of what to say.
"Wow, Sakura-chan met Li-kun's mother already." Naoko asked curiously, the other girl's leaned in too to hear this interesting bit of news."
"It was back in elementary school. Sakura-chan, her elder brother, his friend and I took a trip to Hong-Kong over break." Tomoyo explained.
"And we just bumped into each other while Syaoran and I were home for break. We let them stay during their trip." Meilin finished.
"Wow, it's like you and Li-kun were meant to be together since back then, Sakura-chan." Rika pointed out causing Sakura and Syaoran to blush.
"I don't know about…"
"It's not like…"
Both of them were sputtering in embarrassment which caught the ear of Carter who was in the middle of correcting papers.
"I'm glad you're having fun talking about past trips and vacations. I was actually thinking of assigning a paper for that topic in the coming weeks." The class groaned as one, still feeling the pain from Carter's last big assignment.
"Have you been oversea before this, Yu-sensei?" One of the other students asked curiously.
"A few places, either family trips or business trips." Carter explained as he realized he had accomplished his goal of steering attention from his blushing friends and onto himself, which he always adored. "Stuck mainly to home shores for most trips, Germany, France and the Scottish Highlands. Though I did study abroad in America for a year when I just started College."
"Wow."
"Yu-sensei's been to a lot of places."
"Do you know about the Highlands?!" Yamazaki suddenly spoke up, prompting Chiharu to sigh and Carter to perk up curiously. "In Scotland they have what are called the Highland games and one of its biggest sports they compete in during the games is the Caber Toss, where competitors balance a tall wooden pole in their hands and toss it to get the longest throw when it lands vertically on the ground."
The class looked to Carter for confirmation. "He's right." Carter nodded, mesmerized by the walking encyclopedia that was one of his favorite students.
"But centuries ago , the caber toss was much different." Yamazaki explained. "Back then, the point of the game was to toss many smaller logs one after another and try to land them perfectly on top of each other to make a tower and once the tower falls over that would set your score." Yamazaki finished his tale and to his delight saw his fellow classmates pondering over what he told them.
"Sounds hard. No wonder they used an already tall pole in the modern game."
"That game would just get harder and harder the more logs you successfully stacked wouldn't it?"
"It honestly hard to say if its lie or not." Rika giggled and Chiharu had to shake her head and shrug in exasperation.
"The fact that Yu-sensei can't tell either makes it that much more believable." Chiharu sighed at the sight of their teacher pondering to himself about what he heard, looking off distantly as he was in thought.
"Yu-sensei's really quite gullible. It seems Yamazaki's soul mate might actually be the one who always falls for his tall tales." Naoko said and the others just started laughing, including Sakura and Syaoran. It got slightly out of hand but Carter's ploy to save them from embarrassment paid off. Sakura noticed how the usually very reserved Syaoran was smiling and laughing with the others and a sad look crossed her face. How'd she give anything to protect that smile.
Syaoran noticed that Sakura had stopped laughing and looked to her in concern. He had noticed since class had started that she wasn't as cheerful as she usually was and she seemed to have a hard time looking at him. He couldn't quite figure out what it was but he knew something was bothering her and as always she had decided to keep it to herself. He also knew, it had something to do with him.
Unbeknownst to all of them, a very faint blue glow had awakened in the blue gem on Melin's hair clip. The gem's inner light seemed to sway and dance with an almost liquid motion and before anyone noticed, it vanished.
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"Wooorrrrrrrraaaaaaahhhhhh!" A infuriated bellow echoed throughout the outer reaches of the Phantom Mistress's lair, the cry becoming more and more frequent as Kiddie's other attendant, Beelzebub, had to cover his ears against the noise.
"Will he ever let up?" Beelzebub asked, straining to make himself heard over the cries of outrage.
"He's just throwing another tantrum, Bell. It's not something you're exactly new to." Kiddie reminded, unaffected and unconcerned by the noise.
'Yes but it's never been this bad.' Bell thought to himself. The culprit finally stepped into the inner sanctum; Phoenix seethed and snarled like an animal as he tumbled into the cave as if drunk on his own anger.
"That bitch!" The teenage Phantom cried suddenly. "I'll make her pay for this insult!" Phoenix suddenly crashed to his knees but also slammed his fist against the ground, creating twin craters on the cave floor. "Her and that damn mahousukai!"
"At least you're focused on who you need to kill." Kiddie snickered approvingly.
"Let me go out! Let me rampage at last! I can't take it anymore!" Phoenix practically begged as he started grabbing at his chest like it pained him. "It burns…it's burning a hole through my chest! I can't stand it!"
"My dear, wonderful Phoenix…" Kiddie suddenly stepped from the confines of her bed, a sight that shocked even Beelzebub, and knelt beside Phoenix in order to cradle his head to her chest. "You have been so patient and so eager. But I'm afraid it is not quite time yet."
Phoenix snarled as he pulled away suddenly, he stumbled over to a nearby wall and suddenly slammed his fists home at rapid succession against the stone. "I need to destroy something!"
Crash!
The entire wall suddenly gave way and rubble began to fall from ceiling, threatening to cave in.
"Not good!" Beelzebub suddenly raised his hands into the air, summoning a blue, energy portal that hovered over his Mistress. Any rubble that threatened to fall on her was immediately caught by the portal and dropped elsewhere. Beelzebub ignored the rubble around him, his body could take a cave in of this magnitude but he would not allow any harm to fall on his Mistress.
The falling rocks finally ceased. Beelz. was luckily not buried but quite a few rocks did hit him. In the case of Kiddie, a wide ring of untouched space encircled her, she was left completely unharmed from the rocks. Phoenix however, had been buried.
