Day 4 Evening

[The Spirit]

The Island was in constant ruin, the floor looked like it would drop from their feet at any second, the storms in the sky were getting worse and the Hero sounded panicked.

"Heroes! Kill the last Guardian! Please! The Island is falling apart!"

The Storm 9 and above is now occurring.
All of the land designated has fallen off.
There is a new storm in rows H, I, and 10 and it will occur in 6 IC hours

[The Spirit]

FACE TO FACE
MICKEY MOUSE,, BELLE, PROTO MAN, LINK VS. KOPAKA, A.J. CROWLEY, MAGUS, TRUNKS, AMATERASU

Mickey Mouse looked at Belle, her injuries were concerning him. His redheaded friend almost seemed to weak to mock the wisdom of Play,Boy. The group walked out of the forest, the ground shaking beneath their very feet. As they go out into the open, the groups relics pull towards the others. Mickey looked up to see the metallic jerk who kept on wanting to kill him.

Kopaka stepped out from the rest of the group, pointing at Link, his metallic features seeming more cold. “Traitors should perish before anyone else.” The Toa took out his pink crowbar and walked slowly to Link, raising his weapon almost as if he were attempting to lead his soldier into battle.

Mickey was surprised, the Toa of Ice wanted vengeance upon the traitor rather than the “criminal” Mickey was. However, he had no more time for speculation as his shoulder was shot by Trunks across the field. Behind him was the young woman named Amaterasu. She hid behind the young warrior as he continued his onslaught upon Mickey. Mickey attempted to dodge, the bullets, an occasional graze here and there. Mickey grabbed the rock behind him and threw it at Trunks, the rock sailing in the air was quickly shot out of the air by his marksmanship. He turned back to his opponent to see Mickey uppercutting him, the gloved fists more than willing to shed blood. Mickey shoved Trunks onto the floor, breathing heavily about to go in again. Trunks raised up his weapon and shot Mickey in the leg. The Mouse grabbed at his gun and the two struggled headbutting each other in the face

Magus charged in with his chainsaw running to see a Robotic Kid rubbing his arms together. A Blue aura covered Blues as he met the chainsaw wielding warrior using only his butterfly knife. The whirring blades roaring in his face as Proto dashed towards him and slid underneath him. Blues pulled himself up and stabbed Magus straight into the back with his butterfly knife. Magus roared in pain as he quickly turned around slashed at Proto. The whirring blades only managing to scratch Blues in the stomach despite the weapons brute force. Proto whipped at him again with his knife scratching him slightly before Magus returned. The chainsaw roared through the air as it came down upon Blues, the blades slicing Blues in the leg.

Kopaka ran up to Link, the Hero of Time smashing the mystery cube into his leg hoping he got something good. An oversized hammer came out forcing his arms to throw it up and down. Kopaka tried to analyze the methods of the hammer and work around its swingtime but Link charged ahead. Kopaka ducked around the hammer and swung to the Hero of Time’s head, the crowbar leaving a nasty wound. The Toa relished in the pain he had given him and attempted to smack Link once more. However, Link quickly turned and the automatic swinging of the Hammer smashed Kopaka’s already beaten body. The robot attempted to get up but was methodologically beat down by the oversized hammer’s weight. Shame overcame the Toa of Ice as he was being beat down by the traitor and unable to fulfill his mission that he had set out to do.

Belle ran to help Blues but was quickly cornered by a Demon who’s seen better days. Crowley brought up Sir Beep Boop and a strange noise began to fill the air. The high pitched noise began to build in intensity as Belle threw her shield at Crowley. A smirk came to her face as the realization that she was almost like Captain America came to mind as the shield was sent on it’s way. The building of the weapon stopped and a stream of noise came out of the weapon. The blue laser type beam hit Belle, her heart plummeted and then stopped entirely. Thoughts raced past her mind as the sudden fear of death became ever more real. Blackness covered her eyes and her body went cold as it hit the floor lifeless. The shield hit Crowley directly into the head, causing nausea and pain to fly throughout his body. He was forced down as the shield returned to the corpse of its owner.

Link turned to see Magus and Proto fighting, one obviously better equipped than the other. Link ran or well galloped towards Blues, his arms unable to stop swinging the ludicrous weapon. Magus saw the Hero of Time and cursed beneath his breath. He broke off his battle to retreat into a better position. Two on one was never a good idea. A familiar sound rose again as Sir Beep Boop began to unleash another torrent of music. The beam flew right towards the two, their bodies flown back by the music and the power it brought with it. Their chests felt heavy as the beam continued to push into them. Trunks shoved Mickey out of his chests and began to make signs. A large fireball came from out of his hands and flew towards the two.

The fire and sound began to mix into one as the Bird from the Shield of Perseus swallowed the fire and the music. With Belle’s last breathe she was able to activate the shield and save her friend. Blues looked over to see his friends dying body, “Belle!” His rage-induced scream carried out as he began to channel energy. A familiar friend appeared before them and gave the enemies no time to run as he tossed a bomb at them. A large explosion, flying everyone back a couple of feet and knocking a few people out. Proto uncovered his eyes from the radiant explosion, causing more than a few trees on fire. Mickey came from the side carrying a crowbar, a bag of groceries, and their fallen friend.

“Let’s get out of here.” The King said, his eyes filled of sorrow and rage.

[spoiler]

BELLE- DEAD
KOPAKA -DEAD
Link rolled a 5
Proto- His heart hurts and has more than a couple of scratches as well as a cut on his leg - 5 DMG
Magus- Has a deep cut on his back, managed to escape the explosion- 4 DMG
Mickey- Has a gunshot wound on his shoulder and his leg - 7 DMG
Trunks- Has a broken nose and a black eye. Also has more burn wounds and one of his eardrums has been ruptured -5 DMG
Crowley- His head hurts from that shield as well as having some burns from the explosion -4 DMG
Link- Has a nasty head wound as well as his heart hurting from the blast, minor heart palpitations.
-6 DMG
Amaterasu- Caught in the explosion and has some major burn wounds- 6 DMG

Proto used T2 Super Move -2SP
Proto used the Bracers- 24 IC cooldown period
Belle used the Shield - 24 IC cooldown period
Mickey grabbed the Shield of Perseus, the Crowbar, and the Groceries[/spoiler]

[The Spirit]

FACE TO FACE
A.J. CROWLEY, MAGUS vs. MINATO, KAKASHI

The two shinobi stalked carefully through the brush. Their wounds stung, but their training held fast and they stayed silent. The scent of blood stained the air, their prey was already injured. A devil and a devilish mage limped through the forest, leaving a trail of gore in their wake. A decisive strike was all that would be needed to finish off the duo. Minato signaled to Kakashi, an all out attack would be unleashed upon the unsuspecting quarry. The two called upon inner wells of power, the gate of opening and sage mode were activated in synchronicity.

“Watch out,” Magus exclaimed through his slashed throat.

Crowley turned in time to find himself face to face with a small silver pistol. Through sheer instinct he pulled the trigger on his noisemaker first. The two energy base weapons collided with a deafening thunderclap. Wubs and sassy bass lines ricocheted off the surrounding trees, creating a pulsing cacophony of obnoxious noise. Minato took no chance and rushed forward as Crowley’s weapon recharged. He tackled the devil to the ground and smacked him across the jaw with the business end of the pistol. Shattered porcelain erupted from Crowley’s injured maw.

The empowered scarecrow moved with inhuman speed, dashing across the battlefield in a raw display of agility. Magus barely had time to rev his saw before the ninja was upon him. Blow after blow rained down upon the injured man, rattling bones and bruising flesh each struck threatened to shatter his tenuous grasp on life. A punch to Magus’s throat aimed to seal the deal, but Kakashi found only a burst of smoke. Was it a substitution jutsu? No, something much more sinister the burst of purple energy left Magus concealed and disengaged from Kakashi. The scarecrow’s eyes scanned the battlefield, trying to spot his opponent before he could strike from the shadows.

The sound of whirring blades sent shivers down Kakashi’s spine and he exclaimed, “Minato behind you!”

The gnawing teeth tore into Minato’s back. He had moved in time to avoid the worst of it, but the blades still chewed into his flesh. Kakashi moved to intercept his teacher’s assailant and delivered a world-shaking punch to the back of Magus’s skull. The pointy-eared assailant fell to a knee and spilled an ocean of blood onto the earth. Minato crawled away from the scuffle, his sage mode running low on energy. The scarecrow raised his arm high, ready to bring finality to his dying foe. A chorus of auto-tuned angels roared across the battlefield and delivered Magus from his untimely demise. The vortex of noise sent Kakashi skidding across the battlefield, before coming to a painful stop against a tree. With a quick nod the two shinobi agreed to fall back and lick their wounds, death would come for Crowley and Magus another day.
[spoiler]
WINNER - IUNNO IT WAS PRETTY DAMN CLOSE

Magus's wounds have reopened and his body is banged up. 4 damage (Moderate Wound)
Crowley needs dental work yo. 5 damage (Moderate wound)
Kakashi is bruised and his eardrums are nearly bursted. 4 damage (Moderate Wound)
Minato has a nasty gash across his back. 5 damage (Moderate Wound)

Kakashi -1 SP Kaimon: Gate of Opening
Minato -1 SP Sage Mode
Magus -1 SP Ethereal[/spoiler]

[Minato Namikaze]

Minato winced as his back came in contact with the bark of a tree. The gash from that damn weapon ached and, every time he moved, sent a stinging sensation throughout his body. On top of that, he could not lie down on his stomach either, that damn weapon that had bombarded him with sound abilities had bruised his ribs. One injury just seemed to make the other one more noticeable.

