Ch.86: Darkness Collides! A New Side of an Old Friend!
"Okay…Cheri, you're turn," Carrie said, passing over a pair of dice to the Pikachu.
Cheri juggled the dice in her hands, glaring with absolute focus on the board. They were playing a board game that required them to circle around a complicated path repeatedly, collecting treasure from King Midas. Whoever got the most treasure after bleeding the king dry of gold.
Cheri blew into her hand and gave the dice another shake. "Alright…hiya!" She threw the dice on the board. The bounced a couple times before landing on four and one. "Five!" She took her piece—which was a shoe—and moved it five spaces, landing on a green space. "Mystery Cards!" She took a card and read it.
"This should be good," Nebula mumbled, lazily hanging over the side of a bed.
"Hmm…hehehe! 'Plunder your opponent when their back is turned! Steal five gold from any player of your choice!'" She looked around, then singled out Faye. "Hand over ye gold, landlubber!" she demanded with a thick, pirate accent.
Faye rolled her eyes and dropped five crown shape tokens into the Pikachu's hand. "You take this game pretty seriously, kid."
"Argh, that'd be tru-ACK!" She coughed and started pounding her chest. "Egad! My throat!" She fell over on her back, coughing.
Abby chuckled as she took the dice. "Sweetie, you know pirates don't always talk like that, right? Likely for that exact reason."
Cheri sat up and rubbed her throat. "I like getting into character!"
Faye chuckled. "Eh, I know how she feels. Whenever I'm playing with my magic cards, I tend to get sucked into the fun."
"Magic cards?" Cheri repeated.
Nebula rolled onto her back. "Faye's a real geek. It's some strategy card game involving magic. She doesn't get to play it often because it's too nerdy for the rest of us."
Faye pouted. "Hey, it's a fun game!"
Nebula chuckled. "I'm sure it is, but you don't see a lot of tough guys playing Mythic Heart." Faye rolled her eyes.
"What do you mean by tough guys?" Cheri asked.
Abby giggled behind her hand while moving her piece. "Oh, Faye tends to be more attracted to tougher guys. You'd think looking for guys who like what she does would be simpler, but our Faye isn't about that!"
"Alright, enough of that!" Faye swiped the dice and threw them across the board, then moved her piece.
Cheri giggled behind her hands, then coughed again. "Ugh…stupid pirate voice."
"Didn't you say Dr. Morgan was bringing us soda?" Carrie asked.
"He left over a half hour ago. He might be on his way back." Cheri stood up and patted her pajamas off, then asked, "Where do we keep the water bottles again?"
Nebula waved her flipper around. "Do you remember where we store the food?"
"The big cart with the large freezer?"
"That one. There should be some on a shelf."
"Thanks." Cheri stepped out of the room. She poked her head back in quickly and yelled, "No cheating!" She closed the door.
They stared at the door for a moment, then Abby picked up the Mystery Cards and shuffled them. "Sis!" Carrie scolded.
"What? She would've done the same. She got way too many lucky rolls, if you ask me." She rolled her eyes. "She has the makings of a gambler, I can see it."
It took only a few minutes for Cheri to cross between the connected carts. She found the storage room and a lamp to help illuminate some things. She waved it around gently until spotting her sought treasure. A package of fresh water bottles.
She took one out of the already opened box and, after twisting the cap off, guzzled the whole thing down. Some water dripped down her chin and onto the floor from how messily she drank. Once she finished, she wiped her mouth with a satisfied sigh, then tossed the plastic bottle over her head, landing in a small waste basket.
"Much better." She turned around and headed for the doors. However, when she pulled on the handle, the door jammed up on the doorsill. "Eh?" She pulled it again, but it wouldn't open. "Um…" She set the lamp down and ran to the opposite side of the cart, racing past the freezer, and tried for the other door. It wouldn't open either. "Oh no…"
She was never told the doors locked on the inside, which would've been a major design flaw, but why were both of them shut? She even tried pushing on them, but to no avail.
She stumbled back, trying to control her chattering teeth. "Stay calm, Cheri…the girls will realize something's wrong if you don't come back soon…" She tried her best to smile, but she didn't quite have the confidence. She wasn't afraid of the dark, but she wasn't a huge fan of being left alone. "A-At least I have food if I get locked in overnight…"
She fell back on her rear, right next to the lamp, and held her cheeks as she stared down the floor with some concern. This wasn't the time to go into full on panic mode. It has only been two minutes and not everyone has gone to bed yet. Nebula, Faye, or any of the girls will come looking for her and get her out.
She scooted up to the wall and leaned against one of the shelves. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Be brave like Big Brother…be brave like Big Brother…I'm perfectly fine. I'm just trapped in the storage cart. They'll definitely find me in the morning. I…am…fine."
Saying it out loud and rationalizing her predicament in her head helped attenuate her stress. There wasn't any value in tacking on a big burden onto a minor problem. Yeah, that was the best way to look at this. She wasn't in danger, at all.
She sighed, then looked at the doors. While now she was able to stay calm, it still concerned her that the doors were locked. There was no indication from when she entered that the door was jammed, and she was certain they didn't lock automatically at a certain time. A stroke of bad luck, perhaps.
She stifled a yawn, then hugged herself as a cold wind passed through her. "Brr…that freezer must be colder than I…" She paused at the sound of a low creaking down the cart. She turned her head to the left and, as if her eyes couldn't believe it, gasped as the door shut.
…That was creepy.
Cheri stood up and raced to the door. "Hello?!" She banged her fists against the doors. "Hello?!" She stepped back, gripping tighter on her lamp handle. "Okay…that's really creepy…I didn't even hear the door open…"
She took two steps back, constantly checking her surroundings, then froze at a light metal clang hitting the floor, followed by a rolling sound coming towards her. She felt something touch her heel. She forced her fidgeting body to obey and turned around.
It was a can of sweet corn.
She picked it up, very carefully, and examined it. "How did…this fall off?"
As if things couldn't get any creepier, she finally noticed something off about the cart. A black fog with purple wisps mixed through like sparks, yet it felt bone chilling. It was just ankle deep for her, engulfing her feet in darkness. Her feet felt like they were going to freeze off. The blackness covered around her lamp, removing her only source of comforting light.
Cheri would've assumed something was off about this fog, maybe even write it off as smoke—though, this much smoke would've meant another problem—but it felt…different. Her fur tingled from a strange energy coming off the fog. She felt like she could see it with great clarity, even in the darkness. She could make out a purple aura around the black fog, blazing in the appearance of smoke.
'Is this…the darkness Big Brother warned me about?'