"Oh dear." Kiddie tutted as her tendril-vines slithered out from the folds of her sleeves, systematically moving several mounds of rock in search of her minion. She finally found him, dusty and on his knees gripping his chest once more but mostly unaffected by the cave in.
"Atsui! Atsuiyo!" He moaned as he clawed at his heart like he wanted to rip it out.
"Now now…" Kiddie cooed as she pulled Phoenix close to him once more. "No more of that." In her embrace Phoenix seemed to calm down at last, though his breathing remained ragged and strained. "You have waited long enough it seems. I had wanted to let you recover more so that you could go at your full strength but it seems you do not care about pain or fatigue so there was no need."
"What do you need me to do?"
"It is time, my dear Phoenix." Kiddie said with a malicious grin on her face. "The one you've been waiting for. The one I asked you to destroy when the time came. He is here in Tomoeda. Time we fulfilled our arrangement."
Phoenix stared at her wide eyed as he comprehended her words. A wide, truly mad grin suddenly exploded across his face. "Finally. Finally! FINALLY!" Phoenix burst out in a joyous cackle that honestly unnerved the nearby Beelzebub more than his howls of rage did. "I can't wait, Li Xiaolang!"
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Tomoeda Middle School Roof; Noon
"Haaa! That hit the spot." Carter, having taken and eaten his lunch on the remote school roof, was calmly enjoying the sunny, midday warmth while sipping from a canned tea he brought with his lunch. The young teacher looked down to the school yard to see his students and others mingling together, enjoying their own lunches and each other's company. Carter smiled pleased at the sight. 'As it should be.' He reminded himself.
These kids knew little to nothing of the threat their town faced and if he had his way they never will. He had spent the vast majority of his adolescence training for this purpose. To protect kids like these who, unlike him, could still live peaceful lives. And as it stands, he still had a lot of work to do.
"Yu-sensei." Carter heard the roof door open behind him and he turned to see, to his surprise, Syaoran with his own bento lunch in hand. "Mind if I join you?" The younger man asked politely.
"Two things." Carter said holding up two fingers. "1st, it's just us up here Syaoran-kun, I'm sure no one can hear you referring to me informally. 2nd, wouldn't you rather eat lunch with Sakura-chan and the others?"
"Sakura and the girls wanted to eat lunch with Mihara and the other girls. Yamazaki also has a club meeting right now so I thought I'd eat lunch with you, if that's ok?"
"Perfectly fine!" Carted smiled warmly as he leaned back against the roof fence and invited Syaoran to take the bench seat in front of him.
"Arigato." Syaoran replied with a smile and dug into his lunch with a smile. "So why are you up here alone, Carter?"
"What can I say, I like high places." Carter shrugged while sipping his drink. "I'm happy knowing I can see a wider view of things around me, making sure I don't miss anything and can watch everyone."
"You never stop being a Kamen Rider, do you?" Syaoran chuckled. "It's kind of comforting knowing you're on the job."
"Hehe, well having you guys watching my back and picking up my slack really takes a load off my shoulders."
"Then…what would you do if something happens to one of us?" Syaoran inquired while not turning his attention from his lunch.
Carter paused mid sip but did not look up as he mulled over the sudden inquiry. "You know I won't let that happen. I promised Sakura-chan I would protect this town, but that also means protecting you and the others with my all so you can have a future here once things have become peaceful again."
Syaoran chuckled. "And what if your all wasn't enough? What if you kept fighting, battle after battle and you still failed to save anyone in the end?"
"I hate to think of such things. Not much hope there." Carter turned to face the fence again and stared intently to the yard below.
"If you aren't strong enough to face the battles to come there won't be much hope for anyone." Syaoran stated still eating.
"Not exactly the relaxing lunch I was planning to have. You really know how to kill a mood kid." Carter chugged the rest of his tea and tossed his crushed can into the nearest trash can. "By the way…"
"Connect, please!"
Shing!
Carter wrenched his Sword-Gun free of his Connect portal, swiping it down to point in the face of the sitting Syaoran, though he was ultimately surprised to find the younger mage had already made his own move and pointed his own Sword-Gun in Carter's direction.
"Your acting sucks." Carter finished as the two stared each other down. "Not to mention I can clearly see the real Syaoran eating with his friends down below." Carter gestured over his shoulder to make his point.
"Heh, seems I've been careless." The impostor Syaoran said. He then twisted around to bring his foot up at an arc toward Carter's cheek but the battle trained mahousukai swiftly blocked with his other arm. The impostor then leaped up and brought his other foot into Carter's chest and as he knocked Carter back into the fence as he used his kick to spring board back, prompting his body to suddenly be enwrapped by a cloak of dark green gale force winds. "We'll meet again, Wizard." The fake Syaoran promised and revealed a green gem embed ring with three claw marks forming a triangular pattern on the ring's face. "Until then, I'm going to hold you to your promise to protect them, so don't fail like last time." The winds suddenly grew to intense levels and once they died down, the fake had disappeared.
"What. The bloody hell. Was that?" Carter had seen through the impostors disguise easily and he expected he would be spending the next few minutes wiping the floor with some sneaky Phantom with a nasty shape shifting ability. But seeing that fake's weapon and the ring he wore on his finger…the culprit's identity was obvious after that but what he couldn't understand was their motive. Why did he speak so cryptically, acting as if he knew something Carter didn't. Also…
"What did he mean by 'last time'."
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The impostor Syaoran had used his winds to glide undetected away from the school and land in an empty lot at least a mile away, well out of the Wizard's range of detection. He was unsurprised to find that he had in fact been followed, but not by the Kamen Rider.
"What were you hoping to accomplish, antagonizing him like that, Hurricane?" One of his comrades; the shortest of the four who wore the blue ring that was exactly like his own, inquired, their stance and tone unreadable.