'One unfortunate situation after another.' Minato joked sarcastically, letting out a small laugh as pain shot through his body. 'Oh, I really shouldn't do that.' The blonde recoiled, his sarcasm disappearing with the passing wind while pain traveled through his body.

'Minato-sensei?' Kakashi spoke out of worry. The former kage shook his head, he would be fine, there was no need for his companion to worry. After all, it was only a flesh wound.

The tree line had provided them with cover, enough to conceal their presence. Their situation on the island had changed since the island seemed to disappear around them, it hadn't gone unnoticed by them, but whatever was causing it wanted everything to end quickly. It had been forcing more and more people into one, tiny, area. Fights had been breaking out all over the place. Hell, Minato and Kakashi had been in a couple of them and survived them. All in all, it had been a fortunate day for the two ninja companions, considering.

'Kakashi, are you hurt at all?' Minato questioned, turning only his head to face his former underling. He wanted to avoid as much pain as possible.

'No, I'll be fine.' Kakashi shook his head as he told Minato the exact words that he, himself, had been thinking just a few minutes ago.

Minato was being completely honest with himself and Kakashi, he would definitely be fine... eventually. It did take time to heal wounds like these, but he had been through worse in his lifetime. A gash to his back was nothing compared to what he'd seen in wars and his fight against the nine tails.

'Kakashi…' the blonde man began as a light cough fell from his mouth. 'What have we gotten ourselves into this time?' He questioned, looking up at the various branches and leaves that filled the tree's top.

'A mess, Minato... A mess.' The scarecrow answered, his words were true, and quite ironic.

'Hah!' Minato exclaimed, pain and aches cutting his laugh short. 'Please don't make me do that.' The golden haired shinobi groaned as the evening sun faded from the sky.

[The Spirit]

FACE TO FACE
MICKEY MOUSE, BELLE, PROTO MAN, LINK, AMATERASU, VICTOR, SASUKE, TRUNKS, ORIHIME

Dark clouds gathered in the evening sky, thunder was being heard from afar. Something was brewing this evening, and it wasn't good. Two groups of Teuser's chosen heroes stood across from each other. Their travels brought them to this time and place, not a word was spoken as they looked across the rocky ground between them. Rain started to drop, a few drops at first, followed by what would appear a tropical rainstorm. Nothing but the champion's eyes were moving. Victor was the first to speak, "Listen up, these guys are no pushovers, give it everything you got but stay safe, no one but them has to die here." His sentence was finished by the thundering sound of the weather above them. The scene was set, and little did they know someone was watching, enjoying every second of it.

Victor took out the weapons that once belonged to Jak, letting both swords hang at knee height he got ready for the brawl. Orihime used her new found power and strengthened herself, giving out a powerful aura to all around them. Ameratsu was still unsure of what was happening, this wasn't what she wanted, getting in the middle of more bloodshed, but she had no choice, she had to defend herself, she took a fighting stance and readied herself. Trunks held his weapon with both hands, checking if it was loaded and the safety was off, whoever those guys were, it seems they made his new ally nervous. Sasuke reached for the razor-sharp headpiece and held it at the ready, they were not going to stop him.

On the other side of the field the 4 heroes observed as their foes showed their fangs, "Gosh, it seems they are really out to get us, what do you think Blue?" The friendly mouse asked. Proto wiped the water from his visor and took out the small knife he acquired before., "Yes, it seems they are looking for a fight, once more we must defend ourselves. Stay close and watch each other's back, they have us outnumbered. " Belle was still a bit shaken from what happened before, mentally it was a big blow, she started to doubt herself and it showed. Mickey came to his friend and placed his hand on her shoulder, "Don't be afraid, we will do this together." He handed her an earring, one of a set, " Here, put this on, we will face them as one." The beauty nodded as her friend's caring words reached her she put in the earring. Mickey then turned his head and showed her he was wearing the other one in the opposite ear. Both primes were drawn towards each other and created a flash of light that no one could look directly at.

When the light vanished there was but one prime left. Big round ears, beautiful long hair and the gorgeous face of Belle, this time however with a little bit more Mickey in it. White gloves and the curves of a woman the entity known as Blouse was born. With a mixture of two high pitched voices it said "Let's do this!" Link stood by, flabbergasted at what he saw. The mouse grew hair and breast? what just happened. From the corner of his eye he noticed the other group started to move, he had to get ready himself. He reached for his magical box and like before he punched it with everything he had, praying the spirit would provide him with the tools needed to battle these fiends and protect his new found allies. The box once again played the catchy tune as it provided link with a weapon he couldn't have dreamed off. He knew this weapon, it has served him well in the past, within his hand he held the Deity mask, slowly he moved it towards his face, the power the mask alone was giving off was intense. The moment it touched Link's skin it took over. The warrior's face had war paint on it and his tunic took a grayish color, within his hand he held the mighty helix blade.

Sasuke initiated the fight, throwing his weapon through the air, cutting through the rain that was pouring down. Blouse didn't hesitate to show it's combined strength and knocked it out of the air like it was nothing. This display of power immediately drew the attention of both Trunks and Victor, who turned their weapons towards the fused prime. Unleashing havoc, Victor displayed perfect control of the god of war's weapon, slicing through the rain, every strike aimed at Blouse with precision. But the duo wasn't such an easy target, with great speed they evaded the incoming attacks from the banisher. Trunks took aim as Blouse was focused on dodging the flying bladed chains. Having it in his sight he squeezed the trigger, sending off several bullets towards the powerful entity before Proto-Man's fist landed in Trunks's jaw, Oh no you don't, I'm right here punk." Seeing an opening with the metallic prime, Sasuke went in to strike, only to have his fist caught mid-air. Proto squeezed hard, hearing the ninja's knuckles crack, "And what do -you- want? I am tired of all of this." The young ninja from Konoha didn't intend to allow Proto-man to hold on to him any longer, using his legs he jumps up and kicked the mighty prime in his face with both feet, before taking distance once more.

Link recognized the woman that jumped him a few days ago, what was she doing here? He noticed both women going in to assist the black haired boy. He had to intercept and he did, coming from the side he charged Amaterasu first, forcing the hilt of his sword deep within her stomach, stopping her movement instantly. The goddess was coughing her lungs out, but she wasn't alone, her ally Orihime wouldn't stand for it and went toe to toe with Link, she still had a score to settle with this punk. With her new sword and woman's fury she knew to push Link back, who clearly did not feel comfortable fighting women. The two swords clashed several times, a loud cracking noise each times the metals touch. Link's swordsmanship was superior but the weapon Orihime was wielding possessed such great power that the helix sword got pushed back. Amaterasu caught her breath and went to assist pushing back the warrior from Hyrule. The two women were too much for him to handle, Orihime's attacks really did a number on him, his nose started to bleed and a few cuts were visible, but still he couldn't bring himself to use the full potential of mighty weapon against a woman.

Victor quickly noticed he wasn't getting anywhere with his attacks and decided that a new strategy was required, retracting his weapon he quickly reached for his belt and vanished from sight. Blouse blinked twice with an almost cartoon surprised look upon on her face, looking around to find the man who was just moments ago attacking was unsuccessful. But Proto and Link needed help, seeing the young Hylian being pushed back, the fused prime charged in. The Belle part of Blouse had not trouble striking a woman and with everything she had she punched Orihime in the face, sending the poor woman flying, "I got this Link, go help Blue!" Link was not about to say no to the freakishly strong prime and rushed towards Proto, when he saw victor appearing, in Proto-man's blind spot. The blades of war were burning with red energy and the silver to glow with a blue aura surrounded it, Victor was ready to strike. "PROTO-MAN! LOOK OUT!" Link shouted from the top of his voice. The digital hero turned around and saw the empowered blades striking from the sky. With only a second to respond he took a knee and summoned his mighty shield, holding it above his head. As if thunder struck upon the ground the blades of war crashed down on top of the fresh summoned metallic shield which shattered on impact, leaving Proto-man open for attack.

Link, who was close, activated the power of his sword, the energy the helix blade was emitting extended the sword by meters. He lifted the immense blade towards the lightning filled sky before striking down. Victor was still looking at the robotic man in front of him, he had a chance to do it! He had a chance to bring down one of the bastards responsible for the attack on Nippur! His thoughts kept him going too long, it was all the time Link needed to force the large beam of energy in the form of a blade down from the sky, cleaving Victor in two. With disbelieve in his eyes he blinked once, before his body crumbled into two separate pieces.

"NOOOOOOooooo!" Sasuke yelled as he saw his friend being strike down. Inside Sasuke he could feel his Chakra being consumed by his cursed seal. Red flame-like tattoos creeped onto his face, giving him the strength to proceed. Feeling the anger and hatred within him he summoned the lightning within his hand, his weapon against evil. With shrieking high pitched crackling noise the ninja dragged the lightning behind him, charging Link with high speed. Proto-man was still getting up, he was unable to help and watched how Sasuke pushed the lightning into Link's back. Screaming in pain the Hylian warrior fell to his knees as smoke was coming from his back.

