Chapter Twenty-Six: The Gratificator's Pride
Hearing Kia's screams Mika and Jaya ran downstairs to see a bloody Kia on the ground trying to keep the knife of a black hooded figure from stabbing her again.
"GET OFF HER YOU BASTARD!" Jaya yelled rushing over and swung her staff and smacked the figure off Kia and across one of the examination tables.
"Go! RUN! GO!" Mika yelled helping Kia up and pushing her upstairs then turned to see the black sheet ghostly figure begin to morph.
The sheet then formed a black leather creating a hooded executioner with an expressionless mask hidden in the darkness of his hood tossing the knife the figure cracked his neck lifting a dark-skinned gray hand where his claws began to grow.
"Oh shit," Mika spoke hearing the door open and the sheriff walked in pointing a shotgun.
"Eat this!" the sheriff yelled shooting the man in the chest and sending him smashing into the wall before hitting the ground limpless, "you girls, ok?"
"We're fine," Jaya spoke watching the sheriff approach the fallen killer.
Smelling the air Mika's eyes widened, before reaching out to the sheriff who was about to nudge the killer, "Don't!"
Too late the new enemy stabbed his claws into the sheriff's neck making the man choke and gasp as he was slowly lifted off the ground by the masked enemy blood dripping onto the ground.
"Ah the mortal body," the masked foe the Gratificator spoke pushing his claws deeper, "so easy to break~"
With of twist of his claws, the figure sliced the sheriff's head from his body catching the head midair, and watched the body fall over much to Jaya and Mika's horror.
"Do you mortals have any idea how hard it was to create my art for you all?" the Gratificator spoke to the head before tossing it aside, "Slasher Jack, what an unoriginal title for someone like myself."
"So, you're the one who butchered those women!" Jaya growled getting into a battle stance.
"Hmph, you can imagine my disappointment, to think this is what Albion has to offer, you and your friends are the last line of defense? I must say, you are all quite pathetic," the Gratificator spoke tracing a claw across an examination table creating sparks.
"Excuse me?!" Jaya growled hearing the being of Pride chuckle.
"I was there, among the Half-Breeds in their disgusting forms, really it took all my willpower not to vomit, allowing myself to be 'killed' so that I can watch, learn, study my prey," the Gratificator spoke smiling behind his mask, "really, it is an insult for Wrath to send me to 'test' all of you, you mortals are beneath my notice, more an annoyance really, like the buzzing of a mosquito."
"Who the hell is this arrogant bastard?!" Mika growled getting more frustrated with the words the Gratificator spoke.
"Who am I? Bask in my radiant shadow for I am the Gratificator, Sin of Pride, now scurry along Half-Breed, go back into the hole Reaver sent you from, you served your purpose, now be a good mongrel and return to that pompous waste, inform him that I'll be coming for his head next, right after I collect hers," he spoke pointing to Jaya.
"I am no one's pet to order around! If you want her, you'll have to go through me, you insufferable creature!" Mika growled pointing her katana.
"Ha! As if you're even worthy of an audience with me, ugh I so hate wasting my time with filth like you, but alas, I have a job do to," the Gratificator spoke lifting a hand and watching the two women get into a fighting stance.
At the Sanctuary Gabriel studied the map table watching the Tarot Cards start to bounce around the map, "dammit!"
"What's happening?" Ginjer asked hopping onto the table to see the cards acting crazy.
"Powerful magic is at work here, it happened when the heroes meet the card of the Survivor," Gabriel spoke pointing to Mika's card with an image of a hand reaching out to light between two prison bars.
"What about that one?" Ginjer asked pointing to a card on the move to the hero's current location.
"How odd, he not supposed to show up yet," Gabriel spoke watching the card of the Rouge with an image of a face mask and bloody knife on a table, "I fear someone toying with us, they may be in trouble."
"Say no more," Ginjer spoke jumping down and rushing over to her chair where she pulled out sharp scissors and attached them to her back before jumping back up.