"The fate of this city is dependent on just what kind of man it is who is defending it. What I found was not whom I expected him to be." In a sudden gust of wind, Hurricane was cloaked once more in his own black robes. "Are we certain such a magician is up to the task, Water?"
"Flame seems confident that he is." Water replied neutrally. "But if he isn't then it simply means we must step in. The four of us together are more than enough to end this battle."
"Then why do we still skulk in the shadows and allow this oaf play at being a hero? We should be rid of him as soon as possible, why allow him to become any stronger?"
"It's Flame's orders. He is the only one among us who actually see's some potential in this Wizard."
"Doesn't Flame realize that allowing that man to move around to freely could jeopardize everything we are working towards? What possible use could that man be to us?"
"Fight fire with fire." Water repeated simply. "It's what Flame told me when I asked that same question." Hurricane stopped to think over what Water had said and his hand suddenly went to his chest to cover his heart.
"For Her wish…" Hurricane recited with a sigh. "It must be so."
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
"Hughes, why are you staring at me?" Syaoran asked as Carter had set his gaze suspiciously on the younger man as if he doubted something about Syaoran's appearance. The mahousukai had subtlely asked his four friends to meet him in the haven after school and the moment he did he began circling around and scrutinizing the Li heir.
"Just making sure of something." Carter responded monotonically. He sudden grasped Syaoran by the wrist and scrutinized his fingers, running his eyes up and down them as if looking for some kind of mark. 'No ring lines.' Carter confirmed. "Ok you check out." Carter let his friend's arm go and patted him on the head in good faith, confusing the group as he tucked his hands into his pockets and turned to walk away. Only to suddenly turn back around, pull something from the inner folds of his jacket and prepare to swing threateningly in Syaoran's direction. The trained martial artist was too quick for him though as Syaoran instantly caught Carter's wrist, twisted it, forcing him to drop the ruler he had wielded like a weapon, and proceed to position his fist directly under Carter's chin in warning.
"Yep, you're Syaoran-kun alright." Carter chuckled dumbly and then winced as Syaoran twisted his wrist tighter. "Ettetetetete! I give! I give!"
"Why are you acting like this?" Syaoran demanded to know as he released the magician's arm.
"Yu-kun did something happen?" Sakura asked worriedly, finding her friend's odd behavior to be unsettling.
"Sorry about the fourth degree guys." Carter held up his hands in apology. "I had an odd little encounter during lunch." Carter proceeded to explain his meeting with the cryptic Syaoran impostor, he also explained his theory that said impostor was in fact another Mahousukai who used a similar type of magic as Carter's.
"Another mahousukai?" Tomoyo pondered. "But why would they disguise themselves as Li-kun?"
"Beats me." Carter shrugged. "He acted as if he knew you guys or at least about you. He also talked some cryptic nonsense about me failing to protect you guys. You guys know anything about that?"
"You've done a good job so far." Meilin admitted.
"I doubt any of us have any clue who this impostor is let alone what he claims to know about the future." Syaoran stated. "He may have some ulterior motive about wanting to confront you. And if he can make himself look like me, he may try again in some other disguise. We need to be more alert from now on, until we know what he's after."
"Ever the sharp minded, Syaoran-kun." Carter clapped the boy on the back in approval. He then noticed the distance Sakura was standing away from the group. Her expression and posture belied some worry she had, that much he could tell.
Sakura was worried, but not about the mysterious Syaoran impostor who attacked Carter. Her thoughts were on his comments about Carter not being able to protect Syaoran or any of them. Such an inquiry being presented to Carter the day after she had that dreadful vision, it couldn't just be a coincidence.
"Oi, watch out!" Sakura was pulled from her trance by Syaoran who suddenly pulled her close and out of the path of a blue rock that came whizzing by her head. If Syaoran hadn't saved her, Sakura would have a very unattractive bump on her forehead right now.
"Golem!" Carter called disapprovingly. "You almost hit Sakura-chan with that, come apologize right no-whoa!" Carter had to duck as another rock came right for him. "That was on purpose, don't you deny it!" More rocks came flying in suddenly and the group had to cover their heads against the hail. "Retreat! Nothing can stop him when he's like this!"
"Connect, please!"
"Move, move, move!" Carter rushed the four teens out through his portal where they were able to escape outside, directly behind the school building.
"What was eating him?" Meilin asked while removing tiny bits of rock from her clothes and hair.
"I've never seen Golem-chan get angry like that before." Sakura said as she too had dust off.
"Sorry you had to see that." Carter bowed in apology for his familiar's behavior. "He gets like that when he's having trouble finishing a project."
"All those blue stones…is he making you another Dragon type ring?" Tomoyo guessed.
"Exactly, the last of the set." Carter confirmed. "Problem is, turns out Hiragizawa doesn't own any 'flawless' blue magic stones. Golem only works with the best of materials, and he won't have it any other way."
"And because he can't get the right materials he can't finish his work, so now he's become irritable and unfriendly." Meilin surmised. "Quite a change from his usually shy little self."
"He's shy but also very strong." Carter warned. "Sooner or later we'd be dodging whole pieces of furniture." The teens blanched, they had no clue such a small familiar could be so strong. "Good thing he didn't see that blue stone in Meilin-chan's hair pin, he would have swiped it and tried to make it into a ring before we'd be able to stop him."
"Oh no, he's not getting his blocky mitts on this." Meilin held the gift from her aunt protectively.
"Caw!"
The group suddenly looked up in surprise as Garuda flew down and began squawking frantically, a signal they recognized well enough by now.
"Never a dull moment." Meilin commented as Carter called Winger from one of his Connect portals.
"Try to get a hold of Kero and Tsukishiro-kun." Carter said as he mounted his motor cycle. He then felt someone get on behind him.