Blouse was still dancing with Amaterasu, caught in a fistfight with the goddess the mouse-woman wasn't holding back. Catching several punches she stepped back before one final punch did the trick. Amaterasu fell to the ground, stone cold. Her breathing uneven and her wounds accumulating. Trunks released one of his grenades from his weapon. Blouse heard the sound "clunk" from behind her and turned, the impending grenade was turning fast but Blouse had no time. She drew a heart in the air before slamming her hands into the ground, causing a large blue shield to take the explosion. Blouse was knocked back by the force but quickly stood up.The duo prime extended both hands and shouted with her mixture of high pitched voices: "It's not nice to attack people in their backs, Take this!" And from the white gloves a devastating beam of Golden energy emerged, shooting straight for Trunks who took the attack full force. Without a second thought Blouse went after Sasuke who had his back turned to them, standing over a face down Link he stood tall. The duo used their speed to bulrush Sasuke, his enhanced body managed to keep up with the occasional hit glancing his shoulders. Blouse kicked forward and hit Sasuke in the stomach, falling back into a mud puddle, gagging.

The water was dripping off of Sasuke's hair as he got up, looking around him he saw his allies getting hurt, wounded and killed. This had to stop, "Fall back." he spoke quietly only to repeat it much louder a second time, "Fall back!!" Sasuke's allies looked surprised to hear him call for a retreat, but they disengaged. Orihime and Amaterasu walked away from Blouse, the ninja went to pick up Trunks, who was on the ground, wounded by the former mouse's attack.

Proto-man did not wish to pursue them, instead he went to check up on Link, who got hit by the ninja's lightning attack. When he helped Link up the mask fell off, and he took his former form. Battle has warn them all out, enough was enough.

The primes started to retreat, being done with this battle they knew this would not end well for either side. They started to retreat in opposite directions when from the heavens a voice echoed between the thunder shook the heroes at their core, " Leaving so soon? Things just became interesting. It's time we finished this little game of ours once and for all, how about we all come together and i finish you all off in one go." Using his dark magic, lightning was coming down all around them, creating a cage of lightning around the small area that was still safe. Closing in fast towards the battlefield the primes that were nearby were forced to rush towards the center of it, Kakashi and Minato were the first to arrive at the scene, seeing both wounded groups they stopped. On the other side of the field a soaking wet Ururu and Desco showed up. Lightning struck several times in the centre of the battlefield

"Now that we are all complete we can finish this, look up heroes, witness the tool of your destruction and the end of Teuser."

Every prime that looked up towards the rainy heavens saw a massive ball of fire falling down from the heavens, it wouldn't be long before it struck and ends the life of anyone near it. Every prime felt the same, this was it, it was now or never.

[spoiler]Link rolled a 6 received Deity mask+helix blade
Sasuke 5damage - his right hand is broken and his neck is hurting like hell.
Proto 6damage His body is hurting from taking Victor's blow, especially his arms, these are now bruised. Recieved Blades of chaos
Orihime 6 damage The punches she recieved made her ears bleed, and gave her a concussion.
Blouse- 2 damage Cuts and bruises over their body, no major wounds, just beat up in general.
Victor- Dead,
Trunks- 6 damage 3 ribs broken, 2 bruised from Blouse's attack
Amaterasu - 2 DMG FATAL WOUND- Amaterasu will bleed out in 48 OOC hours
Link 7 damage His back is burned from Sasuke's attack, the wound needs to be treated, currently it's an open wound.

All primes have been moved to K12, no f2fs occurred due to this.
All other spaces are dead zones

Proto -T1 Defense -1 SP,
Sasuke used T1 Super move and T1 Power Up -2SP,
Belle used SP T1 offense and T2 Defense-1 SP,
Victor used T1 Super,
Orihime used T1 Power up,
Potara earrings used,

[/spoiler]

[Link]

Before the F2F

Link glanced between the group, there was a vague sense of recognition with the preteen machine. The longer he concentrated on it, the further the pitch of the screeching in his ears ascended.

“Where are the people you were with, anyway?” Proto Man asked as he took a moment to scan their surroundings. “Why are you alone?”

“I.. left them behind,” Link spoke, nodding as he did so, “Their goals and mine.. sort of.. clashed.” The teen shrugged lightly, eliciting a trio of nods in return. At least they understand..

Link took a moment to take stock of his surroundings, he was able to relax somewhat. That was until the thought in Belle’s mind clicked. For the most part, her ramblings were meshed into a single drawn out moment of white noise. It was difficult to keep up and the idea of somebody knowing him for outside of his own universe was confusing. Was it true? Had all of his exploits come from little more than a game? Or had his exploits become so renowned that a game was created following his time in Hyrule? Link’s thoughts, however, were quickly pushed aside by the redhead.

“Can you do the thing? You know. The spin slash?” The girl, Belle, mimicked perhaps Link’s signature attack. He shrugged once more as the girl lurched forwards, the Mouse keeping her from hitting the deck.

Belle offered up Blues’ scarf, asking for an autograph, to which the teen chuckled, she was joking, right? The Hylian smiled vaguely, awkwardly even.

The group spoke for a while, various confusing and odd topics were brought up, that left Link perplexed, but amused regardless. He felt secure, secure enough to let his guard down at the very least.

After the F2F with Magus and crew.

“Let’s get out of here!” Mickey called for the retreat. They had lost Belle, the mouse has recovered her, but her form hung lifelessly over Mickey’s shoulder.

Link followed after the Mouse and Machine, clutching the back of his head, a dull ache emanating from Kopaka’s brutal strike. They’d lost a friend, but at the very least, they walked away with a pair of new weapons and the relics still intact. Then is struck him.

“What about that food.. is it too late? Kopaka used that food to heal me earlier on, there should be some left, is it-” Link blurted out in all of a second.

The Mouse and Machine’s sullen faces relayed enough of a message for Link to understand. He sighed, his head hung slightly.

[Amaterasu]

A fair bit to catch up on, so this post will include several quotes...

1-Before meeting the other group & the Warlock magic

"Pleasure to meet you, Trunks - as much as that can be said around here." She was starting to grow tired of this place. Everything was literally breaking down around them, they were getting shooed around by landmasses crumbling away and magic storms menacingly lingering above their-

... she'd jinxed it, hadn't she? A sun-obscuring wall of clouds was approaching from the north, and it was rumbling with electric energy sufficient to turn a forest to ashes. She got up, as best as she could anyway, and pointed to the sky. "Trunks, was it? We need to get out of here, I believe... these lightning storms are chasing us all over the island. I wouldn't want to stay to find out if they do hurt, anyway. At least the clouds weren't moving too fast, they needed to get going to escape them but they likely would avoid getting hit if they took a fast walking pace. She felt tired, her body ached and hurt, but she could still keep on her feet. Well, for now.

They walked for hours without break, the storm came closer and a few stray bolts struck the ground at a distance, but they never got too close for comfort. Not as long as they kept walking. Eventually the stormcloud front stopped and shortly after the veritable rain of thunderbolts like Amaterasu had seen before, on more than one occasion. Apparently even the mighty Warlock's magic had its limits... but, it seemed like things weren't meant to be good.

Encounter with Magus, Kopaka and Crowley

Just as they were going to rest after the forced march a group of three Primes popped up - how they had remained hidden from view until now, Amaterasu never understood. Immediately she raised a hand to indicate she had seen them and called out to them: "Friendlies! We're just escaping from the storm, we mean you no-

"You all bore me. I thought Primes were supposed to be interesting. Maybe if I turn things around a little bit!"

"-what the hell? Who are yAAAAAH!" The goddess's question turned into a scream as she was sent flying through space by the Warlock's magic, and her stomach was stirring from the sudden turns, so that she could barely support herself on the ground when she hit it, and yelped with pain as her burnt knees and hands cushioned the fall. Ouch... they hadn't really gotten a chance to explain themselves, nor even say hi, before the strange man - Amaterasu presumed that it was Warlock - had sent them plummeting wherever.

Basic introductions switched sides and Amaterasu promised to leave the rest of the group along with Trunks to take this to... wherever. Away from the fights. They sat together while recovering from the shock of the teleportation... whatever it was that had sent them flying, anyway. Amaterasu brooded as she thought. So that was Warlock, this man that Hero Teucer warned us about... it's no sueprise. He was... powerful. Dangerous, even. Very dangerous, she could feel it. Stronger than any Oni she had fought, outside perhaps of Yami. He had teleported all of them for his amusement, it seemed. In the blink of an eye. Too dangerous for her to fight? Doubtlessly. But she could perhaps help.

The above F2F

When it was over... or well, it seemed like it was just the beginning of something far worse, Amaterasu looked to the sky. A ball of molten rock, falling from the sky, it would doubtlessly obliterate the remainder of the island, and everyone left on it. Even if it wasn't for the lightning cage, they had no chance in making it out alive from THAT!

It was then that, in the cold winds, the thundering lightning all around her, the mind-numbing pain of her stomach and her multiple injuries hurting all over, that something snapped in the Sun Goddess. Hero Teucer, I am sorry... it seems like your ship will have to sail without the wind that I wanted to provide for it. I can only hope that one of the others lives to bring the relics back to your shrine and lift the anchors that will allow you to depart on your journey. She heaved herself onto her feet again, looked to the sky once more, then looked in the direction that the lightning had fallen. A beacon was lit there... someone had fought the Warlock before? There was no other hint... she had to go.

