Chapter 43
'Gwen? Gwen! You must wake up! It is urgent that you awaken!'
Gwen groaned as she reached up and rubbed her aching head, slowing returning to the conscious world. "Andromeda, what happened?"
'We were caught unprepared. The trap was not from Ezekiel but from the dummy that Elliot threw into the volcano.' Andromeda explained.
"That's right, the explosion." Gwen looked around and noticed everything was tinted red, even the knocked out contestants surrounding her. "A Dimension Seal Method? But why is everything tinted red and not blue?"
'It must be the effect of whatever it was in the mountain.' Andromeda surmised.
"How right you are." Gwen's head shot up, spotting Ezekiel standing at the edge of the volcano with his back facing her. "How nice that you've come to, Gwen."
Gwen summoned her sword. "Ezekiel or Nebula?"
Ezekiel chuckled. "That is the mystery isn't it? It's been so hard to keep this charade up all season."
Gwen's Star Necklace started glowing. "The Stalker in the Stars, Nebula."
"Andromeda, Heaven's Star. " Ezekiel bowed. "An honor to meet you."
"What have you done? You did something to that dummy before it was thrown into the volcano. What did you do?" Gwen demanded.
"Oh just setting things up for my boss. You Avatars made things difficult for him as you battled the other members of the Black Star." Ezekiel shrugged. "What with what happened in London, the Amazon rainforest…you've cost us quite a few of the core members."
"So…" Gwen smirked. "You're the last one. The others are either gone or banished back to the Spirit Realm."
"Yes but their loss is an inconvenience as the plan is proceeding." Ezekiel waved off the Black Star's defeat.
"What do you mean? Explain." Gwen frowned.
"The whole purpose of this season was to bring something here for my master and this vessel was necessary to bring me here." Ezekiel explained.
"Bring something?" Gwen repeated. "You mean the Red Marauder?"
"He knew that one day Carlos and the Fiery King of the Inferno, Warhawk would find him, so he set up a little surprise." Ezekiel gestured to the volcano. "And it's ready now."
"For what?" Gwen had a bad feeling where this was going.
"Did you ever wonder why there was no sighting the Marauder for such a long time? He sealed himself in this volcano to avoid being found by Warhawk's avatar. So he's been looking for ways to…tip the balance of power in his favor." Ezekiel explained with a sick grin on his face.
"And for that he sealed himself in a volcano?" Gwen questioned.
"There was a special reason for that." Ezekiel chuckled sinisterly. "Spirits that have a need to devour life energy usually seek out humans but there are other ways to increase their power…Such as…Merging with a specific location full of life, or more specifically full of energy that they can absorb over time. Let's take thermal energy for instance, humanity can't efficiently harvest it and are too impatient or lazy to try, but a spirit on the other hand has something they don't: all the time in the world."
Gwen's eyes widened as the volcano exploded again, releasing a stream of red light that shot into the air. 'Oh my God.'
'Gwen run. Run. NOW!' Andromeda shouted.
'Just one thing.' Gwen turned to the knocked out Total Drama contestants. 'I can't abandon them like this. Star Burst!'
From Gwen's necklace came a series of glowing stars that shot towards the contestants along with Chris and Chef and lifted them off the ground, taking them off the volcano while Gwen started running.
"Andromeda, what's going on? I thought only Elemental Spirits could merge with an area!" Gwen shouted as she ran down the volcano.
"It is possible for other spirits to do the same but to be able expand their bodies and powers out is risky, even for high class spirits." Andromeda stated, her voice serious and wary. "The entire island is becoming the Red Marauder's body, and for that to happen he would have had to go very deep into the Earth. And the power needed to accomplish that…No, he couldn't have."
"Couldn't have what?" Gwen looked down at her necklace. "Give it to me straight Andromeda!"
"It's possible the Marauder has found a way to harness the power of the World's Life Energy itself, the Sea of Absolution." Andromeda answered.
Gwen's eyes widened as she almost stopped running. "Wh-what?!"
Xxx
"Kurt, how does reincarnation work?" A twelve year old Gwen asked, going through her studies on the Spirit Realm and came across an article on human reincarnation.
"Wanting to skip ahead, huh little Gwen?" Kurt asked, sounding amused as he walked over the table Gwen was sitting at. "What's so hard to understand?"
"Well where does the human soul go and how does it come back?" Gwen asked, trying to understand how the whole reincarnation thing worked.