"I always wanted to ride a motorcycle." Meilin said with a grin and looped her arms around Carter's waist to make sure she wouldn't fall off. Carter knew there was no arguing with this one.
"Alright, let's roll then!" Carter pulled out two rings, one of which he handed to Meilin and the other he slipped onto his own hand.
"Henshin!"
"…Henshin!"
Carter gunned the engine as he passed his hand and Meilin's over the WizarDriver, prompting a pair of red and yellow magic circles to appear in their path.
"Flame, please! Hi-hi, hi-hi-hi!"
"Dress up, please!"
Carter and Meilin zoomed through the twin circles and came out donned in Wizard's Flame Style armor and Meilin's red cheongsam and butterfly mask.
"Kamen Rider Wizard and…"
"…Madame Butterfly." It was the name Tomoyo had bequeathed to Meilin for her masked persona. "Heading out!" The pair zoomed through the road, chasing after Garuda who steered them toward the location of the disturbance."
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"Yaaaaaaah!"
Frightened citizens scattered about as the pack of ravenous Ghouls milled about, causing wanton destruction and panic. A massive Titan joined its smaller kin in filtering a mob of innocent bystanders in an odd shepherding technique as the Titan scared the people towards the Ghouls and the Ghouls raised their spears to follow through and scare them back towards the Titan. And while all of this was going on, a certain black robed Phantom watched the display with sick pleasure.
"This should bring them running." Sphinx chuckled to himself. The roar of a motorcycle engine drew the Phantom's attention away from his hoard as a silver and red blur zoomed toward his Titan.
"Double…"
Kamen Rider Wizard and Madame Butterfly leaped from the Machine Winger's seat and soared upwards as one.
"Rider Kick!"
The two crashed into the Titan with a devastating double flying kick attack that sent the Titan crashing to the ground. The shocked citizens starred in shock at the two masked warriors who stood victorious on their giant terrorizer. "Don't just gape, run!" The girl in the butterfly mask shouted at them, prompting them run for safety over the fallen giant. Oddly enough, the Ghouls or Sphinx did not pursue.
"And right on cue." Sphinx snickered, pleased. He then snapped, prompting the Ghouls to march forward with weapons raised.
"Shall we, love?" Wizard invited his partner.
"Let's demolish them!" Butterfly smirked while cracking her knuckles. The mahousukai and masked fighter rushed to meet their foes head on. They practically crashed into the mob as Wizard's knee and Butterfly's hooking punch knocked aside the leaders of the pack.
Wizard cart-wheeled into the middle of the pack, igniting his boots as he whirled into a barrage of round house kicks that smashed the Ghouls to bits. He then leaped onto the shoulders of one of the Ghouls and slipped a new ring on.
"Water, please! Sui-Sui-SUI!"
A blue magic circle passed over Wizard turning his armor a light blue with a diamond pattern. Wizard cracked his knuckles in anticipation as he locked his feet tightly on the Ghoul's neck and utilized his new forms greater flexibility to flip back, bringing the poor beast back with him as he dropped into handstand bringing the flailing Ghoul into the air by the head. He then snapped his legs down and outward, launching the Ghoul back into its cohorts where they all crumbled as one from the impact. "Nice!" Wizard called proudly then pushed his way into the next closest throng of Ghouls.
"Ah tatatatata!" Butterfly's leg struck out rapidly as her wind magic enhanced anklet propelled her legs to deliver one hundred kicks at once, and any Ghoul she aimed her kicks at were turned to chunks before they even hit the ground.
"Yosh! Whose next!" The Ghouls didn't keep her waiting as four pike wielders encircled her. The charged at once, hoping to skewer the young woman between their spears. She instantly jumped up and the Ghouls foolishly continued their charge and impaled themselves on each other's spears. Butterfly landed on their interlocked spears, sighed and shook her head in disappointment. "You guys must have rocks for brains too." She spun on one foot and sliced out with her other leg, chopping the four Ghoul's heads off with one round house whirl.
"How are things on you end?" Wizard and Butterfly met back in the middle after thinning the ranks of Ghouls down to just one small pack.
"I've taken out at least 23 by now." Meilin said confidently. "How about you?"
"I'd say about 20. How about this, we count that Phantom as another ten-hey where'd he go?" Wizard scanned the immediate area for any signs of Sphinx.
"Shoot, he got away again!" Meilin stomped in frustration, hoping she'd be able to finish the battle she, Sakura and Syaoran started last time.
"Let's just clear these things out and go after him." Wizard said as he pulled out his Kick Strike ring. But he wouldn't get the chance as the line of rock monsters were instantly obliterated by a racing plume of fire.
"I don't need those things to deal with you." Phoenix proclaimed as he stepped on to the battle ground with his great sword dragging along the ground as he marched toward the pair, threateningly.
"Is this that red Phantom you guy's told me about?" Butterfly asked and then noticed Wizard had taken a defensive stance between her and Phoenix and that his rigged posture showed that he was anxious.
"You need to leave, now!" Wizard hissed toward his younger companion and gestured for her to back away. "There's something wrong. He's always been a powerful foe, but he's seems different now, more focused, more dangerous. Find the others and-"
"We can take him alone, or better yet I can take him myself!" Meilin proclaimed angrily. Carter's insinuation that Phoenix was too dangerous a foe for her to face infuriated her. Carter up to this point had said that as long as they all stood together they could face anything, now he was going back on his word and treating her as just another kid. "I'll show you!" Butterfly suddenly dashed past Wizard with her hands up in a guard and her eyes burning with arrogance.