"This won't stand any longer... I'm going to deal with this... this monster. I... I'll see you all in another life." Mostly looking at Trunks when she said that, as Somerled was nowhere to be seen, nor was anyone else that she knew and had gotten to like. She tore what was left of her Miko dress to shreds to add some makeshift bandages to her legs, and tied the cut-off arm as a crutch for her right, particularly injured leg, as she limped away, towards the east.

If anyone is interested in some RP fluff:
Amaterasu has a scroll on her, worn in plain sight by her sash so even if she were to die it could easily be retrieved without searching her body. It contains instructions on how to light incenses and a short, repeatable prayer to assist the Hero Teucer in his departure to the afterlife. The scroll can be used on the shrine Amaterasu has set up in the Temple, to assist Teucer in disconnecting himself from the world and move on to the afterlife completely.
Due to Omniverse magic and whatnot, the scroll is readable to anyone.

[Belle]

The azure beam lanced across the distance between them. Thoughts of Captain America vanished in a surge of adrenaline as Belle brought the shield around.

She was too slow. The laser found its mark, spreading its energy through her chest. Her heart lurched inside her breast, stung as if she were stabbed. She felt the wind in her hair as she fell. It felt like it took a long time, the world moving in slow motion around her as she toppled back onto the grass.

She tried to move. She couldn't.

She tried to breathe. She couldn't.

She reached inside herself, searching for the power that she knew was there, but it eluded her, slipping out of her grasp.

Come on, she thought as the colors of the world soured, fading to black. Move, you stupid bitch. Move. Move.

But her heart refused.

The stormy skies overhead rolled past. Around her she could hear the sounds of battle, increasingly muffled as time slowed to a crawl. The tight sensation in her chest relaxed, or perhaps she was merely losing her ability to feel it.

Funny. She had never dwelled on death - not even after entering the Graveyard - but she'd always thought that when it came, she'd meet her end with thoughts of her family. Now that she was here, all she could think about was herself. Would Lily ever know what had happened to her? Would Nalia? Yuki, no doubt, would simply conclude that she had run away.

And what about Mickey, Blues, and Link? That last one sucked. She'd just met the Hero of Time, and now, her time was up? She would've laughed if she could.

Her friends.

She stiffened. Through the ringing building in her ears, she heard it: that sound, the same sound that had heralded her end. Only this time she wouldn't be the target. This time, it would be one of them.

No.

Power surged through her, her senses coming alive with renewed awareness. The weight of the shield was heavy on her arm as she abruptly shot upward.

She wasn't even fully conscious of the movement. Already she could feel the strain threatening to overflow, ready to snap. All she knew was she had to get to them, had to protect them. It wasn't a question of ifs and maybes - it was an absolute.

With every last fiber of her will, she slammed the shield down between them. She felt the shield's power harmonizing with her own, singing through her as the energy swelled, a din of light that enfolded them.

The attacks were swallowed. Her friends were safe.

And then she died.

~+~+~+~

White flashed in her vision. Blessed, agonizing pain jolted through her chest - proof that she was still tethered to the world.

Proto lifted the paddles of the defib as she heaved. Her throat was thick, her lungs too small, scratchy, as if they were plugged with sand. Her shoulder stung as she rolled to the side, jerking and spasming.

She was alive. Sore, hurting in more places than she could count, but her heart continued to beat.

Belle gazed up at the trio, each pair of eyes anxious in their own way. Her chest was hurting again, but this time for an entirely different reason.

"It's-" she started to say, then doubled over in her fetal position with a bout of coughing. "It's-" she gulped, "It's ... a porno mag, Mickey ... !"

The mouse's expression froze, then broke into a smile. "Sure," he said, wiping an eye with an overlarge finger and masking a sniff. "Sure it is."

It was a while before she felt well enough to stand. Something about the world beaneath her felt different, more ... significant, somehow. Perhaps it was because she had thought that she would never feel it under her feet again.

The wind caressed her hair, bringing with it the sounds of the storm as it cleaved off another piece of the island.

How long did they really have? How long were the rest of them just postponing the inevitable? Maybe it didn't matter to them, she thought. Primes would be primes, after all.

But she wasn't a Prime. She would be something different.

Something better.

The wind picked up again, howling and screaming through the trees with mourning fury, a tempest in contrast with the clarity and stillness she felt inside. If she was going to die again, she wasn't going to let someone else make that decision for her. There was one more thing they had to do, a promise to fulfill.

Another batch of primes were nearby, sharpening their knives for the kill. The group of heroes turned to face them, backs straight as lightning split the sky.

[The Spirit]

PHASE 2

For once, the sky was not filled with the Spirit's voices. The only reassurance the primes had were the auras of power emanating from the ground around them, the rampant storms around them and the impending meteor signaling their demise. The primes only solace was the idea of the Warlock's demise.

All zones are danger zones except for K12

[Ururu Kyuuei]

Ururu grunted as everyone fell back to the mouth of the cave, some like herself by teleportation with Desco at her side. She had been finishing off the last of her leftovers when it had happened. In her sweep she spied the inferno above which she had lit though now it seemed to be flickering in an out of existence from nothing to giant fanning flames. Reality was falling apart. Just typical. There were so few people left now though. Would it be enough?

She half wanted to let them all die from their own foolishness. This was what they had reaped on themselves, upon each other.

Spitting with no little blood from her various wounds and likely a few missing teeth… she realized that this was all that was left of her life. She either won here or died. Hikaru probably would have some choice words for that kind of thinking but that part of her mind, and her chakra pathways was locked away. Holes. All that was left of her was who she had been from before. The monster. The weapon made to kill.

Perhaps she had one last lesson she needed to teach this decaying world.

“Hey fuckers! Follow me if you want to say hello to the warlock.” Ururu bellowed mockingly, each syllable filled with anger, no small amount of hate and derision. Her glare that she casted about showed no less, if anything far more.

With that she moved, forward pushing through people not caring if they even attacked. What could they possibly do to her? Nothing that wouldn’t happen in a few seconds. It was completely pointless even if they tried. Each step she made emphasized these facts as her feet dug into the ground as streamers of pale green chakra began fighting against the oppressive atmospher.

Giving one backward glance to see who was following, she charged into a full run, a scream echoing in her wake. It was battle cry defying the small body that it was source, contrasting in both sheer noise and emotion. As she disappeared into distance towards the cave, there was one final burst of prismatic green forming into what looked to be a tail of energy.

[The Spirit]

CHALLENGE
THE WARLOCK VS. DESCO, URURU, BELLE, PROTO MAN, LINK, MICKEY MOUSE, MINATO, KAKASHI, TRUNKS, MAGUS, A. J. CROWLEY, AMATERASU

The Warlock was channelling the meteor that was being brought down to earth before he was interrupted. "Ah I see you've returned. I very much enjoy these." The Warlock flashed his vampire teeth at the duo. "I hope you brought friends...this isn't going to be fun."

All participants cannot post unless it's a response to the challenge.
As this is the final guardian and everyone is on the same square I'll allow anyone to join the challenge if they PM me within the hour
Challenge posting ends 24 hours after the hour endsf

[Ururu Kyuuei]

“Hikaru!”

Ururu was riding on a wave of rage, her only visible emotion though was a feral grin turned bestial. Rivets of prismatic green chakra burned from her body taking shape as the power was wielded on instinct alone. It was only a build-up, but with each leaping step that increased in distance her movements told the story of what was to come. She was an oracle of destruction that would see this finished one way or another.

With one last lope, her form shifted into a prophecy of violence. Molten emerald smoothed out into a definite form of a slim fox like shape that enhanced her canines and brought burning fire to her eyes. The entire cave was lit up with her presence as she disappeared into rapture made up of every bit of her life and experience that she could still call hers. A cascade of verdant shadows and fury spilled across the bulk of the stone maw she found herself in.

Time slowing to molasses, she watched as the zombies began to rise again. She didn’t let them.

Ururu hit the ground at the first and mostly formed and propelled herself through in a spiral with just her right foot. Sheer force cut five down as she landed on her opposing left foot, planting it on the last undead’s face before kicking off again with a spray of darkened brain matter and ichor.

Another corpse interposed itself in front of her with a blossoming of pain. No matter

She paid it no mind. In her fury the girl was thrust through the attack of the withered limbs so her fingers caught its head and decapitated it and pushing off into the ceiling as if it were the ground

She didn’t fall, instead momentum held Ururu in an inverted gallop as she moved after her prey that directly below. Even with its flowing movements, the dark magus barely had time to even track her chakra powered steps. It was when his face and spine formed a ninety degree stare that Ururu saw her opening, hurling herself into a suicidal strike. Earth above and below shattered from the shockwaves of her strength as she planted her entire body into the warlock’s chest.

Liquid flesh splattered around her but it refused to fall apart, instead it bound her to him as a creepy grin plastered itself on the warlock’s face. If it had time to change it would have in response to the mirror on Ururu’s visage.

Momentum was on her side as the warlock’s entire body hit the ground and moved deeper into the mouth of the cave. Bones snapped and healed as quickly as Ururu dealt him injuries that was ultimately a rugburn of epic proportions. Like herself though the monster that she was pummeling appeared to outright ignore the horrendous injuries. Its skeletal limb moved like lightning, detached from its muscle though it was, and aimed right for Ururu’s chest. Not in an attack of melee but something else entirely.

A deep resonating mist of tainted purple and silver omnilium was flowing to the two fighters. It outpaced every single prime that had followed Ururu into battle; outpacing even the transformed state of the young shinobi who had decimated the playing field in seconds. In the warlock’s bony hand the fog coalesced into a burning light that flashed outwards. Not once but hundreds of times as burst of inverting color hit her. The first twenty or so, plowing her into walls, through the remaining horde of undead and back further into the incoming crowd of her allies.