"Well, life is basically a cycle. Life is born and then dies. The body is recycled, plants are eaten by other plants or animals, the same going for animals while the human body decomposes and becomes food for the plants. That's the basic cycle but it's common in many religions that almost all things have souls and have some sort of life force that dies they go to their designated Heaven or Hell." Kurt began. "They are right for the most part as this 'afterlife' takes the form of a sea, an ocean that has no limits. This sea exists between our world and the Spirit Realm but the only way to reach it is buried deep in the Earth, almost at the very core of the Earth. It does make sense as the Earth's core is what helps keeps this planet alive and the 'ocean' acts as a stream that can allow deceased to become spirits in the Spirit Realm or be reincarnated. We call it the Sea of Absolution."
"The Sea of Absolution?" Gwen repeated.
"Yes, the Sea of Absolution. While appearing as a sea it is made up of a complete spiritual matter and when a person dies their life energy becomes a simple drop in a giant ocean. Energy can't be destroyed, it can only be channeled into something else. The life energy leaves the human body along with the soul and takes the form of a drop that is carried through the Sea of Absolution and from there they can become spirits or be reincarnated into a new form of life. It just depends on the individual, some having unfinished business and become spirits and while the rest can be reincarnated through the soul's will that is shared by the collective thoughts of the dead in the sea." Kurt explained. "It's a simple system but it can be divided into positive and negative forms."
"Positive and Negative?" Gwen asked.
"The Sea of Absolution is influenced by the thoughts and feelings of the deceased. Specifically the Positive form of the Sea comes from those who have happy lives and died happily or at least died thinking of something positive like friends or family. The Negative form however is created by those have committed horrible and vile crimes in their lives and thus forms Negative aspect of the Sea that lives at the very bottom. They are almost forever lost in darkness since most of them are psychopaths and greedy beings who are single minded in their thoughts and thus they can't gain the self-awareness that is needed for reincarnation." Kurt explained. "For them to gain that, they would need to look beyond themselves and their own desires, and if they couldn't do that in life you can be damn sure they won't learn their lesson in death."
"So the bad guys never come back?" Gwen asked.
"That's right." Kurt nodded with a smile. "The Sea of Absolution is the great power that helps govern the worlds. Good people get to come back, and the bad stay in the darkness where they've chosen to go…and good riddance."
Xxx
Gwen remembered Kurt telling her all about the Sea of Absolution when she was younger and still wondered about it from time to time. "Andromeda, how can a spirit get close enough to reach the Sea?"
"It is hard and extremely dangerous, but it can be done with great effort and risk." Andromeda answered, sounding concerned. "If the Marauder is harnessing energy from the negative aspect of the Sea he could become a great threat to the balance of the realms. This is no longer just a threat to mankind, Gwen, it is a threat to perhaps…everything that ever is, was, or shall be."
"Okay, so what do I do against a spirit powered by the afterlife?" Gwen asked as she reached the bottom of the mountain.
"You don't. This is beyond anything you can handle, Gwen. We must summon the others here and quick." Andromeda answered as the unconscious cast was lowered down onto the beach, safe from the lava.
"How do I do that?" Gwen asked.
"Send a messenger comet out, stating it's a Class Double A Emergency." Andromeda answered.
Gwen knew what a Class Double A Emergency was as she had not only studied up on Avatar fighting but the rules and politics that governed the Spirit Realm. A Class Double A Emergency stated that a high powered spirit had appeared with enough strength to affect the planet in ways that could harm the human race. Any Avatars or spirits nearby or with the ability to reach the situation are to quickly arrive and defuse the threat as quickly as possible.
"It's really that bad." Gwen looked up at the volcano. "How did it ever come to this?"
"There is a time to wonder and a time to act, child. Now is the time to act." Andromeda stated.
"Right." Gwen closed her eyes as her star necklace flared.
A comet shot out of the island and into the sky with a message that would shoot towards the nearest Avatars and warn them of what was happening.
"Now what?" Gwen asked once she was done.
"Guh…Where's my money?" Elliot groaned as she sat up.
"Elliot!" Gwen rushed over and knelt down next to the younger girl. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine." Elliot rubbed her head. "What happened?"
"Nebulous revealed himself and the Red Marauder has unveiled a disastrous plot." Lancelot spoke from Elliot's earring.
"It's a bit of an understatement." Dawn opened her eyes. "Hi."
"Dawn are you…How long were you awake?" Gwen asked, sounding suspicious.