She cleared the space between them instantly, and before Phoenix even had time to raise that giant weapon of his, Meilin smashed the side of his face with a powerful round house kick, and then another and another. Meilin started punishing the Phantom like he was a sand bag, unable to fight back at all. "C'mon, c'mon! I thought you were supposed to be strong." Meilin looked confident, certain of her victory but Carter was truly frightened. True with her magic enhanced strength and her martial arts prowess there should have been few Phantoms she couldn't beat, but despite Meilin's brutal one sided barrage Carter had to notice one thing. Phoenix wasn't even budging!
"That itches." Phoenix's free hand suddenly shot out, catching Meilin's leg mid arc.
"Gyaaaaaaa!" Meilin cried out in pain as Phoenix's iron gripped practically penetrated straight to the bone. Meilin was suddenly lifted off the ground by Phoenix one handedly and the red Phantom glared down his sudden captive. Meilin's mask fell from her face suddenly as she was jerked upward.
"I…know you…" Phoenix realized. "Li Meilin."
"Meilin-chan!" Carter cried out finally as he hoisted his gun and squeezed the trigger suddenly. Three shots impacted into Phoenix's chest, making him cringe slightly but ultimately he remained unmoved. "Let her go Phoenix she's just a kid!"
"I was a kid once too." Phoenix muttered to himself. "I was just a stupid kid with confidence in his strength, confidence that I was capable of rising above anyone." Phoenix started trembling angrily. "So why the hell did that bastard have to come and ruin my life!?" Phoenix's blade suddenly ignited in red flames as he poised the gold blade directly to Meilin's face.
"Here's the deal mahousukai!" Phoenix declared with barely contained fury. "Bring me Li Xiaolang and the Card Mistress, or she dies!" His demand was met by a spear of lightning blasting him in the face, knocking him back and releasing his grip on Meilin.
"Windy!"
Meilin was suddenly scooped up by the yellow skinned Sylph as her wind carried her away from the wounded Phantom and over to Carter's waiting arms.
"Minna!" Carter called in mixed relief and anxiety at seeing Sakura and Syaoran fly in on Kero's back with Yue at their side. He was glad they had arrived when they did and saved Meilin, but the reason he wanted Meilin to find them before they arrived was so she could warn them not come. Phoenix was just so dangerous an opponent that Carter would never take the advantage of numbers if that meant more of his friends were at risk. And with Phoenix apparently now focused on Syaoran, the magician just couldn't help feel a chill run up his spine.
He wasn't the only though. The moment Sakura saw that they were fighting Phoenix she realized her worst fears were in the process of coming true right in front of her.
"You're here. You're finally here!" Phoenix cackled as he locked eyes with Syaoran who readied his sword and glared back at the red madman.
"What business do you have with me, monster?" Syaoran spat.
"Monster?!" Phoenix seemed to reply with mad glee. "Yes I suppose I do look like a monster right now don't I? But you know, it's you this monster has to thank for granting him this form, and this power!" He accentuated his point by creating a massive firestorm behind him. The dance of flames gave him an unholy appearance as he retook his human form and sneered at the shocked teens with his mad grin and blood shot eyes. "You remember me, don't you?"
"It can't be…" Syaoran muttered as he lowered his sword while staring in disbelief.
"Uso! Usodaiyo!" Meilin shook her head in denial. "He became a Phantom to!?"
"Tai…En."
Phoenix, a.k.a Tai En, grinned almost victoriously at the sight of Syaoran and Meilin's horror filled expressions. Sakura, Carter, Kero and Yue could only look to their two friends and their apparent acquaintance in confusion.
"Bingo you Li clan scum!" Phoenix cackled loudly, throwing his head back and everything.
"So you fell into despair and became like this." Syaoran stated mournfully. "You're even more pitiable than you were before."
"Keep your pity fool!" Phoenix snarled. "Like I said. This, is all your fault!" Phoenix suddenly took on his full Phantom form once more while roaring like a wild beast. "The disgrace you gave me, my pride was shattered, my honor stolen from me. All of it! Because of you!" Phoenix's fist ingnited in flames as he lauched a barrage of bird shaped projectile at Syaoran who was too shocked to retaliate in time.
"Flame…Dragon! Bou-bou! Bou-bou-bou!"
The firey projectiles suddenly veered away from Syaoran and were absorbed into the red transformation circle summoned by Wizard who took his favored combat form while drawing his blade. "I find it odd for a Phantom to hold onto its past so terribly." Wizard quipped as he took a defensive position once more between his friends and Phoenix. "Most Phantom's I've met despise who they were as humans and act completely different in spite of their former lives."
"How could I ever stop thinking about what happened to me!?" Phoenix gripped at his chest desperately. "This burning hatred in my heart won't ever go out. Not till I've crushed him with my bare hands!"
Phoenix's retort disturbed the magician. 'Of all the Phantoms…he had to be one too?' "You all need to leave, now!" Carter commanded the group behind him to which they just stared at him in shock.
"We came to back you up. You can't possibly expect us to leave you here to fight him alone?" Kero said disbelieving.
"I do Kero. And if you care at all about what happens to your mistress and the others you'll do as I say." Carter's tone had become dark and dangerous.
"If I'm the one who caused him to become like this, then I have to be the one to finish him." Syaoran refused to back down and stepped forward despite Wizard's attempts to call him back.
"Syaoran-kun, no!" Sakura suddenly rushed ahead of Syaoran and Wizard to block both their paths. Her arms were out wide to the side and her stance was firm. "You definitely can't fight with him, let's just do as Yu-kun says and leave!"
"Sakura?" Syaoran at her confused. Sakura was never one for fighting but she would never out right run away when a battle looked bleak. Her eyes were beseeching, not fearful but more…concerned and anxious.
Carter too was surprised by her sudden change of heart but he wasn't going to argue with good fortune. "You heard her, get going. I've got this."