[Magus]

She was dead.

She was dead!

He’d seen her die with his own eyes. The red haired bitch who’d attacked them with the Mouse and the odd one and the traitor. They’d murdered Kopaka and they had taken her life in turn.

So then why had she been brought back and not him?

“Murderers,” Magus glowered at the girl and the Mouse and their compatriots, his glare hovering especially long over Link. “Fucking hypocrites.”

He shambled forward, his whole body screaming at him to just stop, to just give in. Blood, old and new, burned against pale, scarred flesh. He was going to die, he knew that. But he wouldn’t die a coward. He already knew death wasn’t a constant in the Omniverse, but still – he’d never done it before.

The bite wound on his neck stung, the cuts all over his body, the bruises, the lumps. His body was finished, and he’d hardly accomplished a thing. Lavender hair hung in greasy, messy strands, obscuring his vision.

“Y’know, you’ve been awful quiet for a while. They say shutting down like that is bad for mental health,” the demon said, having suddenly appeared to his side as he trudged on toward the mouth of the cave. Magus had misjudged him, thinking him a slimy, evasive creature. Maybe on the surface, but Crowley was no turncoat.

“Are they the same people who used to say radiation was good for you?”

“People used to say that?”

Magus’ withering gaze burned into Crowley for a moment, before he cast his eyes back to his destination.

“You’re the perpetual buzzkill, you know that? You’re the cure for optimism,” Crowley retorted. “Kind of a dick, too, sometimes.”

The wizard stopped at the mouth of the cave, ignoring the crashes of battle within, and again turned to look his travelling companion in the eyes. His face was grey and expressionless, and then his lips curled into a frown. Magus kept hobbling forward. “I appreciate you.”

Crowley raised an eyebrow. “Uh-” he began, and then closed his mouth, having thought better of it.

Quickly, Magus could feel the effervescent energies of powerful magics surging all around him, invigorating him. He stepped quicker, in spite of the pain surging through his body. He’d fought Lavos and had nearly been killed a number of times. It didn’t stop him then. It wouldn’t stop him now.

A gargantuan explosion shook them, and the small woman who had charged in ahead came hurtling back at them. Magus moved to catch her, but balked at a sudden pain in his ribs. Crowley, however, didn’t fumble and was nearly crumpled to the ground by Ururu’s fearsome impact as he caught the girl.

The two of them righted themselves even as Magus continued ahead, chainsaw in hand. “You,” he called. “Girl,” he looked over at her. “Let us help you.”

A freshly summoned horde of the undead charged toward him. “Necromancy,” he breathed, revving up his motorized blade.

Chains bit into flesh, splattering foul, blackened ichor, bone, and sinew onto the walls, the ceiling, everywhere. Even him. He wore the blood and guts like war paint, carving his way through unliving flesh as he forced his way into the heart of the cave.

He saw the source of the opposing power, the supposed Warlock who had caused them all so much grief in the past several days. A withered, horrible looking lich stared up at him with hollow, sullen eyes.

“Necromancy, lichdom, conjuration,” Magus noted, looking up at the ceiling and around himself. “Interesting. But your magic is crude.”

“What?”

“Makes sense. I wondered what on earth Teucer was thinking when he summoned us to the island but stripped us of our powers. I thought him afraid of us, but… it was you, wasn’t it? You took our powers because you’re the coward.”

“You dare-”

“Let’s be honest with ourselves; if I was still in control of my magical faculties, we wouldn’t be speaking now, as you’d already be dead,” Magus flashed the decaying spellcaster a deadly grin. “But I don’t need magic to tear you to shreds. I’ve gotten ample experience with this,” Magus revved his chainsaw to punctuate his point.

Fizzling energies crackled along the Warlock’s knuckles as he prepared a succinct rebuttal.

“Girl!” Magus snarled, unlooping his pilfered bullwhip from his belt. “I suspect you’ve been stripped of your powers, too. Take this,” he threw the weapon to Ururu, who caught it handily. “Crowley,” he added. “Do it.”

The formerly well-clothed devil didn’t need him to elaborate and unleashed a torrent of wubs and jarring, split-second samples of television violence. It was too much for the Warlock, who unleashed his counter-attack in the form of un-aimed magical devastation. Twin blasts of primal magic smashed into the wall and ceiling, sending huge hunks of stone crashing down upon them.

The trio of warriors charged at the Warlock, evading the crushing rock and attacking all at once. Another wild burst of dropped beats crashed into the awful creature, before Magus’ blade impaled itself into the Warlock’s gut, carving straight through the other side.

The two mages locked eyes and all the while Magus tried to force his blade to move, to end this here and now with one last, grisly cut. But the weapon would not be moved.

“Where is your bravado now?” the grotesque thing demanded, before a blast of kinetic energy launched Magus, chainsaw and all, into the far wall. He smashed the stone with a sickening crack and crumbled to the floor.

The girl he’d given his weapon to didn’t let it go to waste, immediately snapping the whip out and wrapping it around the Warlock’s forearm, pulling his arm away and leaving him wide open to another aural blast from Crowley’s bizarre weapon.

Magus coughed, spattering some of his own blood on his chin, before coughing up a scarlet river that spilled onto his chest. The new blood vanished instantly in the sea of gore already clinging to his flesh.

He struggled, fighting to climb to his feet. If he had to die, he would not die on the sidelines.

[Kakashi Hatake]

Kakashi’s damaged ears heard naught but the warlock’s cackle as he stood within the cave’s entryway. A glance around the cave told the sharingan-wielder that he was not alone in his battle. A collection of other Primes had also been whisked into this confrontation, some familiar and others foreign. They each bore signs of their struggle, caked in dried blood and muck, as they stared down the necromancer. Kakashi heard the blood pumping behind his ravaged eardrums, his heartbeat accelerating as the assault began. He watched as, in a flash of green, the future-telling kunoichi from the Temple tore into the Warlock.

This was it, the end of their quest. Though the shinobi twosome had done little to help the Teucer thus far, that would soon change. The sorcerer had tortured the Primes that walked his island, though this paled in comparison to his domination of the noble Hero that had summoned them. Doomed to wander the land, to never pass beyond the pale, the Warlock commanded the poor Spirit much as he did the countless other souls of those that had perished. Rage boiled in the ninja’s veins as his grip tightened around his gravity gun. Such offenses the silver-haired shinobi could no longer tolerate.

“Ready when you are, Kakashi,” Minato asserted, stepping up beside him. The man’s pupils widened as he began channeling nature energy.

The scarecrow nodded, squaring his jaw. There would be no room for mistakes in this battle, they would need to operate seamlessly as a unit. The Captain took a deep breath, kicking off into a sprint as his first Inner Gate was flung open. Chakra vitalized his muscles as he dove headlong into the fray, his former sensei at his side. He was without his jutsu; he hoped Kaimon would be enough to fell the lich.

“Duck!” Minato yelled suddenly over the deafening wubbing emanating from the pale man’s music weapon.

Without hesitation Kakashi instantly leapt forward into a somersault, narrowly avoiding an onslaught of zombie minions not feet from him. A savage blast ripped through the air from Minato’s sidearm, the squadron of reanimated corpses exploded into a shower of gore. Kakashi gritted his teeth as trudged through the desecrated remains, catching sight of the Warlock sneering at the duo. The casted raised his hand as they neared, launching a blast of concussive force toward them.

The scarecrow let out an involuntary oof as he was knocked from his feet, the attack sending him careening toward the rocky cave wall. He turned in midair in an attempt to right himself, bracing for inevitable impact. Instead, the shinobi felt strong hands clamp down on his shoulders, dragging him out of his flight path. “Gotcha!”

Minato set his former student down safely before taking off once more toward the necromancer. His impressive speed proved too much for the Warlock, concussive blasts missing their mark again and again. The wily caster uttered an annoyed sneer, beginning to channel his magicks as the Kage neared, preparing a more sinister strike.

Taking his opening, Kakashi dashed across the cave, holding his gravity gun aloft. His empowered limb held the bulky contraption steady with ease, the weapon’s gravitational waves tearing a large boulder loose from the cave’s wall. His fair-haired partner noted the pursuit, his fleet feet carrying him away as the scarecrow neared. The warlock’s head turned away from the fleeing speedster in time to watch the silver-haired shinobi pirouette and release his hold on the bolder, slinging it toward the villain with all of the force that physics would allow.

[Mickey Mouse]

Mickey could see it now.

* * *

The Dirty Dozen
By Jessica Rabbit, Guest Columnist

I may be a Toon, but my days at the Ink & Paint Club have shown me things no kid should ever see on a Saturday morning special. My husband, Roger, being accused of murder… truly scandalous. But little compares to a certain type of group encounter involving twelve participants and a meteor! Lucky for me, I got to sit down exclusively for Play, Boy with Mickey Mouse, one of the dirty birds involved in that very exciting event.

Jessica Rabbit: So how did it feel, to be on the inside of that?
Mickey Mouse: Honestly, quite warm.

JR: Had to be, with that hot ball of fire bearing down on you the whole time.
MM: Yeah, I mean, you get used to that, especially when you’re heroic like me.