Her instincts were running around in different directions by now. There was nothing else in the room, at least from where she was looking. Nothing in front of her, but behind? What if this was just a trick on the mind? And if it wasn't?
Assuming there was something behind her, she had two unfavorable options. Run and hope she didn't get chased or turn around and pray to Arceus she was developing early signs of delirium? Standing still was a third option, but that did her little good either.
She tried to control her shaking body and think of a solution. She was nowhere near as clever as her brother, but she was willing to bet she picked a thing or two up from him. She just needed to be quick and analyze her situation, even if the sweat pouring down her body and heavy breaths she took were a clear sign she could die if she made the smallest error.
She tightly grasped the kerosene lamp. She clenched her teeth as tightly as she could without breaking them. Her body was nearly completely rigid, but her feet were ready to move if things got scary. She just needed to look and pray this was all in her head, then she can go back to being trapped in a food cart.
She inhaled one large breath through her mouth and closed her eyes. 'Three…two…one…NOW!'
She spun around and raised her lamp aggressively, but faltered when there was nothing. Not even the fog was behind her anymore.
"What…? Did I…really imagine all of that?" She held her forehead and contemplated whether or not she was losing her mind. "But…that felt too real…w-was I really…really…?" Her eyes dipped down and…noticed something on the floor.
Remnants of the fog…scattered into small puffs of smoke…like someone just jumped.
Cheri was numbed from her fright. Cautiously, she looked over her shoulder, with that dread coming back to her slowly. She gazed up at the ceiling, then her eyes enlarged to their fullest.
Above her was a humanoid shape. Black, lanky, sharp claws, and twisted. The shape of its arms, legs, body, and head were like they were twisted into the mangy mess. And a single red eye from the right side of its face, staring down at her.
The Pikachu was paralyzed, unable to scream, move, or turn away. Her jaw quivered, her eyes stung with tear overflowing, and her arms trembled, dropping the lamp.
The humanoid dropped down, moaning in a deathly tone. It stretched its claws, then rose to full height, almost two meters. Cheri's body was screaming to run away, get as far away from the monster as possible, but she was too stunned with fear to do anything. Staring into its singular eye felt like the burden of the entire Underworld was being pressed down on her. She was staring into the gateway of her own demise.
The humanoid raised its claws over its head, giving her one last groan. In the only action Cheri could will herself to do, she shut her eyes as the claws came swinging down.
Shiiiiing!
A strong shockwave threw Cheri onto her back. Her senses came to her and she gasped at the humanoid's now severed arm flying over her head. The floodgates released from her eyes, then she turned rigidly to see her savior in her shining glory.
The humanoid stumbled back and roared at Ava, who raised her sword construct at the monster. She was pissed. "I thought I sensed evil around here." She bared her teeth. "You have the gall to attack an innocent girl. If this were one of my daughters or my son…!" She closed her eyes, growling through her teeth. "You will not be forgiven."
The humanoid roared, then, with great speed, lunged at her. Ava deflected its claws with her swords, locked its wrist with them, and threw it across the cart. It scrambled up, then was telekinetically blasted back against the door. Ava gave it the death glare and tightened her fists, sending pressure into its head. She raised her fist up a notch, shoving it up against the ceiling.
Cheri ran behind Ava and clutched her robe. She sobbed with mild hiccups in between breaths. "Ms. A-hic-va…thank-hic-you…" She pressed her eyes into her robe and cried.
It only fueled the Medicham's rage as she crushed the humanoid's head, not carrying whatever damage it'll do to its caster. 'What a vile Celestial Guardian. I've never seen one this tainted and malicious. It doesn't even look like a Guardian anymore. And one that has broken from its armor, no less. An Awakened Guardian.'
The pressure slowly collapsed the Guardian's head, but Ava noticed it wasn't struggling as much. She would've taken that as a sign that the caster was feeling the pain in full, but that didn't seem right. It wasn't flailing anymore. It looked like it was composing itself.
She gasped as a spark of darkness lit in its open palm and extended into a spear. It roared and threw the spell at her. She slashed down the middle, splitting it off into the wall behind her. The darkness burned holes into the cart, exposing the inside to the rain.
'I should've figured…'
She had accidentally released her hold on the Guardian, allowing it to drop to its feet. It moaned grimly, raising its severed arm. Wisps of darkness flaked off the body and circled around the amputated section, reforming a brand-new arm in seconds. It shambled towards the Medicham ghoulishly, contrasting its surprising speed.
Ava held her breath cautiously as she assumed a defensive position, while keeping one arm around Cheri. 'Not even fazed? After everything I put it through, most casters would be passed out on the ground. This can't be an Elemental Guardian…is this a special ability of their Guardian, then? If so, that may be a problem.'
The Guardian lumbered two more steps, then lunged at Ava at incredible speed. Ava blocked its elongated claws, grinding against the blade with sparks, then kicked it into the shelf. It sprung up, clinging to the shelf like a monkey, and tackled Ava into the wall. She held up her sword and pushed against its claws as it tried to gouge her eyes out.
"Ms. Ava!" Cheri shrieked.
"Cheri…get out of here!" Ava shouted. "Get help!"
"The doors are still locked!"
She glared. 'They weren't when I got in. Must be an enchantment of some kind.' She shoved the Guardian back and slashed its neck off. The Guardian still fought—even beheaded—and swung its claws down on her. As it reformed its head, Ava overlapped her own Guardian's arm over her own and grabbed it by the shoulder.
"Psi-phoon Kick!"
Wrapped herself in psychic energy, she spun herself and the Guardian into a tornado. Using the force of her spinning, she slammed her knee into the Guardian chest, amplified with the force of her Guardian's knee, and bashed it against the sealed door.
Ava flipped backwards on her hands. "Psychic Aerial Blade!" She slashed the air with both her legs and instantaneously slashed the Guardian's chest with crescent-shaped, flying psychic blades. She conjured two blades in her hands, with two more being wielded by her Guardian's arms that materialized above her.
The evil Guardian peeled off the wall with no visible injury and dashed at Ava, swinging its claws wildly. Even the speed of how it attacked was ridiculous. Celestial Guardians in their default state could unleash punches hundreds of times in the blink of an eye. This one clearly got a speed boost upon its awakening, alongside its annoying pain nullification.
Ava and her Guardian deflected as many strikes possible, but the sheer number gave way and threw her back. She barely got out with only a slash to the cheek. She reformed another sword and threw it. The Guardian slapped it up, imbedding it into the roof, and readied for the leap. Ava flicked her finger down, commanding the sword to dislodge and strike through the Guardian's exposed back.