"No one's going anywhere!" Phoenix suddenly slammed his fist against the ground. From where his fist met the Earth cracks began to form under the ground and they could see fire glowing from beneath the cracks. The Earth behind them suddenly erupted as a wall of fire cut off their escape and encircled the area around them and Phoenix, creating a ring of fire.
"Damn!"Carter cursed. "Try and douse the flames and get moving!" Carter still insisted.
"No time, here he comes!" Yue warned as Phoenix charged for them with his great sword raised.
"Raaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhh!" Phoenix leaped into the air and landed with his sword crashing against the ground where the group was standing but scrambled out of the way just in time to avoid the heavy blow which split the ground where it hit. Sakura had to carry Meilin away with her Power and Jump cards.
Wizard and Syaoran leaped back in with their swords raised but Phoenix lifted his own blade and deflected their slashes off the face of his larger weapon. Phoenix then went for overhead strike on Syaoran but Wizard wouldn't give him a chance as the Kamen Rider pushed in with his shoulder to stop Phoenix's arc.
"Get out of my way!" Phoenix grabbed the Kamen Rider by the throat as he easily wrenched the armored fighter aside and sent him reeling away with a backhanded slash across Wizard's armored torso.
"Gah!" Wizard rolled across the ground with his armor singed and gashed diagonally across the chest.
"Hughes!" Syaoran called in concern, but then had to jump back as Phoenix advanced on him once more while wildly swinging his blazing sword. Sakura, after leaving Meilin a safe distance away rushed to Wizard's side.
"Yu-kun!" Sakura knelt down beside her fallen friend, concern and fear strewn across her face. Wizard was able to rise up to a sitting position, though he had to grasp the wound on his chest as if it pained him. In truth the slash thankfully didn't penetrate his armor but the blow was so strong that the internal damage was enough to make Carter have to hack blood into his helmet, he was just glad Sakura couldn't see it. "We should have ran, all of us. I didn't want this to happen. That vision is coming true and there's nothing I can do to stop it." Sakura seemed close to tears.
"Vision?" Carter inquired. The two's attention was suddenly torn away to see their friends engaging in a viscious struggle with Phoenix. Kero at some point had pounced on the Phantom and locked his jaws on Phoenix's shoulder, growling and mauling at the monster and though Phoenix was strong enough to stay standing he was pinned in place with the Clow Guardian's weight holding him down.
Yue took the opportunity to energize his arm with a silver aura as he straigtened his hand out like a blade. "This ends here!" Yue zoomed straight for Phoenix, pulling back his blade like hand in preparation to stab.
"You pest think you can stop me?!" Phoenix roared in outrage as he dropped his sword and grabbed Kero by the head. "Wwwrrooooooaaaaaahhh!" Phoenix wrenched Kero's jaws off his shoulder pulled him forward and slammed him into the ground, knocking the wind out of the winged lion. Phoenix then grabbed Yue's arm just before his stab hit home. "Only one way to exterminate pest!" Phoenix's free hand grasped Yue by the face as his hand ingnited and then exploded in flash of explosive flame.
"Yue!" Sakura cried in shock and sorrow as her guardian's smoking body was sent flying backwards and fell to the ground in a heap, reverting back to an unconscious and heavily wounded Yukito.
"Kuso…!" Kero cursed as he tried to rise up to avenge his oldest friend, only to cough in pain as Phoenix planted a foot on the Lion's neck. Phoenix retrieved his great sword and leveled it at Keroberus's face menacingly.
"I suppose this works out for me." Phoenix said pleased. "My boss wanted me to kill Li to break the Card Mistress's spirit but killing all of you should do that and even more."
"Like hell I'll let you!" Syaoran stood defiantly in challenge to the berserk Phantom, a fuda in hand and his sword crossed before him. "You're business is with me, Tai En!"
"Oh don't worry, there's no way I'd ever forget about you." Phoenix stepped off of Kero and hoisted his sword onto his shoulder as he advanced on Syaoran menacingly.
Phoenix stabbed his sword into the ground at his side and summoned twin spouts of flame from his palms. Syaoran leveled his sword horizontally in front of him and lifted the fuda across it as he channeled magic into the enchanted slip of paper.
"Now you die!"
"Raitei…Shourai!"
Phoenix flung his arms forward, releasing a plume of raging flames toward Syaoran who countered by releasing a flashing lance of lightning from his sword. Fire and electricity met in midair and collided, a vortex of dangerous energy forming where the two met. The young mage and Phantom pushed for control over the struggle but remained evenly matched, but for how long.
Sakura watched the duel with terror in her eyes. She knew this scene. It haunted her every waking moment and she was not surprised to find that Wizard had slipped away from her and was now circling around to land a sneak attack on Phoenix while his attention was occupied on Syaoran. Sakura slowly rose to her feet, she knew she couldn't just let those nightmarish events run their course unopposed. Even if it meant her pushing Syaoran out of danger and taking his place, she would accept those consequences without fear. She was just about to rush to Syaoran's side when her eyes locked on Wizard and her eyes widened.
"I'll kill you! Burn you! Decimate you! I'll make sure there won't even be ash left for them to mourn over!" The enraged Phantom cried out in fury as his flames rose up in response to his anger and hatred. Syaoran could feel himself being pushed back as his lightning spell was proving the weaker before his opponent's flames.
Phoenix could feel his victory at hand until…
"Cho-ine! Thunder! Saikooo!"
A jolt of green lightning suddenly joined with Syaoran's lightning spell, taking the form of a green energy dragon that wrapped about Syaoran's lightning and joined in pushing back Phoenix's fire.
"Hughes?!" Syaoran said in surprise to find Wizard standing beside him, adorned in his green Hurricane Dragon Style armor. Wizard's Thunder spell and Syaoran's spell were succeeding in not just rivaling Phoenix's attack but also seemed to be winning out as the Phantom was starting to lose ground as was being pushed back from the force of their clash.