JR: Great balls of fire?
MM: Yeah, that and bony old guys trying pound you into oblivion constantly. This Warlock guy, he’s just a type. And they always go down eventually. You just gotta give ‘em a little pressure, you know?

JR: Oooh, you’re a feisty little mouse. You’re taking my breath away. But I suppose you have a reputation for ladies losing their breath around you.
MM: You mean Belle? Yeah, that was a pretty depressing situation. But Blues managed to pump some life back into her by hammering on her chest. That really got her going again. And then we joined together and those mean guys and girls tried to lay it on us but we made ‘em regret it. Belle’s really an awesome pal. I haven’t really known her that long, but I’d say she and Blues are some of my best friends.

JR: With benefits?
MM: Huh? I mean, yeah, there’s lots of benefits?

JR: Alright. What can you tell me about the other friends you made during that little dance with the Warlock?
MM: Well, we all just sort of hooked up and that was that. The blue-haired guy seemed kinda salty that Belle got invited back to the party and not Kopaka, but whatever, that guy played too rough anyway. Wasn’t safe. Mr. Blue Hair still had a partner, anyway, so it wasn’t like he was the odd man out. Our two new ninja pals stuck pretty close together; they seemed to like each other a lot. The guy with purple hair showed up again, too! I hear he’s good with a sword. Oh, and that girl who seemed angry the whole time and her friend. Was she in a costume? I don’t really know.

JR: Oooh, there were strangers there?
MM: Yeah, duh, we came from all over.

JR: Oh my.
MM: I mean, it was the climax. The breaking point. The peak. The happy ending. Well, we hoped, anyway. You can’t always guarantee it.

JR: Don’t I know it. But we might have to wrap this interview up, I’m getting a little titillated.
MM: Why? It was insanely violent.

JR: Oh, I know. That’s why I’m hot and bothered.
MM: I’m bothering you? I’m sorry! Do I need to turn on the A/C?

More on what happens when eleven primes, a dominating warlock, and a meteor wind up in the same bed of grass in the next issue of Play, Boy.

* * *

“Belle,” he muttered to the redheaded girl standing next to him, freshly defused. “One day, Blouse’ll be all over Play, Boy.”

Belle scowled. “Mickey, I—”

But he’d already charged in. The battle was on. Belle, Blues, and Link weren’t far behind.

600 words exactly.

[Minato Namikaze]

One cohesive unit. That's what the two of them were. It didn't matter whether it was one hundred enemy shinobi, or a single, all powerful being. Minato and Kakashi would always work as a cohesive unit. They had worked together for so long that they had developed excellent team work, and it felt like nothing had changed in that regard.

Minato had noticed the large boulder that his partner's alien weapon had separated from the cave wall, dashing away from the warlock as the boulder flew through the air. No doubt in his mind that their ghastly enemy had noticed it and already began preparing a defense. But that wasn't what was important right now. Minato had entered sage mode and, although he couldn't sustain the form for as long as his master, it's boost had helped him in avoiding the impact area.

The fair haired ninja came to a sliding stop, spinning on the balls of his feet to see the large boulder slam into the enemy, shattering into rubble and dust as the frustrated howls of the Warlock echoed throughout the cavern. Minato didn't want to waste time, using the dust as a distraction, he dashed towards the wall, using his momentum and speed to take a few, large, strides up it. 'Now or never.' Minato spoke softly as he pulled himself into a crouching position before swiftly launching himself from the wall, towards their opponent.

'You are going to regret that.' The warlock stated, anger in his voice, as he raised his hand. A ball of coalescing, purple, energy in his hand.

'Hey!' the former kage's voice called out as he landed on the purple apparition, clinging to his foe's torso and breaking his concentration. 'Don't forget about me.' Minato smiled mockingly as he lifted his weapon to the entity's chest.

'Get off me!' the Warlock yelled as a blast of energy sent the blonde man flying across the room. His wounds ached, but he couldn't let that stop him now.

'Now Kakashi!' Minato exclaimed in pain and confidence as his empowered comrade descended upon the warlock. The silver haired man's fist was on a direct course for the purple warlock's head, but the warlock had noticed the man descending upon him, and had unleashed a bolt of purple energy. Both attacks collided with their intended targets at the same time. The Warlock let out a large, involuntary, noise as the empowered fist slammed itself into his skull, Kakashi was thrown backwards into Minato, pushing the two ninja back and into a wall.

'Hey, I caught you.' Minato laughed as he stumbled forward.

'That… that was hardly a catch.' Kakashi retorted as he gathered his senses, his head still spinning a little from the impact.

Minato laughed, stinging sensations plaguing his body and wounds reminding him that he should stop doing that when he was injured. He glanced at Kakashi as he pulled his small weapon from his jacket. Kakashi nodded, heaved his weapon up, pointed it in the direction of the warlock, and began pulling and hurling smaller sections of rock at the being.

'I just need a little distraction.' Minato thought to himself as he dashed across the tunnel. Once again climbing a wall and launching himself. The only difference this time was his preparation. He had been clutching his weapon close, preparing himself. He knew that he would not be able to hold himself steady this time.

'This again?' the warlock scoffed, bored of the blonde man's antics. Minato did not reply, he just grinned as the sound of crickets echoed throughout the cavern.

600 words exactly, according to Word Counter.

[Link]

Link took a few steps into the cave, watching the battle commence. He’d have to fight alongside the others, but it would have to suffice, this was the final guardian, afterall. The boy tossed his weapon into the air, striking the bottom of the cube with a fist, eliciting the same infectious tune to erupt from the deep recesses of the magical cube. A burst of green light shone from the item box before shortly coalescing into a ring, which made it way onto Link’s finger, of it’s own accord.

The same jarring sensation flooded over Link, he had no idea -what- this weapon was, but he knew how to use it, in great deal, apparently. The boy extended his hand, fist clenched and his newly acquired ring pointed directly for the Warlock. Link conjured up a solid brick wall, made of the same green light, between the Primes and Zombies and sent it careening through the cavernous hallway. Said wall caught zombies nigh on off guard and dragged them down towards the Warlock, trapping them between the stone wall and the will powered wall.

“NOW!” The Hylian called out, “After the Warlock!” The call did not go unheard, given the perplexed looks the boy attracted as he broke the Zombies and Primes apart. The gathered Primes turned their attention to the Warlock and unleashed a flurry of varied attacks. The Warlock howled in anger, and most likely pain, a blast of energy erupting from his being, launching the nearest Primes away and shattering Link’s construct. The boy dropped to a knee.

Breathless. Panicked, even. Link planted a fist on the rocky floor, supporting his weight. Belle approached, a concerned look dominating her features.

“Link.. are you-” She barely finished, her hand placed upon the Hylian’s shoulder.

“I’ll be fine. Plenty of rest after this, right?” Link grinned coyly, blood staining his teeth and lips as it trickled loosely from his nose. The redhead helped Link to his feet. “Go, go back Mickey up, alright?” Link nodded, coercing Belle away from her worries.

As the redhead disappeared into the ensuing fray of the Zombies reengaging on the Primes, Link created a new construct, smirking slightly at the fairy bow as it was created, the quiver coalescing on his back as well. The boy took to a knee once again and began his assault. He launched a flurry of arrows, with near enough perfect accuracy, managing to miss the Primes and strike the zombies. While they may not have been entirely effective shots, they were enough to slow the lumbering undead, giving the others plenty of time to act and react. Link nocked the last arrow in his quiver and tugged on the bowstring, taking his time with his aim. He loosed the arrow and it sailed through the crowd, whizzed past the zombies and bedded itself in the Warlock’s shoulder, shortly before falling to the ground as the apparition roared out in rage and tore the projectile from its landing.

Link grinned at the reaction and allowed the fairy bow to dissipate into nothing, while simultaneously creating yet another weapon, this time it came to fruition in the form of another familiar sword, the Biggoron’s knife. The boy chortled. This ring was too much. As if creating mental projections of other items wasn’t enough, he could quite literally create the weapons he was familiar with.

The Hylian rushed into the pack, his agility and grace granting him the ability to duck and weave between “friends” and foe alike, slicing away at at the undead as they shambled and lashed out.

600 words exactly, according to googledocs!

[Ada Wong]

Pre-Challenge.

Things weren’t looking particularly good, no sir.

Everywhere he turned, his cheeks and chin scuffed up by the sharp, biting winds, the slightest shade appeared to slant and prowl along the edges of his vision, footfalls and the silent shuffling of cloth seeming to form chillingly deft contours from the dry crackling of dead leaves.

Crowley felt hunted. Trapped. No kind of patience, resilience, or naturally attuned instinct towards survival could quell the desperately fragile feeling crackling in his chest. It was almost as if he had sprained his heart, the poor muscle working overtime to go through all of the adrenaline-devouring motions of just staying alive.

He glanced towards Magus, a wide-eyed but haggard pull to his normally unruffled features. The forest canopy dappled over the pair with an almost paradisiac beauty, lovely green chasers of shadow smoothing across the gathered leaves and the snarling trunks of trees, occasional bashful pinpricks of heavenly sapphire peeking out amid their effervescent growth. They could just make out the whispering sounds of rain in the distance, brimming creeks and dripping moss contributing to their profound immutability.

At last the demon spoke, albeit with a hesitant, yellowish tang curdling upon his tongue, the words crawling with their underbellies low to the ground in a rushed approximation of speech. His shoulders hunched as he idly dipped the barrel of his gun towards the dirt.

“I don’t think we’re going to last much longer, you and I.”