"Be careful Ginjer, I fear one of the Ark Sins may be behind this," Gabriel warned seeing the gnome smirk and holding up a grenade.
"Always am!" she smirked before vanishing.
Studying the map again Gabriel studied the threads noticing many things that were to come being changed, "it almost like..."
Eye widening Gabriel growled slamming his fist on the table, "Two can play at that game you bird-face bastard!"
Outside Connor and the others rushed to an alley where they saw a hooded woman cowering in the shadows sobbing and pleading to the heroes, "Help me!"
"Are you alright ma'am?" Connor asked approaching and reaching out a hand but stopped when he sensed something off looking up when a thick wave of fog began to spread across the city.
"Something wrong," Seth spoke looking down the street where he could have sworn, he saw a dark childlike figure run across the street and vanish into an alleyway.
Hearing the giggles Seth narrowed his eyes unholstering his gun from his side.
"Connor help me," the woman spoke between sobs making Connor slowly take a step back reaching for his pistol.
"How do you know my name?" Connor asked seeing the woman stop her crying and move her hands away from her face letting Connor and the others to see that her hands were pale white.
Sitting up straight the red-hooded woman slowly began to stand and then floated off the ground then spun around revealing under her hood nothing but darkness where two glowing red eyes emerged.
Screaming the heroes had to cover their ears backing away into the street where Seth's eyes widen when he saw more of the hooded figures appear, "Oh shit."
"What are they?!" Kyler growled arming himself with his hammer.
"You couldn't save him, he always wished you had been the one to die at childbirth, not your beloved mother," a Banshee spoke floating behind Kyler who narrowed his eyes and swung missing the Banshee who laughed and vanished into the fog.
"You failed as a leader, all your friends, all the ones who put their faith in you died, scared alone, in pain, because of you," a Banshee said to Seth who pulled out his pistol and fired a few rounds at a Banshee who quickly vanished her laugh echoing with other Banshees.
"Banshees!" Seth growled forming up with the others, "Don't listen to them! They only speak lies!"
"You are worthless, let me take your life now and put you to rest," a Banshee spoke touching Roscoe's tail making him growl and spin around launching an inferno spell into the fog.
"Stop hiding you vile creatures!" Roscoe growled.
With his sword out Connor narrowed his eyes spotting one of the Banshees ahead of him, "What would Taylor say if she could see you now?"
About to attack Connor froze upon hearing his sister's name, "excuse me?"
"Do you think she would be proud? Do you think she would recognize the creature you've become? I've seen where murderers like you go when you die, it's a dark desolate place, let me put an end to your suffering," the Banshee spoke floating closer.
"THE HELL YOU ARE!" Connor yelled forming Inferno in his hand and throwing it in the Banshee's face making her cry out before growling and letting out a scream that echoed with the other Banshee's shrieks.
Running down the street Neo and Tercero came to a halt after hearing the screams, Neo being the first to pull out his rifle and pointing it ahead of him, "What was that?!"
"Sir!" Merlin warned when they saw a shadow of a child run into an alley and giggle.
"Do you wanna play?" a child's voice spoke.
Hearing footsteps behind them Tercero spun around seeing several children's shadowy silhouettes vanish into the fog their giggles echoing around them.
"Qué es esto?" Tercero spoke drawing his cleaver and hearing the giggling of the children circling them in the shadows / (Qué es esto = What is this)
"Mummy going to get you~" a child giggled.
"Tercero, this isn't children, is it?" Neo asked spotting a child in the fog skipping towards him and keeping his gun pointed.
"These are no niñas, whatever they are they're connected to this fog," Tercero glared quickly reacting when a shadowy child with glowing red eyes and pigtails emerged swinging two swords he managed to block.
Giggling the little shadow child tilted her head, "Your brother would be so disappointed~"
"Demonio lo que dices?!" Tercero yelled swinging his cleaver destroying the shadow and looked up to see more shadow children emerging each giggling. (demonio lo que dices = Demon what did you say?!)
