Many screams and shouts filled Gold Beach as Ethan and Wendy arrived. It didn't take long to see why people were in a panic. "The animated... they're attacking?!" Ethan said confused. "Something's wrong with them. Look at their faces!" Wendy pointed out. All the animated who were attacking had glowing yellow eyes and mouths. "What is going on?" Wendy asked. Ethan grit his teeth as he looked toward Bass'ken Lake. The fog over it must be the cause. Another scream caught his attention back to the current situation. A group of anchor bugs had a couple of people surrounded. "We have to help them!" Wendy said as she charged forth with Ethan not far behind. With a few shots of light magic they got the anchor's attention, but made little damage. "Welp, it was worth a shot." Ethan said with a sweatdrop as the anchor bugs all turned to him and Wendy. They backed up as the bugs neared and Ethan kept Wendy behind him. The sand suddenly began to shift under the anchor bugs who quickly became confused. A bunch of lances then shot out of the ground sending the bugs flying. "Huzzah!" Shouted a group of sandcastle golems as they emerged. For some reason they were wearing old medieval helmets on top of their bucket ones. "The cavalry has arrived!" One shouted. Ethan's eye twitched a bit. "You can't be serious..." He said. They couldn't be... "Oh my, it would seem a devastating affliction has fallen upon many citizens of Sandalot! Men, we must do our best to protect them!" One with a crown stated. Ethan's eye twitched more. These sandcastle golems... were either a group of LARPers... or in the wrong century. "Welp... reinforcements are reinforcements I guess." The bunny said with a sigh. He then looked back at Bass'ken Lake. "I hope the others are doing ok."
~ Ch.5: Jack'O Rot's Full Power Revealed!
"Do you think Buzzkill can take on the Jack'O Rot?" Nina asked. A sudden thought crossed her mind. "Wait, what if he gets controlled like everything else?!" The nightfright panicked. "I think it'll need to stay still for that." Remmy said before zooming a screen on the console. "Its rapid spinning is keeping a vortex of clean air around it." The zurg stated before chuckling and continuing. "That advantage plus Buzzkill being a good twice as big as the Jack'O Rot, I would say Buzzkill has this battle won." Remmy let out a cheer. The Jack'O Rot was getting hit, slashed, and tossed. The ones under its control couldn't help either as the area kept shaking from the battle, leaving them knocked to the ground. Buzzkill charged at the pumpkin once more and sent it flying a ways away into a tree that got smashed down. For a few seconds, Jack'O Rot wasn't moving. Buzzkill was about to burrow back underground when a distorted growl caught his attention. The pumpkin picked itself up with its vines and glared at Buzzkill. Its eyes had changed. They now held nothing but a dark void of black. It let out the loudest roar it could. So loud that everyone had to cover their ears. The air began twisting and churning as gale winds swept through. "What's happening?!" Nina shouted trying to be heard over the wind and roaring. Remmy tried reading the console but the roar was causing interference. When he got it working the reading weren't good.
From Gold Beach, the Jack'O Rot's roar was heard loud and clear. "What is that ghastly noise?" A sandcastle golem asked. "I have no idea but it cannot be good." Ethan said. "Whatever it may be, if it threatens our dear Sandalot, it shall feel the might of the great blade exsandiber!" Another golem said as its lance arm molded into a sword arm. Ethan's eye twitched once more as he fired magic at another nearing anchor bug.
The Jack'O Rot's roar seemed like it wouldn't end. The wind was ripping through the air and made Nina and Diesel have to come down to the ground. When the roaring finally ceased, so did the winds. The calm was short lived as energy crackled through the air... and the Jack'O Rot let out another great roar into the heavens. This time the winds all centered onto the rotten pumpkin and carried the dense fogs of Orange and black with it. As the fog neared the rotten pumpkin it was absorbed. As more of the fog was sucked up, its effect was swiftly noticed. "It's growing! The Jack'O Rot's making itself stronger!" Remmy panicked. As the Jack'O rot grew, its grotesque vines twitched and darkened till they were pitch black before convulsing inward. The vines all gathered under the now quarter sized bigger then before pumpkin and began raising it up. The vines constricted and melded together as they raised the pumpkin higher and higher. To the horror of everyone, a familiar form began to take shape. "It... can't be..." Buzzkill stated in disbelief at the sight. Diesel, Remmy and Nina were all in disbelief as well. If it weren't for the rot dripping from its head... if it weren't for the now pale white face... if it weren't for the vines hanging limply across it's body... the beast before them would easily resemble... "Jack... no... You're an imposter of Jack..." Buzzkill said with a glare. "Just what the hell are you?" The drill asked darkly. The beast grinned wickedly before opening its jagged mouth, an orange haze seeping out. "I am... a rotten trick."