It was true. Whether they deserved it or not, others would come. The Fiendlord wordlessly nodded, touching briefly at the terrible wound gouged so severely into his throat, the curl of his fingers coming away faintly rusted and wet.

They hadn’t bothered to talk about Kopaka. Not because of some bizarre cultural artifact that carries the uncalled-for pressures of needless aloofness among men, but because not saying anything somehow came close to all that really needed to be said. Grief was a language mutually understood between them. And, it also happened to be mutually understood that they should keep their traps shut.

Gritty bits of shattered bone ground to the forefront of his throat, sharp and agitating. The demon stretched his legs out in front of him on the dewy grass, staring forlornly at the mud-scratched tips of his shoes.

A silly little thought popped into his head with all the subtlety of a wine cork— he could just cut and run, right now. Take his piece and hike through the viciously hurtling winds, tangled jungle undergrowth, and stormy grey clouds to reach the marble sanctity of the temple. Maybe then he could hunker down until the others inevitably trampled all over him. Yeah, that would work.

This wasn’t a slice of life drama from The Golden Girls. Death was a very real possibility, as his numerous injuries told him, and the much more grievous wounds coloring Magus’ skin only affirmed that. Crowley just wasn’t sure if he was ready for that kind of commitment. And, to be honest, he almost kind of wanted to live.

Wait a minute. Crowley sat up fast, cringing and hissing sharply through his broken teeth when his eyesight careened roughly to the side along with about half of the goddamn island. The battered mage’s eyes swept over towards him, narrow and ardent, but when the demon didn’t immediately begin to flee in terror he resumed silently regarding the remnants of the scant meal they had managed to scrounge up.

Crowley had scaled at least four tall oaks before he had managed to find those birds’ nests. It wasn’t a meal of champions, to be sure, but when you have an overzealous firearm chirping along to Purple Rain at you, it certainly isn’t anything to complain about.

The demon stared at his hands, then at his knees and the bloody tears running through them. He… really wanted to live. Truly, this was quite the revelation. For a while there he had thought otherwise, believed that there wasn’t anything much worth living for when your own kind rejects you, but in these horrible, life-threatening circumstances, he had somehow come to terms with his own continued existence. Crowley wanted to live.

Conspiratorially, he looked sideways at Magus out of the corner of his eye. Well. He would like for that guy to live, too.

That resolved for the moment, the dynamic duo continued to sit in a peaceable, yet unspeakably uncertain quiet. The dismal clouds lurking in the upper echelons of the sky curled and wept, drizzly streams wailing down from above. It only took all of a heart-skipping minute for Crowley to notice that something was off.

“Hey, Magussss,” the demon said, his tongue coiling a little around the words. “Do you feel that?”

Stirring, the devilish mage squinted critically at him. “¿ʇɐɥʍ”

Crowley blinked, eyelids inching bit by bit, as if he wasn’t the type to blink very often. Then, he began to outright cackle, every loose snicker pittering out in some weird looping fashion that very nearly matched the kind of whooping his weapon of choice was prone to.

“¿ssssnƃɐɯ 'noʎ oʇ ƃuıʎɐssss ɯ,ı pɹoʍ ɐ puɐʇssssɹǝpun noʎ uɐɔ ¡ʎllɐǝɹ 'ǝlqıpǝɹɔuı ˙˙˙ʇssssnɾ 'ʇɐɥʇ oʇ uǝʇssssıl ¡pǝlqɯnɾ llɐ ǝɹɐ ssspɹoʍ ɹnoʎ”

This was just absolutely absurd. Something eerie was going on, no matter how hilarious Crowley found it. That Warlock was up to no good, and they had best prepare themselves for it. Just as he was about to share these preliminary inclinations to Magus, who would undoubtedly agree with him and at the same time understand very little of what was said, reality proceeded to go all topsy-turvy and dropkick him someplace entirely new.

In response to the challenge!

A meteor wailed down on them from above at the Warlock's behest, the grassy prairie only lightly disturbed by the brilliantly burning corona of gaseous flame suspended in the sky. Time swung like a pendulum, melodious and crooning.

As the pair of devils made their way towards the center of action, Crowley attempted to figuratively break the ice a little. Magus seemed genuinely surprised to see him, offered a frustratingly inscrutable look, and then had the gall to say he 'appreciated' Crowley.

"Yeah, well," Crowley spluttered at Magus' retreating back, clearly at a loss for words. He hastily cobbled together something legible enough to spit out. "I appreciate you, too! Ha!"

Nice one, Crawly, a voice that sounded suspiciously like the Duke Hastur purred. Tell him you'll have his back forever and always next, yeah? Lend 'im a 'get out of Hell free' card, why don't you?

Stewing quietly in his own broiling thoughts, Crowley's gaze fled skyward once more to regard the impending meteor. It burned and bled thick, crystalline globs of smoggy vapor in its wake, mercurial veins of silver and molten bronze shimmering all around it. This would be one hell of a reckoning.

"Where's the Antichrist when you need him?" Crowley hissed under his breath, smoothing down the tattered lapels of his jacket before taking off after Magus at a quick, jilting step.

They entered the Warlock's concentrated sphere of influence with little resistance. Crowley found that more than a tiny bit unsettling; they were expected, then, and the impending battle would undoubtedly be a terrible one. Still, even as they strode inside, the air closed around them and murmuring like thousands of sudsy bubbles in his ears, he did not shy away.

One of those few they had fought before— clad all in green and equipped with a fiery determination that cumulated and burst into a lithe, gemstone-colored vulpine, dashed ahead of them into the fray. At Magus' signal, Crowley hefted his gun and unloaded a whole host of wailing sirens upon the hovering Warlock, the winds and the flaming energy of the moment rippling around him.

He was just a hop, skip, and a jump from insanity. It was a good thing his leg was likely to be out of commission soon, then, if these random blasts of explosive energy were anything to go by. Crowley yelped as one went off near to him, tremors traveling through the earth and temporarily making him deaf to the battle spinning around with all the tumultuous fervor of a hailstorm.

Along the steadily thinning extent of his attention, worn threadbare by the crashing noise and crushing pressure, the serpent saw Magus go flying through the air, the chainsaw snarling loosely in his grip as he slammed into a rocky outcropping. A fearsome, whiskered cartoon mouse entered the fray in that same instant, a determined set to his shoulders as his allies spilled in behind him.

I'm fighting alongside Mickey bloody Mouse, Crowley thought, dazedly, straightening up just in time to fire off another wingdinging shot at the Warlock. No one back home will believe this.

That is, if he ever made it back home. Alive.

[Belle]

Sounds of battle resounded off the cave walls, reverberating and echoing, tangling into a cacophony of shouts and explosions. Moaning dead rose up to join in as Belle fought her way through the horde. Her pink crowbar lashed out, knocking them aside. The undead didn't scare her: she had died once already.

The white wolfess cheering them on, Belle broke through to the other side. The rest of the group was already engaged, humans - one blonde, one ashen - assaulting the Warlock as those not fighting the zombies closed in from the flanks.

"Enough!" The Warlock bellowed. His feet left the ground an instant before the air around him curdled, glowing a coronal blue. He exploded.

Belle hit the deck, covering herself as the blast crashed across the cave. Ears ringing, she pushed to her feet, half-staggering half-running towards the floating magic wielder.

Her crowbar whipped. A flash, a clang of steel as a gleaming sword stood in her way. With a smirk, the man's fingers tightened around the hilt and finished drawing the blade in a flourish, forcing her back.

"Why retreat?" Blade held vertically in front of him, the mage's grin widened. "Don't tell me you're scared now, little girl."

Teeth gritted, Belle rushed back in. The warlock's sword dipped to the side and arced, but she was faster. The edge of the blade ground against the crowbar, shooting sparks as Belle closed close enough to see the magic user's surprised expression. Her shoulder slammed into his chest, knocking him off balance before she buried her fist into his face.

The warlock spun, tumbling through the air before regaining control. "You," he spat, eyes veined with rage and frustration.

The others had recovered. Two men as one wrapped their hands around his ankles and spun. They flipped, tucked, then released, hurling him towards the waiting Mickey, Magus, Ururu, and Crowley. Their attacks connected with a peal of thunder.

He was surrounded on all sides, whirling like a dervish between them, his blade moving with unnatural speed to ward off their attacks.

"Shouldn't you all be killing each other?!" he growled. He raised his sword.

Mickey's shield struck first, crumpling the warlock's frame. The robes folded... Then collapsed into an oily wisp of smoke.

"Like I said," the voice roared overhead. "I'm tired of this."

Belle looked up. Her heart sank in her chest.

The warlock's arms were raised, sword tucked into the sash of his robes. Fire glowed, roiling between his fingertips in an expanding sphere. "I'll kill all of you myself! I'll-"

"You can do it!"

Amaterasu's voice cleaved through the warlock's. The robed man visibly twitched. "But ... you ... first!" He turned, leaned back, the fire following his hands. He threw them forward.

Speed like never before carried her legs, plowing through the remaining undead as the cave walls glowed orange.

Belle got there before the fireball. Even then, she didn't have enough time to pick up the girl and carry her to safety. Which left one stupid, crazy option.

"Burn in Hell, 'hero'!" the warlock cackled.

Clenching the straight end of the crowbar in two hands, Belle squared her stance, one leg forward. "Get behind me!" she barked to the girl. Her hips twisted, she wound up, and swung.