"Give it all you've got my friend!" Carter shouted as he channeled more mana into his spell. "We've got to end this here and now!"
"Right!"
"Keep dreaming!" Phoenix roared in denial. "There's no way in hell I'm losing to you!"
"Together now, Syaoran-kun!"
"Ah!"
"FINALE!"
Boom!
Phoenix's flames were extinguished in a crash of thunder and a flash of lightning and the Phantom was instantly blown to pieces by the beam of decimating electricity. As if in response to its master's demise, the wall of flames encircling them suddenly sputtered out and died down. The two mages slunk in exhaustion as their friends came to greet them, Kero had to support both Yukito; who had been heavily wounded by Phoenix, and Meilin, who was suffering from a leg wound also caused by Phoenix. Sakura suddenly jumped onto Syaoran much to his shock.
"S-Sakura?!" He was then shocked further to see that that she was crying as she nestled her head into his chest.
"Thank goodness! Thank goodness!"
"Looks like things turned out differently than you thought, huh Sakura-chan." Wizard chuckled as he held a hand out to the two younger mages.
"Hughes…thank you. I can't imagine how that fight may have turned out if you hadn't stepped in." Syaoran took the older man's hand and smiled in gratitude to his comrade. Sakura looked to the two and a wide smile crossed her face as she rubbed the tears away. It didn't come true. Carter had defied fate's expectations and saved Syaoran single handedly. Once again, this miraculous man had beaten the odds to save the day in the end. He once again showed her what it meant to be a Kamen Rider.
"I…won't let it…end here!" The group's eyes widened in shock, they all heard the originless voice but they just couldn't believe it. Not now!
Tiny spouts of flame spontaneously flared to life around the battle field, each flame grew from a piece of charred rubble that littered the area. The chunks of rubble started to move, rolling to a central point where they gathered together. The group watched in horror as the tiny points of fire leaped into the air and combined, forming an all too familiar shape.
"I told you, countless times already." The Phantom said in the form of Tai En. "I am the Immortal Phoenix! And I am your end!" Phoenix spread his arms out wide as twin jets of flame in the shape of massive wings engulfed his limbs. "Burn in hell!" Phoenix brought his arms together in a clapping motion, the gigantic wings crashed together and merged as an immense firestorm that raced toward them.
No not all of them. The inferno was aimed directly at…
"Sakura! Gaki! Get out of the way!" Kero warned, but to no avail. The flames were coming on too fast.
"Sakura!" Syaoran attempted to shield Sakura's body with his own but she would not budge from her spot beside him. He saw in her eyes the same hopelessness that pooled in his own. They both knew there was no escaping the flames and no way either of them would survive it. Their only solace, was being able to die next to the person they loved most. Sakura embraced Syaoran as he still took a position in front of her though with his back turned as he hugged her back, to spare her the sight of the inevitable. Syaoran knew the time had come for as the flames drew closer his shadow grew larger, not much time now. Just as he felt the intense heat lick at his turned back, Syaoran blinked, his shadow had just been engulfed by an even more immense shadow.
Boom!
Meilin stared horror struck. Two of her best friends had been utterly engulfed in flames right before her eyes, and she sat her unable to save them. Wounded leg or not, she'd never felt so useless.
Kero hung his head low and grit his teeth, trying hard to fight back tears. "Dammit, not again." He muttered sorrowfully. He lost his first master after he had realized his time had come, Kero knew he did not have the power to change that. But Sakura, he was her guardian, her guide ever since she awakened as a mage. And now…
"Toya…I'm sorry. I failed you." Yukito could not fight back the tears. He had promised Toya he would use the renewed life he had granted him to live as a human but to also protect Sakura as her guardian. He could feel his other self's trepidation and despair. They had failed to keep their promise and now they had lost someone irreplaceable to them.
Phoenix cackled in glee as his ultimate attack had completely engulfed not just Li but the Card brat as well. He knew his boss wanted her alive but in his mind 'Who gives a shit!' His nemesis was dead and to have another, very annoying, victim go up in flames with him was just icing on the cake.
"Hahahahaha!" He's dead! I killed him at last!" Phoenix shouted his victory to the heavens as his attack began to die down. "What do you have to say to that, damn mahousukai!?" Phoenix searched the area for the sight of his remaining nemesis. He expected the compassionate protector of hope to be prostrated in the dirt, cursing himself for being the pathetic failure that he was. Or perhaps the Kamen Rider, maddened with fury and crying out for revenge, would attack him again and the two could finally finish their long awaited final fight. The battle hungry Phantom liked that idea more than the first actually.
But the magician was nowhere in sight. Not among his two victims remaining comrades and he was not trying to move in for a sneak attack again. So where did he go?
As Phoenix's attack finally ceased to nothing but embers, Phoenix and the three remaining finally saw what had happened to their two friends.
"No way…it can't be! There's no way in hell!" Phoenix cried out in denial and outrage. Sakura and Syaoran were fine! Their clothes were slightly singed and they were both coughing and covered in soot, but they had no actual wounds or burns.
"Impossible… Hughes? Why would you…?"
"Syaoran-kun?" Sakura finally pulled away as Syaoran had pulled her head close to his chest as they waited for the flames to engulf them. But now that she realized they had been saved she was wondering why Syaoran was acting so strangely. "What about…" It was then that she got it. "YU-KUN!"
Large was the shadow cast by a Kamen Rider. Just as it seemed that his two friends would be assailed by the flames, Wizard had dived in the path of the oncoming storm with his body set and his arms flung out wide.