Ava wiped the blood from her cheek, then channeled psychic energy through her hands. "Gentle Step: Serene Burst!" She thrusted both her palms.
Nothing seemed to happen, until a hole suddenly burst through the Guardian's chest. Ava had fired an invisible aura from her palms, powered by her psychic power, and struck with a devastating blow.
Cheri was amazed by her strength. "W-Wow!"
Ava formed daggers with her magic and threw them into the Guardian. She raised her fingers. "Begone with you." She snapped them, triggering an explosion from the daggers. She whipped her arms around Cheri to shield her from the blast.
Cheri pulled on her ears and shivered as the cart vibrated. She could smell the smoke from the explosion. "Ms. Ava…is it over?"
"I'm not sure, sweet-SHIT!" Ava raised her arm as the Guardian appeared next to her and struck her with its arm. Were it not for her magic aura, that attack would've fracture her arm, maybe even break it. It was close, but she managed to hang on.
She pulled Cheri close to her body as the force of the attack punched a hole through the cart, throwing them out into the rain. Ava tumbled across the road and mud, but made sure Cheri was protected in her arms. She rolled onto her back, with Cheri sprawled out on her chest.
Cheri panted in rapid breaths, eyes twitching everywhere with an aura of terror surrounding her. She hasn't felt this afraid since she and her mother were attacked in their own home. She wanted Tony to fly out of nowhere and save her, but he was nowhere to help her. She wanted to curl up into a ball and pretend this was all some sick nightmare.
A comforting arm draped over her back. She pulled herself from her cries and saw the warm, comforting smile of Ava. "Fear not, child. I got you." Cheri blinked through her tears, then showed an appreciative smile.
Ava smiled for a moment, then glared as the Guardian stepped out from the cart. It tilted its head to the side, staring with that one red eye, then roared so powerfully that it disturbed the rain. For a brief moment, its roar pushed the rain away in a cone like shape, leaving it vacant of all rainwater in that few milliseconds.
The Medicham stood up and dusted her sleeves off. She could tell the Guardian wasn't going all out, and she betted the caster knew that wasn't going to stop a veteran like her. She kept Cheri behind her and raised her sword to the monster. "Tribe of Shadows…reveal the intentions of this assassination."
The Guardian groaned, then tapped itself on the head. "…You hit the nail on the head, lady." Ava glared. The voice was distorted, but it certainly was the voice of the caster. "Don't think for a second you can challenge the might of the shadows. We are a force that cannot be silence. A force that cannot be broken. A force that-"
"I get the damn picture already." She dug her foot into the ground to get better footing. "But you made a fatal mistake coming here and expecting an easy time. I was one of the best fighters in my time…and I still am."
"I am well aware of your talents, madame, but this battle will not fair in your favor." The Guardian pointed at Cheri. "Why else would I go for the little girl? I won't give you the time to simply get her to safety." The caster laughed mischievously. "You could be fighting me seriously, but like most of you heroic types, the life of a child bears a greater burden than your own."
Ava clenched her teeth. "You cheap, son of a…"
The Guardian got into its crouched, striking position. "Make your move wisely, Ava Young. One things for certain: someone will perish on this night." It leaped high in the air, performing fancy spins with its arms extended. Ava noticed at the darkness wrapping around it as it spun. It was preparing for a crippling hit that'll probably kill her arm.
Ava raised her sword. "Cheri, DON'T move!"
"O-Okay!"
The Guardian came flying down with its claws raised over its head. Ava wrapped her blade with psychic energy and prepared for the incoming attack. The darkness blazed off its claws eagerly, to taste her flesh as it burns into the void. Ava pulled her sword back to deliver a strike that should cancel its force out.
Both were in range to strike, until…
"You're right, shadow freak. Someone will die on this night."
Ava and Cheri gasped as a web of thread speedily formed over them and caught the Guardian in its web. The caster gasped through his Guardian as it tried to break free. "What?! Where'd this come from?!"
The duo turned their heads and saw, walking down the muddy road, was the doctor himself, casting thread from his right hand while holding his basket in the other. He sauntered toward them, not in any immediate rush now. His face possessed a neutral glare, like he was absolutely done with this night.
"Word of advice: don't send assassins that are all bark and no bite after me."
The Guardian convulsed in its bindings, with its caster growling through it. "Darn…she didn't finish the job?!" He sighed in defeat. "Why am I surprised? A monster like you can't be silenced so easily."
Morgan stomped his foot down and stared with a cold disposition. He cocked his head towards the carts, saying, "Get Cheri inside. I'll hold it off in the meantime."
Ava nodded, then scooped Cheri into her arms and raced for the carts. It seemed that the commotion didn't go unheard, as there were already people gathered in one of the carts beside the storage cart. Angel opened the door and let Ava in before taking Cheri into her arms, coddling her with tears streaming down her face.
"Cheri! My little baby, Cheri!" She held her close, as if worried she'll slip from her grasp. "Are you okay?!"
Right now, though, Cheri didn't want to let go of her mother. She hugged her back and cried into her shoulder. "I-I-I…tried to be brave, but…I fro-o-o-oze!" She sobbed and hiccupped between cries.
Cheri's friends, who immediately realized something was wrong when they heard the fighting, looked down on her with concerned looks. They joined in giving the Pikachu comfort, hoping to quell her fears.
Morgan glared at the caravan, partly out of worry for the Pikachu. As he was close to the little one's brother, he found himself growing fond of the sweetheart as well. Like the daughter he never had.
He bared his teeth for a moment, holding back some anger he still had racing through his veins, then breathed out. It wasn't the time to be like this. He directed his focus on the Guardian and undid his restraints of the thing. He slid one hand into his pocket and kept the other ready for attack.
"You going to hide like a coward or show off more of that misguided pride of yours, shadows?" he taunted.
He heard the snickering chatter of the caster, but not through the Guardian itself. He followed the sound to the caravan, where the Sableye crawled out from his hiding place. He patted off the mud covering him, then took his place next to his Guardian.
"Well, well, well…you got back quicker than I thought. Should've taken you at least fifteen minutes by running." Caesar shrugged. "All the same, of course. I suppose I shouldn't doubt your potential. Count Aeternus made it clear we had to take you seriously, lest it be our untimely ends."
Morgan narrowed his eyes. "Even if I didn't return in time, I'd certainly be in time to witness your defeat. You're a fool to think my allies are anything but strong."
Caesar smirked. "That's because they haven't met me yet. Guardian, eliminate him!" His Guardian rocketed at Morgan and went for a flurry of punches.
With Morgan's quick finger movements, he weaved a tightly woven barrier. "Grid Wall."