Dawn smiled mysteriously. "You were so keen on saving us I couldn't find in my heart to stop you."
"Oh geez." Gwen shook her head. "Can you try and focus on what's happening right now?"
"Of course." Dawn stood up. "We have an emergency."
"Yeah, I noticed." Gwen looked back up at the volcano. "I think we know where the Red Marauder is. Where's Tommy? Where's Kurt? Where the hell is Carlos?"
Xxx
"Whoa! That was close!" Carlos sighed as he walked into the hotel room he was renting, his clothes and skin smoking from his previous adventure. "Who employs floating brains in a car wash anyways? They don't even arms to operate the machinery."
"Carlos, we're getting an emergency call." Warhawk said as Carlos's cell phone started ringing.
"I hate it when you do that." Carlos grunted as he pulled out his phone. "Someone better be about to die."
"POLICE!" The door was knocked down and police officers rushed in, all of them pointing their guns at Carlos who quickly put his hands up and dropped his phone. "PUT YOUR HANDS UP AND DROP THAT PHONE!"
"Huh…Is there a problem officers?" Carlos asked with a nervous grin.
Suddenly Carlos realized that he had forgotten to make sure that anyone who had watched him torch that carwash had their memories erased.
'Oh crap! I knew I was forgetting something! If Kurt finds out I'll never hear the end of it from him or Melissa!'
'Carlos, you can be so forgetful at times.' Warhawk sighed.
'Shut up.'
Xxx
'As I awakened back into the world of the living I was greeted with a headache that felt like my head was being used like a drum-'
POW!
"Ow!" Tommy whined as he sat up. "Who did that?"
"I did!" Highlander snapped. "We don't have time for your stupid monologues!"
"Okay, okay!" Tommy stood up from the ground and saw the sky had changed from sky blue to blood red. "That's not good."
"Ya think?" Highlander grumbled. "Now hurry up and find the others!"
"Okay, okay! I'm on it!" Tommy said as he started running.
Xxx
The volcano began shooting flaming rocks that fell onto the beach and the ocean, a few of them looking very big.
"Fortify!" Gwen and Dawn shouted at the same time, creating a wall of energy that blocked any incoming rocks that would have squashed them.
"Nice teamwork you two!" Elliot cheered.
"Yeah, well it's not going to last very long." Gwen grunted as she and Dawn turned around and looked the rest of the unconscious TD cast. "…Okay, step one we get these guys off this island before we're all flattened and burned into ashes."
"And what's step two?" Dawn asked.
"We take down Nebulous." Gwen looked at Dawn. "What do you know of the Sea of Absolution?"
Dawn's eyes widened. "It's the Life Energy of Mother Earth herself. No spirit in their right mind would dare tamper with that power."
The island was rocked with an earthquake.
"I ha-hate t-to bre-ak it t-to you Da-Dawn but…" Elliot stuttered from the ground shaking and fell on her butt. "Neither Nebulous or the Marauder have a right mind!"
"She's right, Dawn. So how can a spirit tamper with the Sea?" Gwen asked once the shaking stopped.
Dawn frowned. "It would have to be reached first but since the Sea is the Life Energy of Mother Earth itself it would take a heavy amount of energy and complicated Methods to even set up a connection from this plane of existence to the Sea. The kind of energy can be life energy….spiritual energy released from spirits that are hunted down and killed by Avatars."
Gwen and Elliot's eyes widened as Elliot stuttered. "B-But we've been fighting spirits through the entire season! Egypt, Germany, New York, the Amazon, Newfoundland, Paris, London, the Drumheller…"
"We were set up." Gwen's eyes widened. "That's why we fought rogue spirits or the members of the Black Star. It was all to set up this."
"A series of Methods to bridge a certain location to the Sea of Absolution." Dawn narrowed her eyes. "The entire season was just part of the Red Marauder's strategy."
"But for what?" Gwen asked, trying to comprehend why this all happened. "Why put us all through that?"
"Gwen can you imagine the amount of power the Sea of Absolution, the life force of the planet itself has and how much it could power say…a class one specter? Imagine the specter having the power of ten Andromedas." Dawn stated grimly.
Gwen's eyes widened in shock when Dawn said that as she knew better than anyone how powerful Andromeda truly was. "The sea can make someone that powerful?"
"That and more." Andromeda stated, sounding just as grim as Dawn. "The entire world is in danger for if a rogue spirit uses the Sea of Absolution they risk draining the world of life."