Unbelievably enough, Wizard shielding Sakura and Syaoran worked out incredibly well. His friends were completely untouched by the flames. In fact his body so completely absorbed the incinerating fire that the entire area directly behind him was untouched, creating a large imprint of his body across the untouched concrete that otherwise would have been turned to molten slag like the rest of the area around him.
Wizard himself however, faired the worst of all. His armor was still burning, his cloak like coat tails had been practically burned completely away. His chest armor had become warped and no longer resembled a dragon. The armor on his shoulders had melted to nothing but burning stubs that were beginning to fall apart. His mask was cracked and warped as well, one could not imagine what expression he was making underneath that shattered green surface. His belt miraculously still functioned but it was sparking wildly, it would fail in a matter of moments. All in all, he should not have been able to stand as he was.
"Teme!" Phoenix summoned his sword once again as he marched on the prone Rider. Never had his eyes shown such hatred, such humiliation. "Every time. Every damn time you stand in my way! Just what the hell are you?!" Wizard remained disturbingly silent. "Talk damn you!" Phoenix raised his sword with the intention of chopping the Kamen Rider in two.
"I won't let you!" Syaoran had regained his wits just enough to realize his friend was in no condition to defend himself. He rushed in with his jian ready but Phoenix simply swatted him aside as Syaoran futilely raised his blade in defense.
"Fight me! Arrogantly make those idiotic jokes of yours and raise your sword!" Sakura suddenly crossed Phoenix's path and blocked him from reaching Carter.
"Please, Yu-kun can't fight anymore! Can't we just stop this!?" Sakura begged and Phoenix looked down at her in disgust.
"Stupid girl, get out of my way!" He backhanded the Card Mistress across the side of her face, sending her crashing to the ground. Sakura bit back the pain from the blow as tears welled in her eyes.
"Sakura!" Syaoran glared furiously at the man who dared strike his beloved. "Tai En you'll pay for tha-"
Wham!
The every one's eyes suddenly widened in shock and awe. In one instantaneous flurry of a moment, Wizard had suddenly sprang to life once more. His fist instantly collided with the side of Phoenix's face, sending the red Phantom reeling back, partly in pain partly from shock.
"So you've got some fight in you after all." Phoenix cackled in glee. Wizard stood still in mid punch motion, his body convulsed rhythmically as he took in breath after ragged breath.
"Phoenix…" Carter growled lowly. A piece of his mask finally broke off from its whole. "Phoenix…how dare you!?"
The Phantom instantly went rigged. That eye. That blue eye was not the eye of a human being. It was neither man nor was it a mindless beast. It was frightening to look at. Phoenix…was frightened. "I can't…move." He tried to force his legs to move, make his arms raise his sword, summon his flames, but nothing. Every cell in his body was scared shitless.
"Phoenix!" Wizard leaped in once again, this time his fist drove straight into Phoenix's stomach, forcing the Phantom to hack as he hunched over in pain. "You will pay! Yes you will pay!" Wizard grasped Phoenix's lowered head and brought his knee into Phoenix's face, forcing his head back into the air, only for a hook from Wizard to bash it to the side again. "For Sakura-chan's pain!" A roundhouse kick to the Phantom's exposed side. "For Syaoran-kun's pain!" Wizard's elbow smashed into Phoenix's jaw knocking him backwards but Wizard wouldn't let him escape. "For Yue's pain!" Wizard drove blow after blow into Phoenix's body, roaring like a beast as Phoenix cried out in pain. "For Meilin-chan's! Kero's! Kotani-san's! Aoki-san's! Mihara-san's! You hurt all of them!" Carter finished his barrage with an uppercut that knocked the Phantom off his feet.
"This is your end!" Carter pressed in one last time while Phoenix was still mid fall. He pulled his fist back, his knuckles cracked harshly as blood from his bruised hand caked his gloved fingers. "PHOENIX!"
Wham!
Phoenix's broken body twisted through the air limply until it crashed in a heap upon the ground. The Phantom laid motionless, his body un able to move but his eyes still alive and showing the turmoil he felt after being inflicted such a devastating loss. "No…way!" Phoenix gurgled in agony before once again, exploding in utter defeat.
Carter stood over the destruction of his hated foe. His was breath ragged and irregular and his fist were bruised and caked in his own blood. He turned to look back at his friends who starred at him, casting him looks of awe and shock. Carter tried to take in one more choked breath and then collapsed back down to his knees before falling onto his side. The WizarDriver sparked a few more times before the sparks finally died out and Wizard's destroyed armor fell to pieces off of him. Sakura and Syaoran rushed to their fallen friend's side, desperately trying to stir him awake once more only to find that his eyes were glazed over, unseeing.
A good distance away, cloaked in black and hidden in shadows. The four cloaked figures watched as the battle had reached its conclusion. Three of them shared an opinion.
"That…can't be a human being." The figure with the yellow ring, named Land, stated the observation they knew was shared by the two trembling companions beside them. The last however watch the fight with a different feeling. He was trembling but where his companions were filled with horror he felt excitement and satisfaction.
"Magnificent." Flame grinned expectantly.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
God I love anime. I love how this fic lets me exploit the things I love most about anime.
Quite the exciting chapter we got this week right guys. And the fun's just beginning. The final climax of Phoenix and our heroes' battle is just around the corner and with it comes a long awaited introduction to our series.
You know what time it is? (Des-D. pulls out a dinner bell)
Ring-a, dong-ding, ding-ding-ding-ding!
I do not own Kamen Rider or Cardcaptor Sakura
Note: If you have opinions about what you believe the future of my story will be like, due in part to my less than subtle writing style, please pm me instead of voicing them in reviews. Let's not spoils those who are new or who I can actually somehow fool. Later!
Double Note!: Slight Rewrite! Looked back over that last segment and realized i did not like, it was not Carter at all. So no roar, that's just dumb. Don't know what i was thinking.