"Let's play!" a shadow girl laughed lunging at Neo who shot her several times making her evaporate.
"Play in hell you little bitch," Neo spoke shooting several more shadow girls.
Back at the station Jaya swung her staff several times at the Gratificator who laughed while effortlessly dodging her swings, "Come on now! Surely you can muster up a fraction of my brilliance to get decently closer."
"Shut up!" Jaya yelled swinging again watching him dodge both her and Mika's attack who also joined in swinging her katana.
Spinning the Gratificator back hand Mika the force sending her smashing against a lab table and knocking it over before disarming Jaya's weapon and stabbing a single claw into her shoulder.
"ARGGH!" Jaya cried out when he pushed her into a wall and stabbed the claw out the back of her shoulder.
"NO!" Mika yelled quickly looking for where her katana landed.
"I am so disappointed, what exactly do you offer this new group of heroes?" the Gratificator asked twisting his claw painfully.
"KYAAH!" Jaya screamed out in pain before gritting her teeth and punching the mask only for him to grab her hand and twist it painfully, "NGHHH YOU KNOW NOTHING!"
"Really? Because from where I stand none of you can even hit me hard enough to leave a bruise, so sad," the Gratificator chuckled.
About to twist his claw again before Mika came up from behind stabbing her katana into his back and out his chest.
Blinking his glowing red eyes, the Gratificator glanced down at the tip of the blade before peering over his shoulder.
Ripping his claw out of Jaya's shoulder he grabbed her by the neck and threw her against a glass cabinet shattering it and sending her hitting the ground hard.
Spinning around he grabbed Mika by the throat lifting her off the ground all while she fought and scratched at his arm while he carried her and slammed her against a wall where she then punched him hard across the jaw.
Cracking his neck, the Gratificator gave her a very unamused glare shadowy tendrils appearing out of his back and yanking the katana out and sending it clanking against the ground.
"Did I not give you a chance to flee Half-Breed? Did you think that hurt me? Oh no, that's not how you make someone feel agonizing pain, this is~" he smirked stabbing two of his claws into her exposed belly.
"KYAAAAAH!" Mika screamed out in agonizing pain while he tilted his head twisting his claws.
"Ahhhh blissful agony," he smirked dragging his claw up to her naval making Mika scream louder.
Sensing a presence, the Gratificator was too late to avoid being kicked in the face by a figure clad in purple with a red mask covering his hair and eyes.
Crashing through a door into an office the Gratificator couldn't stop the figure who grabbed Mika and quickly dragged her to Jaya who was pulling herself up and quickly led the two women upstairs.
"Hmph, you aren't getting far," the Gratificator spoke rising and slowly walking back into the examination room.
"NGH!" Mika groaned covering her wound with her hand trying to keep pressure on it but was unable to stop the bleeding.
Looking back for a brief second Jay looked up to the hooded figure who quickly led the women outside of the building and into the thick fog.
"Hurry drink up!" the masked man around their age spoke handing them both powerful healing potions drawing his rapier and looking back at the station.
"You're a Highwayman," Jaya spoke taking the potion wincing at the pain in her shoulder when she tried to move her arm.
"There's no time to explain he coming! We need to get you together with your friends!" he warned their attention being drawn to the screams of the Banshees.
Drinking half her potion Mike moved her bloodied hand away from her bleeding belly shaking her hand to pour some of the potion's liquid directly onto her wound, screaming out in pain the most the fluids touched her wound, "GAAAH! FUCK!"
With her wound hissing and slowly healing up Jaya did the same and drank down her potion and poured it on her shoulder wincing in pain at the steam coming from her healing shoulder.
"Little lambs~" the Gratificator called making the two girls spin towards the station and seeing his dark shadow coming up the stairs.
"We gotta go!" Jaya spoke turning back to the mystery man gasping when she saw he vanished.