The Guardian punched furiously against the two-dimensional square of threat, with each blow vibrating across the surface and echoing from the tight tension. Morgan didn't flinch from the rapid blows, keeping his cool demeanor alive.
"You're too rash." He twisted his wrist and disassembled the barrier to wrap around the Guardian's wrist. "Try again." Morgan pulled the string and threw the Guardian into the air.
He did everything he could to damage it as much as possible, such as whipping it into the ground, dragging it through the dirt, and flailing it around with the whiplash. He swiped his hand down and threw the Guardian into Caesar, who jumped out of the way in time.
The Guardian rose up and roared in Morgan's direction, then proceeded to get riddled with Compression Thread. Morgan fired precisely through the Guardian's weak point, intentionally to cause the most harm possible to Caesar. He then reeled his hand back and remotely slashed across its chest. It stumbled back and tripped over on its heels.
Morgan kept a cautious stance about him, especially once he noticed Caesar was unharmed by his Guardian's injuries. He narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "What the heck?"
Caesar laughed quietly as his Guardian rose. "Awakened Guardians evolve from their default forms once you cast away the armored shell. Mine has a special little trick that nullifies the damage share between us. My Guardian will keep being able to regenerate without dealing its injuries onto me, too."
Morgan bared his teeth. "How lucky of you…"
"Not luck. Count Aeternus intended for my Guardian to have this power. He used a special little ritual involving a sacred priest's corrupted robe. That tainted energy was infused with my shadow's magic and allows me to evolve my Guardian into this abominable state. An unholy monster unlike any other."
The doctor held his hip, not sure whether to be impressed or annoyed. "That thing's going to be a problem…"
Caesar laughed as he summoned darkness from his open palm. "The power of the shadows is something a mere mortal can't comprehend. Only when you are accepted into its world that you will truly understand."
"Kid, I can assure you, you're playing with matches." Morgan glared. "This power doesn't lead to nice places."
"Shows what you know." Caesar snapped his fingers. "Now, my Guardian, slay the nonbeliever."
The Guardian roared and went for the lunge again. Morgan summoned his string and prepared for the counterattack. However, out of the blue, a blue slash struck the Guardian and threw it back, cutting off its legs in the process.
Caesar bared his teeth. "Now what?"
Morgan relaxed a bit when he saw the blue construct step up to him. In fact, it was more teal than blue. Ava's Guardian, only now it was taking a page out of Caesar's book. This Guardian was wearing samurai like armor, complete with the helmet and everything. Parts of its body could be seen, much smoother than its armored state. It had a long sword sheathed to its side, a little over a meter long. Its red eyes pierced down the enemy as it grabbed hold of the hilt.
"Don't leave me out of the fun, Morgan." The doctor smirked as Ava walked out of the caravan, with two of her sword constructs in hand, as well as her third eye activated. The psychic blazing eye stared attentively at her targets. "He came into my house and wrecked the place. This is my way of kicking out unwanted intruders."
"Do as you wish, Ava." Morgan cracked his neck. "After the shitty night I've been having so far, I think I'm wagering to cut loose."
Ava glared sternly. "You know what? So am I."
Caesar wasn't afraid, but he kept cautious. With Morgan and Ava now working together, things got complicated. However, thanks to his Guardian's unrestricted speed, he could keep them preoccupied long enough to get the lethal hits off. He just needed to go about it strategically.
Without a second to waste, Ava began her assault. She raced into battle with her swords bared, followed closely by her Awakened Guardian. Caesar dodged her sword slashes, then had his Guardian go for the lethal slash. However, with her third eye now active, she saw the intended movements and dodged exactly as it came close to nicking her.
She rolled and threw her sword at Caesar. He caught it between his hands, but left himself open for a sword slash with her second sword, splitting open his chest. He flew back a fair bit, but was moderately unfazed by the injury. It sealed itself up in seconds. He casted a smirk and produced shadow wings from his back to slow his flight.
However, he was nearly struck by the fast moving Purgatory Strike from Morgan. The Hypno waggled his finger, making the whip move wildly as it tried to find its target. Caesar maneuvered around each attempted strike, but ultimately succumbed to a painful injury through the arm. Any wider and it would've severed his arm clean off.
He kept a tight grip on his arm as it healed off the injury. He snapped his fingers and summoned many shadow spears. "Spear of Darkness: Dusk Rain!" He flung the constructs at them.
Morgan spun a barrier of string around him and deflected the spears while Ava rapidly cut them down. Caesar's Guardian went to strike her, but her Guardian countered with its long sword. Both Guardians exchanged death glares before jumping back.
They readied themselves up before charging into each other, colliding sword with claws. A prominent pressure permeated the immediate environment, strong enough to blow back fur. They were locked together for the moment, but Ava's Guardian channeled psychic energy through its blade, empowering it with the force to cut the demon humanoid's claws off. It stumbled back, then threw a punch, with the teal Guardian cutting down the middle of its arm.
The Guardian leaped back and roared as its severed parts regenerated. Ava flashed her sword and slashed through Guardian as it did, greatly annoying it. It swiped wildly while Ava hopped around like an elegant Lopunny. She slammed her palm into the back of its head.
"Now…Mind Break Strike!" An intense psychic pressure shot from her palm and through the Guardian's head, causing no external injuries, but definitely rattling something inside its head. It stunned the corpse-like figure, with its one eye twitching uncontrollably. "Now strike!"
She and her Guardian coordinated a multi-strike blitz against the twisted humanoid, spraying its parts across the air like confetti. They jumped back and glared as the pieces slowly converged on each other, regenerating back into its full form.
Ava heard Caesar laughing as he readied a Spear of Darkness. "I told you! My Guardian can't be slain! As long as I'm uninjured, it can keep going so long as I still have magic to spare!" He threw the spear at her.
Ava's Guardian rapidly slashed the spear into specks of darkness while the Medicham glared at the creature. 'Perhaps, but at least its attention is off the others.' She crossed her swords. 'After all…it's not me you should be worrying of at this moment.'
Caesar turned around and narrowly avoided a quintuple slash attack aimed for his face. Suddenly, Morgan was up in his face and slammed the tip of his shoe into the Sableye's chin. Caesar felt a couple teeth break on impact as he was punted across the road.
Morgan raised both hands defensively, each projecting a strand of thread that surround him. "What exactly do you have to offer that is worth the challenge? A Celestial Guardian is impressive, but you are hardly a threat compared to your partner."
Caesar flicked some blood off the corner of his lip, then shifted his jaw around. He flashed a smirk, with brand new pearly whites regrown. "I suppose I should stop fooling around. As I said earlier, you aren't someone to be taken lightly." He cracked his knuckles. "But I warn you, things are about to get rough."