Everyone was stunned silent at Jack'O Rot's new form. Diesel meanwhile was scanning him. "This is troubling. I detect no clear weaknesses." The mech informed. "Then... what can we do?" Nina asked. "We hope Buzzkill can still win." Remmy said as he clenched a fist. The drill in question glared at Jack'O Rot. "Your new form may scare others but I won't be intimidated. You're nothing but a fake." Buzzkill stated with hate as he gave a spin of the blade around him. "A fake you say? Hmmhmmhmm. You think I'm trying to be Jack? No... I am much... much worse." Jack'O rot said with a wickedly crooked smile. The two giant beings then matched glares. "How about we see just how bad you really are!" Buzzkill shouted as he spun rapidly approaching the rotting Jack. Before he hit, Jack'O Rot raised a vine covered arm and caught hold of Buzzkill's blade. At first the blade seemed to be cutting through the hand holding it, but it began slowing to a halt as Jack'O rot's vines took hold as well. Buzzkill gasped in shock as he was left immobile from the pumpkin's grasp. "Not the smartest idea, attacking something so much stronger than you." Jack'O Rot stated as he tightened his hold on Buzzkill's blade. The vines began wrapping around Buzzkill as well and constricted hard around him. The drill let out a shout of pain. Cracks began forming around where the vines tightened. "No! We have to do something!" Nina exclaimed in worry for Buzzkill. "Damnit! Hang on ya drillbit, we're coming!" Remmy said as he swiftly hit various buttons on Diesel's console and the mech charged forth. The mech's armor sunk in and his gun arm swung inward, being replaced by a sword with a pumpkin hilt. His other arm became engulfed in a flexible metal that took the shape of a claw. His rockets split open releasing six golden metal wings. "J-Series form!" Diesel and Remmy said in unison as the mech swiftly slashed through the arm of Jack'O Rot.
Jack'O Rot let out a shriek of anger as his amputated arm and vines fell motionless to the floor. Diesel and Remmy paid him no mind as they checked on Buzzkill who collapsed to the ground. "Hey, are you alright?" Diesel asked. The giant drill groaned as he turned his gaze to the mech. "Obviously not..." the drill said with a wince. "Take it easy. You're heavily damaged, but we know someone who can fix you up quick." Diesel informed. "YOU INFERIOR PIECE OF SCRAP!" Jack'O Rot screeched in anger. Diesel turned to the pissed off pumpkin beast. Jack'O Rot seemed to be melting more than usual and was releasing thick plumes of the toxic haze from spots that melted through. "I think we gave him a meltdown." Remmy said with a nervous chuckle. "I'M GONNA DESTROY YOU!" The rotten jack declared as his vines whipped in a frenzy. Diesel was swift to dodge all the vines as they whizzed by. "Is that the best you got?" Remmy taunted. A vine then managed to strike diesel in the side, sending the mech crashing northward. Jack'O Rot chuckled darkly as he slowly made his way in that direction. Making sure to stay out of sight, Nina swiftly made her way to Diesel.