"What can we do stop it?" Elliot asked.
"There are two options but both are of great risk. The first option is return to the sites of each battle and attempt to cut the connection." Andromeda answered. "Avatars would have to do so at the sites of great battles throughout history to prevent such an occurrence, but those events had required the deaths of thousands in order to achieve what the Marauder has done with only a few destroyed spirits."
"Well we don't have the time to fly back to almost every country on the planet. What's the second option?" Gwen asked.
"Go up the mountain and dive in."
The three starred at Gwen's star necklace with looks of doubt and shock on their faces.
"Andromeda say what?" Elliot asked.
"If the volcano is the center of the connection that has been set up than theoretically an Avatar can travel through it and reach the Sea of Absolution itself." Andromeda clarified.
"Still sounds like one of us turning into an old fashion sacrifice?" Gwen commented. "Who'd be crazy enough to try that?"
"Yo!"
"AH!" Gwen and Elliot jumped when someone spoke from right behind them and when they spun around they saw who it was. "CARLOS!"
"That's my name, ladies." Carlos said with a grin. "I finally made it."
"Where the hell have you been?" Gwen asked.
"I got sidetracked by spirits resembling floating brains that tried to turn me into one of them by separating my brain from my body and then I got sidetracked by the police department. A few of them knew me and thought I was delusional and dangerous." Carlos answered, making sound like weather news.
"…What?" Gwen asked.
"It's all water under the bridge. I had a good lawyer who was actually an avatar who managed to convince the Judge I was not flight risk or a danger to society. Honestly you blow just one lousy shopping mall and you get labelled 'insane and dangerous arsonist' for the rest of your miserable life. It's not like I knew what was in that kitchen pot." Carlos waved off Gwen's question. "Anyways I heard what was happening. It figures he would go this far."
"You know it's the Marauder?" Gwen asked.
"Who else would be psychotic enough to endanger the entire planet?" Carlos asked darkly as he stepped forward. "He is a psychopath and a coward. He knows he can't win in a one on one fight with me at full power so he's getting a power boost. Or as we in the game community call it: being a cheating A-Hole."
"He's getting this power just to kill you?" Gwen questioned skeptically. "Is he that terrified of Warhawk?"
"It's what he does, Gwen. He destroys lives and when a bigger predator comes he panics. Psychopaths say they don't panic but that's lie. They are just as fearful as ordinary creatures and they hide, waiting for the right time to strike and from a place where they can be in control. That's the Marauder's MO and he's become so desperate to kill me that this is his master plan." Carlos explained in a hollow tone. "His final move to try and kill the Avatar of one of the only spirits that can kill him once and for all. I've chased him up and down the planet and he's been on the run, finding rogue spirits to cover for him to try and lead me off the trail but I keep on getting closer and closer to finding him. This is why he formed the Black Star and came here, it's his last resort."
"A cornered animal." Dawn whispered. "Always the most dangerous prey of all."
"Exactly, Dawn." Carlos nodded. "And now I'm going to watch him burn, and I'm going to be the one to light the flame. Keep an eye on everyone down here while I finish this."
"Carlos, wait. You can't just go up there and face him if he's become more powerful. You need help, you need backup." Gwen protested.
"And who is that backup, Gwen? You three? You might have been though a lot but you're not powerful or experienced enough for this." Carlos retorted as he took a step forward.
"Then call Kurt and have him back you up. You two used to hunt together right? He can stop this" Gwen suggested, remembering Kurt's skills.
"Kurt is on the other side of the planet setting up precautions for a problem like this. By the time he portals in this entire island will sink to the bottom of the sea…Kind of like Atlantis did when Kurt tried to figure how it really sank." Carlos said nostalgically.
"Yeah, but…Wait a second…Carlos….Are you saying that Kurt sink Atlantis?" Gwen said when she registered what Carlos had just said and imagined what her crazy mentor could have done to sink an entire island.
Xxx
"So this is the lost city of Atlantis huh? Looks cozy." Kurt commented, looking around the beautiful city. "I wonder how it sank."
He stared in awe at the exquisite architecture, browsed through market places selling items that would be priceless antiques in his era…and took a moment to admire the women who wore little more than a simple toga and sandals.
"Oh man…I could get used to this," Kurt muttered, "But I've gotta know how it happened…it's not like this whole island is on a fault line or something, right?"