"My sentiments exactly." Morgan crouched. "Don't disappoint."
Caesar flashed his sharp teeth, then raised his hands. "Negative Abyss!" He slammed both hands on the ground, channeling out a wave of darkness that slipped under Morgan's feet.
Morgan quickly jumped out of it, but then felt a strange tugging on his ankle. He glared as the darkness was wrapping around his leg and forcing him back into the shadow floor. His foot didn't hit solid ground, though. It felt like he was sinking through.
Caesar laughed under his breath. "The inescapable pull of darkness…how will you cope with it?"
Morgan studied the swallowing darkness, then reared his hand at the caravan, attaching strings to the side. He pulled himself in, while fighting against the strong pull of the darkness. The shadows crawled up his legs and engulfed halfway up his body.
The Hypno grunted as the spot on his arm pulsed again. He nearly lost his grip from a sudden jut back into the pit. He kept his nerves about and continued reeling himself in.
Caesar sneered, then formed two Spears of Darkness. "Struggling against the darkness won't save you!" He raced for Morgan and lunged right above him, prepared to jab both the spears into his body. "Accept its pull and you will be liberated of your pain!"
Morgan clenched his teeth. "Liberated from my pain?" He extended his other arm. "The pain I've felt all these years…is nothing compared to the sins that still walk in front of me!"
He contorted his fingers and struck Caesar with two drill-like string shots. He managed to dodge one, but the other impaled him through the stomach. With Caesar staggered, Morgan unanchored himself and flung into the Sableye with the pull of darkness. He grabbed him by the face and dragged him down into the patch of darkness.
Ava pushed back against the evil Guardian's claws, but felt its strength stagger. She looked back, barley catching Morgan disappearing into the shadow pool. "Morgan?!"
Distorted sounds bellowed from within the pool, then a burst of string flew out grappling to the bare ground. Morgan came rocketing out, with his knee pressed firmly against the Sableye's chin. The Hypno spun himself and slammed his heel into the goblin's right eye, shooting him into the dirt. The shadow pool dissipated soon after.
Caesar picked himself up, holding his cracked eye as the darkness patched him up. He scowled vehemently as it repaired itself, then he wrapped his arm in the same darkness. He wrapped his arm into a mace like shape, with dark purple crystals growing out of it. To add on, the mace head was swung into the air, attached by a chain of crystal. A flail of darkness.
"Dark Erasure!" Caesar shouted, swinging the flail at Morgan as it was set ablaze with the darkness.
Morgan guarded with his left arm, then gasped out as it not only hurt like hell, but the darkness quickly wrapped over him like a wildfire. Any normal creature hit by this would've been turned to ash in seconds.
Morgan reared his foot and slammed it right into the flail head, kicking it off him. He patted his arm, noting only a few burns to his sleeve. He grimaced at the hole in the upper part of his sleeve where he could see singe marks done onto his bandages.
"Hiding something, freak?!" Morgan quickly leaned back, narrowly avoided the mace coming from his right.
He flipped backwards, then aimed his pressed fingers. "Compression Thread!" He fired multiple shots at the Sableye.
Caesar slammed his hand down. "Dark Wall of Crystal!" The name was very literal, summoning up a large wall of the same dark crystal. "Razor Field!" More crystal rapidly sprouted from the ground, razor sharp in appearance, and rushed towards the Hypno.
Morgan pulled himself out of the way with his string, only getting out with his shoe getting shredded to pieces.
Ava and her Guardian continuously traded strikes with the fast-moving Guardian. No matter what they did to it, it wouldn't slow down. Its pain nullification allowed Caesar to control it with more reckless behavior. This thing could easily kill an entire crowd in seconds.
Ava hopped back to put some distance, having her Guardian hold off the monster as she allowed herself time to think. One thing was for certain. The Guardian would falter each time Caesar took a hit. They were far and few between, but there were moments where the Guardian couldn't give its all because Caesar was taking a beating. Regardless if the Guardian couldn't share its pain to Caesar, something still had to be there to make this connection work. It was tied to his magic, after all.
The Medicham crossed her blades, then plunged them into the ground. She breathed in through her nostrils, then assumed her position. One hand was out in front, palm open, while the other was pulled back, also with an open palm. She narrowed her eyes, relaxing the nerves in her body, and focused on her energy spiraling into her reared back palm.
Having studied everything she could about Psionic Combat, she was more than just an expert. She knew how to manipulate the offensive capabilities of her psychic power and amplify them hundreds of times. If it weren't for her opponent's Guardian's ability, this fight would've been decided from the first exchange of fists.
Ava's Guardian locked its blade into the evil Guardian's claws, then shot its foot into the twisted figure's stomach. The teal warrior got a tight hold around the being's neck and performed a devastating suplex straight into the ground. Tremors rippled through the ground, fracturing the surface with explosive force. The evil Guardian bent its leg back and struck into the teal Guardian's midsection, kicking it straight off. The twisted one then got onto all fours and kicked off with its legs, rushing past with a strong slash move coated in the darkness.
The teal Guardian endured as it went for the ankle, then proceeded to throw it repeatedly into the fractured ground. It sensed the signal from Ava, then proceeded to throw the Guardian straight at her.
Ava narrowed her eyes, then thrusted her palm out. "Internal Mind Release!"
The Guardian was struck with the crushing force of her psychic attack, and it did not let up when it was thrown to the ground. It felt like being crushed by a meteor that was still falling from orbit, with no loss in momentum or force. It was like gravity decided to step down on its midsection with the full weight of the planet.
Ava and her Guardian jumped back as the Guardian sank into the ground under the force. Ava glared cautiously. 'That won't hold it off forever.' She glared over at Morgan and Caesar as they continued to clash. She looked at her Guardian, exchanging a nod with it.
Morgan flew around the air, dodging Spears of Darkness and Dark Erasure with high flying acrobatics. He was without his right shoot, with blood trickling over his foot, but the pain was unnoticed. Morgan was focused on defeating this murderous goblin.
Caesar slammed his hands down. "Pillars of the Deep!"
Morgan quickly scanned four directions as large crystals surrounded him in a square formation. They sparked with black energy, then fired down on him. He was caught in a cube of the dark energy as it burned into his body. Morgan gritted his teeth as his clothes slowly burned while his skin started to singe. It was hard to move his body. His muscles were locking up.
Caesar smirked. "I bet the speedster thought she had a chance of killing you, but that's where the difference in ourselves lay. I don't need speed to kill my targets, I just need to slow them down. I stay out of trouble and come out of this with the least amount of injury possible." He chortled in his sadistic delight. "I wonder how much of this you can take before keeling over."