The surprise strike did major damage to Diesel's systems, but he managed to stay online. With a groan of pain and crackles from his servos he got to his feet. "Rem-... are y- a-ight?" The mech stuttered with static asking his pilot. No response, the zurg was knocked out. "Dam-t..." The mech said as he took a few steps. His sensors glitched and he ended up tripping over something hidden in the grass. With a bit of difficulty getting up with his systems slowly failing, the mech picked up and looked at what he tripped on. "Diesel!" He heard a shout. Looking up he saw Nina running up. "Diesel, are you ok? Is Remmy ok?" The nightfright worried. Diesel tried to speak but only made static. Instead he decided to give a light nod. "That's good to know. We have to hurry, Jack'O Rot is coming this way!" Nina informed. Diesel shook his head. "T-o... dam-ged..." The mech managed to say through heavy static. "He'll... ca-ch... us." He continued. Nina didn't know what to do. They couldn't fight that rotting pumpkin beast, he was too powerful. The nightfright then caught sight of the strange device Diesel was holding. "Diesel, what is that?" She asked, pointing at the strange thing. It looked like a strange contraption made with a needle and sawblade. Diesel ran a quick scan through his database and recognized the device from records of events during the fight against the animated. "THERE YOU ARE!" Came a booming shout. Jack'O Rot had found them. Diesel handed the device to Nina. "Win-mill... quic-ly..." He said through thick static. He then gave a light punch to his chestplate with a static cough. "You're not seriously thinking of fighting in this state are you?!" Nina asked in shock. "Go... will stall... long as... possible..." The mech stated. Nina hesitated and looked to the approaching pumpkin beast. "Go... Now!" Diesel ordered. With one last look at Diesel, she turned and began running to the windmill.
Nina ran as fast as she could to the windmill. When she got there she looked around a bit lost. "Oh, I wish I knew what I'm supposed to do with this thing." She said with a look at the strange contraption she was carrying. A rustling sound caught her attention and she turned to the source. She backed up in shock at the sight with misted eyes. "N-Neko?" She said as she saw her controlled friend. His eyes and mouth were bright yellow surrounding a void of black. The feline let out a feral hiss as his fur stood on end. Nina slowly kept backing away until she found the wall of the windmill behind her. She glanced behind herself at the wall before looking back at the approaching feline who had claws ready to strike. Something flew passed behind him and crashed into a nearby tree drawing his and Nina's attention. It was Diesel... which meant... Nina quickly looked in the direction the mech came from and saw Jack'O Rot approaching. Time was running out. She turned back to Neko. "Forgive me for this." She said as she summoned a wing and flung an energy wave at the feline, hitting him back against a tree and knocking him out. She then turned to the windmill and looked for any clue on what to do. Jack'O Rot was approaching faster now. Nina found a spot on the windmill that looked like something once was there. Looking from that spot to the contraption she tried attaching it to the spot and the sawblade began spinning against the needle.
A horrific screech rung out as the sawblade and needle scraped together. Nina and Jack'O Rot covered their ears from the noise. "WHAT DID YOU DO?!" The rotten pumpkin demanded as a sudden darkness filled the air. Jack'O Rot and Nina looked up and in the sky a flock of something was flying in fast. It was a flock of flying giftboxes, and they were screeching in hunger. At the site of them, Nina quickly dived into some nearby bushes. Jack'O rot could only watch wide eyed as the giftboxes zeroed in on him and attacked. Nina covered her eyes to what came next as she heard the rotten pumpkin's screams with the sounds of snapping, chomping, and gnawing. When the sounds finally ceased she looked out of her hiding spot, all that was left of Jack'O Rot was the footprints of where he stood. Nina couldn't believe what she just witnessed but a groan of pain got her attention. Neko was getting up and there was a distinct lack of yellow on his face. "What... happened?" He groaned in pain as he held his head. Before he could take in his surroundings, he was caught into a tight hug from Nina. "Wha-!" He gasped in shock at the unexpected action. He was about to question what happened as he had no memory after the approach of the sawmill but the sound of Nina crying kept him silent. "You're alright. I thought you might be gone forever." The nightfright said as she tightened her hug on the feline. Neko didn't know how to respond, so he wrapped his arms around Nina in a reassuring hug. The two stayed in each other's arms until the sound of a cough was heard. "Umm, we're not interrupting anything are we?" Remmy said with a smirk as Diesel was supporting himself on a tree trunk. Neko and Nina immediately released each other from their hug. "N-not at all!" They said in unison. Remmy just kept smirking and chuckled.