He held up a small hand-held computer that he had modified with Methods to enhance its performance. "Now, if I was a rogue spirit looking to sink an advanced city, where would I strike? Ah ha…" He focused on a disturbance detected beneath the island. "There we are…right at the bottom, hiding from me."
Kurt smirked, "Okay, just need to send a single Chrono-Pulse to send him back to the future, I can go home and it won't affect the island at-"
He tapped the screen, triggering a method that targeted the hidden spirit and transported it back through time…
Unfortunately the island began to shake almost immediately.
Kurt glanced around urgently. "…all?"
The ground began to crack beneath his feet as the citizens screamed in terror and began to flee.
"Oh…so it was on a fault line," Kurt swallowed as water rushed in from the harbour and began to lap around his ankles. "…I hope Carlos never finds out about this."
Unfortunately, back in the twenty first century, Carlos could be found sitting in Kurt's shop and laughing his head off as he stared at a book created by the Avatars to chronicle certain events throughout the planet's history.
"Kurt my friend," Carlos snickered, "You're a huge part of history!"
He slapped himself on the thigh and dropped the book, which showed an image of Kurt standing in ankle deep water and holding the very computer he had shown Carlos before travelling back in time not five minutes ago…which was just before the book, which was enchanted with methods to only show information at the appropriate time, unlocked and flipped to this particular page.
Needless to say the entire order would know about it by the time Kurt returned.
Xxx
"I know," Carlos nodded, "I was surprised too, but that doesn't matter right now…we have a mad spirit who has had one hell of a beating coming to him for a long time and I'd like to get to it if nobody would mind."
"Carlos wait!" Gwen called out but Carlos was already on the move as he jumped into the air and shot towards the top of the mountain like rocket. "Ugh! He never listens! We need to cut off that Method, not rush into the trap like an idiot!"
"You know him best, Gwen." Elliot commented.
"HEY!" The three girls turned their heads to see Tommy coming out of the forest. "I MADE IT! I'M ALIVE! I NEVER THOUGHT I'D-"
"Will you hurry up?!" Highlander snapped.
"All right, all right!" Tommy said as he walked up to the girls. "So what did I miss?"
"Nebulous set off a series of Methods that are opening this place up to the Sea of Absolution." Dawn answered.
"Ha….Should have seen that coming. After all, it is common knowledge how dangerous the Stalker in the Stars and what he might just-"
"Knock it off!" Highlander snapped again.
"Does he always do these monologues?" Elliot asked.
"All the freaking time. I can never get him to shut up. I swear the Spirit Realm must have hated me for some reason to make me offer the contract to this over-talkative bubble brain. I can't even get him to not do these stupid monologues when we're in the middle of a fight." Highlander complained.
"Hey, these monologues are for a good reason!" Tommy said to defend himself.
"There's a reason?" Gwen and Elliot asked at the same time.
"Yes! I'll have you know I'm practicing for writing a book about my adventures as a Spirit Avatar and I need to practice what I'm going to say so it will be interesting." Tommy explained.
"Why not write them all down instead of saying them out loud?" Dawn asked.
…
…
…
…
…
"I never thought of that." Tommy answered, now realizing he didn't have to monologue.
"Of course not." Highlander said to himself.
"So what do we do now, Gwen?" Elliot asked, getting back on track.
"I don't know." Gwen sighed. "I need to contact Kurt and let him know what's happening. Hopefully Carlos can look after himself."
"Of course he can. He's the Avatar of Warhawk, the Flaming King of the Inferno. He's taken down rogues and demons much bigger and scarier than you or I." Tommy shrugged with a smile. "He even burned Jack the Ripper to death for good. And that's what makes Warhawk, the Flaming King of the Inferno so terrifying. His wrath is feared across the cosmos-"
"Someone slap him!" Highlander said.
"Gladly." Elliot cracked a fist.
"Okay I'll stop!" Tommy raised both hands in defence. "I'm focusing now! See me focusing!"
"I believe we should follow Carlos." Dawn spoke up.
"But Dawn, we don't know what we'll run into. We could end up getting in Carlos's way." Gwen pointed out.
"Perhaps but a threat to the planet is too great for a single Avatar. We are the only guardians against this threat and thus it falls onto us to make sure it is stopped." Dawn explained serenely.
Gwen and Elliot glanced at each and then back at Dawn.
"You got a point." Gwen admitted.
"You are always right." Elliot pouted.
"She's good." Tommy said.
"She was always good with words." Luna stated with pride.
"Thank you." Dawn smiled.