Morgan just glared at him as the left half of his shirt went up in smoke. He covered the bandages around his arm to protect them.
Caesar clapped his hands and channeled a surge of the dark energy between his palms. "Now burn away with the rest of your sins, Mr. Van-AAAAGH!"
Ava's Guardian swooped down and slashed downward on the Sableye's back, spraying blood all across the ground. He coughed out and collapsed onto his knees. The Guardian sped around the four pillars and slashed them all down, freeing Morgan.
Morgan didn't look any worse for wear, patting off what little injury he sustained. "Appreciate the assist."
"My pleasure," Ava's voice projected from the Guardian. It raised its sword to the Sableye. "…Morgan…he sounded like he was going to call you something else…" Morgan glared. "What was he-?"
"Focus on the objective, old friend." Morgan raced straight for Caesar.
The Sableye leapt up and restarted his spell. "Dark Crystal Hell Zone!" He fired a volley of the gem-shaped projectiles.
Morgan raced through all of them, dodging and weaving like a stem in the wind. Nothing could hit him. His body swayed with the force, not fought against it. He raised his hand and clenched his fingers, flickering out of sight.
Caesar stopped and looked around quickly. "Shit, shit, shit! Where did he-?!"
Coming in from his blind spot, a bare foot struck his cheek and punted him into the air. Morgan sprung off his hand and flew up to the Sableye's level. He pulled his hands back and slashed with all ten fingers, blasting the goblin into the ground with the raging force of his string slashes.
Caesar sprung up and readied to throw Spear of Darkness, but Ava got in behind him and struck with her swords. She spun around him and struck from all sides, slashing up his body while avoiding all his counterattacks. Her third eye saw through all his movements.
She wrapped her psychic energy around her swords and increased the force of her swing, shredding through the exterior of the goblin's magical defenses and throwing him into his own disabled Guardian.
Thread sprung out and wrapped around the two. Morgan twitched his fingers and glared. "Now…let's dance…until your end. Deadly Dance of the World."
Both caster and Guardian were tossed into the air, spinning wildly into the shape of a massive ball. Morgan contorted his fingers expertly and threw the two around. Unlike the last time he used this, he was applying far more lethal force than before. He smashed their imprisoned state against the ground, grinding them into the dirt, and flung them high in the air. The centrifugal force alone was probably doing all that needed to be done, but he wasn't about to let them get off that easy. This was no time for him to be having his usual fun.
Morgan flung them high into the air, then jumped skyward. The strings blazed off his fingertips as he went in for the critical blow. The ball of string unraveled. Caesar was stunned with confusion and dizziness, then became overwhelmed with an enormous amount of pain surging through him.
Morgan lifted his leg and shot him and the Guardian straight down. "All yours, Ava!"
She and her Guardian rushing at the careening monsters and, in a flashy burst of speed, intercepted them just a meter from hitting the ground. The force of the fly-by slashing stunned them both in midair, then they exploded from the concussive force of the psychic power.
Ava breathed outward and dispelled her magic, including her Guardian. She rubbed her wrists just as Morgan landed behind her. The Hypno overlooked what was now a smoking crater. "That should do it."
"Agreed." They stepped away from the crater. Ava sighed in relief. "I must admit, that was the first time I've actually sweated in a fight. He was indeed persistent. I fear what else the shadows plan."
Morgan glared. "They're experimenting on Pokémon, giving them shadows to boost their power. I saw what it did to the Jynx that attacked me. Her mind was completely warped…maybe worse than how she already was."
Ava nodded. "All the more reason we need to meet up with Wes and the others in Ironworks. I fear the Shadow King won't sit back and let things play out. By now…who knows what he intends to do. He may…no, he'll most definitely go after the keys in their possession."
Morgan scratched at the pulsating spot under his bandage. "…I still can't believe he's back…he's actually back…"
Ava narrowed her eyes. "…Morgan, what's going on? While I do take this as a perfectly reasonable reaction, yours seems to be filled with something more than just fear. You feel something more about the Shadow King…something more than just fear or terror…"
Morgan glared. "Ava-"
"You sound like you're being haunted by a ghost…"
The Hypno was silent for the moment, eyes closed in deep thought. Ava could see hints of sadness in his face, all while he clutched at that spot that always seemed to bother him. He looked at her with unsure eyes. He wanted to say something, but…seemed afraid to get the words out.
"Ava…I…I just…there are some things about me that I can't-"
Something exploded against Morgan's left arm, throwing him back with a loud gasp. Ava's eyes widened, catching the form of the Spear of Darkness as it struck its target. Morgan rolled across the ground as his body was engulfed in a blazing darkness.
"Morgan!" She reached for him, but instead dodged a spear aimed for her. She glared at the smoking crater as a form walked itself out. "You!"
Caesar laughed in great pain as he pulled himself out. Lacerations all over his body were wrapped in the darkness, healing off as fast as they could. Blood dripped down his aching body. Cracks in his eyes sealed themselves up. Even some teeth he lost soon grew back.
He wiped some blood off his lip. "We, the shadows, are the pinnacle of power. Don't you DARE think little of us!"
"Mr. MORGAN!" Cheri screamed from inside the caravan. A sudden confidence came over her as she tried to leap out the window, but Abby and Angel pulled her back in.
"Cheri, no! It's too dangerous!" Angel shouted.
"But Mr. Morgan will die!" the Pikachu cried.
Nebula gritted her teeth. "This is bad…"
Ava faced the Sableye and summoned her blades. "Why won't you just stay down?" She sprinted right for him.
Caesar reeled his hand back, amassing a great darkness around it. "Because the will of the shadows will never die! Dark Erasure!" He swung the flail right into her, which she deflected with the sword. The impact, however, was enough to shatter her swords apart. Caesar spun the flail around. "One. More. Time!" He swung down, straight for her head.
Ava deflected with a psychic palm strike, barely avoiding a scratch to the face. She slammed her fist down and fired a psychic pulse through the ground that knocked Caesar off his feet. Ava leapt in the air and pulled her palm back. "Gentle Step: Serene Burst!" She fired the invisible wave.
Caesar sprung up. "That won't work twice!" He countered with his shadow flail, pushing against the invisible force that was diverged into the ground around him.
Ava held herself up with her psychic powers, giving herself enough breathing room to think. 'He's still partially mortal. Maybe inflicting enough damage onto him will wear out his regeneration. Question is…where's the limit?'
"Now burn away like your friend!" Caesar reeled his hand back and channeled his darkness into a massive Spear of Darkness. "This one spear will incinerate everything into the void, including you!" He flung the spear with all his strength.