The magic of the Spirit's weapon clashed against the warlock's fire, glittering points of mana dimpling the sphere's surface as the curved head slammed home. Her arms vibrated as if she had just struck granite.

The ball reversed course, rocketing back upward towards its caster.

"Ah," the warlock mulled, almost speculatively. "Shit."

[Proto Man]

Pre-Challenge

They had barely started to meet Link when the mob had descended upon them. In a swirl of lights, colors, and shockingly melodic noises, the foursome had withstood the onslaught of the metal monster Kopaka and his collection of cronies. The ‘toa’ creature had even been felled at the hands of Link, ensuring that the machine wouldn’t continue to stalk them through the forest.

A beam of light punched through the chaos, and Proto Man got to watch as the redhead lurched backwards, her eyes lolling back in her skull. Whatever had struck her must have stopped or stalled her heart, because she crumbled like a house of cards. The machine’s eyes went wide as he tapped into the remaining fragments of his waning power. It was enough—barely—to summon the Mega Bomb.

The red robot hadn’t flinched as he pointed at the crowd. In a brilliant flash of red and yellow, the forest had ceased to be. In its place, a smoldering clearing lined with the scorched, twisted remnants of oak trees.

From the smoke, a limping Mickey emerged. The frantic mouse was limping as he tried to support more weight than his small frame could carry. Over one of his shoulders was the motionless shape of Belle. Blood drenched that entire side of the king’s body, and Proto Man couldn’t tell if it belonged to the mouse or the woman.

Mickey’s mouth opened up, but there were no audible words that came out of it. Everything seemed to be dulled out but the thrum of blood in the machine’s head. Perhaps seeing the robot’s paralysis, Link shambled forward, his hands reaching for the trinkets that the mouse was half-dragging on the ground. In the process, the Hylian accidentally clipped Proto Man, which was enough to shake the machine from his stupor.

Stumbling forward himself, the android moved to the mouse’s side and put a shoulder under Belle’s limp body. With the world around them in flames both physically and metaphorically, the twosome retreated through the wall of burning trees. Behind them, the armored Hylian covered their withdrawal, his eyes scanning the clearing for signs of their adversaries as he clenched onto the pink crowbar as if it was the last weapon in the world.

The pair made it nearly five minutes before they collapsed underneath the weight of the young woman.

Both crashed to the ground, and while both were bloody and battered, their own injuries were the least of their concerns. A few feet away, Link had already dropped their equipment and was moving to scan their surroundings.

Mickey was the first to stir—his bloodstained gloves clutching onto Belle’s shoulders as he gently shook the girl. “Belle?” He asked in a desperate voice only a little louder than a whisper. “Belle...” More shakes. Tears started to well up in the corners of the mouse’s eyes. “Come on, get up…” Shoulders shook with a gentle ferocity, but all they achieved was ruffling Belle’s blood-matted hair. “Belle, we gotta go!”

A hand reached out for Mickey’s shoulder. The mouse turned and saw that his armored companion had shed his metal helmet. The blue eyes that met his gaze were wet with tears, but even though he opened his mouth to speak, Proto Man found no words. He simply shook his head, and with that, floodgates opened on both ends. Wails escaped the primes as they collapsed into each other, their sobs melding into one heartbroken chorus as the young man in the green tunic stared in silence and held back his own sadness.

He’d only known them a short while, and before that, they’d been opponents on a few occasions. Even so, it’d been so long since Link had seen such genuine grief and the love from which it had taken root. After days of traveling with unsavory elements, the hylian had welcomed what seemed to be kind hearts—the girl who now lay dead had even called him the greatest hero she’d ever known.

Before he wound up succumbing to the air of sadness, the warrior remembered a game-changing fact.

“Hey!” Link shouted as his eyes light up just a little. Despite his exuberance, the pair was lost in their sadness. “Hey, listen!” The young man added as he stepped forward and dropped to a knee next to the two child-sized primes. At the sound of his voice next to them, the two turned to look at him with bloodshot eyes stained wet with grief. “The fight against the purple-haired man… that device you gained.”

“What?” Mickey muttered as he removed a glove and started to wipe his eyes. Before he received an answer from their blonde ally, Proto Man let out a gasp and turned to look at one of their bags. Like a wild animal, the machine tore into the sack and pulled out the small metal box. When the mouse saw the red metal and the white cross, he realized what they had at their disposal and allowed the faint traces of a smile to flash upon his weary visage. “Can you use it?”

Proto Man had already torn open the box before he bothered to answer. Although he wasn’t an expert, there were instructions and an image on the inside of the cover. The preteen machine turned on the machine and started to twist some dials. “I… I can do this,” he replied between sniffles. He scooped up a pair of squares and looked down at Belle. “We, uh… we need to pull her shirt off.”

A shade of red spread across Mickey’s nose and cheeks as he looked down at the body. “B-bu—a”

“Tear the shirt off!” Proto Man shouted, conveying more desperation than anger as he plugged a pair of paddles into the machine. Lights appeared on a screen as it started to hum. “We don’t have the time for modesty!”

Without another thought, Mickey grabbed and yanked, his hand tearing away the woman’s blouse. A momentary revulsion shuddered down the mouse’s spine at the thought, but before he could dwell in that, Proto Man nudged him out of the way. Although he had an expression that betrayed his lack of confidence, the android nevertheless rubbed the two paddles together as the noise from the device built up to crescendo. The preteen machine grit his teeth as he pressed the paddles onto Belle’s chest and side.

A beat later, there was a audible bbbzzzrtt as the enormous dosage of electricity flooded into the woman’s corpse. There was so much energy in the burst that it jolted Belle’s chest up off the ground, but despite the theatrics, the woman’s arched body once again went limp against the grass.

“What happened?” Mickey asked as his eyes once more grew wide.

“More juice,” Proto Man replied as he twisted a dial on the AED. After a few moments, the machine started to buzz once more. “Clear!” The robot screamed as he smacked the paddles down against his fallen friend.

Proto Man never knew that a scream could sound so beautiful, but when the woman’s eyes shot open and her mouth fell open in a bloodcurdling shout, the two tiny primes both breathed out enormous sighs of relief.

“It’s…” Belle stammered before a fit of pain caused her entire body to cringe for a few moments. “It’s,” she added prior to a gulp of air. “It’s a porno mag, Mickey.”

“It sure is!” Mickey shouted as he leaned forward and wrapped his arms around the wide-eyed woman. With his arms around the redhead, the mouse started to smile and laugh, but before Belle could even begin to process what was going on, a second set of arms closed around her from the other side. Stress and terror melted off the shoulders of both tiny primes as they started to laugh like maniacs. From the middle of them, a half-conscious Belle just smiled as Link watched on with his own amused expression.

Warlock 600

This was how Proto Man had hoped this excursion would have gone: A group of champions standing against a clear force of evil. The surviving champions—hardened by five days on the island dealing with nature, monsters, and treachery—charged the Warlock from all angles.

Even though they had just come from another near-brush with death, there had been no dissension in the trio when they were summoned before the Warlock. Not a single one opted to retreat from the conflict, despite a variety of nagging injuries.

As the other more enthusiastic individuals charged forward, Proto Man found himself moving a little slower. For the first time since their initial run-in with Kopaka, the machine was once more starting to feel doubts creep back into his head. He knew that the last fights had drained whatever fleeting strength he had retained prior to arriving on the island. That last shield had been the end of it—the last vestige of the Proto Man.

So what did that leave him with now, at the end of this long and horrible road?

The machine looked down at the chain clutched in his hands. While a chain in and of itself would have been a nice weapon, this one had large, hooked swords attached to each end. Those blades were etched with runes and stained with the blood of the last person to hold the weapon—Victor Wolfe. That particular villain, who’d betrayed a stranger in the Syntech competition, had met his end at Link’s hand. Without a second thought, the hylian had slain the assassin.

And he’s the greatest hero of all time, apparently.

Up ahead, the scene had become one of utter chaos as the warlock battled back against nearly a dozen primes. At the head of the group, Belle fought with the same grit and tenacity as she always had, and despite the fact that nearly everyone in the room had at one point tried to kill someone else, they were a unified front. There was no accidental crossfire to be had, and many former foes were even combining their efforts against the villain.

“Blues?” Mickey had pulled away from the fracas as a fireball exploded in the air, momentarily consuming the Warlock. “You okay?”

“Y-yea,” Proto Man said with a nod as he took hold of the two swords. “Just… just lost in my thoughts for a moment there.”

“The bad guy isn’t going to beat himself,” the mouse shouted as the machine rushed into the fray. With smiles, the twosome spun and made their way forward as a scorched Warlock dropped to the ground and discharged a blast of electricity from a gnarled palm. Mickey clenched his jaw and rushed forward to intercept the attack with the Shield of Perseus. As the energy danced and skittered across the metal surface, those primes with ranged weapons moved to the sides and attacked.

Trying to focus on crushing the mouse, the Warlock was blindsided when the bullwhip crashed across his face. A beat later, a quick succession of bat-shaped projectiles crashed against his chest.

“Insolent creatures! It’s no use!” A beleaguered Warlock screamed before an assault rifle-propelled grenade exploded a few feet from his face.

On his end, the fel wizard saw only stars and smoke. He clutched a hand against his eyes as he tried to will the ringing in his ears to stop. As the Warlock tried to shift his focus back to the champions, the cloud of smog kicked up by the grenade was parted by a tiny red prime armed with a pair of swords.