"Great another disappearing act!" Mika muttered sarcastically before looking around then sniffed the air, "That way!"
"Ok! Go!" Jaya yelled following Mika into the fog while the Gratificator exited the station looking down to the drops of blood on the ground that vanished into the fog before following after.
"RAAAH!" Connor yelled slicing his sword across a Banshees face quickly dodging when a shadow child attacked, "the hell?!"
"Let's play!" the girl giggled getting headshot by Seth's pistol who glared at more that began to surround them.
"Seth! Connor!" Jaya called out to them from the fog making the men look around.
"Jaya?!" Seth yelled back hearing the Banshees all begin to laugh.
"They're marked for death, we will never let you save them from the Gratificator, he will tear them apart," a Banshee mocked.
"Like hell, we'll let that happen!" Kyler yelled smashing a shadow child with his hammer, "Jaya! Over here!"
"SETH! HELP!" Jaya's voice screamed.
"I'm coming! Hold on, Jaya!" Seth yelled rushing into the fog to come to her aid.
"Seth no! It's a trick! That's not Jaya's voice!" Roscoe warned watching the other vanish into the fog, "shit!"
"Connor, we need a plan here!" Kyler yelled punching one of the shadow girls before grabbing a Banshee by her dress before slamming her down on the pavement.
Looking around Connor got an idea and looked to Kyler, "Cover me! I am gonna hurt these bitches!"
"Got it!" Kyler nodded watching Connor form a Light spell in one hand and Inferno in the other his Will marking glowing blue along with his eyes that glowed bright blue with his growing magic.
"Keep back!" Roscoe yelled forming a Blade spell before grabbing its hilt in his mouth and slashing across a shadow girl then ran slicing and attacking more.
Wave of magic then began to swirl around Connor who slammed the two spells together then held the growing new spell high above his head before glaring ahead, "Light-Inferno Maxima!"
Slamming the spell to the ground a wave of fire and light hit all enemies in its path, when it moved past Kyler and Roscoe it avoided harming them but attached to the Banshees and Shadow girls who screamed and flailed around.
Watching the burnt bodies hit the ground Connor could see the fog was starting to become less thick revealing Tercero and Neo who were fighting many shadow girls.
"Little putas!" Tercero swore slicing down more of the shadow girls seeing Kyler and Connor join them, "where is Jaya?" (Putas = bitches)
"In this fog somewhere! Seth went after her but the creatures are luring him away!" Roscoe growled forming up with the heroes.
In the fog, Seth ran down the street panting and looking around feeling like he was running in circles, "Jaya! Do you hear me?!"
Sensing a presence behind him Seth pretended he didn't notice and walked forward keeping his finger on the trigger of his pistol.
Spinning around Seth pointed his pistol only to have a large knife held to his throat by a masked highwayman, the masked man then held up a finger to his lips to silently shush him both noticing a shadow figure strolling down the road whistling.
Watching the figure, he stopped whistling before looking in the direction of Seth, "there you are~"
Pointing his pistol away from the highwayman the two face the Gratificator who slowly walked towards them, "Who are you?!"
"Pride~" the Gratificator hummed, "now you seem a fraction worthy from that last whelp, her screams were exquisite but I'll bet yours will be better."
"Excuse me?!" Seth spoke angrily upon hearing the enemy mention harming Jaya, in the corner of his eye Seth saw the highwayman draw a rapier and point it.
"Don't let your guard down, he's fast and strong, your friend is safe but she won't be if this bastard isn't dealt with," the masked man warned.
"Twice you've meddled Highwayman, who sent you?" the Gratificator asked his question making Seth glance over to the mystery man.
"No one you know love, hate to cut this short but I'm afraid today you'll die," the man smirked.
"Ha ha ha, you think you mortals have the power to kill me? That's funny, I'd almost feel sorry for you if I didn't find your presence as insignificant as a spec of dirt on my boot," the Gratificator chuckled drawing a bloody claw across his expressionless mask to make a bloody eerie smile.