Ava held up her blades once it was within range. It collided with her, but she couldn't push it back. The spear pushed against her blades, with her feet pushing deep into the dirt to put up resistance. She gritted her teeth tightly, feeling the strain on her arms coming in. If she let up for even a second, her arms will snap and the spear will engulf her.
"Can't…lose…not yet…!" She channeled her psychic power to boost her strength.
It seemed to work for the moment, until she noticed the darkness spreading over her blades. It grazed against her hand. It felt like acid dripping on her bare skin. She hissed, but refused to give in.
Caesar laughed. "Try all you like! My Spear of Darkness won't rest until it kills you! I admire your resistance, but even you won't last against the pain! Just give up now!" He cackled madly.
Ava gritted her teeth. 'I won't…let you…win!' Her blades poured with her psychic flow. 'I have to stay strong for my family…for Team Ravenfield. I'll see this journey to the end…and vanquish you monsters back to the Hell you spawned from!'
She pushed harder with her blades, channeling everything she had into them. She stamped her foot down and held her ground. The pressure she emitted pushed back against the flowing darkness trying to wrap around her. The spear fizzled against the force. No matter the efforts, those who oppose Ava Young will learn of her pertinacious will to live.
Caesar growled through his clenched teeth. "What is with this woman?!"
"RAAAAA!" Ava gave the final push and cut straight through the spear. The resulting strike sent forth a critical wave of psychic energy that crashed into Caesar, nearly throwing him off his feet.
Everyone in the caravan was shook by the sudden windstorm pushing against the carts. "Man! She's tough when the 'pressures' one!" Angel quipped, nearly falling over on her back.
"I never realized how strong Mom was!" Carrie exclaimed.
"No kidding!" Abby agreed.
At the end of the storm, Ava was left standing with her swords by her sides. She panted heavily as the dust circled around her. Whether it be sweat or rainwater pouring down her face, the picture was clear. Even her swords were flickering in and out.
She sighed, then glared at Caesar, raising her sword to him again. "This ends here. Surrender."
Caesar gritted his teeth. "Just how tough ARE you?! What does it take to kill you, lady?!" His body crackled madly as Spears of Darkness formed all around him. "I'll keep attacking you over and over and over again until you're riddled with holes! Do you hear me?!"
Ava spun her swords, then crossed them defensively. "I am most ready."
The Sableye was close to cracking his own teeth open. "Then experience the sweet release of death, vile woman-!"
A blazing whip struck through his arm, severing it off instantly. The Sableye, even Ava, gasped in shock as the arm was sent flying away. This whip was coated in black and purple flames and seemed to move like…like…
Ava looked over her shoulder, eyes wide in disbelief. "M-Morgan?"
The Hypno was standing, panting heavily. His shirt was tattered, with what remained hanging over his left arm. However, what struck her as strange was his lack of injuries, despite being engulfed in that Spear of Darkness.
And that same darkness…was wrapped around his threads.
Morgan glared straight at Caesar. "I'm through with you, you little twerp."
"Morgan…?" Ava called out once more.
"Get in the caravan, Ava." He clenched his fist. "This one's mine."
Caesar wasn't paying much attention, too caught up in his arm being severed. "MY ARM! AAAAGH!" He stumbled around and hollered in pain as the darkness wrapped around the bleeding area. He glared furiously at Morgan. "You…"
Ava backed away, suddenly feeling the tension coming off of Morgan. The Hypno breathed in, then spat on the ground. "I've already murdered your partner…one more won't hurt."
Caesar bared his teeth. "You really are the monster you once were!"
Ava's eyes jittered with confusion and panic. 'Why were…why are those flames around his…Morgan? What is this?'
Caesar summoned his Guardian, now in its default form. "Kill him!" The black Guardian lunged straight for Morgan with a flurry of fists.
Morgan extended out more string from his fingertips and set them ablaze in the black flames. "Purgatory Strike: Tartarus Cage!" The strings whipped out in a zigzag formation, striking into the Guardian from every direction. Strikes were piercing through the armored plating and setting it ablaze in the darkness. It was chaotic, too hard to see through.
Caesar avoided a ton of string shots from striking him. "Razor Field!" With his only hand, he summoned the wave of razor crystals towards Morgan.
The Hypno, without turning around, stretched his fingers and commanded the string to speedily slash apart the razor crystals, hardly a couple seconds active before already being turned to shards. Morgan glared over his shoulder, then aimed his pressed fingers at him. "Compression Thread."
Caesar was instantly shot in the shoulder by the string bullet, which was coated in the dark flames as well. Caesar called back his Guardian and went to dodging the wildly flying string aiming to cut him up. 'This is insane! This is the power of the man who wreaked havoc five hundred years ago! The wandering soul…the first to reject it all…'
The Sableye gritted his teeth, then readied another one of his powerful Spears of Darkness. "But that doesn't mean you have me beat yet! Just you and me, monster! Show me what you-!"
Through the curtain of string, a veil was parted, revealing the straight opening between him and Morgan, with the Hypno extending his index finger out in the shape of a gun. With a cold glare, he stated, "Secret Assassination Technique: 10 Pulse Heart Destroying Thread."
A flash burst from his finger and Caesar felt a tiny poke in his chest. Caesar canceled his Spear of Darkness when he landed on his feet. The madness of string disappeared soon after, with only a single thread connected between him and Morgan.
Morgan stared at him with a stoic gaze, while Caesar patted his chest and tugged on the thread stuck to him. "What…gives?" He felt like his heart was beating faster than normal, but why? "What…did you do?"
"…I killed you."
"H…Huh?"
"That thread I fired…is now wrapped tightly around your heart. Woven deep inside, waiting for my command alone." Morgan closed his eyes. "It's so simple…so easy to take a life with your hands. All it takes is something to set it off. The blood that is spilt…when you fall into the abyss, it takes going through literal hell to climb back up."
Caesar bared his teeth, then forced a loud laugh. "HAH! You?! Kill me?! HAH! I'm still breathing, buster!"
Morgan didn't respond with any witty remarks or condescending taunts. In fact, he looked almost sad. "…I never wanted to go this far in my life…to take another life…" He covered his face with his free hand. "I've sinned again…so long, and now I'm being pushed over the edge…"
However, when he uncovered his face, he revealed his crimson red eyes to the Sableye. "But you shadows…are undeserving of mercy."
Ava, with her back to the caravan, held her heart with a fearful stare at Morgan. "No…no, no…"
Caesar recoiled at his eyes, feeling chills similar to Count Aeternus' crazy gaze. He gulped, then raised his hand. "Guardian! Break from your shell once more! Kill this loathsome bastard!"