"Okay, we'll go after Carlos." Gwen sighed but smiled. "The idiot will need our help anyways whether he admits it or not."
"YAY! Back up the volcano!" Elliot cheered, despite how dangerous it sounded. "Let's go!"
"Is she always this cheerful?" Tommy asked.
"Yes." Gwen and Dawn answered at once.
Xxx
Carlos jumped up the mountain, his spiritually powered body allowing him to make high jumps and land softly on the ground which greatly shortened the trip up to the top. He easily reached the top of the volcano in under a minute and once he was at top he could feel a great deal of power coming from inside the mountain.
"So he's charging himself up, huh?" Carlos grunted. "He'll need all the help he can get against me."
"That is if you even make it, Carlos."
Carlos spun around and saw Ezekiel standing a few feet away. "Nebula, the Stalker in the Stars."
"How nice of you to remember me." Ezekiel grinned as his eyes flashed gold. "Pardon me while I make a quick change."
Carlos watched as a golden aura engulfed Ezekiel and his form started expanding and changing. Ezekiel let out a scream as his human body vanished and in its place was a giant snake like creature with a black body riddled with glowing stars making the snake resemble a literal representation of space itself. Its eyes glowed bright like twin suns and when it opened its mouth a ball of flaming fire like a meteor shot at Carlos who quickly dodged and watched as the meteor attack vaporized the ground he had previously been standing on.
"This is no doubt Nebula's true form. A spiritual snake able to hide itself even amongst the heavens above this world." Warhawk stated.
"That's why he so hard to catch. You know the old saying 'slippery as a snake'." Carlos remarked, watching as Nebula's head turned to face him. "They're not easy to catch. You have to watch out for those poison fangs too."
"In this case it would be the fangs with enough power to melt the human body on contact. Nebula is as cunning and devious as a snake. He will not be easy to defeat." Warhawk commented.
Carlos smirked. "I was getting bored anways."
Nebula roared as it lunged at Carlos who cart-wheeled to the side and pointed a finger at the snake like beast.
"Spectral Volt!" Carlos shouted, firing a huge bolt of lightning.
Nebula dove to the ground and seemingly vanished into it without actually making a hole, dodging the Spectral Volt.
"Oh great. He slipped through with an Unauthorized Method." Carlos grumbled. "And by the looks it, I'd say it was a space time method."
"Those are always the most complex and it's been Nebula's main method of escaping the Avatars that have hunted him." Warhawk commented.
"And now he's hiding like a snake in the grass." Carlos muttered grimly as he looked around. "What's he waiting for?"
The answer to Carlos's question came in the form of multiple portals appearing around him and out of them came multiple Nebulas, surrounding Carlos and opening their mouths. From their mouths came bolts of spiritual energy that would have incinerate Carlos had he not jumped out of the way in time. Holding his fist that started glow as a fire surrounded it, Carlos punched the nearest Nebula and from his fist came a blast of fire that incinerated the serpent shaped spirit but the remaining ones kept on attacking.
"It figures he would make it difficult." Carlos grunted as he jumped and destroyed another Nebula but more portals formed and more copies of Nebula came out, firing spiritual energy bolts. "Creating clones of himself to attack from multiple angles."
"He is an experienced strategist and an expert in traps and misdirection. As we speak he could be slipping away right now." Warhawk stated.
"Oh no he won't." Carlos's eyes flashed orange as Warhawk released more of his power into his Avatar.
Like before in his first fight with Gwen his skin turned black with red veins traveling his skin that resembled lava. His eyes turned bright red and he roared, releasing fire from mouth as he slammed his fist into the ground, releasing a shockwave of flames that incinerated the Nebula clones and the portals they had emerged from. All except for one that flew out of the portal and into the sky above Carlos.
"There you are…" Carlos's demonically morphed face grinned. "Gotcha."
Carlos leapt up to attack Nebula, intending to finish him once and for all but just as Carlos was about to smash his fist into Nebula's face a portal appeared and swallowed the him up before he could react.
"So soon to react, Avatar of Warhawk." Nebula remarked as it flew into the portal after Carlos. "Your impatience will be your downfall."
Xxx
Gwen grunted as she and the others managed to reach the top of the volcano again. "I hated climbing up this mountain when it wasn't erupting."
"How do you think I feel? I won and I still haven't got my money." Elliot grumbled as she looked around. "Hey…Where's Carlos?"
Gwen looked around but couldn't see or sense Carlos. "Oh great. Not again."