The black Guardian flexed its body, cracking open its armored shell. It broke off into pieces, like glass, then circled around it before swirling around the body. The form twisted and reshaped into the nightmarish figure from before, hunched over like with the eeriness of a monster.
It roared and went straight for Morgan. Even if he threw up a barrier, it'll keep punching until it dug its claws in the Hypno's face.
Morgan glared. He raised his thumb, with his hand still retaining the gun shape, then struck it down like a hammer. "One."
A light zipped down the thread and instantly struck Caesar. The Sableye's entire body pulsed as his chest became inflamed with an excruciating pain. "AAAAHHHH!"
His Guardian felt the pain of its caster and stopped midair, contorting in agonizing poses. It stumbled back from Morgan, who was unfazed and will continue to be unfazed by the torture soon to be brought on the shadow hybrid.
Caesar gripped his chest and collapsed onto his knees. Sweat poured down his face. "It…feels like…my heart is going to burst!"
"That's the idea." Morgan swung his thumb down again. "Two."
BA-BUM!
"GAAAAAHHHHH!" Caesar screamed. His muscles could be seen physically contracting. He gripped his chest and fell over onto his forehead, staggering for air. "S-S-Stop…"
"Three."
BA-BUM!
"AaaaaRRRRAAAAGGAAAA!" Caesar rolled around on the ground, convulsing. "IT HURTS, IT HURTS!"
Ava was too petrified to say anything. She never, ever knew Morgan had such a…a vile ability in his arsenal of tricks. And it only stacked on top of the growing fears in her mind. Even with the power to see into the near future, did she want to know the fate that would soon reveal itself?
The others in the caravan weren't liking these sounds either. The adults forced the kids to stay down and avoid watching. "What's going on?" Carrie asked worried. "Is Mom and Dr. Morgan okay?"
Faye's teeth chattered with a chill running down her back. "Um…t-they're fine, but…"
"But what's with all the screaming?" Cheri asked teary-eyed.
Angel bit her lip, partially out of disbelief. 'Is that…even Morgan?'
"Four." BA-BUM!
Caesar hollered to the sky, with his body convulsing and chest pounding. He felt a pressure pushing up against his ribcage. He rolled onto his back and heaved out. "Stop…just stop…!"
"Five."
BA-BUM!
"EEEERAAAAHGGGAHAHGAGH!" Caesar coughed blood on the ground, then pounded his fist against the ground. "YOU BAAASSSTAAWWWWD!" he screamed, spraying blood out.
Morgan narrowed his eyes down on him. "Have you finally accepted the error of your ways?"
Even through all the pain Caesar suffered and the blood dripping from his mouth, he lifted himself enough to face the Hypno. Locked on the cold, red eyes, Caesar smirked villainously. "…You think…you've crawled out of the abyss?"
The hairs on the back of Morgan's neck stood on end. His eyes burned with a suppressed rage.
"You…never left…you've been foolishly clinging…to the edge this entire time." Caesar pressed his forehead against the ground and laughed quietly. "It's so funny…do you think you're special? Just because you rejected him? Hahaha…" It hurt to smile, but it brought him so much pleasure to feel the anger coming off of Morgan. "You may have rejected him…but you're still clinging to the side. And when you let go, you're that much further back down…and the climb only gets harder…with the weight of your sins pulling you back down-"
Morgan's brow furrowed as he struck his thumb down. "Six!"
The pulse struck through the thread and delivered the strenuous shock to the Sableye. However, Morgan wasn't going to give him a moment to rest. He struck again and again and again, delivering three more shocks with his scowl worsening. The redness of his pupils glowed a vile illumination, with a pitch-black aura that could be felt by everyone, even the non-magically sensitive.
Ava pulled on her sleeve. She knew Morgan for the longest time. She respected him. She trusted him. So…why was she standing there and looking on with fear? Something gnawed at her brain, maybe her answer, yet, once again, she wanted to reject it.
After the ninth shock delivered, Caesar was collapsed onto his knees, close to vomiting blood. His body trembled under its own weight. His regeneration wasn't working for him anymore. The shadow was being overtaxed by the pain. It couldn't go on any longer.
He dared a glance at the Hypno. His crystal eyes reflected the very image of the monster through the shadow's collective memories. He could see the man he once was. The man that disappeared along with the rest of them. The man who rejected the Shadow King's will.
The vile aura radiated off of Morgan and flowed towards Caesar, like a river made up of sin. The feeling was absolutely dreadful. He could feel the despair and anguish. This was something nuanced from the feel of bloodlust. This wasn't just the intent to kill…
It was the cold hand of death itself.
"Pokémon or monster…which one are you?"
"…Ten."
The final pulse traveled speedily down the thread, yet felt like an eternity to reach its mark. Caesar drew on last breath and accepted the strike as it found its target. It struck…and there wasn't a scream to be heard.
Something violently ruptured inside the Sableye's body, with blood bursting from his mouth. His body swayed to the left, lifeless, and collapsed against its side. Blood trickled out of his mouth. A dark mist evaporated off his body, reverting him to the form of a normal Sableye.
The Guardian wailed in agony as it collapsed into a shadowy dust, evaporating away like the rest of the darkness within Caesar.
There was silence. A dreadful silence.
Ava was clutching at her robes, while the rest of the adults looked on in horror. The kids were getting worried. "What…happened?" Cheri asked fearfully. "Did…Did Mr. Morgan win?"
Angel didn't mourn the loss of the Sableye, obviously after what he tried to do to her daughter, but to see such a violent execution take place before her eyes…this was nothing like the man she knew Morgan as.
Morgan panted heavily, a cold sweat dripping down his face. He knew it was sweat. He didn't know when, but sometime during the moment, the rain had let up, as if it, too, was scared of his domineering presence.
"M-Morgan…" He looked to the right and saw Ava standing there, confused and…hurt. "What…was all of that?"
Nothing in the Hypno's mind told him he could lie his way out of this. She saw too much. She saw…everything. She felt everything.
There was no turning back.
Morgan turned himself around and faced her. "Ava…" He closed his eyes, then showed her his covered left arm. He grabbed the remaining cloth hanging over his shoulder. His voice was cracking as he uttered, "I-I'm…sorry…" He ripped the cloth off his shoulder, then covered his face in shame.
Ava's eyes widened, now with the fear she tried to hold at bay this whole time. A man like Morgan, with a past rarely spoken about to others…a man with hundreds of secrets…stood in the spotlight for who he really was.
She saw him for who he was…through the mark on his arm: the glowing eye of the Tribe of Shadows.